My Liver Will Thank Me...

My liver and kidney's hurt!

Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit but over Winter Break, I believe I did some damage to my body.  Although I had a fabulous vacation, I didn't do much besides relax, hang with my friends who also had the two weeks off, drink, eat, party, and celebrate.  I guess the holiday season is supposed to be about consumption but I believe I took gluttony to a whole new level.

Although I took a week to recoup after vacation, I spent last weekend drinking and partying in San Francisco for the Nevada vs Boston KRAFT Fight Hunger Bowl Game.  Needless to say, my body HATES me right now. 

After being in a world of hurt, I decided last Monday to say good-bye to my dear friend alcohol for a bit.  I have resolved to give up the hooch until my birthday celebration the first weekend of February.  I know that might not seem like a long time but it's the perfect amount to get my body back on the right track to feeling better.

Dear Liver: I have punished you enough!

I thought about giving up drinking for good, but have decided against it.  I have to admit that I'm the type of person who enjoys having a cocktail or a glass of wine.  While some people hate the way alcohol tastes, I enjoy it.  And more then just the taste of a refreshing Gin and Tonic, Mojito, or Lemon Drop...I enjoy the social aspect of drinking.  I like chatting with my friends, meeting new people, laughing, and cutting lose.  I know you don't need alcohol to do these things, but it does make it more fun!

This past weekend my friends and I celebrated the next chapter of one of our friend's lives.  She is moving out of Reno for a period of time and we wanted to give her the proper send off.  It was interesting being the sober one the whole weekend, and while I was tempted to take a shot the delicious peppermint flavored Rumple Minz, I found it surprisingly easy to say no.  I thought I would have a terrible time watching everyone drink, and being the D.D.  Instead, I actually had a lot of fun! 

And you know what was more fun?  Not being hungover the next morning!  While my friends nursed a two to three day hangover, I felt good.

I always thought people were full of crap when they said the older they got, the more a hangover hurt.  I just thought that was a "light-weight's" excuse for not being able to hold their liquor.  As I'm entering my 28th year on this earth, I'm realizing that a night of drinking does damage to my system.  I don't bounce back as quickly as I did when I was 21!  After just one night of drinking, it usually takes a good 48 hours until I start feeling like myself again.  And you know what?  I'm so damn busy in my life right now, I can't afford to take two days to recoup.  Even more then that, I hate feeling like shit as I try to make it through my daily routine.  If I'm only feeling 50%, I'm probably only putting out 25% of the productivity as I normally do...and that's just NOT acceptable!

So with that said, I wish my friends Tanqueray, Three Olive, Rumple Minz, and Captain Morgan adieu.  And as fair Juliette said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow" until we meet again in 18 days!