Gotcha, thanks!
I picked up four of the Proxies at my local shop today. Going to give them a try over the next week.
Please post your thoughts! Iām curious if there is a thread for mocktails and other nonalcoholic beverages?
Iām not going dry, but what I am doing is savoring every drop of wine I drink and being more intentional with the bev count.
Seven down, twenty-four to go.
Iām not sure if thereās a non-alcoholic beverage thread, though there may be one about tea. Iāll take a deeper look over the weekend. I had no desire for wine, but around 9:30pm I was watching tv and felt like grabbing some snacks. So, I turned it off, mid-episode. I havenāt done that in quite a long time.
One nice thing about Dryuary is that Iāve been listening to a lot more music, basically as a prep for this post. 
Itās always been difficult to listen to music at work, or when I was younger, while doing homework. Iād rather spend the time simply listening. Music can bring back forgotten memories and evoke emotions, or it can be an escape. Kind of like a sipping nice glass of wine.
Tonightās musical selection is another waltz, āSmoke Gets In Your Eyes, Too,ā by comedian Heywood Banks. Heywood Banks is known for silly songs that all ages can enjoy. He primarily plys his trade in the Midwest, but has achieved some national recognition through regular appearances on the Bob & Tom syndicated radio show.
In āSmoke Gets In Your Eyes, Too,ā the narrator politely points out that the other personās forehead is on fire. Heywood begins by counting out the tempo ā āone, two, three, one two three.ā It has the feel of a soothing ballad.
When my kids were young, Heywoodās CDs were on regular rotation, which is why it got the nod over more obvious waltzes like Elvis Presleyās āAre You Lonesome Tonightā or Joe Cockerās version of āWith A Little Help From My Friends.ā And because it evoked a long forgotten memory.
In 2005, I was tucking my 3 year old son in for the night. The routine usually included a gentle bedtime song or two. One night, he whispered āOne, two, three, one, two three.ā It took a moment, but I smiled when I figured out what he was trying to communicate. Good times.
Enjoy!
Runner Up and Honorable Mention go to a couple other favorite Heywood Banks songs.
Runner Up
Me ān Annie - a hilarious, cautionary tale about the unintended effect of bad grammar.
Honorable Mention
Mean To Me - a song about being nice to your younger sibling.
Iām pleased to announce that I successfully completed a full course of Dryuary in 3 days, and am now celebrating the accelerated completion with a nice bottle of aged riesling. Not sure why it takes everyone else a full month to finish the exercise.
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LOL!! Iām still in remedial learning and might have to take summer school.
The Pellegrino Senza was on sale at my local Costco, in cans but very tasty and still zero calories. They add fruit extract, such as Morello cherry and pomegranate.
Would recommend.
Skaneateles? Wow! That is where I graduated from high school, what are the chances?
Made it through dinner out last night with no problem. The others at my table drank cocktails, which made it easier for me (I donāt drink any alcohol other than wine). I felt great driving home and am also noticing how much better I am sleeping.
Two more nights of excellent restaurant meals ahead this weekend but I am strong!
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Is it possibly to have a hangover from just drinking one of those Proxies? Cause my head hurts this morning. Haha!
How was the taste though?
I read that fast and swear it said alcohol school.
First, they are sealed with a wax capsule. For a good bottle of wine Iām looking forward to wax doesnāt bother me. For this juice blend it irritated the heck out of me because it took a good five minutes to get the wax off and the cork out.
The first one I tried was Sauvage. According to their website it is:
Core Components
Fruit:
Green Apple, Sauvignon Blanc Grapes
Acidity:
Verjus, Apple Vinegar
Spice:
Spruce Tips, Cedar, Juniper, Caraway
Body:
Bai Jian White Tea
Given those components I poured it into a Grassl Liberte. The apple vinegar note hit me square in the face. I would it equate it to a strong sour beer. Not my favorite note when my Iām drinking something that is a substitute for wine. The mouthfeel and viscosity is similar to a very light wine. On the palate I definitely picked up on the apple and white tea notes. I never really got much juniper until I switched to a Grassl 1855. Once I made that switch the nose was more muted (thankfully) and I picked up some secondary notes. About that time I also opened up some Wensleydale Cranberry cheese and a goat cheese with some dill mixed in. Adding the cheese (and a few cashews) brought out some more complexity in the juice and made it feel more like a wine substitute.
I have bottles of the Zephyr, Nightshade and Pastiche left. Will be curious to see how they do.
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Am about to turn on the SU basketball gameā¦If they keep playing the way they have lately, might need to join JonathanG in his accelerated version of Dry January and pull up some Knob Creek from the cellar. will definitely need something strong
Was just there running the dog on the snow covered football field. Sunny, picture post card day.
Good shooters, but theyāre not athletic enough. Miami exposed that pretty clearly. He needed to develop Benny Williams and have his son Jimmy come off the bench.
Cuse lost in Overtime, letās see how good my willpower isā¦Agree that Jim B needs to give Benny W more timeā¦
Eight down, twenty-four to go. Not drinking wine has been surprisingly easy. Iām not sure if I like that, as my cellar is pretty full.
This morning was my first weekly weigh-in, and I am down six pounds. My reward was a skillet full of shrimp and veggies, generously marinated in olive oil, lime juice, and Old Bay. I purposefully used less butter for cooking, so I wouldnāt be tempted to sop the pan with a piece or five of bread.
I hope you are seeing similar results.
While I still have not been sleeping well, I have been taking a nap here and there. They often result in strange dreams. I should start writing them down. Suffice it to say, based on the last two, my wife should start keeping a pair of pants in the car because I seem to dream without them.
This brings us to our musical selection, āDreamsā by The Cranberries, and Irish band that were very popular in the mid-1990s. You may remember their ubiquitous song āLinger.ā Fronted by singer Dolores OāRiordan, The Cranberries blended a variety of sounds, influenced by bands such as The Smiths and Joy Division, overlaid by OāRiordanās unique singing style that ranged from soft and tender to full on yodeling.
Since this is Dryuary, I must note that, in 2018, Dolores OāRiordan accidentally drowned in her bathtub due to excessive alcohol consumption. Her blood alcohol content was reported to be four times the legal limit. She was 46.
Pro tip: āDreamsā is best enjoyed with headphones or high quality speakers. There is so much detail: the shimmering guitar, the perfectly recorded drums, and Doloresā captivating voice.
Enjoy!
Runner-Up
āDonāt Dream Itās Overā - Crowded House
Honorable Mention
āDream a Little Dream of Meā - Michael Bubleā
Patrick - what time do you eat dinner? I might have asked you last year when you talked about poor sleep. Itās better for sleep to not eat within 3 hours of bedtime, I have read and found to be true. Can also avoid screens within a few hours of bed. Helps a lot of people.
I mentioned in another thread that I went to a wine shop yesterday, and walked out with a bottle of Weller. Itās been sitting on the counter for two nights taunting me.