Hair of the dog. The vicious cycle of life which can haunt the person who lives by themselves. When you live with others, youll quite happily sit with a hot chocolate and watch a documentary on The Worlds Deadliest Fresh Water Fish. A beer, or a glass of wine, is a treat. The problem with living by yourself is that you can treat yourself all of the time. Gone to the toilet? Congratulations! Have a beer. Switched on the TV? Great! Have a beer. Eaten a sausage roll? Incredible achievement. Better have a beer. The problem is, once you treat yourself all of the time its like you turn into both Pavlov AND the dog. Any little thing deserves a treat. That also means that once youve hurdled those little obstacles you feel the need to have a little party. Beer turns into wine. Wine is replaced by whiskey. Whiskey is replaced by hair of the dog beer. Drinking alone is a lonely business. The only thing more lonely is the walk of shame every fortnight as your take your recycling box out into the street underscored by the clink of a hundred bottles as the neighbours stare and shake their heads.
