Canada Day/Independence Day - It's a North American Weekender 30/6-4/7 (ok ok 7/4)
Sober since October
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: In the world in my eyes...Somewhere I've never been before...
Posts: 7,355
Hi, weekenders.
I am back from my boxing workout and is exhausted (in a good way).
I am sitting on the balcony, reading and listening to jazz.
There is still a lot of uncertainty in my life. I want to isolate this moment and prevent it from being contaminated by worries.
Have a good day/night, all)
I am back from my boxing workout and is exhausted (in a good way).
I am sitting on the balcony, reading and listening to jazz.
There is still a lot of uncertainty in my life. I want to isolate this moment and prevent it from being contaminated by worries.
Have a good day/night, all)
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Northeast, USA
Posts: 275
Originally Posted by Venecia 
There are two U.S. regions I've never visited: New England and the Deep South.
I'd add to the list Denver, Colorado. I recently visited for health reasons and fell in love. While I was there, a thunderstorm rolled through that covered the horizon, with clear, white, jagged lightning strikes, accompanied by that wonderful smell—oh that enchanting, singular smell—that for me brings up both childhood and adult recollections of memorable storms. I just love a good rainfall or storm, whether it be gentle or fierce in nature.
As a geeky science aside, that smell is a mix, according to Scientific American, of ozone, petrichor potpourri, and damp earth. (Hmmm, petrichor potpourri, that just begs more research...)
Anyways, just a shoutout for Denver...
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
Originally Posted by mandosca
Long weekends were always an excuse to get drunk and celebrate. Today we will be going to the coast with the kids and then seeing a concert tonight. We won't get home to until fairly late so I should be safe today but my brain has already been going crazy trying to justify drinking Saturday. Its also my birthday and I keep thinking about how I would love to just have a few drinks and relax by the fire outside. I've literally been struggling/fighting with this since yesterday am. I've come up with every reason in the world why I should just drink this one night... You would think struggling this much would make this a no brainier. Normal people don't have to mentally fight with themselves not to drink. I am an alcoholic, I can't even have drink just that one night... I guess I just need to keep telling myself that. I will be so happy when I get to a point that my AV shuts up or at least quiets down..
Any words of encouragement or reasons why I shouldn't drink would be great, I know it's true but it always sounds much better from somebody else's mouth. :-
Any words of encouragement or reasons why I shouldn't drink would be great, I know it's true but it always sounds much better from somebody else's mouth. :-
It's a time for celebration so celebrate!
filling our bodies with poison and strengthening the chains that addiction has on us, damaging our relationships, and our health, and dignity is not a celebration.
Train you eyes on the middle distance - not the immediate. Be the person you want to be - that'd be a great birthday gift to yourself!
I hope you have a great sober birthday and long weekend Mandosca
D
Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: US
Posts: 16,907
Trying to wake up the creative side of myself, through drawing, etc. It used to come naturally to me when I was much younger; now it's like I'm paralyzed from all the drinking over the years.....like I'm having to start back over. Does that even make any sense? Maybe it's like riding a bike and I just need to get into the habit of practice....damn, there's that word again! 
Happy 150th Birthday, Canada!
Happy 150th Birthday, Canada!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 292
Originally Posted by saoutchik
I have done a runner from the office and driven down to a place called Goodwood on the South Downs for the annual Festival of Speed.
Goodwood Festival of Speed is another bucket list item for me. I have to go someday, and it should be easier to manage than a trip to LeMans. I would make that part of a trip to the UK; I became something of an Anglophile in my 20s through watching old British sitcoms that were shown on US public television ('Are You Being Served?', 'Keeping Up Appearances', and such) so I really want to visit 'Blighty.'
I live in the Phoenix, AZ area. At ~1.6 million people, we recently surpassed Philadelphia as the 5th largest city in the US. However, most of the rest of Arizona is very sparsely populated -- almost desolate. The city is known for a desert climate, which features long, brutally hot summers, short mild, sunny winters, and very little rain. Also, it seems that most people here are originally from somewhere else. The area is ringed by mountains, which provide plenty of opportunity for recreation. During Feb-March, many baseball teams have spring training here. A lot of people complain that the city and its inhabitants aren't as sophisticated as LA, Boston, or Washington, DC. There is probably some truth to that, but I feel my quality of life here is much better than it would be in one of those cities.
saoutchik
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Posts: 16,203
Morning, I hope everyone makes it through Friday evening.
DesertDawg I hope you get to come over, it would not be too much of a stretch to take in both Goodwood and Le Mans, Le Mans is only a short distance away and for a few days is packed with english speakers. I knew Phoenix was growing fast but I had not realised it was tyat big.
Grey and overcast here, time for coffee.
Originally Posted by DesertDawg
So envious Sao!
Goodwood Festival of Speed is another bucket list item for me. I have to go someday, and it should be easier to manage than a trip to LeMans. I would make that part of a trip to the UK; I became something of an Anglophile in my 20s through watching old British sitcoms that were shown on US public television ('Are You Being Served?', 'Keeping Up Appearances', and such) so I really want to visit 'Blighty.'
