Last Night of Sobriety

At last, the final day of sobriety, temperance, and abstinence - after a month of amazing self-control, self-denial, selfless dedication to the cause. Now is the time to dig deep and show your admiration and appreciation for this incredible achievement, and support the work of Cancer Research UK! To help you take this step, to offer a little encouragement, I have posted another suspect image from my private collection of suspect images of myself.

What else has been taking my attention today? Well, there are my thoughts about "Mobiles in the Mist", which I may feature at some point on my posh blog. Alpha male gorillas show their power and dominance by beating their chests loudly. The urban equivalent seems to be those who speak loudest on their mobile phones. This morning, there was a guy a good few yards behind me who was doing exactly this. Luckily I was able to keep a low profile in the long grass, although I caused a bit of a splash in the water hole and disturbed a herd of gazelles.

On the work front, I managed to wash a few piglets today and put a few things in order. I uncovered a tickler file with "Monday" written on it. Tickler files are a way of ensuring that things get done on the right day, a tip I picked up many years ago from a book on time management. Somewhere I have files for the other days of the working week, and for the following week and month and so on. However, in reality, everything seems to end up in the Monday file, and most of the stuff ends up not getting done. Who wants to be tickled on a Monday?

This marks the end of an era, but please feel free to stop by anytime. I intend to keep the blog going for the whole year, notwithstanding the times I will be out of the country. You will be treated to mundane details about my daily life, occasional insights, a little humour, maybe some photos, and information/links to my other web-based projects - I am, after all, Harry the hyperactive arachnid.

Penultimate Wednesday

One more day to go after this, and it's looking good! A month of abstinence from alcohol, of temperance, has run its course without any slip-ups. Some trying times, some temptation, but nothing too big to handle. I hope to see my sponsorship for Cancer Research UK froth up a bit after tomorrow, like a head on a slowly poured litre of German lager - here is the link for those of you who want to mark this momentous occasion - it will make you feel good for making me feel good for helping in the fight against cancer. And it will be a long time before you have to buy me another drink!  Remember my promise to post an embarrassing picture if I reach at least half of my target. Well, here is another teaser...

Tonight I have been to my second yoga class. As last week, there was pet-shop chaos as I got to grips with dog, cat and pigeon. Tonight we went a stage further with "boat", so I was all at sea. All I need now is the owl.

Teetotal Tuesday

As we approach the end-game, another day of abstinence under my belt and I'm feeling good. This evening was the second session of my photography course, which is proving to be very interesting and helpful. It is only when you start to study that you realise how much you don't know. We will have a practical session on Sunday along the embankment in Bedford, so that is something to look forward to. Bridges, water, maybe some rowers, a weir, possibly ducks and swans - what more could a keen photographer want?

On the work front it has been a fairly unremarkable day, a few little tasks completed but nothing significant. Uninspired and uninspiring. At least the walk between locations offers a bit of respite.

Data Flow Monday

The day started in a lovely way, meeting my friend Debs on the way to the station this morning. From there, it could only be downhill. I have spent most of the working day engrossed in a data flow mapping exercise, trying to get to grips with the spread-sheet which was spread before me like a bizarre picnic blanket. Inputting the data about the data did not take much time in itself, it was all the preparatory stuff that ate up the hours. Some emails to send, printing things off, reading, thinking about it, deciding to do something different first, making a cup of tea, more thinking, another cup of tea, complete a few lines, brain completely bereft of ideas. I think my employers should provide a USB connector for my head and plug me straight into the system. My thoughts could form part of this great data river. No swimming or fishing allowed without a licence from the information governance team.

Despite all this, I remain abstinent from alcohol. To buy me a virtual drink after such a trying day and to raise some money for Cancer Research UK, you can text PSYC99 £x to 70070 free of charge, where x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10. Thank you.

Fourth Sunday in Abstinence



Church on Lundy Island

 The fourth Sunday in Abstinence is traditionally dedicated to hope. We are approaching the end of a month of self-imposed abstinence from alcohol to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, and the prospect of a glass of wine on Friday evening will be enough to carry me through the week.

