Babs1234

V that was such a touching story---Bless you for being so kind,
It's funny how I myself look at a story like this. I admire you V and I
want to do the same if I see someone that needs help like that. being so
sick with the with-drawls this last time who am I to not even think of helping
someone like that.
going to bed to read for awhile then lights out. Have a good eve.everyone.
Babs

venuscat

honestly....by the grace of God go I.
i could easily be on the streets.

i remember years ago a pharmacist telling her colleague as i was leaving the store..."suzanne has lost it." i turned around and said "i heard that." the thing is, she was right. I was drinking in the mornings then...couldn't get out of the house without it. i was anorexic and drunk...only reason i could live here was because my parents paid my rent once or twice.

Duffster

Beautiful, V. I too believe that that could be any one of us. Or a family member. It warms my heart to think that someone would be kind enough to help me or someone I love if they needed it.

My uncle, dad's brother, ended up on skid row. This was a man raised by servants in a mansion in Long Island. He ultimately shot himself with a shot gun. One example of many on both sides of my family but certainly the most severe. Could be any of us.

Babs, I was thinking the same thing as Sass, love you're longer posts. You're doing awesome.

Congrats to Marcher & Bud!!

We have nothing scheduled today except to clean out the garage - this might just take the whole weekend it's such a crowded mess. The hard part is going to convince hubby to throw things out/donate them as he's a bit of a pack rat.

Saskia

V, I agree that could be any one of us. When I was drinking I thought about how very thin the line is between drinking too much and becoming a skid row inhabitant. Too often I think it's too easy to ignore those less fortunate than we are.

Duff, cleaning out the garage sounds challenging, lol! I get the impression that men are usually worse pack rats than women.

(((Trachy))), somehow I think of you as one of those guys who is likely to hate hugs but, otoh, with your mushy insides, maybe you are one of those special guys who enjoys them :-). You do deserve it.

Gilmer, the longer I know you the more impressed I am with your wisdom and wit! I'm hoping that one of these times when I visit my daughter we can get together.

Happy Day to all Marchers!

Gilmer

Thank you, Sass! I would love that!

1Dayatatyme

I have cleaning/organizing on the agenda, as well, today. I have set a goal to take down my Christmas decorations today, which entails organization and then storing them in the loft in my garage. I will be entertained while working though... really looking forward to watching the Patriots game this afternoon.
Of course Sunday is the important game...Broncos play... and fingers crossed, they win and advance in the playoffs.

Make it a good day, Marchers!

Saskia

1Day, good that you have game to look forward to after cleaning up the decorations.

I'm noticing the real changes in many of us as time goes on. 1Day, it sounds like you have gained much acceptance.

And Babs, you are progressing along so well. I understand what you mean by the withdrawal being more difficult this time. I had a similar experience and it scared me. That gradually morphed into a determination to live a sober life. It wasn't until I got past about 3 months that I started feeling like I might actually be able to do this. Now at 5 months, i don't in any way feel it is a done deal, but it's so much easier than it was and I feel a good deal stronger. I hadn't realized just how good I could feel. Certainly I still have my low moments but I try to check my clean time app and when I see how many continuous seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc that I have accumulated, it is a reminder that a momentary bump in the road is just that - momentary. It's an empowering feeling!

Babs1234

thank you Sass and once again --I'm so glad to come here and read what everyone is
going through---Yes, it's only been a month and boy---it is a struggle but, I keep reading here and my help books at night and that does help me. I have looked into AA and perhaps that will be my next step. I've said this before all our friends drink but, not to the point of getting out of control ===where I had to be just plain stupid before I would quit. If you guys think of it next time you post would you tell me some of the drinks you have during this time,. I just have coke and that gets pretty boring. Thanks

Have a great day Marchers and hugs to you---
Babs

Gilmer

I drink a lot of coffee and Diet Dr. Pepper. Probably not the healthiest!

Saskia

Babs, why not keep a variety on hand? Marcher has the right idea, I think - she gets something called Chinotto. Perhaps have several things on hand including at least one that may be more expensive but is a special treat. That way, when urges hit, you have a special treat.

Marcher13

Good afternoon Marchers I'm out of my routine today, one of my friends stayed overnight so we have been gossiping all morning. It's a lovely cool rainy day, just the right sort of weather for a lazy at home day as we go back to work on Tuesday. I plan to knit and watch the finals of the Brisbane tournament, Sydney starts this week.

Sass is right re fave drinks Babs. I can't link because it would be a commercial link but if you look up "San Pellegrino" you'll find the chinotto I enjoy. SP's drinks are citrus based "adult" soft drinks so less sweet and I find them satisfying. I keep plenty of that on hand for the evening, also a "medium" and "high end" mineral water so I have a variety to choose from. Add ice, thinly sliced lemon or lime and you've got yourself a festive drink.

Trachy we didn't put the shrimp on the barbie -- in the end I marinated chicken in lemon, garlic and thyme which we then bbqed. With some chat potatoes and a roasted capsicum/corn salad we were good to go.

V that was a lovely thing to do for the homeless man.

