Oh my aching head...

hang·o·ver

 [hang-oh-ver] 

noun:the disagreeable physical after effects of drunkenness, such as a headache or stomach disorder, usually felt several hours after cessation of drinking.

In the past month or so, I've sworn off drinking... well, I've sworn to keep it to a minimum, lol.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big lush or anything, but I enjoy a glass of wine (especially red) with my hubby at dinner.  And the occasional beer at a ball game or cookout.  And maybe a nice gin & tonic on date night.  You get my drift.  Anyway, it's come to my attention that A) I'm allergic to sulfites in red wines (NOO!!!), B) alcohol depletes your body of vitamins & minerals, and C) drinking makes me a fat-ass, lol.  So, to alleviate all of these I've limited myself to the occasional glass of white wine or a beer on special occasions and/or once or twice a week.  That's it.  And I've been such a good doobie; I honestly have.  I notice how great my body feels without having adult beverage running through my veins on a regular basis, lol.  I'm more alert & aware, and full of energy.  One night after a week of having nothing alcoholic, I had two glasses of red wine with the hubby.  Having to cut out all red wine is a HUGE deal for me, so I had to 'test' my sulfite theory to be certain.  OMG, my head was a hot mess the next morning.  My sinuses were filled with snot (gross, right?), and I felt like I had been hit with the ugly stick.  Really?  Two measly glasses of wine?  Enjoyed over a 3 hour time frame??  Sigh, yep.  Goodbye my old friend, you'll be missed.  And sure I know I can buy sulfite-free wines, all organic and actually good for my body... but damn, they're pricey and limited in selection.  I guess every now and then I'll still indulge in a red... can't hurt, right??  Wrong.

Fast forward to current day.  OH MY ACHING HEAD.  Yup, my indulgence was last night and boy am I a stupid girl.  Really?  Should I really consider it as 'treating myself' when it's to something that will hand me my ass the next morning??  Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't take back last night for a second.  It was a fun, laughter filled date night with just me and the hubby.  We enjoyed dinner at home, with a bottle of Zin (delish) and watched an episode of The Office.  One bottle between two people is not terrible.  It breaks out to 2 - 6 oz glasses of wine each.  Well, I should have known better than to have that second glass, since I was already getting congested and sniffly after glass number one... but noOOOOooo, I had the second glass.  What's that?  Why yes, we DID end up going out afterwards.  Yep, to a bar to 'treat' ourselves to a tasty beer.  Yeah, me who hasn't been drinking a whole lot, decides to pour beer down her gullet on top of the two glasses of red wine already in there... did I forget to mention that I had a glass of white wine before the 2 glasses of red?  No??  Yeah, I forgot too.

Yum yum, one tasty beer, some chips & salsa, and a couple of trivia boards in front of us.  Flirty, laughing couple we were, just enjoying each other's company and that tasty beer.  I opted for a Guinness since we were just staying for one.  Man, this place has a damn great selection.  Sure, I'll have one more.  It's been a while since we've been out like this.  Can't hurt for just one night, right??  Oh YUM!  I love Magic Hat #9!  So fruity and light!  perfect with these fattening chips & salsa that we didn't need, but were craving because we're drinking beer.  YAY!!  I love trivia!!  Especially when it's movie/TV/entertainment stuff!  Wow!  We already went through those beers?!  Damn straight I'd like another one.  No no, not the same, something different again, but in a larger bottle so I can fully kick my own ass here tonight.  Sweet, Tucher it is!!  Oh, how I love the taste of good beer.  I actually don't like the buzz/drunk feeling, but it's a small price to pay to enjoy great tasting beers.  What a fun night!  Slept like a stone, too.  Until...

Morning, you suck.  Well, now wait.  I'm a morning person.  I LOVE mornings!  Waking without an alarm is thee best feeling and I have that luxury this week.  But... drinking has foiled my day and I haven't even gotten out of bed.   Hell, I hadn't taken my head off the pillow yet and I was already sad.

So, why then do I still deem it as 'treating myself' when I indulge in the liquid devil??  Drinking (more than one drink and/or red wine) makes me feel yucky.  It makes my face red & splotchy and prone to breaking out; it makes me feel like I have a cold, all congested and icky; it makes me fat and bloated, packing on unnecessary pounds while I'm working my heart out at the gym; and makes the next day (sometimes the whole day) a big worthless mess.  So, really, am I treating myself?  Lol, geezus, I can think of lots other fun ways to treat myself.  Hello?  Mani/pedi... massage... nap... chick flick... ice cream...

Yup, lots of other ways to treat myself, lol.