It has been a fairly easy day, a tedious morning spent completing my tax return and a very enjoyable evening sharing a delicious meal with friends. A glass of wine would have been nice, but there is no way I'm going to fall at the final hurdle, dedicated Dryathlete that I am.

The only sad thing about Sunday evenings is that Monday morning is not far away. The weekend hours seem so precious, but they slip like quicksilver through my fingers. The hours of the working week slither like a slow-worm through the long grass of a hot summer afternoon. In some meetings, it is as though the slow-worm is pulling a heavy weight. Whither hope? Hey Mr Slow Worm, unburden thyself and get a wriggle on!

Blue Skies Return

A lovely walk along the Wellingborough embankment this morning, enjoying the first sunshine and blue skies for a few days. It was a good opportunity to  take a few pictures, some of which I will share with you in this post.

Sign Put out for Derek

I came upon this sign during my walk back from the embankment. It was as though I was being tested. That's personalisation for you.

My abstinence is being strictly enforced, to the extent that I have not been putting wine or brandy in my sauces when cooking. That is the dedication of a true Dryathlete and is surely worth some recognition in the form of a little sponsorship for Cancer Research UK? Or am I just being saucy?

 

Final Friday

The final Friday test for me today, and it so happens to fall on Burns' night! Normally I would mark the occasion with the usual haggis and a wee dram - not forgetting the year I addressed the haggis and with a floursih withdrew a paring knife from my sock! I couldn't face the haggis without the whisky, so it was chicken tonight. Two years living in Edinburgh and I'm an honorary Scot.

I have driven to Dunstable three times this week and I'm beginning to feel tired. I ran one of my CBT mini-workshops this afternoon on the theme of hopelessness. I think I was my usual inspiring self and managed to convey a pervading sense of hopelessness to the participants. My workshops are experiential. We looked at Beck's Hopelessness Scale (BHS) - but in my lexicon BHS was always British Home Stores. Maybe there is a link - abandon hope all ye who shop there! No, that's not really fair - I used to work there.

So, time is running out for you to support my efforts to raise funds for Cancer Research UK as one of their Dryathletes. I am making sacrifices to do this - it may not amount to coping with cravings, but I miss something that is a pleasurable part of my life. If this in itself is not worthy of sponsorship, I hope you will show your appreciation for my daily posts, my wisdom, my wit, my humour, my self-disclosures (and remember the photo I have teased you with and promised to post!) and the educational Alcohol Info Shots that have featured in some posts. The good news is that this blog will continue beyond the end of the month, hopefully until the end of the year, although there may be gaps when I am out of the country (still working on this).  Thank you.

Alcohol Quotes #3
"Strong ale was ablution,
Small beer persecution,
A dram was memento mori,
But a full-flowing bowl
Was the saving his soul,
And port was celestial glory."
[From Epitaph on John Dove, Innkeeper, by Robert Burns, 1759 - 1796]

Penultimate Thursday

One more week of abstinence from alcohol stretches before me like an ice slide, although I am not anticipating any slips. I have metaphorical crampons to help me keep a grip on my alcohol-free lifestyle. These are similar to the crampons that also help me to keep a grip on reality, but some people may think that I should get a refund on them. There are a number of on-line metaphor stores that cater for the metaphorically minded if you want to go down this path, but icy conditions could cause problems.  You might be better off going to the Allegory Gallery, or down-market to the Simile Shop which is as easy as pie, but does not actually sell any pies.


Metaphor I: Life is a bouncy castle



Metaphor II: Life is a river

A slow drive to Dunstable this morning, a couple of cancelled appointments in Bedford, and so the day passed. The usual antics at martial arts this evening, but I did feel a bit more flexible after my yoga class yesterday. I think this will be good for me -  although if I can't remember the differences between cat, dog and pigeon, there could be pet-shop mayhem.

