There are better things in life than alcohol, but alcohol makes up for not having them.
– Terry Pratchett
My maternal grandparents were both alcoholics. It’s for this reason that I can’t remember my grandpa’s funeral: I was only four. This is also why my grandma has meticulously avoided alcohol for over 20 years. If there’s anything to the rumours about alcoholism being influenced by heredity, I’m probably tagged.
My own consumption patterns change. Sometimes I’ll go through periods of several months having three or four drinks, three to five times a week. Sometimes I’ll restrict my consumption to social occasions. For about five months starting last December, in my quest to master the art of talking to strangers, my social life became two full-time jobs. I was constantly going out to social events, clubs, bars, museum parties, and everything in between. Despite temptation, I rarely drank.
Last month, I quit drinking alcohol again. I’d like to tell you that it was a struggle. I’d like to pretend that it’s almost impossible to stay sober at a social occasion where everyone else is burping bubbles. I’d like to imagine myself as more determined and disciplined than all the rest, and that’s what pulled me through.
But the truth is that I’m ruthlessly normal. And if you want to end your relationship with alcohol, right here, right now, It’s Not That Hard.
I’m guessing that most people who choose to quit drinking are not alcoholics. My intent is to offer here an action plan that anyone can apply, whether you’re nursing an addiction or just want to enjoy the benefits of uninterrupted sobriety.
Why Stop Drinking?
The long-term effects of bad habits are rarely sufficient to motivate people to change their lives. The near-term benefits of giving up alcohol are much more useful and interesting anyway. Here are the changes I experienced:
- Productive socializing. Talking to strangers is a great way to build character, but its benefits are greatly reduced when you’re drunk. The alcohol represses much of the social anxiety, which inhibits lasting change. But the only thing more terrifyingly fun than getting drunk and meeting a bunch of new people is staying sober and meeting a bunch of new people.
- Avoid the McPilgrimage. Clearly, there’s a conspiracy between the fast food industry and the liquor industry. Free will collapses under the weight of insobriety and convenience. With enough alcohol in your system, even the most wretched burger joint becomes an irresistible sanctuary.
- Reclaim lost time. Let’s say you have a few drinks around the house, three times a week, and that light touch of drunkenness costs you three hours of productive thinking each time. Within one year, you’ll have shaved about one full month off your life. That’s a lot of lost CPU time that could have been put towards reading a book, writing a speech, playing a sport, or even starting a business. And this doesn’t even count the time lost waiting for your brain to resolidify the morning after a night on the town.
- Get rich quickly. You don’t have to party that hard to spend $100-$150/week or more on alcohol and related expenses. If you quit drinking today, you could reasonably expect to convert that choice into a bankroll for backpacking around the world in about six months.
- Become an early riser. I’m currently readjusting my sleep schedule to wake up at 5:30 AM, seven days a week. Alcohol, and the lifestyle that often accompanies it, work against this process. Alcohol makes me feel tired when I want to feel energetic and awake. Ironically, it also increases wakefulness during sleep.
You can probably think of other instantly gratifying benefits to life beyond the bottle. The important thing is to actually have a reason that is important enough to you.
Make It Priority Number One
Giving up alcohol is one of the easiest and hardest changes you can make in your life.
It’s easy once you’ve established the right rules, configured your environment to support you, and set up useful boundaries of pain and pleasure to help direct you towards your goal. The hard parts are the social implications and fighting off the One Man Army that is your ego, with its barrage of self-limiting beliefs and drink requests.
Giving up alcohol must be made priority number one in your life. A partial commitment is a commitment to failure. Even if you already don’t drink that often, it will be tempting to break your own rules when your friends call you up and invite you out. You’ve got to be willing to prioritize this decision in every situation where it’s relevant, even when that means Just Saying No to pub night.
It’s Not a Big Deal
Ever notice how some people act as though the end of their relationship is the end of the world? It’s as if there’s no point in living if they can’t be with that person any longer. Yet other people come along and date that person who left them, eventually break up with them, and see it as hardly more than a blip on the radar.
You may feel that it’s pretty easy to give up drinking. Or you may feel that it’s an addiction with a stranglehold on your life. Either way, there is no inherent magnitude to this task. It’s as big or as small as you make it.
No matter how much you want to tell yourself how hard it is, nobody’s ever going to claim that learned helplessness was the secret to their success. The most effective way forward is to not only make quitting drinking a top priority, but to think, talk, and act like it can be done.
