Day 2 – calories and start of trivia quiz

It is early evening and all is well. Still on track with my abstinence from alcohol. It is probably too early to report any obvious benefits at this stage, There have been no cravings but it has necessitated a shift in my thinking and in how I organise my time, as noted in my introductory Dry January post on New Year’s Eve. It really is about changing habits, both behaviourally and cognitively. I try to keep in mind that I am not depriving myself of something (although that is how it might feel at times), but rather I am exploring new ways to experience life. That sounds very noble, but really it isn’t! I’m a bit like Charlie Brown – he couldn’t play baseball but he could talk a good game.

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Day 1- and some info on units

My celebrations last night were quite modest. A couple of glasses of Bulgarian Syrah (2019) from the Thracian Valley region with an ABV of 14%, followed by a little Sauvignon Blanc (2023) with an ABV of 12.5%. At some point there were a couple of fireworks that did not quite deliver – they briefly fizzed and popped and then fizzled out. No competition for the beautiful clear night sky and its array of stars that formed the backdrop to this display. Appropriately, I wedged the fireworks into a couple of empty beer cans. Poetic, almost.

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In the Beginning…

Dry January was started by Alcohol Change UK in 2013. The thinking behind it was to encourage people to examine their alcohol drinking, especially after a period of traditional celebrations where alcohol often features quite prominently. It fits in nicely with making New Year resolutions that involve a degree of self-improvement – whether this be about food choices, being more active, learning new skills, giving up smoking, or any of another hundred ways we could all be “better people”.

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