Truth be told, I have a very good reason for not drinking in January.  It’s called two cruises, back-to-back, in February, with one being a working cruise.  It’s in an effort to drop a few pounds before the cruise and so far it’s working.  However, this month has also seen a new employee with whom I share an office be hired and the stress is heavy.  Even my immediate supervisor quipped, “I bet you wish you didn’t give up drinking this month”.  Yes, yes I do.

But, I haven’t.  Dinners out with friends or home with Mr. Muse, I’ve refrained from tasting, let alone taking a sniff of, any adult beverage.  Teetotaling isn’t something new for me, with modeling I’ve been known to give up alcohol for for months in anticipation of a shoot.  It’s never fun.  Sure, alcohol is a vice and seen as an “evil” in the world, but I enjoy it.  I savor the scents and flavors of the wines I sip.  I anticipate the smoky bite of a good whiskey.  The sweet, tropical sensations that slide over my tongue with a good rum.  To me, drinking is one of life’s pleasures and to give up a pleasure is a sacrifice I don’t enjoy making.

So, to deal with the stress of the new employee, I’ve resorted to what are perhaps healthier options: working out whenever possible, taking dance lessons and getting massages.  I have to give credit to my dance instructors who can keep me moving and laughing.  I also need to give a big thank you to my massage therapist who will ask me what I want to do, and in the case of last Friday evening I responded, “Make me not stressed.  I’m super-stressed from the new employee.  I’m “crunchy” all through my shoulders and I would seriously consider shanking someone for a cocktail.”  I went into my massage with my heart beating more irregularly than normal, my jaw clenched and every muscle tensed up.  I left in a state of blissful relaxation with a heart that was beating nearly-normal (which is my “normal”).

I am looking forward to my vacation in February, even if half of it is working, and the umbrella drinks it will bring.  I’m looking forward to trying more rums from islands in the Caribbean and have been looking up a few brands already.  I will savor every sip.  I will warm myself in the tropical sun and allow the stress in my life to melt away.

Do you give up any of your pleasures in life?  Why or why not?