Become the Impartial Spectator
Whether you view it as a spiritual separation, or merely conceptual, we all have more than one self. There’s the “Mmmmm…beeeer…” self, and the impartial spectator that can detach from and observe this desire.
Let the latter voice be your authority. You’re allowed to want a drink as much as you’re allowed to choose not to have one. There’s tremendous power in observing your thoughts as a third party. The impartial spectator can feel the heat without getting burned.
When in doubt, let it be there. No matter how bad the storm seems, it will pass.
Commit to 30 Days
If you’ve never done it before, it can be hard to think of giving up drinking forever. It’s discouraging to commit to permanent change, only to back out a few days or weeks into it. Some people will face social friction and lifestyle changes for which they’re unprepared.
But life is a laboratory. It’s an adventure that takes shape through hypothesis and experimentation, and most decisions can be reverted. When it comes to making big changes like this, live before you leap. Promise yourself that you will commit to this 100%, but only for 30 days, and see how it goes.
This is exactly what I did last month. I promised myself that November would be alcohol-free, and it was. Truth be told, I had a few drinks on day 31. But I broke the negative pattern that was creeping up on me and gained back the energy to spend on more important activities. And I’ve repeatedly proven to myself that I can give up alcohol whenever I feel like, whenever it seems like the right thing to do.
Dump Your Existing Stash
Any goal that’s important to you is important enough to start on right now. My 30-day challenge to give up alcohol started at about 3:00 AM on a Saturday morning. I had just gotten back from a post-nightclub McPilgrimage with some friends. I had a great time. I met lots of people. I even ended up dating a girl I met that night.
But I was really annoyed by how much I’d poured into me that night, at succumbing to the resulting Big Mac temptation, and at how much I was going to regret the hangover. As soon as I got home, the challenge was on. I had one last beer in my fridge, which I ceremoniously poured down the kitchen sink.
If you’re serious about doing this, get rid of your alcohol. If you’ve got $300 worth of spirits in your cabinet and you’re not yet sure if you want to empty it all down the drain, only to change your mind in 30 days, then store it at a friend’s place during your probation period. Preferably a friend that doesn’t drink.
Advertise Your Decision
I told most of my friends about what I was doing. Not only only does this add accountability to your goal, it also drops the hint that if your friends are planning on going out and getting wasted, you’re probably not interested.
Of course, you don’t have to avoid social situations where you’ll be the only one not drinking. I’ve gone out stone sober many times–even on my own–and met loads of people. Once you get used to social skydiving, you no longer need alcohol’s permission to talk to strangers and have a good time. You can get to that place by either getting hammered out of your face, or by learning to just not care what other people think. Frankly, the latter is way more fun.
Fire Your Drinking Buddies
Alcohol may be so tightly integrated into your social life that it seems almost impossible to go an entire weekend without drinking. If the only thing you have in common with your friends is that you like the same lagers, you might want to consider finding new friends.
I’ve let go of people in my social circle before and I know it’s not easy–but that doesn’t make it unnecessary. This might be the hardest thing you do in choosing a life without alcohol. The key is to remember that friends are an abundant resource. Having a strong social circle is purely a function of the effort you invest into it. That includes choosing to associate only with people who are aligned with your purpose, while avoiding the energy vampires.
This is another benefit of a 30-day commitment. Instead of permanently downsizing your social life, you can choose to be busy only for the next few weeks. Observe how it affects you when you stop spending time with your beer buddies. Join a local user group for something you’re interested in to bring yourself into contact with people with whom you share more than just a bar tab.
Bribe Yourself
I haven’t used this specific technique for giving up alcohol, but I have used it with much success in bulldozing my way through a wall of social anxiety.
Associate massive pain to backing out. To create that pain, visit your nearest bank machine. Withdraw an amount of money that you’d feel uncomfortable losing. Give it to a friend you trust. Tell them that you get your money back if, and only if, you don’t have a drop of alcohol until your 30 days are up. You’ll be surprised at how even the most difficult tasks become doable when you associate massive pain to breaking your own rules. Money can be a great way to make it hurt. If you can think of an even better form of self-bribery, go for it.
The stronger you feel that alcohol is a part of your life, the more of these techniques you may want to apply. My most recent alcohol-free challenge didn’t require bribery or letting go of any friends. But I did find it extremely useful to limit the challenge to 30 days, to give myself permission to live the lifestyle before leaping to a permanent decision.
