Champagne. Or: living life more enthusiastically

“I get no kick from champagne, mere alcohol doesn’t thrill me at all” ~ Anything Goes

Or, as defined by my dictionary

Champagne (n): the sparkling, dry, white table wine from the region of Champagne in France; anything considered the best or luxurious

 

 

I do get a kick from champagne. I love champagne. I find it exotic, I find enjoyable, and I most assuredly find it thrilling.

My New Year’s resolution for this year was to drink more champagne. An indulgent, decadent, and solely about me resolution. But it wasn’t just about champagne, per se. It was about that being an expression of living, of enjoying, of embracing life, just for me.

I don’t like resolutions generally as they seem to be about abstinence or self-improvement. Both of those things are big, especially at the start of a new year. How can you be expected to get the date right if you are pondering if you are allowed to eat another rice cake or what time your Zumba class starts?

That’s not to say abstinence or self-improvement are bad concepts, I just subscribe to the idea that we can start those at any time and I don’t believe that January is necessarily the best time to do so.

Equally, I could resolve to drink more champagne at any time of the year. But having had quite a few negative experiences in recent years, I wanted to mark the start of this year by saying I was exclusively and indulgently going to do something for me. I wasn’t going to be quaffing it every night, I am not made of money and my liver wouldn’t thank me. But I definitely intended to drink more than  my previous maybe once or twice a year intake.

Inevitably I lost my way with champagne as life happened. I wasn’t indulging myself. I wasn’t living. And it took a sad occurrence to remind me that actually these things matter. An online friend tweeted that her cat had died and shared this photo:

 

https://twitter.com/lovelyjojo/status/584696232460820480

“If something’s worth doing it’s worth doing enthusiastically.”

What a sentiment right there. I adore this notion. Yes, let’s absolutely live life more enthusiastically.

I then shared this notion with my erstwhile ally @ManyTypesofTea who, upon seeing the photo, said “let’s stick our faces in the glass of life”

Another excellent sentiment.

Life is hard work. Even the basics can be exhausting; getting up, moving, washing, eating, and that’s before we even enter notions of work or looking for work, relationships, other people.

So I think it matters to take time to indulge ourselves. How can we embrace life with enthusiasm if we only focus on the hard work? What price that hard work if we don’t stop to make time to indulge and experience what life has to offer?

I’m not saying you should all go and drink champagne, but please think of something you can do that’s just for you. It may be as simple as 30 seconds at your window, just taking that time to watch the world go by. It might be a treat of a material nature, it might be a walk in the park or travel to somewhere you have never been. Anything. But do it with enthusiasm and for yourself. No-one else is a part of this. This is your exclusive, indulgent, decadent time; treat yourself with enthusiasm and stick your face in the glass of life.

Interested in your thoughts, as always. I’m now off to open a bottle, pour a glass, and stick my face in it.

 

Princess

 

The Moroccan Standard

“Ooh she’s got standards but you’re cool if you’re at twenty five                                   Ooh she’s got standards til you put a twinkle in her eye” ~ The Rifles

Or, as defined by my dictionary:

Standard (n): a level of quality, an accepted example of something against which others are judged or measured

I have always wanted to go to Morocco. I once expressed this wish and a guy I worked with at the time gave me the ‘sage’ advice that I should only go with a man who wouldn’t trade me in for a camel. Bit harsh, I thought, surely I’m worth more than just one camel?

Anyway, this was too daft not to be repeated to my friends and it quickly became the Morocco Standard; a benchmark by which any man I thought about dating was measured. Forget tall, dark, and handsome, just will you trade me in a for a camel if we go to Morocco? It certainly made for some interesting first date conversations.

After a time the Morocco Standard became a bit dull. My friends and I toyed with a few other random standards but the best one was the Champagne Standard. In essence, I was only interested in a man who knew how to correctly open a bottle of champagne. This is absolutely NOT how they do it on the podium after an F1 race. You hold the cork and turn the bottle. Shocking how many people can’t do this properly.

Then there was the Kettle Standard. Quite simply, I wanted a man with a decent kettle as mine was rubbish. Yes, I know I could buy a new one but that’s hardly the point, is it? Note for the application of this, it doesn’t work if he moves in but doesn’t bring the kettle.

So what about you guys? What are your unusual Standards? Please say it’s not just me that has these? Thoughts (& applications to take me to Morocco) on a comment box-shaped postcard, please.

 

Princess