Dee74

Don't get AI here Lofty but I've heard Randy has the chops

bed time here - g'night gang~!

D

PeanutButterCup

Have an adventurous, sunshiney, epic trip filled with moments that you and your family never forget, Mirage! I'll miss you, so come back soon, too!

Pssssshhhht. Randy Jackson shmandy fraction. Dee's WAY cooler! (I did watch that show this week, though ... I haven't watched in a while, but does it seem to you like the talent is WAY better than usual?)

"Sustainability" <-- great term! I love it! Something we're lacking in our disposable culture, too.

Lofty, wow! You must feel GREAT! You are Mr. Productivity! For dinner on Valentine's I ended up serving chicken cordon bleu (with bacon instead of ham), a layered fruit salad sweetened with toasted coconut, grilled asparagus, chocolate-covered strawberries, and blueberry pie a la mode. And you are welcome at my dining table ANYTIME.

So, do you wanna hear the dorky thing I did this morning? I woke up with the alarm at 6:30, and remembered that the kids don't have school today, and thought, "why did I set the alarm for 6:30 on a Saturday when I don't have to be to work until 10?" And then I went back to sleep. Luckily I woke up at 7:30 and realized my error before Jim was late for work (he has to be there by 8). And luckily guys can get ready quickly. Sheesh!

lookinforward

Sorry I was MIA yesterday. I was curled up in my bed all day. When will this madness end. I rarely got sick while I was a drunk. That almost isnt fair. I can barely keep my eyes open at work this morning. I am really in lala land. I probably should have stayed home again.
DAve

LoftyIdeals

Sorry you're not better, Dave. I thought you were. This thing's really hanging on! I know you'll tough it out, though. Feel better!

RosieTheRiveter

Mirage, hope you and your family have a fantastic trip and make great memories! Loving the online puzzle site, thank you.

Dave, so sorry you are STILL sick! I pray you feel much better soon.

PBC, I regularly get confused about what day it is, and thought today was Thursday, then read your post about sleepy thinking it is Saturday, check the calendar and it is Friday! Good grief, I am SO confused. DH arrives home tonight, looking forward to seeing him.

Lofty, nice to see you back, feeling so good and productive. When you and DW do WW, the meetings are great if you can get to one, but do make sure to sign up for the online services, they are a huge help, IMO. IIRC, you can get a monthly pass that covers online plus unlimited meetings. When I did the program last year, I was still drinking. Ashamed to admit how many times I would save my points for drinking rather than a healthy dinner! So glad you won't have to make THAT choice!

Are you planning to paint your dining room/new office? You can convey so much with paint color! What did you settle on as your, I forget the right name, slogan? I love the glass french doors and swing door, sounds like great solutions. My last house had solid french doors to the office, to the left of the front door, and I always wanted to replace them with glass. You can have quiet without being completely isolated from what is going on! And, you can always add shears if you feel it is a bit too open for clients' privacy.

Frances, I love, love, love the green/sustainability movement, wish I was taking these classes and seminars with you! Before I got really sick, I was dreaming/forming a plan for after DS left for college. Since I am too old to go back to school for architecture (and work long enough to make the investment worth it!), I thought I would try to find a way to bridge the gap between builders and the homeowner - help them to learn about and understand all the various options to them, bring it together in a beautiful and cohesive manner.

I just LOVE to visit exhibits on materials, homes, anything related to sustainable living. Have done so at the National Building Museum in DC (had a house built inside plus the most amazing display of materials, and a bunch of models of homes that had been built worldwide, a cool art museum (blanking on name) in NYC had a fantastic display a year or two ago with 6 or so houses built on their side lot, plus a great display inside on an entire floor. Even managed to catch a great exhibit in Chicago during one of our visits, whole house built onsite, I was in heaven. Maybe, if I can get myself healthy again, this will be something I pursue in the future. I love studying the websites of various innovative builders and materials. It is something I have a real passion for.

Aussie, how are you feeling? Depression lifting at all? Have you considered meds? Sorry, I can't remember if you are on them or are against them or anything like that.

Hi Dee!!! Hope all is well in your world!

Rosie

RosieTheRiveter

Oops! Forgot to ask my question:

I suspect the answer varies from person to person, but, how do you feel about alcohol in products that you use? Do you think they can lead to cravings?

As a Catholic, I drink the wine (which we believe has be transubstantiated - think that is the right word - miraculously changed into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ, while still appearing in the form of wine, and we believe the same thing about the bread) at church every Sunday. I use Listerine which contains alcohol. Also, real vanilla extract, which has alcohol. Have eaten several meals which have wine in them (supposedly it does not all cook off unless it cooks for along time). Never had a problem with a craving.

