Sunday Wrap Up: How to Be Sober

My friend Meghan asked me at a bridal shower last weekend (speaking of things which alcohol makes more fun, which we are about to do), "so what do you do when you're sober?" It's a good question. Despite my affection for beer, I do like to think of myself as a functioning member of society; someone who has plenty of things to do while sober. "Well, I run a lot. And I read a lot. And I watch Say Yes To The Dress." Because surely civilization would collapse were I not watching wedding programming on TLC...

The truth is, I know that you don't have to be drunk to have a good time. But it doesn't hurt. Plus, I have FOMO - Fear of Missing Out - so when everyone else is drunk and having a good time, I can help but feel like an outsider. While I have plenty of things to do and people to see while sober during the day, I maybe get a little hermitty for my self-imposed sobriety stints, at least in the evening hours.

But last night, something amazing happened: I went out, soberly, and had an excellent time. The very same Meghan as mentioned above was celebrating her birthday at a wine bar. I attended (and drank Diet Coke) and don't think I've ever laughed so hard, so many times - even when drunk. Yes, some of these fits of hysterics were brought on by others' drunken antics, and yes, I called it a night when the crew moved from the table at the wine bar to the beer bar around the corner (the wound is too fresh), and yes, the concept of sober Saturday night socializing is still so revolutionary to me that it's getting its own blog post, but at least I've made some progress.

And I look forward to a time 15 days from now, when the only progress I'll be concerned with making involves progressing through a post-race six pack.

Number of Miles Run This Week: 47. True to my word, I did not make this another 50 mile week. Though I am slightly nervous that when I arrive in Connecticut in an hour, IMan will be expecting me to join him in a run. No means no, IMan; I'm not even drunk.

Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 0. And I cut myself off after 2 Diet Cokes last night because I was worried about my late-night caffeine intake. Screw what I said above about progress; I hate myself and the loser I've become.

Type of Beers Consumed This Week: n/a.