Useless Conversation

[Sand]

I used to drink maybe a beer a week or so prior to the surgery especially if grilling out on the weekends.
Havent been able to drink in a couple months though. I smoke a bowl instead every so often.

[Sjofn]

I only get drunk with Ingmar's parents these days. The bottles of wine just ... keep appearing. And then the baby pictures come out. 

[Cyrrex]

I only rarely have a couple glasses of wine during family functions anymore, and even then I usually don't.  Used to do it all the time, but every since I quit smoking and getting into shape a few years ago, I've just sort of weened myself off it it.  Don't miss it at all, which is good for me because there is quite a history in my family for alcoholism (and I've been close to getting into that territory myself).

[Ironwood]

Scottish.

[lamaros]

Australian.

[IainC]

Australian.

To be fair though, beer is for delicate little girls who can't handle a proper drink.

[lamaros]

I have a record for some eastern european homebrew spirit too. 

But actually I don't drink a whole lot these days, I generally only have a horrible hangover about once every month or two.

[Merusk]

Since some folks have mentioned other substances: I don't do those either.

Didn't drink until 21, never done drugs - yes that includes pot, never smoked.  I grew up seeing enough of its effects on other people that none of it interested me.

Plus I'm just fucking weird.  I'd rather not know how I'd act when adversely affected by such chemical stimulants on a regular basis.

[Ironwood]

I'm one of those odd folks for whom pot has no effect at all.

True story.  Makes my Amsterdam trips quite boring.

[Merusk]

I thought the entire point of Amsterdam trips for Euros was to do shit other than pot.

[Ironwood]

I'm fairly certain that the point of Amsterdam worldwide is to do everything you can get away with.

[Merusk]

Oh I get it now; pot's the only thing you were willing to admit to.  My error!

[Bunk]

I stopped bringing beer home over two years ago and it was one my best decisions. I do drink dealchoholized beer though, because otherwise the only thing I enjoy drinking is Coke. I'll buy maybe a bottle of wine every couple of months. When I go out to eat though, I almost always have a beer - its just part of the eating out experience to me.

Oh and yes, my parents (and sister) are good at getting me sloshed with them.

Despite being a BC guy, my total bud usage in my life wouldn't fill up a matchbox.

[Minvaren]

I thought the entire point of Amsterdam trips for Euros was to do shit other than pot.

Minus shrooms, which they banned due to tourist shenanigans.

I drink a few times a week - though it seems like my alcohol tolerance has actually declined a bit since I started the home brewing...

[ghost]

Maybe your homebrew is a bit more stout than you think?   

[RhyssaFireheart]

I barely even drink socially.  I don't mind wine and actually like trying some out, but as soon as I start eating, the taste of the wine changes and I don't like it anymore.  I've never learned to drink beer and I'm absolutely fine with that.  Anything else is just meh.  I'm fine with not drinking and prefer my iced tea.

[Sky]

I have a couple every night (sometimes three if I'm feeling crazy, and then only if they're all light). Usually just a light beer, I ration my good beers. And once I have a few bucks in my pockets my bottle of Laphroaig may return to my shelf. Can't wait for that (even if I drink it on ice like a heathen).

I haven't been drunk in well over ten years. I don't drink to get drunk, I just enjoy the beverages.

I really miss the occasional bowl of really good pot, but I've left behind my law-breaking days. If it were legalized I would probably grow a couple nice hybrids for personal use and be quite happy with a saturday night bowl, but I don't miss it enough to break the law or even if I did, to bother with the shit commercial crap the morons around here have (I don't know any farmers any more). All other drugs I've done, I don't mind leaving in the dust. Coke never did a lot for me (yay adhd), lsd is too intense and I've already gotten what I needed from it (in a spiritual sense).

[HaemishM]

I'm a cheap date these days. I can drink a beer and get a tiny buzz, an hour later, I'll be asleep. Glass of wine works about the same on me. I just don't have any tolerance, but I really don't mind that. I haven't been drunk in like 15 years or more. I've been a bit buzzed but that's about it. Getting drunk lost its allure long ago. Now I only drink because I want the taste, which is why I'm usually grabbing a pick 6 assortment of beers so I can taste a bunch of different ones. Fuck hangovers in the goathole.

[ghost]

Yeah, I'm done with it.  I don't even really like the taste that much any more. 

[NowhereMan]

I drink pretty rarely nowadays, like far too many people here it seems regular drinking is confined to visiting parents (or more specifically when I'm with my dad where the wine just keeps flowing). I did used to get drunk quite a lot during my Uni days and have far too many blackout nights (I was particularly bad about being functional, though drunk, and not remembering shit). That's not something I've done for a few years though and I largely blame on the fact that I drink partly through habit, and I don't mean alcohol drink I'm the exact same with coffee or water. I can easily go through a liter of coffe and don't really notice until I start getting jittery and feeling out of sorts. The only exception is sugary drinks that leave me feeling sick pretty quickly. The problem when I'm out is I really like the taste of alcoholic drinks, perfectly happy to savour them but after a few hours of drinking I'll have finished off far too much. I've learned that the best way to deal with it is not to bother ordering anything and sticking to water/diet coke.