Recurring Dreams

Yesterday's post was concerned with memory, the voluntary recall of events from the past. Today I want to turn my attention to the world of dreams, mostly because of the dreams I had last night. I think the themes of our recurring dreams reflect some of our deeper anxieties and insecurities. The theme of  my dream last night was having to return to my undergraduate studies. The main elements were feeling lost, not knowing where I was supposed to be going, feeling that I am missing out on a whole series of lectures, the sense that I will be asked to do an exam on the topics covered by these lectures, the sense that actually I have already graduated and qualified so it's not really fair that I have to be here at all. I'm not sure what the underlying anxieties are, but I think they are related to the "imposter syndrome" - feeling that I'm not really qualified, that there has been a mistake, that it was all about good luck and it is only a matter of time before I am found out.

An interesting aspect of last night's dream was that it was played out against a soundtrack of "Careful with that axe, Eugene" by Pink Floyd, a track I haven't heard for years. I woke wondering why. And then during my travels today I remembered that yesterday in the car I heard on the radio an item about the dangers of using chainsaws. An intriguing link, I feel, but any meaning escapes me. To borrow from Zen, a psychologist trying to understand his dreams is like a sword trying to cut itself. Apposite.

Oh, I remain abstinent. First yoga class tonight - more details in a future post perhaps. I did cat, dog, warrior and pigeon. Now I have to consult my lecture timetable to find out where I need to be tomorrow - wherever it is, I haven't done the assignment.

Memory Lane or Gin Alley?

So foggy on the way to work this morning, and throughout the day on stretches of the M1. It was minus nine degrees at twenty to nine this morning. One of my intentions for my daily diary throughout January was to reflect on the role of alcohol in my life. A little trip down memory lane, but one has to be aware of the propensity for fog and ice.

Demonstrating Dart Throwing

I remember going to the pub at lunchtimes when I was in the sixth form at school, enjoying a couple of pints of cider and a game of darts. I had the nick-name of Zulu because of the powerfulness of my dart-throwing, but sadly this was not matched by the accuracy. Like many teenagers, I had to progress through the various stages of induction into the mysteries of alcohol. My parents were not drinkers, but I remember my grandfather enjoying a glass of Mackeson at home while playing cards. How much better my A level grades might have been if I had not fallen into bad habits, how different a course my life might have taken! In truth, I echo Edith Piaf - je ne regrette rien.

I think my journey was from sweet cider, to lager and lime, to lager, to bitter (a difficult step that required much practise and persistence) and then to stouts. Somewhere along the way I discovered the screwdriver - in Croydon pubs this was with vodka and neat orange squash rather than orange juice if I remember correctly. In the morning, it more often felt I had been hit with a hammer. In fact, I think my susceptibility to severe hangovers was my saving grace, it tended to put a limit of sorts on my drinking over the years, but it was certainly not an infallible safeguard.

It has not been a struggle to remain abstinent over the past 3 weeks - don't forget the sponsorship for Cancer Research UK and the promise of embarrassing photos! - because there have been other periods in my life when I was drinking at much higher levels, but it feels that I am missing out on one of the pleasures in life. A glass of wine complements my evening meal, it is warm and comforting and lovely on the palette, and  contributes to a sense of communion, in a secular way.

Alcohol Info Shots # 12
Alcohol has in common with other sedatives the ability to induce State Dependent Learning. This is the phenomenon whereby something learnt while under the influence of alcohol will be recalled from emory best when the person is in the same state (i.e. under the influence of alcohol). 

Psycho Trek

As planned, I took the train to work today to avoid the hazards of the road. I wore my lovely walking boots, to keep my feet warm and dry, and to prevent myself from slipping over. Sensible.

Exciting footwear to help me towards a mundane day. A nice juxtaposition. Hardly Tensing approaching the foothills of the Himalayas. Hardly Hillary ascending towards the sky. Hardly Captain Kirk mounting the bridge of the Enterprise. Hardly Hardy mounting....but enough. Your favourite itinerant and errant psychologist was more insipid than intrepid, more coldly going than boldly going,  to eventually arrive at a split infinitive rather than infinity.

