Having one alcoholic drink doesn't automatically make one an alcoholic

[MarcB]

I rarely drink. The last time I had an alcoholic beverage was a beer at my friend Walt's Labor Day Party in 2014. I think that means I am not an alcoholic.

My friend from work is coming over to watch The Daytona 500 and I was thinking about serving a mixed drink. I went online to the website of a local liquor store and was surprised to see how expensive booze is. I complained about it on my Facebook page. Almost immediately I get a comment from another friend of mine's wife criticizing me - Saying I'll become an alcoholic just like her husband. He drank way too much for years and has had issues including a DUI and needing a liver transplant. I'm sorry her husband is an alcoholic, but that does not mean I will become one. I can handle my alcohol just fine. I don't have to worry about DUI because I don't drive and it's my house. (Well my Mom's). I'm not concerned with my friend getting a DUI because he's going to be at my house for may hours.

 

[b-turner]

Alcoholism is more of a genetic thing and runs in families. The lady's comments are so out there you sort of wonder if her hubby might have taken to strong drink to deal with such behavior, got help and now knows how to deal with her in a sober way. That's almost like picking a penny off the ground and being accused of being on your way to robbing banks.

Alcohol is not cheap. I'm amazed at what some folks spend on beer alone. For some, if they add it up for a year, some jaws would drop and hit the floor.

Now, if alcoholism has afflicted several of your relatives, you might be careful about things, but going over a year without a beer means alcohol is not important to you. And I doubt either of you will be drinking in excess anyway.

 

[landtuna]

And the way NAPCAR is going you will both be asleep before the first pit stop anyway.

 

[MarcB]

With 6 1/2 weeks to go before the race, the jury is still out as to whether or not I'll blow the money on the booze to make the mixed drink. Obviously it'll be cheaper to go with beer.

Meanwhile minus the avocado this is a recipe for the snack I'll be making. http://www.qvc.com/ChickenNachosWithAvocadoMontereyAndPepperJackCheeses.content.html I think my friend is a nacho addict. When we went to Denny's a week and a half ago he got a half plate of nachos as an appetizer. And all day at work on Thursday and Friday he was talking almost continuously about this big nacho platter he was planning on getting at the casino that weekend. (I think sometimes he forgets he's been out of high school for almost 4 years and is no longer doing football workouts, but still has the appetite of a football player. LOL).

 

[MarcB]

Here we go again. Several more of my Facebook friends who are all much older than I am and who have struggled with alcohol all have commented that booze is bad, the devil's brew, and I shouldn't serve any at all. While I'm sorry they all had struggles with it, they have no right telling me I shouldn't have it. It's just like those PETA people who want everyone to become vegetarians. Sorry you can have your own beliefs, but don't force them on me. And for me PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals.

I'm almost 34 years old and I can handle myself just fine. My first "alcoholic" beverage was 2 months after I turned 21. I bought a 6 pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade. I brought it home and from my Mother's reaction you would've thought I brought crack/cocaine into the house. I got to enjoy two bottles before she gave it to my father. (They were separated at the time). By that weekend - several days later when I was at my father's house the last four bottles were gone.

It would be another 4 years (when I was 25) before I had another alcoholic beverage. I was visiting a few of my online friends in the Philly-area and we went to a bar where one of them hosted a Trivia Night. I only had 2 beers and I refused the Irish Car Bomb one of my friends bought for me.

It wouldn't be until 2009 when I was 27 and started going to Illusions with Rodent that I would have another beer. Yeah I drank a little bit more when I started going there, but I was hardly an alcoholic. 2 beers every few weeks? Please that does not make you an alcoholic.

There are only two times I could consider that I was actually drunk. One when I was at Illusions for my birthday. I had my free birthday beer from Illusions, a friend bought me a mixed drink and two more beers made me a little loopy. The 2nd time I would consider my self drunk was in 2012. It was my birthday weekend and I had 3 beers and me and was feeling loopy. Rodent wouldn't stop running his mouth about a couple of my friends and I punched him out. Punching someone out by the way is a great way to end a six year friendship. Sure I felt bad about it later and I eventually apologized, but 3 1/2 years later if I heard Rodent died, I would put on a can-can dress and dance on his grave.

As for my friend from work who's coming over - sure he's only 21, but he's not like other 21 year olds out there like the ones who drink until they black out every night or every weekend. He's a productive member of society. He's an Assistant Customer Service Manager at Stop & Shop. And in the winter he has a second job where he goes places and puts down salt and sand.