Jay1980

This gym is the closest to me and I'm without a driver's license for another year. So I've relied on friends and families for rides or I'd walk or ride a bike the 6 miles there and back. The next closest gym is almost twice as far. My gym is really good and fairly priced as well. The other gym is Planet Fitness. It's a good facility but not for people who lift seriously. Their dumbbells only go up to 60 lbs, limited free weights, etc. I know beggars can't be choosers and I'd take that gym over none but it's not very convenient.

Unrelated note: I'm looking for a TV show to watch. Something that has a couple seasons already so I could do some mini-marathons. To get an idea of what I like some of my fav shows are: OZ, The Wire, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Homeland, LOST, 24. Thanks for any suggestions.

InParticular

Weeds is hilarious. If I start watching episodes that's pretty much it for the day. My friend did this thing he called "ghetto fitness" when he was too broke to go to the gym. He would just incorporate a workout into his entire day. Was always doing squats and pushups and stuff and running lots. Maybe you can focus on your cardio for awhile? Get some buns of steel videotapes. (Kidding)

InParticular

I've been in a really bad, stressy mood all day, really taking it out on my boyfriend too. I'm freaking out about school a bit. Just need to relax I think, we've been so busy the last couple of weeks and especially the last few days. I've sent myself to bed to CHILL THE **CK OUT, it's two days till craziness and I better enjoy it. *****Breathe******

Marine28

Just finishing up the spaghetti and clam sauce. Threw in about 4 cloves of garlic tonight. I hope no one gets too close to me at work tomorrow! Looks like I will have made it through another day without drinking.

Jay1980

Hey IP, I can definitely run or do outside cardio. I just like lifting so much and don't want to lose muscle mass. I'm pretty hardcore about the gym. I'll have to think of something. We'll see. And my buns are pretty damn solid. I'm afraid of what might happen if I make them any more steel-like. It might be uncomfortable just to sit.

Jay1980

YESSSSS!!! I was able to renew my membership! Can't wait to go to the gym tomorrow!

Tigger41

Richard Simmons! OMG.

Hi Guys busy day but nice.

This morning I took 3 of the 4 kids and went to a friends house for a visit. It was nice to get out of my house and a nice break from my SO (10 days together is enough lol). This friend is one of the few that knows I've stopped drinking and has been super supportive, so it was nice spending time with her and an added plus is that they have one of those message chairs. Oh my gosh I HAVE to get me one of them - I must have spent over an hour in that thing talking and hanging out.

I got back late afternoon and made dinner - and tonight the kids are back to some of their activities. Cheer and karate tonight. I'm home with the 2 little ones getting them ready for bed and am looking forward to going to sleep myself.

InParticular - I can relate - I love wine and wish I could - but I also love hot chocolate and I CAN have that yum.

Jay - you're dog is sooooo cute. I would have given him the bacon.

Tres - I'm so happy that you and your daughter took care of yourselves. Sounds like your husband has a problem and I'm so impressed that you've been able to not drink with him doing what he is. I'm also very glad he's not drinking at home and taking it to the neighbors house. ((HUGS)) for you and your daughter.

For those going to the gym any help you can give me would be great. I'm starting tomorrow ugh. My SO and I are starting the gym/losing weight thing. So I'm off to the gym tomorrow. I plan to start with 15 minute cardio and some weights (like very light weights ) If I can I'll go 5 days during the week with the weekends off. And starting the Weight Watches plan. ugh Goal is to lose 5 pounds at a time. Kind of like not drinking for a day - I don't want to commit to total amount of weight I want to lose - might just be overwhelming. So for now 5 pounds.

OK - for those feeling blah. Copy and paste the link below - might just make you smile.
Take Care Ninjas. T

Holidays by JibJab Sendables - Christmas - Video shared by Bill

Jay1980

Hey Tigger, I think just getting to the gym is the hardest part. Once you're there and when you're done I think you'll feel great. I sounds like you're off to a good start. Beginning with cardio just to get the blood flowing is always good. Light weights is good too. Never attempt to do an exercise or use a machine you're unfamiliar with. That's just bad news. I know some people that'll stretch 10-12 minutes before and after workouts. I'm good with 2-3 minutes. Just enough so that my muscles won't tighten up.

And another video for anyone that needs a chuckle: YouTube Challenge - I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present - YouTube

Vantrina

Morning Everyone.

Today is Day 45! I'm excited to hit that mark.

A full day on the agenda today…

InParticular, really, all you can do is BREATHE. (I'l be doing a lot of that myself today.)

Jay, glad to hear your gym membership is good as gold for another two years.

Had a good workout yesterday afternoon. My hope for the new year is to be consistent over the long haul w/working out.

Tigger, have fun at the gym!

Find that working out is a great stress reliever and takes "the edge off" more efficiently than any glass of wine ever could. BTW, that was always my excuse, "I'm just going to have a glass of wine to take the edge off…" lol…one bottle later, my "edge" was not only off, but was also lost somewhere in a fog of alcohol. Oh well, that is in the past…so 2011.

Have a good and sober day everyone.

Tigger41

Good Morning! And I can't tell you how happy I am to be back at work. Really. For me it means some alone time that I never get at home. And back to the normal pace of life.

I'm at 2 months today. And I can't say I'm like "thrilled" about being sober - I think what I can say is that I've very happy I'm not a slave to it anymore. I think that's the biggest relief - that I don't have the daily stress of when I'm going to get my alcohol, when am I going to get a chance to drink, when can I sneak in an extra drink here and there that the family doesn't see, etc.

Also I noticed that I'm not think ing about drinking as much as I have been. All good.