Above all, back in the warmth of home, he remains abstinent from alcohol despite all the temptations and good reasons he has to drink this evening. I know you would love to mark this achievement by sponsoring his campaign to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. You know you want to.

It has been a busy day at work...

Third Sunday in Abstinence

It has been a quiet and lazy day, mostly looking out at the gently falling snow, more like white dust than fluffy flakes, but sufficient to cover the ground. I think I will be taking the train to work tomorrow.

No profound thoughts or insights occur to me this evening, the day has been a gentle wave that has washed over me. Abstinence has been maintained, helped by my adjustable wrench which has wrenched me away from temptation. The Third Sunday in Abstinence is traditionally set aside for contemplation on temptation. I will try to find a suitable picture for you to contemplate in place of my usual words of wit and wisdom....

Extra Mature Saturday

Two reportable moments in the supermarket this morning, a lot less crowded than usual because of the weather. Firstly, a little re-enactment of my encounter with the metal post last Sunday, as I hit a plastic warning cone head-on with my trolley. To clarify any ambiguity about the grammar of the last sentence that may lead to a misunderstanding of its meaning, the cone was not warning about plastic. In fact, I'm not sure what it was warning about because I did not see it until I had already hit it. I do think they should think twice about warnings because the process can become very reflexive and sometimes philosophically confusing (such as the motorway signs that say "This sign is not in use"). If you are mildly interested in similar observations on the quirkiness of daily life, you could do worse than visit my other blog. In truth, you could probably do better too.

Oh, despite my mild supermarket distress and embarrassment, I remain abstinent - even successful and dedicated Dryathletes have to shop. To tempt you further towards making a little contribution towards my fund-raising efforts for Cancer Research UK, here is a half-cut picture of me half-cut.

You know what you have to do to see more. OR...I could turn it around and post the whole picture UNLESS I see some more sponsorship money coming in! Now, how's that for a double-bind with an ontological twist?!

The second reportable moment came when I thought I saw a description of myself at the DELicatessen counter:

"Punchy, intense, complex, full bodied and powerful"

Sadly, it was a description of extra mature cheese. I had a little sulk and set off in search of a wedge of puerile cheese.

No Snowballs...

...or glasses of wine, sips of beer, shots of vodka for this dedicated Dryathlete, chalking up another day of abstinence in an attempt to raise funds for Cancer Research UK! You know the score - you can text PSYC99 £2 to 70070 to buy me a virtual drink on this cold night (and no network charges!) or show your support on my Just Giving page.

It was certainly a relief to get home safely this afternoon after a long slow drive back from Bedford, as I'm sure it must have been for many people today. And not noly those returning to Kettering from Bedford - I meant more generally. While a glass of wine would have been immensely enjoyable, a fitting end to the working week, a lovely hot cup of tea comes close to hitting the spot on a night like this.

The Road to Kettering

Dear followers, keep warm and sleep well.

Tang Soo Do Thursday

My life is like a precision time-piece ticking away the seconds one by one through the minutes and hours of  the well-ordered days. Regular followers of my little blog, if indeed such persons exist, will now know that Thursday evenings see me struggling with training in the traditional Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do, Derek-style, a battle between dyspraxia and gracefulness, where the former wins.

However, another day of abstinence has been achieved. So, even if you are not moved by my martial arts moves, maybe you could bring yourself to sponsor my Dryathlon venture in aid of Cancer Research UK? A glass of wine would be lovely right now, but I am denying myself this pleasure.

Woozle-free Wednesday

How lovely to see the snowy fields and the delicate lace-adorned trees coyly trying to hide in the morning mist on my very careful drive to work today. This is in contrast to the foggy conditions heading home on the M1 early this evening. All in a day's work for your favourite itinerant and errant psychologist in his hired psychomobile, less adorned with favours flying from the wing mirrors but still so earnest in his quest to banish negative thinking, the thinking person's cogknightive therapist rides again.  He has had to test a few of his little tricks on himself this week, so he knows they work. PsychoDynamo - the human generator for a generation. {Note to self - work on this a bit}.

