It was accidently on purpose. DH bought me my favorite type of flavored water. It is non-carbonated so I can drink it when I get tired of plain water. I normally treat myself to one or two in an evening. We found some on sale at Target this past weekend and they had some different flavors. We didn't pay attention, just picked them up. He brought me one last night and I saw the label 'drive (natural caffeine...). OOPS! I read it out loud and told him, maybe in the morning but definately not in the evening. Well this morning I tossed it in my tote bag. I took a dose of 'Dayquil' and started drinking it. Now I am buzzing around. My brain is definately more alert than yesterday. This is something that I may want to keep around to have for when I need the lift, but not for everyday. This feeling reminds me of my first recognition of caffeine and drug interaction.

Memory lane again folks-you can skip if you want.

I was in basic training. Yes I now knew how to march in formation with a pack on my back and an M-16 in my arms. I could do pushups man style. (A lot easier for me with the pack on my back-it counter balanced my front load!) I could run the mile no sweat! And I could yell with the best of them! Now it was time for the "Confidence Course".

As women, we were not forced to do any of the challenges. And there were several that my fear of heights automaticaly stopped me from. One was the tower-Picture a ladder straight up to nowhere. You climbed up, did a somersault type manuever after you saluted the captain at the top, and came down face first. Only two of the females did it-one was a former gymnast who enjoyed the challenge and the other was a generals daughter!

I did the tamer walks, balances, crawls and runs. No problem! This was fun! Then it stood before me; it looked like a step ladder, but you couldn't see the other side. I climbed up it with no problem. Kept up with the gymnast and felt proud. Then we got to the top. It was a platform. And there were NO STEPS DOWN! I am the person who doesn't ride roller coasters or Ferris wheels. I am the girl who didn't climb trees or ropes! I froze. The way the step up was set you couldn't go back the way you came up. Everyone jumped. And I sat. I was in tears. My squad waited with me. The drill sargeant came in front of me and asked what the problem was. I explained my fear of heights. Agreement was made that on the count of three I would push off and just land. The drop was about 10-15 feet. Just high enough to scare but not high enough to truly injure.

So they counted. And I pushed off. And I landed, hard. Everyone cheered. I felt great; a fear faced and conquered, the true test of the Confidence Course. Just one thing. I forgot to bend my knees deeply. They, bent, but not enough to fully cushion the landing. We didn't realize this.

On we went. Runing, singing, marching. There was still the mile and half run to do. The march back to barrack. Normal PT (physical training). March back to barracks.

By then my feet were in agony. But on I went without complaint. It was just my feet and I didn't want anyone to get pushup punishment because of me. I made it back. And was first back to my bunk, I collapsed on the floor next to my bunk. No laying on a perfectly good bunk once it was done and had passed morning inspection! The rest of the platoon came in and saw the tears on my face.
One girl took off my boots and wool socks, another grabbed her over shirt for a pillow and another grabbed a face cloth for cold water. All I could say was "My Feet!"
One of the girls grew up around horses and had something that was used for horse sprains-it was people medicine. She rubbed it on the bottom of my feet. Like she said, it couldn't hurt and it might help. Then the whistle blew.
That damn whistle meant that everyone had to get front and center-there was a middle aisle in the barraks and we had to stand at attention there. The drill sargeant was waiting and you had to be fast. The girls yanked me up and carried me fast! (we didn't want pushups!)

DS Gundert was proud of us and was congradulating us on working as a team, on finishing the course, on behaving and she was going on and on. I was thinking oh, please stop I want to sit down!! She is strolling down the middle of our nicely waxed aisle with her boots that had sharp taps, when she looks down and sees my lone pair of bare feet. "Where's your boots, IZZO?" She could never say my name. I answered that I had to take them off because my feet hurt. "Both of them?" Affirmative. "Blisters?" No. When did it start? After the Confidence course. After the jump? Yes. (each answer is followed by Drill Sargeant.) Why didn't you say anything before the run? I didn't expect it to hurt this bad.

I was excused from any duty for the remaining of the evening. Told to report to sick call the next day. Told to soak in one of the only 2 tubs that evening after supper chow. (usually VERBOTEN Squad was told that they were to do my share of normal duties and they were to clean up after my soak. Hmmm, no one ever complained to me about that-but usually I helped others, so it evened out. With supper one of my platoon gave me 3 aspirin and I had a very large cup of coffee. By the time my soak in the extremely large tub was done I was not feeling anything- caffeine & normal pain reliever equals VERY HIGH!!!! ALMOST DRUNK.

I know that I have told this story before, but I don't think that I have told it in this detail, or this well.

Back from memory lane.