What is Happening?

[RetireAge50]

On my way to FIRE never drank in my life. Currently totally plastered on Rum and Vodka. Feels really good but wondering what is causing my change in underlying principles. Is it it that I am almost a free man or am I losing it? Anybody have any crazy mid-life life changes?

 

[W2R]

Change is not easy! Maybe that's the issue for you at the moment. I was a little twitchy myself, right before I retired.

 

[aja8888]

Anybody have any crazy mid-life life changes?

I'm still having them way past mid-life, but DW keeps a tight noose on me.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Some let go at this time of life. Beware.

There is an expat stereotype who retires and drinks himself to death. Be aware and do not go there.

I think the tension can be strong towards the finish line and the relief after crossing it can involve alcohol as well.

Take care.

 

[bingybear]

On my way to FIRE never drank in my life. Currently totally plastered on Rum and Vodka. Feels really good but wondering what is causing my change in underlying principles. Is it it that I am almost a free man or am I losing it? Anybody have any crazy mid-life life changes?

Good answers so far. Look at what has or is changing.
some people get their identity from their work, sense of self worth. This may even happen if they hate their job. Crushing your self esteem by removing the work can be hard. One would need to find things in their life that bolster self worth.
Others need the structure work provides. Work provides a routine. I've seen some people on this forum talking and showing schedules for their time that are very repetitive week in and week out. Me, I keep a calendar of things I've committed to, appointments, etc. But week to week are very different typically.
Throw the bottles out. It does not sound like they are helping you now. Make some defined changes short term. Try setting a schedule. Learn a new hobby or be more involved in one you already do. Something that lets you see accomplishment. Exercise... bike ride, run ... whatever. Join a club.
Work on some goals, things you want to accomplish. These can be to see some number of new birds if you are into bird watching, cook something new every week... whatever.
When I was laid off in 2010 I got out my old bicycle from the '80s. Within a couple weeks I was riding centuries. A little while later I was riding 3 to 4 centuries every week. Then I found a job and my accomplishment of improved fitness rotted away.
Throw the bottles out as they are not helping right now... and you know it based on your post. Try setting some structure in your life... at least for now.
good luck.

 

[RetireAge50]

I think it just took me a little longer to get to the drinking age. I do not want a serious discussion to commence here so is it possible to delete this thread?

 

[Car-Guy]

I'm still having them way past mid-life, but DW keeps a tight noose on me.

Ditto....

 

[Amethyst]

Drink the same now as before...strictly a weekend imbiber, and not much of one. One glass of wine with weekend dinners; one small glass of cordial on weekends.

I think you may not feel as good tomorrow. I only ever had one hangover, when I was 18 and out with extended family and Dad kept buying wine for everyone. In the wee hours, I awoke feeling that a dead weight had settled on my chest and I couldn't breathe. Scared me so much, I never drank to excess again!

 

[JoeWras]

I think you may not feel as good tomorrow. I only ever had one hangover, when I was 18 and out with extended family and Dad kept buying wine for everyone. In the wee hours, I awoke feeling that a dead weight had settled on my chest and I couldn't breathe. Scared me so much, I never drank to excess again!

It think it is "tomorrow" now and the OP is hoping for a thread delete. "regret" is the worst part of a hangover.

I'll add that I've occasionally posted things on-line after a few. I kind of thought "What is Happening?" too.

 

[Amethyst]

I feel for anybody who drinks too much and isn't used to it. Sometimes we forget that alcohol is poisonous. Hangovers are Nature's way of reminding us...

It think it is "tomorrow" now and the OP is hoping for a thread delete. "regret" is the worst part of a hangover.

I'll add that I've occasionally posted things on-line after a few. I kind of thought "What is Happening?" too.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Some let go at this time of life. Beware.

There is an expat stereotype who retires and drinks himself to death. Be aware and do not go there.

I think the tension can be strong towards the finish line and the relief after crossing it can involve alcohol as well.

Take care.

DH was a bit like this when he first cut loose from the 9 to 5. It has leveled out some, and he's aware that drinking all the time just isn't useful. But definitely there's a loosening of the constraints around major life transitions, sometimes for the worse.

 

[rodi]

I like to drink, but I don't like being drunk... (It's a control freak thing.) Because of this we set some guidelines in our house about frequency and volume.... No more than every other day. No more than 1 martini or 2 glasses of wine or 2 beers. It's easy to blow past the guidelines when you've already had a drink - but DH is on board (and helped create) the guidelines... so usually one of us will be the voice of reason. It definitely helps us keep to appropriate limits. It also helps us avoid the hangover and regrets.

