Nonetheless, I still decide EVERY YEAR that I should give something up for lent. I like to torture myself.
I’ve given up many random things over the years – soda, gum, meat, Cable TV, TV, movies, brushing my teeth, etc. Usually, I’m pretty successful. For the past two years though, I’ve given up alcohol. For anyone living in NYC in their 20′s, I think giving up alcohol is probably one of the hardest things to do in LIFE. Work events = alcohol, birthday parties = alcohol, brunch = alcohol, walking home from the gym and passing a bar and you just ran out of bottled water = alcohol, waking up in the morning and bored?? = alcohol, not having to drive home EVER = alcohol. I think you get my point.
Last year for lent, “not drinking” was pretty easy. I had pre-designated “sign-off” friends who could approve minor indiscretions of the no-alcohol policy. Basically, whenever it got hard, I would call a friend for “sign-off”. Lent began with 1 or 2 days of complete 100% off the wagon NO drinking. Around the 3rd -5th day, I would have a birthday party or a dinner with work, and I would call my “sign-off” friends up, and we’d agree…SIGN-OFF was necessary. After all…how can someone not drink at a close friends birthday party or at a networking work event?
Eventually, I started to obtain “sign-off” for more and more things. Pretty soon, clauses were added: dinner with friends? Sign-off! Only drinking wine? Sign-off! Only drinking beer? Sign-off! Drinking after 3:00 p.m. but before 8:00 p.m.? Sign-off! Drinking after 2:00 a.m. but before 5:00 a.m. on a non-work night? Sign-off! On a work night? Sign-off! Happy Hour? DEFINITELY sign-off!
At the end of Lent 2008, my liver was destroyed and I was on the verge of checking myself in to the Betty Ford clinic.
For 2009, I am a new man. Gone are the days of random indiscretions and meaningless “sign-offs”. Water, diet coke, coffee, tea, juice and Pellegrino are flowing freely. Absolut, Ketel, Goose, Pear, Blueberri, Stoli, have not been touched.
I’ve surprised myself – in the past three weeks, I’ve had 1 trip to California, 6 brunches, countless dinners out, 3 work events, 4 birthday parties AND a 2 week NO WORK hiatus! (Not drinking when you are not working for 2 weeks is basically UNHEARD of, and I am still thinking to myself “why the hell did I do that?!”)
I’ve fulfilled my time doing other things – eating junk food? Of course. Chipotle whenever I want? YUP! 2 pairs of Diesel Jeans (at over $450)? Definitely. Banana Republic, Bloomingdales, Amazon free-for-alls? Uh-huh! After all, I deserve it! I’ve probably saved hundreds of dollars not drinking…I should treat myself.
Needless to say, my alcohol-free days are nearing an end. I have an event this upcoming Saturday that I will HAVE to cheat at (it is a black tie formal event with open bar where tix cost $300…HECK YES I’m drinking!) And, I have a training trip for work to Chicago in 1.5 weeks. The thought of not drinking for a week in Chicago with drunken Spaniards, Italians, Brazilians, Australians, etc. from Accenture all over the globe is definitely not an option either.
At the end of Lent 2009, I am predicting something entirely different: my bank account will be decimated, I will weigh 10-15 lbs. more, and my liver will be only a tad bit better off. Has not drinking for over 3 weeks made me a better person? Do I feel more energized? Do I jump out of bed at 6 a.m. ready to run a marathon and leap tall buildings in a single bound? Of course not.
The only thing that gets me out of bed every morning is the knowledge that I can drink again in 2 short days. RETOX BABY! RETOX!
Double Fisting (with Humma) Will Start Again Soon!
although im not an accenture-ite nor am i from italy, but i am italian and i live in chicago so you better make time to drink with me in 1.5 weeks!
quitter!