
So I was lying around shirtless in Greenpoint yesterday, but I wasn’t doing any of the things one might expect a strapping young lad sans chemise to be doing in Greenpoint (such as walking my Pomeranian or making sausage). No, fair readers, instead I was getting an EKG in a walk-in clinic probably better known for its drive-thru urinalysis than its cardiac care. I won’t bore you with the details, but I ended up in this unlikely situation after spending an uncomfortable night wondering why I couldn’t breathe and why I had chest pains. I thought it was the flu. My kind walk-in doctor proved otherwise, but only after confirming that I wasn’t in fact having a heart attack.
48 hours later, it seems the culprit is nothing more than a considerable case of acid reflux. The good news is that I’m on the path to wellness because of the doctor’s strict order to not enjoy anything in the next week—no alcohol, no foods with tastes, and god damnit no coffee.
After I gasped and wheezed my way home, I thought back to the gastronomic experiences of the previous week. It wasn’t pretty, in medical retrospect. Pilsner, octopus, chorizo, braised short ribs, red wine, chocolate cake, cognac, Guinness, chicken strips, French cheese, more pilsner, more red wine, pasta with fresh fish and a spicy cream sauce, more chocolate cake, spicy sausages and Miller High Life (go Hawks), scotch, scallops, apple crisp, brandy, wild rice soup, and more Guinness.
That list is in order and spans four days. I had it coming.