SSIL75

I went to see a movie last night with a friend who is a normal drinker. The movie we wanted to see was only showing in one theater and my friend mentioned that they served alcohol which would be a nice bonus.

So we went to the movie and I got soda/popcorn and she got the same. I asked her why she didn't get alcohol and she said something like "I though it would be a real bar but they just had like random beer in the fridge. That's not what I was looking for".

It hit me that I would NEVER have been so discerning. If they were serving mouthwash I'd have had one (ok maybe not literally but you know what I mean). Even now, sober for about 3 months, I can say I can never imagine being able to 'take or leave' a drink like that.

I just am not and never will be a normal drinker.

coffeenut

Exactly!

BobGT

I'm like you, SSIL. Those normies are weird, lol.

Murray4x5

My wife and I have been going over to another couples house about once a month for years for dinner and to watch a movie, play games, or just talk. After quitting drinking I was shocked, and I mean SHOCKED to realize that all three of them took 90 minutes to finish their beers! I had always been totally concerned about my drinking that I had never noticed before.

We've gone over a couple times since I quit and I still marvel at how long they won't even touch their bottles between drinks. Truly fascinating and completely baffling!!!

Murray

VeeTee

great reminder - we aren't normal drinkers!

Fandy

i thought I was the only one who marvelled at how others drink slowly.....my friend can go through an entire dinner and desserts with only one glass of wine, if she wants more, it's like 2 ounces she'll pour in her glass...my other friend can make one beer last all evening...it goes flat before she'll finish it.

ME? I just needed an IV hook-up.

unfortunately, I can now also spot someone drinking as I used to....this is a beautiful, young woman with a baby. it's not my place to say anything and I hope it is not the norm for her.

DayTrader

I'm trying to start a revolution.......

I'm of the opinion that we alkies are the "normal" drinkers and it's the "social drinking" crowd with the problem. LOL


Hanging out and watching social drinkers drink is downright frustrating for me. They'll pass on a shot because it's "too strong." They'll let a mixed drink with rocks sit and sit and sit....until 90% of the ice has melted. They'll get up from dinner and not finish that last 3rd of a beer or a drink. They juuuust start to get a buzz on and STOP......because they're "feeling it" (my God man.....that's the time to pick up the pace! - to maintain that "feeling"). They'll go to a bar, say they want a drink but not to order it yet........because "they're not ready for it yet." As they finish 1 drink, when the bartender asks if they'd like another, they'll say silly things like, "no, no thanks...I'm good for now." They DON'T consider whether a bar has "free pour" (vs those horrrrrrrrrrible metered pouring systems that are the devil's creation!!) as a bonus or a reason to keep this or that place on the "my favorite places" list. They have never found that fabulous wonder-world alcohol can take you where ALL your problems go away and ALL you can see is opportunity, happiness, ease and comfort.

--How can missing out on all of that be "normal?"

(tongue in cheek.....of course)

stephnc

Great thread! About a week ago I moved into a house as a third roommate to two guys who were already living here. The day I moved in I noticed a half-empty bottle of red wine on the kitchen counter. Somehow that bottle has retained the same quantity of wine over the course of seven days now and counting...it's like magic!

And no, I'm not the least bit tempted by the wine...I mean jeez, a mere half bottle of wine wouldn't do diddly for me.;-)

craze283

Wow does that ever make sense. I guess we either never noticed or tried to ignore that we aren't "normal drinkers".

Cottonwoodchris

Oh, good grief, man, are you my evil twin? That's exactly how I used to think. We are normal, they aren't.

SSIL75

me too!! I would wonder at people who would order water while reading the drinks menu when they went to a restaurant. "Just water for now. I'm not sure what I want". not sure?? then order anything at all!

julez

I relate to this!! We have been hanging out with the same couple for years also, and recently, my friend was drinking a long island her husband made in this huge cup. She had about half of it gone and she goes "God, I am WASTED". I looked at her, she looked fine, no red eyes, no stumbling, no slurring, and I thought wow, she can feel the alcohol as it hits her. wth? For me I feel nothing until I'm so far gone I'm an idiot. How nice to FEEL it and STOP before its too late. I'll never know that feeling....

NEOMARXIST

I certainly can't relate to how most people think about, view and drink alcohol. I ain't never been like them, just a select few who I ever met who drank similar to me.

DayTrader - loved that post man! I relate to all that stuff you say. It reminds me of when I was on a session with some rich home-counties daddies girls and asked them how they felt after dropping some pills and they were saying how they "feel weird" ha-ha, well of course, that's why we take drugs vs being straight/sober.

Peace

startingagain

I can TOTALLY relate to this. It doesn't surprise me that there are so many alcoholics, but it shocks me that everyone isn't one, when drinking feels so great. (I know, I know, until it doesn't, but bear with me here). :P

Kmber2010

Great share SSIL and this thread is really interesting. I thought I was the only one who had a problem leaving a very good 1/2 glass mixed drink on the table or at the bar. I would be sucking it dry while half standing getting ready to leave.....oh boy.

My husband does it all the time. Nurses a beer and just leaves part of it on the table or he has a jack/coke while out and drinks some and leaves it for plain water or soda.

I just know that I am not like that and will never be. I order my sprite and I'm content....I get free refills and have as much as I like....hehe.

LawMama

I totally relate, also. One of my good friends has a wine collection at her apartment that she rarely dips into. Makes no sense to me. When I was drinking, I couldn't be there for long before I started to get annoyed that we weren't popping bottles. Once I did get her to start opening them and everyone was just shocked that I drank a bottle of wine by myself. I'm thinking, "seriously? A bottle of wine is 4 glasses, that's nothing!"

Toronto68

SSIl, it sounds like you are experiencing a kind of freedom then. I have a hybrid answer for that. I would have been like your friend normally. That means if they had canned beer, I would have passed. I always had to have my own kind of beer and even brought my own when people insisted it would be provided at parties. (Rude of me in a way, but there you go.) But I also know that if I was all out and knew it would take a day or so before I could have more, I might give in. I can remember being out before and remembering, Ah, there's that vodka still sitting there, that'll do. And then having a Thank God feeling.

That's all gone now for me.

phineas

This reminds me, when I participated in the family program at the rehab center my exagf was (I'm not an alcoholic). We somehow got to talk about airports, and I said "there's no way I'll pay $10 for half a pint of beer at those airport bars". So the counselor said: "you're obviously not an alcoholic".

Eddiebuckle

How I hated flying, especially if I had layovers. The bar tab always cost more than parking. And those stupid shot measuring things were ALWAYS used.

Isaiah

Even at my worst I managed to maintain one small shred of discernment. I could never drink cheap beer. Even at times when I wanted a drink and that was all that was present I wouldn't do it. The snob was actually stronger than the addict.

Of course, I didn't mind the turpentine-like stuff that gets passed off as cheap vodka. I'd stick to that, but I wouldn't touch a Miller Lite. Cunning, baffling and at times even inconsistent.