Beer 4, Catholicism 1, Townsley 3

So the grand experiment came to an end this weekend. I was alcohol free for 21 days, during which time I saw several shows, hung out with friends at the bar, and generally had fun. And I missed having a beer pretty much the entire time. There were perks to the process, including not dealing with hangovers on Saturdays and Sundays, and being able to drive friends around after they'd had a few beers of their own, but I didn't do much that wouldn't have been improved by a beer or two.

At first, I had really mixed feelings about the fact that every time I turned around, I wished I could have a beer. It seemed like a crutch I should be able to do without, and I was irritated by the urge to have one. And so for three weeks I held out, determined to prove that I could be social, have fun, and do it completely sober. And then last night hit, and I had four beers. Normally, I'd find some dramatic reason to justify the fact that I broke off the experiment early, but the truth is that I was just really sick of sitting around in bars with friends and not having one.

You know what? It was pretty awesome. I sat at Charlie's Ale House with a bunch of good friends from school, had some great conversations with friends I hadn't talked to in a few weeks, and drank four beers. I don't know for sure if the behavior modification I had promised Tim and Sara ad nauseam over the last three weeks will stick, but last night it felt like beer and I had changed the way we hang out. I wasn't drinking for something to do, but as something I consciously decided to enjoy. I didn't have a beer in my hand at all times, and I wasn't itching for the waiter to bring me another as soon as the current one was empty. I had a really fun night, went home feeling good, and woke up feeling good. It was a small step towards a more disciplined life, but I think it was a good one, and I'm looking forward to seeing it continue.

As for the "Catholicism 1" part of the title, my good friend Sarah Tupper was confirmed into the Catholic church last night. Score one for the Vatican as far as I'm concerned. Now if only they could do something about those three hour Easter masses.

One final note, this post has had very little to do with the DYJCMF Challenge with Alice. This is what happens when you make an agreement to write a certain number of posts per week, Shirls. I'll be back on topic tomorrow after the weigh-in. Last time I checked, I was down about three pounds on the week, after exhibiting some of that newfound discipline in my diet and exercise regimen. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, and is ready for week two. Cheers, kids.