Getting merry

I am not that much of a drinker. Honest. I don’t usually order a glass of wine with dinner. I don’t go out on the lash that much. Sometimes I don’t have a drop of alcohol for months. But this Christmas has been different. I have literally drank my way through the holiday season.

I know for some people that is normal. For some people that is absolutely necessary just to survive the holidays.

I suppose because people have been demob happy before the holidays, everyone was up for a drink after work and then there were all the Christmas parties. (Plus Brits just really know how to drink…)

For the two weeks leading up to Christmas, I hardly saw Scott because we were both out at work parties or after work drinks. We’d grumble to each other in the morning about how we had to go to stupid work and how bad our heads hurt.

The night before Christmas break I drank too much. You know the feeling when you walk out of the pub and it suddenly hits you. I managed to catch a bus to Kings Cross and find my train. Then I missed my train because I fell asleep in the bathroom at Kings Cross. Who does that?! (Besides my husband…)

I woke up when the cleaning lady banged on the door and I made a real effort to smile and tell her I was fine. She seemed to believe me and I got the next train home. By some miracle, I woke up just as the doors opened at my station and autopilot kicked in and I made it back to the flat safe and sound.

The next morning, as I was getting ready, I found an uneaten McDonalds cheeseburger in my handbag. You know you’ve had a good night when you find a cheeseburger in your bag.

Of course I wasn’t in the best of shape on Christmas Eve and opted out of drinking on Christmas Day by nominating myself to be the designated driver. Yes, Christmas with Scott’s family requires a designated driver. The alcohol was flowing and my diet Cokes just weren’t cutting it when we got to round 22 of charades. Watching his grandmother act out Winnie the Pooh and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang just isn’t right without a shot or 10.

So when I arrived in DC on Sunday and was greeted by my parents at International Arrivals, the first thing they asked was, “How are you feeling?” I told them I was ok – tired, but ok. And then they asked if I wanted to go wine-tasting at the winery they belong to.

And how could I say no?

You’ll be pleased to know that I haven’t drank since Sunday. However, I am going to happy hour with high school friends tonight.

I’ll let you know if I find anything interesting in my handbag tomorrow.

I hope your holiday celebrations were filled with only wonderful surprises!