It's come to my attention that a couple of chain-restaurants have accidentally served alcohol to children. It would be one thing if eight-year olds are bellying up to the bar to order a tequila sunrise with a phony ID. I'm guessing that everyone would agree that the establishment would have to feel the hammer if they served booze to obviously under-aged patrons.
However, that's not the case in these situations. No, that's not the case at all. It's that the restaurant is putting liquor in kiddy cups and bringing it to the family's table.
I've read all kinds of parental outrage over the incidents. My first impulse is to say that I can't blame them. As a parent, I'd be pretty outraged if my son was served an appletini instead of apple juice. As is frequently the case, it's not so simple as that.
I've read of parents who want to fire the employees, fine the restaurants, take away liquor licenses, close down the restaurants, lock up responsible parties, and so on. That's where I draw the line on outrage.
Food service is often a busy and hectic industry. Servers, cooks, and bartenders hustle so that they can get sit-down patrons served in only a slightly longer time than it would take to go to a drive-thru. Why? Because that's what most diners appear to want - particularly diners with children! What happens if they take too long to get our orders out to us? We negatively impact their income by deducting from their tip! So instead of 20 to 25%, they'll only get 15 to 18%. Why? Because we wanted our kid to get their cup of juice in less than two minutes rather than five.
What happens when people rush through tasks? Mistakes are inevitably made.
What would happen if the authorities lay the hammer on these businesses? People would most likely lose their jobs (and not necessarily those who made the mistake), the restaurant may lose business or close down altogether. . .leading to more people losing their jobs and their families will most definitely feel the impact. I can understand that parents are upset that their child was served liquor, but negatively impacting their local economy and other local families isn't going to fix anything. It's not going to turn back time and make sure that their little one was served juice. It's not going to do anything positive at all and, unless money is the motivator (and it probably is), I don't get why they'd be raising such a stink that it's in the news in the first place.
Think about it. . .do you think a child chug-a-lugged a sippy cup of booze? Probably not. I'm guessing they took a sip, complained about the funny taste, and the error was discovered. Yes, I'd be plenty angry if it were my kid, but the damage was minimal - if there was any at all. How hard is it to point out the mistake and reorder some juice for the kid? Why is it necessary to go bonkers and take it to the media? Again, I'm fairly certain that money is the motivator since these are chain restaurants with what I'll assume are reasonably deep pockets to pay off patrons who persist in acting all butthurt over an accident.
On to the more pressing issue here. . .why do restaurants never accidentally serve me liquor??
Showing posts with label alcohol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alcohol. Show all posts
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Someone is Definitely Not on the Wagon!
Like a violent drunk who needs all weapons locked up prior to going on a bender, I apparently need my laptop taken away before I decide to go off the wagon. Following is e-mail evidence that I wish I was making up for the purpose of writing this post. Alas, it is verbatim and I'm mortified. I'm only sharing it here because I'm guessing that it might be amusing to some of you and, if read after yesterday's post, the amusement will probably go off the charts.
Perhaps I shouldn't always try to out-drink frat boys when I'm cozying up to Al Co Hall. Just so all the boys & girls out there know for sure, martinis really are like breasts: one isn't enough, but three is just too many. . .particularly when said three glasses of vodka are following a bottle of wine.
To: My OB at 1:42 am
Sub: Is Pelvic Rest Really Necessary
So, Doctor, I'm not really your patient at this point, but is a six-week period of pelvic rest really necessary in my situation? I've totally ignored the pelvic restriction (after one week) and now I'm wondering if I've broken something up inside of me since I didn't hold fast to the six-weeks? ( you'll say it's all good) For the record, everything feels just fine from my standpoint and I'm not taking any
To: My OB at 1:58 am
Sub: Pt. II - Laptops Suck!!
I swear that laptops will be the death of me!
So anyway, hubs wants to know if everything is cool up in my babyworks since I've (we've) ignored the restrictions (?!) (so sue me!) and we enjoyed each other tonight. I said it was probably cool, but he had his misgivings. I feel totally fine so I'm hoping that means that everything is, in fact, fine. This six-weeks isn't really necessary, is it?! Really, six-weeks is an awful long time and your advice would be appreciated. . .
