Class of April 2010 - Part 4
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lowcountry
Posts: 2,762
Originally Posted by AmericanGirl 
Christmas was a mixed bag and on the good side I found joy in some very simple things
Fri. evening brought a spaghetti dinner over to my Mom's and had a fun evening all around as my sister showed later, and Dad showed for dinner.
Had an unbelievably rough financial situation with a step sister several years ago (will probably never be resolved !?) .... that ended in her breaking a large contract. 25 years designing and fabricating custom leaded glass and my one and only broken contract was with family. Naturally, there was alcohol related delusions I'm sure !?! Ugh !
Anyway, because she happened to be in town, decided not to go to Christmas dinner at my nieces'. I hope she'll find a way one day to get sober,
....it was, suprisingly, an easy decision not to go.
...I have this wierd mental "line in the sand" about collecting money owed, and since she's related,...well, the only thing I feel comfortable with; is to keep my distance. It probably has plenty to do with ego, since I've been lucky to never have had anyone jack me over 25 years and thousands of jobs.
I'm sure it's ego, but WTH !?! lo
Finally able to include stair climbing as part of my personal PT strength training. Slow going so far, but still feel like I'm about to get on the downhill side and my knee will start improving at a little quicker pace.
It's a beautiful thing !!!!! .....actually snowing tonight on the Southern Coast. (just N of Savannah, Ga )
Hopeful next Christmas will be better, .....this one was pretty cool though,
.........grateful to be sober,
....and grateful for all you guys here on April 2010 !?!
.
April 18, 2010
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,117
Hey guys... Dee, yes glad to see you back -- it felt like you were gone forever!
Top, Sounds like you made a good decision to stay out of the dinner, and I hope eventually things work out with your step sister. Must have been neat to see snow there too
Feeling a bit better as Christmas recedes ... I think the most stressful part was that this is the first time I've come out as a non drinker really to the extended family. Some were supportive but a couple of the gossipy ones seemed to be prying for scandal if past character is any indication and it really irked me. I have one family member who entered recovery a few years ago at the request of a judge .... He is doing well now and it has been good to talk to him, but almost everyone in my family sees drinking as something to be moderated and consider themselves, oh, very European to drink so much (ha!). Anyway I am going to be dealing with it a bit as I'm here in family's town for a work project as well ... About 10 days I'll be heading
back to normal life.
Hope all are doing well ... It is nice to have a little venting room ... Thanks!
Top, Sounds like you made a good decision to stay out of the dinner, and I hope eventually things work out with your step sister. Must have been neat to see snow there too
Feeling a bit better as Christmas recedes ... I think the most stressful part was that this is the first time I've come out as a non drinker really to the extended family. Some were supportive but a couple of the gossipy ones seemed to be prying for scandal if past character is any indication and it really irked me. I have one family member who entered recovery a few years ago at the request of a judge .... He is doing well now and it has been good to talk to him, but almost everyone in my family sees drinking as something to be moderated and consider themselves, oh, very European to drink so much (ha!). Anyway I am going to be dealing with it a bit as I'm here in family's town for a work project as well ... About 10 days I'll be heading
back to normal life.
Hope all are doing well ... It is nice to have a little venting room ... Thanks!
Groovy Dancer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The States
Posts: 4,751
Hey all...good to hear from you.
Glad you survived things AG. Just remain proud you quit. Try to ignore those that want a scandal. You're doin great. I hope you make it the next few days till you can get back to your life.
Top - Glad you had some fun and got to see family. Think it was wise to avoid the step sis. I mean...what positive would have come out of it? Probably nothin. Could you see the snow? Glad you're doin well.
Hey MGS. Hope you and the kids get to see your hubby soon. Glad you get to see your friends. Congrats on the 8 months! Happy Holidays.
Glad you survived things AG. Just remain proud you quit. Try to ignore those that want a scandal. You're doin great. I hope you make it the next few days till you can get back to your life.
