OK, So who's with me????

[Boatboy24]

Like @ceeaton said, I too am taking this opportunity to go a nice length of time without alcohol. Much of the purpose would be defeated if I just went 6 days and then binged.

I was giving my wife a hard time about this concept the other night. She is joining me in a 'fast' by not shopping during Lent. I told her that means she is not allowed to be building a list during this time, then simply hitting the 'buy' button on Easter Sunday. She responded by saying that it also means I can't go 40 days without booze, then 'catch up' on Easter weekend. I told her if I did that, I'd be in the hospital.

I like your idea on St. Pats. That has been my biggest beef each year. I feel like I can't be a good Irishman without having a Guinness that day, but it falls during Lent. Perhaps I will make that rule for myself starting next year.

 

[JohnT]

I like your idea on St. Pats. That has been my biggest beef each year. I feel like I can't be a good Irishman without having a Guinness that day, but it falls during Lent. Perhaps I will make that rule for myself starting next year.

Even the Pope grants special dispensation to the Irish if St. Pats falls on a Friday (so good Catholic Irish can have their corned beef).

 

[Turock]

Since lent was a pagan ritual, I avoid such things. As born again Christians we only give due to Christ and understand we can do nothing to gain our own salvation. But if you feel the need to give something up, I would not criticize it. Just remember---works do not garner you anything.

 

[Tnuscan]

She is correct.

I am choosing to make my alcohol fast a thing to benefit me, not a religious act. Because I have more free time on my hands not drinking and surfing this site, I plan on reading my Bible and hope to get through the Old Testament if not further by Easter (ie. my religious act is to become more familiar with the Bible, my personal act is to refrain from alcohol since I'm an alcoholic, and free up time for my religious pursuits).

Furthermore, I am doing it "straight through" so I can enjoy many drinks with my brothers on Good Friday as we are opening up our cabin on Pine Creek, which would not be an available drinking date if I took a break on the Sunday's throughout the lenten season.

So I take it your not making Cherry wine too.?

Oops! Mis-read, I thought this said "I am a Catholic". Hope I didn't step on a nerve. Hope your 40 days bring you peace.

 

[ceeaton]

Oops! Mis-read, I thought this said "I am a Catholic". Hope I didn't step on a nerve. Hope your 40 days bring you peace.

No nerves stepped on, just been trying to figure out all day what in the heck you meant! I'm slower than most people in getting things sometimes, so I chalked it up to that.

But, since I've been alcohol free, my brain is working pretty well. Amazing difference the first couple of days have made. Planning on keeping as busy as possible this weekend. I think my wife is going to have more issues than I will. Though she'll only have a few glasses in the span of the week, she really enjoys them. Drinking is part of the fabric of my life, so I just had to change clothes (attitude realignment).

I am not going to avoid racking wines or bottling beer or wine. For some reason I am very calm about this and really don't want any at this time (check back this time tomorrow). I think reading about all the good things about not drinking alcohol is giving me a boost. Having a phone call at 10 am this morning from the school nurse to come pick up a sick kid has also occupied me most of the day. I plan on cooking and lot's of decaf cold tea, at least I'll get some tannins!

 

[Boatboy24]

...lot's of decaf cold tea, at least I'll get some tannins!

Water with lemon! It's a natural detox.

 

[Tnuscan]

No nerves stepped on, just been trying to figure out all day what in the heck you meant! I'm slower than most people in getting things sometimes, so I chalked it up to that.

But, since I've been alcohol free, my brain is working pretty well. Amazing difference the first couple of days have made. Planning on keeping as busy as possible this weekend. I think my wife is going to have more issues than I will. Though she'll only have a few glasses in the span of the week, she really enjoys them. Drinking is part of the fabric of my life, so I just had to change clothes (attitude realignment).

I am not going to avoid racking wines or bottling beer or wine. For some reason I am very calm about this and really don't want any at this time (check back this time tomorrow). I think reading about all the good things about not drinking alcohol is giving me a boost. Having a phone call at 10 am this morning from the school nurse to come pick up a sick kid has also occupied me most of the day. I plan on cooking and lot's of decaf cold tea, at least I'll get some tannins!

Ohh! lol. Pay me no mind. I had been talking to dcbrown about making cherry wine. There are several making it at the moment . Thought I would joke around with you a little too. Just being silly I guess. ::

 

[TemperanceOwl]

For those that are in the midst of a batch, you guys could always do the sip-swirl-spit method. This way, you can taste wine without actually consuming any...

That being said, Can I count @temperanceOWL in??

Oh, and Catholic high school in NJ for me. We had one dish, chicken cream of wheat, that was just as bad as it sounds. We used to call it "Bloop" (the sound it made while cooking).

I've been thinking about it all week (and not drinking), but I think I'm going to pass on the Lent challenge. I will probably continue not to drink for the next week or two, but I don't think it would be honest to chalk it up to Lent...I'm trying to stay under a calorie goal on MyFitnessPal to drop a few pounds, and I just haven't had room for the extra 100-150 calories a day.