From: My OB at 5:38 am
How can you say that you're not my patient! I certainly hope to continue to be your doctor!
OK, so now to your answer. Many times in medicine we are asked to give advice when no data is available. Our advice of abstaining after a miscarriage is an example. I usually use a 2-3 week advice, never 6 weeks.
No, you didn't harm anything. I do sugget the use of a condom for 2 months after the miscariage to let all heal prior to trying agin.
And I advise continued daily vitamins.
To: My OB at 9:02 am
Well, I was quite the busy girl last night! I'm impressed at my polite phrasing and it makes for hilarious blog fodder, but cringing at my silly messages to you for the last hour hasn't made them go away and I feel the need to respond.
Not that I'm in the habit of sending e-mails to physicians at 2:00 am or anything, but you can't get too worked up over anything that I say at that time of day if you know what I mean. It just seems awkward to say that you are my doctor since I'm not PG.
Thanks for the reassurance and advice. I am still taking the vitamins and I'll do my best to follow the rest of your suggestions. And, of course, should I find myself knocked up in the future, you will be my doctor!
Best regards, (insert my name here)
PS I'm glad I was right! Ha! :)
I must be a freaking marvelous patient. Thank goodness that I have a wonderful vagina because I don't think there's much else to recommend me to this poor doctor!
Perhaps I shouldn't always try to out-drink frat boys when I'm cozying up to Al Co Hall. Just so all the boys & girls out there know for sure, martinis really are like breasts: one isn't enough, but three is just too many. . .particularly when said three glasses of vodka are following a bottle of wine.
* * *
To: My OB at 1:42 am
Sub: Is Pelvic Rest Really Necessary
So, Doctor, I'm not really your patient at this point, but is a six-week period of pelvic rest really necessary in my situation? I've totally ignored the pelvic restriction (after one week) and now I'm wondering if I've broken something up inside of me since I didn't hold fast to the six-weeks? ( you'll say it's all good) For the record, everything feels just fine from my standpoint and I'm not taking any
* * *
To: My OB at 1:58 am
Sub: Pt. II - Laptops Suck!!
I swear that laptops will be the death of me!
So anyway, hubs wants to know if everything is cool up in my babyworks since I've (we've) ignored the restrictions (?!) (so sue me!) and we enjoyed each other tonight. I said it was probably cool, but he had his misgivings. I feel totally fine so I'm hoping that means that everything is, in fact, fine. This six-weeks isn't really necessary, is it?! Really, six-weeks is an awful long time and your advice would be appreciated. . .
* * *
From: My OB at 5:38 am
How can you say that you're not my patient! I certainly hope to continue to be your doctor!
OK, so now to your answer. Many times in medicine we are asked to give advice when no data is available. Our advice of abstaining after a miscarriage is an example. I usually use a 2-3 week advice, never 6 weeks.
No, you didn't harm anything. I do sugget the use of a condom for 2 months after the miscariage to let all heal prior to trying agin.
And I advise continued daily vitamins.
* * *
To: My OB at 9:02 am
Well, I was quite the busy girl last night! I'm impressed at my polite phrasing and it makes for hilarious blog fodder, but cringing at my silly messages to you for the last hour hasn't made them go away and I feel the need to respond.
Not that I'm in the habit of sending e-mails to physicians at 2:00 am or anything, but you can't get too worked up over anything that I say at that time of day if you know what I mean. It just seems awkward to say that you are my doctor since I'm not PG.
Thanks for the reassurance and advice. I am still taking the vitamins and I'll do my best to follow the rest of your suggestions. And, of course, should I find myself knocked up in the future, you will be my doctor!
Best regards, (insert my name here)
PS I'm glad I was right! Ha! :)
* * *
I must be a freaking marvelous patient. Thank goodness that I have a wonderful vagina because I don't think there's much else to recommend me to this poor doctor!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Rehab Starts Next Tuesday
I'll bet you think that this is another post where I rail against addiction and how it damages relationships, huh? Well, it's totally not so read on and chillax.
