Class of January Part 5

[ViciousCycle]

I am a flunkie too KB, but I like all of you too much and will just wait to get tossed out! I have not been behaving either.....and share many of the same thoughts. There is hope for us........but please don't go. I would miss you alot! Always nice to hear from you no matter what!!!!!! You DO belong here. We are a team. Don't make me hop a plane and come find you! LOL.
Thanks for the note JSM......you must be saying ka-ching! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Good for you, get it while you can. Soon you will be able to afford the admission to the "six-pack ab clown" at the circus!

[Fubarcdn]

As the teach I am going to pull rank.
This is exactly where you both should be.
We started this together and we are here together for the good times and the bad times.
It is not such a bad thing that you tried the recreational drinking out and it is not working out that great for you and it is not something you really want to continue.
Just get back on the bus with the rest of us nutbars and carry on.

[KindBird]

I think my new name might be NUTBAR.. I like it - it has a ring!


XOXO

[Fubarcdn]

Then we would have a fubar and a nutbar.
Here is a joke for you.
A fu BAR and a nut BAR go into a bar and order a non alcoholic beer and a non alcoholic glass of wine. The BAR tender says I am going to have to BAR you as you can't be drinking those non traditional BAR drunks in my BAR. They got in their car, left the BAR and drove home safely.

It was lame jokes like that that got me named fubar in the first place.

[ViciousCycle]

We are all waiting for the punchline..........

[ViciousCycle]

lol

[Fubarcdn]

Sorry I had nothing. It is too early in the morning to be funny.
Now I know why I didn't get on Last Comic Standing. You don't have to rub it in.

[Fubarcdn]

Good morning all.
Looks like everyone is out and about enjoying the weekend doing their gardening or whatever.
I will be at my computer playing freerolls trying to win my way into the $500 game. If I wasn't so frugal I would buy my way in but my policy on poker is I only play free games.-No deposits. It keeps my mind occupied so it is a fun yet frustrating hobby. They say that playing cards keeps the mind sharp and staves off dimentia so I have that little consolation when I get whooped.

[ViciousCycle]

I had to work today........then it got too hot so I came home. I think I was the only one out today and that irks me. I should not be the only one in my group that plays catch up for the whole unit!!!!!!!!! Oh well.....the money will help....

I hope you are kicking butt in poker there Fubby.

I am off to a big outdoor art show.........hope the rest of you are having fun!

[Fubarcdn]

It is nice to see you do them a favor and work overtime VC. At least on the weekemd there are less cars trying to run you down.
The good poker games are today so I wish me luck too. It has been a while since I cashed in. That is all I have on my schedule today so I will concentrate on playing my best. It is hard to get a feel for what style online players have. I think live is much easier when you are playing the same people all the time.

[ViciousCycle]

Yeah, you can't read their faces Fub......hope you do well today!

I was going to work again but no one will return my calls to release some work so..........screw em' pretty much. It's gonna be another scorcher......so I am just hanging.....kind of bored and it's only 9:30 in the morning.....

what's everyone up to today? I will live vicariously through your guys........

[Richard54]

Hi there... talking about scorchers.....!

We got caught in a wildfire/forestfire last nite, coming back to town.

Made it through on the highway, about 10 minutes before they shut it down. Otherwise we'd still be sitting there.

Really freaky and hot...Kinda spooky... watching the flames and feeling the heat right beside you driving,...

Couple of houses on the hillside in flames ..while we drove by, to the sounds of Pink Floyd.. and we enjoyed the air conditioning in my Honda... Weird feelings!


I've kinda fumbled the ball the last couple of weeks.

Nothing too intense, but have been soaking up the beer again.

I don't really know what happened, but think I've planned it that way for months, really.

Hoping to get back on track now, I'm sunburned to a crisp and need water.

Love you all....!

[ViciousCycle]

Soooooo glad to hear from you Richard. Wow is all I can say on the fire. I have experienced a bit of that here in Montana........fire truly is scary. It sure humbles you......I remember so well when Yellowstone Park was aflame..........whoa.......

How did you like the beer? I am finding it is not as fun as it used to be........I hate myself for the fairy tale I am in right now......I hate my life right now......I feel I am back to square one when I came here...........I am pointless......I may have to start a new sobriety date....if you want to be with me let me know.,,,,this side sucks........

[Fubarcdn]

Good to hear from you Richard.
That fire would have freaked me out. Hope it is under control and there wasn't too much damage.
It is hard to resist the call of a cold brew on a hot day but I have been managing by drinking the non alcoholic beers. They taste exactly the same without the annoying effect of getting drunk then having a hangover. At least that is what I am trying to convince myself but if it wasn't for my ultimatum I would probably be having a couple of brews too. I don't want to be sleeping on a park bench especially with this garbage strike on. The parks are filling up.
Give the near beers a try. It can't hurt to try to sub them for the real thing.

Hugs to VC. When you think that things won't get any better they usually do and it makes it all worth it.

As for the Fub it is just another day in our garbage striking city. They are the only silly servants that anyone in the city misses their work except maybe the paper salesmen because all the paper pushers are on strike too.

[KindBird]

Hey gang - good hearing from all of you - Richard good to have you here.

