Thinkin of quitting the booze for the summer.

I'm regretfully hungover at the moment and after doing some really out of character crap last night I think it might be a good idea to quit drinking for the summer.
I figure it'll be both harder and easier in a way. Harder because everyone will be up for sessions in the sun and easier because I should be able to do more sober activities in the sun.

I know I'm sounding optimistic about an Irish summer but I guess I'm just looking for a bit of advice on what the hell I'm gonna fill my time up with sober this summer

cue

I live in a small town and I figured there would be nothing to do there when I stopped drinking. When I looked I found 93 clubs offering activities!!!
Go surfing.

Taking up surfing sounds like an excellent idea alright. The costs might be kinda prohibitive though

Genghiz Cohen

Without drink you may find some extra cash lying around:D

myusernameis

and probably lose some weight aswell, you could try cycling there could be some cycling clubs around, tennis or football.

Genghiz Cohen

Airsoft!
Why didn't I think of it before!?
Guys an gals running around in camo in a very MilSim paintball like game.
Take a peek at the Airsoft forum if you think you might be interested, all ages, fitness level etc. welcome.

lebron james

basketball

lebron james

tabletennis too

Been a week now and I've been to a booze filled wedding and a night out and am managing far better than I expected without booze. Waking up with a clear head is possibly the best feeling ever.

I've started sampling some of the non-alcoholic beers. Becks, Erdinger and Bavaria so far. Have to say that drinking these on a night out makes me not even miss drinking at all. Really gets you into the flow of things and you don't get any comments as to why you're drinking a water or whatever. Although they're an absolute rip off. Paid 5.30 for one earlier in a bar which I won't name but lets just say it has a code.

And I'm already looking into the whole surfing idea so hopefully I can get a weekend or some such booked in the next week or two.

Not sure if airsoft is my thing, although I have been paintballing before and loved it. Although the price is kinda prohibitive.

Genghiz Cohen

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Not sure if airsoft is my thing, although I have been paintballing before and loved it. Although the price is kinda prohibitive.

25 Quid for a day (10 - 5 usually) renting a gun and bbs and stuff.
That'll tell you if you like it or not.
It really is great fun.

Was at an archery competition the other day, that was a really nice place to be too, clubs will loan you low-grade gear till you get set up yourself.

Rics

Don't know if I could hack doing this but fair play to you.
As someone pointed out on the thread already you'll save a fortune not drinking, well I bloody well would anyway! :-/

JMCD

Rics wrote: »

Don't know if I could hack doing this but fair play to you.
As someone pointed out on the thread already you'll save a fortune not drinking, well I bloody well would anyway! :-/

I dont think its a money issue with the original poster do, esp if he is still heading out and paying 5.30 for a bottle of non-alcholic beer.

Must be just purely for the health benefits, but whatever the reason fair play to you and congrats on your success so far, long may it continue.

Bad girl

look, I drink every night of the week on my own and I reckon you should get onto a good porn site and go go for your life till your damn wrist is broken, why the **** would you want to quit the booze you twat.

Bad Girl

Dumb

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Been a week now and I've been to a booze filled wedding and a night out and am managing far better than I expected without booze. Waking up with a clear head is possibly the best feeling ever.

I've started sampling some of the non-alcoholic beers. Becks, Erdinger and Bavaria so far. Have to say that drinking these on a night out makes me not even miss drinking at all. Really gets you into the flow of things and you don't get any comments as to why you're drinking a water or whatever. Although they're an absolute rip off. Paid 5.30 for one earlier in a bar which I won't name but lets just say it has a code.

And I'm already looking into the whole surfing idea so hopefully I can get a weekend or some such booked in the next week or two.

Not sure if airsoft is my thing, although I have been paintballing before and loved it. Although the price is kinda prohibitive.

Well Done. Keep up the good work.

Gonzales

In my experience quitting doesn't last, so I've gone down the route of moderation & it's working well so far - 6 months.

We seem to be a nation of extremeists; binge or abstain - I reckon the middle ground is the way to go!

But well done to you on your 1st week.

studiorat

Good to see you are still going to the pub and keeping the social life going.
Personally I still love going to the local and going to parties etc. The only difference is I'm not drinking alcohol. Keep it up for a month or so and then go out and have a drink some evening. You'll see there's no difference at all. For me I'm actually more confident and talkative out and about without drinking. Besides being thinner, more healthy, less broke and wayyyy cooler!

The way people go on with joing clubs or going to night classes or some sh1t irkes me somewhat. I love hanging out with my piss-head friends! And wouldn't be seen dead playing tabletennis or basket ball. Christ, people will be expecting you to go to bloody AA meetings next.

