So I'm on this medication...it came from the pharmacy in a orangy-brown bottle with what preliminary tallies determine to be a googolplex of warning stickers.

May cause blurred vision.
May cause drowsiness.
May cause disorientation.
May cause corny humor.
May cause silliness.

...The effects of alcohol may be heightened while taking this medication.

Well, let me tell you, there is no "may be" about that last one.

Nick made his signature dish for dinner last night...his spinach lasagna which, incidentally, was the first meal he ever made for me...on the day we met...after nearly 10 hours of nonstop conversation. Along with Italian, naturally, one must serve wine. It's like peanut butter and jelly or me and gum...they just go together.

Now, it wasn't even a hard wine. It was delicious, no doubt, and I went completely silly on it...which in hindsight must have been pretty obvious, but at the time I found my performance in suggesting otherwise brilliant and not a little Oscar-worthy.

We were doing dishes side by side...yes I dropped a few dishes as I dried, but I caught them all by the second or third wobble and none of them broke. Hell, I even loaded the coffeemaker, setting the timer for the next morning. I was riding high...I could barely see straight and look all that I still accomplished—who's the man!?

And, at 7:30, I awoke, knowing the coffee should be waiting for me. I picked my way downstairs and frowned as I saw the pot empty. I looked at the switch. Sure enough it was set to "auto"...sure enough it was set to 7:00. A.M., even. Leaning closer I felt the warmth.

Leaning closer yet, I lifted the lid. Leaning even closer yet, coming to the tips of my toes, the lid slipped from my grasp, flopping to an audible close. I frowned. I backed away. I whimpered.

I forgot the water.