360shoes

Thank you all so much for updating me! It makes me happy that you all have been so kind to me and I do feel back in the circle (insert hugging circle emoji here until I figure out again how to do it).

I remember all of your fur babies. Sad how many have crossed the rainbow bridge. I at one time had 5. My 2 chihuahuas, 2 cats, and my parents dog. I'm down to just my 2 chihuahuas. But the kitties and mom and dad's dog all lived long comfortable lives. My cats were 18 and 20 when they passed. I obviously take better care of animals than I do myself.

Sassy - I don't think of retirement communities as old folks homes since I turned 60 last December. I actually wish I could afford to move in one. I'm a little tired of housework...and working...to tell you the truth. Turning 60 was not fun. I'm still discussing that one in therapy. I think of you everyday when I make my smoothie in my wonderful vitamix. Its my prize possession. After all your journey, you did it! Keep those thoughts as just passing thoughts. It's not worth it to drink. Every time I started again it got worse. Just when I thought the last binge was bad, I got a quick reminder that I don't have a clue as to the depths I can reach. I hope your back feels better with PT.

Venus - Well now that's a great story! I never thought of SR as a dating site too. I may have to pay more attention! Relationships are always hard at first. I'm sorry you are stuck in winter but I'm sure glad you are in a closer time zone. I'll give you a call soon.

The stars were sure aligned when this group started. You all are helping me so much. I am flooded with memories of a better life waiting for me. Hope is something I haven't felt in a very long time. Thank you all for still being here.
xoxo

360shoes

Sassy - this just made me smile. When I was darn near living in my car and had to give up 95% of everything I owned including 352 pairs of shoes, that Vitamix was safely wrapped up in the back seat next to my dogs. I learned to prioritize really quick.
xoxo

venuscat

venuscat

352 pairs.....holy moly.....what size are you love? I have shoes I bought by accident that I didn't return....do not say it....ridiculous....I don't do that anymore.

trachemys

Well, I couldn't be farther from that until recently. Two years ago is just after I had moved back to Greensboro and fallen out with my family. I was living in a cheap motel and drinking heavily. I went through job after job, and bottle after bottle. About 6 months ago, I threw the car keys back to Ford and checked myself into The Potter's House for a year long residential rehabilitation program.

I'm calling it a sabbatical.

360shoes

I wear an 8 but a 9 feels good so I buy a 10.....as my dear mother would always say. Hahahahahahahaha

360shoes

I so proud of you Trachy my friend. I read that and thought not only are you taking care of yourself but how many people you are going to be able to help because of your journey. A sabbatical sounds good to me.
xoxo

tootsl1

I'm not sure how far back we need to go here Shoes, but you know we moved across to Boston for a while? The plan was to stay six months then decide whether to stay or not. In the end we stayed about 10 months and because of issues with the company Mr T was working for, we never returned. We loved Boston and the life ( and I met Sass f2f along with another SR who I still keep up with on fb but cannot for the life of me recall her SR name just now) but Mr T ended up changing jobs. Still working away throug the week, though where he's placed now he gets home one night mid week.
I finished writing my first book, created a cover myself and a pen name and put it out there online. I've since written several more but am currently on a semi enforced writing hiatus.
The reason for that is that in 2015 we decided we wanted to look into buying a house in Spain ( I feel bad even writing this, there is you living in your car and I'm talking about buying a holiday home!) so in 2016 we went on a shopping trip and found one we really liked. It needed the Toots family treatment as it as very sad and neglected. We talked things over and decided if I retired I could work on doing that house up and also decorating our one in Scotland. Once I started on that, we decided to put the Scottish house up for sale and downsize. So I finished decorating the Scottish home and making the garden look less junglesque and we recently sold and moved. Mr Ts beloved mum died last year, having been given 48 hours in December she hung on til Mother's Day in March. The same time she was in hospital the final time, a flat we rented out burned down. We discovered the supposed tenant had been sent to jail and some unknown friend had been staying there. We had a couple of nervous months ( whilst dealing with our grief over mil ) before the insurers agreed to pay out. My aging parents have both been ill and I now do the trip down to England on the train every few weeks with Miss Molly, she is a seasoned traveller.

