Blogger speaking

The month is already flying by. One more week and we can drink again. Just kidding, of course, I'm even considering participating in KortDroog for February, just like last year. A short month, so it won't cause me any problems. I do have the necessary appointments in that month, but then I am the BOB, so drinking is not an issue anyway.

Not drinking is therefore not a challenge for me, but drinking less is another story. The same story really as with all my attempts to quit smoking. I have had a love-hate relationship with smoking for 40 years. Quitting was easy for me, but staying stopped was always the challenge. Usually I lasted quite a long time, sometimes even more than a year. Yet every time there was that moment when I lit another one. Then it was more or less under control for a week or two and then I was back to war strength. So there was the trick of not lighting that one up. It's been more than ten years now and I'm very happy with that.

But unlike smoking, I don't feel the need to quit alcohol. I love my specialty beers and single malt whiskey too much for that. And really, everything that is mentioned as an alternative does not make me happy. Bubble water with lemon juice remains the best alternative for now.

I also experience too few benefits of not drinking alcohol. I said in a previous blog that I felt more alert and sharper and slept better, but there is not much left of that at the moment. Right now I'm home sick with a nasty flu, when I should feel healthier. I normally take a lemon rum grog before bed. An effective home remedy that always gave a lot of relief, but which unfortunately has to do without the rum for a while. Makes it less.

The continuation of this period therefore keeps me quite busy. Renewing for a month is no problem and I will probably do that too. But there will come a time when I think it's been enough and I pour myself something nice again. And then it would be nice if I could control it better. It's about self-discipline and making agreements with myself about what I'm going to allow myself. Maybe just put on paper what I think should be possible, I will in any case skip the advice of the nutrition center. It has to be a bit of fun. And otherwise there will be another IkPas next year that I can register for to catch up with the lesson.