I was tempted to stop and take some photographs, but I was running a bit late and I did not want to risk pulling in somewhere and hitting one of those cleverly disguised and cunning metal posts again. So here is one I took earlier....

Snowy Tree from Another Day and Place

Alcohol Info Shots # 11

Awash, boiled, fried, lathered, illuminated, pie-eyed, scrooched, stinko, squiffy and woozled are all terms used by P. G. Wodehouse to describe the state of inebriation.

Cars and Focal Planes

At the risk of being boring, another day of abstinence from alcohol.

I picked up my hire car this morning and they had given me an upgrade to a brand new (6 miles on the clock) Vauxhall Insignia. Push button hand-brake - which took some getting used to - and automatic lights. One nervous driver at first, travellling from Wellingborough to Biggleswade, but now feel at home in it.

That's the car bit.

I began a 6-week evening class  in digital photography today. It is something I have been looking forward to, so I can fill the gaps in my basic knowledge and explore new techniques as I get deeper into my new hobby.

Wine with a View

That's the focal planes bit.

A day of bits.

And so to sleep....

Just One Day

This has been a day of doing very little, apart from trying to sort out stuff arising from my little incident yesterday with the metal post. The garage was unable to collect the car because it had received so many requests over the weekend, so they will come tomorrow. The car hire company called me first thing to say that the car I had booked and confirmed on the internet was in fact not available, and advised me to try elsewhere. How helpful. In the end, I had to take an impromptu annual leave day and spent most of it watching strange TV quizzes I had never hard of, such as "Perfection" and "Tipping Point". I did  not sleep too well last night (hence quote below) and so got up to catch up with "Casualty" at 2.00 a.m. However, I remain abstinent, great Dryathlete that I am!

Surely there can be no doubts about my determination to succeed in this adventure, so why not risk making a donation now?! Remember, once I reach 50% of my target I will post a drunken picture of myself.

Alcohol Info Shots #10
Dom Perignon is famous for inventing the Champagne cork.

Alcohol Quotes # 2
"Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayers, tranquillisers or a bottle of Jack Daniel's" [Frank Sinatra]

Second Sunday of Abstinence



St Giles, Wadenhoe

So, the second Sunday has arrived and thus far it is looking good. Need to get that sponsorship coming in though, so perhaps today's tale will help.

I have been put seriously to the test today. What started out as a late afternoon jaunt to a nearby country park for a bit of low-light photography - sun setting over the reservoir - followed by a trip to the gym (for the first time in months, so it would have been a significant event) - turned into an expensive and embarrassing encounter between my car and a metal post. Quick retreat home, shaken, in need of a drink, but otherwise unharmed. How lovely it would have been to
have had a shot of vodka, and/or a warming glass of red wine?! But no,dedicated DryAthlete that I am, I turned to a cup of tea and some emergency chocolate. Well done me. To buy me a virtual drink and support Cancer Research UK, just text PSYC99 £2 to 70070 - no network charges either!

Alcohol Info Shots # 9
The corkscrew was first patented in 1795.

And a new occasional feature...

Alcohol Quotes # 1
"During one of my treks through Afghanistan, we lost our corkscrew. We were compelled to live on food and water for several days". [W. C. Fields, 1880 - 1946]

Second Saturday

So, here we are at the second Saturday sans alcohol, and all is well. A day spent in the usual Saturday activities of shopping and general household duties, including new tracksuit bottoms for Yoga classes I hope to start next week - or the week after at a stretch!

Oh dear, I don't think they're called tracksuits anymore. In one shop they came under "Active Wear", although I'm not sure how much activity they are actually witness to in a lot of cases.

I flushed out the bird bath on a whim this afternoon. I did not wear my active wear for this simple task. Must remember to train our garden friends to clean the bath themselves in future.

