Hi all! Numblady, your posts always (temporarily) inspire me to exercise! I know that feeling of physical exhaustion as you fall into bed and drift off to sleep. It reminds me of being a kid, and falling asleep after a long day of jumping waves in the ocean or skiing as many runs as I could possibly fit in. Or marathon training as a younger adult. :)

We're getting settled in to the house, it feels great to have lots of room to spread out and things to use. Of course, there is an endless list of things we "need," even though as we keep saying, there are really so few needs when it comes right down to it.

I'll post more in a bit, still on my first cup of coffee, so not entirely lucid yet!

Hi Class,

Thank you everyone for the kind words re: lost client. It’s been hanging over me a little over the weekend, but I’ve tried to keep busy so as to not allow those thoughts take root and escalate (as they usually would!). As such, apologies for being out of action, it’s been an accordingly busy weekend of house work and projects - moving furniture, cleaning, taking out boxes for recycling etc.!

@Chase: I admire your resolve to seek out gratitude in an otherwise unfavorable situation. It really resonated with me and today when I found myself becoming anxious about the lost client and how we’re going to communicate that and handle the situation tomorrow, I thought about that perspective and decided to be grateful for my problems. Grateful that the problems I have, much as you have discussed, are so insignificant in comparison to some of the weighty and mortal challenges facing so many others. Thank you for giving me such vitally measured perspective in the face of something that usually ends in a spiral for me.

@BTLover: So happy to hear from you, thanks for popping by! Delighted to hear all is well and I am happy to pledge my allegiance to the one year (and beyond) committee!! Haha

@Palmer: Best of luck with refining your occupied square footage! Lol Seriously though, I can’t tell you enough how much I admire how well you’re handling this whole situation - I think I’d have lost my mind by now. You’re grace and focus to deal and get things done is astoundingly inspiring. I’m not surprised to hear the AV has been testing the locks - a difficult period of upheaval would usually present the perfect opportunity for AV to lay claim and drag you into its false embrace. Not this time though! You’ve already demonstrated how strong you are and even by coming and declaring your acknowledgment of those whispers here ensures the power lies firmly in your hands. You’ve got this - and you’ve got us any time you feel those urges start to rustle. So happy that you’re finally getting settled again and have a chance to regain some sense of normality!

@Numblady: How did the party go? Hope visitors aren’t driving you too crazy! Sounds like your bike ride was grueling - but also must have been super rewarding to pump all those endorphins!

Greetings friends.

Work, this week, involves cross country travel and some late nights, especially considering the time zone change. I am quite tired already and have three more days. I will try to compose a proper post soon. The positive twist is I had a nice, albeit slow, run with views of the Pacific Ocean.

Enjoy the last of the weekend, all.

Sounds like a beautiful vista for some exercise, @Chase! Hopefully you can get some good rest and the rest of the travel won’t be too taxing. Take care!

Good night friends! Like others hoping to do a more thorough post soon. Had a fun time hosting and catching up with my friend but now I am super sleepy. What’s new, right? Kids had a total blast. We’re all zonked. Talk to y’all soon!

@ Numblady: So happy to hear everyone had a great time! Hope you got to catch some solid ZZZs and recharge the batteries after all the action this weekend!:c011:

I'm on my way to team meeting to deliver the bad news and brainstorm response to client and off-boarding strategy. Fun times ahead..!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and let's hope this week brings some positivity and rest to all!:grouphug:

NewChapter, good luck!!! I'm 100% sure that you will address this issue with calm confidence. Come back and let us know how it went! Also, thank you so much for your kind comments about my housing saga...I'm trying my best to deal with it for what it is, important but definitely not life-shattering. ;) Edited to add that I just saw you're hitting 5 months in a couple of days! Woohoo!

Chase, your run along the Pacific ocean sounds amazing, ALMOST amazing enough to make me want to run too...almost. I've been thinking a lot about your comments RE: control (or lack thereof).

Numblady, I'm so glad the kids had fun (and you did, too!) One of these days, I hope you take one morning to sleep as long and as late as you possibly can. Until then, I'll continue to admire your crazy pace from my bed on the sidelines. ;)

I'm hoping to get more organized today while shuttling my kids around and oh yeah, getting some work done! Luckily, I can telework so I will be able to multitask somewhat. I hope everyone has a great day, and checks in frequently.

Thanks @Palmer! Looking forward to passing that 5 month mark - it's weird, but I feel as though hitting the 6 month mark will really cement my perspective on lifelong sobriety, as up until now the milestones seem to pale in comparison to my years spent drinking and the cycle of abstinence followed by relapse. 6 months seems to be a solid period and to my mind this will demonstrate to myself my ability to commit to this improved lifestyle.