Goodwood Festival of Speed is another bucket list item for me. I have to go someday, and it should be easier to manage than a trip to LeMans. I would make that part of a trip to the UK; I became something of an Anglophile in my 20s through watching old British sitcoms that were shown on US public television ('Are You Being Served?', 'Keeping Up Appearances', and such) so I really want to visit 'Blighty.'
Grey and overcast here, time for coffee.
saoutchik
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Posts: 16,203
For anyone interested in a bit of history this is Pitfield Street, approximately 300 metres/yards from my flat roughly half a century apart - 1911/1962/this morning. My pic was taken quite early hence the lack of people. One thing that struck me was that in the 1962 pic it looks quite a menacing area. I could have done with more pixels to do them justice.
PS. No the 1911 & 1962 pics were not taken by me
PS. No the 1911 & 1962 pics were not taken by me
Sober-T- Dragon
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 8,761
Happy Canada Day! Woke up this morning to find it raining outside and the wife is sick with a cold. And now I think I'm getting sympathy cold symptoms.
CanadaDay2016NiagaraFalls.JPG
CanadaDay2016NiagaraFalls.JPG
saoutchik
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Posts: 16,203
Originally Posted by STDragon
What time does the average Londoner crawl out on the streets on a Saturday morning?
Much more so than when I was young when it was confined to a few parts of the west end London can now be said to be a 24 hour city. This is a good thing in most respects though it did mean that I could always buy booze.
Sober-T- Dragon
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 8,761
I nearly forgot! Canada Day is also Scruffy Puppy's birthday. 9 human years old today. According to google, that makes him about 52 for a small breed dog. So we are nearly the same age him and I. My beard would just a gray if I grew one.
ScruffyPuppy9yearsold.JPG
ScruffyPuppy9yearsold.JPG
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Northeast, USA
Posts: 275
Originally Posted by Purplrks3647
Trying to wake up the creative side of myself, through drawing, etc. It used to come naturally to me when I was much younger; now it's like I'm paralyzed from all the drinking over the years.....like I'm having to start back over.
What I really want to do is get back to my botanical art. It's watercolor, which I've really struggled with, but I find that my time spent drawing and working with the watercolor is almost meditative--I love it.
Anyways, just wanted to send a rousing cheer (clappy, clappy, clappy) for you dipping your toe back into creative waters.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Posts: 327
Originally Posted by STDragon
I nearly forgot! Canada Day is also Scruffy Puppy's birthday. 9 human years old today. According to google, that makes him about 52 for a small breed dog. So we are nearly the same age him and I. My beard would just a gray if I grew one.
Attachment 32212
Attachment 32212
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Posts: 327
AV is really trying to do me in. From the time I get up in the morning, my mind just goes, 'How are you going to get through this day? You need a drink. Sneak a shot of whiskey, or gin, or even beer (so embarrassed to have done that in the morning. So stupid.) Not that whiskey or gin is any better but, you know that there are people/cultures out there where drinking a strong shot in the morning is normal (my husband is from such a culture - Balkans).
And then, when I was cooking in the mid morning, again AV was at it...., 'You know you usually have a gin and tonic while cooking. It's OK. No one will frown upon it.' God! I don't even want to drink at those times anymore!!!!! My body is averse to it mentally and physically. The times I've 'forced' myself to drink in the morning has only led to me retching and puking it all out within a few minutes of ingesting. Why why why is mind acting against me? I love being sober. I mean, I often drink when I don't even want to - like my whole being is telling me no no no! What's wrong with me? Is this like the dark before the dawn? At least I acknowledge I don't even like the taste, the stupid buzz, the drunkenness or the blackouts.
I'm sorry if this is a downer on the weekender thread. I didn't really want to start to a whole new thread.... I have the hang of this particular strain of AV. It's the night time AV that still gets me. The one where I tell myself I deserve it after a long, hard day's work? That one.
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I hope everyone else is doing great
And then, when I was cooking in the mid morning, again AV was at it...., 'You know you usually have a gin and tonic while cooking. It's OK. No one will frown upon it.' God! I don't even want to drink at those times anymore!!!!! My body is averse to it mentally and physically. The times I've 'forced' myself to drink in the morning has only led to me retching and puking it all out within a few minutes of ingesting. Why why why is mind acting against me? I love being sober. I mean, I often drink when I don't even want to - like my whole being is telling me no no no! What's wrong with me? Is this like the dark before the dawn? At least I acknowledge I don't even like the taste, the stupid buzz, the drunkenness or the blackouts.
I'm sorry if this is a downer on the weekender thread. I didn't really want to start to a whole new thread.... I have the hang of this particular strain of AV. It's the night time AV that still gets me. The one where I tell myself I deserve it after a long, hard day's work? That one.
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I hope everyone else is doing great
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