Two days to go. Mrs H has tried a recount but I've had to tell her that it is definitely only on Sunday that we can drink again.
Hmmmmmm. Drinking. I have mixed feelings about this.
On the plus side:
1. I am thinner and feel fitter however I've done a fair amount of cycling so it's probably a mixture of both
2. I feel I've more energy and have had greater capacity to deal with the ups and downs of my job
3. I am able to focus on things for longer (although this also happens when I am feeling fit)
4. I have
really enjoyed waking up and not feeling hungover
5. Overcoming a hold something has on you feels good and bolsters one's self esteem
6. I have enjoyed food far more than I did although am eating less overall.
7. We have saved about £15-£20 a week
8. I have taken immense pleasure in proving the "I'll believe it when I see it" contingent wrong.
9. Watching someone else emptying glass after glass of wine or beer and thinking 'that was me' is really
10. Thankfully, drinking together is not an integral part of married life and this has been largely unaffected
11. Whilst I've missed the texture of a good single malt, the taste of a good real ale and the roll on my tongue of a full-bodied red, other than the first week of jitters, I have not missed the effect of alcohol at all.
Lots of positives but on the minus side, should I decide to stay off the booze completely:
1. To varying degrees, nearly all of our long-term friendships have drinking as a component. I think if we went tee-total for good, most of these relationships would be diminished and some would die.
2. The greater part of my social identity is based on me perpetuating the beer monster image; setting the pace on pub crawls and beer related outings. I have come to realise that in some cases, this is why people choose to socialise with me.
3. I have missed enjoying the ritual of relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine or pint of beer with friends. The problem was that it wouldn't stop at one or even four pints/ glasses of wine.
My hope going forwards is that I can adapt my drinking habits so I can still enjoy a drink but no longer drink excessively. This is going to be tough as I am an 'all or nothing' person and find moderation pretty tough.
Also, that drinking is restricted to the social diary and cut out pretty much completely at all other times.
We'll see how that goes.
H