Hello everyone!
Great news Inc - we really do live in uncertain times. Amp, I am sure things will go better this year - you have a plan and that's critical.

SG - totally normal to think about drinking. Just don't! Nothing good will come of it. Hopefully you'll get some decent weather soon and that will help.

Nice to see you here CG. Stick around man, it's good for the soul.

All good here. Not much to report. Plenty of exercise. Got enough work to keep me busy. Back on the road on Wednesday but that's fine. Cutting down the sugar, but not the caffeine. But blood pressure and resting heart rate now both excellent, so I am not stressing - onwards and upwards!

Best wishes
OMD

Congrats on the sugar!

I've completely relapsed on coffee :/
I'm back on the wagon as of this moment.

I tried cutting out the coffee totally, but with my crazy retail schedule, it was very difficult. So now I have one in the morning, then have a cup of tea later on. I have basically quit drinking soda, so my caffeine levels are way down. I'm still not emotionally ready to give up sugar yet, though I know that I would likely feel better without it. I still have a little "poor me, I had to give up drinking, so I want ice cream" thinking going on. As long as I stay active, I am not too worried. That's a project for down the road.

TGIF!

Have a great Monday all!

I feel like that too SG! It's like I don't drink, don't smoke, don't do any weed so you can't take cafeine away from me! It's all I've got!

Part of me would love to consume only natural sugars, no red meat (or no meat at all really), no cafeine, easy on the gluten and the lactose, etc, etc, but my coffee in the morning or pizza or burger at the weekend!? Man! I still have to live a little!

I'm not sure if this is self pity, making a stand or not giving enough of a **** about it, but I'm not worrying too much. Time will tell.

Anyway, remember Monday is a fun day. Up and atom, right?!

Amp, by the time I get perfectly healthy and eat all the right things, I will be six feet under. My mother lived, and still does, live her life with self imposed quotas. She has one egg a week, smokes exactly four cigarettes a day, and so on. I just can't live a life of forced moderation like that entails. Bring on the pizza and ice cream, just within reason.

Inc, how is the morale at your store? I have ridden a couple of retail chains down the drain and it's difficult to create a positive work environment when everyone doubts whether or not they will have a job in six months. At my last company that eventually went bankrupt, my boss and my GM both jumped ship within months of each other. Then the replacement GM jumped ship. I knew it was time to seek another avenue of employment quickly.

Hope things are going well Canguy. You should be near a month, yes?

Have a great day all!

Hey, thanks Stargazer.....that's like someone totally unexpected remembering your birthday. 30 days today. It's been good. I really haven't had any great cravings to be honest.....though I know they will come.

I look at my earlier time here not as sober then relapse, but rather as learning about being sober. That I could be sober, that I could just sit on my own at night and be ok with it. Got some different habits going. There are many small skills and techniques you have to learn.

So maybe this time I've got a few more things to use when it gets difficult.

But, yeah...its been a good few weeks, quite a bit done, apartment repainted, work kept up with. Its still isolated, but at least I'm not isolating.....which is the worse of drinking.

Coffee?.....been buying it for the percolator by the kilo. But have been way better with the dark chocolate....no more munching half a block a night. Really want it sometimes.

Anyway....I keep reading here, its encouraging to be around people who have made it out.

All the best all

Awesome canguy :) just awesome!

SG... Morale is really good actually. Considering. I've been beating the "This is great news" for us drum. Company is filing chapter 11 instead of 7, so that's good news too. And... Best yet... We're going private pending a purchase agreement.

I'm a bit nervous with going private though. They might want to trim the fat some more. I'm working extra diligent to perform well and get good results in the meantime. It's all I can do. Personally, I think they should trim more fat. Who knows. I don't see the numbers they do.

Retail environment has taken such a huge hit. Thanks to internet shopping. Did Ya'll see that Amazon has pick up spots now? I have one 10min from me. I can order tonight, and pick up tomorrow on select items. Others will be ready in two days. For free.

Thanks Incontrol.
Weird thing is I had, for the first time, one of those drinking dreams last nite. Then jerked awake suddenly relieved I hadn't. But I guess the wish is still in there somewhere.

Plsed to hear that your surviving the changes....constant purging became a feature of my job too. I went through one a year, 4 years running. They got me on the fourth. But, hey.....I wouldn't go back there now, um, ....if they paid me. Onto new things now. Dumb thing is that they now employ me indirectly as a freelancer on better money and I organise my own hours......no more management. Suits me.

Internet must have had a huge impact on retail.....I have really come to see it here. Living in a relatively isolated place ebay was just brilliant. Could get all those things that never available here. But I can see that it has expanded way beyond that now.

