Official Dryuary (Dry January) 2021 Thread

[maureen nelson]

I can really feel the difference in my sleep quality over the last 10 days. We all know that, without question, sleep is better without alcohol, even though it may feel like it's easier. But the difference this year is more than palpable. I do find my sleep pattern shifting later, though - up a little later and getting up with the light in the AM. That's healthy, too.

I wish I could say the same. I have been waking in the middle of the night and awakening in the morning with a headache the past few days. I think it is a result of a dry house, not a dry January, however. Not sure why (well I know - heat) as i have a whole+house humidifier as part of my heating/cooling system. Maybe i need a filter change.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Oof. I am posting early because I hope to go to bed early. No wine continues to be no problem. Lack of sleep is an annoyance.

On this, the 11th day of Dryuary, I am posting "The Eleven" by the Grateful Dead. I do not "get" the Dead. There, I said it. But I do get why they are super popular. Their free-form, meandering music has a lot of appeal, not to mention the era in which they were formed. They are without a doubt the grandfather of all modern jam bands. The Dead also had an impressive lineup guest artists, whether for a set or two (e.g. Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, Ornette Coleman!) or 100+ shows (Bruce Hornsby). It's just not my taste.

I do, however, really like several interpretations that appear on Deadicated, a 1991 tribute album - Midnight Oil's neo-noir cover of "Wharf Rat," and Dwight Yoakam's honky tonk version of "Truckin'" in particular. Both artists managed to make a cover song sound like original material, and that's not easy.

This version of "The Eleven" is via Dead and Company, an offshoot that was formed in 2015. (Don't worry - John Mayer sounds fantastic!)



Cheers, and keep on not drinking for another 20 days.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I probably should start lifting weights or something, as the cold weather makes it hard to get my 10,000 daily steps. Cutting out bread, etc has helped. For some reason, however, my wife has decided to learn how to make baguettes. The house smells great and very tempting. Nevertheless, I resisted.

The tune for this, the 12th day of Dryuary, is from Bob Dylan. I don't get Bob Dylan. There, I said it. One of these days I'll open thread about that on The Asylum.

Cheers, and stay dry.

[Mike Cohen]

285 down...459 to go. But who is counting?

[J D o v e]

My sleep quality has been terrible. I may also have to give up caffeine, which normally does not have much of an effect on me.

This is my first Dryuary. I’ve been sleeping like a baby compared to when I have wine. I would wake up at 3am if I had wine. No wine, I sleep through the night. Odd how it affects people differently.

[D Zurcher]

My sleep quality has been terrible. I may also have to give up caffeine, which normally does not have much of an effect on me.

This is my first Dryuary. I’ve been sleeping like a baby compared to when I have wine. I would wake up at 3am if I had wine. No wine, I sleep through the night. Odd how it affects people differently.

I'm not sleeping through the night, and I can't remember the last time I did-likely when I was a kid. I am sleeping much better however, and having long, interesting dreams. I wish I could remember them better when I wake up-a very interesting phenomenon! I wake up pretty early-usually 4-5am, but I am more awake and less groggy. I go to bed usually around 9:30pm...so I guess that makes sense.

[Sarah Kirschbaum]

No one actually sleeps better after alcohol, if we're talking about true sleep quality - all the healing, resetting, restorative, memory etc. processes that happen during quality sleep are impacted or reduced by alcohol. Even the mechanism by which sleep is achieved is different after drinking, just like it is if you take a sedative like Ambien. We may feel like we sleep better after a glass of wine, because we might get to sleep faster or wake up less, but it's not truly better quality sleep. Those whose sleep seems much worse without wine, usually there are issues that the alcohol was masking, which are now evident.

There's a great book called Why we Sleep, by Matthew Walker, that talks about this phenomenon in depth. I still have wine most nights outside of Dry January/February, but I am mindful of the consequences.

[Paul Miller]

I honestly can’t tell that I feel any different, other than the obvious if I were to have over imbibed.

[Mike Cohen]

My sleep quality has been terrible. I may also have to give up caffeine, which normally does not have much of an effect on me.

This is my first Dryuary. I’ve been sleeping like a baby compared to when I have wine. I would wake up at 3am if I had wine. No wine, I sleep through the night. Odd how it affects people differently.

I'm in the same boat. It took a couple of days to kick in, but my sleeping is better and more restful.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I slept a little better last night. I have been doing intermittent fasting, which is 8hrs of eating time followed by 16 hours off. For me, that means no food from 8pm to 12 noon. It's not so bad in the morning, but I get a little hangry right before dinner.

No wine continues to be no problem.

Tonight's song for this, the 13th day of Dryuary, is from Big Star. Big Star is one of those bands that should have made it, but never did. Their sound was reminiscent of a lot of other groups (Byrds, Neil Young, Beatles) without being derivative. Their music was a mix of hipster / alternative rock / power pop before any of those were a thing.



