I was in DC for it...the 10k...no problems in the Nor'Easter...sad for the kids one town over who had Halloween postponed...who ever heard of such a thing?

I went trick and treating with some 2 year olds, had a great time, saw some parents going around with beer and I was like "douches":)

At my parents house I found an empty bottle I had hidden in my closet. Sheesh can't believe those things are still around!

Happy Halloween peeps!

BOO!

I like skimming through threads and spotting a thought that has run through my mind before.

In particular, I remembered the feeling you get when you have to stop and think how long it has been since you stopped drinking. That feeling of suddenly not being latched onto the close cuont you keep is a pleasant surprise. (That doesn't take anything away from the pleasure in stacking up the time though, especially in the early days - since that is how we build strength.)

Another thing is remembering some miserable habit you used to keep during the drinking years. Or some task you would have to face constantly (or eventually) because of drinking. Bottle accumulation, the bloody trips to buy it; the fear over smelling like it; be it through breath or the skin; checking your outbox or wherever for signs of snotty emails, etc, etc. An instant memory of the ongoing misery comes over you when you suddenly realize you haven't done one of those things for a long time. And then there's a relief.

I noticed Least here. We are only a few days apart for the quit date. It'll be two years for us soon (late Nov/early Dec). (Yea!!)

And then for my non-smoking, it'll be 6 months for me. It had been a web of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol for me for a long time. They each are different things, but for me there is a relationship there. Not long after I quit smoking, the desire for caffeine disappeared; so I capitalized on that, and now they're all gone.

But I remember where I came from in relation to ALL of them.

good to see you Toronto68 :)

D

agreed toron

our past is our salvation

Great post, Toronto.

What I have noticed particularly is the ease I have now about not drinking. It's no longer something I have to be so mindful and careful about. Yes I still have moments of wishful thinking but I have learned that the moments pass. Life is just so much easier now.

A big warm welcome to Chloe03, who is celebrating one year sober today!!:) Come on over and join us, Chloe! :ghug3

LF,
Dang that was during your recent snow storm wasn't it? Man good for you! I might be able to run when it is necessary to keep warm!
:scoregood

I wasn't a hider but I have found a few beer cans in the woods this year as the drought has killed a lot of the undergrowth in the woods out back.

That is so sweet to take some little ones around.

I agree,
Good post Toronto!

RZ and Lyddie, amen!
I do not even think about how long it is anymore and would have to go to the calculator on the opening page to say now. I do know however every 21 September it will be another year. Thanks in large part to you guys here.
I have had my wife mix her two drinks every night and still smoke and keep them in the house and no temptation. I read here before i joined and made such a deep commitment to never drink again or smoke if I could just detox safely that having it available in the house is really no different than having it in stores five minutes away for me. I am just grateful to have survived it in relatively one piece. We all had similar and different ways to commit slow suicide, some less slow than others. But suicide it was and remains.

I am like Least and the rest here in being grateful for everything I can do, and to heck with any deficits.

You guys were my inspirations when I started and I could not comprehend being like you old timers to sobriety, even Judy the K! And now I are one remembering how we seem to the beginners.

Chloe03,
Another congrats and welcome on your birthday.

Hi all! :grouphug:

I've finally made it to 1 yr sober! I swear the last two months seemed to drag on for years and years. :tapping Now, I've graduated to the "experienced" non-drinkers thread and I couldn't be happier!

I remember reading posts on this thread when I was about 2 months sober. And realizing that there were actually people who were happy and celebrating productive lives without booze! (I didn't know ONE person in my life that didn't drink at least once in awhile.) Long-term sobriety was a possibility for me, because all of you had done it! I started dreaming about what my life would look like a year down the line. And now, here I am! :banana:

And for an extra bonus, I see my buddies least, RZ and Itchy are already here! It's definitely a good day. :)

:a122: congratulations Chloe :)

D

:welcome Chloe! Glad you can join us.

Congratulations Chloe!

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/2421/1year.jpg

you bake good cakes Zip :D

D

Chloe!!!!!:ghug3
:You_Rock_

:day

OK RZ brought the cake, time to eat it!!!
(As you can see I am always prepared with my napkin wrapped my neck)

Hi everyone!

Thanks for the super duper warm welcome! It's great to be here. And I truly look forward to continuing the journey with all of you.

RZ: That cake makes me want to grab a virtual fork and lose my mind! Boy oh boy, do I miss my sweets. :biglaugh:

Welcome Chloe! It's great to have another +1 join us. This is such a hopeful thread:)

Theres a woman on the train 3 seats up and she's 3 sheets to the wind. Man she sounds like an idiot...so glad its not me!

Having a lot of fun with my acting class:)

I agree. My wife's Christmas booze was, and still is, in a cabinet in the kitchen the whole time.

CHLOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Welcome Chloe and congrats!!!!

I am having dinner tonight with friends I haven't seen in 5 years. Last time I saw them I got hammered at Players in Wellington Florida. Every time I see someone for the first time sober I worry about how I'm going to say I don't drink any more and how they are going to take it.

Regarding booze in the house...there's a can of beer on top of my fridge. It's been there about a month...I bought it to kill slugs. I only remembered it was there when I was reading the posts about havin alcohol in the house. That said, I would rather not store wine in my house. I can have a bottle for a meal but I don't want it sitting in the fridge for months on end.