I have nothing specific to write about today, I suppose I could go on about COVID and Boris, and right now I don’t see the point, I can’t find the enthusiasm.
Even though I don’t seem to be getting too many visitors to
my site, that doesn’t bother me too much, because I just enjoy writing and putting it out there in case anyone is interested. It is my distraction, my enjoyment and my release from the condition that is occasionally there.
So I thought tonight I would just start writing and see what came out, and I am beginning this sitting in my favourite place, my back garden. We spent some weeks making it nicer during April while on lockdown, and even if we say so ourselves, it is nice. It is a relaxing place to sit. Especially when I’m on the swing seat with the sun shining and a cold beer, even at zero per cent alcohol, and it still tastes good. I’ll give Heineken credit where it’s due.
So I’ll start there, alcohol! I drink too much, but still not as much as some people we know, and we enjoy ourselves 
without going out to get drunk, yes that happens occasionally, but it is never intentional. We always try to have a dry Monday – Wednesday to give the bodies a break, and I would have to say most weeks we do it. We have always started the weekend on a Thursday night, even when we both worked, and now that neither of us works on a Friday, the Thursday night drink seems so much better, rarely more than before, just better!
I started drinking again pretty much as soon as I came out of the hospital, and as with the medication, I wonder how things would have been had I stayed off the alcohol for a while, would my life and mind be any different? We’re back to the usual of ‘never knowing,’ but even my cycling friend commented on how surprised he was to see me in the pub so soon after coming out of the hospital, but as I have said all through the story, I thought everything was alright, so I carried on!
The other very relevant fact is that I was never told to stay
away from it, and no pun intended with my problems, not that I can remember anyway, but my wife was never told either. And so we carried on as we did before the bump and that meant our pub and social life.
I was listening to the radio the other day, and the guest who will remain nameless for my fear of getting it wrong said that he had stopped drinking because it was bad for his anxiety. By stopping drinking, his anxiety was reduced, and I have to admit it got me thinking if it had affected me over the last few years, and I can’t help think that it does.
So we have decided to try to have a dry month. We are going to try August; I say that because the 1st & 2nd of August is a big weekend for us with family visiting, and it is pointless trying to stop drinking when you won’t want to, so we will give it a go and see what happens after that. I’m not promising, I’m not saying it will happen, that is why I am using words like ‘try’ and ‘see what happens.’ Because that is how I am, and I know that if I want a beer, I’ll have one, but then I want to do a dry month too and so I will see who wins ‘dry v wet.’
I have mentioned the alcohol-free lager I drink, and to me, it tastes fine, and there is the psychological side of things so I’ll make sure the fridge is well stocked up and we will try, and I suppose it is a case of watch this space and I will be honest with you!
I don’t like Mondays either, I would love to retire, work to me is an evil necessity, but I like my lifestyle, and I couldn’t do that if I retired, not yet anyway. I am one of these people who have an uneasy feeling in my stomach just because it’s Monday, and generally, I’m fine at night, and tonight I am fine. I’m sitting in my favourite place, the sun is shining, it’s warm, and all is good in life.