Latest news with #SaturatedSaturday
Sydney Morning Herald
01-08-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Finished Dry July? Try Spud-free September next
As you read this, I'll have just finished Dry July. I'll be enjoying Saturated Saturday. Or perhaps Seriously Sozzled Sunday. Just kidding, of course, the whole point of Dry July is to reset your relationship with the demon drink, hopefully in a lasting way. All the same, there were some tough moments, particularly when searching for zero-alcohol wines. One 'shiraz' was so poor I turned over the label to ascertain which of Australia's wine-making districts was responsible for the horror. Barossa perhaps? Coonawarra? In fact, the winery listed its address as Surry Hills, which did make me wonder from which side of Crown Street they'd sourced the grapes. Another problem: you decide to distract yourself by watching a bunch of TV shows, only to realise that the characters in almost every program are constantly drinking. Hardly a scene goes by without everyone tucking into a glass of chardonnay, pouring a frothy beer, or marching into a party in which they are offered champagne in attractively frosted flutes. Maybe they need a special warning at the start of the film. Not so much 'strong sex scenes' as 'constant drinking.' It reminded me of the time we were renovating our kitchen. Whatever the drama, in any kitchen-based scene I was constantly distracted by the choice of benchtop. 'Did you see that brutal murder,' I'd ask Jocasta, 'and how easily the killer wiped the blood off those Corian benchtops? Maybe that's the surface we should get.' Jocasta would nod her agreement. 'Yes, and the knife block, from which he sourced the murder weapon, appears to keep the blades nice and sharp.' There's a problem, too, for those of us with addictive personalities, as you tend replace one vice with another. I still remember giving up smoking 40 years ago, creating a spike in the sales of Tim Tams that must have caused the Arnott's factory employees to work triple shifts. Every time I wanted a cigarette, particularly on a long drive, I'd reach for another packet of Tim Tams. Sydney to Goulburn was not so much 194 kilometres as three packs of Tim Tams and a strawberry milk chaser. This time around it's been dark chocolate – the New Zealand brand is the best – cashews, and the inhalation of a whole avocado at about 9pm each night. Dry July may have helped my liver, but not the size of my belly. The most lasting limit on my drinking may be my inability to fit through the turnstiles at the local grog shop.
The Age
01-08-2025
- The Age
Finished Dry July? Try Spud-free September next
As you read this, I'll have just finished Dry July. I'll be enjoying Saturated Saturday. Or perhaps Seriously Sozzled Sunday. Just kidding, of course, the whole point of Dry July is to reset your relationship with the demon drink, hopefully in a lasting way. All the same, there were some tough moments, particularly when searching for zero-alcohol wines. One 'shiraz' was so poor I turned over the label to ascertain which of Australia's wine-making districts was responsible for the horror. Barossa perhaps? Coonawarra? In fact, the winery listed its address as Surry Hills, which did make me wonder from which side of Crown Street they'd sourced the grapes. Another problem: you decide to distract yourself by watching a bunch of TV shows, only to realise that the characters in almost every program are constantly drinking. Hardly a scene goes by without everyone tucking into a glass of chardonnay, pouring a frothy beer, or marching into a party in which they are offered champagne in attractively frosted flutes. Maybe they need a special warning at the start of the film. Not so much 'strong sex scenes' as 'constant drinking.' It reminded me of the time we were renovating our kitchen. Whatever the drama, in any kitchen-based scene I was constantly distracted by the choice of benchtop. 'Did you see that brutal murder,' I'd ask Jocasta, 'and how easily the killer wiped the blood off those Corian benchtops? Maybe that's the surface we should get.' Jocasta would nod her agreement. 'Yes, and the knife block, from which he sourced the murder weapon, appears to keep the blades nice and sharp.' There's a problem, too, for those of us with addictive personalities, as you tend replace one vice with another. I still remember giving up smoking 40 years ago, creating a spike in the sales of Tim Tams that must have caused the Arnott's factory employees to work triple shifts. Every time I wanted a cigarette, particularly on a long drive, I'd reach for another packet of Tim Tams. Sydney to Goulburn was not so much 194 kilometres as three packs of Tim Tams and a strawberry milk chaser. This time around it's been dark chocolate – the New Zealand brand is the best – cashews, and the inhalation of a whole avocado at about 9pm each night. Dry July may have helped my liver, but not the size of my belly. The most lasting limit on my drinking may be my inability to fit through the turnstiles at the local grog shop.
