Hi Everyone..

Just got a chance to catch up on the board...it is rather quiet here.

A good, dear friend of mine died. He had ALS, had been diagnosed just a little over a year ago. The funeral is today. I am sorry he died here at the holidays, but, so thankful he isn't suffering anymore.

Yesterday when I was extra busy, I got a bit flustered. For one brief moment, I thought, I am overwhelmed...and a drink to slow my brain down would be wonderful. But...I slowed myself down, and realized it would all get done...and a drink would solve nothing. That brief moment passed.

Hoping everyones week is a joyous one....

Peace

ANEW - good for you for not drinking. As I recall you've got a pretty good number of sober days built up, I remember because this time I'm just a few days ahead of you. I too thought of having a drink last night, it would have been so easy to get away with. The holidays are wonderful, but that can mean spending alot of time with various family members, and that can be stressful. However, my having a drink (or 6) is not going to make a couple of my relatives develop good social skills.

KC - That's alot of snow! We've got snow on the ground here, but ice underneath on the roads. I like the snow this time of year, but I would like it to leave a couple of days after Christmas and then move into spring. That's not going to happen.

I've got the week off so I'll be able to relax and catch up on things. I'm playing tennis tonight and Tuesday so I'll have a chance to burn off some of the calories from all of the Christmas cookies I'm eating.

Anybody else from the August group out there?

Zebra...yes, you are a few days ahead of me. Saturday, the 19th was 60 days for me. I won't be able to pick up my chip though for a day or two, I have the funeral and a luncheon that will keep me from my meeting. It was truly a fleeting moment about the drink., and I wasn't tempted. I was just surprised by how quickly it popped into my head.

When I went to visit the family of my friend that died, they had wine out and offered a glass. I looked over at those familiar bottles...sort of like seeing a long lost friend. But, it is a friend, I don't care to be close with anymore, hahahaha.

How is your tennis game Zebra?

Morning everyone. I am here on this snowy SD Monday morning. Sorry for not checking in over the weekend. Our computer at home is downstairs, and we don't go down there much so I am not very active on here over weekends.

I am on day 42 I believe? Maybe my math is off, but I haven't had a drop since November 8th. The 9th is my sobriety date. It was a tough weekend. We had a Xmas part at a friends house Saturday night. There were about 20 couples there. I was the ONLY one not drinking, besides the 5 pregnant ladies. haha. It would have been so easy to have a drink as there was wine, booze, beer, etc. all over. Most people were enjoying it in moderation, but towards the end of the night a few people were "over served." haha. I found myself fairly angry that all of these people can drink, why cant I? Why do I have to be alcoholic? I want to drink like everyone else. I didnt appear angry at the party, but when I got home at about midnight my wife could tell something was wrong. I didn't want to talk, so I just went to bed.

I was fairly depressed all day yesterday. Just kind of down. So I read my Bigbook a lot and prayed and meditated. I am good to go again today. I think it was a good learning experience for me. I didn't drink, and I made it through it. More ammunition for next time.

So here is to a sober Holiday week everyone. I am going to another meeting on Wednesday. I have the topic for the meeting. I have never volunteered for that before, so if anyone has any suggestions, I would take them. :) Hugs to you all and I really hope some of the MIA's check in soon.

Hey Brent...
Boy, do I know the emotions and mood you are describing perfectly. Being the only one not drinking in a situation like that can be hard. Harder still is not resenting folks that can drink, wether they are just social drinkers or more.

I used to resent others that could drink, or just made a choice to drink, even if they were alcoholics. That took up alot of space in my head, and dictated my mood for awhile.

This time, and with the fellowship of AA, I have accepted that I am an alcoholic, totally, I feel it thru the core of my soul. I am powerless over alcohol, and I am powerless over others relationships with alcohol. Why am I an alcoholic? Why not? Just as God as blessed me with many wonderful attributes in my life, I have this disease, this allergy to alcohol. I don't want to let myself get lost in all of those thoughts too long...it messes with my serenity and peace.

I remember that my life is better without it., I am better without it.

At times that is easier then not...yesterday I went thru all of my emotional crap when I thought a drink would "fix it". I knew it wouldn't. I also knew, if I thought much more about it., I was going to call my sponsor, or another alkie to talk this over with. That is the beauty of this fellowship...we don't have to waste a day feeling all that crap, we can call someone else that knows EXACTLY what we are feeling and talk about it.

Way to go Brent, on not drinking...

Peace

It will 12 years in February that I quit smoking. Every once in a blue moon the brief thought to have a cigarette will pop into my head. It's always a kind of wtf moment.

Congrats Brent on making it through the weekend. Can you use this experience for your AA talk?

New Part here guys :)

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...up-pt-7-a.html

D