Dry January

Eureka and all that. I did it.

 

Decided on a lark, after being drawn in by a couple of clickbait articles, to do Dry January. Didn’t think I was that much of a drinker and that it would be lots easier than NaNoWriMo. 

Act in haste, repent at leisure.

 

Soon after that national election with those unexpected results, we got in the habit of starting happy hour at 4 PM and once, sufficiently lubricated, listen to the five o’clock news on NPR.* 

Other than a cocktail on dinner out events, I didn’t drink. Alcohol, that is. Much preferred cherry coke, Italian soda, Starbucks Double-Shot espresso, green tea. 

 

Right.

Apparently good habits are hell to establish and bad habits sneak in on kitten paws. 

 

Besides learning to make one hell of a good Old Fashioned,** I got used to sipping an adult beverage while making dinner or listening to the five o’clock news. And silly me, when I didn’t, because of an arbitrary goofy internet decision, I missed it.

 

As in, I really, REALLY wanted a drink.

 

And that was enough incentive to keep me dry all January. 

 

So, what did I learn? 

 

I paid attention to the times when I wanted a drink. Really, REALLY wanted a drink. 

 

Realized an adult beverage could be both a comfort and companion, and brother that could easily go seriously wrong. Decided I wanted a drink to be a treat not a reflex.

 

Were there complications or benefits?

 

Luckily all my no alcohol angst was in my mind. I did notice a bit of better memory this month, but I’m at the age where memory is a come and go event,*** so can’t substantiate that.

And now, EUREKA, and all that. Dry January is over.

Since no reasonable person has a martini with breakfast, I’m planning on a nice juicy cocktail with dinner tonight. 

Dry January is an effort worth making. Live and learn.

 Cheers.

 

*to see how former guy was destroying the world as we knew it. 

** classically made with bourbon, but 16 year old Irish won’t go amiss.

***Alas.