St. Patrick's Day Run and the Graces of The Old Gods and The New

A great St. Patricks day run this morning.   My legs felt a bit lively after some rest, the sun was shining bright on some freshly fallen snow, and I ran by two Irish bars which hadn't yet overflowed onto the sidewalk as they certainly will later on today.
I especially love to run on days when years ago I used to be stupid and miserably drunk.  Makes me feel more alive by contrast. St. Patrick's Day is a great running and racing day, and many folks will enjoy plenty of post-running, well deserved beers. I would certainly love to be one of them, but I just can't do that. It's one of the many things I can't do and have had to learn to accept. Also on that list are: I can't train for 3 marathons in 15 months without suffering consequences (I'm just not one of those guys), I can't be as cool as Ironman, I can't fly like superman, and I can't use tools like most any man. And I can't stop drinking after one beer.
On a related note, I was very sad to see Adam from 'Girls' on HBO relapse last episode. I gasped out loud an audible "No!" when he took the drink. And, as expected, it brought out his cool and creative side for a bit, but then the worst and darkest of him sabotaged a potentially great situation. Along with the cool cocaine episode, 'Girls' does up drinking and drugging just right.
Fortunately, I've escaped a relapse for 20 years. But if the day ever comes, who knows what would happen. You will probably see a drunken Irishmen running naked through the streets, and then a dark black eruption of misery for many years to come, neither of which will be pleasant to witness. But by the graces of "the old Gods and the new," I"m able to run sober today.