27th December - A Boozeless Xmas



When browsing through my Timehop this morning, I noticed that 2 years ago, and even 1 year ago, I took to Twitter to announce that all gifts I'd received for Christmas followed a certain pattern... Body-wash sets and alcohol. It was reassuring to know that my friends and family thought of me as a smelly alcoholic. Maybe I'm still a stinker, because my table currently consists of a hoard of Xmas presents from the likes of Lynx, Nivea, and L'Oreal gift-sets, to Calvin Klein aftershave. But for the first year in as many as I can remember... Not one bottle of alcohol in sight.




No Jack Daniels. Not a drop of Mount Gay, or even a thimble full of Buffalo Trace. Maker's Mark in a small tumbler? No chance. Camden Pale in the cupboard, or Sierra Nevada in the fridge? Not on your nelly. Perhaps the World is now waking up to my new-found state as a non-boozer. Truth be told, I don't even enjoy alcohol anymore. It makes me feel sluggish, non-productive, and the hangovers deliver nothing but headaches and bowel rumbles. I can probably count, on one hand, the amount of times I managed to achieve anything more than a 'tipsy' state this year.

January's infamous Bottomless Brunch in O'Neills. Our RIU Pool Party in the Caribbean. The pre-drinks of my engagement party in Summer. Arguably, Axwell in Qatar in November. 3 of the 4 times I'd gone past the point of 'merry' were alongside my most long-term friend, Gareth, but the rest of the time I was more than happy to sip on Waters, Ribenas, or through a weird period in Spring where I developed a brief addiction... Coffee. In 2023, I'll be maintaining a similar outlook on life. A few cocktails here or there? Sure, I'm happy to oblige. But the need to get rat-arsed at frequent opportunities? To be honest...




... It's just not something I enjoy, anymore. 

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