I hope your multi-tasking is going well so far! I'm right there with you admiring @Numblady in her unstoppable energy, as I yawn here in her dust!

So we broke the news to the team and although it was disheartening and will have a huge impact on the company finances and as a result, quite possibly personnel, we really pulled together and collaborated on troubleshooting the issues that lead to the client loss, and identifying the areas in which we need to improve/reinforcing those areas we are already focusing on improvement. It reminds me how much I appreciate the community here, and how this class are always ready to pull together and support each other. I feel very grateful to have you guys on my 'team' in this journey through sobriety - and let's face it, the ups and downs of the everyday! Taking on board @Chase's wonderful sentiments around looking for gratitude in less than desirable situations, I am grateful to know that I have all of you when things are not going so well (and when they are, of course!).

Another quick one for me today. Two more days away then home for a few days. No scenic runs by the ocean today, just a small and boring hotel gym. It beats nothing and is still something for which to be grateful. Sorry I haven't had time for a more in depth post. Hopefully in a couple of days. Thinking of you all.

NewChapter, I'm so happy to hear that you and your team immediately jumped into proactive, problem-solving mode. That bodes so well for your long-term functioning and prosperity, and what a relief that you are managing all of this sober...so much easier, isn't it?

Chase, way to go on the exercise, and I love all the gratitude you're expressing. I look forward to a longer post soon.

Ugh, me again?! ;) Where is my girl Numblady?

I'm sitting here in a fog because I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night, probably because I decided to take advantage of my unstructured schedule yesterday and take a long nap...which threw off my normal bedtime for a few hours. As much as I love a good nap, I always feel so much better if I can power through the urge and be more productive. I'll remember that today...plus, there are a billion things that I could/should be doing, which are piling up and lying in wait for my procrastinating self!

Good morning everyone!

I’ve been reading through the thread and the common theme I see is everyone is dealing with life in healthy ways. I feel like we’ve all turned a corner and drinking just isn’t an option. Or even a thought no matter what’s going on. I love seeing all the personal growth.
As for me, I’ve been traveling a bunch this summer. It’s been so fun. I’m home this week so I wanted to get reconnected to my recovery communities. I’ll check back in later. Have a great day everyone 💕

Hi All!

@Chase: Almost there now! I hope the trip is not too tedious and that time passes quickly so that you can be back at home spending time with your family soon. Also looking forward to a more detailed catch up!

@Palmer: You are so right - I am just so, so grateful these days to have my sobriety intact. On tough days or when riding the waves of anxiety, it is comforting to remind myself of how much worse it would be if I had to deal with the situation hungover. Life may not always be smooth sailing, but at least you have a better chance to hold on to the oars when you have a clear mind, free of alcohol! I hear you on the lethargy front - it sounds like you and I are very similar on the sleep saga situation! Haha I could.not.get. up. this morning! I had sent my alarm to shower and wash my hair before work this morning, but that was just not happening. So looks like I'll be using my lunch hour to nip to the gym and freshen up there ahead of my face to face client consultations later today!

@Sunflower: Our posts crossed, so I wanted to edit mine to say hello! So happy to see you pop by, I always love to see you check in from time to time and let us know how you're doing. It sounds like you're in a really good place and enjoying life, which is wonderful to hear. I'd love to hear all about your travels, so please come back and post more when you have time!

Hi all.

A few minutes for a slightly more in depth post.

So excited to see sunflower drop in. When you have a chance please update us on all that is happening with you.

Numblady, congratulations on the successful event. It is just so great when the kids are involved and have a good time. Also, continued congratulations on your dedication to cycling. It does take true determination to get out and do it, in Texas, in June. Last week, you asked me about AA. I am not in the program currently, but was involved in the past. In my current situation, I am about 15 miles from the closest meeting. On our little country roads it takes about 35-40 minutes to get there. Logistically it is very hard to work out. That said, I still read the big book. I gained so much wisdom and insight from AA. I also met some of the most amazing people. I would like to get back to some meetings, even if just once or twice a month. If you are thinking of going, I highly recommend trying.

Newchapter, you are dealing with the loss of your client admirably. You can not control the situation, only how you choose to react. I think, in the past, we have programmed ourselves to react to anything like this in such a negative way. Our past drinking is a prime example. Taking that huge step to choose gratitude is a major departure from what we were used to. We have remember that it is a choice. You are using this opportunity for learning and to strengthen your business and your sobriety.