Top - Glad you had some fun and got to see family. Think it was wise to avoid the step sis. I mean...what positive would have come out of it? Probably nothin. Could you see the snow? Glad you're doin well.
Hey MGS. Hope you and the kids get to see your hubby soon. Glad you get to see your friends. Congrats on the 8 months! Happy Holidays.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lowcountry
Posts: 2,762
Originally Posted by Ghostly
Could you see the snow?
.
(probably a record, since they started keeping them !?! )
The snow we had the other afternoon was really rare anyway, even though it all melted on contact. It snows 20 mi. inland from time to time, but we're a barrier island on the coast.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lowcountry
Posts: 2,762
Dee,
How were your few days off ?
Was climbing steps last night (2 sessions around 32 flights each)
Descending is a little tougher, ..... it's all slow deliberate work. Sore (in a good way ) tonight. Listening to some old (and newer) dance music helped trying to get a more normal gait back. Trying to lose this 'hitch" .....
Baby steps forward on this; ...no cakewalk , for sure !?! :-)
.
How were your few days off ?
Was climbing steps last night (2 sessions around 32 flights each)
Descending is a little tougher, ..... it's all slow deliberate work. Sore (in a good way ) tonight. Listening to some old (and newer) dance music helped trying to get a more normal gait back. Trying to lose this 'hitch" .....
Baby steps forward on this; ...no cakewalk , for sure !?! :-)
.
Groovy Dancer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The States
Posts: 4,751
Nice job with the steps Top. Glad you can do some of this while you are working. Your recovery is amazing...though I know you got a ways to go. You're doin awesome though.
Hope everyone is well. Glad I still have the support of my April friends. I do appreciate you all bein there.
Hope everyone is well. Glad I still have the support of my April friends. I do appreciate you all bein there.
Living on a prayer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NC
Posts: 234
So we drove a 3.5 hour drive in 6 hours thanks to that snow. lol
Spent a couple days with our friends, who don't yet realize I'm sober, but I'm still using my "on meds that don't allow me to drink" excuse so I don't have to get into it. Thankfully it took all of 10 minutes to be offered some SERIOUSLY loud smelling rum balls (they were made before rum was added...whoa) and I declined. So, at least I wasn't having to try to dodge the drinking any while we were there. These used to be like, our biggest drinking buddies at one point. But they are both also are like my DH, just fine without it. She didn't drink while I was there and he just had a couple one night while playing video games, which worked well since I was bent on messing up his racing game for him and he was a little slow to react. hehe We had fun.
We're back home now, slowly starting to put up decorations and get the house back to normal. I think me and the kids will be home for New Year's with some homemade pizzas and movies. Anyone else got plans?
Spent a couple days with our friends, who don't yet realize I'm sober, but I'm still using my "on meds that don't allow me to drink" excuse so I don't have to get into it. Thankfully it took all of 10 minutes to be offered some SERIOUSLY loud smelling rum balls (they were made before rum was added...whoa) and I declined. So, at least I wasn't having to try to dodge the drinking any while we were there. These used to be like, our biggest drinking buddies at one point. But they are both also are like my DH, just fine without it. She didn't drink while I was there and he just had a couple one night while playing video games, which worked well since I was bent on messing up his racing game for him and he was a little slow to react. hehe We had fun.
We're back home now, slowly starting to put up decorations and get the house back to normal. I think me and the kids will be home for New Year's with some homemade pizzas and movies. Anyone else got plans?
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lowcountry
Posts: 2,762
Wow,
another 48 hours (sooner for some !?!)
.....and we'll have 2010 "in the books"
Risking sounding really pollyannish, Damn, this has been one wonderful and memorable year !
just wanted to mention what happened night before last;
.....When i came home the other night , it looked like a 60lb woodchuck had been working on my front door from the inside !?!
my bad, though.