Rehab - Party at the Hard Rock starts up again next Tuesday on truTV. Most "reality" shows don't interest me and this is a rare exception. This show only appeals to me because I live vicariously through the lives of the attendees, if only for an hour each week.
The show takes place at the outdoor pool of the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. It follows the employees as they go about their work. Some are boring (the man-hating bartenders), some are douches (the douchy manager demonstrates a special brand of douchiness), and some are interesting (usually the barbacks or the cocktail waitresses). But the real stars of the show are the partygoers.
The chicks wear miniscule bikinis, sky-high CFM shoes, and try to look their sexiest. The guys throw around the one thing that gets the attention of every woman. No, not that. Well, maybe that too. But I initially meant money. Lots and lots of money is necessary to do this thing the right way.
I'm a middle-aged suburban housewife. I'm decidedly more concerned with sleep training my toddler than hooking up with strangers, but I freaking love this show! If I were 60 pounds lighter and ten years younger (okay, okay, it's more like almost 15 at this point!), I would have been all over that party scene. Hot people, cool drinks, and loose morals. . .ah, hedonism (and not the awesome resort) at its best!
I can't wait for next Tuesday. . .and I hope that the kiddo goes to sleep early so I can actually watch the show!
Rehab - Party at the Hard Rock starts up again next Tuesday on truTV. Most "reality" shows don't interest me and this is a rare exception. This show only appeals to me because I live vicariously through the lives of the attendees, if only for an hour each week.
The show takes place at the outdoor pool of the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. It follows the employees as they go about their work. Some are boring (the man-hating bartenders), some are douches (the douchy manager demonstrates a special brand of douchiness), and some are interesting (usually the barbacks or the cocktail waitresses). But the real stars of the show are the partygoers.
The chicks wear miniscule bikinis, sky-high CFM shoes, and try to look their sexiest. The guys throw around the one thing that gets the attention of every woman. No, not that. Well, maybe that too. But I initially meant money. Lots and lots of money is necessary to do this thing the right way.
I'm a middle-aged suburban housewife. I'm decidedly more concerned with sleep training my toddler than hooking up with strangers, but I freaking love this show! If I were 60 pounds lighter and ten years younger (okay, okay, it's more like almost 15 at this point!), I would have been all over that party scene. Hot people, cool drinks, and loose morals. . .ah, hedonism (and not the awesome resort) at its best!
I can't wait for next Tuesday. . .and I hope that the kiddo goes to sleep early so I can actually watch the show!
Monday, August 9, 2010
You're Crazier Than We Thought
Holy smokes! I didn't think it was possible to make yourself look any worse than Matt Stone and Trey Parker depict you, but Mel Gibson has somehow found a way. Check out some of South Park's episodes featuring Mel Gibson to know exactly what I mean. They show him as a Grade-A lunatic and, in light of his recent troubles, I think they were incredibly restrained in their scathing depiction.
I haven't seen all of his movies, but I've seen enough to know that Mel Gibson can make a good freaking movie. He's a good director, he's a good actor, and he's easy on the eyes. Heck, even is comedic timing is pretty good. He was good at his job, but that doesn't really reveal anything about his personal character or state of mind.
Talk about a guy who seemed like he had it all. He was a major player in the movie industry. He had power. He had fame. He had wealth. He was good looking. More important than any worldly trappings, he had a long-term marriage (nearly 30 years!) and many children.
But that cat has fallen in a most spectacular fashion. And why is that? I think it's because something else (besides God) was placed above his family in his heart.
Mel Gibson has had some highly publicized personal problems recently. His history with addiction is well known and has been documented breathlessly by celebrity gossip rags. I half expected to wake up and hear that another one of his crazy rants had been recorded and released. His rapid descent from Hollywood A-lister to reviled pariah may have happened anyway because he sounds batsh*t crazy, but it was certainly hastened by his addiction to alcohol.
