planetdan

Saturday, December 10, 2005 :::

Blogging Absence

I swear I don't drink that much. But don't think I haven't noticed that most of the personal pictures and stories that I've posted over the last couple years have involved me holding a drink, me drinking a drink, or me doing something really stupid/embarrassing after holding and drinking a drink. It just so happens that I, along with the majority of the over-and-underage planet, do the stupidest and/or most noteworthy things when I'm feeling uninhibited and inebriated, and therefore those are the stories that get told most often. But in order to avoid having the reputation of being an alcoholic or being the type of person who can only have fun while drinking, I was going to make a conscious effort to avoid alcohol-related stories for a short while.

Having said that, the reason I haven't posted in a week is because I was too sick with a cold during the first half, and too hungover during the second. For real. Three day hangover. I'm never drinking again. Or at least until my work holiday party next Wednesday.

I normally don't drink during the week. But on Wednesday I somehow found myself on the receiving end of a pyramid scheme pitch, something akin to Amway but proffering "the unparalleled profitability of e-Commerce!", and so I may have had one-too-many in order to preoccupy myself so as not to be forced into slitting my own wrists. When I told the presenter that I was uninterested in participating because it all seemed just "too pyramid schemey" for me, I didn't get a good response. What's interesting is that the very next night, my friend B* had a similar experience when he was invited to what he described as a "cultish" self-empowerment seminar, something akin to Scientology but proferring absolutely nothing concrete in return for your $500 enrollment fee. And he also did not get a very good response when he asked his fellow seminar attendees when they would be serving the Kool-Aid. But don't worry, B*, it's hard to really sell a good Jonestown joke. It was probably just your delivery.

But back to me, I suffered through Thursday feeling a bit hungover only to attend a work function on Thursday night, telling myself that a little hair-of-the-dog wouldn't hurt me. But I had much more than the hair of the dog, I had the whole goddamned hide. So yesterday and today have been less than enjoyable for me.

But I did finish all of my Christmas shopping.

::: posted by dan at 7:12 PM :: [ link ] :: (23) comments

Comments are Closed On this Post

23 previous comments:

The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Scary as your post was, I am so happy to have you back. I miss you when you're gone. Please take care of your little problem. "One Day at a Time"

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Anonymous, at 6:08 AM

Screw you I ain't got no problem!

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dan, at 1:28 PM

High on the list of signs of alcoholism is "A person will dispute there is a problem. This symptom, called denial, is almost always present in alcoholism."

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Anonymous, at 3:02 PM

sounds like an obvious cry for help to me.

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Anonymous, at 3:49 PM

High on the list of signs of being a know-it-all is "putting things in quotes".

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dan, at 4:33 PM

'bout time you lashed back at stupid anonymous know-it-all posters.

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Colleen, at 5:44 PM

Colleen, you enabler! Just kidding! I know what you mean though Dan, no one takes pictures when you're weeding your back yard or grocery shopping, or exercising. (Well, unless you compete professionally at something and, even if you do, after a while you stop bringing your camera to that too.) But that's because we assume no one will be interested if we take pictures of non-celabratory (and booze positive) events. But, we are wrong. I do want to see pictures of Dan sorting his sock drawer and standing in line at the DMV. So, hook us up darlin'!!!

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Sarah T, at 6:16 PM

The truth hurts so you lash out at the messenger rather than admit you have a problem. Another sure sign of alcoholism. It happens even to be best of people. The first step is recognizing you have a problem. You can reach Alcoholics Anonymous in Minneapolis by calling (952) 922-0880 or visiting their web site at http://www.aaminneapolis.org/. They are there to help you recognize your problem and deal with it. You’ll be surprised how many of your friends and neighbors are recovering alcoholics.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover form alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

THE TWELVE STEPS
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptlym admitted it.
11. Sought though prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

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Anonymous, at 6:42 PM

did your friend B* get trapped in a LifeSpring seminar? because i swear i was duped into attending one as well, about 15 years ago. it was at once creepy and pyramid-schemey, with an undercurrent of godless religiosity. it made for some good material.

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dgm, at 7:42 PM

Oh for the love of all holy entities anonymous, would you please SHUT UP!

Dan, I know you welcome all comments even from annonymous people (you are so even keeled). And even I can appreciate the irony of how people, who need to preach, hide behind the veil of "annonymous". But seriously, you're gone for a week and instead of entertaining comments we get to read preachy boy/girl?

Word verification maybe?

ps. the zinc kicked the crap out of my cold. I just gots the sniffles now. If only zinc would work on hangovers.

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Colleen, at 8:57 PM

Dan, was it Landmark seminar? Ewww!

I *swear* by Airborne for the first sign of a cold; I haven't been sick in over a year and I was in a production of "Annie" last Christmas that had little snotty girls honking and coughing all over me in a filthy dressing room. It's amazing I didn't catch avian bird flu from them.

Colleen, as a professional preacher I resent that negative reference to "preachiness." We're not all self-righteous 12-steppy types. Just kidding.

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PeaceBang, at 10:23 PM

Peacebang, you are quite astute, it indeed was a Landmark meeting that B* accidentally attended. And even more amazingly, I actually tried the Airborne when I started getting sick because B* gave it to me, and I don't think it helped. Unless of course my cold was supposed to be ten times worse, which is why products like Airborne can never be tested for effectiveness. It's all relative.

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dan, at 11:17 PM

There is nothing more pathetic than a gay alcoholic in denial.

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Anonymous, at 3:46 AM

I actually though that "anonymous" was being sarcastic - and sort of funny. But then I realized they weren't kidding.
Anyone notice that he/she is known as "anonymous" and is preaching Alchoholics "Anonymous" program Coincidence? I think not. (Hey Anonymous - check out A Million Little Pieces might help you)

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elizabeth, at 8:32 AM

I heard it's real easy to get stuck on stage two.

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Kristina, at 10:27 AM

Actually up until elizabeth mentioned the possiblity, I was still assuming that anonymous was being sarcastic and funny.

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dan, at 12:55 PM

So sorry dan. Try to get back into that bubble - probably a much nicer place to live ;-D

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elizabeth, at 1:00 PM

Dan, love the fact and the irony that you did not want to talk about drinking anymore, then BAM!! there ya go again.. Classic!! I don't think first anonymous and 2nd, 3rd or 4th are all the same.

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TracyD, at 1:25 PM

Okay - now I'm just confused. Are they joking or not? (the stuck on number 2 comment was well put - I spit my coffee out on that one...) Well, I'm done commenting now.

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elizabeth, at 1:32 PM

Dan I for one enjoy reading your drunken debauchery stories. Anonymous poster piss me off too.

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Kohn, at 5:17 PM

Sorry - I was in Hazelton at the time during "Safe Internet Hour" and the power of Christ compelled me or was it the little ugly Partridge drummer.

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Anonymous, at 11:20 PM

actually as a recovering alchy the only sure way to know that alcohol abuse is present is if it is ruining your life and you can't live without it...the it's a problem, which is what happened with me...other than that there's no reason to worry :-)

playahata

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Anonymous, at 1:07 PM

Let's just let this go now. See it going? Bye. Don't we all feel better now?

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elizabeth, at 4:10 PM

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