I thought to leave my neighbors dog (who i feed, and sleeps in my place most nights) .....inside with mine till i got home from work, since it was dropping into the mid 20's. What I didn't think about , was that Katie (neighbor) would walk by my place; ....so Oscar; a big old sweet bloodhound lab mix with huge paws, would start digging out the door.
Good news, is (hopefully) I'll be able to finish repairing it with some two-part epoxy and wood filler !?! The mahogany is stained pretty dark, so it should be easy enough to do an amatuer faux finish job on it later. whew !?!
Crazy thing is, ....I should've known better. Oscar slipped in the shop this past Summer to cool off (sleeping) on the concrete floor and inadvertantly got locked in for 6 hours, .....again,by the time I returned; .... looked like a giant woodchuck was trying to bust out !?! LO
Did I tell you guys I picked up my very first cat (rescue); kitten really, ...almost a month ago. Call her Abbey and she's about the coolest, entertaining kitten ever. Take care of a 15 year old mutt who's still in incredible shape, ....and then there's Oscar.
He's a fast, powerful dog who lives to chase tennis balls I smack out in the woods (or water, or down the dirt road, etc. ) ....and although he never seriously chases squirrels or feral cats to catch them , he just does it mostly to run ( I think ) Some mornings he'll spot a buck at sunrise and come back 3 hours later covered with marsh mud.
Anyway, Oscar had a few slip-ups early on when they were outside .....
and treed Abbey a few times, but now she's really part of the pack !?!
just rambling on , nothing to do with anything really.
Gotta watch out I don't turn into one of those nut-jobs unable to speak of anything but their pets !!!
another 48 hours (sooner for some !?!)
.....and we'll have 2010 "in the books"
Risking sounding really pollyannish, Damn, this has been one wonderful and memorable year !
just wanted to mention what happened night before last;
.....When i came home the other night , it looked like a 60lb woodchuck had been working on my front door from the inside !?!
my bad, though.
I thought to leave my neighbors dog (who i feed, and sleeps in my place most nights) .....inside with mine till i got home from work, since it was dropping into the mid 20's. What I didn't think about , was that Katie (neighbor) would walk by my place; ....so Oscar; a big old sweet bloodhound lab mix with huge paws, would start digging out the door.
Good news, is (hopefully) I'll be able to finish repairing it with some two-part epoxy and wood filler !?! The mahogany is stained pretty dark, so it should be easy enough to do an amatuer faux finish job on it later. whew !?!
Crazy thing is, ....I should've known better. Oscar slipped in the shop this past Summer to cool off (sleeping) on the concrete floor and inadvertantly got locked in for 6 hours, .....again,by the time I returned; .... looked like a giant woodchuck was trying to bust out !?! LO
Did I tell you guys I picked up my very first cat (rescue); kitten really, ...almost a month ago. Call her Abbey and she's about the coolest, entertaining kitten ever. Take care of a 15 year old mutt who's still in incredible shape, ....and then there's Oscar.
He's a fast, powerful dog who lives to chase tennis balls I smack out in the woods (or water, or down the dirt road, etc. ) ....and although he never seriously chases squirrels or feral cats to catch them , he just does it mostly to run ( I think ) Some mornings he'll spot a buck at sunrise and come back 3 hours later covered with marsh mud.
Anyway, Oscar had a few slip-ups early on when they were outside .....
and treed Abbey a few times, but now she's really part of the pack !?!
just rambling on , nothing to do with anything really.
Gotta watch out I don't turn into one of those nut-jobs unable to speak of anything but their pets !!!
Groovy Dancer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The States
Posts: 4,751
MGS - You messed with someone playing video games?!?!?!?!?!?!??! You can't do that, that is violating sacred rules! Glad you had a good time. I'm pretty much hangin at home that night with my wife and the dogs.
Top - Is Oscar yours? Or is that the neighbor dog. Cute story. Sounds like you live in a really cool place. Good for you for pickin up that cat.
