Dee74

last part here
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...rt-8-a-20.html (180 Day Challenge Part 8)

advbike

Thanks Dee! Thanks everyone. I do love photography, and don't do enough, mostly just phone snaps these days. But it's fun as part of travel.

Mizz, so great for you to stop by. I echo the other sentiments and hope things are going really and truly well for you in every way.

Pline, that's pretty impressive - all you have going on in that shop. I have nowhere near the patience you do my friend.

Sam, if you skied Heavenly Valley, that's where I am. I skied it years ago as well, it was half days drive up from the Bay Area. I am so glad you joined us - the first 6 months is the hard part for sure. I know that for me, once I got past that point (in my earlier 3 years), and especially past a year, I never even thought about a drink. Having amazing adventures, living overseas, etc. Not one thought. But I have relapsed countless times at 75, 90, and 100 days, so I know it is a thing, at least for some of us. Whether it's from Hyperkatifeia, PAWS, or what is referred to as "the Wall" on the SAMHSA website. It is a thing. Our brains simply haven't reset back to baseline yet, so our general mood is lower, emotions stronger, etc. We are less resilient overall..

But we are ALL going to make it to the other side of this goal, and beyond.

Lazy day today up here.. Slept in as I was way tired after all the driving the past couple of days. And the chilly nights here at 7500' feel very pleasant, considering the blast furnace I just left. Had a nice lunch out - a spinach salad, as traveling one never gets enough healthy food. Then I went down to the lake itself, drove past the beautiful church retreat out on the point, where as a boy I burned my legs to a crisp laying out on the water in an inner tube for hours in the summer sun. You'd think someone would have mentioned "sun-block", or "high altitude".. maybe they did but it would have been SPF 4, haha. I think it was the last church summer camp I went to.. 2nd degree burns will do that to you.

The snowpack in the Sierras this year is still good - after something like 11 atmospheric rivers this winter - so I took some pics, but there's definitely some haze in the air that shows in the pics. Then I bought some healthy groceries so I don't have to keep eating out. I'll be here a couple more days, then off to the Rocky Mountains, to see my bro.

Best to all for a great weekend ahead.

Zura

Thanks Dee 😊

Advbike - wonderful pics, keep em coming 😊. A truely majestic, glorious and thoroughly enchanting natural environment you have to enjoy. Super jealous lol. Not that we don't have glorious scenery here, I just don't get to enjoy it as others do.
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biminiblue

Tahoe...I used to live there, at the base of Heavenly. I believe that's Mt. Tallac in the second pic, with the snow in the shape of a cross.

Such a magically blue place. As you might guess, I like blue.

<<~~~~~

dickensen

Advbike, Great pictures. The Great American West is majestic. Hopefully, we will be making our annual trip to the West from Illinois in July or August.

advbike

Thanks everyone. Yes it is a special place here.

Bim, that must have been very rewarding to live here by this magical blue lake. Years ago, when I lived in Sacramento, I used to backpack in those mountains - the Desolation Wilderness. It was always a magical and spiritual experience. For those who don't know, the high Sierra is all granite, and generally very open terrain, with lakes and stunning views everywhere.

In the early summer, the snow pack would melt during the warm days, and the sound and volume of the creeks and rivers would increase, then it would all freeze overnight again, and in the morning it would be so peaceful and quiet.

I return to my coffee now, with very fond memories..

pline

Terrific

advbike

Good morning, all,

It's July 1 here - 6 months to the end of the year. We can all hit this goal in 2023, and I saw something I liked in the July class, where a member pledged to being sober for the month. So I am doing that, with the intention of renewing this pledge on the first of each month. I have some other goals inside of that as well, like clean eating, but sobriety is the most important - nothing else happens without that.

Getting ready to leave this morning - headed east for a quick visit with my bro, then home to where it is still very hot. It was nice to get away from that for a while. But I also need to get back on the bike, to hit my exercise goals - so it's time.