Amazon arrives in Australia soon. The sleeper retailer I reckon is Alibaba and Aliexpress. The Chinese ebay...Alibaba is Chinese maunufactures and services direct, express the consumer home version. The manufacturing side is jaw dropping. Literally anything......and they make you a run of whatever you want from cnc files. I think this is where my business is going. Sadly.

Anyway....another day. Hope all you guys good. On it goes.....

Amazon has totally changed the retail environment in the US since the late 1990's. Now you can get virtually anything you want delivered to your door in two days. Stores like Inc's have become defacto Amazon showrooms where folks check out the products in person there and then order what they want from Amazon. It feeds a cycle, as Amazon puts retailers out of business, you need to order from Amazon to find the product you are looking for. I appreciate the detailed customer reviews about a given product on their website. Whenever possible, though, I try to buy big ticket items like electronics from a brick and mortar store.

Have a good day all!

Me too SG. And I try small business first. Normally willing to shell out a couple extra bucks too. I know I'll get way better service and if I have any issues, I know they'll take care of me. Especially after I show them the premium I'm willing to pay for that.

I'm getting nervous again. Now rumblings are that the buyer will close shop. Could be a similar company out west that's after the assets and better negotiating terms with vendors.

I'm not too nervous. I'm sleeping well. Just not time to relax just yet. I'll find out soon enough.

One thing I've noticed is how positive my thought process is now. I'm not hung up on worst case scenarios. And if I get laid off, then I get laid off. All I can do is all I can do. It's so much easier to accept.

If I do get laid off, I'm going to use this as an opportunity to move. I'm hoping I'm not jinxing myself here... But I'm not a big fan of where I live.

I job Hunted here before. It's dry. It's probably dry where I'd like to move to as well, but at least it'll be pretty and have better weather.

Actually... I'm kinda hoping I do get laid off. This would be a great opportunity for me. Maybe I'll shoot for the stars and get an awesome job in another state. Focus more on the best job ever and less on where it is. After all, 80% of my waking hours are spent working anyway!

Incontrol,

U sound like you are well on top of the situation mentally, which is what really matters.

I've found the apparent disaster of job loss has been a release, a liberation. I'm about 9 months along now and everyday surprised at how its gone.

There's a Chinese proverb: 'every crisis is really a dangerous opportunity.'

All the best

Hahaha! Most of us are a few dangerous opportunities down the road here, but I like the way this group remains upbeat!!

There's a special kind of optimism and belief that sometimes comes with beating the odds. This group has got that at the moment. Maybe it's just because spring is coming but I have the feeling that better times are just around the corner!

Nice to see you coming by Canguy! Congratulations on the first month. I used to say "first month is the worst month". If you can do that you can do anything ;)

I love this canguy! I should get this blown up and put in our office.

Inc, where are you thinking of moving to if you get laid off? Actually snowing pretty steadily here after being in the sixties for a few days. I'm sure you don't want to move anywhere colder!

I agree Amp that there is a special kind of optimism and belief that sometimes comes with beating the odds. We all have pretty much had our backs up against the proverbial wall of life and gotten out of the situation, against long odds. over the past two years. If nothing else, we are resilient!

Best wishes for a great day all!

I was felled with a quick hitting bug overnight, with an accompanying fever, shakes and vomiting. I kind of smiled to myself briefly as I realized that I haven't hugged the porcelain goddess since I quit drinking. Don't miss that aspect of drinking one bit!

Have a great weekend all!

Lol SG. Reminded me that there were times when I forced myself to puke because I drank too much. Only to drink more after! Holy cow... I really don't miss those days.

Hope you get well soon.

I'm thinking N. Carolina. Closer to the mountains. My future brother and mother in law lives there.

Cost of living is way better. A few good sized markets nearby. Newer infrastructure.

I'd just have to learn how to combine multiple words into one. Like, Jaeat, instead of "did you eat?"

I could get into that pretty quickly. Would be nice to express my thoughts in half the time.

Get well soon SG :)

Thanks for the well wishes!

Inc, the Asheville area is hopping now. My company opened a store there a few years back. Less severe seasons overall. Might be a good move for you. Does your current company have stores there?

Hope you're feeling better SG!

Inc: I relocated in my 20s in part because the climate in the UK depressed me so much. Probably the best move I ever made (apart from dropping the booze). I had been working as a van driver and hotel porter back home. I took the chance to do some study and begin on a meaningful career path. A move can signify an opportunity (or danger opportunity?!?!) to reinvent yourself, break some of the established patterns and maybe fulfill some of that potential ;)

Ashville is on my short list!

Looks like a cool place!
https://www.exploreasheville.com/blog/post/asheville-nc-lonely-planets-top-us-travel-destination-in-2017/