Top - Is Oscar yours? Or is that the neighbor dog. Cute story. Sounds like you live in a really cool place. Good for you for pickin up that cat.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Land down under
Posts: 433
Well, it's the New Year here in oz (for what it is worth)
Traditionally a real bad night for me, for many reasons, but I made it through without even worrying about alcohol.
What was a worry was feeling like I was in a war zone with fireworks going off left right and centre. Live embers falling into my yard from them and my poor dog absolutely freaking out.
Lucky they are illegal here hey?
A few other neighbourhood dramas going on out there at moment, wont bore you with details but will say that I am not in the middle of it for a change.
Happy New year Aprillers
Traditionally a real bad night for me, for many reasons, but I made it through without even worrying about alcohol.
What was a worry was feeling like I was in a war zone with fireworks going off left right and centre. Live embers falling into my yard from them and my poor dog absolutely freaking out.
Lucky they are illegal here hey?
A few other neighbourhood dramas going on out there at moment, wont bore you with details but will say that I am not in the middle of it for a change.
Happy New year Aprillers
Groovy Dancer
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: The States
Posts: 4,751
Oz.....I forgot your dogs don't like the fireworks! Thought you were bein a party pooper. Hope they made it through ok.
Dee...Seriously?!?!??! Bed before 12 on New Years? I mean, I haven't partied forever on New Years, still I was awake to see it.
Dee...Seriously?!?!??! Bed before 12 on New Years? I mean, I haven't partied forever on New Years, still I was awake to see it.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 2,058
Happy New Years!!!! So good to read all of your updates and see how well we are doing and working through any bumps....
What a ride 2010 has been and I'm sure I speak for all of us. So glad to wrap it up on a sober note and start off the New Year with positivity and the knowledge (yes I went there) that anything is freaking possible!!! I think 2010 showed all of us that!
My NYE was uneventful.....lol. Which is a good thing and I wasn't whacked out about it either. I never really went out NYE and was raised where well you stay at home with family and watch the ball drop....listen to the dick clark special and eat chips and soda.
Kinda funny but some other folks on SR have shared what I used to do which was usually stay home the "obvious" drink days. Like my drinking the other 300 plus days were erased because I refused to party with drunks....lolol. Ok gang....I think you all know I had some pretty twisted thinking back then haha.
Nice to be able to laugh.....been much seriousness to recovery but it feels good to share with all of you and not be concerned that I am going to race out for a drink. Just amazing....how giving it time...working the support, learning and embracing...really becomes part of you. Like I don't have the urge to drink....I try and explain it but I just think that experiencing it is the only way to describe it. If that makes sense. Wish I could collect it all and be able to make a thread that would be helpful to someone just starting. Sometimes I feel that I come off making it sound easy when we all know it is far from it.....takes time.
So last night was quiet for me and was able to get my golden out and walked before the fireworks over my house (house was shaking and lit up like I was in a warzone) started and the wonderful germans around me got their drink on for drunken rowdy firework fun....lol.
Much blessings to all of you this year and I have whole lot of things to look forward to but probably most important is continuing my recovery and improving some of the areas that I know I can handle better. Yup, this year is time to take it to the next level.
Huggs - Kim
What a ride 2010 has been and I'm sure I speak for all of us. So glad to wrap it up on a sober note and start off the New Year with positivity and the knowledge (yes I went there) that anything is freaking possible!!! I think 2010 showed all of us that!
My NYE was uneventful.....lol. Which is a good thing and I wasn't whacked out about it either. I never really went out NYE and was raised where well you stay at home with family and watch the ball drop....listen to the dick clark special and eat chips and soda.
Kinda funny but some other folks on SR have shared what I used to do which was usually stay home the "obvious" drink days. Like my drinking the other 300 plus days were erased because I refused to party with drunks....lolol. Ok gang....I think you all know I had some pretty twisted thinking back then haha.
