Dry
As part of my healthier lifestyle in 2006 (cue mocking laughter from all around) I'm currently not drinking alcohol.

This isn't intended to be a shock move in which I never drink again (far from it), but after recent experiences in which excessive alcohol, or mixing wine (particularly red wine) with anything, lead to me spending several minutes on my knees in front of the porcelain throne, it seemed a challenge worth taking.

Over the last 10 years or so, my relationship with alcohol has been an interesting one. I've always been a social drinker, although throughout my student days probably drank enough to keep several bars in profit alone, and on one occasion landed myself in hospital. However, I'm pleased to say that rather than kick on at that level, my alcohol consumption has dropped over the years (although I still drink like I did when I was 19 when I go out - which hurts a lot more the next day than it used to.)

So here we are, day 18 and I haven't really noticed much of a change. I don't think my skin is any better and I'm hardly leaping out of bed every morning feeling fresh as a daisy. It is true to say that I've lost a little bit of weight, but whether that is a result of this particular bout of abstemious behaviour or simply that I've eaten better since Christmas I don't know.

However, the one new development which became apparent the other night was that I've had my first dream about beer.

My strong memory of the dream is that I wasn't supposed to be drinking, and that the illicit nature of the pint in my hand made it all the more enjoyable.

It's quite odd to think that this is probably the longest period I've gone without alcohol for years, and that I'm now starting to dream about a pint of bitter.
- posted by Paul @ 9:48 am