Honestly it amazes me how many of you aren't bothered with not drinking because you don't like the taste of alcoholic drinks. I can understand objecting to the whole drunk and insensible aspect of them but if I could drink wine/beer/whiskey that tasted the same without any alcohol that'd be pretty much all I ever had. I can say my reduction in drinking has correlated pretty strongly with a reduction in going out as well, I'll still enjoy the odd glass of wine with dinner or night cap but it's generally been social drinking. That said I do feel infinitely better when I wake up in the mornings and I find even a pint or two is enough to really dull the edge off my desire to hit the gym at 0630.

[ghost]

That said I do feel infinitely better when I wake up in the mornings and I find even a pint or two is enough to really dull the edge off my desire to hit the gym at 0630.

This is a big part of it for me, as well. 

I'm surprised at how many of you say that most of your drinking comes from hanging out with your parents.  That seems off to me, for some reason. 

[murdoc]

I would say that my drinking is on the upper end of 'social'. I usually just have a couple beers, sometimes three - but I'll do that 5-6 times a week during the summer. In the winter it tails off a bit, but I'll have a beer with most of my meals. I cannot remember the last time I was "drunk".

[ghost]

A big thing for me is that I tend to feel drunk after ~3 drinks, but if I have less than 3 it gives me insomnia.  That sucks.

[Lantyssa]

I'm one of those odd folks for whom pot has no effect at all.

Same.

[MuffinMan]

I'm so sorry.

[Xanthippe]

I hate pot.  It makes me stupid and sleepy and paranoid, and the pot today is a different breed than when I was in high school.  It's legal here (with a medical card) but I have no interest in it whatsoever.

Beer, now, is another story.  1 beer is necessary with Mexican food (which we eat on a regular basis).  2 beer buzz is the best drug in the world, and it's nicely limiting.  3 beers and it's no longer just a buzz, it interferes with my sleep, and I feel it the next day.  Heck, I'm beginning to have 2 beers do that.  I would drink beer every single day if I could without weighing 200 lbs. 

I would drink beer, though, even if it had no alcohol because I love the flavor.  I have unfortunately not found a good beer that doesn't contain alcohol, and some beers give me a headache (especially the bitterer ones - which sucks because I love bitter beers like IPAs).  I pretty much stick to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as my go-to-no-headache-nectar-of-the-gods drink. 

Beer or wine add to my enjoyment of a meal.

Husband loves single malt scotch the way I love beer.  <shudder>

[Evildrider]

I'm one of those odd folks for whom pot has no effect at all.

Same.

My condolences. 

I think I'd have gone mental at some point in my life without the love of Mary Jane.

[Mrbloodworth]

It makes me stupid and sleepy and paranoid,

This describes me on alcohol. Also, Wondering hands.

[Sky]

I hate pot.  It makes me stupid and sleepy and paranoid, and the pot today is a different breed than when I was in high school.  It's legal here (with a medical card) but I have no interest in it whatsoever.

If you're not into it, that's cool. But be aware there are a lot of different strains that give a lot of different effects. We used to breed for a really active, energetic high; mostly because we would smoke and then play thrash metal back when we were growers. Growing was a lot of fun, the genetic experiments were one of my favorite things, I had charts!

The pot "today" is like the stuff we were growing, super potent. Because rather than smoke like a chimney to get an effect, you could take a couple puffs and be good. And the flavors were amazing. If all you've tried was commercial stuff from a 'dealer', you really haven't had the proper experience.

Two separate drug topics today, odd.

[Evildrider]

I hate pot.  It makes me stupid and sleepy and paranoid, and the pot today is a different breed than when I was in high school.  It's legal here (with a medical card) but I have no interest in it whatsoever.

If you're not into it, that's cool. But be aware there are a lot of different strains that give a lot of different effects. We used to breed for a really active, energetic high; mostly because we would smoke and then play thrash metal back when we were growers. Growing was a lot of fun, the genetic experiments were one of my favorite things, I had charts!

The pot "today" is like the stuff we were growing, super potent. Because rather than smoke like a chimney to get an effect, you could take a couple puffs and be good. And the flavors were amazing. If all you've tried was commercial stuff from a 'dealer', you really haven't had the proper experience.

Two separate drug topics today, odd.

Lol srsly.

Yeah the potency has change alot and there is alot more variety.  Although I have such a high tolerance it can suck some times, but I've been smoking pretty much daily for over 20 years.

[ghost]

You know, now that I think about it I am surprised that pot doesn't effect Ironwood.  That Scottish pot is some of the best around, I hear. 

[Minvaren]

If you're not into it, that's cool. But be aware there are a lot of different strains that give a lot of different effects.

A vaporizer with good temperature control can also isolate the desired effects across strains, and avoids tar deposits in the lungs.   

[Sky]

A vaporizer with good temperature control can also isolate the desired effects across strains, and avoids tar deposits in the lungs.   

That was after my time, dern kids.

[Ingmar]

I'm surprised at how many of you say that most of your drinking comes from hanging out with your parents.  That seems off to me, for some reason. 

My parents are drinkers, what can I say? Not to the point of alcoholism, but possibly only just. But to be fair if you went to Cal football games for 50 years you'd need to to a lot of drinking too.

[Bunk]

That's my parents too. Also doesn't help that half the time I get to see them is either at the racetrack (my Dad drag races) or camping.