A couple of weeks ago I was put on a homeopathic remedy which contains alcohol. I take about 10 drops sublingually 3 times a day. During this time my sister and I have been talking a lot more often, and she brings up wine frequently. Is currently "moderating", just doesn't want to abstain completely, yet. Another story.

Anyway, I don't know if it is the daily infusion of 30 little drops which contain alcohol, sis's talk, the fact that I have been wanting some oblivion, all of the above, but I am craving wine, a LOT. I have to keep playing the story through to the end, remind myself of where I was when I decided to quit (well, started by giving it up, late, for Lent, and during that time realized that I had been unsuccessfully moderating for years and things were getting much worse and fast, so I decided since I had already been off it for weeks, why not just keep going?

Maybe that is part of the problem - I never REALLY made a conscious decision to give up drinking, I just sort of flowed from a period of abstention to continued abstention.

Anyway, know this is rambly, but do you think the homeopathic remedy drops are the main culprit, a contributor, or not relevant? I can probably find the same remedy without alcohol, will just have to keep it refrigerated, which is a bit of a hassle, but this is not a long term thing, I think I was only on a 6 or 8 week trial.

Hope this makes some kind of sense, and I get some feedback. Especially Dee, you've been around a while and seen a lot, you probably have great insight into this!

Appreciate the help! I want wine. DH is coming home, and as much as I miss him, I want to self-medicate the added anxiety of having him home, and I want to drink some wine, every day. I know where that goes, won't do it, but I sure do want to!

Thanks!
Rosie

ETA JUST noticed - yesterday marked the end of 11 full months of sobriety for me!!!

RosieTheRiveter

Lofty, thank you very much for your prayers, much appreciated. Please know that you, your family, all the Marchers are regularly in my prayers - I figure God knows what you need, so I don't have to!

Also, thinking about WW, that was when I decided to switch to vodka instead of my good red wine. I had read that it was "cleaner" for the body to process, and I figured I'd get more bang for the buck (calorie) that way. Didn't take into account my meds, skipping dinner, and that vodka is WAY more potent than wine yet I drank it as though it was. No wonder I started having blackouts, etc.

Hmmm... this is not helping me to stop craving wine.

Rosie

ETA now that I think about it, I was drinking 2 - 4 glasses of that red wine nearly every night at that point, except for the 2 - 3 week breaks I would take every so often, when I thought I was drinking to much - being able to go a few weeks without alcohol convinced me I didn't "need" it, yet I took the breaks because I was "needing" too much! Ahhh, the alcoholic mind

LoftyIdeals

I also started on the red wine then vodka due to a diet...the South Beach diet, about 7 yrs ago. They said beer was to high on the glycemic scale. Right now, though, my belly is too high on any scale!

Rosie, it sounds to me like you have your answer already. If you are having more cravings than normal, I'd consider another solution without etoh. I have always, until this time around, continued to take communion wine. Now I take the grape juice. And that's cause that little tiny thimble of wine would make me want more of the taste later in the day. God didn't make us become drunks, and He won't make us become sober. We have to want that to glorify Him. He's the Perfect One; we're the sinners.

Peace...and have a great weekend all!

Dee74

Hi Rosie

I think our recovery is a pretty elastic thing.

I've done things at one part of my recovery that didn't bother me - like use Listerine - and then other times it did (not cravings in my case but I ended up using that Listerine a lot more than the non alc brand mouthwash I buy).

I'm a Catholic too...and yet the communion wine has never bothered me - even in my worst drinking days.

I don't know whether it's the drops or not here tho - you've been through a few things lately Rosie- but in any case it's clear somethings got you ill at ease.

Whenever I start to crave a drink, I tried to examine why I might feel that way.
I also ramped up my recovery maintenance, and my support network.

I was determined not to undo all my good work - and I know you're the same Rosie

Congratulations on 11 months
D

aussieblue

Hi Everyone,

Mirage have a great trip and enjoy meeting your online friend.

PBC glad you have a therapist you like,this can be the breaker in doing therapy or not in my view.

Frances you must be the fittest person I have ever heard of all this running. Can I have some of your energy please.

****{Dave}}} not fair rotten illness.

Lofty great job on getting things sorted

Rosie Firstly CONGRATULATIONS on 11 months.
Craving wine, that stinking alcaholic voice , I have been wanting a little oblivian myself lately. When I read the March thread I often feel like I am the only one who is not getting on top of my drinking,
red wine is my weakness and I miss it, but I know I cant drink any more.
My depression is still here , this party is getting me down our first visitors arrive on wednesday and the drinking will begin so I am in for about a week of this before things go back to normal . As for taking meds I have been down that road and don't want to do it again . Are you on meds Rosie?