Talking of, we just got back late evening yesterday, dad is expected out of hospital today so I came back on my original ticket ( the one I had booked to go down and fetch Molly after the move). We don't really feel he is recovered, and is also showing some new disturbing symptoms, mostly to do with his mind seeming to be going. But his temper has been vile and he has been shouting at all of us visitors and staff like. He is like a little boy having his treats taken from him. Mum has said if his 'Mantrums' continue when he comes home she will just walk out the room. I do feel that this time he has shown so many of his true colours, that even mum can no longer turn a blind eye to his narcissistic behaviour and abuse of her gentle nature. The entire family is more concerned of how his illness and behaviour is affecting her than actually worry about him. Sad but true. We will see what happens over the next weeks and months.

Saskia

Aw, Shoes, so happy you are enjoying the vitamix :-). And so happy you are back here with us!

Toots, so sorry to hear what your mum is dealing with and a big one for her, too.

Trachy, you remind me that hopeless is an attitude rather than a reality. I am bursting with pride for your willingness to put everything aside to reach your goal

venuscat

I am 8 and a half and bought some very cute 9s by mistake....
We shall chat...

venuscat

Gosh toots....your dad is tough hey....glad he is doing better, but I so wish he would be nicer to your mum and all of you.

And I had missed some of that stuff...like the fire....

And good morning Sass and

360shoes

I am sorry about your situation with the aging parents. It's so hard. And please, don't feel bad about a lovely vacation home. I lost everything because I was a drunk. I stop being a drunk there is plenty of new adventures and things waiting for me.

Message or let me know the title of your book. I need a good read. Is it on Amazon?

So I went to a great womens meeting last night and got a sponsor. So I guess I made my first friend there. We are going to meet for lunch today if the weather cooperates. No method is off the table as far as I am concerned. But I won't blab on about it. Just letting you all know what I am doing.

I took a facebook hiatus. Right after I deleted every single drinking picture and post...which was 95% of them. That was embarrassing. I may get back on later. Or not. Kinda busy right now with staying sober so I think about that another time.

Have a great day or night friends!
xoxo

venuscat

Please blab on or I will have to go and read the Feb19 thread.
So happy you got a sponsor love....just fantastic.
AA big-time here, so if you ever want to talk about any of it. s

BuddinK

Toots, I believe Joygirl was the other person you visited, of course there may have been others. I really wish they would drop in again.

BuddinK

And Shoes, I also have had the pleasure of f2f meetups with Trachy, Northlander and Duffster.

venuscat

yes.....and I think of her all of the time.....we are connected on FB but I am hopeless with FB.....I end up getting upset and missing my family.....so I really just use it for school....

Hi bud.....really nice to be in the class thread with you again....I missed all of you far more than I realised....very deep connections here. s

venuscat

I meet SRs f2f and tend to marry them, so one at a time is probably best for me.

tootsl1

Haha Budd, my brain is mush! She is pretty joyful these days too! There was another woman I spent time with, she travelled to Boston from Albany and we had a wonderful time. Another avatar I can't recall! My brain these days, it just ditches stuff it thinks I no longer need. ( or buries the data so far I can't dig it up!) I think I have mental defrag!

Saskia

Toots, I don’t have mental defrag, I just have about 1/2 a brain left (at most) . I can laugh or cry about it so I choose to laugh. We have a really good “memory care” unit here so if I really lose it I know I will be well taken care of.

I had to do AA as part of my IOP and found it was helpful so kept doing it until I moved here. I will go back if I need to! Another reason I can’t imagine going back to drinking is that I have few enough brain cells left that I can’t afford to lose any more.

One of the very few residents who hates it here is an alcoholic and I am seeing first-hand just how much worse it is for the geriatric set. No thank you, I don’t want to go there,

360shoes

You are .right Sass. Geriatric and alcohol do not mix. I couldn't function with a hangover anymore. Probably why I just kept a certain alcohol level going at all times. Like a gas tank. Kept it at 1/4 of tank full at all times.

So get this. My sponsor has been sober for 36 years. Got sober at 23. We are the same age. Her story ain't much different from any of ours. She was wired for trouble from the first drink. Just like me.

I haven't felt this kind of hope for a really long time. Or gratitude. I for sure haven't felt any of that. I actually could think of several things I am grateful for now. 2 weeks ago I wouldn't have been able to think of one.

Later!
xoxo