I'll be blunt: It appears that his addiction was ultimately greater than his love for his family. Does that sound harsh? Well, it's meant to be. There is nothing sadder than throwing away your loving family. Nothing.
He had a nearly 30-year marriage. Several children with the wife of his youth - seven, I think. And he threw them away. Worse, he brought an innocent into his personal turmoil by procreating with his mistress.
He claims to be a devout Catholic. He's a convincing actor and I'd guess that he would still claim the Lord God as his master, but his actions are far more telling and believable than any words. Believers should put God in the top spot in their heart, followed by spouse and children, and everything else falls somewhere far below in the heart of a Christian.
Gibson's actions aren't really consistent with one of God's children. That's not to say that a Christian never strays from the correct path, but it's a sure bet that they are no longer on the correct path when they are totally living in the world. Is he living in the world? Uh, yeah. Drunken partying, extra-marital affair, divorce, out of wedlock child. I'd say it's pretty clear that he's totally in the world at this point.
All this destruction seems like it stemmed from his addiction to alcohol. That's really heartbreaking.
Don't take this as an indictment of alcoholics or addicts. I know and love some wonderful people who happen to be addicted to alcohol or who were addicted to drugs. Addiction doesn't make someone a bad person. No, it doesn't. But understand that addiction can make good people do bad things. Listen to just one of Gibson's maniacal rants you'll hear some of the bad things that an addict will say, do, or threaten.
Rehab is something that most celebrities don't seem to take seriously, but it can be a life saver. A life changer even. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? If it works, it's worth ten times the cost. Absolutely. I feel the same way about sober coaches. Having someone with an addict 24/7 does a lot to cut down on opportunities to give in to an addiction. In my experience, tough love can ultimately work just as effectively. Hitting rock bottom sometimes seems like it resets something in the brain of an addict. It's like they suddenly realize what a gift their family really was and they long to have the relationships restored more than they long for whatever it was that fueled their addiction.
I can't help it, but I'm pulling for the guy to get some help and get his life back on track. I'm a romantic at heart and, yes, I even hope that his family is restored by some miracle. Frankly, I hope that he gets back to work soon because I find his movies are far more entertaining than the mess he's made of his personal life.
I haven't seen all of his movies, but I've seen enough to know that Mel Gibson can make a good freaking movie. He's a good director, he's a good actor, and he's easy on the eyes. Heck, even is comedic timing is pretty good. He was good at his job, but that doesn't really reveal anything about his personal character or state of mind.
Talk about a guy who seemed like he had it all. He was a major player in the movie industry. He had power. He had fame. He had wealth. He was good looking. More important than any worldly trappings, he had a long-term marriage (nearly 30 years!) and many children.
But that cat has fallen in a most spectacular fashion. And why is that? I think it's because something else (besides God) was placed above his family in his heart.
Mel Gibson has had some highly publicized personal problems recently. His history with addiction is well known and has been documented breathlessly by celebrity gossip rags. I half expected to wake up and hear that another one of his crazy rants had been recorded and released. His rapid descent from Hollywood A-lister to reviled pariah may have happened anyway because he sounds batsh*t crazy, but it was certainly hastened by his addiction to alcohol.
I'll be blunt: It appears that his addiction was ultimately greater than his love for his family. Does that sound harsh? Well, it's meant to be. There is nothing sadder than throwing away your loving family. Nothing.
He had a nearly 30-year marriage. Several children with the wife of his youth - seven, I think. And he threw them away. Worse, he brought an innocent into his personal turmoil by procreating with his mistress.
He claims to be a devout Catholic. He's a convincing actor and I'd guess that he would still claim the Lord God as his master, but his actions are far more telling and believable than any words. Believers should put God in the top spot in their heart, followed by spouse and children, and everything else falls somewhere far below in the heart of a Christian.
