Saturday, May 14, 2016

Protect Me from What I Want

I don't often look forward to having a beer after work anymore.  Yesterday's almost manic pace at the bike shop however, found me thinking I ought to crack a beer when I got home.  My mind was wound tight.  My body was wound down.  A beer seemed just the right medicine to bring my mind in tune with my body.

I get home and damn!  No beer.  What to do?  I considered a run to the Acton Trading Post for a six pack, but decided no.  Instead, I opened the liquor cabinet where a dusty collection of hooch sat patiently waiting for me to remember they existed.  Yeah, that's a good idea.  I'll have a Jameson with a cool cube in the middle.  One drink will do it.

There was maybe one and a half fingers of the famous Irish whiskey left in the bottle.  Not enough for a decent drink.  So when I finished off the Jameson, I cracked the seal on the bottle of scotch I bought several years ago.  .......................... And then it was off to the races.

I gave up drinking hard liquor for about 20 years.  I consciously stopped because when I was younger and got into the Demon Rum,  I often did not stop drinking it until there was nothing left in the bottle or bottles.  When I sobered up, many missing hours would haunt me like a bad dream.  Friends would tell me of my antics, funny and sad.  Bridges would be burned.  And I would be totally unaware of what happened.  ........... I liked my hard stuff too much.  So I quit.

A few years ago I decided it was okay to drink again.  I was older, wiser, and figured I could handle it.  So far, this has been the case.  A six pack will last me a month sometimes.  A bottle of whiskey will last me years.

Well, last night, I got schnockered, shitfaced drunk.  It snuck up on me.  I was not falling down drunk, but only a shot or two away by the time I collapsed on the couch about 10:00PM.

Which leads me to today as I sit here painfully using the few brain cells I have left to write this post.  When my eyes opened at their usual 4:30 AM, the first thought that passed through my mind was, "Oh yeah.  There's another reason I quit drinking.  Waking up feeling this bad really, really sucks."

Some lessons need to be repeated to protect us from what we want.

Later ..................................................

8 comments:

PipeTobacco said...

I was drinking too, last night. Whiskey as well. But, I must have been more careful than you because luckily no hangover. I have gotten better at being a bit more moderate and yet still having fun. It has probably been about two years ago that I last had a real hangover and that was due to my challenge of limiting drinking at a wedding reception. I get bored after a spell and want to go home, but my wife likes to stay very, very long at those things and the more bored I get, the more I tend to drink.

We have a wedding reception coming up this June, so I can anticipate a reasonably high probability of one then, again.

PipeTobacco

yellowdoggranny said...

been there...done that.

BBC said...

You have my permission to slip once in a while. I'm not a scotch fan but what the hell, drink what you like. I avoid buying brandy, like it to much.

Anonymous said...

In a perfect world you could pour bourbon on your cheerios! I can handle most things but I drink bourbon like water and pay the price.Moderation in all things my friend.

Kulkuri said...

The worse kind of hangover is when you feel like you are going to die and are afraid you won't!!

Ol'Buzzard said...

I love good Irish whiskey. And scotch...and bourbon and vodka. Don't care too much for beer but will drink it if it is Canadian. But like the rat said: moderation in all things.

MRMacrum said...

Pipe Tobacco - Lately when the urge to have a stimulating alcoholic beverage stops by, one drink or maybe just a half a beer will satiate. But on occasion, locating the line not to cross again is needed.

JACKISUE - Yeah, it was not hard to pin down the reason my head felt 3 sizes to big.

BBC - Different strokes, different folks. I cannot handle any liquor that hints of sweetness. Brandies of many kinds are at the top of the list.

mohaverat - Moderation is for wimps. Guess I should be a wimp now.

Kulkiri - Thankfully - the hangover was not of the want to die variety. But I did feel fuzzy and out of focus for an hour or two.

Ol'Buzzard - I like a beer once in awhile, but often only drink half. WHiskey however, well, it is considered one of the Demon Rums for a reason.



The Blog Fodder said...

Jameson is my drink of choice when I want one drink. Usually if it is more than one drink eg company supper, it is vodka but 250 grams is my limit (I go to sleep). No hangover with vodka in small doses like that.
Have you tried Jameson Caskmate? It is smooth! Like GlenLivet, my Scotch of choice.