Gonnachange

I'm going away for the weekend and will be spending time with people I've known for over 40 years. Lots of fun, for sure. Tomorrow night there's a sit down dinner with an open bar from 6-12 so surely most will be drinking alcohol. I'm really not too concerned about being surrounded by so much alcohol for such an extended period of time, just as I'm not concerned about being around folks as they order Bloody Marys or Mimosas at Sunday's brunch. In fact, I doubt anyone is going to say anything about my beverage choices and if they do it won't be in a coercive manner, but more along the lines of honest inquiry. No big deal.

SoberLeigh

Have a great time, GC; I absolutely know that you will be fine.

Has the medication tweak been beneficial?

Gonnachange

Thanks for your sentiment and confidence.

I only started today so it's too early to tell. Thanks for asking.

Dee74

Have a good sober weekend GC

D

Gonnachange

Thanks Dee. My plan is to have a GREAT sober weekend. :-)

My wife is meeting some long time professional friends for dinner in Manhattan and my daughter has no social plans so to the two of us will be eating dinner at home and hanging out afterward.

My marathon is four weeks from tomorrow so I have another long training run tomorrow and then it's off to the reunion. Lots of good stuff happening and I want to be fully engaged. Alcohol will not serve my purposes.

Gonnachange

Still trucking along. Life is good.

Gonnachange

The weekend reunion was thoroughly enjoyable and while I really wasn't paying too much attention I did notice that the level of alcohol consumption pretty much ran the gamut just like one would expect. As we got into the wee hours there were a few that were hammered, but the vast majority of us still standing were in fine shape and were bright eyed, albeit a bit tired, when we met for brunch on Sunday. Not a comment was made about club soda and lemon being my beverage of choice and as I wrote earlier if something would have been said I'm sure it would have been in a purely inquisitive manner and not with any intent to have me change my mind. Part of me thinks that is one of the advantages of hanging around people of a certain age.

I'm now 25 days away from my next marathon and did a short run this morning. A dozen years ago I broke my ankle and was told by my surgeon that I likely would never be able to run again. It was a devastating thing to hear, but I was determined to prove him wrong. I can still remember the first time I went for a run after my cast came off, all of 1.5 miles/2.4 km. It hurt, it was hard, but I persevered, and eventually was able to reach my goal and maintain the ability to cross that finish line every single time I've lined up at the starting line. It's the same focus that has allowed me to remove alcohol from my life while still being able to socialize and be around people, most of whom know how to moderate, who chose a different path.

SoberLeigh

You have the spirit of a fighter, GC - never giving up!!!

Has your medication tweak started to work?

Gonnachange

Thanks for your kind words.

I think the tweak is having a positive effect. My breathing has definitely been better since yesterday, but as you know we've had a big change in the temperature/humidity so the change in my condition may be partly attributable to that. Thanks for asking.

Gonnachange

For religious reasons I'm fasting today and although it's still not noon in my part of the world, I'm getting hungry. Probably because I'm thinking about not eating just as I often think about drinking because I'm still consciously thinking about not doing it.

The residuals from this weekend's reunion are still going strong and I'm continuing to have conversations with folks that I have been in touch with as well as ones that we lost contact with each other. Good stuff.

SoberLeigh

Have a very blessed holiday, GC.

Gonnachange

Thanks SL!

Della1968

Hi all! Glad everyone seems good!

Gonnachange

Hi Della.

Gonnachange

Accountability and transparency dictate that I write here that I had a glass of wine last night while breaking my fast. It wasn't a drinking atmosphere, in fact four adults didn't finish one bottle and nobody cajoled or in any fashion tried to persuade me; I just decided to have a glass with dinner. Not two, but not none either. I'm still sorting out my feelings about what transpired, but I'm not beating myself up or fearing that this will open a floodgate of additional pours in the future.

Today it's back to my new normal.

Gonnachange

To clarify, the above referenced new normal is NOT drinking and not having the glass of wine I had last night. Sorry if anyone misinterpreted my statement.

Dee74

I'll be interested to read your working through this GC

D

Gonnachange

Dee, you know how much I respect your wisdom, all you do for this site and its members, and I know that you're writing from a perspective of genuine concern. In my mind, there's nothing to work through; after about two months (I haven't counted days) I had one glass of wine. I recognize that doing so could/would be a trigger event for some, but I guarantee you that my post tomorrow will include a tale of a tonight being a sober evening.

Furthermore, I'm happy to write that I have no cravings and my AV is sufficiently holed up in wherever it goes when it's not bothering me.

Thanks for always checking in on me.

Gonnachange

It's not tomorrow in my time zone, but I'm on my way to bed and wanted to pre-emptively write that the tale I guaranteed has happened. Good night SR friends!

SoberLeigh

'Sufficiently holing up my AV" after having one glass of wine is what I think that I would find most problematic. I haven't tested this scenario so it's only a theory but here is how I think it would go for me:

After the one and only one glass of wine: "Wow; that went well. Good, over and done but no more".

A few nights or a week later, while out to dinner with friends: "Well; that one glass of wine the other night didn't lead to any problems. I think I'll have a glass of wine with everyone else".

A few days later: "Well, Leigh, those glasses of wine weren't a problem; I'll bet I could have two glasses of wine - no sweat".

Eventually, I would have myself convinced that three glasses of wine was a splendid idea and so I'd slide down that dark path and into that abyss from which I struggled so hard to climb out.

Keep a good eye on your AV, GC; if he's anything like mine, he's a sneaky little *%*@.