I also think that making this a top priority is key, no matter what your current consumption habits. It’s so easy to let yourself slip for just one night, and then feel guilty about breaching your own contract later on.
Day 1 AGAIN :(
I had myself a snow day party last night and drank 5 beers and smoked 4 butts. Then fell asleep on the couch during Lost…missed the end. Woke up at 12am feeling like shit. Couldn’t go back to sleep until 3am and was awoken by my 4yr old at 6am. I actually feel better this morning and am thankful that I fell asleep instead of drinking and smoking more.
I feel badly about my slip, but more resolved than ever to give this shit up. I hate the way I feel after drinking and smoking. I can’t even imagine how I used to feel after drinking 8-10 beers and smoking the same amount of butts…..Yuck!!!
It’s snowing out here in NY and I’m enjoying the sound of my children’s voices as they sit by the window talking about the snow. Life is so beautiful by itself. Adding substances only lessens it’s beauty. I’m happy I have seen “the light” so to speak. I know I will beat this drinking thing sooner rather than later. I HAVE changed…although not completely there yet, I am definitely moving in the right direction….each wee I am drinking and smoking less…slowly moving towards my goal of TOTAL abstinence :)
Peace,
Lee
Hi Lee; I like the way you are handling things – remember we drank for a good long time and sometimes it takes a good long time to quit – I was a heavy smoker and finally quit 30 something years ago after umpteen quittings – you are doing fine and I am glad you are enjoying your kids
love, carol xoxoxo
There is something about being here that feels like this safe little world where it is not only ok to be sober, but obviously encouraged, the whole point of being here. Where as, in my own little part of the world, sobriety is frowned upon as something only “freaks” do- yes I have been told that. If I screw up here on the site, I get an encouragment to move on and keep trying. If I screw up in my world, I get a, “Good job. Let’s keep going. Stop feeling bad, it was only x amount of drinks. Make up your mind and stop being fickle.” (Have to agree with the last one). It is so nice to be able to go to this little part of the world, a web page, and know it is safe to be sober, screw up, keep going, whatever and not be called a freak for it, to be accepted for it and because of it.
Scout your post hit me…. as I have been struggling with addiction my whole life in both good forms and bad,,,, but the point I think I hear is that good or bad, you are replacing something for something else….and your diving deeper.
I stuggle with the same thought. And perhaps now I am frustrated. Sober 7 years from and drug, I was addicted to excersise…. if I didn’t run x miles daily, yoga x hours daily…I felt empty.
I think this could be a book/ Out comes of raiseing a disfunctional child… when does the disfunction go away. What am I missing. I think our current population has set the bar so high, no matter what you do is useful unless you believe it is………………………
I think that is where I am frustrated, I p
d off because I overcame all the hurdles from bulimia to cocaine…. gambling, alcohol, and yet I was not set free of the addiction side to me….
Is that a dry drunk….
I want a life that I like who I am, and I’m not wwondering if what I love to do is an addiction. a true love or..
/////// somersalting .
j
Hi Kathryn, great to see you back!! Myself and others missed you, obviously : )
Good attitude Lee, keep thinking about those beautiful kids and your own life with them.
Elizabeth, one thing I noted with previous experiments was how quickly someone could tell that I was different once I’d had a few. I couldn’t really tell myself, however, I did notice things that required technical skill, like playing piano or guitar, were more challenging. I might play them with more gusto but the playing was foll of errors, or sloppy. Your instincts are probably right on.
Hello Former Functional Alcoholics. I guess our realization is that we were actually just more functional than the totally disfunctional. In other words, we were not yet brown bagging on the street corner looking for handouts or cig butts. I too considered myself one of those functional drinkers (not alcoholic, oh dear, No!) I’m still gaining momentum but I appreciate how Johan stated that now he accomplishes so much more in a given week than he did in his “functional drinking” days , or is that “daze?”
Cybelle, Gypsie, Martha, nice having you back. Big happy sigh having friends around. : )
Mara, nice hearing from you whenever you can give a shout!
Dryheat, how are you doing?
MaryG, belated happy 30….proud of you.
Key, I like the sound of the statement re Katrina and the Saints victory corelated to your turning life around. Good on you!
High-five Mj, always enjoy reading your posts.
Many more I should say “hi” to but am almost on the Man’s time clock. Gotta get down to it.
