The first hint of age catching up with me was when I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left thumb. Alas, that was at an age that the surgical remedies were not recommended (fusing the joints – YIKES).
But the latest has really been a gut punch.
I stopped drinking beer quite a few years ago. There was a direct correlation between a couple of brewski’s and a gout flare up. Gout is no bueno. So I canned the malted, hopped beverages. Frankly, this led to significantly less alcohol consumption.
Therein lies the second problem.
I still enjoy the occasional glass of red wine. A Chianti with Pizza, or a Zinfandel with the rare steak I eat.
Alas, even a single glass of wine gets me buzzed, not really a problem, being a cheap date is not a bad thing at my age.
But it is the aftermath. Once the alcohol metabolizes, I wake up. Like wide awake, and not able to go back to sleep. Last Friday I made pizza, and we shared a bottle of a Spanish Rioja (it is what we had that was appropriate for Pizza) and at 1:00 AM I was wide awake.
This never used to be a problem at all. I used to be able to have moderate alcohol intake, and sleep it off without any ill effects. Now it is a principal cause of insomnia.
Just kill me now.
