YOU know how it is.
You arrive home to a dark and possibly unheated house. Checking the fridge for anything that might serve as an evening meal, you find, in its furthermost recesses, behind the bag of rotting green salad and the over-ripe fruit, a likely candidate, even if its use-by date was two days ago. Then you spot the bottle of wine. Aha. you think. That'll do for starters.
I like my evening glass of wine. It's a pleasurable feeling, sipping something cold while watching Jon Snow on the telly as the house gradually heats up.
This year, apart from a slight slip-up last Sunday, I've been dry. Part of it was some sort of vague health thing. Part of it was the challenge set by Cancer Research UK's Dryathlon campaign. And part of it was inspired by Nigel Farage, a man rarely photographed without a pint glass in his hand, saying he would have a dry January.
"One month, no alcohol," says Dryathlon. "You and your mates. Feel fitter, clear your head, save money and raise funds to help beat cancer sooner." The publicity material talks persuasively about the benefits of not drinking for a month: more energy, better sleep, a sense of achievement and a healthier bank balance. What, as the saying goes, is not to like?
On Twitter, lots of people are becoming January dryathletes. Les Dennis, for one. Dozens of people are looking for sponsors via JustGiving. One person tweets: "Right now would be Prosecco o'clock if it wasn't for the pesky #dryathlon."
There is, though, the odd dissenting voice. "If stopping drinking for a month is an effort deserving sponsorship you should ask for help, not for donations," tweets a keen runner. "Fair play if you want to donate money you save from not drinking, but I'm not going to sponsor you to be dry in January. That's not a thing!"
It's a shame February wasn't Dryathlon month; it has, after all, the advantage of running to just 28 days, as opposed to 31.
My mantra this month, however, will be the words of Nigel Farage (and that's something I never thought I'd say) - "I started before the new year. I'm not being particularly virtuous, it's just I need a break. It does us all good to have a break now and then." If I stay dry, I will send a cheque to Cancer Research UK. In the meantime, the only interesting things in my fridge will be the rotting green salad and the over-ripe fruit. It's going to be a very, very long month.
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