Have a good one,
RRR
Hi Jeanne1; I think I understand what you are saying – everything can turn into an addiction and actually become a hurtful thing instead of helpful – I think when good things like exercise, hobbies, health activities or others of that type are more of an OCD behavior and they respond well to medications that are not addictive or mood altering – I am not recommending for you just letting you know what I think
makes it hard to know what to do for fear another addiction will plague you
thank you for sharing and being open to our input
yes our Island is an ideal world of alcohol-free pleasure and people
STAY love carol xoxoxo
I went to the Saints’ parade last night with my kids. My son put on a shirt I had bought for my monm and I didn’t notice it until we were on our way. I get really mad when they take for granted that they can help themselves to my stuff and my oldest son does it most. I feel like a doormat.
Really enjoyed the parade. I was surrounded by smoke and beer, but that’s ok. Others can do what they want. I’m beginning to think my body just can’t take it anymore…that makes it not tempting.
Had a great sober morning…but my kids’ rooms are messy and my son failed a math test that we studied for together. I got angry because I think he just circled any answer instead of actually working the problems out.
I have to admit, the morning after the Saints won the Super Bowl, I woke up and thought…”I’m not rich suddenly. My life isn’t better because of that victory.” and I felt a little resentful.
My son thought I had PMS because I was so grouchy, but I feel that my drinking has caused me to overlook things like messy rooms, debt, and poor grades and I shouldn’t have and can’t now.
I’m grumpy, but I know the benefits of being sober take time to accumulate. I have to be patient.
I LOVE sleeping sober!!!!!
thoughts are always welcome.
Hi y’all, it’s so nice to come to the island and know that like-minded friends are here.
Key, I liked reading your post about your kids. I know my daughter wishes I would go back to drinking as I’m much harder on her now than I used to be. I want her to make the most of her life, she’s a professional but still young and I feel she should be more focused on advancing her career than spending time on facebook. I know it’s somewhat generational and we’ll have to find some common ground. Right now I’m just trying to feel out where that balance is!
Cricket, I think that different people feel comfortable with different levels of drinking. Only you can decide which level you’re comfortable with. I think that many people thought and still think that I’m crazy to give up booze altogether as I did not have a “serious” problem with it. For me, it was serious and it was beginning to take more and more control of my daily thoughts and actions, so therefore I had to come to grips with it and deal with it inmy own way. Someone on this sight once said that drinking buddies like to have someone to drink with because it cuts their problem in half. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. Thanks whoever said it.
Have a great day all. Stay warm and dry! hugs, Mara
Key, I think we all tend to have expectations of other people, and our family fare worst. I had hubby home with me for the last couple of days and while I can laugh it off and say he’s done my head in, always under my feet, won’t leave me alone to study or read, wants to go out and do stuff with me while I just want this precious time to be by myself…the reality is I was (am) horrible to him during this time. I am not welcoming and I am certainly not loving. All because of MY expectations that he be someone else or do something differently.
I feel badly about my treatment of him and how hurt he must be when I tell him to bugger off all the time. He laughs it off too, but imagine what it must be like living with a carping critical person. Awful.
Anyway there isn’t any excuse for my behaviour. I guess I’m saying I intend to lighten up with my expectations that he behave in a certain way – how on earth does he know the script? It’s only in my head! And the joy gained from dissolving this residual anger and reaching out for a hug is immeasurable. One day he won’t be there any more, and I’ll want more than anything his reassuring presence. I know this. So previously Slightly Bitchy Annie is going to work hard at being Mostly Compassionate Annie. :-)
Love to all
Annie
wow, I feel horrible right now. I have a headache and am nauseous but not hung over. I suppose I could be still dehydrated from the weekend or something. I just need this day to end so I can take a nap or something.
Hello all,
Lee- I agree with carol, you have a winning attitude and it’s great to see you coming back. Keep your eye on the target, whatever that may be which works for you.
Maryg- congratulations on 30, thanks for sharing.
Key-we are our children’s doormats. If we are lucky they will dust us off and bring us in when we are too old to handle the traffic.
Cricket-You are right. This is a safe place. A comfortable cozy corner where you can get to know yourself better.
Annie-thanks for asking. I’m doing alright. Made it through Super weekend and all, no worries.
Yesterday I dove to the Walgreen’s to pick up some meds for a sinus problem I went to the Dr for. On the way I (deliberately) passed by my old watering hole. It’s an outside bar across from the ocean, kind of a nice place where I know everyone. I haven’t been in since Jan 3rd. After I got home I got a call from a friend that said he and the bartender saw me drive by and wondered if I was stopping by, where I’d been. I just said I had a lot of things to handle right now, with my wife out of work and my being laid off in two weeks.
