I suppose I've been drinking alcohol since I was about 15; probably even earlier. Even my study at school was rarely without a bottle of cheap British Sherry.
After school I drank beer; mostly at lunchtimes.
On moving to France, I, of course, drank red wine. Our evening meals have not been served without red wine for 50 years. I'm not a big drinker, but I always thought of wine as being as important as the Lamb chop, Steak, or Pasta that accompanied it.
However, quite recently I decided to give-up my alcohol drinking (I'm on week 3). I have one or two minor health issues and I'd wondered if they might be being worsened by my evening consumption of wine. Having stopped, the only difference I've noticed is that my blood pressure has definitely dropped, which I suppose is a good thing.
I've always been a strong-willed person, so stopping after all these years has not been difficult. There is a slight feeling of 'what do I do now' when the clock strikes six-o-clock, but I always find something.
My abstinence is not 100%, I shall drink one or two glasses with my Sunday Roast; not to do so would be irreverent, but other than that, nothing.
For the moment I see no return to Pétrus or Ch' Cheval Blanc on a regular basis. I'm perfectly happy with Lemon juice or even a diet Coke. And, with the economies we'll all soon have to face, I shall probably save myself about £40 a week at my wine merchant.
Other than losing the pleasure that wine drinking brought, I can only see my move as a win/win situation.
I've just seen an advert on TV advising folk to 'Go Sober this October'; I simply started a month in advance.
41 comments:
Good grief, wine must be expensive there if you are not a big drinker but will save £40 a week.
A decent bottle of wine costs about £8 or £9, so just half a bottle each in the evening would cost about £60.
Has Lady M had to join you in this abstinence? The reduction to aid health I can understand but please not to save money because of inflation!
You are very strong willed. I have often thought about giving up but my resolve weakens after a week or so. Perhaps if there were decent alcohol free alternatives it would be easier.
Sober October has been around for a few years, trying to get people to give their liver a break before the Christmas binges. I hardly drink at all and only red wine or prosecco.
As a distant relative in northern England said in her broad accent to her doctor, You've taken away my sugar, you've taken away my salt, you've taken away my fats, you've taken away my tabs but you are not taking away my wine.
I've thought about giving up, just a thought. But when the clock strikes that hour...I am weak.
If I drink two glasses of wine a month, that's a lot for me. I've never been a drinker. I'm more interested in the cuffs. That is your hand, yes? Why do you have a set of handcuffs? Something you've not told us about?
No, Lady M is not involved, but surprisingly has been (sort of) following my example.
Well done for making thiz change in your life Lord Cro. Iz 'Go Sober this October' part of a range - including "Dizplay luzt in Auguzt", "Let'z all go gay in May" and " Come on and croon in June"?
I don't know how long it'll last, I have a blood test at the end of the month so if I pass with flying colours I might allow myself a small glass in the evenings again.
It's a shame that Sober rhymes with October.
All doctors are the same. I think it's on Page 1 of the 'How to be a Doctor' handbook. Stop them eating or drinking anything they enjoy!
The plastic cuffs came with a children's Policeman's Outfit.
How disappointing.
It's a shame that there isn't a month that rhymes with rat-arsed.
They made a good illustration though.
Your weekly spend is probably my annual spend (and I would have change)
Good on you. It's usually very hard to break a habit, specially one as ingrained as your regular glass of red.
I've had no alcohol since mid August. Except for two half glasses of wine filled up with soda with visiting neice from Australia. I don't mind in the summer but I can see I may be back to my glass of red in the evening once it gets colder.
Keep up the good work
Every month is a sober one for me, I'm not teetotal by any means, I just tend not to drink alcohol often!
I love a really good Irish Single Malt, Tullamore Dew 18 year old is wonderful, but a bottle lasts me well over twelve months!
I'm quite partial to a glass of good Champagne, but can't bear Prosecco!
My drink of choice is ice cold lime and lemonade!
I have been 'tipsy' three times in my life, the last occasion being almost thirty eight years ago! I've never been drunk to the point of being unaware of my surroundings or behaviour, which is always amusing, watching other folk make prats of themselves whilst I'm sober enough to remember it. My husband hardly drinks either, and our son and daughter in law are the same, we appreciate good food more than booze! X
I had no idea that a daily glass or two of wine with a meal was a problem. My late favorite uncle drank wine in the summer and brandy in the winter every day and he lived to almost 100.
Well, as usual, I'm a lap out of sync. I'm not a wine drinker but I was encouraged to have a small glass to help reduce my cholesterol (which wasn't really that bad). So at 70, I tried. I'd just as soon have a glass of vinegar, but it did result in dropping my numbers about 30% within a few months. As our American President Harry Truman is oft quoted as saying, "It's just one damned thing after another." He was speaking about history, but the sentiment applies universally. Cheers!
Not drinking is one of those things that just makes life so much simpler and better all round.
I'm not worried about the expenditure, but I'll be happy to have saved it.
With such celebrations as Christmas and the New Year coming up, it would be impossible to say that I shan't be imbibing then. Just not TOO much.
I usually buy a bottle of Scottish Single Malt for the Winter. On a cold night I will drink a thimble-full, but It's mostly the aroma that I love.
I'm sure it's not a problem in itself, but I do know that my Blood Pressure has dropped on a regular basis.
Everyone says that red wine is good for you. I'm sure that's right for most people.
Here they tell you a couple glasses of wine is good for the heart.
That's certainly right about smoking. I stopped that about 30 years ago, and I have no regrets. I stopped in the same way too; one morning I decided to stop and didn't buy any more cigs! I had no withdrawal symptoms.
I've also given up my evening glass(es) of red wine. My wine abstinence began in March. I do, however, have a couple of pints of beer at the pub, a couple of times a week. A girl has gotta have some fun! I said goodbye to wine for health reasons as well. There's been a lot of media attention lately on the cancer connection and alcohol, (particularly for women.) It was a bit of a sad parting for me. I've always loved trying new bottles of wine. I even hoped to create my own wine cellar one day and fill it with wine from around the world. That lovely day dream is now off the table.
I've lived most of my life believing that.
Beer has become so expensive. A couple of pints is about the same price as a really good bottle of wine. I've lived in France too long!!
Good Health to You!
In summer, I try to have a beer to toast the Beer, honor a skill acquired in my younger days.
I never liked wine, but I really miss cigarettes.
I do like Beer, whether it be the very cold lager type beers of France, or the hoppy flavoured beers of England. So expensive here these days; it's all TAX.
I used to smoke non-tipped Gauloises, probably the strongest cigs around. I gave-up very easily, and have never hankered after them.
My drinking is very erratic. I can go for months without feeling like more that the occasional glass of something. At the moment I'm in a wine period because I've had visitors but last night I didn't finish it and threw most of a glass away this morning.
"Go sober this October." In Australia we have "Dry July" although I don't know many people who actually do that.
I sometimes feel like that myself, only mine gets thrown away before I go to bed.
How many more rhymes can they find!
Go Blender Septemberville?
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