LESS Alcohol ~ JANUARY 2023 ~ One Day At A Time
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Hello! It’s Amanda, I’m back. It’s a new month and a new year! I’ve been thinking about 2022 and 2023. I’ve got some goals for the year and staying 98% AF is one of them. I love this group, I love this thread, it really works.
1/1-1/7: 7 out of 7 AF
1/8-1/14: 7 out of 7 AF
1/15-1/22: 7 out of 7 AF
1/22: AF
1/23: AF
I spent most of my evening trying to decompress from work. I was too amped up to sleep well, despite my best efforts. My job is stealing my joy. First thing on the list after radiation-job hunt!
Current things to do: meditate and order those stress gummies!
31 day AF streak
0 A out of 24 for the month
1/24: AF7 -
@Sinisterbarbie1 Oh No oh no oh no! What are we going to do with these elderly folks and their brittle bones? I’ve considered making my mom a suit made of bubble wrap….seriously. My mom is 74 and I can’t even list everything she’s broken since age 55. Her most recent was….her kneecap. The dog pulled her over while on her leash. The dog is 12 pounds. Luckily she didn’t need surgery but due to the glorious timing of her fall and pharmacies, she ended up taking my dad’s pain medication too. I am the main caregiver when my parents get sick/injured and I know it’s a lot. You become fiercely protective of them and worry 24/7. It takes its toll. I will be thinking of you and your mom for the best possible outcome from this and the least messy road to get there.
@Stockholm_Andy Yes, this drink is a thing 🤮I live 45 minutes from a bridge to Canada and on the US side is Detroit. In many Detroit and metro Detroit restaurants you can find the Caesar. I went on a girls trip to Canada once and my friend drank about 5 of them, she loves the taste of spicy foods and the celery in it and the rim of the glass was coated in Cayenne pepper. She paid for it later. BM=no. Clam juice=hard no. For me.6 -
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Hugs to those going through rough patches right now. Alcohol related or not.
TODAY I am celebrating the start of my journey on this thread. January 25th 2018 was my first post, RubyRed promptly greeted and welcomed me.
I come here for so many reasons.
It is my home, my neighborhood, my hangout, my therapy session, my comedy club, my pinterest, my shoulder to lean on, my safe place and more.
I keep coming here because I want to, not because I have to. This thread with thousands of posts from all you wonderful people have changed my life. And keeps me in check and accountable.
I ❤ this place and all of you.
Thank you for being here.
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January accountability: 10 days AF
Alcohol: 14 days (37 drinks)
Goal: Limit 2 glasses per day; 20-25 AF days this month. I usually target 12-16 AF days each month which is usually a challenge … hitting 20 days since DH backed out of his dry January commitment is definitely influencing me to join him on weekdays I had not planned when setting the goal. Going for it anyway!
1/24 - 2 wine; Did not join DH in bourbon & coke before dinner. Did not cook drinking wine. Waited until we sat down for our steak night dinner to indulge in the nice red wine.8 -
I see a lot of people mention AF beer but nothing on wine. I am a huge wine lover and I have never found an AF version that is worth drinking. Any recommendations?
I am a wine drinker as well. I agree, most are grape juice in a fancy bottle. I do like the Fre Bubbly. Not AS sweet, but still sweet. I get it at my liquor store for $7.99, but it's $11 in the supermarket. Sheesh. The Prosecco I usually drink is only $10! I don't like to drink AF wines unless I am in a social situation that makes me feel a bit more like "usual" (isn't that terrible to say??). It hardly seems the cost or calories to just drink at home. Like many others, I've gone to bubbly drinks (sparkling waters and seltzers) and seem to be satisfied. I often put my AF drinks in a wine glass
Still AF in January. Work is getting close to tax season fever pitch already, so I come home tired. I usually open up a bottle and take the edge off.. but so far, I have either jumped on the recumbent bike or simply gone up to bed and watch TV.