I think I may be ready to visit the old watering hole and not drink. I just don’t want to get to comfortable there.
By the way, on my visit to the Drs yesterday He elected not to put me back on high blood pressure meds. A definite benefit of not drinking.
There has been some talk about spouse approval and support. My wife has not really said much of anything. I think she is just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I still feel determined, thanks to the help of my island friends.
Gemini- Is this the Gemini I met last month? Glad to have you back
Day 37 and truckin’ along
Have a great day everyone.
I’ll see you soon
Ahh Kathryn- I am here! Thank you for the shout out- Yes, I agree that we have a fantastic community here. Very powerful as your dream showed.
Much love and support. Faith
Key,
I feel exactly as you do in that being drunk caused me to overlook certain things such as messy rooms/house, debt and poor grades. Now that I am trying to recover from my drunken stupor, those things that I cast aside are now in the forefront of my mind and I am motivated to address them and turn them into something positive. Part of it was the guilt for not being the parent and person that I should have been and the other part was that horrible feeling of constantly being overwhelmed.
For the first time in a long time, I am ready to resume living the productive life that I used to.
Day 3 and feeling fine!
TPAZ
George: It’s great to hear from you. I was just going to send a fog horn call out into the darkness from the lighthouse off our island. I know this has got to be such a tough time with your wife out of work and you being laid in two weeks. And despite it all, you have Day 37 to mark off. That’s terrific! Keeping sober during trying times can be a real test to all of us. But I do think you’ll come through this with flying colours. I do hope you both find work soon and not have to suffer too needlessly.
Peppermint: I liked what you said about trying everyday to be a good person and not hurting anyone. These words hit me, “I try not to look too deeply into the past. I can’t change it. I can only try everyday to improve my life. This life – at this moment. I work hard to control my thoughts and I do have power over them.” We do have power and that’s such a great feeling. You have alot to offer to us with your 109 days.
Johan: Peppermint endorsed a couple of books that you suggested us to read and so I went out today and bought, “A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose”. I couldn’t find the other one entitled, “A Spirtual Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose”. I bought my book today without reading the back or anything. I figured if Johan says it’s a good book than it must be a GOOD book!! And hey it also has Oprah’s stamp of approval too! LOL
Cybelle: You mentioned the Zen Habits website and so I checked it out today. And here is the quote of the day, “Through return to simple living Comes control of desires. In control of desires Stillness is attained. In stillness the world is restored.” ~ Lao Tzu How appropriate is this?!!!
Lee: You have such a good soul. You try so hard and it’s so obvious that you are really putting effort into this. And even though, you may not have the immediate results you want, you are gaining ground each day. You’re right to say that you are moving in the right direction, I’m sure of it. I could envision your little ones looking out onto the snow and your 4 year old waking you up. How simply precious that is!
You know I didn’t have many people in my life prior to meeting you all on this site. And even though I don’t interact with you directly, I consider all of you very dear to me.
Have a great day and a good night.
Love Mary
Oh my goodness, what a Blooper!
I just read my email to George and instead of saying, “…and you being laid off in two weeks…”, I wrote and you being LAID IN two weeks. How funny is that?! Sorry George. Maybe you’ll get laid sooner than the two weeks. Oh My God, you’ve got to laugh; we all need our daily quota of laughs to get through this journey!
hope I didn’t offend anyone..
big hugs,
Mary
I was going to comment but thought, no, Annie, drag your mind out of the gutter…
Maryg-Ha! That’s funny. Maybe I can set that for my next goal! ;)
TPAZ:: well said regarding the guilt. For me I’ll probably never be over it not completely. Especially (as you mentioned), with a perspective born from real clarity. But when I see a funk cloud looming, I instantly get picked up with the thought that sober, I absolutely know I’m now doing the best I can.
food poisoning…that’s what google said about my symptoms. It’s better than a hang-over.
TPAZ, I have to find a gentler way to encourage my kids. I still need days so I can be productive around the house and then start asking them to be as well.
The life I thought would be boring once now looks pretty appealing. Have to remain optimistic.
Not feeling well enough to write more, but without this site to keep me accountable, my success would be even more limited. I’m pretty sure I’m going to make it this time. I don’t think I admitted it, but I had a really bad hangover on Sunday morning. That hangover pretty much convinced me my body can’t take it anymore. I never used to get hangovers. Getting really sick over the weekend helped and this illness is reminding me how bad feeling bad is.
