Though his body says stop
His spirit cries, never
Deep in our soul
A quiet ember
Knows it's you against you
It's the paradox
That drives us on
It's a battle of wills

-Survivor, Burning Heart

I always thought a coffee detox was a cute phrase—a couple of headaches and baba bing, bada boom...you're done. Yesterday, I found how it is apt to consider the word detoxification. Leaving this pesticide totally wrecked me.

Again, I encountered that morning wave of extreme drowsiness. I was watching another installment of Nicolet Bay by City Planner Plays with the kiddos when an unscheduled shutdown sequence occurred; I was out. And all of this was in the context of already a 7 AM drive through Bartlett past our new place. I even did my weekday Bible study on a Saturday. I got my morning rolling.

As the day progressed, I just felt increasingly achy. In the evening, I just wrapped up with a comforter. My quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, lats and sometimes triceps had this achy, uncomfortable irritation. I knew it was not the flu—I had no fever—but it sure felt like it. I wish I planned for daylight savings by going to bed early, but it just worked out that way...sorta. That massage gun was burning up from the mileage it had to cover. Finally, just to see solace, I applied Biofreeze all over. At least, I no longer had to pose for the massage gun like I got hit by a truck.

I woke up at the new 3:30 AM this morning, not compromised by the 2:30 AM it once was. I find that the coffee is not necessary to create sunshine of alertness. You're doing something wrong if you need it to get up.

And yet, as I get set for the day, all of those irritations return. It is like that feeling of sitting down too long, but you cannot shake it. And some folks at Starbucks might say, "Hey, feel better again—take this one shot of espresso."

No, this is the path I take toward being "to be the best man, the best man that I can."

I just hope I do not linger too long to take in the scenery.

Try to be best
'Cause you're only a man
And a man's gotta learn to take it

Try to believe
Though the going gets rough
That you gotta hang tough to make it
...
You're the best around
Nothing's gonna ever keep you down

-Joe Esposito, You're the Best