Enjoy breakfast ML.
I dream of a full Irish or full English at times.
Congratulations on your sober time too.

A beautiful day here again and the forecast is good for next week...

I don't have a sober app but just used an online date calculator :-

115 days
OR: 3 months, 23 days
OR: 16 weeks, 3 days
OR: 2760 hours

A bottle of vodka a day was £12 so that's £1380.

Thanks for the reminder Manta and well done on your 227 days!

Hi weekenders :wavey:

I’m a bit late joining you, just been really busy... I saw the new counsellor and she was really good, a good fit. I’m definitely going back to see her again. 6 months and the grief is still so raw, I cried a lot (which is common for me still) but she said it’s still very recent, and the fact that the pain of loss is still so raw is not unusual, and it seems that I’m doing ok.. Which intellectually I kinda knew, but emotionally I am still caught up too much to think clearly. Anyway it was good talking with her.

That brekkie sounds really delicious Manta! :yumyum:

Andy that cat clip made my stomach go really weird, all the way down to my toes :scared:

Hang in there Bim, something will come up! Sending lots of support your way ❤️

MLD the concert sounds great! One of my all time favourite live shows was Bruve Springsteen when he came to Oz ❤️ Absolutely awesome!

MB I love your stories about hell maybe not yet a boyfriend :) I like the idea of the present you gave him :)

PJ, Dee, any other Aussies, I hope you’ve been ok in this heat wave, it’s been soooo hot here too.

Well done everyone on a sober weekend! You’re all doing great! I’m off to bed early this Saturday evening (it’s 7.45pm here lol) for a delicious long sleep in the aircon, ‘night everyone :)

Good night and sleep tight Willow, lovely to see you again and really pleased that you have found and counsellor that you warm to!! xx

Wow, Manta!
What a saving. I knew we must be saving money from not drinking but I’ve never sat down and worked it out!:c011:

Good morning everybody.

Day 37 today. Feeling good about everything, got offered to buy some weed thursday which I refused without temptation as I knew one smoke or drink would turn into a binge that would last for ages whenever I wasn't at work. I've built a new sober life with new ways to fill my time, I don't want to fall out of these habits. The hardest part is occupying all the free time.

Working today until 11pm. All good :D

Good for you Taooo.

Occupying free time takes some reflection and planning but same here idle hands not a good thing at all.

Morning Gang. Boy I had a good long sleep last night. Odd dream about late night covert meetings with co-workers on a scool bus.

MB, I don't mean to dampen the flames, but Hell-Maybe's drinking would be reason to keep things going slow. Like you said, you don't know what he is like 'when tipsy' but only time will tell. Besides, it could be fun to tease out a nice long relationship before getting too serious. I'm sure we don't need to tell you to be careful, it sounds like your handeling it very well. We would just hate to see you hurt, that's all.

I'm off to forklift certification class today. Y'all have a good day.

Good fun! I drove a forklift in a previous job (just for 1 hour) and it was fun. I didn't have a license so it was all very hush hush.

Happy Caturday!

https://media.giphy.com/media/EMxvBrMaMoGbK/giphy.gif

nice to see you Bim, sorry you're having a rough time

it's a lovely Spring-like day here, so I'm going to get out & blow some cobwebs away in a bit.

my job- hunting continues - I'm keeping you company in the ranks of the unemployed for a bit longer Bim. I have one possible at the moment that might turn into an offer, & another interview for something else next week. I'm getting a bit of interview fatigue, but something will stick eventually.

When I was drinking, I tried to controll it by sticking to a certain amount of weekly 'pocket money'. It never worked, I would always take some cash back when out shopping. Just enough to keep me going and that Mrs. Dragon wouldn't notice. (It was a delicate balancing game) She never wondered why I was always so happy to do the shopping by myself.

Anyways, shortly after I sobered up, I started a seperate savings account (never had one of my own) and I deposit that 'pocket money' every payday. Since then, it's fueled my Ukulele passion and now my fledgling word working hobby. I still have a nice balance and I don't take 'cash back' anymore. So even the shopping budget is saving a little.

I was recently re-certified to drive a scissor lift and cherry picker. I have to do this every two years. The first couple of times, the guy simply pointed and said "here is how you drive it, here is your license". But regulations change, this last time, it was a day and a half of classroom time and half day driving. OMG.

I saw them doing the forklift driving test, it looked like fun but challangeing. They had setup a maze of pallets standing on end. Then they had to drive thru the maze, pick up a pallet and back out.:scared:

It's a cold Saturday morning, and the roads are going to be icy when I get out there, so time to be careful. Always, it's time to be careful of how I'm thinking and feeling, and despite chaos that has entered my life recently, I'm doing pretty well. So, let's all be mindful of whatever is out there.

I don't have to work today but am grateful for all those who do to keep the world running 'round.

I am back from boxing, no one lost their teeth this time)

Had lunch, did some chores, chilling out now.

Manta - Congrats on 8 months Manta. And your breakfast sounds envy-exciting.

Willow - Glad to hear you connected with your new therapist. I was lucky with my both therapist and can't stress enough how important it to find a specialist who you can tell anything without being afraid to be judged or misunderstood.

Trach - Good luck with your certification!

Andy - I totally understand interview fatigue. Sending you positive vibes.

Dragon - I really appreciate your advice . I am not in a rush to get into serious stage of relationships at all. And I constantly remind myself that regardless of feelings I have to always keep my core values in the picture because partners...sometimes they come and go, but I am stuck with myself for the rest of my days here on Earth)

MB, I understand ya.
And I constantly remind myself that regardless of feelings I have to always keep my core values in the picture because partners...sometimes they come and go, but I am stuck with myself for the rest of my days here on Earth)

I spent years running away and realised it was me I was running from!

