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I drink. I do not drink often, especially during the school year. And I do not drink much even when I do. On this trip, I have drunk more than usual: two beers with friends on Tuesday, wine before and with dinner on Wednesday. On Christmas Eve, I had a martini before dinner and wine (a very nice Stag's Leap Petite Sirah) with dinner. Martini's are my "I need a drink" drink of choice. I had several on this trip: at the Palm in DC, at Ha'andi in Bethesda, and at Mayorga in Silver Spring. My personal record on this trip—one beer, one martini, and half of a second beer—is probably disappointing to the folks at Modern Drunkard.
I only had one can of Guinness from the stash of Newkie Browns, Grolsch, and Guinness on the porch. My brothers each considered noontime fair game to start their beer-drinking, even though they generally slept until 10 or 11 in the morning. This would appear to make them experience a good portion of their day "under the influence." I took notice on Christmas Eve, when Brother A was polishing off a beer before going grocery shopping with my dad. I said out loud to my brother without even thinking "What is it about this family? You guys are drinking beer before noon, for Chrissakes."
If I had my first drink two hours after waking, I would be drinking beer at 8 in the morning. I know that one brother considered it to be a vacation from a hellish time at work. For the other, I don't know. Seeing someone down a Foster's Lager shortly after breakfast every day was a little unsettling.
Perhaps my concern comes from the fact that our family has a history of alcoholism and, I suspect, depression. The former being a traditional way of coping with the latter. On this trip, I was really aware of the universality within my family of my present depressed condition. I hope that I am able to find a more constructive means of dealing with it.
Posted by Underblog at December 30, 2004 7:03 AM
It's ok to have beer right after coffee when you're on vacation, in the same way it's ok to have a bloody mary or mimosa at brunch. Of course, it means you're an alcoholic, but we already knew that.
Posted by: jm at January 3, 2005 12:04 PM