The weather is starting to get colder...

Alcohol Info Shots # 8
In the seventeenth century, brandy was used instead of mercury in thermometers.

Foggy Friday

The advantages of being a dedicated DryAthlete become more apparent as the number of days of abstinence begin to mount. This morning the fogginess was in the air rather than in my head. I drove out of town on the Northampton road, glimpsing the vineyards of Kettering stretching towards the lower foothills and invisibility.

An unremarkable day in the office, mostly because I never actually visited my own office today. I am an itinerant psychologist, an errant knight in the world of mental health, favours trailing from the wing mirrors of my psychomobile as I slay dragons and banish negative thoughts. I am a cogknightive behavioural therapist.

Friday evening is a psychological hurdle when it comes to resisting the lure of the grape, but one that I am able to clear successfully.

Alcohol Info Shots # 7
There is a distinction between British wine and English wine. The former is made from imported grapes, while the latter is made from grapes grown in England (but not Kettering).

Misty Morning

Early morning mist clings half-heartedly to the fields, and through this thin curtain I see the slowly turning blades of the wind turbines. It is harvest time on the wind farm and the venticultural workers scurry to and fro with their baskets of balloons. It is not quite "Gorillas in the Mist", but it is Burton Latimer.

Other than this, it has been a fairly normal sort of day. Washed a few piglets, saw some clients and struggled again with martial arts. And (di)still no alcohol.

Alcohol Info Shots #6
The Manhattan cocktail (whisky and dry Vermouth) was invented by Winston Churchill's mother.

Sponsorship is not taking off in a big way yet, so as an incentive I will post an embarrassing picture of myself in pre-abstinence days once I reach 50% of my £200 target. You have been warned.

By the Light of the Moon

A moment of jamais vu as I drove to work in the dark this morning along the Burton Latimer by-pass. A crescent moon suspended by celestial silk above a mountain range which does not exist led to a feeling of dislocation, like travelling through a foreign land. It was a trick of the darkness, conspiring with the clouds to create a landscape of geographical magnificence, rather than the open fields of Northamptonshire which normally unfold before me.

With this in mind...

Alcohol Info Shots #5
Moonshine is known as poteen in Ireland and samogon in Russia.


If you are impressed by this segue, you are not alone - it took me by surprise too.
Why not show your appreciation by supporting such a thoughtful DryAthlete?

Teetotal Tuesday

I like a bit of alliteration, but it is not a problem. I can take it or leave it. Not only is it teetotal Tuesday, but thus far every day this year has been one of sustained abstinence from alcohol - and all for such a good cause. I make no apologies for reminding regular followers of my blog that I am trying to raise money for Cancer Research UK in their sponsored Dryathlon.

However, I try to keep this entertaining and educational. I have built my blog on the Reithian principles underlying the BBC, although this fine institution has lost some of its shine in recent weeks. My blog will not become tarnished - it will be a beacon, a flame, a testimony to the human spirit. At least 365 posts ranging from the mundane to the slightly interesting, from the absurd to the slightly less absurd - a breadth and depth other writers can only dream of! Oh how you will welcome New Year's Eve if you stay the course.

I observed two things today.

• A lot of seagulls swooping low over the River Great Ouse in Bedford. I imagine they came up on the morning train from Brighton, a bit of a day out, a chance to do some inland shopping.

Seagull Waiting for Train to Bedford

• A sign on a door which said "For the memory clinic, please ring the bell". If it rang a bell for me, then I probably wouldn't need the memory clinic.

Alcohol Info Shots #4

Staropramen is Czech for "Old Spring".

Just the ticket to give you a bit of bounce.