Happy hump day, everyone... Georgia7 -
@Stockholm_Andy I don’t know if you can get it in Stockholm, but in the US and Canada you can buy premixed tomato & clam juice called “Clamato” it has a slightly briny taste. You can also buy bottled clam juice/clam broth which I use for cooking, It comes in small 100ml bottles and is great for a seafood stock. I don’t have strong feelings about clam v no clam in bloody marys/virgin marys but I made some great ones on New Years Day using a bit of olive brine and lots of horseradish and tobasco for spice. It sort of doesn’t seem to matter anymore once the horseradish goes in!
On NA wines, the only ones I find drinkable are aboutUSD 30-bottle and they are not generally available in grocery stores. You can order them through various on line stores or some liquor stores carry them depending on your local liquor laws. Look for the wine company Leitz which make Einz Zwei Zero, sparkling wines as well as a dry reisling and a pinot noir, Also Wolffer Estates Vineyards makes a sparkling rose called spring in a bottle, and DEL-ish makes a white and a rose sparkling. Surely makes a sauvignon blanc which I thought was pretty sour but others might like. Definitely not sweet. They make a red too I did not try. And Oddbird makes a rose and a blanc de blanc sparkler as well as a couple of still whites based on Alsatian grapes. Finally Proxies makes beverages that are intended as “proxies” for wine but are not wine and don’t pretend to be. They are made from tea and wine grapes and various spices/herbs but come in a wine bottle. Different experience but good with food/snacks. There is not a single NA wine I have found in a grocery that I find drinkable either, unfortunately. And I agree that the spirits are expensive and don’t deliver the same experience either. I often replace them with just a few drops of a bitter instead or a strong ginger beer.
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Hugs to those going through rough patches right now. Alcohol related or not.
TODAY I am celebrating the start of my journey on this thread. January 25th 2018 was my first post, RubyRed promptly greeted and welcomed me.
I come here for so many reasons.
It is my home, my neighborhood, my hangout, my therapy session, my comedy club, my pinterest, my shoulder to lean on, my safe place and more.
I keep coming here because I want to, not because I have to. This thread with thousands of posts from all you wonderful people have changed my life. And keeps me in check and accountable.
I ❤ this place and all of you.
Thank you for being here.
Happy Anniversary! You are an amazing woman- so giving and caring.
I'm so grateful to you for keeping this thread going strong.
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Stockholm_Andy wrote: »
NO!!! Hahaha
Invermere is a stone's throw from me. The Station Pub is right on the lake, really nice scenic spot.
Here are a couple of photos of it:
This is their Caesar
These are their views
The beach hosts a very big curling winter bonspiel February each year on the lake, people come from all over the place. That family restaurant/bar seems to be hopping year round.
Yes, Caesars (Bloody Caesars) and Virgin Ceasars are very popular in Canada. Mott's Clamato juice. It comes in several varieties: extra spicy, habanero, pickled bean, the works etc. They are also available canned in the liquor store pre-mixed.
Virgin Caesars are a nice NA drink, since you can't taste the vodka in the A variety anyway.
Filling and tasty, but not too many calories.
They have them in Idaho and Montana too, likely due to Canadians crossing the border and requesting them.7 -
I am Dawn, I live in SE BC Canada
My ongoing goal remains, 16-20 AF days per month.
Last month I had 18AF days
I do this diary style to keep track, and post the next morning
Friday January 20 - Drinks. I was making them 1/2 - 3/4 shots. Some friends are coming over for Prossecco prior to us going to the Theatre to see a production of Cabaret. They drink much more than I do. I am planning only one glass because I want to have my car when we get out, their husbands will pick them up so they will have lots of wine at the theatre. I probably will have a nightcap when I get home safe and sound. I guess that I had better clean my house a bit.
Saturday January 21 - Drinks - 1 glass of Prosecco in the late afternoon and then water since I was the driver to take us to the production of Cabaret, and offered to drive them home afterwards. It was an outstanding show even though none of us are used to staying up so late. I had 2 drinks when I got home.
Sunday January 22 - AF - Drinks sounded like a lovely idea, but I abstained. My usual for the week planned: one weekday and both days on the weekend.