 

[HFWR]

Everything in moderation.

I may not have taken moderation to heart, but I did try everything...

 

[harley]

I feel for anybody who drinks too much and isn't used to it. Sometimes we forget that alcohol is poisonous. Hangovers are Nature's way of reminding us...

True 'dat. I don't shake off a hangover the way I used to in college. I'm reminded all the next day that I was poisoning myself while having "too much fun". Of course, I don't start drinking the next morning again like I did in college either. Maybe...for the sake of science, of course...

 

[FUEGO]

I rarely drink in ER, whereas DW drinks a fair bit since she's still working. Apparently work makes you drink - no surprise to many here, huh?

 

[athena53]

One of the first pieces of advice Dad gave me after my abrupt decision to retire was, "be careful of the alcohol consumption". In my case it wasn't a problem. I work out in the late afternoons so drinking wine with lunch would impede that. I've always had wine with dinner but haven't increased consumption.


OTOH, a friend watched her elderly father, a retired Ph.D engineer, develop a drinking problem after her mother died. Long, empty days stretched out before him and he didn't have much else to do.


You can have many good years ahead of you if you find things to do other than alcohol consumption!

 

[W2R]

One of the first pieces of advice Dad gave me after my abrupt decision to retire was, "be careful of the alcohol consumption". In my case it wasn't a problem. I work out in the late afternoons so drinking wine with lunch would impede that. I've always had wine with dinner but haven't increased consumption.

OTOH, a friend watched her elderly father, a retired Ph.D engineer, develop a drinking problem after her mother died. Long, empty days stretched out before him and he didn't have much else to do.

You can have many good years ahead of you if you find things to do other than alcohol consumption!

It amazes me that whenever we discuss lunchtime restaurant costs on this forum, so many people include substantial expenditure for alcohol at restaurants. This is discussed so casually, almost as though they feel there is no other option.

 

[FIREd]

I like to drink, but I don't like being drunk... (It's a control freak thing.)

Same for me but, in addition, excess drinking gives me some unpleasant physical sensations like heart palpitations and acid reflux. So I do not need to set guidelines. I simply know my limit, which is one drink per day, generally before, during, or after dinner. I have some heavy drinkers in my family, so I have to be careful around them because I drink but my glass never empties...

 

[marko]

It amazes me that whenever we discuss lunchtime restaurant costs on this forum, so many people include substantial expenditure for alcohol at restaurants. This is discussed so casually, almost as though they feel there is no other option.

I spent over 30 years in Europe. Many times I"d hear something like: "...I'd love to stay and eat a little more but I'm driving and can't have any more wine.." (so I can't eat more).

In some parts of the world, wine and food are so linked it's hard to separate them for many people.

 

[HFWR]

...generally before, during, [-]or[/-] and after dinner...

I usually have 2-4 drinks/wk, and rarely have more than three during one setting.

 

[harley]

It amazes me that whenever we discuss lunchtime restaurant costs on this forum, so many people include substantial expenditure for alcohol at restaurants. This is discussed so casually, almost as though they feel there is no other option.

Eva's back! Yay!

 

[marko]

It think it is "tomorrow" now and the OP is hoping for a thread delete. "regret" is the worst part of a hangover.

I'll add that I've occasionally posted things on-line after a few. I kind of thought "What is Happening?" too.

Nothing like "drunk e-mailing"!! I once received a 1:30 AM email from an employee. It was supposed to be ABOUT me (the boss) but instead he sent it TO me. I was able to easily figure out the intended recipient as well.

The best/worst part is that the subject was about their conspiracy to force me out of the company.

As we say: hilarity ensued the following morning.

 

[Alan]

Eva's back! Yay!

+1, I love that avatar.

These days I only one or maybe 2 drinks a day, usually in the evening. These days when with friends and/or relatives who drink much more then I simply say that I have a "dicky ticker" and stick to my limit. Never an argument if they think I may have a heart attack

 

[Meadbh]

Long before the drunk Facebook post, there was the drunk email. One time, the vindictive spouse of an almost divorced professor sent a drunk email rant to his entire contact list, including me. It was not pretty.

My advice to the OP would be to steer clear of booze except in small infrequent doses.

 

[aja8888]

...Snip... "regret" is the worst part of a hangover.

The next worst part is realizing you don't know where your car is...