Gibson's actions aren't really consistent with one of God's children. That's not to say that a Christian never strays from the correct path, but it's a sure bet that they are no longer on the correct path when they are totally living in the world. Is he living in the world? Uh, yeah. Drunken partying, extra-marital affair, divorce, out of wedlock child. I'd say it's pretty clear that he's totally in the world at this point.
All this destruction seems like it stemmed from his addiction to alcohol. That's really heartbreaking.
Don't take this as an indictment of alcoholics or addicts. I know and love some wonderful people who happen to be addicted to alcohol or who were addicted to drugs. Addiction doesn't make someone a bad person. No, it doesn't. But understand that addiction can make good people do bad things. Listen to just one of Gibson's maniacal rants you'll hear some of the bad things that an addict will say, do, or threaten.
Rehab is something that most celebrities don't seem to take seriously, but it can be a life saver. A life changer even. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? If it works, it's worth ten times the cost. Absolutely. I feel the same way about sober coaches. Having someone with an addict 24/7 does a lot to cut down on opportunities to give in to an addiction. In my experience, tough love can ultimately work just as effectively. Hitting rock bottom sometimes seems like it resets something in the brain of an addict. It's like they suddenly realize what a gift their family really was and they long to have the relationships restored more than they long for whatever it was that fueled their addiction.
I can't help it, but I'm pulling for the guy to get some help and get his life back on track. I'm a romantic at heart and, yes, I even hope that his family is restored by some miracle. Frankly, I hope that he gets back to work soon because I find his movies are far more entertaining than the mess he's made of his personal life.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Is It Rock-Bottom Yet?
Apparently not.
How do you save someone who doesn't even recognize that they need salvation? I'm not talking about religion here, I literally mean that their life is in danger because of their actions. Yet they still can't admit that they have a problem. Even worse, they blame their family for the situation that they have found themselves in. A situation that they have entirely brought upon themselves.
I realize that rock-bottom is different for everyone, but I would think that most people would have stopped fighting by now. Actually, just fighting the current circumstances would be preferable. This individual is making their situation far, far worse than it has to be. And it doesn't appear that they're going to straighten up anytime soon.
At this point, this individual seems content to terrorize their own family. Making serious threats and accusations. Directing the most evil vitriol toward the family who they had always loved and cherished. The family who still, even with all the pain and havoc that addiction has wrought, the family who still loves and cares about this individual.
Dammit all so much! It's like we don't even know who this person is anymore! Who has this person become? No one who I would ever recognize in a million years.
I've had an incredibly difficult day. The last several weeks, months actually, have been emotionally draining. Yesterday was pretty damn bad, but I think today takes the taco.
I am angry, appalled, bewildered, frightened, frustrated, scared, stunned, and upset by this most recent turn of events. I think I'm mostly angry and frightened. Maybe stunned too.
I have so many emotions warring inside myself that I can hardly get my thoughts together. Goodness knows that I'm having trouble writing my thoughts. I'm sure I'll read this post at another time and think it's a jumbled mess of words. Typing through tears has never been my forte.
My heart is just breaking for this person and their family. I'm afraid that I don't see a happy outcome. Even the best case scenario in my mind can't really be called a happy outcome because an entire family has been so completely wounded.
I've witnessed an absolute tragedy. It took several years to unfold, but it is tragic nonetheless. And I hate that I didn't do something, couldn't do anything, to stop it from happening. It's a true nightmare.
One person's addiction. It's hurting so many people. More than anything, it's so damn sad.
How do you save someone who doesn't even recognize that they need salvation? I'm not talking about religion here, I literally mean that their life is in danger because of their actions. Yet they still can't admit that they have a problem. Even worse, they blame their family for the situation that they have found themselves in. A situation that they have entirely brought upon themselves.
I realize that rock-bottom is different for everyone, but I would think that most people would have stopped fighting by now. Actually, just fighting the current circumstances would be preferable. This individual is making their situation far, far worse than it has to be. And it doesn't appear that they're going to straighten up anytime soon.
At this point, this individual seems content to terrorize their own family. Making serious threats and accusations. Directing the most evil vitriol toward the family who they had always loved and cherished. The family who still, even with all the pain and havoc that addiction has wrought, the family who still loves and cares about this individual.
