I’ve embarked on a water-drinking quest. I’ve spent years disregarding all that advice to drink x glasses of water a day, because that’s just the right thing to do, mainly because it’s got no taste, and I’m lazy. I like to taste the things I’m eating and drinking, except for whiskey, which is easy enough to make exception for. A couple of shots and who cares about the taste anymore? I’m easing off on that, as well.

The water adventure has been a long time in coming. I’ve known I needed to address the fact that I’m pushing 40, and I’d really like to be around and in shape enough to keep up with and enjoy my family. This includes being present for them emotionally as well as physically. Nikki’s talked about all sorts of cleanses, which are much more popular on the west coast than they are here, but I don’t think I’m quite ready to take that kind of plunge. Easy does it. I drink coffee, I’m easing off on the alcohol, and I figure I can start with water. After coming off the July 4th vacation, if you can call it a vacation, actually it was only a couple of extra days off from work, my exhaustion and resulting stress levels were way up there. Clearly my stamina ain’t what it used to be.

So some time around last Thursday, I started drinking the old H20. Previously, I’d drink maybe a pint a day. Now, I’m downing 7-8 pints or so.

The first night, there was cold sweat and crazy dreams. Second night, much of the same. There was an ongoing metallic taste. The cold sweat finally subsided, as did the metallic taste, but the dreams are still there. I’m thinking this is due to toxins being released. Great. If this is what cleansing is like, I’m terrified. There’s only so much dreaming of doomsday I can handle. At least I’m able to sleep. I feel pretty good right now, and the past two days, I’ve only had two cups of coffee per day, as opposed to my usual three cups. I have a 1.5 liter of Poland Spring sitting next to me, half finished. My eyes aren’t quite as bloodshot as they were yesterday. Maybe that’s just allergies or something, but I was really waiting for someone to ask me what I was smoking. No one did.

We’ve been stepping up our salad consumption as well. Over the weekend, we took a drive east to explore some of the farmland not far from where we live. It’s beautiful out there, Sound Ave. in Calverton. We stopped at Foster Farms, a little farm stand selling corn and produce, and picked up some Romaine lettuce and sweet corn. Last night, it was dinner time. We cooked up the 2 lbs. of organic salmon we had brining in the fridge for the past day, mixed the fresh Romaine with some organic herb salad, and of course, a couple of ears of the sweet corn.

I haven’t tasted corn like that in, well, I can’t remember how long it’s been. It’s corn like that makes me never want to leave Long Island. Or, maybe, it was the wine, or maybe I’m just drunk on all this water.