Robert Fairhead

Memories of an old mate from Perth supporting my Dry July challenge on a visit to Sydney in 2022 by drinking Heineken 0.0 beers with me at the Watsons Bay pub. Win-win! 🍻

Just as well I wasn't at the pub last Thursday when the Swannies melted away against the Dockers in the second half. I may have been tempted to have something stronger than Heaps Normal! 😬 (Nah! 😂)

Resisted the temptation to join my brother in a glass of full-strength red during a family board game last night and enjoyed an aptly named 0.0% Tread Softly Pinot Noir instead. 🍷

In 2022, I wrote a blog post about my 10 years of experience with Dry July, first as a donor in 2012, and then as a "Frequent Dryer" from 2013. As I admitted in the post, my early Dry Julys were easy, but then they became more difficult. Thankfully, so far this year's been another easy Dry July. 😉 (Link to post: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/ten-years-of-dry-july)

Enjoyed a lunchtime 0.0% beer with my brother today on our coastal walk to Bondi.

Since my first Dry July in 2013, I've taken sabbaticals, in 2019 when I was up the Top End for a family wedding and campervan tour, and 2016 and 2017, when I had trips to Melbourne for my son's water polo championship and Perth to catch up with my dad and family. My brother "subbed" for me in 2019, and I donated to his Dry July. But in 2016 and 2017, I completed what I called "Mostly Dry July and One Week of August". 🍻

Memories of surviving my first week of Dry July in 2018 (my sixth year of the fundraiser challenge!). 8 years on, I still enjoy Cranberry & Pomegranate teas, but I've moved on from Blood Orange & Citrus and other sugary soda fixes, preferring a tasty pint of Guinness 0.0 at night! 😉