BeABetterMan

Pline, what did you mean by AV’s greatest win?

Free2bme888

Ahhh, travel!


I am counting my blessing for our future plans, and so lucky to have found a wonderful partner to travel, hike,golf and ski with.

Upcoming plans include MN (working getaway taking care of Dr Frees Mom after surgery, but they live in a gorgeous area, have an AMAZING home, and they are so kind.

February brings a car trip to Tucson and Fountain Hills, AZ. April back to AZ on an adventurous rafting, hiking trip in the Grand Canyon. July brings my very first cruise ever, to Alaska and Canada. And in September, a private jet cruise around the world!

So much to be grateful for. I envisioned it. I saw it. And now they are plans.

Most of all, grateful for today………..and you all, and coffee…..☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️🙏🏼😘🤓

advbike

BABM, I won't answer for pline, but it's an important topic, so I'll answer for myself. As we were discussing our solo lives - in the context of the AV, the most detrimental result of continued drinking over the years for me has been my inability to form and maintain healthy romantic relationships. Or just finding myself feeling trapped because it wasn't right to begin with. As a codependent and ACOA I tend to jump into them quickly, not get what I need or expected, and then have difficulty getting back out without a lot of pain. Meanwhile, the years go by, and the next thing you know you're 60 and still single. Not the worse thing in the world for some of us but also not what we probably wanted or expected. All because continued drinking, even in moderation, prevents us from emotional growth - from addressing the core issues of bad thinking, poor emotional regulation and dysfunctional coping behaviors. This hits our relationships the hardest - my career was mostly great.

Sunday is fun day, but hmmm... it's kinda gray and yucky out. Might have to drink more coffee and make whole wheat and oatmeal pancakes (with yogurt on top) and bike later. This (being able to change plans without affecting others) must be one of those benefits of being single I forgot to mention earlier

A good day to all.

advbike

Good job Free, sounds like a full travel schedule! Mine are still up in the air due to the pandemic and other considerations. And I tend to not plan too far ahead, haha.

Free2bme888

Follow me for more yummy breakfasts….. This was yesterday’s. Posted in August class thread.

Zura

Hey All 😊

Pline, that doesn't sound boring at all, if it interests you, then its interesting. It certainly seems a waste sometimes to have all this beautiful grandeur at our disposal and not take advantage of it. I always wanted to travel extensively but life had other plans. It's never too late though and who knows what the future will bring.

Adv bike, the envy feelings mutual then, as your adventures and local area sound magnificent.

Free, that's an action packed travel schedule and sounds amazing. Congratulations on fulfilling your dreams.

​​​​​​​Best ground myself back into my quiet, humble day to day now. Best of luck for everyone for the week ahead.

pline

BABM....guess you survived the weekend then....would have been fun hectic.
What I meant. I understand addiction as an intensely jealous entity. It wants you all for itself. It doesn't intend to share you with anything or anyone else. As you are its host...it demands exclusive occupation of the territory. It gets rid of anyone else that might compete for space in your life. Its had exclusive occupation around here for a clear 10 years now. That's quite a win.
It isn't going to take the current challenge casually either.
I hope this doesn't sound too sinister. But it's how I think of it.

Free....sounds wonderful. Breakfast looks good Adv, bike fuel, lol. And good to cya here Zura.
Ok, Day 18....Moving along. Another week of all the usual stuff, off it goes.
Later all

advbike

Good Monday Morning all!

That's a really yummy-looking breakfast, Free. I was gonna post my pancake pics but decided your bacon and eggs trumped my yogurt and fruit, haha.

Addiction does want us all for itself, Pline.. that's a great way to put it.

Day 15, and a busy week ahead, but not what some of you face on a daily basis.. my hat is off to all of you.

Keep up the good fight, and have a great week ahead!

advbike

Slaying, how are you doing?

dustyfox

For the first time in ages I feel down today, angry and kind of bleak - stuff has happened which I know has caused these feelings - in the past I would for certain have hit the bottle hard just to just block it out and then sleep -instead I ranted, probably for too long, ate some carbs, but still don't feel great
- anger makes me restless. In new sober life I have not learned how to process all the big emotions - I've had no exercise today that probably didn't help either - I resign myself to just surviving today - nothing more...

