what to do when...

What do you do when you've imposed a no-alcohol January?
I feel bereft as the clock strikes 7pm and the kids are brushing their teeth or fighting over who gets to sit on the loo first or pretending to suddenly have an urgent appointment with another Mr-Man book downstairs and therefore develop deafness which reminds me of our old dog Polly who used to run away on walks and we'd all end up shouting ourselves horse (ha! that looks so funny. to shout myself horse! oh sadness that I find myself funny, no one else does... its like my own support group, run by me) trying to find her... and I am wondering around the house without a wine glass in my hand or a bottle of something tasty in the fridge.
However. Although I feel bereft of the habit (so, what I miss essentially is the action of opening the fridge and filling up a large glass and hearing that noise of the wine leaving the bottle and glubbing into the glass and taking a greedy sniff followed by a greedier gulp followed by a long sigh of relief - as it generally signals the end of the working day) I actually don't really miss the feeling of having drinking the stuff.
I am really surprised that I don't miss it more.
However. (Again) I realise too that my social calendar for January is sparsely populated with appointments which I think makes the imposed embargo a whole lot easier.
Being the socially inept shy day creature that I am, I do find that holding a well supped glass of wine (I'm not really too fussy about the colour, although if its fizzy that really is a bonus point to the host) helps bring out the well hidden night time party animal that I keep shrouded behind glasses and cheap jumpers from TU.
So what do you do instead of getting a bit tiddly?
Well, January is a time for Thank you letters (an art that I fear is fast fading from the etiquette of present giving and receiving and hosting and hostessing or general just being a brilliantly helpful friend / relative / employee... - thanks seems to very readily be given via text or email now. Which is fine if its just a 'cheers for the cuppa' but y'know, when something big has taken place, a letter (hand written, remember what that's all about? Pen! ink! Paper! Stamps!? quoi?) encapsulates an emotion so perfectly... I don't know, I think maybe I was bought up in the wrong decade), so I have been doing some thank you letters.
Other things to do when not out on the lash releasing the inner night-owl:
sort the photo album (I bet yours is more than a year out of date?);
clear out the basement full of rotting old furniture;
try and get in touch with a structural engineer to reassure one that the house isn't going to eat itself due to subsidence;
make phone calls to friends!
empty out the kids drawers full of tat and clothes for 12month olds;
eat chocolate as a booze replacement;
and finally have long hot baths whilst reading latest novel.
Oh - my book club book is now: Lucky Jim (Kingsley Amis). Oh me. Its making me laugh out loud (LOL!!! as text speech would have it - oh, get me a vom bucket). You should read it. And then we can discuss it. Or as in the past, I'll just discuss it on my own because no one invites me to their book club.
No booze January is actually doing me lots of good and I really do feel like my halo is beginning to glow again very dimly.
Oh, and also, I do feel a bit more clear headed and able to think in a bit more logical way. Which is why I've decided to go and have a boob job and a tummy tuck.