Wishing all a great weekend.

Zura

Advbike - commiting to back to wellness plan, incorpating many different aspects here also. Intensive healing focus for the next six months. Have a nice visit and trip back to your desert paradise. Glad it was a refreshing break for you.

Hope all are well ❤️.

advbike

Well, I made it to my destination, two states away.. It was a long day of driving - 600 miles, almost 1000Km. Of course I took the scenic route rather than the interstate with all the trucks. This road - Hwy 50 - is called the Loneliest Highway, it is two lanes all across Nevada - and I just love it. I have driven it many times over the years, years. It is mostly straight, but then you wind up and down over countless little passes, that aren't very high (but give interesting geological perspectives) and have to slow down in the few small towns so as not to get busted by the county sherriff, haha. It is quite green this year, due to the winter rains. A couple snaps of the typical scenery and some hidden beauty, as is always in the desert.

advbike

Good morning to all, Sunday here. Going to visit with my bro today and tomorrow.

I hope all are doing well. Zura, do you include yoga as part of your wellness regimen? I am sure it needs to be part of mine. I am still looking for a good studio as I never enjoy doing things like that at home as much as with an instructor.

Best to all for a great day and week ahead.

dickensen

advbike, Thanks for sharing your pictures of the Great American West.

Zura

Advbike - wow on the pics, especially the straight road that seems to go on forever!! I do a couple of simple yoga poses. ATM I'm mostly focusing on targeted stretching and strength exercises for the problem pain areas, basically physiotherapy, as well as concentrating on posture, and of course nutrition, nutrition, nutrition!!

pline

Morning....

Wonderful pix. Can see why the bike was tempting. Guess there are speed limits on roads like that....

New week. Did the weekend ok....just got busy busy. Laser nearly done, just have to set the focal length vertically now. Trying to make fine parts for a model ship, too fine for big printer so have to get the smaller one going again. Rebuilt it, last week made the circular bed plate it prints on adjustable up and down at 3 corners. Printed thumbwheel, springs and captive bolts. Works great. Can set it up on the kitchen table and play with it until right.

No work on at the moment so free to do what I like. Makes Monday mornings fun. Happy Mondays?
Wish I could just cruise along like this all the time.....so need to think ahead this time for how to repond when the momentum runs out.

Good day to all.
Later

pline

July 4 greetings from Aus to all our American friends.

advbike

Thanks brother., same to you. And thanks Dickensen, and Zura - appreciate that.

Pline, it's amazing all the detail work you can do with that 3D printer and laser.I wouldn't have the patience, lol.

Had a great visit with my bro yesterday - fantastic drive up in the mountains and good eating. But his health is not good and I am concerned. We had a talk about it. Today I had to resolve a financial/legal matter. Took me 6 hours of drafting letters, finding places to print /copy /notarize, then get them all into Fed Ex. Talk about stressed, lol. If there ever were a time to consider a beer that was it, but instead I got into the car and drove 6 hours South, to beautiful Southern Utah. A heavy thunderstorm or two, then gorgeous warm sunshine on red rocks and green juniper - a very Zen thing, which mellowed me right out again, haha. Nothing like a good road trip. So I'm in my hotel and off to dreamland.

Best to all for a happy 4th. I will be on the road again, but will undoubtedly catch a small town 4th of July parade or two along the way if I stick to my preferred two-lane highways.

samwitch

Hi all-
Adv, more great pictures, thank you.
I did ski Heavenly, and wow was there powder! It was my first experience skiing out west and powder cords were a whole different thing...I fell in love and I'm forever ruined now as the skiing here in the mid atlantic doesn't hold a candle to out west. Though, the mountains in Maine and New Hampshire are good so I can't complain.

I am also looking to get back to yoga and trying to find a local instructor, my favorite moved to Europe a few years back, he was fantastic. There is a relatively new place near me I will check out, especially since a few of you were chatting about it--I'll take it as a sign. Not sure if this is the case in other places, but in my area there is quite a bit of hot yoga and other forms that I am completely uninterested in. Meh.
Zura--nutrition, that's gotta be my focus too. I have to walk away from the ice cream...

