Monday, June 16, 2008

Hello Again, and, The End of an Era

Hi there. It's been more than three weeks since my last post. I was in Italy with some fam for the first two weeks of that hiatus. The trip was pretty awesome, as I'm sure you'd imagine. We stayed in a Tuscan villa on top of a secluded mountain outside of Arezzo. There were day trips, good food and lots of great wine. It was definitely an experience. I got back last Saturday, the 7th, but haven't bothered to post anything on this site for various reasons. Chief among them is the fact I've been piss drunk most of the time.

I know what you're thinking. What else is new, right? I do this type of shit all the time. That's true, you're right. It goes deeper than that though. You see, I've been languishing in this rut of mine for some time now. In fact, I can't remember a single completely sober day I've had in more than a month, and I've been doing this shit for years. That got me thinking about things, which led me to an important decision: I'm giving up drinking.

Go ahead and laugh. I'd probably be doing the same were it not for the fact this is my life we're talking about here (Jameson check: "It's my life!!!"). So by the time my trip was nearing it's end I realized I needed to make a change. I came home and have been on a mission to rid my home of all its alcoholic remnants. One straight week at near breakneck pace and my mission is nearing its end. All the beer is gone. The wine has long since vanished. And of all the bottles of liquor I've managed to accumulate through various means, all that's left is this fucking bottle of tequila blanco I'm drinking now.

It's after 2am early Monday morning and the bottle is about 40% full. Ironically, after all this I don't even want to be drinking right now. Normally, I'd just give up. I abandon goals for myself all the time. But that's exactly the problem with being a drunk -- I've lost my drive. So for just this once I'm going to follow through. Once this bottle is finished, a new me begins. Hopefully with my head on straight I can move forward with my life, you know, like a normal person.

So again, go ahead and laugh. I want you to tell me I can't do it. I think maybe I need to hear that in order to keep my promise to myself, at least at first anyway. If there's one thing I'm sure about myself, it's that spite drives me. I will prove you all wrong. Day One of sobriety begins tomorrow. I'm not saying it'll last forever, but it will be for a significant period of time. It's the end of an era. The time for change is now. Cheers.

Post Script: I just read through this post and felt the need to apologize for its somber tone. I realize that's not what people come here for, providing I still have any readers after leaving you high and dry for the better part of a month. Fuck that though. If you aren't entertained by something just ignore it. No one's putting a gun to your head, unless you live in a third-world country in South America. Then it's likely someone is actually putting a gun to your head. It's probably those bitches who own Cafecitos Pub. Regardless, things are bound to return to normal pretty soon. Though, I will have to teach myself how to do things like blogging sober. So keep coming back. We can make it happen!

Post Post Script: Two nights after winning a few hundred bucks due to Kobe Bryant's lack of three-point shooting prowess, I lost a few hundred bucks tonight because of Sasha Vujacic's lack of three-point shooting prowess. God damnit, Vujacic. All I needed was for you to score eight measly points tonight. Instead, you go 2-10 from the field including 0-5 from beyond the arc. Jesus Christ, someone needs to tell this guy having a shooting touch is a requisite for white guys in the NBA. Fuck me. And you wonder why I drink.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So you forgot to mention when you're coming to Philly to start a bender.

Anonymous said...

I just want to say that I will always be your friend and support you in anything. However, our friendship is strongly rooted in the activity of drinking. So I'm not sure we'll have much to talk about anymore . . .but I'm here for you man.

alikerlin said...

it sounds suspiciously like your attempt to quit smoking about 5-6 years ago when we forced you to smoke all the rest of your cigarettes. by the end, you were almost sick. within a month you were smoking again.

but, hey, at least there's an effort

Justin said...

No, Alistair. I think you've "misrememebered" the situation, Clemens style. I made your drunken ass smoke five unfiltered marlboro reds at the same time. You were sick the whole next day. I even have the pictures from Steehler's party to prove it.

Anonymous said...

Justin I have never been so proud to know you. Having 2 alcoholic parents of my own I always feel a sense of joy when someone else quits the bottle and since it's you, the brother of my brother, I feel nothing but pride. Although, that was a really somber post so maybe you could return to your normal hilarious self so I can have some more entertainment at work. -Rob