I’ll admit Saturday night got out of hand, but just ever so slightly. I did that thing where you open a bomber of good beer before you realize that perhaps a bomber is too much. But it’s open, and it’s good, and you’re not going to pour it down the drain. So you say “what the hell” and drink it, only to wake up the next morning saying “what the hell?!” For the record, there might have been a little Knob Creek involved as well. Allegedly.
So Sunday morning came down, as Johnny Cash would say, and I was coated in a thin film of crappiness. I wasn’t hating life or severely hung over – those days are behind me now – but I was aware that mistakes had been made. I was a little dizzy, I began to sweat with little provocation, and all I wanted to do was go back to bed. But I couldn’t, because I’m all-growed-up and I have too much stuff to do. It turns out I’m too old for hangovers.
Here’s how Sunday went for me:
– I woke up at 8am, as my wife left to go to the chiropractor. The poor girl is miserable right now and is facing a bumpy road back from a lower lumbar strain. She’s totally hobbled, and I’m trying to keep her off of her feet, which makes my plate especially full right now.
– My son was across the hall in the office happily playing video games, so I laid in bed for half an hour watching Wicked Tuna (basically the Real Housewives of Boston, where the divas have been replaced with fishermen) on NatGeo, until I heard my daughter stir. No way you let THAT ONE have the run of the house. So I was on my feet.
– I had about 30 minutes for coffee and hanging out with the kids, then I had to get my day rolling and get them ready for a basketball thing my son had. Much of this time was spent negotiating outfit options with my six-year old daughter. That stuff is hardwired into some girls!
– Then it was a 60 minute drive to basketball, 60 minutes of activity (he played, I watched in a hot gym), 60 minutes back, followed by grocery shopping for the week and a bunch of other mundane errands. I let the kids totally work me over at the grocery store, loading the cart full of crap I was too dragged-out to protest. There’s no other way to explain the six pack of miniature Diet Coke bottles in the fridge. It’s like our own mini bar!
– Then home again for dishes, laundry and kid/dog washing, followed by making dinner and other domestic-type endeavors.
– Finally, it was time to sit down and write a first draft of my weekly article for the Today Show’s website, the bulk of which I like to get done on the weekend so I can let it sit for a day or two before polishing it up. I managed to bang out about 700 words that I feel pretty good about, a testament to how a good idea can inspire you regardless of how you’ve mismanaged your alcohol intake the night before.
– Then it was the Mad Men season finale and collapsing into bed.
I’m not complaining exactly – I had a nice time yesterday – but I now realize that the option of taking a day to recuperate from a hangover, even a mild one, no longer exists in my life. There’s simply too much to do, and the idea of doing all of it with last night’s fun squeezing at your temples is enough to turn me into a teetotaler.
As Danny Glover once said, I’m getting too old for this s#&t!
.
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Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Water, ibuprofen, Emergen-C, sweat, repeat. Come on. You know the drill.
I didn’t know about the Emergen-C, but the rest of the standard protocol was followed. But it struck me that my weekends are now so packed, there’s no more “down time” on a Sunday – it’s go, go, go!
No, I get that and have been there, but loading up on water, pain-killers, and vitamins can help get you through the day.
Didn’t you do you’re normal water matching trick? I thought that that worked for you. And for the record, I hate to recap a bomber once its been opened too.
I pretty much kept up with the water, but I also didn’t drink as much water as I normally do during the week, so I might’ve been down a quart or two before I ever had a beer. Plus whiskey – ugh! – my body HATES that stuff.
Dehydration and loss of vit B cause hangovers. Take a multi B before you start and take a couple during the drinkfest. Penta water advertises it gets into your cells and gets rid of a hangover. I’m still not up to par for a day or two after a good one, but no head pounding.
Funny, I didn’t take my vitamins at the end of last week or this weekend. Might be a factor.
If you’ll excuse me, I need to go chomp a Fred and two Dino’s…
I had a Mad Elf on Saturday night…it was a sign.
Yeah, that stuff should have a large-type hangover warning in the label. So much booze and sugar on board – might as well drink a Hurricane!
No milk thistle comment? Surprised.
That’s because I didn’t know about it. Maybe we need to have a Hangover Cure open thread on here…so much to learn!
I guess you should have had a Summer Shandy instead.
Yes, because they have almost NO booze, and after one or two you forget to desire another! On a fruity-beer-related note, I had a Dogfish Head Festina Peche on Friday, and after I adjusted to the tartness, it was a dry, peachy delight!
Thanks for the reminder, Jim! Don and I may be having some adult beverages with a brewery rep Tuesday evening. A work night. Those guys are beer drinking pros. Best not to try and keep up with them. Else you’ll be calling in sick with the brown bottle flu the next morning.
It must be awful having to drink beer for a living. 🙂
Make sure he gets something to write about out of the deal, and then he actually, you know, writes about it here.
Remember when he used to do that? 🙂
Hmmm … I think this get together is to discuss something he already wrote about.
Well then slap him around or something – give him a story!!
Did he ever do a post about the Ladies Beer Tasting Club event he hosted at Brewforia last month? I just hosted one yesterday. Had a blast. I hear he did, too.
Dunno – maybe? Was he the bearded lady?
Bearded Bear Lady, I believe. ;^)
Hey, who was that lady I saw you out w/ the other night? That was no lady. It was Donald ‘Bear’ Galligan.
You should do what I do and just don’t get hangovers. It’s worked wonders for me.
Sage. 🙂
As Raylan Givens would say… “gettin old ain’t for pussies…”
Amen to that!
Well then, I’m not gonna be very good at it!!
Jim, you’re not too old. You’re too responsible. That’s a parent. Good on you.
I’m not sure there’s a difference, but thanks. 🙂
You don’t have to drink yourself into a uncontrollable state to have some fun.