Friday, December 07, 2012

HBH 314

Now that winter's come,
The impulse to drink returns -
Proof against the cold.


Well, I say the cold - the idea we often call 'the beer coat', alcohol reducing your sensitivity to  cold. (Doctors, of course, always insist that in fact alcohol increases your susceptibility to hypothermia; but one of the cooks on the Titanic famously survived for hours in the icy water despite - or perhaps because of - having got himself blind drunk in the last minutes before the ship went down, which seems to argue against that theory.)

In fact, I think it's the dark that gets to me more. Having the daylight disappear at 4.30 in the afternoon stokes my depression, and it's solace or distraction from that that I seek.


2 comments:

KingTubby said...

Hate to be the bearer of jealous tidings, but am experiencing hot days and exquisite evenings. Up at 4.30am to the sound of full bird song orchestra.

And a big day to look forward to. My local rural fire brigade (yes, I fight fires FROOG) Xmas party. I do the sound system and photography, put away much scran as possible, sneak out for a few weapons grade spliffs, drink moderately and try to convince the local community that I'm respectable.

Probably only fool half the crowd a quarter of the time, but it promises to be fun.

Head for a career in the tropics, FROOG. No one in hot climates counts your drinks.

Froog said...

Yes, jealous, jealous, jealous. Have a great time, KT.

I might just treat myself to my first spliff of the year to try to simulate some of that tropical mellow.

My problem is that I like heat but can't stand humidity. Most places in the tropics are far too steamy for me. I might be able to stand an island somewhere, maybe. I have some good memories of Jamaica, Fiji, Tahiti. Well, very mixed memories of Fiji - but some good in amongst the bad.