Its official

[FZR1KG]

SciFi Chick and myself have given up alcohol.
No beer, no wine with dinner, no vodka or scotch or brandy.

Alcohol free for a few days now.
Whoohooo!

[SciFi Chick]

Yeah... I haven't had any negative side effects from it. Just positive ones. No more insomnia. No more hot flashes. I actually had to cuddle up to FZ last night to stay warm. And for the first time since we opened the restaurant, I get out of bed without having to hobble. It's awesome!

[Loresinger]

Have you guys decided on a direction for future endeavors? SFC I really think you could do some serious writing.

[SciFi Chick]

Have you guys decided on a direction for future endeavors? SFC I really think you could do some serious writing.

We've decided to be superstitious and keep our endeavors between ourselves for now. The whole restaurant thing... it was weird talking about it while it was happening, so the next move is going to stay under our hats.

[cid]

I still say it's a darn shame that the restaurant didn't work (would have been great to be at the FWIS FWY to sit down and talk and finally get the straight scoop).
All available appendages crossed in your general direction for your future endeavors!!!

[geonuc]

So, just to clear, is it the intention to go off the booze permanently or is this a drying out period?

[SciFi Chick]

So, just to clear, is it the intention to go off the booze permanently or is this a drying out period?

We're definitely going off ever having it regularly again. Not sure how long the drying out period will last, but we both want alcohol to be a treat along the lines of dessert. I rarely eat dessert.

[Loresinger]

SFC no problem with a little superstition. It's one of the reasons that people didn't voice their wishes when they tossed a coin or blew out a candle. They believed that it decreased the power somehow.

Just know you guys have lots of people rooting for success in WHATEVER you do.

It is a shame people didn't stick with the restaurant, but it was also a huge undertaking that could have really burnt you out (actually DID leave you pretty wiped from what you said). So perhaps in the big picture, this will turn in your favor.

[FZR1KG]

So, just to clear, is it the intention to go off the booze permanently or is this a drying out period?

We've just seen one too many cases of alcohol and its effects on people so have decided that the easiest way for it never to happen to us is to stop drinking.
If we can't give it up, then basically we're alcoholics already and need serious help.
If we can we have effectively saved ourselves from any possibility of it interfering with our relationship.
Much like any drug, if you don't use it, you can't become addicted.
So yeah, its gone permanently.
We may have a glass of wine for things like Christmas, family gatherings etc. That is still a "may".
Gone are the days of me drinking a beer while working on the car, after mowing the lawn, the glass with dinner etc.

In effect, we've decided to put priorities in place.
Family first.
Bottle of booze is no where to be found on the list of priorities and if it was, we'd be going to AA.

So there you have it.
We've been clean now for five days and feeling better already.
Not missing it at all, have no cravings, not even a desire for a drink.
Sleeping better, less calories, less sugars, more energy and we save a lot of money because alcohol is expensive.
Its a no brainer decision to make when you're not an alcoholic and want to keep it that way.

[code monkey]

SciFi Chick and myself have given up alcohol.
No beer, no wine with dinner, no vodka or scotch or brandy.

Alcohol free for a few days now.
Whoohooo!

so gin is ok?

[SciFi Chick]

SciFi Chick and myself have given up alcohol.
No beer, no wine with dinner, no vodka or scotch or brandy.

Alcohol free for a few days now.
Whoohooo!

so gin is ok?

We were never in to gin, so we didn't have to give it up.

[brite]

SciFi Chick and myself have given up alcohol.
No beer, no wine with dinner, no vodka or scotch or brandy.

Alcohol free for a few days now.
Whoohooo!

so gin is ok?

Gin is always OK...

[Loresinger]

I don't think I've ever had gin ... except perhaps in a mis-spent youth moment with a roomate who insisted on mixing odd things together.

[cid]

For a number of reasons (not all of which are clear), for some reason about 25 years ago drinking started making me ill.
After knocking off for awhile, I decided to test. I could stay ok if I took about an hour to down a beer, but any more or
any faster than that, I'd turn white as a sheet, start sweating bullets, and my stomach curled up on itself.
Since that time, I'll bet I can count the number of drinks I've had on my fingers and give ya a couple digits' change
(and that includes non-alcoholic beers -- which really weren't that bad)...

Other than that, it's shed a tear, have a diet root beer, and move on down the road.

Sounds like this move has improved your lives More power to you both.

P.S. -- FZ, I have you on tape, somewhat under the affluence of Incohol, up at the FWIS FWY. Just for evidentiary purposes, y'know...

Your friend
Fred

[Rommie]

Hah sorry just saw this. Good for you guys.

