... because I just now poured my first cup and fired up the peesee. Yep, another re-run.
Semi-Decadent
That's the way I feel this morning, er, afternoon. I'm sitting here by my window, bathed in warm sunshine, contemplating what's left of the day, having just poured my third cup of coffee. I've been completely awake since 12:30, but I woke up the first time at 10:30 this morning. Given that I didn't go to bed until just after 7:00 a.m. this morning (see the post below), 10:30 was way too early to be up and about. Nonetheless, I did get up, turned off the ceramic heater that did well by me when the outside temperature was 28 degrees but was slow-roasting the interior once the temp rose to 65, opened a window, made the coffee, and returned to bed until the coffee finished brewing. Two hours later...
It's only semi-decadent to sleep until well after noon in my current circumstance. Why, you may ask? Well, it's hard to be truly decadent on the wind-swept and nearly treeless High Plains of Eastern New Mexico. I also awoke this morning alone and with a clear head. Way too Red-State. I've sampled true decadence, and New Mexico, you're NOT decadent. Well, some parts of Albuquerque might qualify. I've heard stories.
No, achieving true decadence, in my eyes, requires an accomplice or three; proscribed substances (optional); copious amounts of Singha, Stella Artois, or San Miguel; a cultivated attitude of nonchalance; and suitable venues wherein one can put that attitude on display. A tropical or semi-tropical clime helps, but isn't a strict requirement...witness certain parts of New York City, London's West End, and the underground clubs of Moscow or Prague. I much prefer Bangkok or any of several camp towns outside the gates of American military bases, however. Willing accomplices abound in those places. It's easy to feign nonchalance, and you can assuredly awake with much less than a clear head, usually in the company of a woman unfamiliar to you when the night began, in a place no more familiar. Life is usually exciting in those circumstances, or, at the very least, stimulating. And most definitely decadent.
Ah, nostalgia. Sometimes I wonder if maturity is worth it.
You've got the same schedule in your sixties that I had (on weekends) in my twennies.
ReplyDeleteIn my forties, the headaches I get if I sleep past 5:30am I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Kind of a combination between a slipped disc between the shoulder blades, low blood sugar, hangover, ruptured eardrums, and a good old-fashioned wallopin' from a loan shark's muscleman with a seven-iron on the left temple...all at once.
And, then there's dark, almost ebony-colored, chocolate. Demi-Decadence in a tin-foil wrapper.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'm easy.
My problem when I was younger is that, being an early riser by nature, it didn't matter if I got in dead-drunk@4am, I'd wake up like clock-work at 0600--would be miserable as hell, but couldn't go back to sleep. (Which in a way stood me in good stead in the AF. As one Col I served under once said to me: "Just remember this; If you're gonna go out and hoot with the Owls you've still got to get up early next morning and scream with the Eagles in this man's Air Force." LOL!!) These days the down time, lag time and recovery periods are considerably longer--and the days of the 4-day lost weekend binge is almost literally a killer. Don't know who said it, but drugs (which I never did) and alcohol are a young man's game. But I'm doin' my best to maintain my union-card, nonetheless....
ReplyDeletePS I had worked up a long post on Virgil's football rules but got carried away and violated the max# characters your system will allow to post and when saving it to break up into 2 separate posts my dam system malfunctioned and everything disappeared into digital oblivion. I was so bummed out at all the wasted effort at my "brilliant" composition that it may be a while before I get the mental energy return to the matter.
Add the Barco crew to the VX 'keepin my union card blues'.
ReplyDeleteI still have Virgil style reactions to my late night boozin'; As I be "Up with the chickens" and my body forcefully reminding me of OUR age.
Fantastic piece of writing
ReplyDeleteMorgan: You are cursed, M'Friend! I didn't get adverse physical symptoms from sleeping in during my youth... I just couldn't DO it. My eyes would pop open and that would be that... no options other than to get up or lie there and stare at the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteMoogie: Yeah, I'm with ya on the chocolate... but that's a way-different sort of decadence. :D
VX sez: These days the down time, lag time and recovery periods are considerably longer--and the days of the 4-day lost weekend binge is almost literally a killer.
Boy, do I EVER hear that. I don't do marathon drunks any longer... I simply can't. And recovery from "regular" over-indulgence is just way-damned-painful these days. Getting old is a bitch. :D
Dang... I'm sorry to hear ya lost "Virgil's Rules." You wanna do a guest post if you get motivated again? E-mail it to me and I'll put it up!
Darryl: Yup. Gotta keep that card in force!!
Alison: Thank ya!!