Angie247

I just wanted to say hi and wish everyone well. It's been a while and hope it's okay that I pop in. I was just listening to That Sober Guy podcast on Friday, I enjoy his podcasts. I also bought Elizabeth Vargas's audiobook where she detailed her battle with alcoholism, and it was very well written. Miss you all.

Cauliflower

Hi everyone, it's late and I'm exhausted. This past week was very busy but productive. I'm doing well, hanging in there. I will catch you all up soon. Nice to see you here Angie! Pop in anytime....in fact, stay awhile!

stargazer016

Hi Angie!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope things have settled a bit for you.

Miss ya!

amp123

Really nice to see you Angie! How are you doing? It's so nice when a few of the old crew pop by!

Cauliflower - Good to see you too. I've been crazy busy too recently and have had to be really strict with myself about keeping my recovery up the top of my priority list!!

I'm sitting on a bar terrace right now at a street market in Chiclana. Just bought an archery set for 12€ so should make for a fun afternoon! People at the tables around me are all drinking beer and wine but I'm pretty much oblivious to that these days. Feels good to be unfazed by these things now. Just a coke and a smile!

Take care all!!!

stargazer016

Amp, I imagine drinking and archery are not the best of combinations, lol! I am glad that we can finally tune out a lot of the alcohol that inundates us daily.

The month we all quit, I had some friends visit Europe and they posted probably over a hundred pictures of their adventures on Face Book. One picture, just one, showed a bottle of wine sitting on a table. I was so focused on that picture. In my mind, I decided that I could never travel anywhere, because what would be the point if I couldn't drink? It makes me cringe a little bit now thinking how that was my mindset back in April 2015. Now, like yourself, I can go into a store and be totally oblivious to the booze. It is the small things like that which remind me how far we have all come.

Have a great day all!

Dee74

Good to see you Angie - hope all the Aprillers have a good week

D

stargazer016

Happy Monday to all!

BlueFairy

Ha!

Well the job is getting interesting--they really want me to check, but it also looks like the supervisor job could be up again for the meat--either way I'm good lol. Even if I'm mostly in the meat (worse case scenario) I only have to close 2 nights at the most and even though I hate closing meat, I'm still being paid checker's wages so that softens the blow some. Going to take son down to vocational rehab tomorrow and get him started--hopefully they can find him a job ;-) I never even considered that option. I'll have to file an appeal to disability within 60 days so I need to get on that. The crush is making me go to a lot more meetings hoping I'll see him so at worse right now--I'm getting lots of therapy lol. At least this time if things go bad all I have to do is not go to the meetings he goes to. It's not like working with someone every day. Oh and it's not at work--(bonus) I'm also committed to no self delusion this time under any circumstances. That will be the hardest. Seems like I get just trigger happy whenever something happens these days thinking it's going to end up in the nuclear explosion that was my alcoholic life. The facts are these days, things are better and I'll never let things get as out of control as they did ever again. I'm learning life skills--basic stuff I guess that a lot of people from non alcoholic homes have. Thanks for being the kind non judgmental people I trusted you to be ;-)

amp123

One step at a time, Blue. Despite it all, it sounds like you're in control of your situation

stargazer016

A HA MOMENT right here!

Blue, this one sentence shows how far you have come since I first saw your contributions on the Undies board last year.

While your life may not seem any less chaotic than before, the fact that you are not looking at it through booze glasses makes it seem less daunting.

Looking back, my life was becoming a slow burning dumpster fire while drinking. A whole bunch of things were constantly smoldering just under the surface. I never knew when I would do something stupid and the whole thing would erupt. Though I may still have that smoldering fire going on at times, at least I (and you) are not throwing gasoline on top of it. No more self inflicted second degree drinking burns.

Life still happens. We all have to make choices every day. Sometimes, we will still make the wrong ones. At least we are making them with a sober mind!

Have a great day all!

amp123

We'll said, SG. Too many years fanning the flames!!

I met up with my old band this morning. We've been offered a date for a show this Christmas and I've tentatively agreed to doing it. No idea whether I'll be able to lead the band without that bit of Dutch courage I used to rely on. Well... If it's not for me anymore this should help me work it out!

stargazer016

Good for you Amp!

I am finding that things I used to think that I needed to drink to get through weren't really as bad as I thought they would be. I think maybe my AV was just using these things as excuses to drink.

My brother in law makes his living as a drummer and is an alcoholic too. He spends his nights in bars, is very shy, and hasn't had a drink in ten years. It can be done.

Relish the opportunity. I think deep down you know that you need to do this.

Incontrol15

All great posts.

Traveling sober... I had the same thoughts. How could I possibly have fun while being sober?

Now it's easy to visualize a relaxing vacation. One that I'd actually remember too

Great to see you Angie! Xoxoxo

BF..massive transformation. Can you imagine how bad things would be today if you didnt quit?

I had posted that somewhere else recently....
That drinking made things worse than I ever could have imagined. If I didn't stop, I bet things would be WORSE than the worst case scenarios I could think of...or thought possible.

I thought there was a safety floor. That things could only get so bad. I was a professional with two decades of experience, earning decent coin, with a relatively stable family.

If somebody would have told me what would happen if I continued to use alcohol or pain pills, I never would have believed them.

stargazer016

Happy Thanksgiving Cauli!

amp123

Thanks for that SG. First rehearsal 2 weeks today. Glad I didn't sell absolutely all my gear now. Still have a couple of guitars, an amp and a few mics...

OMD

Dunno where this week went because I have been working like a dog but it was great to see some old and new friends post here this week. Stick around! Amp, I really think it's great that you're going to try out the band. I used to do some stuff either drunk or hungover and I do that same stuff even though I thought I would be not so great because I was sober. Turns out I am better than ever. Sure you'll be too.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I just hit 18 months sober today so this will be a very nice weekend for me. Going to spend some of my found money, which continues to pile up - I shamelessly spend the money I would have spent on booze either on my family (mainly - they deserve it) or me (sometimes).

Cheers
OMD

stargazer016

Congrats on 18 months OMD!

It's pretty remarkable that our little group continues to defy the odds and march forward!

Have a great day all!

amp123

Absolutely! Congratulations OMD!

Dee74

congrats from me too OMD.

D

OMD

Morning (or evening) all!

Thank you very much for your well wishes! Got up super early this morning, ran 10 miles. Bit achy now but I kid you not - with no alcohol in my system my recovery is always quicker. So life's good! Now to attack all the house stuff before the fun starts again tomorrow...

Happy Sunday!

OMD