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Memorial Day and West Virginia

Old 05-22-2009, 03:41 AM
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Cool Memorial Day and West Virginia

Every year I take my four kids to West Virginia for some whitewater canoe camping. Usually my brother and his son, and different friends and kids. It has always been a big party weekend. Huge amount of work, packing for canoes, camps, four kids... the only thing I don't have to worry about is the alcohol and pills.

We have a base camp, river camp, car shuttles, fishing and playing music.

I have always used a lot of stimulants to get me organized and energetic. Packing by itself takes a whole day. I have to say, that while I notice the difference, I am not sure there is one.... My wife says I am a lot calmer... It looks like I'll have it all done when I'm supposed to depart. So... did I really need them? NO!

There is always alot of beer... I always hid some vodka and wine... Ya' know, I think it's gonna be alright... I was always the heaviest drinker, the others who drink, it's just beer. My brother, as I am fond of saying, is 24 years sober in AA. I think he is bringing one of his sponsees. We may even break away for awhile have an ad-hoc AA meeting!

I guess I'm posting because while I have 8 months, and I don't consider this a test... However, I am curious about how it will go, How I will see things.... I do a lot of outdoor stuff and alcohol has always been a big part... and then the pills to keep me going and put me to sleep at nite... This year it's gonna be more real, I'll truly be a part of it all... no sneaking... Plus I want to feel it, really feel it.

For the newcomers... If you can't imagine doing all the cool summertime stuff without the alcohol... I can, finally.... And it took less than a year... so as Memorial Day weekend is upon us... Don't feel that you are missing anything.... In fact, for the newly sober, like myself... this holiday weekend may be the first in a long while that I am NOT missing anything.

Thanx for letting me share.... Photos when I get back, If I can figure out that photobucket thing....

Mark
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Old 05-22-2009, 05:43 AM
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I am really excited about my first sober trip as well this weekend. Used to be, my partner drank so much at night I had to babysit him, begging him to go to bed before he did anything too dumb. There was always spilled beer or vomit to clean up. He never got up until afternoons, and then was crabby.

For my part, if we weren't stationary on a beach, after an hour or 2 of hiking or sight seeing I was always starting to lean towards going back to start the nights drinking. If we were camping on the beach, I would just maintain a buzz from 6am til 2am and not do much else.

I am so looking forward to none of that, and the extra beauty I will experience. Not only will I get to SEE all the cool stuff in Yellowstone, but I will remember it all!

Hoping your trip is a blast Mark, looking forward to the pictures!
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Old 05-22-2009, 05:55 AM
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Yellowstone!! Awesome....
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Old 05-22-2009, 06:31 AM
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You are going to have an awesome weekend. And then when you get home, it's gonna Really hit you how much BETTER of a time you have sober.

I agree, it is hard to fathom in early sobriety that it can happen. But it does.

I don't think it hurts to keep a 'stupid drunk' moment in your hip pocket, so you don't ever want to repeat it, either.

Enjoy the weekend!
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Old 05-22-2009, 07:03 AM
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I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time.. and honestly when I started reading this.. even though I KNEW you were going to say that it was a big party time, I was thinking "he's not going to say this was a big drinking time for him is he?". can you also now see the other side, being a sober dude.. how exactly does alcohol even barely fit into this:

Every year I take my four kids to West Virginia for some whitewater canoe camping. Usually my brother and his son, and different friends and kids. It has always been a big party weekend. Huge amount of work, packing for canoes, camps, four kids... the only thing I don't have to worry about is the alcohol and pills.
Take those parts out and it sounds like a very normal fun time..

It's always very interesting to me to read all the different things that people associate with drinking.. like.."I can't go fishing anymore, I can't drink" huh? What do the two have to do with each other, or "I can't go swimming without drinking".. what!? "how am I ever going to mow the lawn again?".. etc lol.. where something like I would say, thinking that I couldn't grill outside without drinking would make someone else scratch their head and go 'huh'? It's just very interesting to me what drinking will become so entertwined with, even something like your fun weekend that for most of society would be just a time of fun, and nothing to do with party..

Oh you'll be great, you'll have a blast.. and you will remember it all!!!!

Thank you for sharing, and letting me mini-hijack for a moment
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Old 05-22-2009, 07:06 AM
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Have an amazing time!
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Old 05-22-2009, 08:16 AM
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I hope you have a great time, and I think you will!
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Old 05-22-2009, 08:45 AM
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My first Christmas sober was AWESOME!!!! I put the tree up and it LOOKED good, I out the lights up & they looked good, my wife told me that it was the best looking Christmas we had had in years! Everything I do is so much better then it used to be.

Mark thanks for sharing that, it gives hope to the newcomer that things really do get better without the booze & pills!
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Old 05-22-2009, 09:05 AM
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Thank you both for sharing about it before you embark on the weekend!!

This is HOW it works!! Hope everyone has a fabulous time over the holiday!!
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Old 05-22-2009, 12:15 PM
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WE ARE GOING TO KNOW A NEW FREEDOM AND A NEW HAPPINESS

Have a great time
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Old 05-26-2009, 05:17 AM
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Hey!! West Virginia was awesome... This is a picture taken when we were almost out of the canyon. Flatwater here.... Hard to take pictures in the middle of a rapid. Good thing I didn't try... In the only class II+ rapid we went in the river! First time at that rapid... I'd blame it on my sobriety... ... but seriously.... We were just set wrong.

I really feel that a layer of isolation between me and my kids is being peeled away... we've always been close, we do a few of these kind of trips a year... hiking, canoeing, skiing... but I felt that it was a more meaningful emotional and spiritual connection... than before sobriety.

Really didn't have any problems staying sober... I can't say I didn't feel a little left out when everyone else, (except my brother and the kids) had the celebratory beers at the last night campfire... but it was OK, when it was too much, I just grabbed the kids and took a nice walk in the dark with a flashlight...

You really can do anything you want to do....

Mark
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Old 05-26-2009, 06:24 AM
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Mark that is awesome, I can so relate to gaining a better coonection with your kids. Just about a month ago one of my 17 year old daughters said "Dad, I love you!" I told her "I know hon, I love you too!", she continued with "No dad I REALLY love you, since you have been sober you have become a real father, I hold you up to my friends now as what a father really is and they agree." My God what a feeling swept over me, that alone made sobriety worth it!

Mark thanks for sharing your weekend, we did not do much of anything, my wife is sick, but we still had a fairly good weekend.
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Old 05-26-2009, 07:41 AM
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That pic is beautiful!

I dang near bawled when you spoke of your kids. I so wish I would have got my act together while they were still at home. You are truly blessed.
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Old 05-26-2009, 08:01 AM
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Coffee my 3 oldest were long out of the house when I sobered up, they have expressed thier joy in my sobriety by letting me know how proud they are that thier kids have a sober grandfather to spend good quaility time with. I have 8 grandkids, only the oldest hsa seen me drink.
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