I came of age in Virginia during the era when 18 was the legal drinking age. The only problem was when I became of age I didn't like the taste of alcohol, especially the taste of beer. It didn't appear to be a problem for my close knit group of friends nor my college classmates - but me? Meh - I could take it or leave it. It just tasted so gross, to me, that it was peer pressure that finally forced me to acquire the taste for beer. Hey, who wants to be the designated driver ALL the time?So, yes. . .I acquired the taste for beer. Budweiser beer. Long neck budweiser bottles to be most specific. After a while I found that an occasional beer [or two] actually enhanced certain foods and experiences - for example Chesapeake bay blue crabs and a NY style pepperoni pizza just don't taste the same without an ice cold Bud along side of them. Equally yummy was an ice cold beer after mowing the lawn [and tadpoles I have mowed a lot of lawns in my time]. Something about being so hot and tired and sticky from the cut grass and cracking open a bottle . . . ahhhh.
Then I married Pooldad and we had our own traditions. Dallas Cowboys football on TV ensured a cooler full of beer and noshes for the game - the Master's golf tournament while Phil Mickelson is winning always elicited a clink of bottles to cheer him on - yep! We had our traditions.
I had come a long way from acquired the taste to absolutely enjoying a cold one then and again.
One time my daughter Squirrel [the 17 year old] asked for a sip and her Daddy gave her one. She spit it out and exclaimed "That is NASTY. Why do you all drink it?" and that is when I explained that beer [and most liquors] are an acquired taste and if at all possible if she did develop a taste for them to do so in moderation, okay? Okay. So far she still can taste that one sip and hates the thought of it. [Score one for us!]
Anyway - forward to a few months back and I suddenly lost my desire for beer during football and then a beer with golf when golf season started [and Phil won the Masters! double Whammy, hello!] - I just had no want for a beer anymore and just stopped.
Good thing too because although I drank occasionally I didn't know I had CHF and seems that alcohol stresses your system and is not the best idea if you don't want your heart to go all kablooey. So, that was some good news when I found out the diagnosis and I could happily tell the doctor "Nope, I don't drink." I can't say I miss it or that it makes a huge difference - but I realized something the other evening.
It was Friday night and Pooldad arrived home late and cracked open a Bud. I thought "Wouldn't it be nice to relax on the back porch, with my husband and enjoy a beer** before bed?" So I grabbed a bottle and settled in next to my husband, in the dark on our back porch to chat about his day. That is until I had my first sip of my ice cold Budweiser long necked bottle of beer.
Which I then proceeded to immediately spit over the railing.
With my husband laughing hysterically and trying to choke out "What did you do that for?" I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and turned to him and replied:
"I seem to have lost the taste that I worked so hard to acquire."
Beer tastes vile. And that's all I have to say about that.
**The doctor did say that you can enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage with CHF - But not to abuse it. No thanks :D
7 comments:
LOL! That was hysterical! I like the taste of a few drinks myself. Not a heavy drinker and never had a problem with alcohol, but I do enjoy one every now and then.
In all honesty, if I "did" have a problem with alcohol, the past few months would have made it much worse, so for that I'm grateful.
i like the pretty background on your blog :)
That's pretty funny.
Being a good Mormon girl, I've never had alcohol. I was always told that was a good thing by my friends in college because I didn't need any extra help being crazy.
My mom and I often talk about how we would probably be alcoholics because we have a history of it on both sides of our family. Instead of alcohol, my drug of choice is sugar. Lots of it.
Hope you are doing well.
love ya
I like a nice cold beer now and then but zi never drink Budweiser. Never ever. Back when I was in high school, all the 'cool' kids drank Bud (not that I drank beer in high school, I didn't, I was a pot head instead). I was not a 'cool' kid and I swore I would never drink Bud because they did. Still won't drink it to this day. How silly is that? I had a nice Kirin (japanese beer) the other day. It was really good.
Like you, I drank beer at 18 because that's all that was available. Marrying into a Catholic family I learned to appreciate draft beer over bottled or canned beer as long as it was ice cold (first a food snob, now a beer snob). But after turning 21 and being legal to drink the hard stuff? No more beer for me. Ever. EVHAR!
word vert: medowe. The sheeps in the medowe, the cows in the corn.
mmmmm... Corona Lite... mmmmm....
Hugs
Got your message... going to try and call soon. I promise
Like you I only drink beer with specific things, like pizza... crabs etc. And I too agree that there is something about an ice cold beer after you've mowed the grass on a hot day. But I was always a light weight- I found Rolling Rock thanks to my MIL and that is my beer of choice when I feel the hankering for a beer, They have "Pony" bottles which are only 7 oz. so I can drink it fast enough that I am never left with warm beer.
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