Dammit all so much! It's like we don't even know who this person is anymore! Who has this person become? No one who I would ever recognize in a million years.
I've had an incredibly difficult day. The last several weeks, months actually, have been emotionally draining. Yesterday was pretty damn bad, but I think today takes the taco.
I am angry, appalled, bewildered, frightened, frustrated, scared, stunned, and upset by this most recent turn of events. I think I'm mostly angry and frightened. Maybe stunned too.
I have so many emotions warring inside myself that I can hardly get my thoughts together. Goodness knows that I'm having trouble writing my thoughts. I'm sure I'll read this post at another time and think it's a jumbled mess of words. Typing through tears has never been my forte.
My heart is just breaking for this person and their family. I'm afraid that I don't see a happy outcome. Even the best case scenario in my mind can't really be called a happy outcome because an entire family has been so completely wounded.
I've witnessed an absolute tragedy. It took several years to unfold, but it is tragic nonetheless. And I hate that I didn't do something, couldn't do anything, to stop it from happening. It's a true nightmare.
One person's addiction. It's hurting so many people. More than anything, it's so damn sad.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Addiction Hurts More Than the Addict
I feel like addiction has always been in my life. I have had close relationships with addicts at various stages in my life. From very early childhood to adolescence to adulthood, there has nearly always been an addict in my life.
Thanks to addiction, I have cried oceans of tears. I have worried, I have feared. I have bargained and I have begged. I have pleaded, I have prayed.
More than anything though, I have wept. Wept for the damage that the addict is doing. Wept over my helplessness to remove the addiction from their life. Wept in frustration that someone I love (or loved) is powerless to fight a substance that beckons them.
Addiction is seductive and it doesn't take no for an answer. It lures the addict back with promises of good times. Of course, those good times are increasingly hollow and eventually fade away altogether.
Addiction is a thief. It steals the addict's health, time, and money. Even worse, it steals the very soul of the addict. They become someone their own family doesn't recognize. And, if they live long enough, the addict wouldn't even recognize themselves.
Addiction consumes the heart and mind of the addict. The addict eventually loves their addiction more than their own family. More than themselves.
I hate addiction. I just hate it. I hate what it does to the addict and I hate the pain it inflicts upon their family. It hurts friends and family so much more than the addict could ever guess.
I'm very concerned about someone I love. I have maintained their anonymity out of consideration and respect, but I'm worried. They refuse to participate in the program that they are currently enrolled in and they are growing increasingly combative. Please take a moment to say a prayer that this individual can break free from the bondage of addiction and give this person's family the strength to stand firm in demanding sobriety. With God, all things are possible. Please ask, and continue to ask, for His help with this painful situation.
Happy Easter. . .He is Risen!
Thanks to addiction, I have cried oceans of tears. I have worried, I have feared. I have bargained and I have begged. I have pleaded, I have prayed.
More than anything though, I have wept. Wept for the damage that the addict is doing. Wept over my helplessness to remove the addiction from their life. Wept in frustration that someone I love (or loved) is powerless to fight a substance that beckons them.
Addiction is seductive and it doesn't take no for an answer. It lures the addict back with promises of good times. Of course, those good times are increasingly hollow and eventually fade away altogether.
Addiction is a thief. It steals the addict's health, time, and money. Even worse, it steals the very soul of the addict. They become someone their own family doesn't recognize. And, if they live long enough, the addict wouldn't even recognize themselves.
Addiction consumes the heart and mind of the addict. The addict eventually loves their addiction more than their own family. More than themselves.
I hate addiction. I just hate it. I hate what it does to the addict and I hate the pain it inflicts upon their family. It hurts friends and family so much more than the addict could ever guess.
I'm very concerned about someone I love. I have maintained their anonymity out of consideration and respect, but I'm worried. They refuse to participate in the program that they are currently enrolled in and they are growing increasingly combative. Please take a moment to say a prayer that this individual can break free from the bondage of addiction and give this person's family the strength to stand firm in demanding sobriety. With God, all things are possible. Please ask, and continue to ask, for His help with this painful situation.
