Simple Syrups

I keep forgetting I'm also not drinking this month. I mean, I am aware of it, but it isn't as top of mind as the lack of sugar has been. But I realize now I've scarcely spoken of it.

The difference between a lack of sugar and a lack of alcohol is I don't feel as though I have a dependency on liquor in the same way. Liquor is not a vice for me, not the kind of gnawing, craving that I have had for sugar. Except in times of extreme sadness, I never REALLY want a drink in the same way.

So why did I ban it this month?

Well, to be honest, I simply wanted to do away with it for awhile, and typically I have done this sort of thing in January before: some years I have given up all booze in January, or simply beer, or wine, etc. As well, I felt it would be cheating to allow myself to drink the by-product of sugar in the form of alcohol but not have actual sugar. It feels like one of those technicalities I could escape on and abhor. I want to try and stay as true as possible to the spirit of this, instead of the letter of it.

So how has the lack of alcohol been? Fine, I guess. I don't really think about it much, to be honest. I actually really enjoy drinking too; I'm not someone who only has an occasional beer. I do like it, but it's never been a problem for me to just not drink for awhile.

That doesn't mean I don't have cravings. A couple of times, I have been out and on the verge of ordering a beer and had to stop myself. Because it isn't as top of mind for me as the rest of the potential sugars, I tend to forget about it. My boss wanted me to try a sample of a new beer we had at work, and I almost knocked it back before I caught myself.

As I may or may not have mentioned, I love trying new foods and drinks, and when I arrive at a place where one of these is on offer my impulsive desire is to try it immediately. Such was the case tonight as we went for Polish food in the city's west end. They had several brands of Polish beer on offer, and I desperately wanted to try one. But I couldn't.

As mentioned previously, I am fairly lacking in impulse control. But whereas a lack of sugar affects my everyday life, a lack of sugar just affects my impulsivity.