not drinking. just spitting.

I mentioned that I'm beginning to get a sore throat.  But it's that weird kind of just-starting-to-be-sore thing where it's not entirely clear whether it's just "stress and exhaustion and dry hotel conference room air," or "oh my god please don't let me get strep throat four days before I have to fly cross country to go home."

My strategy for dealing with this has been to suck on sugar-free mentho-lyptus lozenges, to drink lots of herbal tea, and (most importantly) to gargle with antiseptic mouthwash every couple of hours.  So, that's why I walked to the drugstore on Hollywood Boulevard to get my mouthwash and lozenges.

I bought the medicine-flavored mouthwash.  I like the amber-colored stuff, because it tastes like you should probably need a prescription to get it.  Nice 'n' good 'n' really medicinal, you know?

So, during my intense and intensive meetings yesterday, I'd pull my bottle of mouthwash out of my bag every couple of hours, tuck it in my pocket, excuse myself from the meeting, and go to the men's room to gargle, and spit.

During one of the breaks, on my way back from the washroom, a colleague pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, "Oh, my God!  Please tell me you're not drinking during the meeting!"

...because people could see the top of bottle of amber liquid sticking out of my pants pocket, and so in my effort to conceal the fact that I'm carrying a bottle of Listerine around with me during these meetings, I've created the impression that I'm sneaking away to get little nips of bourbon.  Niiiiiice.

My colleagues know me a little too well, but, um, not well enough.  As awful as these meetings are (and they're pretty much awful), they're not awful enough to make me have a drink until we break (after 14 hours of solid work, including "working" lunches and dinners).   I'm just not that kind of a  drinker. I can wait until the work ends and we all retire to the hotel bar.

I noticed that they're selling "alcohol-free" mouthwash, now.  I've never been afraid of alcohol, as anyone who knows me can tell you, so I just went ahead and bought the regular amber mediciney mouthwash.  A small-ish bottle -- enough to get me through the next couple of days, but not so much that I'd feel badly about tossing it before I get on the plane.  And though I had alcohol in my mouth every couple of hours, I didn't drink any of it.

And, since I was tired after a long day, and I wasn't feeling well, I didn't make my customary trip to the hotel bar, yesterday evening.  So, one more day to add to my 'no-drinking' tally.  Whoo-hoo!

Click here to "like" this blog on Facebook. Click here to follow me on Twitter.