Hey y'all. This thanksgiving I'm thankful for a house full of boys and a loving wife. I don't know how we've made it this far in life, but I couldn't have done it without the gang. I don't know how many years have passed nor how much hair I've lost, but I'm still here doing the thing I love: being a father, husband, orthodontist, and under-rated city league indoor soccer player. My wife doesn't understand the soccer part but she let's me play anyways :)
Seriously I couldn't balance 3 practices, 4 boys, the Gringo Soccer Club, and a plethora of debt and headaches without a rock at home. Thanks honey!
Happy Thanksgiving interwebs!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Amusing Addiction
I don't necessarily have an amusing story to tell, but my addiction to this "thing" is kind of amusing. I quit diet coke this week and while I suffer from incessant headaches I find it amusing how addicted I, in fact, was to it. When I started drinking, I was what you would call a 'social drinker.' I didn't really drink the stuff unless I was at a restaurant or at a party.
Then dental school hit. I was bombarded with 8-10 hrs of class and tons of after hours lab work. I found myself reaching for an occasion drink to keep me going. But, it wasn't till Ortho school that I really started abusing the stuff. Now in my head I thought, a carbonated beverage in the morning is completely accepted as normal behavior. But I knew better. The scoffing behind my back that I chose to ignore, the look of amazement at the size of my morning beverage (which at the time was a paltry 32 oz), yet I still pretended not to notice. Me and my carpool buddy started down a road I wouldn't recover from for nearly 5 years. We'd stop one the way to school every single day.... Even if we were late! Addict much?
When we moved to our current location, someone I go to church with introduced me to the 100 ounce jug. In my mind I thought this guy has a real problem and his wife needs to do something about it (until I realized that they were both partaking and abusing it). I didn't go overboard immediately, but I did buy myself a nice 32 oz refillable cup. Sooner than later I found myself refilling it a couple times a day. I quickly upgraded to a 44 oz then a 64 oz model just to keep it economical - cause if the refill price is the same, more is better. 64 ounces is waaaaay different than a 100 oz model, yet as I would polish off a 64 oz I would find myself thinking fondly of a larger cup that would fill the thirstyness inside. When no one was looking on a drive from Las Vegas, there standing in the window was my cup. I could hear it beckoning me to come closer and partake of is sweet never ending goodness. I bought it.
I played it off like it was a novelty that I bought for kicks, but deep inside I wanted to go swimming in it and drink till I was a bloated floating raft in a sea of liquid gold. Unfortunately, (or in my case fortunately) holding a 100 oz drink in public is not socially acceptable no matter how cool you pose with it. I felt like people wanted to take a picture with the 'soda freak' as they walked past me in the checkout line. I just smiled with one of those 'haha you get it it, it's huge!!!!' type looks and played it off like I was in on a joke that they totally didn't get, but I knew better.
I was a laughing stock. I quickly downgraded back to the 64 model and kept it going strong for a couple more years. I would fill it in the morning and drink it till 3pm or so till it 'turned' then I would drink a can for dinner and another during vegetation mode (after the kids went down). The mornings I didn't go to work were the worst. I'd find something to go do so I could pick one up at the local fountain. Sunday's were really the worst!!!! I couldn't justify going to the store (we don't believe going to the store on Sundays). Cans would tide me over till Monday rolled around and I was back to the routine.
So, it's been 5 days and I've only had a couple small sodas to stem the tide of raging headaches. I feel way better today and I think it will continue to improve though the week. Playing soccer tonight I felt much better and less tired. I think I was beginning to get strung out on the stuff and slowly became a chain drinker.
My staff have no sympathy for me while my wife applauds the effort. We'll see how long this lasts. I'm hoping to stay away from caffeine on a daily basis and only drink it if I'm driving long distances - so it still has some effectiveness. Wish me luck!
Then dental school hit. I was bombarded with 8-10 hrs of class and tons of after hours lab work. I found myself reaching for an occasion drink to keep me going. But, it wasn't till Ortho school that I really started abusing the stuff. Now in my head I thought, a carbonated beverage in the morning is completely accepted as normal behavior. But I knew better. The scoffing behind my back that I chose to ignore, the look of amazement at the size of my morning beverage (which at the time was a paltry 32 oz), yet I still pretended not to notice. Me and my carpool buddy started down a road I wouldn't recover from for nearly 5 years. We'd stop one the way to school every single day.... Even if we were late! Addict much?
When we moved to our current location, someone I go to church with introduced me to the 100 ounce jug. In my mind I thought this guy has a real problem and his wife needs to do something about it (until I realized that they were both partaking and abusing it). I didn't go overboard immediately, but I did buy myself a nice 32 oz refillable cup. Sooner than later I found myself refilling it a couple times a day. I quickly upgraded to a 44 oz then a 64 oz model just to keep it economical - cause if the refill price is the same, more is better. 64 ounces is waaaaay different than a 100 oz model, yet as I would polish off a 64 oz I would find myself thinking fondly of a larger cup that would fill the thirstyness inside. When no one was looking on a drive from Las Vegas, there standing in the window was my cup. I could hear it beckoning me to come closer and partake of is sweet never ending goodness. I bought it.
I played it off like it was a novelty that I bought for kicks, but deep inside I wanted to go swimming in it and drink till I was a bloated floating raft in a sea of liquid gold. Unfortunately, (or in my case fortunately) holding a 100 oz drink in public is not socially acceptable no matter how cool you pose with it. I felt like people wanted to take a picture with the 'soda freak' as they walked past me in the checkout line. I just smiled with one of those 'haha you get it it, it's huge!!!!' type looks and played it off like I was in on a joke that they totally didn't get, but I knew better.
I was a laughing stock. I quickly downgraded back to the 64 model and kept it going strong for a couple more years. I would fill it in the morning and drink it till 3pm or so till it 'turned' then I would drink a can for dinner and another during vegetation mode (after the kids went down). The mornings I didn't go to work were the worst. I'd find something to go do so I could pick one up at the local fountain. Sunday's were really the worst!!!! I couldn't justify going to the store (we don't believe going to the store on Sundays). Cans would tide me over till Monday rolled around and I was back to the routine.
So, it's been 5 days and I've only had a couple small sodas to stem the tide of raging headaches. I feel way better today and I think it will continue to improve though the week. Playing soccer tonight I felt much better and less tired. I think I was beginning to get strung out on the stuff and slowly became a chain drinker.
My staff have no sympathy for me while my wife applauds the effort. We'll see how long this lasts. I'm hoping to stay away from caffeine on a daily basis and only drink it if I'm driving long distances - so it still has some effectiveness. Wish me luck!
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