azure808

I am going for something fairly light shock and picked up Catch Me If You Can , the book the film was based on. Frank Abignale Jnr, the intrepid fantasist and con man. It is candid and humorous and he is quite self deprecating. He was
"winging" it masquerading as a jet pilot to live the high life. Then doctor and lawyer etc. Then I am moving onto a book by the dude who wrote LA Confidential. What are you reading?

shockozulu

Ebner? I know him. Great guy. I love reading the books movies are based on. They go so much deeper on their topics. I'm not doing light reading: Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David. It is a page turner, that's for sure.

azure808

I will check it out. Thing with drinking it curtails proper relaxation, tv goes on or music. Book in bed helps to wind down instead of a screen and a cold one., don;t you think?

shockozulu

Without a doubt. And once I nod off my sleep will be a lot more natural as well.

azure808

I am not at that stage yet but I look forward to it

RedAndy

Hi Azure - first of all well done on getting back here, glad you made it, definitely stick around.

I too was a rather social animal with a hectic and somewhat party lifestyle with a big group of mates - to be honest the only way this was ever going to work was to walk away from that scene and start a fresh - not the easiest but the truth is everything revolves around drink and drugs so naturally temptation is going to be absolutely screaming at you - it's tough to walk away - I'd known that and nothing else since the mid 80's - I was never growing up or slowing down - definitely wasn't I was speeding up as the years wore on creating more and more problems and getting myself in deeper and deeper.

I have done a couple of concerts stereophonics and Coldplay both with the wife and to be honest pretty much the only 2 nights out I've had in nearly a year - with her and her support I was able to a manage them but if honest they really weren't that much fun - places that previously would have been on another planet - things really have changed, they have to - the old lifestyle is what got us in this mess keep returning there will only result in going back again.

Exercise definitely/ bike a great idea I got one a couple of months ago and out on it quite a lot - it's fun and a way to be like a big kid again - a few dangers but at least fully in control !!

New hobbies / different social circles - we can't keep doing what we always did there has to be a change and a plan.

Like I say stick around and keep posting.

Have a good and sober weekend.

RedAndy

To add to that regarding music etc - for me a lot of the stuff I used to listen to are massive triggers - especially all the dance music - was into the rave scene massively from day 1 and never stopped - I haven't listened to any of it at all as it really does bring back so many memories - I loved that lifestyle - too much, that was the problem - if things like that also trigger you like the music you associate then perhaps to try stuff that's a bit different for the time being - again it's a change but for me it was necessary- listening to things from the past makes me want it back - for all the problems I caused I had a lot of great times too.

Over recent weeks I've really started getting into classical music, always liked listening to it and stuff I recognise but lately enjoying it more and more - relaxing / uplifting / soothing - most of all tho there's no association with my former lifestyle.

azure808

Hi Red a lot of what you say resonates mate. Discovered music, Jack D and that was that. We possibly similar ages, wasn't a big raver but a lot of my peers were and looking at where you hail from I get the scene your talking about.
Knocked back a couple of afternoon pints this weekend already. I have had to be firm and feels a bit strange saying can we meet in a cafe already.
It's 12 36 and cravings are mental already. It's going to be a long day i think.
Thanks for the reply and the advice

azure808

Further to music situ I have a gig coming up with my teenage daughter, something we both wanted to see together for a long time and already I'm struggling with idea of staying sober. Hopefully by then I will be stronger. It's just maybe too early just now to tackle stuff like that.