I am hungover today. Today of all days! Today was supposed to be the first day of the rest of my life. Today, everything was supposed to change.
I am not happy to be sitting at home right now, 4:30pm on Monday, wishing it were already 8pm, so I could crawl in bed, listen to an episode of the Golden Girls through my right ear with an earplug already inside my left. At least for fifteen minutes or so, until I drift back to the golden years. Then I’ll slip the headphones off, position my right earplug and go inward, asleep until tomorrow. When I am no longer hungover.
I am 36. If I’m going to drink like that, I need to start at noon…. on Saturday. And still, I will be exhausted on Monday.
On Sunday, I started at 3pm. After my boyfriend and I rode our brand new e-bikes two miles to a friend’s home for dinner. The wife made four Cazadores margaritas and we sat outside and chatted. Twenty minutes later, I was drunk.
After the first round of margs, we relocated to the kitchen, where my boyfriend and I moved on to tall cans of a local brewery’s Hazy IPA. Our hosts kept the margarita party going. We talked about tequila. We all took a shot of a reposado that tasted like honey. No chaser needed.
At 7pm, we ate burgers and tater tots. And I finished my second Hazy 6.8 abv.
We biked back, our brains and bikes buzzing up the hill. We made it home just as it was getting dark.
I woke up a few times throughout the night feeling sweaty, clammy, gross. Smelling salty, like evaporated tequila.
As far as hangovers go, this one is not so bad. I am not nauseous. I do not have a migraine. (If I did, I most certainly would not be sitting here nor writing this. #Smallwins) I’m just very, very tired.
But then there is the emotional hangover. Feeling guilty for being such an irresponsible child for getting so drunk that it affects my productivity the next day. I have sh*t to do, damn it!
I granted myself grace last week. I was going crazy from being cooped up in the house and suddenly, I knew the cure, an electric bike! From the moment I realized I wanted a bike, I couldn’t live without one. I didn’t write much last week. Because I was stuck at home with a broken car, feeling tired and uninspired by walking.
On Saturday, the dream became reality. Sunday, was the test run — It’s been years since I’ve ridden a bike. For my first ride, I felt safer knowing my boyfriend was cruising along with me.
Now it is Monday. My boyfriend is back at work and I am alone again. This afternoon was supposed to be the first day of getting out of the house and cruising downtown. Or to the beach. Or a park. Or just riding around the neighborhoods, looking at all the funky houses. But instead, today I am tired and can’t wait for my hot and cheesy dinner.
Resenting my physical state, I did ride my bike today. (My first solo ride!) At 2pm I loaded up the Direct TV cable box and accessories into my bike basket and rode the back way through the neighborhood to FedEx Office to return the equipment. Then, I rode across the parking lot to CVS to pick up a prescription.
But that’s as far as I went. I scooted home and made a snack.
Three hours later, I am sitting in our backyard writing this with my red bike close by resting on the kickstand. I need to lift it into the shed, putting it away for the night. I berate myself one more time because I am hungover. Then I put my bike away, before going inside to empty the dishwasher and make dinner.
Tomorrow, we ride.
