No alcohol means no cigarettes
15/05/11 • 0 Comments

So I quit smoking in September of 2008, but everytime I went out and had a few drinks I\’d always light one up. Call it social smoking if you like, I was happy doing that I figured if I wasn\’t smoking full time then that was good enough for me. I only smoked when I drank. It got to the stage though when I\’d have a cigarette in my mouth moments after taking a sip of my first drink. My sister smokes and we\’d be on our way to the pub before going to a Melbourne Victory game, I\’d have one of her cigarettes on the way there as I was going to be drinking, right?   One of the best things to come from not drinking for 5 weeks has to be the fact that I haven\’t had a cigarette either, pretty happy about that. What I\’m finding difficult [...]

Blogging = FAIL abstinence = SUCCESS!
14/05/11 • 1 Comment

Today marks my fifth full week without alcohol! This is only my second post, hence the title. I feel like I withdrew for a few weeks, I was determined not to drink and was so incredibly busy with work that I didn\’t have time or energy to either. Part of me is thinking that this is too easy, If I was still in Melbourne I don\’t think I could have even considered abstaining from alcohol for as long. Being in Sydney, without my usual circle of friends means that I have no one to answer to. No one to say \”Why would you not want to drink\” or \”You?! Not drink?!\”, it also means I don\’t have anyone here to say \”Well done\”. Where I\’m at right now, I don\’t need anyone to say that.   I\’m grateful. I\’m grateful that I haven\’t had a hangover in five weeks. I\’m [...]

What better time to start than right now?
16/04/11 • 4 Comments

So, I sign up to HSM not off the back of a hangover but with the memory of oh so many hangovers firmly in my mind. Having struggled with several addictions when I was younger, alcohol has become my last remaining vice, interesting that it was also my first. I moved to Sydney two months ago for a fantastic job opportunity, I know barely anyone here. My usual way of making new friends would be to go out drinking, I have gone out a couple of times and tried but I think it’s time for a change. I’d much rather make new connections with a level head and memories intact. AJ