Dee74

I missed drinking for a long time aussie - which is understandable - it was my life for 20 years.

I still reckon it's not the missing thats the measure of the recovery - it's what we do in response

D

aussieblue

Well, I won't be drinking but I wish it could be easier thats all.

PeanutButterCup

Awwww, Dave, it's still keepin' you down? Sheesh. Well, keep resting and drinking those fluids.

Rosie, I'm sure you didn't get the "vodka is better than wine" thing from WW. Their stance is to "limit alcohol" (per the Good Health Guidelines), which more specifically means no more than 4 oz wine or 1 shot (1.5 oz) of hard alcohol per day for women, and less is better. For me, vodka was sneaky. I'd think I was fine, have a little more, and fall over. It had a delayed reaction. My thoughts for your cravings would be that if you can, make the remedy without it. Your sobriety is worth it! Maybe it's a bit of a hassle, but YOU are worth it.

"God didn't make us become drunks, and He won't make us become sober." -- I prayed for years that God would take my alcoholism from me. I begged Him. At some point it occurred to me that I needed to lay it down.

Aussie, you wrote, "When I read the March thread I often feel like I am the only one who is not getting on top of my drinking." You are not the only one ... that's why I'm seeing a therapist now. I needed more help. I'm also going to look into an anxiety med, per my therapist's recommendation. The challenge with this is that I need to find a new doctor because I don't like mine ... and that's a pain. But it needs to be done. I kinda thought I was the only one who still struggled, actually. Everyone else seems miles removed from that, so I've tried to not post about it.

Rosie, CONGRATULATIONS ON 11 MONTHS!!!!!! Wooo-hoooooooooooooooo!

RosieTheRiveter

Oh, no, PBC, I did NOT mean to imply that WW was at fault for my excess drinking and then switching to vodka, or even that it encouraged drinking, not at all. So sorry if I gave that impression!

What I was trying to convey is that, in attempting to keep my points on track, I, as an alcoholic, would SKIP dinner in order to be able to drink and stay on points. Then, I realized I was still wracking up too much with my increasing wine consumption, so I made the decision to switch to vodka.

WW is a great program! I have known many people over the years who have had excellent success on WW. I am not familiar with their newest program, I was on Points Plus, if I remember correctly. And, I was wrong about the timing, I THINK I stopped WW just before 2011, but cannot remember for sure. Hit a heavy depression and just went off the rail.

I LOVED the combo of online and meetings. The website had such a huge wealth of information, recipes, ability to track progress, it was a great fit for me.

If I offended you OR gave the wrong impression about WW, that was not my intent, and I hope you will forgive me. I was referring to my "work arounds" in order to "stay on program" (in my mind) and still be able to drink as much as I wanted to.

Sincerely,
Rosie

RosieTheRiveter

Clearly there are several of us struggling right now. I hope we will continue to be honest about that, even though it is tough when it seems everyone else is coasting along.

Kinda like always cleaning your house before friends come over, and they do the same. You all think each other lives in a house that belongs in a magazine shoot, instead of the clutter and stuff that comes along with a busy family life.

Rosie

aussieblue

PBC I hope you find a good Doctor , there is a real shortage of GP's in my area and the specialist I see is in another city so I have to travel a lot. Have you tried any other methods to control your anxiety other than meds?

PeanutButterCup

Oh no ... I wasn't offended and I didn't think that's what you were saying. It's okay! I just wanted to clarify their position on alcohol. Actually, I did the same thing as you. I lost my weight 5 1/2 years ago now, and maintained all those years while drinking. I ate bare minimums ... just my GHG, ignoring the alcohol one. It's a little crazy now because I have to purposefully eat MORE than I'm used to so that I don't go below the minimums on the BMI scale. I'm 1 pound above the lowest I'm allowed to go right now, and I weigh daily to keep tabs on it.

:ghug3

Dee74

LOL I clean my house before the cleaners come over Rosie

I agree tho - these threads are for support - I daresay there's other places on the web to go to for a 'who's the most sober' competition

if you're struggling this is the place to be - if we can't understand, who will?


D

aussieblue

Yes I would be interested to hear others say if they are doing it hard not just me whinging alone.

OMG I have to clean the house before the visitors! LOL.

PeanutButterCup

Aussie, I haven't tried anything yet, but we're going to be doing a lot of cognitave behavioral therapy, too. She has a neurology background and believes my brainwaves are operating at a level WAY faster than normal, which could be moderated. This is something that the alcohol naturally did, and it's her theory that this is why I crave it. My cravings seem to be more physical than emotional, if that makes sense.