Day Nine - It's A Good Thing I Drink

A couple of days ago I mentioned weaving interpersonal stories in with this adventure. I also mentioned the challenge of this quest and the ability to write a blog on a continuous basis. How soon our prophecies come true...

I started a new job about six weeks ago, an important job (that's good), but a challenge all the same because, even though the job is hard enough with a lot of office politics involved, I feel the added pressure to prove they made the right choice. To that add my wife, whom I love with all my heart and would do anything for, who made a big sacrifice so that I could accept this new job and rightfully needs assurance she made the right choice, resulting in stress in my personal life. On top of that add this quest, which not only requires commitment, but creativity and time I do not feel I have. And for the cherry on top, add that I've been in leadership training the past two day, which not only showed I could use some improvement there, but also took me away from my desk where urgent items await me.

It's a good thing I drink.

Speaking of which, another one for twofer today. Kona Longboard Island Lager was outstanding, smooth and balanced, the best island lager I've had, but the Deschutes Great Lakes Organic Ale was very hoppy, a characteristic I am not a fan of. Of course, the majority of raters on Ratebeer.com are hopheads, which is not a criticism, but an attribute. The majority of them found the latter a great beer and rated it highly. I thought it sucked and wouldn't drink again. Is it me or them, I wonder? Am I a lightweight among the experts or just possessing of a different palate?

It's a good thing I drink.

Speaking of which, my wife mentioned someone with an alcohol problem yesterday and I wondered if she was thinking of me. I drink almost daily, after all, though never to excess. Just in case I was fooling myself, however, I looked up the signs of alcoholism tonight. Thankfully I do not exhibit any of the symptoms. I may have a couple of beers a night on average, but I never drink to excess, my behavior doesn't change when I consume alcohol, and I can go days without having any alcoholic beverages at all and not experience any withdrawals or cravings. It's not a compulsion, then, but a desire...like Girl Scout cookies or ice cream.

It's a good thing I drink.

So, tomorrow I have a long list of priority activities I have to complete at work before I have to leave early to participate in a choral performance with my wife, and Sunday we're going to Phoenix to visit friends and attend a concert (Paul McCartney...how awesome!). Oh yeah, while you're at it, drink a few beers, rate them on Ratebeer.com, and write a blog.

It's a good thing I drink.

I know, I could drop a few things and focus on what is important. Well, let's see...my wife is very important to me, so I can't drop anything that concerns her. And the job is important because I'm not independently wealthy or in a position to retire, so I can't neglect my responsibilities there. And this quest and this blog is important to me because it's something just for me, something I don't have a lot of in my life right now.

It's a good thing I drink.

So...what can I drop? Reading books...damn, I just got "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher, which I believe will help me on my quest. I can't drop that. Okay, then, just regular books I'll stop reading. Oh, wait, what about that expensive business book I bought along with the certification course I paid a thousand dollars to take. Nope, can't drop that, either. Watching movies...damn, I only watch one movie a week as it is. Do I stop watching all movies completely? Man, that's one of my favorite escapes. TV? Hell, I barely watch a fraction of what I'd like now. Mad Marchness is on and I've seen maybe a game or two. So where is my breaking point?

It's a good thing I drink.

Maybe a week from now things will calm down and I'll feel differently, but right now I feel a lot of pressure from a variety of places and I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight with everything I have on my mind.

It's a good thing I drink.

By the way, I'm going to start keeping a running tally at the end of the blog. It's as much for me as for my one follower. How am I doing?

It's a good thing I drink.

Goal.............524...365
Progress.........14......9
Remaining....510...356