When I was in my twenties I tried very hard to drink wine
but it always made me sick which was a shame because it’s such a sociable thing
to do. When I met Mr A he declared that it was because I’d only ever tried
cheap plonk. Being a bit of a wine connoisseur (a posh way of saying he liked an
occasional glass) he lavished upon me the most expensive of wines. Still I was
sick. So I’m making an admission to you all now. I’m standing up as I type this
and I’m saying loudly and seriously,
“My name is Rosalind Adam and I am a teetotaler.”
There I’ve said it. I can hear you all gasping and yes it does
mean that:
- I’m always the designated driver home.
- I never ‘get’ the jokes that are bandied about in the latter part of a sociable evening.
- And there are only so many glasses of juice that any one person can drink in an evening.
But:
- I never get a thick head the morning after.
- And Mr A hardly drinks at all now which is just as well in view of his kidney problems following his stem cell transplant. Had I been fond of a glass or two we could well be downing a bottle a night by now.
Last night, surrounded by my friends, I toasted the New Year
with a glass of lemonade while they sipped at Champagne. We had a lovely
evening and I drove home afterwards. Today I shared a delicious lunch with
friends and washed it down with their infamous and highly non-alcoholic ‘red
juice’. We had a lovely day and I drove home afterwards.
I don’t need alcohol to have a good time and I’m now raising
a cup of tea in a toast to the New Year. May the rest of it be every bit as
good as the first 24 hours have been.
Cheers!!!
My daughter and I usually toast the new year with a glass of sparkling grape juice, but I forgot to buy it this year =(. Oh well, we ushered in the new year with good music and good company. It's all good.
ReplyDeleteI did have a glass of wine last night - but it was my first in about six months. And I can only drink Moscato - which doesn't even taste like wine. It tastes like sugar water lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of alcohol, but mine is probably for different reasons. I never want to drink, I have just as much fun without it.
It's nice to know other people feel the same :D
Happy New Year!
I'm not a teetotaler, but I celebrate your choice. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a glass of wine for about 6 wks and just a few over Christmas and New Year it must be an age thing. You're not missing anything especially the hangover.
ReplyDeleteI'm always the DD too - always have been. I know exactly what you mean about those jokes later on in the evening!! :)
ReplyDeleteGosh I wish we lived closer Ros, you could be my designated driver!I did toast the New Year in with champagne...but also had a cranberry presse too adn lots of water.
ReplyDeleteI knew you didn't like wine, but disn't realise you didn't drink at all.So you won't be wanting any of my raspberry gin then?
Wonderful! And how ironic that I'm reading your post with a glass of red wine beside me. I'm not much of a drinker -- cannot stand beer! -- but I live in wine country, so it seems a crime not to partake occasionally. I've developed a taste for wine now that I didn't have before. :) But good for you. My parents are both teetotallers and I'm all for it!
ReplyDeleteHi Ros .. good thoughts - and I need to join you on your road .. have done it before and need to do it again ..
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year ahead for us all - cheers Hilary
Hi Ruth, you can’t beat good company can you.
ReplyDeleteHi KT, I’ve never heard of Moscato. Most wine smells like vinegar to me. Maybe that one would smell better but I won’t be tempted to try it.
Hi Patry, and cheers!
Hi Anne, for me it’s been a lifelong problem and I agree that I certainly don’t miss a hangover (not that I’ve ever had one!)
Hi Jemi, and they think they’re being so funny too!
Hi Bridget, if you felt like getting legless in town you could always stay over with us but all that drinking is not good for your kidneys you know, my dear! *wags finger in a matronly way*
Hi Pam, I was once spectacularly ill on vodka so I daren’t ever try that again either!
Hi Amy and Hilary, they do say that a small amount of red wine is supposed to be good for you, especially if you’re stressed. My reason is that it makes me ill.
Hi Ros .. when my mother ran an early entry retirement home/old people's home .. we were friends with a couple of elderlies .. one who liked a drink and one who had never had one .. we used to play bridge with them.
ReplyDeleteMargaret was told by her doctor to have a glass of red wine as a restorative ... she was horrified - but we did get wine when we played bridge .. the only snag was making sure we washed the glasses before we poured ourselves a glass!
Cheers .. so it's true - if it made me ill I definitely wouldn't want any .. I should count your blessings! HNY - Hilary
Happy New Year Rosalind.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a wine fan, they all have that - screw your face up - feel about them. It is only this past year that a friend introduced me to White Zinfandel. A white wine that is pale pink. It doesn't have that screw your face up feel and it doesn't taste all strong and winey. A lovely drink to have in a wine glass when all friends seem to have them. Also if I stick to only a few glasses and drink lots of water, I wake up relatively hangover free. Though the late night make me feel shattered.
I don't blame you for standing up and saying this. Too much emphasis is held on alcohol for the ability to have a good night. When I was younger I went teetotal for about a year. I enjoyed myself and didn't see the point of drinking for the sake of it. Now I choose to have a couple of glasses to be sociable and it actually tastes quite nice, but I don't need to drink gallons of the stuff.
Have a great 2012 drinking or not.
I don't have an aversion to alcohol, but do have a very low tolerance for it, and no desire to drink enough of it to get fuzzy-headed or sick. Not my idea of "fun."
ReplyDeleteCheers Ros, and I'm wishing 2012 brings you only tears of joy. Big hugs xx
ReplyDeleteIn my late teens and early twenties, I drank far more than was good for me. Not because I wanted to, but because I liked the person I became after a few glasses. When the glasses turned into bottles, I knew it might become a problem so I stopped. Now I joke about drinking but apart from a glass of wine on a birthday, or a baileys at Christmas, I don't miss it at all. Of course, it probably helps that I never go out anywhere :-)
ReplyDeleteI am happy to say I am just like you, Rosalind! And we toasted the New Year with sparkling cider :) Happy New Year to you and best wishes for all good things in 2012! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat simple post Rosalind... and it would be great if more people spoke of the benefits of not drinking.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I love wine... (not quite I am Barbara and I am an alcholic but I do love my wine)... and only last night myself and himself was having an honest discussion about how even in the face of recession and v reduced circumstances we have generally always had wine in the house! We need a major rethink!
Hows that for honesty... see what you did.....
x
Happy New Year! I think that's great! I can be just as silly without wine and then I can remember what I did the next day!
ReplyDeleteWhen we were on vacation I ordered non-alcoholic pina coladas and chocolate drinks. Though I don't miss alcohol, I would have a really tough time giving up sugar, especially chocolate. Moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle, and it seems like you are following that path Rosalind! Julie
ReplyDeleteGood on you Rosalind. Alcohol has done more damage in this world, caused more broken families, and triggered more violence than anything else. I stand with you - for a clean life and body!
ReplyDeleteI know that I could never be a big drinker but like a glass of wine or lager in moderation but there is an odd tendency for women of a certain age particularly to joke about turning to wine or gin and tonic whenever they are stressed. I am sure ...well I hope it is not as bad as it sounds...!
ReplyDeleteI like Japanese plum wine and some desert wines. I agree with Rebecca B that white Zin can be OK. Most whites taste sour to me; reds taste musty. Spouse occasionally has a glass of wine if we're out with friends who order; I'll have a sip or two.
ReplyDeleteSpouse and I do like to share the occasional strawberry daiquiri - with extra strawberries please!
I gave up alcohol last year. What I notice now is that people don't offer me ANYTHING to drink.
ReplyDelete