VC - sounds like you are on a path you want to turn off of. I know what you mean about it not being good to have some drinks - having been completely cleaned up gives you perspective.. My own journey out into the "occasional" drink does not feel good either. It feels like something has changed and any part of what used to feel good just isn't there after you stop.

So I have been not drinking at all again for a bit and am also thinking of a new sobriety date - just want to make sure I am on the right wagon before I put it to pen.

Work is cranking up for me so shifting gears and rescheduling my days to be back in the race almost full time.. feeling grateful for the work!

hugs to all of you!! KB

[Fubarcdn]

Richard. I was watching the news about the fires and am worried about you.
Are you in Kelowna?
Is your house and safety in danger?
My good thoughts are with and if I was religious you would be in my prayers.
Be safe.

[Richard54]

I'm back in Vancouver now Fub.
We had to pass through Kelowna on the way home.
We have family living north of the fire. They're not in any danger presently.

VC the beer is no fun anymore.
I've drank every day for the last 17 days.

At first, I controlled it somewhat but it sure didn't take long to get a grip on me again.

Yesterday, I drank 18 beers, and I'm not a happy camper.

Today is day 1 again for me (hopefully).

You're welcome to join me VC ...anytime you're ready.

[Fubarcdn]

Glad to hear that your family is OK and let us all hope they get the fires under control soon.
That is one dangerous job. I met some forest firemen from Calgary a long time ago in the Bahamas. We were doing some major drinking (surprise, surprise) and they told me they were celebrating 1 year since they graduated from fire fighting school. All the remaining members of the class were there. Out of 15 only 9 were still alive. I guess they had every reason to party like this might be their last day. I often wonder what became of those brave young men who would now be brave older men and probably retired.
Thanks for sharing about your beer experiences Richard. I have been thinking about trying moderation if I could talk my wife into it but now I am thinking that it is probably a real bad idea.
I think 18 beers deserves a day in the corner with the dunce cap. If it was 15 I could let it slide.
So get back on the wagon and don't anybody think about moving to another class. We are still family and are going to get where we get to together.

[Fubarcdn]

Good morning class.
I have an assignment for you and I would like everyones take on this if you wish to share.
I have been reading the many threads about alcoholic versus hard drinker.

The mission, if you wish to accept it, is to review the most recent discussion under the alcoholism section and comment on it.

I consider myself in the heavy drinking category of abuser. I am quitting not because I want to but because of outside pressure.
If I admitted I was an alcoholic and sought a recovery based on giving it up to a higher power I would likely have failed by now since I would have a scapegoat but by taking the responsibility on myself the only way I can fail is if I decide I would rather drink than be with my wife because this time I believe that she is serious about her ultimatum.
If you want to share your opinions it would be good to hear them one way or the other.

[jsml1234]

Wow "teach", long reading assignment. Lots of passionate opinions noted in our required reading.
As far as labeling myself, problem drinker vs alcoholic. I guess I would classify myself as an addicted, hard drinker with alcoholic tendencies. I shared some of the characteristics of all of them.
What I do know for sure is that it had become destructive... and had been for many years. Nothing good came from my drinking... a lot of miserable things did.
Earlier in my sobriety I used to read all those threads and many more, pretty much devoured the entire SR site daily for the first few months. Kinda stirred up some emotions and memories going back to that side of SR.

[KindBird]

Hey teach - did my assignment and read through the thread on alcoholism or problem drinking..

Sure is a lot of verbage... I don't have a big opinion on this one.. it all seems so individual.. I have a hard time with a lot of the jargon around alchoholism - and the AA jargon around it.. which does not really mean that problem drinking is the term of choice.. It just seems to come down to what it feels like in each person.. For me right now I am just not sure what it all is about.

Hugs to all of you...

[Fubarcdn]

Hello classmates.
Just read this on my calendar this morning and thought you might find it funny.
You might be a redneck if----Your neighbors chipped in for your vasectomy.

Thanks for your input JS and KB.
Hothing good came from my drinking either so for now I am going to put any ideas of moderating out of my head and stick to my non alcoholic beers. I am going to stay focussed on my 16 week fitness program and after that I will try to find another project to focus on.
Maybe I will go back to that tolerance project.
The 16 week tolerance program. Sounds interesting. I will reset every time my tolerance is compromised and if I finish it I will then review drinking moderately.
This one will be really difficult for me and I am sure there will be a lot of day 1's.
This 16 week challenge will likely take 16 decades to complete so I will be finished right when Bernie Madoff gets out of jail.
Just thinking of him would have caused a reset but it hasn't started yet.

[jsml1234]

You might be a redneck if- you go to family reunions... to pick up women.

Bernie Madoff's ponzy scheme is not much different than Americas stimulus package/fiasco, imo.

[Fubarcdn]

I agree with you up to a point JS but there is one big difference. The stimulus package hurt each and every American a little bit but Madoff caused irreparable damage to a few individuals. Sure these investors are somewhat to blame for not understanding what they were involved in.

[jsml1234]

Good morning class.
It will be Michael time for the next few days, the spouse leaves for Kansas City this am for a business trip... pizza, sub sandwiches and all the ESPN/sport channels I want to watch.
Didn't work last night and have tonight and tomorrow night off too.
Our cleaning lady will be by later today, I have get out of the house and out of her way, so I have to find something to do. Let me see... oh yea, I know what to do, going golfing! Life is good.
Enjoy the day classmates.