Two more coffees to go.

I am currently enjoying my morning brew - I have only one more morning (tomorrow) to imbibe, and then it's cold turkey for 13 days. No coffee, no wine. No exercise. No freedom... It's sinking in... To be honest, I'm starting to get a little sad. I am realizing now that, among other things, this will be an exercise in self-deprivation. I will see how much I've become attached to some things that I probably shouldn't be so attached to. Not that they're inherently bad things, but things that I should be able to live happily without. Like (gulp) ...coffee.

I went to a friend's concert last night, and had the sense that is was one of my last nights to enjoy life. I felt a little teary about it as I drove around Los Angeles, feeling my freedom, singing along to the radio at the top of my lungs. I reveled in the fact that I could stay out as long as I wanted, eat whatever I wanted... I know it sounds stupid, because it really is only 13 days, but I just felt like I needed to try and capture the feeling of independence. Like I was going to need to try and relive it in my imagination very soon.

I spoke to Angela, the coordinator of the study, on the phone yesterday. We are to begin the check-in process with a bag search. They're looking for contraband of the ingestible variety (alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate, even Advil) because the sole purpose of our sequestration from the world is that we put nothing into our bodies that has not been sanctioned by them. I have to fast before my check in for at least 8 hours, and then they'll do the first blood draw. We can check-in between the hours of 8am and 2pm, and I chose 2pm to extend my liberty for as long as possible. I know that we can leave the building occasionally to walk around the parking lot, but that an attendant will have to have visual contact with us at all times. Sounding a little like prison yet? But, I also know those same attendants are at our beck and call if we need water, a dvd, a board game, and (this is a hopeful addition) a backrub? We'll see.

Tomorrow at 2pm. D-day. I don my guinea pig sheath of shame and subject myself to the whims of science all for a few bucks. And, hopefully, for your general education and enjoyment.