Montana Moments

My family and I recently went on a vacation to Montana to celebrate my Dad's early 60th birthday. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to severely injure myself when I snowboard. The first year I did it, I hurt my ankle. Second, I hurt my knee. Third, I got a concussion and last year, I dislocated my shoulder. Snowboarding has never been something I have done with ease. This year I mastered the mountain! I went out with my sister and Andrea, with the patience of a saint, instructed me in a language I could understand. I managed to find the balance in my body and after a few runs I was actually starting to see what all the fuss was about. My legs were burning, my abs were sore and I was having fun! I was going fast but I was in control...it was awesome. At one point I actually felt like I could do it all day long, I didn't, but I felt like I could. I went out again the next day, feeling confident and having fun. Falling only a few times, I was elated about my progress. In years passed I had spent more time on my ass in the snow than I had on my board. After a great day on the mountain I decided to reward myself with a cold beer and a dip in the hot tub. I was feeling just fine until about midnight when I suddenly started to itch. And itch. The worst part was I was sitting in a bar with my brother and unable to scratch or have him look at it until we got home. So, I drank more. Finally after stumbling home in the snow I got a good look at it and knew for sure.....I had hot tub folliculitis. It is an infection that is caused from being in a hot tub that hasn't been cleaned properly or used the appropriate amount of chlorine. It causes red bumps all over your body that itch like chicken pox. I spent the next day in the medical clinic getting some antibiotics and then it was home...to bed. I was so bummed. I had finally gotten a taste of what it was like to enjoy snowboarding but ended up in the clinic anyway. Well, there is always next year and at least now I know never to get into another hot tub. Good news is the folliculitis is gone now and I have a new outlook on conquering the mountain.

Thinking about Drinking

So here's my dilemma...I am sort of domestic without the benefits of domesticity, thus I resort to regaining my youth and independence with alcohol. However, I am no longer a spring chicken and alcohol doesn't quite flow through me the same way it used to. In fact, I think I can actually hear my liver screaming after three beers. I don't get "drunk" like I used to either. A six-pack would have made me happy-go-lucky-Laura, now it just makes me sleepy. Now, if I have half a bottle of tequila...I'm sloppy-slurry-Laura as opposed to my younger days of dancing the night away. My friends and I had a 40oz to Freedom party last weekend and played a game called Edward-40-Hands. This is a very interesting game of torture in which you duct tape 40's to your hands and drink til they are gone. I love the idea and, in theory, I should be able to handle it but the next day I woke up wishing I had duct taped my mouth shut instead. My head was pounding and my body felt 20 lbs heavier. I used to drink, smoke and use lots of drugs...all the time...and never felt so crappy the next day. Maybe it is because I only do it on occasion that my body rejects it so much more. Or I'm getting old. Either way, I have to find a solution. Maybe I should drink really expensive alcohol to avoid the hangover or drink cheap alcohol more often...or stop drinking. I'm interested in any feedback. I know there are a few alch-ies out there who can help me find the balance or at least recommend a good hangover remedy.