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Be Prepared To Party

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Ah, St. Patrick's Day. The day everyone claims kin with the Irish. Unfortunately, those who celebrate a wee bit too enthusiastically could wake up Friday as green as their St. Paddy's beer. Want to avoid a hangover? Start with some preventative measures:

Listen to your mama: Eat, eat, eat. Alcohol is absorbed more slowly when you have food in your stomach. Fatty foods, such as pizza, may grease the lining of the intestines, also slowing alcohol absorption.

What's your hurry: Drink slowly and drink a glass of water between your libations. This will help you drink less alcohol and will decrease the dehydration associated with drinking alcohol.

PICK YOUR POISON: Choose your beverage wisely. Those that contain high levels of congeners, for example whiskey, tend to hurt more the next day than beverages with low levels, such as beer.

So it's Friday morning and you ignored good advice and your own good intentions. Here's how to feel better.

AGAIN, Listen to your mama: Eat, eat, eat. Anything you can tolerate will help provide the electrolytes that replenish your body after dehydration. Also, try to drink fruit juice or something with fructose. There is some evidence fructose will help your body burn the alcohol faster.

DRINK MORE: Water, that is. Forget the hair of the dog advice. It might make you feel better for a short time, but it won't help and could lead to a drinking problem.

EASE THE PAIN: Over-the-counter pain remedies can do wonders to get rid of those throbbing headaches, but watch out for acetaminophen (Tylenol), which can be toxic to the liver. Aspirin is a safer bet. If your tummy is rumbling, those effervescent tablets, such as Alka-Seltzer, can be just the ticket.

GET SOME REST: Alcohol disrupts sleep, so be kind to yourself; curl up, take a nap and take heart ñ most hangovers are gone within 24 hours.

Sources: www.webmd.com and medlineplus.gov

Back in time

Today in regional history:

March 17, 1985

Overcast skies and a slight drizzle accompanied downtown Augusta's St. Patrick's Day Parade Saturday, but the gray failed to overwhelm the green.

"I really couldn't tell about the rest of the route, but at the reviewing stand, there were just as many people as last year." said John Scherer, parade chairman. "I'm sure the rain scared some people away."

The parade, sponsored by the Irish-American Heritage Society, circled the downtown area but received the most attention on Broad Street, where a reviewing stand was set up for people judging parade floats.

Philip Kelly was the grand marshal.

Around Town

WRITER'S CONFERENCE: The 30th annual Sandhills Writers Conference will begin at 11 a.m. today with Jim Grimsley's keynote address. The conference will be held at 101 Galloway Hall, Augusta State University, 2500 Walton Way. There will be free readings, book signings and discussions at 4:45 p.m. today and Friday, and free open mic readings at 9 p.m. Friday. Registration for the conference is required, except for the free readings. For more information, call the university's Department of Languages, Literature and Communications at 737-1500.