Thursday, January 19, 2012

190

What do you think that number means?


"190 proof" means 95% alcohol.  Everclear is a brand of neutral grain spirit and is available in 151 and 190 proof.  In contrast, other hard liquors, such as rum and vodka, are typically 80 to 120 proof, which contain 40 to 60 percent alcohol.


Being a sweet and innocent Yooper, I have never tasted beer, wine, peach schnapps, Boone's Farm, Asti Spumante, MD 20/20, brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, Blue Curacao Everclear.  I'm not entirely sure it was ever intended to be a beverage.  According to Wikipedia, 190-proof Everclear is in regular use amongst fine woodworkers and luthiers (lute repair guys) as the shellac solvent in French furniture polishing.  Everclear can be used as an antiseptic, as a fuel in camping stoves, and as a cleaner for the restoration of smoking pipes.


Due to its high alcohol content, Everclear is illegal, unavailable, or difficult to find in many areas.  In the US, it is illegal to sell the 190 proof variety of Everclear in California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan (shoot!), Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

After that interesting vignette, I will tell you the real reason that I labeled this post "190" is because I have reached a new low; uh, I mean high.  I am embarrassed to admit this, but I hope it will force me to do what I've needed to do for a long, long time - lose a LOT of weight.  I discovered the horrible truth at my doctor's appointment today - I now weigh as much as I did when I was hugely pregnant with my second child.

Holy crap!

It is truly time to do something about this.  During the year before I turned 40, I set a goal for myself:  40 by 40.  I wanted to lose 40 lbs. by the time I turned 40.

I failed miserably.

Now I've got 60 lbs. to lose, and I'll be darned if I'm going to wait until I'm almost 60 to lose it!

Wish me luck, and please tell me where I can get some Everclear.

1 comment:

  1. Jen, you are so funny! That was too cute. I just know that I've never lost weight while trying....in fact, I've only gained while trying. So, I sort of try to keep it in the back of my mind to exercise more, pay attention to what I eat etc. I don't often LOSE weight - but at least don't GAIN it! So, some success. There was a book I used to have "Diets Don't Work" which explained the phemonenon, and was actually a great book that gave solid ideas for eating what you want and losing weight by learning to listen to your body (and mind). If it isn't still in print, it ought to be.

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