Day ? Maggie & Arthur

Ooh, I actually had to check back to see what day it is. No, I know it's Tuesday, I meant what Sober Day - and it's 94.

For my bedtime reading, I've been revisiting my youth, and finding out all the stuff I didn't know about Mrs Thatcher. For example, I didn't know that she actually caused the Falkland's War, by an ill-judged approval to cut the defence budget which sent a signal to Argentina that she didn't care about defending the Falklands...big oops.
Anyhow, yesterday evening, I snuggled down with Mrs T, and who should join us, but Arthur Scargill!!
I had totally forgotten about him!

(Quick 1980's British Politics 101 - Mrs T (right wing saviour/mad woman, depending on your politics, determined to rid Britain of the "socialist scum" v Arthur Scargill , Marxist revolutionary/Luddite (again dependent on your point of view) - Big Showdown over coal mine closures. Mrs. T got the clear victory, Arthur Scargill slunk off to who knows where, the big losers were the manipulated miners)

Mrs T came to power in 1979 when I was eleven, and was booted out when I was twenty one.

You either Loved Her or Hated Her.

My Dad Loved Her. And I Loved to wind him up.

I delighted in provoking him. I wore CND * badges, quoted Karl Marx, wore "Free Nelson Mandela T-Shirt - ANYTHING to provoke a reaction!

My poor mum, one evening shouted "For God's sake! Can't we have just ONE family dinner without an argument?"

It was AWESOME!!

It all stopped when British politics slithered down into the cesspool of soundbites and spin doctors, and it was hard to figure out who stood for what, but for the best part of a decade, I squared off against my Dad - neither of us was for turning!!

Last night I was reminded about all these larger than life characters, who, at least had convictions.

I tried to remember what my convictions were. Did they slither into that same cesspool? Did I drown them with wine?

It's been a long time since I sharpened my debating skills, it's been a long time since I had a spark of passion to motivate me. Alcohol Induced Apathy.

But last night, as I relived the tumultuous 1980's, I remembered what it was like.

WB xx

* CND - Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.



 

Day 90 - Not My Circus....Not My Monkeys....

Yay! Day 90!

One huge benefit to this sober thing, is the ability to deal with the daily "drama" that life throws at you without  1. Overreacting to it and 2. Contributing to it

Today is not only day 90 of sobriety for me, but also Day 11 of BF#2's visit.

My patience is wearing thin, and although I have not even thought about running for wine, I have been locking myself away in my office, with a note on the door that says

"Working. Do not disturb unless you have coffee".

Inside the office, you can hear me chanting..

"Not my circus, not my monkeys, not my circus, not my monkeys"

Here's a small excerpt  of the daily drama....


Dramatic Scene 1.  WB, Mr.WB, BF#1, Mrs BF#1 and BF#2 sit around pretend camp fire.

BF#1, obnoxiously drunk, refers to Mrs BF#1 by his ex-wife's name. An awkward silence, as Mrs BF#1 exits the scene stage left, muttering "I've had enough of this F**king bullshit"
BF#1 follows, raised argumentative voices....fading out...
WB exits stage right, goes to bed to read book (about Mrs Thatcher, actually it's quite good)

Dramatic Scene 2. 

 Dusk.WB, Mr WB & BF#2 arrive home from pub (WB driving the truck, as Mr.WB begins to appreciate the benefits of her sobriety)
Arrive in the driveway to hear raised voices (more like screams) from next door, as very drunk BF#1 and Mrs. BF#1 duke it out on their deck.
WB exits stage right, goes to bed to read book. (I didn't know that Mrs Thatcher had a sister! Muriel!)

Dramatic Scene 3.

WB in bed with Mrs Thatcher.
Loud knock on the front door. Crying and sobbing can be heard from Mrs BF#1 as it becomes apparent that BF#1 has gone on a drunken rampage in his truck!! WTF??
She wants one of us to drive around looking for him.

Sounds like a really bad idea!!

WB (realizing that she is the only one who is stone cold sober, and therefore the only candidate for the proposed rescue expedition, hurriedly turns off the light and shoves Mrs Thatcher under the covers)

Stay tuned for more dramatic, alcohol-fuelled scenes...



I am so thankful that I am no longer drinking. Apart from a few days of PAWS, I have managed to stay calm and keep my sense of humour.

Every so often though, if you listen carefully, you can hear me chant under my breath "not my circus, not my monkeys, not my circus, not my monkeys...."

Have a wonderful Friday,

WB xx