Mundane Monday

The title says it all. An unexciting and uninspiring day at the office, with the bonus of a trip to Luton. The good news is that I made a bit of progress with feeding the beast which is the work-based Daily Diary data devouring machine. The backlog of data is slowly shrinking, probably in direct proportion to the rate my interest is also shrinking. I think data improves with age, like a good wine - [Don't mention the wine! Remember, we are dealing with a dedicated Dryathlete here, have some consideration] - or cheese. My advice is to put it in a corner away from direct sunlight and cover it with a miscellany of old newspapers and corporate propaganda. When anyone asks for it, feign confusion and befuddlement, muttering something along the lines of "I'm sure I saw it the other day".

Alcohol Info Shots #3
It is widely believed that the shape of Champagne glasses was taken from moulds of Marie Antionette's breasts.

This gave rise to her most infamous and often misquoted quote -  "Let them eat cup cakes".

If you are even mildly amused or edified by the above, why not support Del's valiant adventures in abstinence?

Fourth Test - A Bit Cheesy

So, Christmas is officially over for another eight months, until mince pies and tinsel are lining the shelves of our local supermarkets again. I took a saw to the tree this morning, a post-Christmas lumberjack in checked shirt standing manfully on the patio. I rewarded myself with a stray chocolate decoration that had fallen to the ground, its wrapper slightly damaged, but not contaminated enough for it to go in the bin. Sunday is chocolate day - I just made up this rule, because until today chocolate was on my banned foods list. We have to be reasonable.

The real test came this evening when I had prepared a lovely platter of crackers and cheese. How lovely to have a glass of red wine with the cheese. But it was not to be - I am a Dryathlete with supreme reserves of restraint, a saw and a cheeseboard.


Alcohol Info Shots #2
It takes about 600 grapes to make a standard 75cl bottle of wine.

Think how lucky you are not to be a grape counter in the great vineyards of the world and rejoice by supporting Cancer Research UK!

Saturday Night Normothermia

Another quiet night in, keeping myself busy with various web-based activities, hyperactive spider that I am. The screenplay for my proposed film about a Saturday night at home was not enthusiastically received by the studio. I imagined Alan Bennett taking the lead, supported by a surgical sock and Meg Ryan as the love interest. The soundtrack would have such abstinence-themed classics as "Lemonade Supernova", "Cigarettes and Juice", "Milk in the Jar" and "(No need to) Show Me the Way Home".

I am not affected at all by not drinking....

Good news for anyone not sure about how to support this exciting venture - you can donate by text with your  UK mobile for FREE anytime you feel the need to buy me a drink.

Text  PSYC99 £x  to 70070 - where "x" is the number of pounds (1, 2, 3, 5 or 10).

Just think, every time you are overcome by generosity, Cancer Research UK will benefit.

New feature....

Alcohol Info Shots - #1
Methyphobia is a morbid fear of alcohol.
Oenophobia is a morbid fear of wine.

So, cast aside those fears and support one thirsty Dryathlete. The link again -
http://www.justgiving.com/dryathlete-derek-lee

Third Test - Friday Evening

Ah, the end of the week has arrived, and how lovely it would be to have a glass of wine (or two, being Friday) ! But no, I am a Dryathlete, I have a wristband to prove it -  arrived in the post yesterday, together with three beer mats.

It has been a fairly uneventful day at work, so I can't claim to be too stressed at present. Dealt with a few innocuous emails, saw 2 out of 4 clients, made a couple of phone calls, had a bit of thinking time, caught up with some notes, avoided catching up with the work-based beast of a daily diary, chatted to some colleagues, and so the day flowed by....

...unlike the wine, which has not flowed. Tonight I am drunk on smugness rouge.

No Test Today

Not a bad day at work today. A drive to Dunstable first thing, then back to Bedford. Had a 60% hit rate with clients - 3 out of 5 turned up for their appointments.

Thursdays are often alcohol-free for me because I have a late and smaller evening meal than usual due to my martial arts training. I do not want to undo the small gains I have made during the course of the two-hour class. My awkward moves are probably as painful to watch as they are for me to perform. It is a long personal journey.

I feel tired now and not particularly creative. To compensate for your taking the time to view this post, I was going to add a photo but the uploading function seems not be a function at present.

