Glug glug

I went out for lunch today. No big deal. Went to my local café and had a sandwich and a panaché. Hung out and watched the horse races on the television. My local café is also a PMU which means that in addition to selling lottery tickets you can also actually bet on the horse races while drinking or eating. There are quite a few cafés in my neighbourhood. This is the one I chose to be MY local. I wonder why...

Today the races were trotters (horses pulling their driver along in a sort of chariot) which I don't enjoy.

I stood at the bar eating and sipping at my beer/lemonade. Normally when I drink I take one small mouthful in my mouth and swallow. I don't take enough for two swallows as it means swallowing, holding the rest in my mouth while I recuperate and then swallowing again about 10 to 30 seconds later. I sometimes look like Dizzy Gillespie with my cheeks puffed out holding on to more liquid queueing up and waiting for its chance to go down my throat. My panaché arrived on the bar in front of me and out of old habit I picked it up quickly and downed two gulps. I put down the glass in shock. I had actually taken the drink and swallowed and immediately swallowed again. I had done glug glug. I almost jumped up and down in joy but with the look of the crowd around me I decided that wasn't a good idea. It's amazing the sort of split-second decisions one can make in a bar. I've got a really good survival instinct.

I didn't do it again immediately. I went back to my old habit of one swallow at a time while I ate. But then I had to see if it was an accident or something. I tried again and it worked... glug glug. I ate some more while being very pleased with myself. I then decided to throw fate to the wind and I went for it: glug glug glug. That's right dear reader: three swallows immediately following each other. I was in drinker's heaven. I'm not referring to alcoholic drinkers. I'm referring to the simple act of drinking a liquid swallow after swallow. I didn't push it any further and I'm not sure I can go much further yet. But it was a wonderful feeling to go glug glug glug.

Most of you reading this have absolutely no idea why this incredibly simple act can be such a big deal and have such a big impact on me. I can't explain it beyond the fact that this is the first time since the end of August 2005 that I have been able to do this magical feat. It's not a huge leap forward. But it is a definite step forward and it feels very positive. I've dreamed of being able to chug a lug a glass of water and am actually starting to feel like I'll be able to do it again someday...