Good Music, a Walk In the Rain and Sake

After writing my first blog in months, yesterday, I decided to avoid any house work and laundry and get outside. It took me until 4pm to get out of the apartment, but with my trusty iPod nano, my most recent reading material (Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential) and a rain jacket, I ventured out into the rain showers. Not so cold and not raining hard, i thought.

I have been walking for years and more frequently for months. I did try to change my lifestyle a touch and walk every night after dinner, as I usually pass out after eating my usual single meal. So much so that I have managed to lose quite a bit of weight which was needed. I had plumped up to a jolly 165 lbs while stagnant with Peter, my ex. I shed the weight also from avoiding pop. No more bottles of Coca cola or pink grapefruit juice soda. I have been taking in water and that's about it for beverages. I mean I am drinking beer and such, but at work and home I only have water. I have even stopped drinking juice and prefer naturally flavoured water.

Well, I digress as usual....So out in the rain and clouds, walking around Coal Harbour and then Stanley Park, I had my playlist singing in my ears. I realized immediately that, although most of this music was brought into my life by Lance, the deleted friend, my music preferences have always been there and it really was my playlist. It used to be named "Lance" and now it is simply named my music. I actually enjoyed the lyrics and music I was listening to, rather than connect each and every word to a horrible summer. Even with the dreary weather, the walk around the park was enlightening.

As I rounded 2nd Beach I got this craving for none other than sake...I disregarded it and wandered into my livingroom outside of my home...Checkers. Sat at the bar and opened my book, reading through the entertaining banter of Bourdain as he described my life in extremes. Every cook lives the same life and has addictions, whether it be booze, nicotine, coke, pot, et al. Every cook has something in their personality that pulls them into the hot hell fires of a kitchen, whether they go to school or not. Although Bourdain goes into detail about the extremes of the lifestyle, I still can relate to the stories, as I continuously grin, every recognizable experience Bourdain splays out on the paper. I enjoyed a half Caesar and escargot, easier than cooking, and wandered off home. EXCEPT the craving pulled me into the liquor store...and the sake was in my hand in seconds.

Boiling water in a pot, filling a 12 oz tea pot with sake, I settled in for something special. Once it was ready, I took a sip of the hot rice wine and was immediately satisfied. I haven't had sake in months it seemed. The last time, with Lance, at my favourite sushi spot...which of course I paid for. So this time was much better. I was also popping out of my routine with different booze. Wow baby steps I guess. What made it enjoyable was that I was having a chat with a new person which I met on line. The conversation was a bit choppy but good, and this made me enjoy the sake more. I looked at the bottle and realized it was 14.6% by the time I had finished half a bottle. I also had made a tentative date possibly on Friday with this new guy....Hmmmm I guess alcohol can make me jump out of the routine rather that take baby steps. I ended the conversation with my new on-line guy and wandered back to the bar.

It was dead but 99% of the patrons were my pals. My ex, the NTN freak, the actor, the karaoke master, the quiet hotel guy, leafs fan and pal of Lance, front desk hotel guy and the bartender and waitress. I had fun asking the actor how he was feeling after he cooked an orphan Thanksgiving Dinner for his fellow cast, as he remembered being loaded and pulling me close to him whispering nothing in my ear, while flitting his tongue across my ear. I listened to my ex's long survival story of his trip to the island with his brother while almost being washed away by the rains. All great people. I had fun, considering I had a bit more alcohol in me than I wanted.I did slip up again but I'm sure it is all for the affirmation that I am not crazy. Cold turkey ain't so easy but my pals always make me feel better.

I woke up this morning, well almost, and decided laundry was a must and vacuuming. So now it's sunny and I'm stuck here doing house work. Guess I got the days mixed up....or maybe I didn't.