Stay dry, everyone.

[J a m e s F.]

I'm not sure I'm sleeping any better (and hard to isolate dry Jan vs. effects of less work, more exercise etc) but I am remembering a lot more dreams which can't be a bad sign

I mentioned it in my new member intro but something about Dry January makes me more interested in spending time reading and thinking about wine rather than drinking. Anyone else?

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I mentioned it in my new member intro but something about Dry January makes me more interested in spending time reading and thinking about wine rather than drinking. Anyone else?

I have been on this board a LOT more than usual, exploring other forums besides Wine Talk. (The "Epicurean Exploits" forum is quite good.) Other than that, I haven't been thinking about wine. And, I've been quickly deleting all wine-related emails, but that's more about saving my budget for Berserker Day.

[Brian Pinci]

Well, I’ve been pretty successful so far this month not drinking. Of course, that’s due to the unexpected stint in the hospital for some weird condition that popped up, expecting a full recovery in 6-8 weeks. But in the mean time, on some heavy duty drugs that don’t mix well with wine! So looks like I’ll have a dry January and a dry February! Actually kind of looking forward to it. Been sleeping better than ever!

[Patrick T a y l o r]

in the hospital for some weird condition...

We're not taking the clickbait! Seriously though, glad it sounds like you're on the mend, and enjoy the sleep.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

No wine, no problem. No bread, no problem. I did eat a ton of pork shoulder for dinner. I slept OK last night and was planing to go to bed soon, but we had to get a !@#$ bat out of the house. We seem to get one about every 12 months or so, and that's after spending $$$ on a bat removal expert. Anyway...

Until today, I had never heard of Spanish singer-songwriter Russian Red. I'm not enamored with her stuff, but this live version of "January 14th" is really interesting. It's got a hipster-calypso-surf-rock ballad vibe that is easy to put on repeat. Not to mention it absolutely fits today, the 14th day of Dryuary.



Cheers, and stay dry.

[Betty C]

I started Dry January on the 3rd or 4th, can’t remember. I was mostly drinking on weekends and now I’m taking gummies. Can’t say I enjoy it as much as a glass of wine but I’ve had some vivid dreams.

I’ve also been doing intermittent fasting on a 16:8 schedule since last spring, and getting a minimum of three days of exercise in each week. I’ve lost weight and hope to keep it off. Curious to see if Dry January makes a difference when all other factors remain the same.

[Rodrigo B]

Interesting article in PUNCH on a non-alcoholic bottle shop in NYC

https://punchdrink.com/articles/liquor- ... -away-nyc/

[Paul Miller]

I tried a search, but is there a Tea thread here on WBs? Would like to incorporate some tea drinking.

More specifically, I've seen some ads on social media for a tea company called August Uncommon Tea. Anyone have any experience with them? They have some interesting blends.
https://august.la/?fbclid=IwAR2V2bQ9kF5 ... bbFMJpzHDY

[Mike Cohen]

Side note re: sleep. Also not getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

[Rodrigo B]

I tried a search, but is there a Tea thread here on WBs? Would like to incorporate some tea drinking.

More specifically, I've seen some ads on social media for a tea company called August Uncommon Tea. Anyone have any experience with them? They have some interesting blends.
https://august.la/?fbclid=IwAR2V2bQ9kF5 ... bbFMJpzHDY

This is the only one I know of.

Not familiar with the company you noted. In Chicago I really enjoyed the teas at Hugo Tea, formerly Easthill Tea Co. over in Bucktown. I also really enjoy the teas at Bellocq in NY over in Greenpoint

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I am plugging along here. I lost 3 lbs this week, for a total of 9.5 lbs since January 1. I slept fairly well last night, although I didn't fall asleep until 1am. But I have not felt like a zombie today, and I haven't had any headaches.

And now, the music. Johnny Paycheck is best known for his 1977 classic, "Take This Job and Shove It." The 70s were a prolific decade for Paycheck. He put out 14 albums, the last being Everybody's Got A Family, Meet Mine, released in December, 1979. One of the singles from that album is the song for this, the 15th day of Dryuary. It's also what I might do on February 1st.



Stay dry, everyone.

[Lee Short]

Been dry since the 5th, but (as usual) haven't seen any effect on the ability to sleep or the sleep quality. Envy those who do see changes.

[Dennis Borczon]

No one actually sleeps better after alcohol, if we're talking about true sleep quality - all the healing, resetting, restorative, memory etc. processes that happen during quality sleep are impacted or reduced by alcohol. Even the mechanism by which sleep is achieved is different after drinking, just like it is if you take a sedative like Ambien. We may feel like we sleep better after a glass of wine, because we might get to sleep faster or wake up less, but it's not truly better quality sleep. Those whose sleep seems much worse without wine, usually there are issues that the alcohol was masking, which are now evident.

