Unwanted gifts

[peggy]

Well, you do have a point Steve. We do seem to make different rules for booze.
Since we do drink wine, and it keeps, the bottles will go into our wine rack to be enjoyed later. As for the beer, we're having another party in a few weeks and it should go for that. I just need to stand strong and convince my hubby we don't need to buy any more! He always worries about not having enough.

[Teacher Terry]

i would think that if you don't drink you would know someone that did and gift it to them. If you get a figurine you don't want you donate it which is different then throwing it away. When we got married I bought a variety of liquor and bought a ton of beer. I was used to Wis weddings where everyone drinks beer. Well this is Nevada and not the case. We had beer for a couple of years.

[Gardnr]

Yes, really, pour it out.

This site is chock-full of threads with people ridding their homes of 10, 30, 100 items in short periods of time. As for "disrespectful to the giver", once a gift is given, it belongs to the recipient and they get to decide what to do with it. And, again, this does not seem to be a problem for other kinds of gifts; only for booze. I don't understand that. If you don't want it in your house, it shouldn't be in your house, whether it's a bottle of Scotch or a ceramic figurine or a Popeil Pocket Fisherman.

I concur with Steve. It is interesting that some people would consider specific items must be retained. I suppose you could let that stuff own you?

[catherine]

I agree that there should not be anything sacrilegious about pouring alcohol down the drain. That topic might be a great whole other thread: "Simple drinking"?

As most know, I have a strong family history of alcohol abuse/alcoholism, but I am not like some whose pendulum swung the other way after experiencing the negative consequences of alcohol. I'm not alcoholic, but I do have a glass of wine often during the week, very unapologetically.

But I have to admit, I saw this chart once, and it alarmed me to think that I'm in the 8th decile (some weeks, ninth) of alcohol consumption in the US!

This is definitely a thread hijack, so if anyone would be interested in responding let me know and I'll put make a new thread.

Seemed to fit in with Steve's reply and the reaction it got.

[JaneV2.0]

I'm near the bottom, but I'm erratic. I buy a bottle of brandy; I may have a shot a few times a week--so maybe between the 4th and 5th decile. When the bottle's gone, I forget about alcohol for months. I haven't been tipsy since I was in my thirties. I don't drink enough for it to affect me for good or ill. That top decile is scary--I wonder what percentage of tipplers that represents. Also, it would be interesting to see how we stack up against other countries.

[iris lilies]

... That top decile is scary--I wonder what percentage of tipplers that represents. Also, it would be interesting to see how we stack up against other countries.

I drink 2 - 3 bottles of red wine a week. Thats in the scary 8-10 section.

While Im not actively worried about my relationship with alcohol, I DO pay attention to it.

I never drink and drive. We are at home or in the neighborhood, usually. And then, DH isnt a drinker so he is always designated driver whever we are.

It just occurred to me that a drinks and gardening event I am attending tomorrow is out in the county, and DH was called away. Hmmm, I will have one glass since
I have to drive.Hopefully, this will be an active event with interesting things happening.

[iris lilies]

I have little family involvement in alcohol, I am 62 years old, and so its unlikely Ill turn into an alchoholic at this late stage.

just yesterday I was marveling to myself about how my sister in law had an alcoholic mother and sil doesnt drink at all. Same thing for my cousin. Then I learned yesterday that Donald Trump does not drink be ause he had an alcoholic brother who died early in life. Serving as a cautionary tale provides a useful role in society for thse heavy drinkers, somewhat mitigating the huge damage they do.

[JaneV2.0]

There's a big difference between two drinks a night and ten. When I was a young drinker, I might drink several drinks over a five or six hour period, but if I had ten I wouldn't be walking. Looking back on my partying days, it's a wonder nothing disastrous happened to me.

[Geila]

I agree that there should not be anything sacrilegious about pouring alcohol down the drain. That topic might be a great whole other thread: "Simple drinking"?

As most know, I have a strong family history of alcohol abuse/alcoholism, but I am not like some whose pendulum swung the other way after experiencing the negative consequences of alcohol. I'm not alcoholic, but I do have a glass of wine often during the week, very unapologetically.

But I have to admit, I saw this chart once, and it alarmed me to think that I'm in the 8th decile (some weeks, ninth) of alcohol consumption in the US!

This is definitely a thread hijack, so if anyone would be interested in responding let me know and I'll put make a new thread.

Seemed to fit in with Steve's reply and the reaction it got.

How could someone have 73 drinks a week???

[jp1]

How could someone have 73 drinks a week???

It's doable but not in any sort of healthy living context. Augusten Burroughs is an author who has written a number of autobiographical books about his very messed up childhood and the resulting effects it has had on his adult life. In his early adult years he was at first a functional alcoholic and eventually a full blown, seriously drunk 24/7 alcoholic. From the quantities mentioned in his books he was likely drinking quite a bit more than 73 drinks/week. Possibly double that or more. Needless to say, he would most likely be dead by now if he hadn't stopped drinking.