A quarter of the way there

Life has reached a certain equilibrium. I still fancy a drink now and then. I wonder if that ever fades. When you read Russell Brand on the easy availability of heroin, and how simple he finds it to score wherever he is in the world, I think "really?"

What I'm spending the money I've saved from not drinking on

I'm not sure I would be able to get hold of heroin that easily. But alcohol is different - it is available everywhere, including my fridge. A moment of weakness is that much easier to act on than other drugs, which must make it tough for alcoholics. With illegal drugs, you can attempt to push yourself into an environment where those drugs are no longer present, or at least, in your face. That's tricky with booze.

My family and work responsibilities are such that the opportunities to drink a few pints don't come up very often, and haven't done for two or three years. That's not to say I haven't grasped those opportunities with both hands, but in the last year or so it would be less than once a week.

Since starting this project I've been out and around alcohol two or three times, and on each occasion I was rather grateful not to be drinking. I don't know why.

The occasion to be slightly tipsy comes around much more regularly, but it is so time-consuming, expensive (calorifically as well as financially), impractical (I am entering the Dad's Taxi phase of parenthood) and ultimately not that exciting, it's been easy to pass the opportunity up.

That's not to say I think I could give up alcohol permanently. Well, of course I could, but I'm not yet sure I want to. My default thought to counter most impulses to drink is - "ah well, next year". If that prospect had been removed I'm not sure I would be so relaxed about things.

PS If you're wondering about the badge, this link explains all.