Alcoholism Update

So -- assuming that I had both continued drinking, and continued to live to today [an assumption that my doctors and the rehab counselors held out as -- impossible], and assuming that I had continued drinking at an unchanged level [an assumption that everyone in the world -- particularly addiction specialists -- understands could never have happened], I would have spent $26,435.57 on Jose Cuervo.

This figure is based on the March 2005 Cuervo Gold price at Va. ABC, and is based on conservative estimates of consumption. Wine consumpti0n and restaurant sales are not included, and would have added significantly to the total.

Some Meandering Alcoholic Thoughts, while passing $22,308.92

I was going to post a quick observation / thought, but since it involves alcoholism, I thought I'd report that


today's total money not spent is $22,308.92.*

Now my observation.

Friends sing a constant, appreciated refrain: they comment that they are uncomfortable drinking in front of me, and they express guilt, or at least discomfort, on those occasions that they do knock something back in front of me.

[well, Bellotoot never expressed such guilt; he always says "ooooh, just a sip. C'Mon, oooooh" when he's not yelling AQ's c*nt on the AC Boardwalk. But I digress . . . .]

I used the word "appreciated" advisedly; I nixed the word "welcome." Because, truth be told, I don't remotely give a shit. Buy a beer at the game, guzzle IPA at the club, whatever floats your boat.

Alcohol and alcoholism get a continuing "front page" treatment, as something important, not because of the pressing compulsion or impulse to drink, or any prevalent preoccupation with booze, but because of the stakes of complacency or hubris.

Alcoholism is a vastly misunderstood condition> But it's not one of those things where "you have to be one to understand"; indeed, the intellectual understanding is great, and continues to grow. It's misunderstood just because people still don't talk about it a lot, and the misperceptions continue to predominate.

It's actually a cool and scary topic; the brain chemistry of addiction is becoming more clearly understood, and reinforces -- while challenging -- the "disease" model we hear so much about.

Which is a long-winded way of saying "bottoms up!" Knockyerfuckin'soxoff!

What you do and what I do don't coincide.

Unless ya wanna get frisky and go for the brass ring, if yez know what I mean . . . .

* As always, calculations are based on conservative estimates of consumption of Jose Cuervo, based on years of experience. Calculations do not account for any accelerated or diminished consumption, but assume a constant rate of consumption equal to usage in two-year period prior to cessation. Calculations do not account for wine, nor for alcohol sold by resellers [retaurants, clubs, etc.]