Drinking and Dieting

I tend to dread going out with my boyfriend, friends, or family.  I have a very hard time summoning up the willpower required to order the things I should off the menu despite the best layed plans, then there is the alcohol factor.  Besides the one margarita I had to celebrate my race, I have consumed no alcohol since New Years Eve.

So, when I was invited to a night of drinking and dancing with friends, I thought of the perfect solution to make sure I did not overindulge in calorie laden drinks.  I would volunteer to be the designated driver.  Now, I rarely do this because I go out probably six to eight times a year and want to make the best of it.  So, last night my was turn.   I had two diet cokes with cherry vodka, finishing those by 10:00 and leaving at 1:30.  I got in my car and for some odd reason checked my purse to make sure I still had my license.  I didn't.  I said I would call the bar tomorrow, but my friend insisted I go back in and ask "in case you get pulled over."   I hadn't been pulled over in all my 34 years, but I went back in and came back out empty handed.  Damn.  What a major inconvenience.

My friend was hungry and so we stopped at Taco Bell.  I ordered a diet Coke even though I was ravenous too.   Turned out onto the road, and a moment later my friend tells me I am being pulled over. WHAT?????  Sure enough there were flashing lights in my rear view mirror.  Turns out there were no left hand turns coming out of TB.  What better place for a cop to hide at 2:00 a.m. than a TB with an obscure no left hand turn sign for no apparent reason????  Of course, he asks for my license.  "I lost it tonight."  Likely story, right?  He asks if I have been drinking.  "I had two drinks and nothing in the last four hours."  Likely story, right?  Thank God he didn't ask for my insurance because I just switched insurance companies and hadn't put the new policy in the glovebox.  He does a "follow the pen test."  He runs my license.   I have a perfect record.  He said he was just "looking for drunks" and he let me go despite the illegal left hand turn and not having my license on me.  Thank goodness!  What are the chances?  I felt incredibly lucky. I was really worried that I could possibly blow the breathalyzer test.  I had only two drinks and they were so long ago, but I had only eaten 1100 calories of food for the day, and hardly drink, so while I felt fine, I wasn't 110% sure how my body would metabolize the alcohol.  I feel strongly about not drinking and driving and wouldn't have had more than two in that time period, one in a shorter time period, diet or not.

I learned my lesson.  I will never offer to be the designated driver again.  My friends will be thrilled.