What the hell taking up bloody airsoft or surfing has to do with not drinking I'll never know. One thing's for sure I won't be going surfing this Friday night. I'll be out partying! Oh and I won't be looking for a taxi either!

IanCurtis

Defo give up. You can always go bowling, kayaking, stamp collecting...

<BANG>

<Sound of poster killing themselves at summer of dullness>

IanCurtis

IanCurtis wrote: »

Defo give up. You can always go bowling, kayaking, stamp collecting...

<BANG>

<Sound of poster killing themselves at summer of dullness>

Well I did drink last friday/saturday. Was supposed to go to Slane but the ticket fell through and I thought I might as well have a few beers anyway.

And tbh it wasn't really that much fun. Spent an unreal amount of money. Big dirty hangover as per usual. I was havin more craic on my little expeditions to bray etc on the weekend.

Getting pissed all summer to me is dullness tbh.

Dave!

IanCurtis infracted... Carry on folks

CDfm

Gave up over a year ago and its been alright -love life tons better:D

OK-Cancel-Apply

Ian you care so much about other people not drinking - do you have some sort of complex? Perhaps you have alcoholic parents, or are one yourself? If so, speaking about your problem would be the mature thing to do. This forum is a place where people will listen to your problems and not judge you.

waves

studiorat wrote: »

Good to see you are still going to the pub and keeping the social life going.
Personally I still love going to the local and going to parties etc. The only difference is I'm not drinking alcohol. Keep it up for a month or so and then go out and have a drink some evening. You'll see there's no difference at all. For me I'm actually more confident and talkative out and about without drinking. Besides being thinner, more healthy, less broke and wayyyy cooler!

The way people go on with joing clubs or going to night classes or some sh1t irkes me somewhat. I love hanging out with my piss-head friends! And wouldn't be seen dead playing tabletennis or basket ball. Christ, people will be expecting you to go to bloody AA meetings next.

What the hell taking up bloody airsoft or surfing has to do with not drinking I'll never know. One thing's for sure I won't be going surfing this Friday night. I'll be out partying! Oh and I won't be looking for a taxi either!

Have to agree with you for the most part. I still go out with my friends and go to parties and prefer it when I can keep up my same sense of self - it means I'm talking to the people I want to talk to to. The confidence thing is strange - but it seems to increase during the night for me.

With regards to surfing/hobbies, I think it's being suggested that by not drinking, people have a lot more free time (certainly without hangovers, i have more hours on Saturdays and Sunday mornings) and I do keep a lot fitter now as I have time and feel like exercising (rather than sleeping in til 1 and feeling rotten for the day)

CDfm

studiorat wrote: »

Good to see you are still going to the pub and keeping the social life going.

What the hell taking up bloody airsoft or surfing has to do with not drinking I'll never know. One thing's for sure I won't be going surfing this Friday night. I'll be out partying! Oh and I won't be looking for a taxi either!

Good on ya.

I dont know what airsoft is and I gave up drinking a year and a half ago.

Have to agree with you for the most part. I still go out with my friends and go to parties and prefer it when I can keep up my same sense of self - it means I'm talking to the people I want to talk to to. The confidence thing is strange - but it seems to increase during the night for me.

I tend to eat out in resterants a lot more but socially I am busier and need to do more housework

zero_nine

Its funny that confidence would tend to increase. I remember someone saying before that their greatest worry that was when they gave up drinking that their social life, their confidence and their self assurance would diminsh. But they found to their surprise that the greatest increases that they found were in these areas.

Weird.

I suppose you could say that if you need something to make you confident, it says that you are inherently not that confident but merely wearing a mask. I know this isn' the case for everyone but certainly for some people.

CDfm

It broadens your perspective because you have to do stuff and are no longer a spectator.With you all the way on confidence and social skills.

Skapoot

Hey, I'm quitting the booze also!

I've been off it for a pitiful two weeks. But I have been working out for those two weeks so the pay off is brilliant - not having a hangover stop me from getting out of bed.

I went to a party for the first time sober on Thursday night. I thought people would shun me for being "the sober one". I had the exact same fun I would have if drunk. And - at the beginning I was careful of what I was saying. But then my confidence built up again that I can talk away without having alcohol as a crutch! Yahoo.

The thing thats really really stopping me from drinking thus far, is that i bloody hate hangovers. They really are the most unecessary awful feeling in the world.

What a waste of life.

Babooshka

Rojomcdojo are you still off the beer? Just wondering ...thinking of giving it a wide berth myself for a while. It gets really boring if you do it too much and I've been using it as a crutch for a bit now, getting tired of it. Just wondered how you're finding it. B