Days 6 & 7: Weekend #1

Well, we did it. We survived the first Weekend of Sobriety. It was the true test after all, and it marks the first one in a long time.

Friday night was rough; without our usual activities to distract us, we were served a few somewhat crushing realizations (see "Day 5"), but we coped, and we woke up on Saturday morning hangover-free. (I was still battling a cold though and once again I'd have taken hangover over the cold). Full of motivation and electrolytes we attacked the day with vigor reminiscent of our youths, that is to say, not much. We spent the morning/early afternoon (still the same thing to us) investigating future recreational activities, and by 3 pm we found ourselves in a pub. The moment of truth - "Hi guys, can I get you anything to drink to start off with?" "...Yeah...a couple of waters would be great." There it is folks! The first flat out denial of brew! So we did it. From here we can just coast. Temptation? Defeated.

Anyway, after that Splash of our Inner Titans, we triumphantly strode...to the Science Museum. Yep. And then within 5 more minutes we were MEMBERS. Talk about a rapid metamorphosis. (The devil on my shoulder would like to point out however, that it was pretty much the same price to become a member as it was for a one time visit). We also got to see the Dead Sea Scrolls which was...educational. And now we can go back, for free! Afterward, brains aching, we went home and crashed. Apparently our sober-stamina has not been built up yet. That completely wiped us out.

On Sunday morning we woke up once again with regular morning breath rather than beer morning breath, which was refreshing. We headed to a buddy's house to do some spring painting, and then off to a parent's house for burgers &...water. Satisfying way to end the weekend. Sort of.

We're hesitant to get too excited, but we're already experiencing inklings of longer trains of thought and better conversational tracking. Nothing conclusive, but I guess it's only been a week. We'll see how things go this week.

Aside from a few beer-in-your-face moments, our first Sober Weekend went pretty smoothly. Ha! Psychological addiction, schmychological schmaschmiction!

Day 5: Sober Nancy's

Friday was a day of coping.  Coping with the fact that we are probably just as boring with or without alcohol.  We really just do not do that many exciting things overall.  As it turns out, alcohol just leads us to believe that we are always doing really fun things.  Our Friday night was filled largely with postulation.  The conclusion is that we really need to set some goals and start signing up for some things to do or we will just end up being plain, bored, and boring.

Day 4: Adventurous Spirits

Part of growing up is all about having a routine. Our routine involves fun-filled weekends that, in some circles, are filled with too much alcohol. All along I have never thought that consumption of alcohol was a problem, merely a catalyst for fun. In the spirit of becoming truly adventurous and breaking away from the mundane repetition of routine, I see this 30 days of sobriety as an opportunity to break away from the norm and discover some new ways to have fun. I am still skeptical at this point. I know full and well that it is possible to have fun without alcohol being involved at all, but the point is that the high success rate of nights where it is involved are astounding. As of late, I have been increasingly aware of the 'aftermath' or the toll that I pay in the days following the use of our tasty, socially-liberating libations; getting older is lame. My curiosity extends past the adventure that is about to ensue and proceeds the health and mental benefits. Hopefully, we will reach the peak at our prime and gain wisdom that extends far beyond it.

Day 3: Introduction to the Sobriety Binge

THE MYTH: It is possible to have fun without drinking.


THE TEST: 30 Days of sobriety; and not just any sobriety, but total alcoholic abstinence.


Okay, so here is our plan to attack The Myth. We have decided that over the course of the next 30 days we will undertake some activities generally reserved in our minds to be "sober activities." A couple examples are adult enrichment classes, volunteer work, and yoga. We will also engage in our regular "drinking activities" but with a twist; we'll do them sober. Examples of these could be going to the bar, bowling, pretending to talk to women, and Karaoke. We will then proceed to analyze our experiences, and present our results here for you, our skeptical readers (that is either skeptical of the truth of The Myth, like us, or skeptical that people such as ourselves could survive such endeavours).


Let us throw in this caveat: while 30 dry days might be something we haven't done in quite a while (the exact length of time will remain undisclosed), it's not like a week is a big deal. We have no problem chugging through a work-week without a drink. The issues are more A) the weekends, B) FOUR weeks in a row, and to a lesser degree C) stressful or horrible days at work. So don't expect too much excitement out of the first week, since, for all intensive purposes, we will still be our "drinking" selves. It will be at the onset of our first totally dry weekend where things start to get interesting...


Today is officially Day 3 (last beer on 3/21/10), but we plan to end our sobriety binge on 4/23/10.  So starting today, we have 30 days. So my friends, readers, supporters, skeptics, and head-shaking parents:


Welcome to The Great Experiment.

PS - We will try to include a handy "Need-a-Beer-o-Meter" with each post. It has only been three days, but I am sick and let me tell you, I'd rather be hungover.