Beer!

Overall, beer is a pretty good thing. I'm pretty sure of that. So I'll write a post that features beer.

I won't focus on different brands and styles and whatnot; I like pretty much all beer. My favorite depends on my mood, what I'm eating, the weather, who is buying, etc., none of which matters much. Oh, except for that last one.

Who is buying? That one has been on my mind a lot lately after softball games. My post-game beer economics have changed dramatically. I'm now paying some long-owed dues in that regard.

Years ago, as a 25-year-old new member of the team, and for quite a few years after, I made out pretty well in the post-game beer economy. I pitched in a minimal amount of money on the first go-round, made minimal contributions afterward, and consistently received good returns on my investment.

The last couple of years, however, as our older players have retired and I have assumed their role, I've noticed a substantial drop in my rate of beers-per-dollars. Where I used to be a hanger-on, benefiting from the "you want one more? I'm buying" question, I now seem to be the donor in these scenarios.
It's not like I NEED the beer. The situation just seems to unfold so that 4 or 5 guys are there late, not really wanting to leave yet, but needing a reason to stay. One more beer to be nursed for half-hour or 45 minutes will do the trick. But where I used to just have to answer "sure, I guess I can stay for another" I now just wait in vain for the question. And I end up asking the question myself and shelling out several bucks for all the other hangers-on.
Retribution, I guess, for my past freeloading. And sympathy for these young kids without my vast resources of hundreds and hundreds of Mexican pesos, which I've hidden in holes throughout the metro Louisville area.

Beer Part II: The Dark Side
For five weeks now I've had very little exercise. I play 3 or 4 softball games a week, but that just really isn't exercise. Knne pain and a quad strain have kept me off my bike and I don't really do much else.
And I've ballooned 10 pounds in 5 weeks. After having lost 15 pounds over the winter, gaining an acceptable 3 back over 3 months of softball/golf/hot dogs/beer/soft pretzels, I'm now right back where I was last September.


It is all very depressing because at right this moment I can't get any exercise that comes easy to me. I really like riding my bike- it's convenient, I can do it even when it's raining or 98 degrees, I can watch TV or video or even read while riding.
Without my bike I've been pretty much sedentary and yet eating and drinking the same things. If I can't start riding it again soon (without major pain) I might have to do something drastic, like change my eating habits.
I really don't want to do that.