Well today I start the gym. I'll check in later and tell you how it goes. Charged up my iPod and everything.

Take care

That's very cool Vantrina - Getting easier isn't it?

Marine28

My husband's friend e-mailed this morning. There is an AA meeting near my house tonight and we are going to go. I am scared that I will run into someone I know or someone I know will see me going in the building. He tells me not to worry - that is why it's called Anonymous-no one is going to say anything or that they saw me there. He said he saw 10 people he knew at his first meeting. I am still scared. The alcoholic brain is back telling me that I don't need to go to AA and that I will be just fine.........that my telling him was a mistake and I only did it as a result of that wicked hangover. I know that is wrong. Well, I am at the office and have to get back to work.

NESfan

Good luck Marine.

Sounds like all us Novemberites are hitting the gym! I sat down last week and planned out my goals on that front for the whole year, so all I have to do is just follow the plan. Did that for three months last spring and it worked wonderfully, but then I forgot to make a new plan after the three months were up. This time I won't have to worry about it again until December.

Jay1980

Hey peoples. Day 54 for me. Great job Tig and Vantrina! And love that everyone is working out Marine, running into TEN people you know at your first AA meeting is not common place. Unless maybe you're the mayor of that town or something. I've been to any and every meeting there is. I've gone to meetings twice a day for weeks at a time. I live in a town where my graduating class was 500+. The only people I've known in all this time going were a guy that goes to my gym (don't actually know him) and a woman who worked in a retail store with me when I was a teenager. But your sponsor is right, don't worry about it.

Off to the gym in about an hour. Today starts our "arctic" stretch of weather. I personally love it.

InParticular

Morning guys. This is my last day of freedom before school starts. I know you're probably like "big deal why does she keep talking about this" but it's been 10 or so years since I was in school full time and you could say I am excited/terrified in equal parts. In the past I've always failed in school because I realize now I'd been putting 90% of my effort into partying and dealing with everything that goes along with it as well as dealing with massive depression and what I know now is a mood disorder. Big recipe for failure. Which is why I have been severely underachieving for a decade. I finally have my **it together now and feel so ready; this is what I am meant to do. But I am freaked! I am stoked to see how different the experience is minus the booze and effing around.

Vantrina 45 days good one!

Welcome back to work Tigger-it's nice getting back to normal after the hectic holidays.

NESfan I love your avatar.

Good luck with the meeting Marine and no you did NOT just call him because of a hangover.

Hey Jay that Jimmy K link made me and Dennis laugh, thanks. People messing with their kids is HILARIOUS.

I wish we would get some arctic weather. All we get is crappy rain.

Have fun at the gym all you jocks! I will try really hard to get there today too.

Day 66!

Tres

Good day all!

I feel much better today. I had a heart to heart with the spouse yesterday for a long time. We will see what changes he will make and keep.

I went to kettlebell/bootcamp today at 0600. I did not want to get out of bed, but SO glad I did. It is better than wine for taking the edge off. Clears my head and calms me down.

Jay, so happy you got your membership.
Tigger keep us posted. The hardest part is putting on your shoes.

Funny story. My kettlebell instructor/neighbor/friend gave me a late Christmas gift. I had told her that I stopped drinking a while back, but she must not realize the extent of my problem. She gave me a wine opener set! I am glad I opened it when I got home! I started laughing....

Nesfan good job on the goals. I have never really sat down and done that. My goal right now is not to drink.

Marine28, keep us posted on the meeting tonight. I think its fabulous you have someone to go with you.

Hubby says he is going to make some changes. I am hopeful.

Tres

Inparticular...relax before school starts. It will all be fine.

Vantrina great job on 45 days!!!

Bimm

Day 46 and the "kids" are BIRD WATCHING!

Tigger41

InParticular - I really believe you'll do well. School is much easier when you have your s*** together and you pre-read the material. Good luck.

Went to the gym. I would type more but I have no more energy. all I can say is "ouch"

NES - cute cats

Marine28

Not sure if I shared this or not. A comment on goal setting from my husband's friend: "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time!"

Jay1980

Can someone help me out? InParticular said she needed to get her "**it" together. Then Tigger said something about when she has her "s***" together. I feel dumb for not being able to figure this out. I mean I've got 3 out of the 4 letters. Skit? Like a game of charades? Spit? That just doesn't make much sense. This has become quite the brain teaser for me this afternoon.

Just got back from the gym. I ended up being there for almost 4 hours 'cause my ride was a little late. I'm starving!

InParticular, Tigger, Bimm, Marine, NES, Tres - great job everyone on staying sober even with big life changes and challenges coming up. And for working out!

That girl I was really good friends with for so long that wanted to take our relationship to the next level has really been extremely childish and rude. We (or mostly I) talked about how I thought we should just be friends. This was almost a month ago. I was supposed to hang out with her the next day or the day after that. Nothing. Didn't hear from her. I'd call her house twice a day, no answer. A week goes by. Two weeks. I'm supposed to go to her family's for Christmas Eve. On the 23rd I get a voicemail from her from some guy "Steve"'s phone saying she'll call me tomorrow and try to explain everything. No call the next day. No call on Christmas. No call on my birthday. No call on New Year's Eve. She also wasn't on Facebook the whole time this is going on. I sent her two messages about how this is no way to treat a friend and I'm actually shocked she would do me like that. I had changed my status to "single" about two and a half weeks ago. Today she's on Facebook all day posting new pics, not replying to the messages I sent and she changed her status from "in a relationship" to "it's complicated". I can't believe she's THAT immature and childish. It's taking a lot of restraint not to call or Email her and just unleash on her. Trying to breathe. Sorry for the long rant. Just wanted to get it out.