Scoutie - Sorry about your loss. My thoughts are with you.
Goat - sobriety and work. That seems like Keeping it Simple to me. Hopefully it's a nice week. :-)
Johnny - I'd love to read your story. Whatever you want to share.
Roosta - Congrats to you on passing that big test, I'm glad the AV took it easy on you. Coming up on a week! Keep it up!
DG - Good for you on making it through dinner. How sloppy of them to keep sending the waiter away. Maybe next time you go out with them order an appetizer! LOL
bookpunk - Interesting theory on the feelings of PAWS just being life. I think that's at least partly true. When we were drinking, we swept a ton of stuff under the rug. Could be an anthill worth of stuff, it could be a mountain, but if we're going to be sober, we have to do some house cleaning, and all those emotions under that rug have to go somewhere.
Sobreia - I was thinking about that the other day too. About how sad it was that alcohol was such a social crutch for even people without a drinking problem. Why can't we all let our hair down and have fun with each other without the alcohol to blame not being all prim and proper on. Hurrah on the tinted glasses.
Not that anyone wants to need AA, but after going very frequently for the past month, I'm starting to feel grateful that I wound up on the path of alcoholism. I know my dis-ease is in the mind, it's the way that I think about life and the actions I take based on those thoughts. I need recovery to clear my head so that I don't continue with those thoughts. I would have needed that help even if I hadn't picked up the drink, but if I hadn't found the drink, I wouldn't think to look for the type of recovery I'm starting to see that I need. Does that make sense?
AnotherPaul - Congrats on your red chip man!
Had a good day yesterday. Got the garden ready for planting and the house is staying reasonably clean which makes me feel less overwhelmed. We had some friends that are coming over to hang out, they (or really she) is a big drinker doesn't know when to say when for anything (food, drink, whatever) and I was concerned when they called that I was going to be in for an unpleasant evening. But my hubby told them that we had Diet Coke and potatoes (to go with the steaks they were picking up) and if they wanted something more than that to bring it. Low and behold, she just drank into my soda supply. It was a bit shocking, actually, that's the 3rd time we've gotten together with them now since I stopped drinking, which I haven't told them I've quit, and the last two times they were insistant I drink, then commented that I wasn't drinking, and this time it didn't come up at all. What a relief. This was the first time they had the opportunity to corner me on it too, since the other times was a larger crowd (not that it prevented them from pushing booze those times). I was fearing their coming over so much I considered calling my sponsor before they got here. Then I stopped, took a breath, realized I was projecting into the future. Brought myself back to the minute I was in (taking a shower), realized I was ok and my friends might not even mentioned. THEN THEY DIDN'T!
Didn't know that life could be easy at times!