I thought it would only be right in week 2 to explain my reasons for partaking in the Dry January. Rewind to 2010 and I wasn’t a big drinker, I much preferred ordering a pint of water to bartenders bemusement but after joining a workplace where socials revolved around drink, I was introduced to the messier side. Fast forward to my last tipple on New Years Eve and I’d probably drunk a lot of people under the table. I’m hoping this detox will please my liver as well as pleasing my bank balance with a slight chance of trimming my waistline.. Here’s hoping. If anything Dry January can only be a good cause, so to the critics bashing it out, leave it out.
Thursday 8th January.
Went to the pub to check out an Open Mic night and headed straight to the bar like so many do. There’s something about ordering a non alcoholic drink in a pub that makes me feel slightly inadequate or as if I’m underage so I was pleased to buy a round which included 1 soda & lime for me and 1 vodka soda & lime for my sister. One of the perks in my opinion but downfalls in others would be that it’s great to be an observer as a sober person, it’s hilarious to see what odd things drunk and tipsy people might say and do next. I enjoyed one more soda and lime before my sister mixed up the third round and I daren’t drink the drink she suppose to be mine.
Friday 9th January.
For some reason I awoke to that jubilant Friday feeling, that and I was looking forward to eating at a new restaurant in town. My Friday night routine would usually consist of popping the radio on and unscrewing (just goes to show I’m no wine snob.. Not a cork in sight,) a bottle of wine as I prepared for the evening ahead. In comparison I found myself handling 2 cans of energy drink as I unwinded. Once at the restaurant I treated myself to a diet coke (I would normally have ordered a glass of wine or beer with it being the weekend.) my friend had hoped we could take advantage of another restaurants bogof offer but she didn’t fancy getting tipsy without my aid. Instead we headed to a nearby pub where she enjoyed a gin & tonic, and me a soda a lime. Didn’t miss the alcohol too much this evening.
Saturday 10th January.
Deciding to chill at home on a Saturday night I was overcome with the desire to enjoy a glass or 3 of wine. Good thing I’d walked purposely to find some non alcoholic wine earlier. I’m one for choice so I picked up one which mimicked that of a bottle of cava and one a classic white wine. Verdict being that the fake white wine tasted like the best apple juice I’d ever drank, the sparkling one because yes I took it there (remember it’s not alcohol) felt a bit more like I was drinking the real deal.
Along my journey I’m discovering that supermarkets are quite helpful in their selection of non boozy drinks, whereas pubs and bars are a bit rubbish with offering you a fake beverage. Sure you’ve got mocktails but what man fancies order that?
As part of my Dryathlon quest you can donate as little as £2 which goes to Cancer Reasearch: https://www.justgiving.com/Vanessa-Carby-dryathlete2015
Roll on week 3!!
See Closed for Business In January (week 1 here)