There's a great book called Why we Sleep, by Matthew Walker, that talks about this phenomenon in depth. I still have wine most nights outside of Dry January/February, but I am mindful of the consequences.

This is totally true. As I age and come to appreciate a great nights sleep (having been sleep deprived because of work for decades) having a break from alcohol to reset your sleep cycle is priceless. Aside from waking up less often to pee, you get a more natural rhythm. I am committed to having breaks from alcohol for this reason alone...if not quite a dry January guy.

[Sarah Kirschbaum]

Been dry since the 5th, but (as usual) haven't seen any effect on the ability to sleep or the sleep quality. Envy those who do see changes.

You don't have to see or notice it for it to be happening, though that would certainly be nice. It's almost a guarantee that it is better quality on a physiological level.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Today was a good day, as it happened to be my birthday. I slept in, had a bread-free lunch, and drove over to visit my elderly parents. They get the vaccine next week. I arrived home to discover my lovely wife had made a keto-friendly surprise birthday dinner, including keto-crackers made with almond flour. Delightful! A sparkler would have been nice end to the night, but it was just a passing thought.

My middle child is 16 and three-quarters, so I'm going with a song from The Sound of Music for this, the 16th day of Dryuary. I'm not really choosing the song because she is literally sixteen going on seventeen, but rather because The Sound of Music is the first movie I remember seeing in a movie theater. I was 5 years old, and it was part of a double feature, the other being one of the The Planet of The Apes films. I later convinced myself I was probably misremembering. But, thanks to the internet, today I learned that The Sound of Music was re-released in 1973 (after an incredible 4.5 year first run) -- the same year as Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Why were these two oddballs paired together? The only reason I can think of is because both were distributed by 20th Century Fox. The world may never know.



Cheers, and stay dry.

[Matt Mauldin]

I'm skipping wine on a Saturday night in January, does that count?

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I'm skipping wine on a Saturday night in January, does that count?

Sure. You can call it Dayuary.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I am plugging (not chugging) along. This feels like the equivalent of the dog days of August. It's the first evening I missed a having glass of wine after dinner. This too, shall pass.

Tonight's song for this, the 17th day of Dryuary, is for those who experienced the crippling side of being a teenager. I'm not talking about the garden variety angst and awkwardness, but the bewildering cruelty and the hurt that knots the stomach. Janis Ian wrote this song when she was in her twenties, but the lyrics are retrospective wisdom beyond her years.

"I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired"

Nearly a minute longer than the three minute ditties of the day, the song was a huge hit. Janis performed this song on the first ever episode of Saturday Night Life, and won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.



Stay dry, folks.

[Steen T Olsen]

I don’t do a dry January—my birthday month—but am on call 2 weeks in a row every six weeks. I am dry those weeks so that’s 17 weeks a year. Depressing.

Same here. This is my Birthday month; I shall NEVER surrender to the Dry January mob. A couple of years ago, I did do 15 days of Dry January but they never overlap with my Birthday. ✌

[Russell Faulkner]

Confusing RHR data here:

Dry Monday - 48
Dry Tuesday - 47
Dry Wednesday - 48
Whole bottle Thursday - 50
Whole bottle Friday - 51
Whole bottle Saturday - 53
Half bottle Sunday - 46!

So do I conclude that sharing a bottle with my wife is optimal for my health?

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I don’t do a dry January—my birthday month—but am on call 2 weeks in a row every six weeks. I am dry those weeks so that’s 17 weeks a year. Depressing.

Same here. This is my Birthday month; I shall NEVER surrender to the Dry January mob. A couple of years ago, I did do 15 days of Dry January but they never overlap with my Birthday. ✌

January is also my birth month (16.01). I'll make up for it in February.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Slipped a little bit on the sweets today, but no vino no problemo.

The 18th day of Dryuary has a lot of obvious songs, but I like Heywood Banks. He's a midwestern silly songster.



Stay dry, everyone.

[Paul Miller]

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[Mike Cohen]

Still dry. Down 8lbs.

447 hours down. 297 hours to go.

[John O']

Check out this California Wine dinner by me. January 28. UGHHH!
https://www.sainturbanwinebar.com/wp-co ... a-Love.pdf

[Paul Miller]

Still dry. Down 8lbs.

447 hours down. 297 hours to go.

Still dry. Down 7lbs.

Counting down to Feb. 6.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Check out this California Wine dinner by me. January 28. UGHHH!
https://www.sainturbanwinebar.com/wp-co ... a-Love.pdf

Quite a list! Looks worth the price.

