coffee & chewing gum

it's the first thing i do when i wake up, brew a pot of coffee i mean. while it is brewing, i make my bed, pack my lunch & wander around my house anticipating my first cup. i polish off two mugs before i even step out the door & have one to three cups while at work. today, as i headed into the kitchen at my office to pour a third cup (fifth of the day) i thought...i may drink too much coffee. i still sleep at night, i don't get the shakes & there are no throbbing headaches after a day without it, but still! 5, 12 oz cups of coffee a day? that's a crapload of caffeine. i sat down at my desk to start working again, thinking about the absurd amount of coffee i drink, when i looked into the garbage basket below my desk & noticed the 5 empty packs of gum thrown in since monday.

wikipedia has a good summary of the benefits & risks of coffee in terms of health.

divya & i talked about excess last night, that it isn't easily defined as a lot of something, but an amount the passes your acceptable amount. do i get to decide how much coffee & chewing gum is too much?