Hi folks,
Just home from our usual few days at the Edinburgh Fringe. Alcohol-free this time. Not easy: last year I was knocking back a double or two before noon and topping up till bedtime. But not impossible, for which I'm counting my blessings.
Best wishes and hoping the remainder of the summer will be kind to you all
Sounds like fun 👍. Never been but think I ought to go at some point - at some point lol!
You did well in that situation to withstand the urge to drink. I always find that when I associate a place or an event with drinking then that’s when it’s hardest to be resolute! Fortunately after 5 years that urge has nearly all gone 😁👍 lol.
Hope you had a lovely time - at least I bet you remember some of the jokes 😁👍. Maybe you could tell us one or two - yes, please!
Miles
In fact we didn't see that much comedy. The great thing about the Fringe is it is so varied. We also saw dance, a musical, a poetry slam, spoken word (a talk on literary devices), did a locked room escape game, and saw Arthur Smith's tribute to his late father (comedy, music and biography)...
whodunnit_author - thank you. You just reminded me of the last time I saw Arthur Smith. It was at a Stand Up For Labour night. I took my 95 yr old mother who rarely ever went out and certainly not at night. Dennis Healey, same age as my mum, read some of his poems that he'd written while serving in armed forces in Italy during the war. Touchingly frail, he took to the stage which was bare except for the mic. My mum, who seldom spoke a word out of turn, hisssed " someone get him a chair". They both passed away not very long after. Happy memories. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit.
Well done on staying alcohol free and hope your stay in Edinburgh was enjoyable with lots of more site seeing
Take care and keep in touch
Slsines now known as ShropshireStar💥
That will have been tricky. Well done 🙂
I reckon this urge never fully leaves us. Even Miles just said after five years his urge has nearly gone.
Just curious, what did you drink instead?
Ginger beer, rather too much coffee, turmeric tea...
😀 well done. I drink a lot of Chinese tea now plus another drink I might have mentioned on here before.
Hi
Well done on abstaining especially in Edinburgh!! Did you go to the tattoo as well? It's brilliant if you don't fall over!! We were quite high up, hubby said that we needed to go down a bit, I was frightened to death, the next thing I knew I'd tripped and fallen in front of a row of people!! I am accident prone , thought it might make you smile 😁 take care Lynne
What are you like Lynne 😁!
I know!! You aren't going to believe this!! Got to sleep about half 4, woke with a jump about half 5, I'd fallen out if bed!!! Poor Dave couldn't believe it!! He did know what he was getting himself into nearly 29 years ago 😂🤣😂 take care Lynne
Oh my my my! Think you’re a liability Lynne! <joke>
I'm not fit to be let out!!
Umm you said it - not me, I’m glad to say (I only thought it 😁😁😁😁😁)
😂🤣😂
Oldham12- sounds like you're not fit to be left in either! You keep us all amused. At the same time, thinking of you coping with quite a burden x
Ha ha, yes very true!! Something even happened to me on our wedding day!! The men were wearing top hats. They had to throw them in the air, yes you've guessed it it, as they were coming down one of them hit me on the head!! We all thought it was my father-in-law but when we slowed the video down it was hubby's hat 😂🤣😂 take care Lynne
Oldham12- you are a gentlewoman. I would have stamped on the hat then crowned him with it. Can you tell from the wedding pics that there had been a bit of a kerfuffle? 
It was just really funny 😂
We've never been to the tattoo in all the years we've been going. I bet the atmosphere is amazing. I am more comfortable in smaller venues, though...
Congratulations on your achievement.
I am delighted for you.
Jaycee
whodunnit_author - congratulations! You say "not impossible". But the impossible is easy. You can't do it! What you did was difficult. You'll be rewarded for that, for sure. Go gently!
Gets easier as time goes on. Its a mindset thing.Do you see helena at the edinburgh royal? I truely believe she was the one who saved my husbands life and he wouldnt have had his transplant without her counselling and his belief in him x
We live in North Yorks, but good medical and counselling care makes such a difference, doesn't it?
Yes it can whod - sometimes it does vary though doesn’t it 😕.
congrats!!..social functions can b hard at first , even for others around you..i thought our all inclusive holiday would b the hardest to do but lots of mocktails and zero percent beer worked. when in bars .my partner just says im allergic! keep it up and enjoy your new life!!
There was 0% gin and tonic on offer at Howie's restaurant, but I didn't dare...
I suppose its down to each person..if u feel u r in a situation that makes u feel uncomfortable then walk away...for me , I just never want to be told how close to screwing my life up again. no brainer for me, I want to see my grand children grow up.so I stopped.
harietsssss- I believe your partner hits the nail on the head with his "allergic" response. No one would try to make you eat peanuts if you were allergic to them. Why do people say "Go on!" to someone who says "No" to a drink? It seems likely that alcoholism is an allergic reaction or an autoimmune pre-disposition. What else explains that some people are very, very big life-long drinkers but don't acquire an addiction that leads to alcoholism? I believe addiction and allergy go together. I'm pleased your all-inclusive holiday worked out for you.
To be fair, do people really say “go on, have a drink” nowadays? People might be driving or a lot of people just don’t drink if they’re working the next day. My friends know I’ve given up, and whilst they found it strange at first - and thought it was a phase - no one ever pushed me to drink.
When I was a drinker, I never pushed drink onto anyone else. That’s totally out of order, and us ex-drinkers should object or avoid anyone who behaves so selfishly.
Yes, they do! My family (husband, son, daughter and son-in-law) took me out to a dog friendly(!) burger shack that didn't even offer cold water except from the outdoor "dog" pipe. My son isn't yet old enough to legally drink! It was very hot outdoors. I learned then to always bring my own (water) bottle with me.
A lot of U.K. places are now offering free tap water. A lot of younger people I talk to don’t really drink or they can take it or leave it. It’d be rare in the U.K. to see a place not offering at least a few alcohol free options.
That's the norm here too. I was really disappointed.
CocoChanel- I said it because I hear it. Still. Unfortunately there are many people who are insensitive to the feeling of others in all manner of ways. They don't mean to be unkind. It is plain unknowing.
That's true, and after all, their judgment is impaired by alcohol. It's just messed up when it's people who supposedly care about you. I know they do, but I look after myself now.
Bootandall - me too. It's something we learn from suffering perhaps: we are impartial to people who think they know better what is our need or experience.
I doubt you’re allergic, but you’re a star to behave on an all inclusive holiday. I must admit I’d steer clear of such a scene for the time being.
I go to pubs with mates who down pints, and I even went to a Spanish sherry evening recently and sniffed a lot of free samples 😀 but an all inclusive deal might be just too tempting and unfortunately we all have a potential breaking point, so well done again.
Sounds like you had lots of more fun things to do, locked escape rooms are a craze over here too! But I've never been.
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