Happy Easter. . .He is Risen!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A Party Girl Confronts Her Past
In addition to this being Day 3 of my weight loss journey, it is also the third day that I am abstaining from alcohol. I plan to avoid booze for at least 30 days to get this weight loss started the right way. Since I've made it forbidden, I'm naturally jonesing for a drink to wind down.
I don't hide the fact that I like to drink. I really, really, really like it. I like wine, champagne, sparkling wine (no, it is not the same as champagne), light beer, vodka, tequila, and the occasional glass of whiskey or bourbon. If I didn't have my son to look after, I would probably drink every day.
I can't say when this love of liquor developed. I was born in the 70s and, prenatal care being what it was, my mother drank a little when she was pregnant. And when she was nursing. Alcoholism runs in my family, perhaps the taste for booze is buried somewhere in my genes. I got drunk for the first time at the wedding of my mother & father when I was six-years old. Can you imagine? A drunk six-year old. Of course, the next morning I was a hungover six-year old and everyone put together why I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to party with the adults. No, no one was serving me Stingers. I had simply asked for a cup of punch, champagne punch, from every guest. Everyone figured that one cup couldn't hurt and gave it to me. Looking back, I wonder if anyone else even had a sip of that delectable nectar.
I generally hate pack-rattery, but one benefit is that you run across all sorts of useful stuff. I ran across four 12-week food journals that I kept when I initially was on Weight Watchers. I lost just over 30 pounds when I was on the program, so I eagerly perused my journals to see if I could gain any insight to my weight loss.
Talk about an eye-opener!
I discovered that I abstained from alcohol during only one week out of the 48-weeks I tracked. One week out of 48! Another week I only consumed two vodka tonics in the entire week. Sounds pretty good, right? Wrong. Those were the only two weeks that I didn't drink like a fish. Let that sink in. I enjoyed a modest amount of alcohol in only two weeks out of 48.
One week I consumed nine total drinks, a mix of wine, beer, and liquor. And I wrote, "Awesome," next to the tally. That's more than one drink a day and I hardly think it's awesome today. And it gets much, much worse. One week I consumed a total of two bottles of wine (that's bottles, as in five glasses are found in a bottle), 2 beers, and 2 "diet" margaritas. You know, is the diet really that important to you when you are drinking BOTTLES of wine?! I wrote, "Good Job," next to that one. Really, MrsHashBrown, that's a good job? WTF would be a bad job? Well, I soon found out!
I figured that the absolute worst week would have been when we were out of town or at a Jimmy Buffett concert or something. Nope. It was just a random week as far as I can tell. A week that I consumed 41 alcoholic beverages. Forty-one! That's like having six freaking alcoholic beverages every single day of the week. I had the good taste to write, "Not Good," next to that one. No kidding.
The really crazy thing is that on binge-drinking days I would horde my daily points by eating a lot of vegetables. Some days I damn-near drank all of my points. And, yet, I somehow still lost weight. Oddly enough, my weight losses and gains do not appear to correlate with my alcohol consumption. I think that it was only my dedication to exercise that allowed me to lose any weight at all. Frankly, I'm not surprised that I never hit my goal weight with that kind of piss-poor dedication to the program.
I knew I was a pathetic, falling-down drunk when I was married to my ex-husband. I was miserable and just wanted to drink myself into oblivion when I was married to him. But I had no idea that I was still drinking so much after I married my husband. I'm wild about my husband, why do I still need to drink so freaking much?
I'm amazed that one person can drink so much and still have the ability to track their drinks. I'm amazed that I lost any weight at all. After reading the booze consumption on some days, I'm amazed that I have never had alcohol poisoning. Seriously, I think I could drink damn-near anyone under the table back then. Talk about a party girl!