Lee- are you a male Lee or a female Lee? Just wondered. I’m pulling for you. Your re-starts are oh so familiar. I have a 1/2 pack of cigs that I am going to keep for 1 week. I will throw them out on Ash Wednesday. I find that if I smoke, it is a comprise leading to my demise.
My first time here. I found this to be one of the best articles on the subject I’ve read in the last few weeks. All your comments just helped push me to not have a glass of wine tonight. My fiance is gone for the night, and evenings alone are always the worst for me. I think I’m finally getting comfortable in my own skin, though. Thanks everyone :)
Maryg; I wondered if you meant laid off – great Freudian slip
Sweet Dreams Everyone STAY love carol xoxoxo
mj- So simple and true,”When I am sober I know I’m doing the best that I can do.” You know, everything in my life is so much better. I am no longer in bondage and I have the time and energy to make tackle those areas that I neglected…. Oh yes, and I am going to give the “Who” a break. They are older than the hills (I am aging myself) but their music is still alive and their hearts are still beating. Right Goody? (Haven’t teased you for a while)
Thought I was going to be in the heavy snow country back East but I got a reprieve due to my unscheduled trip last week. The weather sounds dreadful in New York.
Maryg-Love the Zen habits quote today. With our crazy world today, it is sad that we actually have to work at keeping our lives simple.
Cricket-It is hard to go against the grain, especially when friends and family are involved.
It makes us open to rejection and ridicule if we chose not to drink with them. This hurts. It takes our strength away – Tender Heart. Hope you stay.
TPAZ,Key-Good on Day 3.
Love to all,
Peppermint
Kacey:
Welcome. It is a very good article and lot’s of great people here. Glad you decided not to have that wine. You’ll feel good when you wake up knowing that you didn’t need it.
Let us know how you are doing. Take care.
Annie–just out of curiosity, are you usually “bitchy Annie” when you’re drinking? Or is it just trying to deal with some left over anger or frustration?
I ask just because I’m awful when I drink sometimes. I usually feel so guilty the next day for how I speak to my partner. I think it’s all about me, and very very rarely about him.
Hey All! I wanted to check in. So much has happened in the world since the New Year. There were huge earthquakes in Haiti and mudslides in Peru and I’m sure mother-nature struck us globally about the head and neck. AH — and she did so locally, shutting down the federal government for a record keeping 3 or 4 consecutive days! Now that’s an accomplishment!
Good to read everyone’s posts here and to know there is a supportive community to turn to. Think I need to get back here more often. [Must make boundaries for work!]
Hope everyone has a JOYFUL week and, Richard, if you are out there: Vive l’Island!!!
Later!
OO Sweet Dreams Everyone XX
Hi Kacey, Oh yes, I have a great dose of the Biarch Virus. We’ve talked about this on here before…the irritation and the short fuse just seems to disappear after a few days booze free.
Interesting you should bring that up because I did drink this week, on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday I was miserable. Today I feel fine again.
That’s actually not something I immediately attributed to the alcohol, so thank you for that!
On another note, got my final marks back from my summer school paper today – out of three assignments, I got an A-, a B, and a B*. Using my somewhat rudimentary maths skills I think that will give me an overall B+ for the paper so I’m pretty happy with that!
Off to bed now to do some reading – I am onto Deepak Chopra now!
Hi Hippiechick! Nice to see you again :-)
Night night
xx
Peppermint:: ‘Goody’ as in two shoes (of course). I remember liking it, but can’t remember how I earned it :)
…also think I found a new drink in satirist and political commentator P.J. O’Rourke’s Zen Martini- “A martini with no vermouth at all. And no gin, either.”
Terrific Thursday all.
Day 1
Poured the last beer down the drain this morning. Giving up the smokes as well (i only smoke when i drink, never without drinking).
I’m going for a quick 4 mile run later on the snowy streets of Long Island, NY. I signed up for a half-marathon (May 2) this morning. I will abstain from drinking and smoking from now on.
key – To answer your question: I am a male lee.
Stay strong all,
Lee
still not 100% but getting better. Too bad I used my sick days to be hung-over and not sick. I would like to stay home today.
Lee, hang in there. I’m so sock the thought of drinking is awful. I think it will be for a long time. I’m pretty sure this is the try that will stick. Next week is Mardi Gras and I’ll probably stay home. My kids are old enough to go without me. It’s only a block away. Regardless, I had my fun for the super bowl. Now, I’m starting a new life.