Ideal taper for the marathon???

I did 13 yesterday at 10 minute/mile pace and it felt good. As well, I woke up this morning and my calves were a little sore, but not in a way that would scare me away from the Marathon this weekend. So now it's time for the "taper strategy". Here is the normal train of thought on how to effectively taper:

Rest - Don't overdo the week before your marathon. Cut your miles down by a lot. Heal your body so it works to it's fullest potential.
Nutrition - Head toward the carbs and hydrate when you eat, as water and carbs will make your body more efficient in creating much needed glycogen. Eliminate alcohol and coffee, as they can cause problems with dehydration and unwanted intestinal issues during the race.

This all sounds simple enough, yes? Let's see what I'm doing:

Rest - There's a convention in town for a professional association my company supports, and these guys work hard and play even harder. I'm supposed to spend two evenings out with them. Do you think they'll notice that my cocktail that looks like a Greyhound (grapefruit juice and vodka) is actually HEED Lemon Lime Electrolyte drink? Oh and then there's the golf tournament on Thursday. Oh and did I mention that I have a friend in town from New Zealand who swears he's going to take it easy this week; however, easy for a Kiwi and easy for me are very different.

Nutrition - aside from the parties I'll be attending, there's a lunch and dinner associated with the golf tournament on Thursday as well as dinner at the Rustler's Rooste on Friday. Did I mention that they have a 700 pound long horn bull in the front of their place? I'm sure I'll get something that will be marathon-friendly that night.

In summary, let's scan a checklist optimal taper and compare it with my actual taper:

Optimal vs. Actual
Cut miles back... yes
no alcohol... sort of
no caffeine... can't promise you that one
rest... I opted out of a second round of golf on Friday, does this count?
eat well all week... Rustler's Rooste offers a 2 pound "Trail Boss" Porterhouse steak, is that bad?

c'est la vie.

now get back to work...