phoebe64

Ha! Love that video! Going to save it to show my son today. So excited to see him after the trip! Gets home this afternoon. They had a high ropes course and he had no plans on doing it. I wonder if he changed his mind? He and I share a fear of heights, a pretty serious one. No way would I do zip lines or a ropes course.

Briar

Morning guys, happy Friday! The strike is over, so I get to awkwardly walk back into work and survey the damage. Some people think they will lock us out, but I doubt it. They need us, there's pressure from the public for services to resume. 2000 of us walked out, and we basically shut down the government.

phoebe64

Wow, Briar! Did you get any results?

SoberLeigh

I hope that he had a great time and comes home excited to tell you about it!!!!!

SoberLeigh

I hope that there is a positive outcome from the strike, Briar. As it ended so soon, I assume that negotiations were concluded and an agreement reached???????

SoberLeigh

Happy Friday, dear Octsobers.

Yay, the weekend!!!!

Enjoy this day.

Arbor

That's a great quote V. Thanks!

venuscat

Good morning, or evening I guess.

phoebe64

An earlyish goodnight here.

SoberLeigh

Busy day.

Goodnight, dear Octsobers.

See you tomorrow.

Conquest

I'm glad the strike is over, Briar (also assuming that progress was made with your pay). What an event to be a part of!

I may just go back to bed and try to sleep in a bit. That is what rainy Saturday mornings are for, right?

phoebe64

Thinking about doing the same here Conquest, but I think the dog needs out of his crate. Listening for a few to see if the boy gets up, but I bet he's sleeping in after his camping trip. He rarely, almost never, sleeps in past 8! Usually up at 7:15.

Mark1014

Good morning all. What a long work week this was, but a nice break awaits next week. Phoebe, I'm glad to see your son has made a happy return from his adventure. Thinking along those lines, I've been investigating zip lining options for our summer trip. I've never done that and would like to give it a go (I think).

I'm glad the strike was a short one Briar and hope it was beneficial.

On today's agenda is pool maintenance. The recents winds blew in all kinds of stuff that found its way into the pool and it's too much for the robot thing to get so it's looking pretty shabby. For now, however, it is gym time.

Wishing each of you the best day.

phoebe64

Do you close your pool for winter, Mark?

Son and a few of his better friends, it turns out, did not go on the high ropes or high zip lines. They helped get kids off the lines, which was an important job. I am glad he found a way to bow out without feeing pressured or embarrassed. Having a phobia myself, there is no way I could do that. High speed quad chairlifts make me physically ill! Though, I suppose one is more secured on a zip line than a chair lift. Still, ****{shudder}}}

But you let us know how you like zip lining, Mark! . I hear Costa Rica is the hot spot for it.

Mark1014

I think it's great how your son found a way to participate too phoebe!....otherwise his young ego may have been bruised a bit. It's tough at his age and so many feelings of self perception etc. formed in those years color our thoughts for years imo.

The pool runs 24/7/365. My wife likes the sound of it.

I've never been on a chairlift and did not zip line in Costa Rica although I was tempted. The trip this summer is St. John. My mom and step dad are joining us so I was lucky to find a house to rent that was reasonable. It's called Casa de Sonadores and the views from the patio look to be great. I'm all about the view and hope the reality of it lives up to my expectations. I have to plan all this stuff and feel pressured by my families expectations (my own fault). Anyway, there is zip lining there that is not as high as that in Coasta Rican cloud forest.

Arbor

Sounds like a productive day Mark. I need to get up on the roof this weekend and blow the gutters out before my final fall leaf cleanup takes place.

Got a major holiday coming up this week. How's everybody feeling about that?

venuscat

Thanksgiving Arbor? Is it on Thursday?
I'm hopeless enough with the holidays here...my mechanic laughed at me when I tried to book my car in over our biggest holiday weekend here.

Mark, when you get to NZ, yo are going to be in heaven with the extreme sports. I would love to go there to do the flying fox run. One day.
(And yes phoebe love, I can see that you just fainted...)
I'm glad your son had a good time on his trip.

I'm procrastinating....I have a ton to do, and I am here still.
Because I am in shocking shape after being ill for ages (getting better now), and I have to clean this place for another inspection. Sigh.

Mark1014

That's a good question Arbor. Last year's family Thanksgiving was not enjoyable to me. I was anxious and felt like making conversation with my relatives was an effort. Alcohol is not served, but I generally had a few beers prior. This year was nice and I was comfortable in myself....it just felt 'normal'.

Christmas was really my drinking holiday because I felt the volume I drank was more under the radar as my wife would even drink some prosecco mixed with juices and I would happily mix them up for us (and still keep my extra stash in the garage). I fooled myself into feeling like I was handling it better because all my drinking wasn't hidden. It all seemed so festive and I enjoyed the ritual of it all with the sound of the cork etc.. I always polished off the leftover flat prosecco before anyone was up the next day. Being off for a few days from work really allowed me to indulge.

The ads featuring all the sparkling sophisticated cocktails do get my attention, but it's 80% better than last year. I like being sober the vast majority of the time, but I swear it's incredible how an ad on tv can make me momentarily lust for the bite of alcohol in my throat. It's easier now to distract myself from what I've learned will pass relatively quickly.

In looking at posts from others with two or more years of sobriety, many say that alcohol finally lost its 'glamour' all together. It has for me too intellectually, but I do get the rare 'to hell with it' thoughts and temptation. Still though, it's better than last year and I know it'll get better yet.

I'm really loving the easy 'in the moment' approach that sobriety offers. And it's real. Any momentary pleasure that a drink may bring would come at a price that I can't pay anymore. No going back, ....and the vast majority of the time I don't want to.

Mark1014

Hi V.....happy Sunday!

I think bungee is really big in NZ. Never in a million years!

SoberLeigh

Up to my eyeballs in Thanksgiving prep.

Hi, guys.