Quit wasting your life Weekender 24-26 March
 

It is late Thursday morning where I am, not so far away from weekend territiory. A little over two years ago, in a few hours time my Alcoholic Voice or AV would be establishing a bridgehead and soon after move to front and centre of my thoughts.

The weekend, when I could poison myself with my drug of choice, alcohol in my case, and not have to get up and function the next day. Family? Responsibilities? No, they all took second place.

Until Sunday evening that is when I would be full of pain at another weekend wasted, like so much of my adult life and I would be in dread of Monday morning. Might as well have another drink then...

Many of my fellow Weekenders have not had to endure this torture for a lot longer than myself so if you're reading this and recognise the this behaviour why not chip in here and make this weekend the start of a better life. A simple "in" is enough.

SR member and Weekender Nonsensical used to suggest "list the five worse things that can happen by not drinkingfor the rest of your life." I could never answer with anything that wasn't hopelessly lame.

Shotgun!!!!

Excellent opener Sao. Thank you.

I remember all to well the heart flutter of Friday's. Excitement even to get out of work and get my drugs from my dealer. Never enough. Never enough.

Not today. Not this weekend. Not for many of my recent past since I found SR and this sober team to help me get to where I can say no and mean it.

You can too folks.

Stay sober this weekend.

K

In, thanks Sao. congrats on shotgun Weasel.

Sao- crap the stuff in your city. Could be stress to you folks- stay safe- keep posting.

I'm in!
Not going to waste another minute of my life drinking. I might waste time, but I won't be wasted!

Hahahaaaaaaaa, visions of Ken just sitting there waiting for Sao to post! Ken, don't you have some Pattersons to attend to? (inside joke involving autocarrot). Congrats on shotgun!

I AM IN!

Thanks for the opener Sao :)

Indeed, as I reflect on the past and the mad grinding that would begin mid week if I knew it was a drinking weekend coming I realize how uncomfortable it really was. It wasn't excitement I was feeling, it was torture. Torture in await of the ability to drink followed by waking up the next morning feeling so sick and horrible. Think about that feeling for a moment. When you first opened your eyes the next morning. Pretty brutal isn't it?

I am grateful today that my excitement is for a real purpose. Our best local seafood place is opening this weekend. Friday dinner is my eat what I want dinner night. There will be take out (take away for some of you) along with catching up on the beloved DVRd shows of the week. Who would have known I could get so excited about something on a weekend that has nothing to do with drinking?

I often wonder if that excitement isn't really about the seafood and the dvr'd shows rather my body's underlying celebration of the fact that I will open my eyes both weekend days and feel just fine. Open to do anything I choose.

Have a great sober weekend everyone!

I have just read your posts on last weeks thread LadyBlue, thank you for your concern. We do not move to Daylight Savings Time until Sunday so for another few days I am only 4 hours ahead of you instead of the usual 5.

I'm in!

Lady Blue loved your comments on last weeks thread about trying to make stuff your parents made and pronunciation. Spot on

^^This.

Are you talking to me with this week's title?

in for another sober weekend.

It is one of the best gifts I have now in sobriety being able to actually plan to do things on the weekend.....or to not plan to do things....the weekend is mine now to truly enjoy as a respite from work as it was meant to be. Drinking the weekend away and recovering from the hangovers made the weekend zoom by. The cup of coffee in the morning is truly enjoyable knowing I'm not dragging the ball and chain of bad choices the night before and trying to pretend it isn't there.

I'm in. Love everything I've read.

I'm in. I like MLD's comment "I might waste time, but I'm not wasted." I waste a lot of time fluttering around trying to decide what to do.

I got drunk every night of the week. The weekends were only mattered because then I could drink even more and not have to worry about getting up in the morning to go to work. Of course, I should have been more thoughtful about taking care of my children. They matter more than work matters.

Monday mornings are a lot friendlier without a hangover. My feelings of anxious dread on Sunday evenings have passed. Life is a lot easier.

Ah, yes. The ball and chain of bad choices. I still have days when I feel like I'm dragging a ball around - just leftover wreckage from the past. But the ball is getting lighter and lighter. Pretty soon it'll be the weight of a ping pong ball. :)

I'm in. I badly want this to be my last "first weekend".

Welcome, ChickChick. What are you going to do to make that happen?

In early days I spent a lot of time on this site, reading everything from Newcomers to Friends and Family to the Mental Health forum. I read all the stickies I think in all the forums. I needed to I guess. I went to AA meetings in the beginning just to get me out of my head and around other people - some of whom were doing well and some of them were decidedly not. Regardless, they all offered me food for thought. I hope I did the same.

I also made it a point to go out every day and take a walk. Rain, hail, sleet, snow (well, it was March so mostly scattered showers) and just enjoy nature and the huge beauty of it all.

I cleaned my house, but not that well (not like MLD) I am not much of a housecleaner. I do like to cook, so I bought fresh foods and made all my own meals. That is time consuming, with shopping, putting stuff away, prep, cooking, cleaning up afterwards.

I think the key is filling time. Not watching too much TV or playing video games or whatever triggers thoughts of drinking. I had to change it up completely. I don't watch or read the news or gossip sites or magazines. I don't do well with that stuff in my head. I'm not on facebook or social sites like that.

I don't consider anything a waste of time. It's all part of the fabric of my life. Sometimes that means sitting in my PJs all day long and not taking a shower. Yep. I said it. I don't recommend making that a habit, though. Lots of cat-petting, too.

I'm in!

Thank you for the opener, Sao. Always a good message from you.

Weekends used to be the pits for me. Partly because there was no longer much to distinguish them from the rest of the week, which is pretty sad.

Thank heavens for sobriety. And SR!

Welcome to Weekenders ChickChick! No booze for Hogwarts this weekend.

Makes sense Sao, I'm glad you're ok. Please don't take my check as a "where the heck is Sao and the weekender post". I'm probably wrong but in general, when I wake up the thread is usually already there. Just glad to know that all is well. :)

I did used to post before I set off for work at about 7am but that meant it was 11pm on Wednesday where bim and Olive are which is too early for a new weekender. 11am is about right as it means it is Thurday almost everywhere.

Thank you PhoenixJ for your post. It appears that an American man from Utah was among the victims. Awful. The list of nationalities of the injured reads like a veritable United Nations which is just like London itself. The worst thing is the sheer senselessness of it as it changes nothing.