Now, I haven't been drinking so heavily in recent times because I have a little boy to look after and he wants his love & care whether Mama has a hangover or not. But it is scary to me to read just how over-the-edge I was. And it's impossibly easy to go from one drink to two drinks to three drinks to out of control.
I think it's a very good idea that I lay off the liquor this time around. Hopefully my dedication will yield the results I'm seeking.
I don't hide the fact that I like to drink. I really, really, really like it. I like wine, champagne, sparkling wine (no, it is not the same as champagne), light beer, vodka, tequila, and the occasional glass of whiskey or bourbon. If I didn't have my son to look after, I would probably drink every day.
I can't say when this love of liquor developed. I was born in the 70s and, prenatal care being what it was, my mother drank a little when she was pregnant. And when she was nursing. Alcoholism runs in my family, perhaps the taste for booze is buried somewhere in my genes. I got drunk for the first time at the wedding of my mother & father when I was six-years old. Can you imagine? A drunk six-year old. Of course, the next morning I was a hungover six-year old and everyone put together why I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to party with the adults. No, no one was serving me Stingers. I had simply asked for a cup of punch, champagne punch, from every guest. Everyone figured that one cup couldn't hurt and gave it to me. Looking back, I wonder if anyone else even had a sip of that delectable nectar.
I generally hate pack-rattery, but one benefit is that you run across all sorts of useful stuff. I ran across four 12-week food journals that I kept when I initially was on Weight Watchers. I lost just over 30 pounds when I was on the program, so I eagerly perused my journals to see if I could gain any insight to my weight loss.
Talk about an eye-opener!
I discovered that I abstained from alcohol during only one week out of the 48-weeks I tracked. One week out of 48! Another week I only consumed two vodka tonics in the entire week. Sounds pretty good, right? Wrong. Those were the only two weeks that I didn't drink like a fish. Let that sink in. I enjoyed a modest amount of alcohol in only two weeks out of 48.
One week I consumed nine total drinks, a mix of wine, beer, and liquor. And I wrote, "Awesome," next to the tally. That's more than one drink a day and I hardly think it's awesome today. And it gets much, much worse. One week I consumed a total of two bottles of wine (that's bottles, as in five glasses are found in a bottle), 2 beers, and 2 "diet" margaritas. You know, is the diet really that important to you when you are drinking BOTTLES of wine?! I wrote, "Good Job," next to that one. Really, MrsHashBrown, that's a good job? WTF would be a bad job? Well, I soon found out!
I figured that the absolute worst week would have been when we were out of town or at a Jimmy Buffett concert or something. Nope. It was just a random week as far as I can tell. A week that I consumed 41 alcoholic beverages. Forty-one! That's like having six freaking alcoholic beverages every single day of the week. I had the good taste to write, "Not Good," next to that one. No kidding.
The really crazy thing is that on binge-drinking days I would horde my daily points by eating a lot of vegetables. Some days I damn-near drank all of my points. And, yet, I somehow still lost weight. Oddly enough, my weight losses and gains do not appear to correlate with my alcohol consumption. I think that it was only my dedication to exercise that allowed me to lose any weight at all. Frankly, I'm not surprised that I never hit my goal weight with that kind of piss-poor dedication to the program.
I knew I was a pathetic, falling-down drunk when I was married to my ex-husband. I was miserable and just wanted to drink myself into oblivion when I was married to him. But I had no idea that I was still drinking so much after I married my husband. I'm wild about my husband, why do I still need to drink so freaking much?
I'm amazed that one person can drink so much and still have the ability to track their drinks. I'm amazed that I lost any weight at all. After reading the booze consumption on some days, I'm amazed that I have never had alcohol poisoning. Seriously, I think I could drink damn-near anyone under the table back then. Talk about a party girl!
Now, I haven't been drinking so heavily in recent times because I have a little boy to look after and he wants his love & care whether Mama has a hangover or not. But it is scary to me to read just how over-the-edge I was. And it's impossibly easy to go from one drink to two drinks to three drinks to out of control.
I think it's a very good idea that I lay off the liquor this time around. Hopefully my dedication will yield the results I'm seeking.
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