My usual drink is Stoli Raspberry Vodka and cranberry juice. Vodka has long been my favorite liquor to get nicely fucked up without being fucked up. After flashing the bartender a twenty to get some quick service, I started a tab with my favorite drink in hand.
We had a seat on a very comfortable couch, and I took my first sip. Strong, very strong. Perfect for a first drink. I sat and talked with my friend about life, women, and steadily finished the vodka and some, maybe a little, maybe just a pinch of cranberry juice, off. After reaching what I'm sure was an insightful point about something, I announced I was getting another drink. I sat up.
At that moment I realized I was a fucking lightweight. One drink, one stinking drink and my head was swimming a little as I walked back to the bar. Alcohol impairs you the second you sip it, but usually I at least don't feel impaired until after a couple drinks. One drink, one stinkin' drink.
I ordered another. I needed to get back on the wagon. A wagon full of vodka and whiskey.
A year ago, I was downing shot after shot of 151 without blinking. One drink. This must be what gym rats feel like after a long layoff, I thought. They think:
"A 7:30 mile? Are you kidding me? This thing is broken."
While I think:
"That drink was obviously drugged, secretly, even as I watched every step in it's creation."
So I did the drinking equivalent of two-a-days and had a third drink. Wouldn't have made me sweat a year ago. And it didn't this time (though drunk people can't be trusted to know how drunk they are). I settled into a nice buzz. Nicely fucked up without being completely fucked up. Only three drinks, making me a cheaper date.
Still, it bothered me a little. I know it's a little juvenile and frattish to associate drinking ability with some kind of pride, but dammit, I'm Irish. I have stereotypes to uphold. Things to forget. I'm sure, with a steady diet of happy hours, I can be back to my eight drink minimum. Of course, since I'm a lot happier than I was a year ago, three drinks should be fine.
2 comments:
Is it just that you've been a little more disciplined when it comes to diet and fitness?
I did the whole "I'm going to get in shape" for about 9 months one year, I was pretty strict. At the end of it, I was such a cheap date that it was hard to enjoy going out unless I was sipping very slowly.
Thankfully that's gone now and I'm back to being an old lush!
It may be the diet and fitness, I was almost 15 pounds heavier then.
That, plus I haven't really been a "drinker" in a while.
Oh, and remember it's "older" not "old". ;)
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