Dry July Dropout

I gave it a go.  I really did. And I did well.  For two weeks. 

It just. Didn't. Make. Sense.


Dry July has made over $1.5M this year for the Cancer Foundations of local hospitals.  This money was raised by people giving up their plonk for the month of July, and being sponsored by their friends and colleagues. Sounds like a good idea. Dry out for 31 days, rest my liver, save some money and raise money for cancer.


Except for one thing. My friends, the ones I'm asking to donate, are also the ones who want to drink with me. In the famous word of HJ Simpson: DOH!


This was the flaw in my plan.  What would be in it for them? To have me not drink?  Initially, I thought, I could drive them to and from their Boozy Bashes. Except I had the play on the weekends. No takers.  And I avoided their Midweek Mellowers because I wasn't in the city, and wanted to save money, so no love there.


So there was the evidence. And staring me in the face, after 2 weeks, was the mother of all drinking occasions: An expat farewell.


The US expats do not take it well when one of our own leaves. And it wasn't just one, but a pair.  And not just that it was two.  But who the two were.


There is line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Cameron is sick in bed and Ferris calls him to tell him to get up and pick him up. Cameron says, "He'll just keep calling me, and calling me, until I go..."


That is the response when Kurt asks "Pub?" (P p p?) So you go. No matter how tired, no matter how skint, no matter what else you have planned. You go. DRY JULY OR OTHERWISE!

I couldn't bear the thought of not having one. last. drink.


So sorry Prince of Wales (and my liver), I only raised $50 for 2 weeks. I blame Kurt.

 

Day 11 of Dry July

It seemed like a really good idea at the time.

Take all of July off from drinking.

I'm doing the play (shameless plug alert) "Dead White Males" at the Genesian Theatre on the weekends. Nearly half of drinking time gone right there. And since I'm between work contracts, I can save some cash by not going out during the week. Reason number 3, I can raise some money for the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund for Cancer patients.

After 10 days, I realise just how much alcohol is part of my social life and especially the Australian culture. July 2, play performance finishes at 10.30 pm: Hey Jules, we're off to the pub. "Sorry, I'm not drinking." On the third and fourth, I was lucky enough to have two passes "purchased" for me. These "Golden Tickets" allow the participant to celebrate a special occasion (July 4) in exchange for a $25 donation.

So far, these are my only donations. People paying so that I can drink with them. Sad.

This is really hard. My friends like to go for beers after work. They have wine with dinner. They celebrate, well, everything with a rousing toast! Sporting events are an excuse to pop open a few cold ones. Barbecues, dinners out, parties, farewell events all accompanied by an alcoholic beverage.

Dry July has made me a social leper.

Other than that, I feel fine. I don't need a drink. I just feel weird not being able to have one when everyone else does. It's a "not fair" attitude or "Why me?" question.

I'm doing this so that I know that I can. To let myself and alcohol know that I am the master. I think I will be able to pace myself better come August.

Hopefully, I will get a few more donations. But if I don't, at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I can and did manage the better part of a month alcohol-free.