I'm really impressed with all of you who are dedicated to going the whole 40 days and wish you the best!

 

[ceeaton]

Got up this morning at 4:45 to take my Son to work (I needed the car), kept going and hit Walmart for some jeans and socks (all my socks are 2 yrs old and are developing holes). Went to the local Giant to food shop, headed home to shower and go to Lowes in Hanover for some rock and sand to patch a few holes that have developed in the driveway over the winter. Doing laundry and starting a batch of crock pot Chili for my wife's dinner next week (she's on second shift for a week of training). Plan on racking my Brother's batch of PG to see if degassed enough, then might bottle it. Looking at the garage, it needs reorganized and swept out. Then maybe burgers for lunch (only my 11 yr old Son and I are home for lunch). Maybe bottle a batch of beer after lunch, clean the bathrooms, then set the area up for starting some perennial seeds (then eventually tomato and annual flower seeds). Fish tank needs a cleaning, so making some RO water to top it up with. Kitchen walls need washed down, so might do that while I'm defrosting a chicken. Hopefully by then my decaf tea batch will be cooled down. Boy, those kegs look lonely in the basement...argh! But I'm staying the course. Enough people don't think I can do it at work, so that is all the impetus I need, I'll show them (and me).

 

[sour_grapes]

Since lent was a pagan ritual, I avoid such things. As born again Christians we only give due to Christ and understand we can do nothing to gain our own salvation. But if you feel the need to give something up, I would not criticize it. Just remember---works do not garner you anything.

You do understand that vast swaths of Christianity do not agree with you (doctrinally) on the "Faith vs. Works" question, right? Perhaps this is not the right forum to proselytize.

 

[Turock]

Read your bible and you'll see what God said about works. God said it was nothing more than a filthy rag. Works will not buy you salvation. Only Jesus' death did that for us. Now, if you do good works just for the benefit of others---or JUST because you love God, now you are doing works in their proper light.

Everywhere is the proper place to defend God and His truth.

 

[grapeman]

Everyone needs to realize that this forum is made up of people of all faiths and we generally don't want to bring religion into general discussions as it can lead to disputes between those faiths. Maybe everyone needs to step back to the original discussion here on who wants to join John in giving up his wine for lent.

 

[jmac]

It's too hard not to post on a topic like this. Lol. Beliefs are too core to us to not chime up. When you believe in things like invisible deities OR science and evolution, others that base their existence on the opposite, get ruffled.

ALL us are guilty of being amazed at how 'others can believe in unicorns' or why 'others DON'T have the sence to believe in their unicorns'. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

 

[JohnT]

Like grapeman said, let's bring this back to "center".

This thread is about giving up alcohol for 40 days. Some may do it for religious reasons, some for personal reasons. This thread is not intended to be a debate over religion.

Sorry, but any further posts that debate religion will be deleted.

 

[jgmann67]

Sorry - I'm in the middle of a political campaign... I'm drinking a lot less while I'm out (too much to drink - you say things you shouldn't say out loud) and am not awake for very long when I finally get home. But, still enjoy a bottle during the down-time.

 

[JohnT]

Weekend number 1

Welcome to day 5 folks! Weekend #1 is in the books.

On Friday, I sat down and had a nice bottle of 2017 Diet coke. A rather recent vintage, but nice just the same. LOL.

On Saturday, the Mrs and I went out to dinner with 3 good friends to a BYOB upscale Italian joint. I brought 2 bottles of wine for everyone and still had no problem sticking with the diet coke and a nice double shot of espresso at the end of the meal.

On Sunday, I went to my brother's house to make fried chicken with the niece. She had been begging me for two weeks to do this. I stuck to coffee, then diet coke.

Long story short, I made it through with no bumps.

 

[ceeaton]

Long story short, I made it through with no bumps.

Same here. At one point my wife and I looked at each other and said, if we both cheat it doesn't count, right? But we didn't. I survived on cold brewed decaf tea and cooking for everyone else. Now it will be a week of cold showers since my wife is on 2nd shift training all week and I'll only get to kiss her goodbye when I leave for work each morning until Saturday morning. Need to figure out a diversion for the 9 yr old daughter, she was already clingy yesterday. I see a lot of Uno in my future evenings.

Also, here's the kind of support I get at work. I got the last "Ha" on them. Since Thursday morning our postal scale at the dock says I lost 7 lbs. Finally broke the 230 mark that I've been aiming for all year. Now I have something to keep my mind off this no beer/wine thing. 220 here we come!

 

[JohnT]

WAY TO GO @Ceeaton !

I am proud of you.

You got this! You made it over the hump of that first weekend! It is all down hill from here!

Now we just need a report from our own @boatboy24

 

[Boatboy24]

WAY TO GO @Ceeaton !

I am proud of you.

You got this! You made it over the hump of that first weekend! It is all down hill from here!

Now we just need a report from our own @boatboy24

Well, it's been a little over 14 hours and I don't have the shakes yet.

 

[JohnT]

Well, it's been a little over 14 hours and I don't have the shakes yet.

WOOOOOHOOOO!