I’ll continue with the reasons tomorrow, but I wanted fill the world in a little more with how my life is set up. You see, another comment I get a lot is something like “Why don’t you just have a couple?” or “You could just drink on special occasions…” Let me answer that by outlining my week.
Friday (8/20): Cast party after final show with old friends. 4 beers.
Saturday: End of summer barbecue at Chad’s house. Eric is there and I haven’t hung with him in far too long. 2 Guinness, 3 Summer Shandy’s, and 2 Heineken's, plus 3 shots of a Lithuanian berry vodka he brought from his trip out there.
Sunday: 4 glasses of wine watching an interesting documentary while Audra studied for her CPA exam.
Monday: Glass of Sangria with Dad followed by two Budweiser’s at home. No big deal.
Tuesday: Two pre-movie beers before watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World with Chad, followed by two glasses of Pinot Noir with Adam, who I haven’t seen since graduation, and who picked up the tab.
Prediction for Tonight: Audra found out she passed another CPA exam AND she is taking her third exam tonight. I believe we will either celebrate with a bottle of champagne, a bottle of wine, or both. (Assume 4 drinks)
Prediction for Thursday: Traveling to Pittsburgh, meeting up with good friends for a Saturday wedding. Assume at least three drinks at the bar.
Prediction for Friday: Assuming we don’t want to be hung over for the wedding, I predict a glass or two of wine at the dinner after the rehearsal. Possibly one or two beers at the hotel bar with friends after (Assume 4 drinks)
Prediction for Saturday: Wedding and my 30th Birthday. Forget it, champagne toast, wine with dinner, reception drinks, after bar toasts to my own 30th birthday, I predict 10 drinks at least.
Ok, so that’s 8 days: 46 drinks (at least). An average of almost 6 drinks a day. Yes there are a few random beers that could have easily been cut out, but other than that, I feel like I have to pick and choose who I am drinking with and who I’m not. The cast party could have been cut, and going without the wine with dad would have been fine. The BBQ would have been a tougher sell – as would meeting with Adam. The wedding would be a really tough sell, and especially my 30th birthday.
Think this is an atypical week? I have a lot of circles of friends, a lot of them are from other cultures where drinking is more pronounced than it is here. This summer has been full of special events that warrant a bottle of wine be brought and opened. But I’m not addicted… right? I mean, I always have liquor left in the house and I choose to not drink all the time. I could have had more last night before going to bed, but I didn’t. I believe this mass consumption is a function of the life I’ve built around myself, and I have the power to adjust it.
Whoops, I guess that's 9 days, still 5 per day.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should open a bar and grill!(ha)
ReplyDeleteYour awareness and navagation will be key through
these waters. Be safe son, Happy 30th!
(Congratulations Audra!!)
Wow, based on that schedule you might have a problem! There is no reason that drinking has to be included in all the social gatherings/celebrations.
ReplyDeleteThis is just my opinion, so take it for what it is worth: The Sun-Tues drinking could easily have been eliminated, and celebrating Audra's achievement (Congratulations!) could have been done without alcohol - maybe a nice dinner instead? Right there that is 4 days and 15 drinks cut out.
I think you will realize during the upcoming year that events like this are just as special whether you had a drink or not.
30 years ago, today, a special person was born.
ReplyDeleteWes William Whalberg. My son.
I took him everywhere. He was my wing man.
I watched him grow, I'd let him go, he is an adventurer, a pioneer.
He has his mothers loving heart, She loves him everyday.
I pray the LORD looks after you. May he guide you
and keep you.
You're a fine young man, I want you to know. I love you Wes. Happy (30th)Birthday! Dad :)
Think of drinking like smoking. Imagine someone who smokes a pack, or a carton a day. Would you tell them "why don't you just have one cigarette a day, or one cigarette a week?" It is true that one cigarette a day or a week would be significantly less hazardous, but it would be a LOT easier to just quit altogether. I have never known a smoker that "cuts down". They always either quit, or continue on smoking. Drinking is very much the same.
ReplyDelete@ Chad, I agree that I find that night will be just as fun without the alcohol, but with nobody questioning me, and with alcohol present at every social situation, my inclination has been to have one versus decline one. Also, there is a direct correlation between having one or two, and then coming back home and continuing the buzz until bedtime - hence the three or four a night rather than just one or two.
ReplyDeleteEven a nice dinner would be complemented with wine or beer, or a drink after dinner - a release after a stressful day is almost always softened with a drink. I'm not disagreeing that there are easy ways to cut the quantity, but Im still left with well over 20 drinks a week.