Today marks the 1000th day since I last had an alcoholic beverage – that’s 2-years, 8-months and 24-days – and honestly something that I never thought would ever happen as I used to enjoy having a few scoops, with hindsight, probably a bit too much!
Having suffered an ill-health episode back in 2022 and being told that alcohol could exacerbate it and even cause death (gulp!) it was a fairly easy decision to stop… and, after 1000 days, I now don’t miss it at all! So what’s changed?
Whereas I might have once been one of the raucous, squiffy people at the bar, I find situations when I am surrounded by others who have had a few, a little bit uncomfortable…For instance, at a recent party, I don’t mind being around people having a drink, but find the more alcohol consumed, the more noisy a place gets… it’s the noise I find challenging now whereas once, after a few scoops, I would have been in the thick of it! Getting old! 🤣🤣
Funny how things change and now, 1000 days in, I don’t really miss having a drink and certainly do not miss the hangovers or the crushing anxiety (referred to as “hang”xiety!) a night on the sauce might have induced – especially on those occasions you wake to find a few blanks / hours missing from the previous nights events… Yep! I definitely recommend sobriety 😊
Of course, sobriety can be challenging – especially at the start. Alcohol is a drug, it is addictive and many turn to it as a way to soften the harsh realities of this world or life in general… sadly, the nice warm feeling you get from having a drink only masks the reality of life for a short time, when it wears off, the issues we all face are still there… there is no long-term solution to be found at the bottom of the bottle…
It’s only since I stopped drinking that I noticed how many references to alcohol there are everywhere you look. No wonder those with addiction can struggle when drinking alcohol is so widely sociably accepted…
When I stopped drinking 1000 days ago, I was sick enough to have to spend 2-weeks in hospital… I think I was lucky… lucky to have received the treatment I needed from the NHS and more lucky to have this great big wake up call… I knew I could stop drinking, having previously completed the “One Year No Beer” challenge (https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/) and being told that alcohol could cause future problems or even death, was the wake up call I needed to quit for good… I am glad to say, 1000 days on, I do think I am a better, more genuine version of me now. Ok, some might think I am more boring than I used to be, but maybe I just (finally) grew up! 🤣
At the end of the day, as I like this new me and the hubby seems to too (phew!), that’s all that really matters as we are the ones who have to live with me every day 🤣🤣
So, here’s to the next 1000 days and, seeing as Pete finished off my supply of non-alcoholic fruit Ciders yesterday (which he says were out of date!), I shall celebrate with a nice, cold Diet Pepsi later 🤣🤣
I have also been thinking a lot about my Dad this week as Thursday 13th March marked the 2nd anniversary of him passing away… I still cannot believe how much I miss him & think about him most days even though it makes me sad 😢
We have not managed to sell the house yet… We were expecting to have a viewing last Monday, but the couple coming to view had an emergency & cancelled – we’ve not heard anything more from them yet although they told our agent they would re-book… we haven’t had any other viewings requested despite the YOPA “dashboard” indicating that our house is getting over thirty “views” online each day. Guess we just have to be patient 😕
It has also been very cold again this week and whilst I have walked most days, one day was so cold, I couldn’t be bothered to leave the house! I’ve been to see Mum, done a bit of baking and had a rare night to myself when Pete went to the North East RGJ meeting in Sunderland, which I spent binge-watching the Apprentice (I know… sad right?! 🤣)…
Here’s my week in pics…
I was showing Mum some photos on my phone but she was more interested in what the pink things were underneath the picture (my fingers!) 😆
Walking in the Forrest of Bowland, a short, 45-min drive away…
It’s been very cold again this week… But nice clear skies. When we drove to the Forrest of Bowland, we were unable to park in the usual place due to a road being closed and ended up in a place called Tosside on the border between Lancashire & North Yorkshire. The car park there was £1 and there were eggs for sale too – all paid into an honesty box… love that! Oh, and we saw our first frog spawn of the year!
A walk around Fewston Reservoir
Top – Teal; Bottom Left – Oyster Catchers
Yesterday, by the time I got back from my late morning walk, Pete had returned from Sunderland and we spent most of the day watching the (a) the Women’s League Cup and (b) the Men’s Six Nations Rugby, hoping Scotland would beat France! Oh well… next year England!
TTFN x
All the gubbins… 
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