Nice to be able to laugh.....been much seriousness to recovery but it feels good to share with all of you and not be concerned that I am going to race out for a drink. Just amazing....how giving it time...working the support, learning and embracing...really becomes part of you. Like I don't have the urge to drink....I try and explain it but I just think that experiencing it is the only way to describe it. If that makes sense. Wish I could collect it all and be able to make a thread that would be helpful to someone just starting. Sometimes I feel that I come off making it sound easy when we all know it is far from it.....takes time.
So last night was quiet for me and was able to get my golden out and walked before the fireworks over my house (house was shaking and lit up like I was in a warzone) started and the wonderful germans around me got their drink on for drunken rowdy firework fun....lol.
Much blessings to all of you this year and I have whole lot of things to look forward to but probably most important is continuing my recovery and improving some of the areas that I know I can handle better. Yup, this year is time to take it to the next level.
Huggs - Kim
April 18, 2010
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,117
Originally Posted by topspin
Gotta watch out I don't turn into one of those nut-jobs unable to speak of anything but their pets !!!
I enjoyed reading about your pets! And Kim's golden too! I have a little mutt. He keeps me busy.Really nice reading everyone's posts. Funny to read about the fireworks -- I happen to LOVE 'em, but there weren't many in my parts (lol, maybe this is why?) last night.
Dee, bed at 11? I'm with Ghostly--it's only right to stay up until past midnight! That's rarer and rarer for me these days.
Sounds like my NYE resembled most everyone's, Kim, MGS, Oz! A quiet night. I feel good today! I'm excited that 2010 was such a great year in all these personal changes . . sobriety opened the gate to so much more, and I'm looking forward to seeing how everything continues to develop in 2011! I made a few resolutions, but none of them so specific that they can totally bomb.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lowcountry
Posts: 2,762
Went over to my 80 year old Dad's for some fresh Black-eyed peas and collard greens with ham this afternoon (old traditional ...."bring you good luck " Southern New Years meal )
The old folklore had something to do with "every black-eyed pea eaten would bring you a dollar in the new year"
.......with inflation and all, maybe someone should update it with an exponential multiplyer !?!
AG, ....my pets are constantly "getting busy" lo
Isn't sobriety great , when it comes to pets ?
(along w/ everything else)
Kim,
Love the way you put this ;
.... Nice to be able to laugh.....been much seriousness to recovery but it feels good to share with all of you and not be concerned that I am going to race out for a drink. Just amazing....how giving it time...working the support, learning and embracing...really becomes part of you. Like I don't have the urge to drink....I try and explain it but I just think that experiencing it is the only way to describe it. If that makes sense. Wish I could collect it all and be able to make a thread that would be helpful to someone just starting. Sometimes I feel that I come off making it sound easy when we all know it is far from it.....takes time.
HAPPY NEW YEARS, gang !!!
The old folklore had something to do with "every black-eyed pea eaten would bring you a dollar in the new year"
.......with inflation and all, maybe someone should update it with an exponential multiplyer !?!
AG, ....my pets are constantly "getting busy" lo
Isn't sobriety great , when it comes to pets ?
(along w/ everything else)
Kim,
Love the way you put this ;
.... Nice to be able to laugh.....been much seriousness to recovery but it feels good to share with all of you and not be concerned that I am going to race out for a drink. Just amazing....how giving it time...working the support, learning and embracing...really becomes part of you. Like I don't have the urge to drink....I try and explain it but I just think that experiencing it is the only way to describe it. If that makes sense. Wish I could collect it all and be able to make a thread that would be helpful to someone just starting. Sometimes I feel that I come off making it sound easy when we all know it is far from it.....takes time.
HAPPY NEW YEARS, gang !!!
April 18, 2010
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,117
Top I had my black-eyed peas today too. Read an article in the Times about the tradition but according to my own family tradition some of it was wrong! The article's author said greens were supposed to represent the money...heck, I'd always heard what you said about a dollar for each pea.!?!
I had two helpings ... We'll be rolling in it in no time!
Night everybody!
I had two helpings ... We'll be rolling in it in no time!
Night everybody!
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