30 Days Booze Free

I like the snooze button.  I like the snooze button so much that I set my alarm an hour and a half before I have to wake up just so that I know that I still have 90 more minutes of sleep.  Does it bother me that my alarm will go off every 10 of those 90 minutes?  Sometimes,  but for the most part, I am grateful each time I tap the snooze button on my iphone.

90 minutes.  This is the length of time it takes to complete one Bikram class.  90 minutes of snooze-sleep flies by in what feels like five, whereas 90 minutes, in a smelly room heated to 105 degrees, with 35 and in some cases 40 people dripping sweat and moving through 26 postures (2 x each posture) feels like a fricken lifetime.   

I am 4 days in to my 30 day challenge – 30 days no drinking & 30 consecutive Bikram classes.   I am beginning to think that the yoga part may require more will power than abstaining from alcohol.  Then again, it’s only 9:00am on Friday, and I haven’t tackled the weekend yet.  

To give you a glimpse into my personal hell…here are some highlights and lowlights of the past few days –

Highlights

1. I have not had an alcoholic beverage in over 72 hours
2. Two other lunatics are doing the 30 challenge with me
3. One of said lunatics gave his left over weekend Coors Lights to the nice homeless man who resides outside of a downtown 7-11. 
4. I attended a work party catered by Papagayo (amazing guacamole), where both wine and coronas were present…I did not have one.  (See low point #2)
5. At said party, I had a great conversation about yoga with a co-worker that I have never before had the opportunity to speak with…it was really nice. (see low point #3)
6. Despite the misery of Bikram, I feel amazing after the class….I even feel a little bit taller.
7. As you can tell from my love for the snooze button, I am not a morning person.  However,  I have managed to wake up twice for 6:15am Bikram classes. I absolutely love getting it over with first thing.  (see low point #4)

Lowlights

1. I have been invited to have drinks with friends more this week than any other.
2. At the Papagayo party, a nice server (maybe manager) insisted on bringing me a cold Corona…I declined….he proceeded to ask me 3 more times.  When I stared into his eyes after the 3rd time, they were beet red and his tongue resembled that of a serpent.
3. Referencing highlight #5: I told the nice gentleman about my 30 day challenge.  When he asked about Bikram, I said…’Yoga is annoying and people who do yoga are annoying.’My coworker/friend, elbowed me under the table.   Then, she whispers, ‘He is a yoga instructor.’  This type of BS happens to me all of the time….even when I’m not drinking.  Luckily, he is so zen like that it didn’t phase him and we were able to laugh it off.  Even still, I was in a bit of a mental prison.  
4. Highlight # 7 is followed by lowlight #4.  This morning, I woke up at 5:30am (alarm set for 4:30…snoozed till 5:30)…threw on my workout clothes, peddled my white beach cruiser in the pitch black to the financial district for the 6:15am class.  I arrived at 5:50am….the doors are supposed to open at 5:45am…but, no on was there.  A few other yogis showed up and were equally confused. (i hate that word…hate it…but i don’t know what else to say…’people who also do bikram yoga at 6:15am?’….you’re right…i’m sorry…i should have said that).  It’s now 6:05am…6:10am….WTF.  Where is this guy??  I woke up for this!!!!  Part of me felt like a 4th grader waiting to hear if school was cancelled because of the snow.  The other part of me wanted to hunt down the instructor, beat him with my yoga mat, and make him eat my sweaty bikram shorts.  At 6:17am, I knew that he wasn’t coming so I climbed back on my bike and rode to work knowing that I would have to go to a class tonight.  

So, there you have it.  My first few days into the challenge. I would like to note that there are more highlights than lowlights.  What the hell am I going to do this weekend?  I’m not sure, but I’ll definitely keep you posted.

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