This not drinking thing…

 

For anyone wondering what a short period of not drinking is like here’s my short story…

Waking up not hungover for a second Saturday in a row has its merits. We are on day 14* of 2017 and we’ve only drunk once, on the 4th.  I’d like to say that we had a civilised glass over dinner and that was it, but of course we drank two bottles and were cranky the next day.

So what does ten days sober look like for this Crazy Cat Lady? Glad you asked…

• I feel better, both physically and mentally
• My skin looks clearer, less red.  I have Rosacea and not drinking is absolutely helping
• I’ve lost some weight. I’ve been exercising more, but not drinking 3 or 4 bottles a week has to help.
• I’m calmer
• I kind of feel like I used to before I drank a lot – it’s a weird hopefulness or happiness that I can’t explain I like myself better
• At the risk of sharing TMI, I feel sexier
• I’ve got a stack of time on my hands – we painted the house over the break in the time we would have spent drinking
• My hair has stopped falling out (OMG, what the hell is booze doing to me exactly??)

I’ve not had any withdrawal issues that I’ve noticed. I deliberately reduced the amount I drank over Christmas and new year. It helped me deal with the stress of dealing with family and all the attendant fun stuff that comes with the holiday season (Christmas day is a post on its own!), so perhaps that helped.

I’ve read a lot about people replacing wine with deserts etc when first giving up but I’ve not experienced that. It could be (Crazy Cat Boy has been mainlining sweet stuff like there is no tomorrow, so perhaps he is) that I’m not really a sweet tooth, I’m more a salt and fats kind of girl.

I even went to bed sober NYE and it’s been years since I’ve done that.  It used to be in my party days I didn’t drink NYE as I thought waking up hungover to start a new year was a bad idea. What changed is still an unanswered question that I’ll have to look at later on.

So, where to from here? CCB wants a new TV ( we don’t need one, he just “wants” one- boys and gadgets, sigh), so I’ve struck a deal whereby we don’t buy wine for four months so the money saved can go to pay for it.

This means for the next four months at least I’ll not be drinking.  I’ve got some usually heavy drinking work events in February  however a change in management is also changing our culture in that area so I’ll have an “out” so to speak.

My thoughts so far on not drinking are give it a whirl, what’s the worst that happens?  You might feel better and save some cash.  That sounds like a win to me.

 

*In case you think I can’t count, I wrote this Saturday but was too lazy to fire up the PC and post it. Somethings not drinking hasn’t changed!  LOL

Advertisement

The Christmas Insanity Has Begun!

Well, it’s on again for another year, Christmas!  And with that looming large comes the usual round of well meaning family insanity.

Let’s start with the first bit…

Every year Crazy Cat Boys family do a Kris Kingle.  You know, the angst inducing activity where you have to buy a gift for a family member you barely remember and have NO idea what their interests, hobbies or allergies are?  Yeah, that one.  So early in December someone takes it on themselves to send out the list.  Great, I’m buying for a 30 year old woman, I can manage that (Gift cards solve everything).  But wait, two weeks later a “revised” list comes from another family member (clearly she wasn’t happy with who “got” her so she’s shuffling the pack for a better outcome.  I’m now buying for a 60 something woman who I’ve actually met more than once – Score, but to bad if I’d already bought the other gift!

Now the part where my well meaning but with a tenuous grip on logic SIL who’s hosting Christmas lunch special planning skills kick in….

The list of who needs to bring what on the big day arrives.  Now I don’t know about you good internet peeps, but I’d ask the people who are driving from interstate over a couple of days and staying in a hotel to bring something non perishable…. crackers, nuts, dried fruit, chips, lollies, booze, 400 water balloons, whatever.  Nope, in the world where temperature does not exist and logic can be defied, I’m bringing , wait for it….

THE ICE CREAM!

Yep, 900 km in a car is apparently doable*.  Sigh…

Hold on to your hats people, it’s going to be a long few weeks until Boxing Day – Wish me well!

 

* Yes, I know i can buy it there, but really, is it just me or is that poor planning?  I know what will happen as well, they have a very small house with one freezer and I’m tipping no room for ice cream for 29 people.

 

 

Bah Hum Bug

I’m totally not a Christmas person

We’ve just gone through his family’s seasonal “Crazy Cat Lady, you got random cousin Jay in the family draw” saga.  This means I now have to work out which one Jay is again, then spend $50 on a person that I don’t really know, only see every third Christmas, who won’t acknowledge this gift so I’ll never know if the specialised gift that they requested and I paid extra shipping for even arrived!

This process is starting to wear thin. Plus,immediate family are an exception; you are still expected to spend a fortune on them and get random crap* back in return.

I’ve never really been a Christmas person, even when small.  It usually meant being up early and having to be on my best behaviour if Grandma was coming.   The only upside as a kid was that I usually got to see Cousin Wendy and check out her new earrings (she wore make up and made her own funky earrings, she was and is way cool). Cousin Wendy and I would also whip everyone’s arses at pool at Nan and Pa’s which was always fun – It stood us in good stead drinks wise when we started hitting the bars.

Crazy Cat Boy however LOVES Christmas.  He’s an extravagant shopper by nature and loves to be a part of his extended family.  But (why is there always a “but”?)  Christmas is a stark reminder that his family don’t really know him.  It makes me sad to watch the puzzled look creep over his face as he opens yet another well meaning but rarely thought out gift.  Just email me people; I’ll give you some tips, it’s really not that hard!!  I mean, at least I know they don’t care what I get, but he takes it personally.

This year we are on the verge of a Christmas miracle, we are just one missing dog sitter away from it being the two of us in our own home, far away from the inevitable stress that will occur over slightly dry pork and copious amounts of champagne as my BIL & SIL host lunch at their place.

The magic of Christmas might just be restored!

*It’s not their fault; they don’t know me any better than I know them.

I always get a giggle at gifts from SIL.  One year out of every ten she knocks it out of the ball park with an amazing, thoughtful gift that must have taken months to pull together.  The other nine years however, it looks like she ran blindfolded through a service station and just wrapped whatever random stuff she picked up!  LOL