People I haven't heard from for ages I trust are doing ok.

slayingthedrago

hello all- mucking along towards 180, some days lousy, most days pretty good. Still pretty active in A.A, 3-5 meetings a week. Sorry to hear about the day Dusty, my go-to move was to hit the bottle as well. If it just stopped there, I would have had a headache and a crummy night of sleep and then I would have moved on. BUT, as most of you can relate to, it wouldn't stop there. It would be days, months, years? more of everyday misery. I do not miss it and I actually don't think about drinking very much any more. I am on guard however, as someone said in a meeting last night, the holy trinity of rough days are coming up....Thanksgiving (here in states), Christmas and New Years Eve.

advbike

I'm sorry to hear you're angry and upset, Dusty. Anger is a totally valid emotion sometimes, especially if we have been wronged. I myself have been upset by some things lately that I'm still trying to figure out. It is tempting to drink on these occasions but of course would set us right back, as Slaying mentioned. So we're just harming ourselves when we do that. I do wish you peace and resolution to whatever it is that caused it. Me too on the exercise - has been chilly and windy here and I just wasn't up to it.

Slaying - keep it going. Glad the AA is still working for you. Both of you are doing so well!

pline

Morning.
Good to see you here slaying.......always liked your name. I guess there wasn't space for the 'n', but
it is better without it.
Dusty....yeah blah days happen. You dealing with it well.....hope I can do as well when the time comes.
Day 19....been productive lately, enjoying the feeling of being on top of it. But also prepared for holiday season,
my work tends to go v quiet and you can only hope that it will re-emerge end of Jan or something. Hope to use it as an opportunity to get some other things going.
Ok....just go and do the usual tapping drawings out on screen, watching the stock market do another nothing day (c'mon, pick it up!, need to make some money here....) before the thrilling high light, the ultimate focus of the entire day......yes! Cooking Dinner!
What a blast.
What a life. But at least its sober.....so that's a novelty.

Later, lol

BeABetterMan

Sitting here at the cabin with the kids and parents. It was going so awesome until I put together a scavenger hunt for the fun of it. This kids were disappointed we hadn’t purchased any prizes for the winning team. Instead we offered gig, lol.

Overall we’ve had a blast. And I go to spend a bunch of time with my dear fiend who I met 7 years ago in rehab. Turns out our kids go to the same school and we just are tied together in many ways. She has a ton of consecutive sobriety and I’m almost to 6 months so we’re are getting to actually know one another. And my frustration with the lack of appreciation from the older kids for this trip has really put me into an anxious funk. Not to mention I just noticed that I don’t have enough by meds to stay the extra night I just booked. Having a med disruption is what caused my relapse 163 days ago. So I have to be very careful.

Sorry to be such a downer, I’m just feeling anxious and sad these days. We’ll try to do better tomorrrow.

Dee74

I have faith you can negotiate some tight corners BABM.

D

BeABetterMan

Thanks Dee. Yes, I’ll try today to execute the necessities to stay ahead and not fall behind. How are you my friend?

slayingthedrago

Good to see you here slaying.......always liked your name. I guess there wasn't space for the 'n', but
it is better without it.

Pline, if I was slightly more clever, I would've skipped the "g" and added an "n" but I'll blame the alcoholic fog! ha,ha.

advbike

Haha good one slaying.. Drano is appropriate term for it, but I like drago too.

Good morning all, typing on my iPad - never fun, so this will be short.

Hang in there BABM, sounds like you're dealing with a lot, but don't make it larger than life. Don't worry about what those older kids think, just take care of yourself. I'm sure they're all having fun. I understand your thinking, but things don't have to be perfect. Time for the Serenity prayer, friend..

Have a great day everyone.

Mizz

BABM- Teenagers are a different kind of human. I feel your pain.
You are doing so well. Keep doing well. Its good you recognized the med situation and you are taking steps so as to not relapse.
Good for you.

pline

Hang in there BABM, you're doing great, just cruise it home. Anyway you have to stay sober if you are meeting that friend.

Just back from an hours' march around the river, there's a lot of construction going on here, so I follow the progress with interest.
Days are humid and sticky right now, so morning walking when the day is fresh and cool is best. Should really be going before breakfast.....not after.
Today is a free day, as work obligations are pretty much sorted for the moment.
Slightly amazed I got all that done and out, sober, I'm productive. Drinking I do nothing, just ruminate endlessly and drink more to drown the anxieties created by obligations deferred. Stupid.
Closing in on the 3 week mark now. Physical things seem to be coming better. Can walk an hour and not come home drenched in sweat. Sleeping.....how I love the sleeping.....

But there are things to be careful of here too.......too much pink clouding. Just try and keep it calm and level....small steps are all any of us can take each day.
Have a good one ppl.
Later