It's interesting because I've been trying to cut down on consumption somewhat as well, though that's loosely defined as "don't get drunk more than once or twice a month." Yeah, I might hang out with a student crowd...

No really, it's more I've noticed I very rarely drink on my own and even then it's more "a beer with dinner cause no other liquids in the fridge match what's on my plate"- something about how only alcoholics drink solo, I guess, and yes I should go grocery shopping more often- but definitely embrace the family's European-ness of when I go out to dinner I'll have a glass or two as it's social/ goes with the food. So the classic everything in moderation I guess... my issue more is I have friends who definitely go out to get shitfaced at least once or twice a week even though they're late 20s in age at the youngest, so maybe they're just slow to "grow out of it" but on the other it's not my style cause I never get shit done when I do that.

So I guess I'm saying I *did* import red solo cups to teach the Dutch how to play beer pong some time at a party in the next few months, but I'm only going to do it once. Oh and gin is disgusting.

[brite]

1. You are definitely drinking the WRONG gin.
2. Too true about everything in moderation. Now that the FWIS Fry is over... I probably won't do any "real" drinking for another 6 months...

[Rommie]

Nope, I've had the good stuff cause I have friends who don't believe I can hate gin. I personally also think a G&T is like taking two disgusting things and mixing them together to make a really disgusting thing.

[Hap]

For me, I never got the whole 'drinking to get drunk' thing. The only time I ever did it was the first time I went out to drink when I was finally of legal drinking age. I don't enjoy being drunk, never have, even when I was young. I don't like the loss of self control. I only drink if I enjoy the taste of it, like a really good single malt or something like a vanilla liquor in diet cherry Dr. Pepper. I can honestly say that the only time I have ever been fully shit-faced was that first time. I have over-indulged on occasion, but only to the point of being a little tipsy (2 or three drinks).

[cid]

I can more-or-less remember the period in my life where I stopped drinking for effect and started drinking for taste. Didn't change what I drank, but
hoo boy did the amounts change drastically.

Back in my daze as part of Uncle Sugar's Air Freight, I am firmly of the opinion that I kept the Stroh's Brewery financially solvent singlehandedly...and during
the times when they were selling Stroh's Bock, they showed one hell of a profit...

[SciFi Chick]

For me, I never got the whole 'drinking to get drunk' thing. The only time I ever did it was the first time I went out to drink when I was finally of legal drinking age. I don't enjoy being drunk, never have, even when I was young. I don't like the loss of self control. I only drink if I enjoy the taste of it, like a really good single malt or something like a vanilla liquor in diet cherry Dr. Pepper. I can honestly say that the only time I have ever been fully shit-faced was that first time. I have over-indulged on occasion, but only to the point of being a little tipsy (2 or three drinks).

I mostly was drinking for taste. Problem is, I like the taste too much. I've always struggled with moderation if I really like something. As an example, at the age of 19 I was on a low fat diet. Well, jelly beans are "fat free", so I started eating them. It got to the point at one stage where I was literally eating about a pound in the evenings, and I'd actually wake up the next day with a sugar hangover. *sigh*

So now, I've just gone through the same issue with alcohol. I just love the way vodka tastes, and the burn as it goes down my throat. You think you're just having a little, and then your tolerance builds up, and suddenly, it's a quarter of a bottle or a third of a bottle. You get the picture. If they invented a non-alcoholic vodka that had the taste and feel without the getting tipsy or drunk, I'd be all over that like white on rice.

I've learned that I really enjoy drinking beer - enough so that I'm sampling all the non-alcoholic ones, and some of them are quite tasty!

[Rebis]

My big vice are sweets. Have cut down considerably.

A few years ago I was standing in 9:00 a.m. checkout line with about 4 boxes of stuff. A couple came to stand in line; bottles of liquor.

We sort of looked at each other like, "Really? And this early in the morning?"

I thought, you've got your vice...I've got mine.

But I'm seriously cutting back on carbs.

[Parrothead]

I only prefer gin, during the summer months, just mixed myself a Tanqueray & tonic.

[SciFiFisher]

I only prefer gin, during the summer months, just mixed myself a Tanqueray & tonic.

Don't be surprised if Brite wants you to share.

[brite]

I only prefer gin, during the summer months, just mixed myself a Tanqueray & tonic.

Yes, please!

[Parrothead]

I only prefer gin, during the summer months, just mixed myself a Tanqueray & tonic.

Yes, please!

Here ya go! Mixed in goblets according to the recipe in the Tanqueray commercial, maybe a bit stronger. I hope Canada Dry tonic water is acceptable enough, as mix. If you prefer Scweppes or some other brand, well yours is cyber, so it has the mix of your choice. Enjoy!