Teetotal in Soho on a Friday night

Yes, I am currently teetotal and yes, I was out in Soho last night. Considering Soho on a Friday night is pretty much synonymous with post work drinking, I thought this might pose a challenge to my "I will not drink any alcohol in the two weeks leading up to the marathon" pledge.

For those that may not be familiar with the term teetotal, you may now realize that it means abstinence from alcohol. I don't think I'd heard of the term until I moved to the UK, and I originally assumed it might have something to do with the British love for tea. It made sense to equate teetotal with a decision to drink tea in lieu of any alcohol... something now tells me that is not the case, however when I just had a quick look on Wiki the etymology of the word was vague to say the least.

Anyway -

It was my colleague's 25th birthday so my office went to a cute cocktail bar in Soho to celebrate. The cocktail list looked yummy and it made me really want a drink. Now those of you that know me know that I don't need alcohol to talk!, or to enjoy a social night out. But after a long week of work, when faced with an extensive cocktail list, I felt weak. A gin and tonic would really have taken the edge off the blaring music too.

But I was strong in true athletic spirit, stayed on the water and had a fun night. I don't mean to sound mournful. I'm really not an alcoholic. In fact, my going out has been at minimum over the last couple of months. It just goes to show the strength of temptation emanating from the festive Friday spirit of Soho! Maybe that's why everyone there is always so drunk! My favorite spots from last night include a guy shoved face to the wall being restrained by two cops who didn't seem to be talking to him but holding him in one position (maybe holding him up?) and a young couple the middle (not the side) of the sidewalk shamelessly making out while people staggered around and into them. They didn't seem to care or notice.

Around that time I reconsidered missing my drink for the night - who needs a £6.50/glass buzz when there's so much free entertainment for the sharp eyed taking!