Reality Chick

Above Right: Revelers on the Deck of the Ocean Mist in Matunuck, Rhode Island.

When I moved to Rhode Island six years ago, my old college roommate  introduced me to her friends: “This is Tina, don’t mind her, she’s Teatotal.” Because I limited myself to one glass of champagne, and only ever drank with food. But here, pregnant women openly drink. Scotch. In the morning. I know many high functioning, middle-aged, career-successful people who put in a couple of hours at their regular bar nightly, and return for Saturday and Sunday lunch to drink the afternoon away.
 
Because I’m not a heavy drinker, it’s made it harder than usual to segue from an urban-work culture of New York, where people are addicted to jobs, gourmet food and psychotherapy, to the resort area where booze serves all three functions: nutrition, occupation, and all-purpose soul-soother and stress-buster. A  steep recession reigns here in the Ocean State and Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. But you’d never know this from looking at the three-deep crowd at the bars of the local restaurants. In a way it’s heartening to see middle-aged and elderly people enjoy themselves and socialize like teenagers.

Read more at the great new drinking site:  http://www.drinkingdiaries.com/