Back on the Saddle, Unfortunately

After a near three day abstention from beer, last night I came back swinging. Unfortunately, it might have been a day too soon. Feeling fully recovered from the stomach flu, I went out and bought a mixed case of Brooklyn Brewery beers. I ate dinner, I did my work, I had three hours of Office repeats on tap. I was fully settled in for a night of catching up (or regaining my lead). I cracked open a Brooklyn Brown Ale. Poured it down my gullet. So far so good. Feeling emboldened by a successful first beer, I went back for round two. Cracked open a Brooklyn East India Pale Ale (Side note on this beer, it's 6.8 ABV, which is way higher than I thought it was). Poured that down my gullet. At this point I'm not feeling bad, per se, but a little hobbled.

I would now like to compare myself to Amar'e Stoudemire, circa the end of the 2006/2007 NBA season.

I'm recovering from a devastating injury, one that has taken me out of the game. I'm feeling, if not fully recovered, then recovered enough. Now I don't really need to come back at the end of the season. If I stay out, I can come back in full stride at a later date. But I have the heart of a champion. So I jump back in the game. First game back goes great. I drop 19 and 9 in about 20 minutes of play. Second game back, not as great as my first game, but I'm still in it, and some set backs are to be expected. The third game back is when it all comes undone. I re-aggravate my injury early in the game and I'm once again out for the season.

As if my metaphor needed explaining, games played = beers drank. I cracked open a third beer, a Pennant Ale. Poured it out, took a couple sips and then BAM, re-aggravated my prior injury. My stomach was having none of that. I had to stop. Liz pinch hit for me and finished the beer.* I'm not back at square one here, but I pretty much felt like garbage for the rest of last night and for the better part of the day. Now I'm left with the potential of another beer-free evening tonight and wondering if I should have waited another day to get back to drinking. The moral of this story, I guess, is if you're in some ridiculous beer drinking challenge and you get the stomach flu, maybe wait more than two days to start drinking again.

Total Beers: 95

Where I Should Be: 90.410

*Liz advised me to count 3, instead of 2, beers because, unlike me, she is a dirty cheat.