Posted on 02/21/2019 2:45:09 PM PST by RoosterRedux
I was never falling-down drunk. I was never belligerent. I always got my work done. I was never unkempt. I was always clean, I was always shaved, I always performed at work. I was always kind and gracious in the dining room. But I lived in hell.
When we opened Joe Beef in 2005, we were inspired by Martin Picard at Au Pied de Cochon, by these grandiose bistros of Paris, by seafood towers, by excess. We were two portly men who ate and drank well. I was and still am very insecure about anybody coming to the restaurant and not having a spectacular meal. I want people to drink and eat to excess. I promote it.
The community of people I surrounded myself with ate and drank like Vikings. It worked well in my twenties. It worked well in my thirties. It started to unravel when I was 40. I couldn’t shut it off. All of a sudden, there was no bottle of wine good enough for me. I’m drinking, like, literally the finest wines of the world. Foie gras is not exciting. Truffles are meh. I don’t want lobster; I had it yesterday. What am I looking for, eating and drinking like this every day?
I started asking myself questions about alcoholism. What was I showing my children by eating and drinking like a Viking in front of them at the cottage? I wasn’t acting on many opportunities because I was hungover most of the time. I was medicating with food. I was medicating with alcohol. And finally it just got to a point where I was just really unhappy. My managers knew it, my staff knew it, and it strained my personal life at home. I Googled “Stop drinking,”
(Excerpt) Read more at bonappetit.com ...
"I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings."
LMAO!
He’s no Anthony Bourdain, that’s for sure.
Anthony (and Robin Williams) made Nooses cool before that Gay Guy in Chicago did.
All of a sudden there are so many hours in the day and nothing to really kill the time.
My productivity has shot up and, frankly, I wasn't all that interested in being more productive.;-)
But, after all is said and done, life is one hell of a lot easier...and it is so nice to wake up without a hangover. Even a little one.
As an aside, I knew I had to quit drinking when I started envying my cat for not having an alcohol habit and never being hungover.
When you realize your cat has a better life than you, it is time for a change.
Met him at his restaurant a number of times, most recently seven years ago. Very popular place.
Sounds good. Maybe next time I’m in Montrea! It’s on my radar screen now.
Even though I was able to function, I patterned my young but not quite so adult behavior on John Blutarsky. The woman that I loved however saved me from totally destructive behavior. Yet as the infirmity and insecurity of age sets in,I now understand the demons that drove my parents to be alcoholics in their later years.
Once you break the cycle, the sleep is the best. I haven’t had a hangover in 15 years. But that is 3 days without sleep until you do wean off. Alcohol is great for putting you to sleep. I am such a low-alcohol drinker that I don’t have any ill-effects from quitting.
If they legalize weed, I’m switching
The community of people I surrounded myself with ate and drank like Vikings. It worked well in my twenties. It worked well in my thirties. It started to unravel when I was 40. I couldn’t shut it off. All of a sudden, there was no bottle of wine good enough for me. I’m drinking, like, literally the finest wines of the world. Foie gras is not exciting. Truffles are meh. I don’t want lobster; I had it yesterday. What am I looking for, eating and drinking like this every day?
God.
It reminds me of Ecclesiastes...
...for everything there is a seasoning.
When I quit drinking, I steadily cut back over about 3 months and that wasn't too hard. I did this to eliminate the need for any medical attention required by cold turkey (and it worked).
But when I finally stopped, I went for about a week with little or no sleep.
And had awful stomach cramps because (I guess) my system wasn't use to getting all its sustenance from solid food.
My pharmacist told me to take Miralax and that did the trick.
I love a great restaurant that will serve my needs of fine culinary wishes with cholesterol killing excess and liver deadly alcohol. I savory my times there. If you do not go there often there is no health consequence. If you have an excess of funds and dine their often the food may kill you. Hell, it might be worth it :)
I prefer Soylent Green to Tofu and Soylent Green sucks. /S
ps
Some of the finest dining in New Orleans is in the famous restaurants at a great price. It really is excellent. Oddly in New Orleans are many Mom and Pop restaurants not located in the central area. They are often just a retail store with a few tables for serving food. Their menu is very limited. What they serve is excellent. Their customer is their neighbors and friends. When that is your customer you “gotta get it right.”
Bookmark
I was a working alcoholic, and quit almost 20 years ago. Best thing I ever did. Stay with it my friend, the trip is worth it.
Not a justification, but a partial explanation https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6316275/Alcohol-helps-remember-good-times-not-bad-ones-study-says.html
Did you drink liquor? I never do
Most of my life I’ve heard the biblical call for “prayer and fasting.” I’ve gotten pretty good with the prayer part but why fast? Now I’m doing intermittent fasting. I feel great and I’m losing weight but one of the blessings is self control. Once I start a fast it’s actually relaxing.
Is the idea of a heaven to come credible?
If it is, leaving excess behind (or even using it to benefit others as possible) is the best move you can make. Enjoy little things unto God for yourself, and great things unto God for others that you can bless.
Eating is not wrong; for many people if not all, even drinking is not wrong. It is letting it carry you away that is wrong.
A chief measure of whether you can fast properly is whether you can fast with cheer. If not, then it’s something you can leave aside.
Rehab is for quitters.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.