Have a good day peeps.

Saskia

Marcher, sounds like you are getting some relaxation during your break :-). We have the San Pellegrino in my grocery store and I enjoy that now and then as a treat.

1Dayatatyme

Babs: My favorite drinks right now include Arnold Palmers: I use the Newman Lemonade and mix it with fresh brewed green tea mixed with a peach herbal tea... it is so delicious and refreshing. Because I can adjust the ratios, I can make sure it is not too sweet... I use about 4 parts tea to one part lemonade, which provides the sweetness. Of course, when it is so cold that I need a hot drink, I drink earl grey or English breakfast tea. When I have a lot of chores, I will drink coffee, but I get caffeinated so easily... I bet you could pick out the days I had a pot of coffee by my posts!

As for AA or any 12 step meetings that you can relate to: they were instrumental when I had over 10 years recovery beginning in 1998. I had my choice of meetings here in the Denver area, and found some wonderful ones where there was good recovery and I could identify with the other members. Changed my life, and I use some of those principles to this day.

Venus: : Just a quick chime in to share my experience with pain pills, although you may already know it, as I had shared it previously here on SR: I was completely clean and sober for over ten years, and got in a car accident where I was hit by another car who changed lanes right into my car. What started with 1 to 2 5mg vicodins prescribed to be taken every night, progressed over several years, my recovery was ruined, and it was all through prescription painkillers. They are very insidious. Although I knew I had issues with addiction, and could quote from the Big Book of AA, the effects of the pain pills were stronger. I think the key to being in recovery from alcoholism or addiction and taking pain pills appropriately is to have someone to be accountable to. If I ever had to take them again, and I hope to God I do not, the first thing I would do is give the bottle to a sponsor, relative or friend, and have them give me the dosage on a daily basis. Read some of the posts written by substance abusers: a good many started through the use of prescribed drugs... it was not through partying or illicit use, it was with good intentions to treat pain medically. Scary~ Again, I am not giving advice, I am just sharing my experience and what I would do based on that experience.

Sass: Good job tapering off of the benzos... they are the substitute of choice for those preferring the effects of alcohol, so you are wise to get off of them, especially if the anxiety is being controlled through CBT or DBT coping skills, which I bet you have learned through some of your treatment experiences.

And yes, I did have a pot of coffee today, which is how I was able to reach my goal of taking down my Christmas decorations and get them all packed away neatly in the garage.

venuscat

1Day ~ I welcome advice from you, from all of you. anytime. and yes, having been in NA as well as AA, I am well aware of how insidious pain meds can be...I am so sorry you went through that with your accident. I didn't know.
I really appreciate you sharing that with me.

As I said, I have no one to give the pills to for accountability reasons. What I chose to do instead was only get a very small amount from the surgeon, and I am accountable to him. I have to see him once a week for two more weeks at least, and we have already agreed that this will be the length of time I stay on codeine. And that's it. If I still need pain management after that, it will be a much milder form of codeine.

Babs ~ I like to drink Cranberry juice. With loads of ice. Or even mixed with mineral water. It makes me feel fancy somehow.

love to all of the marchers,

V xx

trachemys

Sounds good.

We need to clear something up. BBQ is not a cooking method. Grilling, to grill, i grilled, she grilled, we grilled, that's a cooking method.

BBQ is a food. It's pork. Slow cooked, tender, pulled or chopped pork. There are sauces to be applied before and during cooking and sauces for after cooking. They vary from mild and vinegary to tomato based to hot enough to make your eyeballs sweat. Sauce is a personal preference. But, BBQ is pig.

It's just a Southern thang.

venuscat

oooooo can't wait till marcher and Dee see that trach ~ barbecuing is not only cooking, it is an art.

trachemys

Heathens.

venuscat

Marcher13

Of course BBQ is a cooking method Trachy: bbq is what you do when you go outside with the flies and mozzies and slap a piece a meat on a hot plate. It might be fancy like a prawn, it could be a snag, then again it could be onions and steak. When it's finished we pile it with tomarta sorrrs

If we grill something we put it on the griller to do it, something I believe you call the broiler.

We pull no pork only legs.

It's an Aussie thing -- and we wear our thongs to do it.

tootsl1

Babs, I drink about 2 litres of cheap (50c) fizzy water a day! I tired drinking other drinks, or buying juices to add to my water, but I keep going back to just plain water, but in my own expensive fancy drinking glass that I treated myself to. Gson broke my last one at christmas ( football in the house- not recommended) so I bought another in the sales. I suggest you treat yourself to a variety ( after all you are saving money not drinking) and see what takes your fancy. If coke was your fav mixer with vodka, you are storing up potential trouble right there.

1day, that Arnold Palmer sounds yummy, I would certainly like that occasionally

Oh, Trachy, Trachy, Trachy..... Why do you do these things? Now there is going to be all sorts of heat ( charcoal or gas fired I am not sure) but you cannot poke an Aussie regarding the sacrosanctity of the barbie.
I will be in Mexico til the whole thing blows over. Adios amigos