Monday January 23 - AF - So many great posts! Have a great day everyone.
Tuesday January 24 - 2 drinks, had a nice visit with some friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. Planned AF for Wednesday and Thursday.
Rolling total: 13AF days out of 24 days4 -
Wow so this is what happens when you skip around and not log in for a few days! Everyone has posted but you and then you spend 30 min just trying to catch up on posts....
So not a great 4-6 days with alcohol. Not bad but not great. I know this is weird but since DH is home I am not following my normal routines that got me this far. We tend to go to 'lunch' at the drop of a hat and that involves usually a beer so then the day is really off.
I know it will level out in the next month or so but right now I am just going to have to find some sort of routine that bypasses old behaviors we are trying to change.
Before it was 'our weekend' and I could work that in fine for my drink day. Now it seems drink day is coming way too often and not on a weekend.
Onward and upwards
@MissMay now that I am knee deep in house packing...as opposed to hip deep. Did you find it difficult to downsize your items and get rid of things? did you have a criteria for what you kept and what you tossed? We have been in this house for 27 years
hugs to everyone, your stories and advice are so uplifting6 -
@dawnbgethealthy ...thanks for the photos...that Caesar looks like a complete lunch... veggie salad and a drink!
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About NA wine... I have to be honest I have not tried much but I have read tons of reviews and they're all bad (leading to not trying much). The market there is certainly expanding, though.
I'm in @globalhiker 's camp with a citrus-y soda as a wine replacement. I too find them super satisfying because of their tart edge. I mix citrus juice with zest and sucralose drops (artificial sweetener) in a LaCroix type carbonated water or I mix it with Fresca for sweetness. Unlike @globalhiker, I have no compunction about diet soda whatsoever. I have a couple diet sodas every week, more in summer (probably one a day), so it's not like I'm pounding them all day but all hard evidence I've been able to find suggests they cause no harm whatsoever in moderation.6 -
@lmlmrn ...10 years ago I purchased a second home in Pittsburgh because I was spending so much time visiting my daughters and the only places to stay were on my camping cot in Middle Daughter's laundry room or a hotel. Eventually the decision was made to make that my primary home, so I packed up all my antiques, and measured the Pittsburgh house, including the location of windows and electric outlets. Measured each piece of antique furniture and found it a place [ on paper] in my new home. Anal retentive, much ?? Gathered family, friends, a rental truck and a loading crew at both locations and headed South to do the move.
Pulled up to my beach house, opened the door...and heard a hissing sound...gas leak? No, no gas supply at that house...about a week previous some cretin had broken into my house and disconnected a water pipe. Ankle deep water throughout. Long hysterical weekend followed, involving police, a neighborhood house flipper who offered to buy my ruined house, repacking glass & china still in soggy newspaper into new dry boxes, abandoning treasures destroyed by water, screaming at the aforementioned friends and family for "whatever", and hiring an animal control company to remove one scared black snake from under the house because the flood remediator crew refused to work while it was there.
Eldest Daughter & I sent the rental truck North and sat on the sunny beach eating carryout fried chicken, then headed up to meet the scheduled unloading crew. Of course it was snowing in Pittsburgh. Pessimist me had proactively taken a 12x12 yard sale rug and turned it upside down on my livingroom carpet. Whew.
That entire experience was put in a mental box & locked away. I refuse to open that up and mourn "what was".
Thank goodness that was during one of my non-drinking periods !!
If you have rented a "pod" you can do a second downsizing when you find your new home. Good wishes on your new journey.5 -
IMHO there IS no good AF wine. Tried too many of the "highly recommended" . And wine should not be "sparkling" unless it's champagne. Again, the only opinion I have is my own.
Left my cave [@MissMay] to catch a ride to a Beer Store where I was amazed at the number of different AF brands available now. I wanted 2 cases so I just grabbed some Edge because all else including 00 was in short supply. Won't need beer for a couple months now. Not a beer drinker, one with a meal is enough. The fizzy seems to prevent me from wanting another.