Palmer, I hope the move is progressing and you are closing in on the finish of this situation. Even if the nap messed up the day, a bit, I bet it was amazing at the time. You deserve it. Keep going, we are all eager to hear about your new home, once you are settled and have put the PalmerSage style to it.

Last day of work for me. It will be a long day, but at least I will get home tonight. The next couple months get very busy, which translates to almost non-stop travel. The silver lining is that there is nothing worse than traveling hungover. I won't be suffering through that. Also, I never drink when I am traveling for business, so that makes sobriety much easier. Being away makes me appreciate being home much more. I'll check-in again tomorrow.

Hi everyone,

Just a driveby. All is good with me, I really hope to catch up properly soon.

xx

Hi Scotty! Good to see you. Have a great day.

Hi @Scotty! So glad you popped in - I was just thinking of you earlier today and hoping you would drop by soon. I hope all is well with you and your son.

@Chase: I have started posting a little in the ‘One Year and Under’ thread also, and I had to share your wonderful ‘Gratitude’ approach to sober life. It has had such a tangible impact on my perspective in adversity already (little or large challenges alike) - of course I credited you for the wisdom accordingly :-) I hope the traveling isn’t too hard on you, I know how travel (especially for work) can wear one down significantly. Your choice to position this in such a way as to enhance your appreciation for time at home with your family when you have it is another shining example of choosing gratitude. I think this gratitude thing opens doors to the mind that can be so freeing of all of the old, conditioned responses - like drinking as a reactive coping mechanism. As you say so well, it really comes down to choosing to control the only element of a situation within our power to do so - our response!

Hope everyone doing OK out there!

Dang it!! I’ve been lame enough as is but I did post yesterday. Well I wrote one but i didn’t finish the job apparently.

Ugh feel like I’ve got so much to say (nothing important. Just all the little bits and ideas I wish my mind could just teleport into a post during the day) but no time to do it in. Worked last night and tonight so I won’t be too behind when I take off tomorrow to take kids to water park. Working at night is crimping my style but I’m hoping to have more normalcy starting tomorrow or Thursday. Hugs to all! More later

Hi All,

@Numblady: I have done that so many times, especially when replying to messages from friends - I think I've responded only to discover days later I never hit send! So annoying! Totally with you on the teleport post idea - sometimes I have so much that I want to share with you guys/word vomit and I simply don't have the bandwidth to formulate coherently and type up! Glad you popped by for a check in though and hope that the whirring of thoughts isn't too much at the moment. Water park sounds like so much fun! Hope you and the kids have a great time. As for working late, I feel ya - I had clients late last night too, but took a sneaky lie in this morning and came in to the office for 10am instead! Haha

Hubby had a tough day yesterday (just one of those days where nothing went right, coupled with some ongoing social politics at his golf and tennis club re: League teams), and he was pretty down last night. This usually triggers him to have a few drinks to 'take the edge off'. When I got home, he was just about to pour a vodka. Over the weekend, he had asked me not to let him drink over the next two weeks as he wants a break from alcohol and the grogginess of not quite hangovers resultant of the 2 drinks here and there through the week. So I took the bottle of vodka (initially he contested) and asked him to talk to me about what he was feeling and what was going on. I then allowed him some time to just sit, and we watched one of our favourite shows. In the end, he didn't have a drink, and felt a little better by the time we were going to bed. It made me realise how even 'normies' such as my husband, who don't excessively abuse alcohol, can still fall victim to using it to numb negative feelings, which ultimately means that those feelings are being masked and not being talked about. It's like witnessing how that pattern of behaviour can gradually spiral and compound over time. It made me so happy that I could be there to talk him through it and at least process the emotional feelings he was experiencing, rather than joining him in a drink as I would have previously, which would have ended up devolving the situation for both of us. Another reason I am grateful for my sobriety!

Hope everyone else out there doing well. Please pop by even for a drive-by to let us know how you're doing! :tyou

Hi guys! I've been terrible about waking up 15 minutes early like I used to, in order to really read here and try to write a (somewhat) coherent and thoughtful post. I really think that is the most important element of my sobriety, so like many other things, I need to re-incorporate it as part of my routine. Ever since moving into this house, I feel unfocused and kind of...lost. The motivation and sense of purpose I felt while living in the hotel is gone, and more often than not, I'm wandering around in a fog trying to figure out what to do next. Of course, the unstructured time leaves lots of opportunities for that, and I'm discovering that when I don't have anyone to answer to and my kids are at school, I'm actually pretty lazy. It's tough to confront these facts about myself, but typing it out actually does make me feel better. :)

Sunflower and Scotty, so happy to hear from you both!