Thanks Pline for the shoutout to the US from Aus!

Zura

Good morning all 🌞

pline - so glad you got through the weekend. That printer sure provides a good distraction by the sounds of it.

Advbike - equally glad you made it through the rough day with all the stress. I hope it's nothing serious with your brother's health.

Sam - sounds like you've been very active through out your life. I'm not really a sporty person, I did used to hike daily almost and I suppose now I'm a participant in extreme gardening, so still active I guess 🤔.

Coming along well here, slow but steady. It could be some placebo affect of adopting a healthier lifestyle...but I think I'm already experiencing small improvements. In the form of reduction in severity of some of my, what sometimes feels like, millions of miscellaneous ailments.

Now if only I'd thought to wear my dust mask while using the grass trimmer and lawn mower the other day 🤣🤣🤣. Wicked sinus issues all day yesterday and this morning. I thought I'd get away with not wearing one as it's not hayfever season but I didn't factor in the line trimmer (new in the mix of my garden care equipment). My pants and hands are always absolutely covered in grass and dirt after using it, so it wasn't a very smart move on my part not to factor that in with my sinuses🤦🤣. Live and learn 🤷. But hey, I had the safety glasses on, that's something 😁.

Best wishes to all for a great day ❤️.

advbike

Well I made it home this evening, after almost 600 more miles. Watched a bit of a 4th of July parade before leaving this morning, in the small town I stayed in last night. Fun, and half the town was there, haha. Then drove the two lane home, through Zion National Park which is utterly amazing, and then on through the Navajo reservation of Northern AZ. Traffic was not bad but it is def hot here in the Southwest. I am really glad I took the car and not the motorcycle.

Sam, I hear you on yoga instructors - a good one is amazing. I actually used to do Bikram years ago (can't now - too hot) and we had a great instructor. I had been having a niggling mid-back problem, which I hadn't mentioned to anyone, but one day during a class that guy walked over during one of the poses and pressed on exactly the spot in my back that had been bothering me. He spotted it from across the room! A few more sessions and it was gone. Yoga is awesome.

Sorry to hear about the weed wacking allergies, Zura. I get them too. Have to wear a mask. And jeans directly into the washer, lol But glad your other lifestyle measures are helping. I did not do well on the eating aspect this past week - too difficult on a road trip, so only ate two meals a day and salads when possible.

Need to get some sleep, here's a phone pic from Zion, too tired to go through the real cam pics - there are a lot. I thought this one was kind of fitting though, for the 4th - the grandeur and all that. Of course the phone doesn't do it justice - that rock towers above one.. Nice to have a sober 4th and no stress today, just mellow out and enjoy the natural world, which is my cathedral anyway.

Best to all.

Mizz

Good Morning, Team 180!
Happy 4th to everyone.

Life is full and moving along. we put our house on the market last week and accepted an offer on Monday. Its amazing how fast this process went. we are moving out of state at the end of the month. More opportunity. Onwards to a new chapter in life.

Its been 1000 days since I quit alcohol.

Also, I am in therapy with an OCD specialist who is teaching me exposure and response prevention for the symptoms I was suffering from. Its like night and day really. I'm so happy that I finally understood and found the language for what was happening. Once I got the assessment and confirmation I felt so much relief. This form of therapy works well with how my mind operates. we also look at graphs and diagrams which is cool and right up my alley! Its hard work and its very uncomfortable but its worth all the effort to get better. I "feel" so much better. The rumination has all but subsided and to be honest .....just having awareness of the rumination is half the battle. It took me a long time to understand how to address that symptom.

So, that is all I have going on right now!

Take care everyone. Ill come back later to participate more. I want to join the conversation here.

The keys on my computer are wearing out so sorry for the lack of capitalization.