Soberpotamus

On a whim, just about an hour ago... I grabbed the clean wine bottle opener out of the drying rack by the sink and went to go put it in the usual drawer with the other often-used utensils. Instead, I threw it into the very back of a crowded seldom-used drawer that's over time evolved into the "junk drawer". Not sure how significant this actually is, but it is a small step in the right direction. Often, I've made quick plans here and there to "stop" or moderate... but this time I want to follow through.

Maybe in a day or two I'll throw it in a pile to donate to the thrift store?? It's a really nice opener... maybe I'll put in in the garage in a box for one day if I do have company over, and I'm recovered enough to serve them wine if they want it? I don't know yet...

Dee74

sounds like a great move and a symbolic gesture jennie


D

bexxed

I followed some excellent advice I got here a couple of weeks ago....

make it as hard as you can to take that first drink.

I'd get rid of the wine and if you got corkscrews on your mind, bring them to the secondhand store....

tomdecel

Good gesture S-Jen. Moving in the right direction. Unfortunately that did not work for me, cause I would always find it later. The gesture that did work for me was to get rid of it completely. Err.... get rid of ALL of them.

Soberpotamus

Umm, I think you've hit the nail on the head Tom. I need to go around to all the stashes and get rid of ALL the openers... and I'm embarrassed to say this but along with the one in the picnic basket, pelican box for the kayak, and the couple in the kitchen... I have one in my Jeep and one in my boyfriend's car

tomdecel

Embarrassed? I was not much of a wine drinker but most of the wine I did drink the months before I quit did not require a corkscrew and would come in gallon containers.

Soberpotamus

LOL... well I can assure you that probably the only thing that kept me from that was pure pride. I was SO embarrassed to be found out by check-out people, I would always stick to one and sometimes two bottles at a time. I've done the thing where I'll go to a different store the same night. I never bought the gallon containers. I think I had an aversion to them because of my mother And the sweet wines made me sick... I always stuck to drier wines and the gallon ones were usually the sweet ones.

SwanSong

Well, if you are embarrassed it would seem in the post I've quoted above you also were a) honest and b) willing to take advice!

Both are very positive steps in the right direction! And I concur- if I left 'any' in my house, I would have found it/them/those during a weak moment. Good job on moving in the right direction

instant

SoberJennie for some reason your post reminded me of the times when I would "find" myself engaging in 'searching behaviour' in the back cupboards looking for any alcohol- which at one level I would find frightening

Soberpotamus

Not sure what you mean... but I think I'm doing just the opposite. I deliberately chose to get rid of those items last night. I wasn't searching.

Fenris

Good for you Jennie. I agree that throwing them out would be even better, but moving your opener out of its usual place is a step in the right direction.

bblackbirdflyy

I too have/had a weekly rotation for stores I visited throughout the week.

I never bought the gallon containers either, but I did buy the mini bottles that I could stash throughout the house (my mom used to do this too)

they tasted like crap but I saved them for last because if I was already drunk off my main bottle of wine I wouldn't care about the taste. I could have more without my family knowing it.

Of course they knew it, and they found the stash, just like I found my moms when I was younger.

Good work on getting rid of your wine openers. Of course I would just remember that I got rid of them while making the purchase and buy a twist off.......

Soberpotamus

Well blackbird, yeah I guess I'd buy twist offs or just push the cork through with a screwdriver maybe if it came down to it. I think I got rid of the openers last night because they are sort of ritualistic paraphernalia maybe?? Especially the nicer large one I used all the time. I know it won't stop me if I choose to drink again, but I've never gone this far before. This step just never occurred to me before... Maybe because before I just knew I wasn't ready to quit. I'm thinking I'm finally ready.

tomdecel

And that is really what this is all about. Congratulations on your determination.

lushly

Hey Jen since I sobered up in another town I had completely for gotten about my openers. I kept many around also. The most embarrassing one was the one I kept in my book bag so that I could begin drinking in the car on the way home from the store. I didn't drink gallons and bought the "better bottle for show, but really thought the small 4 pack bottles were great for meeting my alcoholic drinking needs. I just looked in my utensil draw and found my "old tried and true" it has one of its wings broken off, one was enough to pry a bottle open. I think I can safely throw it away. I must of already taken out my "travel one" as I can't find it in my bag. Can't remember what I did with it. The benevolent God of Drunks helping me out in my ignorance, because I was drinking with a vengeance at the end of the school term and would not have gotten rid of the "travel one" as a get sober gesture. Loved the topic, thanks jen. Corkscrews elimination is a symbolic victory for the day!!

Soberpotamus

Thanks Tom!

Soberpotamus

Yep Yep! A sober cheers to throwing away the corkscrews!

EmeraldRose

I didn't need a cork screw for a whiskey bottle!

RyanRed

Reminds me when I was in my first few weeks of getting sober. I went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk, only to grab a cocktail glass to pour the milk into. I paused a few second, and said to myself "I cant drink from this glass anymore! Even if I am just pouring milk into it!" Needless to say those glasses are gone.

Do I believe even the little things make a big difference!

Stay strong my friend!

-Ryan

Rusty Zipper

sell it on ebay jen!

good for you