My lonely emergency bottle of Chianti remains in the wine cellar. Keep getting e-mails about monthly wine sales. All that is needed is to make a selection, and click send. Right to the front door. My UPS guy isn't judgey.
Just...no. January has been AF and maybe will just run on thru February...it's a short month, after all.
😬🍷7 -
All this about Bloody Maries and Caesars and Clamato and such has me hankering for a proper michelada - that's a huge thing around here. I had never tried one for the longest time; at first I just saw the domestic swill version in groceries and thought "ick." I eventually decided there must be SOMETHING to it, because they're insanely popular. So I tried one and while it's certainly not for everyone and not something I'd drink all the time, I like them. I tend to make my own with good Bloody Mary mix and Tajin, although there's a million variations on the theme. Some versions have clam juice. That doesn't sound good to me, so I haven't tried it.
So of course the next step in this line of thinking is, is an NA michelada on the menu soon? Could use something like Athetic Brewing's Cerveza Athletica, all in all it probably wouldn't be outlandish in terms of calories.
AF yesterday but I've been struggling with it. I'm smoking more and eating more and working out less and just generally avoiding everything and everyone as much as I can and I know it's not good but that's just where I am right now. I stopped at the grocery and picked up a few things this morning, grabbed some Saint Arnold Hop Spring, similar to Hoppy Refresher - sparkling water hopped with Citra & Amarillo hops. It's okay. I like beer better, even NA beer, but it isn't bad. A little pricey for what it is, IMHO, and not much more appealing than a Topo Chico with fresh sliced lime.
I finally pulled the pics from TN off of the Oly today, some came out good, some came out crap. I was mostly impatient and shooting on the go with hastily selected lenses and settings, but I'm mostly happy with what I see so far.
Bentley is getting gabapentin with the rimadyl now. It comes in 100mg capsules which is a RIDICULOUS dose for a 14lb dog, the first one knocked his *kitten* in the dirt for the entire day. Now I'm opening capsules and dumping most of the contents into a bowl, giving him roughly a quarter dose, and he seems to be doing more or less okay with that. I've got supplies coming to measure and repack capsules so I can get more precise, find him a balance between some relief and not too wasted to do normal dog stuff. The stress of dealing with his issues doesn't help.
Mankini season is coming and I'm still stuck on a plateau about halfway to my goal weight. I need to do better if I want to be ready.
-m5 -
Hello! It’s Amanda, I’m back. It’s a new month and a new year! I’ve been thinking about 2022 and 2023. I’ve got some goals for the year and staying 98% AF is one of them. I love this group, I love this thread, it really works.
1/1-1/7: 7 out of 7 AF
1/8-1/14: 7 out of 7 AF
1/15-1/22: 7 out of 7 AF
1/22: AF
1/23: AF
I spent most of my evening trying to decompress from work. I was too amped up to sleep well, despite my best efforts. My job is stealing my joy. First thing on the list after radiation-job hunt!
Current things to do: meditate and order those stress gummies!
31 day AF streak
0 A out of 24 for the month
1/24: AF
1/25: AF
Too tired to think about having a drink. Too tired to do much of anything!4 -
Couple questions: I have been following mostly this month but started AF mid-month, what will happen for Feb? Will a new thread begin?
I see a lot of people mention AF beer but nothing on wine. I am a huge wine lover and I have never found an AF version that is worth drinking. Any recommendations?
Yes, our fearless leader @MissMay creates a thread for the following month, usually a couple days before the end of this month.
Good NA wine is the unicorn of NA drinks. It does not exist.4 -
Stockholm_Andy wrote: »
Hahahhahahaha! I’d pay good money to see that!2 -
@joans1976 " I was too amped up to sleep well, despite my best efforts. My job is stealing my joy."
Everytime I read this my heart sinks.
I'm not sure how long you have had that particular job, but I think you are in an abusive relationship there.
It may be time to breakup with Bosszilla. There are also legal avenues through your state employment division that you can take. State governments frown upon bosses taking advantage of employees and or the public.
❣6
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