Second Test - End of the Working Day

This is the first working day of the year and under normal circumstances I would be enjoying a glass of wine with my evening meal. It was not as difficult as I imagined to forego this pleasure. In fact, I felt a degree of quiet satisfaction as I enjoyed my sausages, beans and rice sans vin.

This was the same satisfaction I felt at being one of the few people who was at work between Christmas and New Year. Those few days represent a little oasis, a little hiatus  in the fabric of time, when the phone is quiet and only the occasional innocuous email flutters into my inbox like a feather falling from a bird (unlike the usual emails which are more redolent of something a lot less pleasant falling from a bird), enough to tickle my nose without provoking paroxysmal sneezing. I used the time to catch up with correspondence, to scavenge in empty offices for stationery treasures - I found a small set of metal drawers which will be ideal to keep some of my papers in order (e.g., dysfunctional thought diaries, formulation diagrams, blank supervision forms, CBT paraphernalia, and..er...many other things to fill the remaining 11 or so drawers) - and to make some inroads into the backlog of data I need to input to the "Daily Diaries" - a wholly different beast from the pleasurable diary I'm writing now!

Scavenged Treasures

The empty offices? The building is a modern day equivalent of the "Marie Celeste". The team I used to work with have vacated the three-storey (plus basement) town house for pastures new. I now share with a guy who just pops in at the start of the day, and the cleaner who comes in at 4pm. It is peaceful but strange. At some point there will be a mass clear-out, hence my scavenging. It is in my genes - a little dabbling in genealogy showed  there were "scavengers" in the Cockney side of the family around 3 generations ago. It is good to carry on the family tradition.

First Test - A Pub Lunch

After fighting off the fanciful urge for an alcoholic breakfast this morning, my first real test came at lunchtime in a pub a few miles from home. It was a lovely drive through the Northants countryside, big dramatic skies threatening rain but the sun prevailed, glimpses of sheep, a tractor still and silent in a field.

A lovely array of real ales greeted me, the pump handles seeming to be extra sleek and shiny at this testing time, subliminally chanting "try me, try me". I had a cup of tea. Oh whither the erstwhile rock and roll lifestyle? It has come to this, a cup of tea and a baked potato.

This interlude was not without its own delights, leaving aside the rather loud conversation between two women which included worthy advice on dietary and hygienic matters. I wish I had my notebook at the time so I could have captured such gems as the observation that it is as bad to eat too much as it is to eat too little, and that showers can be an acceptable alternative to baths.

My attention was drawn to a gentleman sitting close to the open fire, a privileged position, who carefully placed a pair of glasses on top of the glasses he was already wearing. It is so important to be properly focused on your French onion soup.

A Dry Month Begins



The Last Glass of Wine



Happy New Year !!

A challenging start to 2013 - I have signed up for "Dryathlon"(TM) to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The challenge is to abstain from alcohol for the whole of January, starting from 09.00 hrs. I was partly tempted to start the day with a Bucks Fizz, but I can still feel the lingering effects of the wine from last night, my last sip being around 00.40. If anyone wishes to sponsor my brave attempts, here is the link - http://www.justgiving.com/dryathlete-derek-lee 



I hope to record my progress on a daily basis in this blog and to reflect on the role of alcohol in my life over the years. The main purpose of the exercise is self-interest, to try to get my weight back under control, and removing alcohol will help in this endeavour. I usually have a glass or two of red wine with my evening meal but "rarely" drink to the point of feeling inebriated. So it will be about changing my habits, and in particular finding alternative strategies to unwind after a busy day at work. It is important to ritualise the end of the working day and to mark the weekends, and I will need to find other ways of achieving this. If I can raise money for a good cause in the process, then this adds an extra incentive and everyone wins.

Example of a Photograph

I intend to write daily for the whole of 2013 as far as possible - on the mundane aspects of life in the slow lane, on existential matters, on whatever occurs to me at the time. And if nothing occurs to me? White space to contemplate. Or a photograph.