[ericskitei]

Longest I've gone without a drink in probably 20 years. Feels pretty good and I'm sleeping much deeper. That said, I may be cutting my dry January short for the fight on Saturday. 23 days seems long enough......

[Patrick T a y l o r]

We are more than halfway there. Yay us. I am going to bed hungry, but not hangry. This intermittent fasting thing seems to be working. I hope to continue it into February and beyond, just not every single day.

For this, the 19th day of Dryuary, I wanted to highlight Joe Jackson's "Nineteen Forever," as Joe is quite underrated. But my allegiance is to Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen." Steely Dan are the kings of coked-out, narcissistic, misanthropy wrapped in the most pristine sound and sublime chord progressions.

Fun fact: In college, Chevy Chase briefly played in a band with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. It's surprising that Chase did not thrive in his natural habitat. I lifted that joke from "Good Steely Dan Takes," a hilarious twitter account. Required reading for fans of the Dan. Link below.



https://twitter.com/baddantakes?lang=en

Stay dry, everyone.

[maureen nelson]

Ok, breaking the no wine fast soon. Headed to a friend’s heated (i hope) back patio to celebrate the inauguration of Biden/Harris. I am taking a mag of 2006 Taittinger CdC rose. Host will open comparable bottles I suspect. Already told my work colleagues that i will be unavailable shortly. They retaliated by making me get on a conf call at 8 and edit a client document this morning.

[Paul Miller]

Ok, breaking the no wine fast soon. Headed to a friend’s heated (i hope) back patio to celebrate the inauguration of Biden/Harris. I am taking a mag of 2006 Taittinger CdC rose. Host will open comparable bottles I suspect. Already told my work colleagues that i will be unavailable shortly. They retaliated by making me get on a conf call at 8 and edit a client document this morning.

I'm tempted to maybe do a shot.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

If I didn't break it for my birthday, I'm not breakng it for anything else.

[Mike Cohen]

Still dry. Down 8lbs.

447 hours down. 297 hours to go.

Still dry. Down 7lbs.

Counting down to Feb. 6.

I'm going to go til (at least) Feb. 5th. The first falls on a Monday and it seems easy to go for the rest of the work week.

For 3 of the past 4 years I've gone til the Friday of President's day weekend. Not sure if I'll make it all the way there this time.

[Jud Reis]

Dom on ice for us, sorry Patrick but this is too important a day not to celebrate. Will get back on the wagon tomorrow...

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Dom on ice for us, sorry Patrick but this is too important a day not to celebrate. Will get back on the wagon tomorrow...

Perfectly understandable.

[M Nichols]

Maybe this is a touch "Dampuary" but I'm dialing in my vermouth spritzers for those who have a little flexibility:
- 1 to 1.5 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth (omit if going all full-dry)
- .25 oz lemon juice
- .25 oz syrup (I'm using a smoked honey syrup but let's keep this easy)
- .5 oz fresh orange juice (optional)
- 4 full drops Bittermans Tiki Bitters
- 12 oz sparkling water
- Tinker as desired

This is autumnal, festive in color, and gives the impression of drinking without (much) drinking.

[Mich@el Ch@ng]

I was going to pop some PNVZ15 tonight but had a little heartburn so thought better of it, guess I’ll see it through to feb at this point now.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Maybe this is a touch "Dampuary" but I'm dialing in my vermouth spritzers for those who have a little flexibility:
- 1 to 1.5 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth (omit if going all full-dry)
- .25 oz lemon juice
- .25 oz syrup (I'm using a smoked honey syrup but let's keep this easy)
- .5 oz fresh orange juice (optional)
- 4 full drops Bittermans Tiki Bitters
- 12 oz sparkling water
- Tinker as desired

This is autumnal, festive in color, and gives the impression of drinking without (much) drinking.

That sounds really nice, kind of like a non-bourbon sparkling hot toddy. In February, I'd like to start making low-alcohol cocktails. Will put this on the list.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

I had a busy workday, so I'm not sure what was going on in the world today. Maybe something interesting happened.

On this, the 20th day of Dryuary, let's go with the Beatles. "It was twenty years ago today..." About 40 years ago today, I was playing the baritone in middle school band. For our concert performance, we played a medley of Sgt. Peppers tunes. We were really good, according to my pre-teen mind. It probably sounded a lot like this:



Stay dry, everybody.

[Patrick T a y l o r]

Another day, another dry. I have assumed control over the vino, but I am craving bread. I'll add that back to my diet in February and keep the intermittent fasting. Perhaps that will work.

There is no other choice but Rush for this, the 21st day of Dryuary. Especially today. It's the only time in recorded history where you can listen to 2112 at 21:12pm on the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century. Huzzah!



Stay dry, everyone.