Allotments 4 All

Have not touched a drop since xmas and was hoping to make it to easter. But along came st Patricks day and suitably armed with a squeezebox, bodhran and banjo, had a bit of an irish session which resulted in quite a few free drinks. Well it would have been rude to refuse them.

So with the Rocky Road to Dublin still reverberating around in my head, I reckon a few hours digging should be a suitable penance.

... and get back on the wagon - it's still Lent you know.

But well done for going so long.

Maybe Easter came early.  Perhaps you should aim for the summer solstice now or maybe Xmas.

Do not over do things. It may be better to pace yourself rather then go all out for penance.

You need to train your friends to help you say no.

I gave up drinking several years ago. I still have a beer with a meal when we are aboard, and alcohol gets used in the cooking, but in the main I don't drink at all.

I had got to a stage in my life where I woke each night for an hour or two - put it down to age! - but I haven't missed a night's sleep since I stopped drinking.

No longer have to worry if one of the teenagers were to phone me up late at night in a quandary and needing picking up

Love not waking up with a thick head on occasion ...

Mrs K says I have become pious about it, but I [now] just don't see the point of drinking in adulthood, its just habit. At the kids' school they serve wine in the interval in the school play (and similar events). All the parents flock and chuck a glass, maybe two, down their necks. The stuff is gut-rot cheap (not surprisingly) and I can't believe any of the parents would buy similar to drink at home ... repeating myself, but I have come to the conclusion its habit

I don't drink much myself, but when I do it's because I enjoy the taste. I don't drink regularly enough for it to be habit, and when I do it's rare I have enough to actually feel any intoxication from it.

But I do like a cider or a beer or a glass of wine or a vodka and fruit juice from time to time.

If I had realised earlier I would have made St Patricks day my cut off day. I only stopped because I wanted to see what a healthier lifestyle  would do in relation to my leg. Not a lot of difference really, but now I will try the other track and see if it gets worse.  It was never my intention to stay on the wagon.

Running Folk Clubs, playing at pub music sessions, morris dancing and out and about with the band is not exactly a tee total life style. Also my motto of 'Why tiptoe gently through life to end up safely at deaths doors' bears well with me, it is to late for me now anyway. Don't matter if I go up to Odin  or down with Thor when I eventually get to Valhalla. I've got a bag packed to go either way.

I haven't had a drink since last night!
I really like a beer or two especially as I have rediscovered the joy of proper ale - cant beat a Dead Pony Ale or Punk IPA.  I don't really get that pissed that often as I can't stand hangovers but I enjoy a couple of beers in the evening once all the chores are done. 

How is the leg Ace?

Quote from: BarriedaleNick on March 18, 2015, 18:23:24


How is the leg Ace?

Just learning to live with it. Had scans,tests, lotions, potions and even a really tight stocking thing, which makes me feel ill when I use it as it pushes all the fluids back into the system and the kidneys go into overdrive to clean them. But hey ho life has got to go on so I adapt. Exercise is supposed to be good but it is painful. So  I walk up and collect the grandchildren from their schools. Do an hour at a time on the allotment. When you think I cleared and dug it last October in about 4 days, now it would take me 4 weeks.

There are others worse off than me and they get by. So I ain't giving up yet. We are a wonky lot down in our corner of the allotments One who gets very short of breath, another with a heart bypass, me with the leg, so we help one another. I barrowed the manure down for one of them while he weeded my onions.

Helping each other out, brilliant!

You can send them round to build me a new raised bed and chop down some bushes when they're done. ;)

Glad that you are managing Ace!
Many gardeners have ailments but learning to pace yourself and  "keep doing a bit" as they say.
I used to like a tipple in the evening but reduced that to twice or thrice a week now and am sure that I feel better.

Quote from: Silverleaf on March 18, 2015, 21:33:51
Helping each other out, brilliant!

You can send them round to build me a new raised bed and chop down some bushes when they're done. ;)

Why not, you double dig our plots and we will grub out some bushes

I would gladly barrow manure round a plot if someone would weed my onions.

** is regretting composting weeds, now has very weedy onion and garlic patch **

Quote from: ACE on March 18, 2015, 20:16:06

Just learning to live with it.

Blimey I thought it had cleared up Ace.  Sounds pretty nasty but it is nice to see your mates down the plot helping each other out.  For me that makes allotment gardening so worthwhile.  Last year I had a little wobble, so to speak, and the kindness of my fellow plot holders made me almost embarrassed.  That and a bit of piss taking soon helped me down the road.  Hope your leg improves and your digging speed increases!

Quote from: BarriedaleNick on March 19, 2015, 18:01:23

  That and a bit of piss taking soon helped me down the road. 

One of the best cures ever, they ought to bottle it, er no perhaps not.