MidnightBlue: -8 degrees! We’ve had some bizarre weather in the Midwest. It’ll be negative temperatures (in Fahrenheit!) then it will skyrocket up to spring temperatures then back down over night. Def. ready for the spring. — Also, glad you are feeling less anxious. I too avoid the company of drunk people now... good call. How long have you been boxing?

saoutchik: Foggy London like the Sherlock Holmes days, that paints a picture :). I’ve only been once but I would love to return as an adult someday.

MLD51: That is awesome. Glad you enjoyed the performance so much. I’m actually going to see Eric Church this spring... and I *never* go to concerts, it was a gift from my wife. I’m pretty pumped about it :). And will not be having alcohol.

Hawkeye13: That sounds picturesque. Looking forward to those kind of days coming up here in the springtime :). What kind of pups?

H379: Sober birthdays! Happy birthday :). Hope you have a good one.

ismaria: Sorry you’re feeling anxious — check in and let us know how/if the meditation helps. I’ve honestly never even tried a serious meditation, maybe something to try something... stay well!

biminiblue: Good luck with the job search! Gosh interviewing and putting out resumes and cover letters is actually a stressful affair. Hopefully you have some space in your life this week to make it a priority. I’ve found that getting dressed early like you’re going to work, and then hunkering down in a coffee shop or space that isn’t my apartment is the best way for me to really focus on it. Let us know how it goes this weekend.

STDragon: Ukelele class... super cool. That made me think of one of my favorite viral videos, this guy playing “My Guitar Gently Weeps” on ukelele: https://youtu.be/puSkP3uym5k — How is practice coming along? How long have you been at it? Nothing like a new instrument, and really one of those things you could only focus and grow with sober. Awesome all around.

listae: Sounds great! And good workout. Are you a good dancer? (I have 2 left feet for sure — my wife said I dance “like a boxer” — which I’m quite certain is not a compliment ;)).

Kaily: Ah, my wife calls that the “f**k it shelf” (she’s never struggled w/ alcohol but she does this stuff for a living). It’s the most dangerous one for me, honestly. Glad you fought through it had a coping mechanism ready.

MantaLady: And oh — the $$$. I haven’t even calculated that, yet. In my “moderation” days, too, I made sure to buy a $20+ bottle of wine because my AV would help me justify it that I just wanted wine for the “taste.” Same with any beer, expensive craft beer or German beers etc. So smart to calculate what you’ve been saving :). I should do the same...

Taooo: Hey! There’s a lot of great advice on this chain for how to occupy the time. Heck, reading I’ve been amazing at the diversity of hobbies — we’ve got boxers, gym rats, ukelele-players, outdoors enthusiasts / fishing/gardening/hiking, video gamers, wannabe chefs (<— me), and more. So much of this stuff made so much better (and in many cases only possible) through sobriety. It takes time though, but if you think about it — it’s exciting. The opportunities for growth and learning are limitless. Also good to remember (there’s a chain about this elsewhere) that boredom can actually be a good thing — and that it’s healthy for us to let ourselves experience it. Let it wash over you. Boredom is a normal, healthy part of this thing we call life — but this generation aggressively fills the silence. We don’t always have to :). Sorry for the long post — keep on and good luck.

Trachemys: Oh that’s cool, good luck. There are a lot of times I wish I had a job that wasn’t behind a computer 9-12 hours most days... but not sure how to change that now! Hope the training goes well :).

Keep on, weekenders. Really glad I rediscovered SR. Y’all are awesome.

what's up weekend warriors. I nearly made it to bed last night without even realizing it was Friday, then shrugged and thought "and tomorrow's Saturday, who cares!" :)

Seems as though it's slowly getting easier. I hope so. We shall see how it goes when summer time rolls around.

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We toured Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West yesterday in the Foothills outside Scottsdale AZ. An aesthetic, Soul-replenishing joy under challenging Skies that pelted Rain at one point. When it cleared some near the end of the Tour, it really drove home the drama of the location. There's hard, textured Ice right now on my Truck Windshield from freezing temps last Night. In 126 Years of Record keeping, high elevation Flagstaff AZ just set a new one: 40" [102 cm] of Snow in one Day! The Desert ain't so desert_y right now. Sun under clear Skies today, and a continuous warming trend that we're more-than-ready for.

Wright had a passion for Asian Art, as do we. I've got a full-width House Wall Stone Fireplace Project to tackle later this Year, and this Tour provided some inspiring design ideas. 15 Degree angles for some vertical Rock surfaces; more Recessed Lights; a nook for a favored Buddha; and so on. Sober and energized. Can't beat it!

Even MesaDog was chillin' yesterday in his own Zen Mindfulness, but there ain't much to not envy about his Life...
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~ Taliesin West Pix ~
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https://i.postimg.cc/X7BjSMy8/Boz-Zen-crop.jpg

Morning everyone, or almost afternoon. Last night was fine. I watched a Raptors basketball game. I’m not a big basketball fan but I watch the occasional game. What I’ve learned is the last 10 minutes are the most exciting lol. It was a good game and the Raps won. They only lose when it’s the playoffs.

Today is harder for me not to drink. But at the same time I feel good and focussed on healthy goals.

And thanks for the welcome everyone.

Evoo- meditation is not for everyone...when I go to the Buddhist session it is peaceful on the outside but inside my head it can be quite a racket! But it does help with anxiety and slowing things down. There are also apps and things now, all different kinds of approaches, but I like the Zen Buddhist approach/philosophy a lot.

Willow, glad you have found a good counsellor. I’ve spent time in therapy in the past and the fit is really one of the most important things. I hope it helps.

MantaLady that sounds like a great breakfast! I just had oatmeal and a banana with peanut butter. I love going out for breakfast, sometimes I do with one of my uncles.

Saoutchik, that orange cat looks just like mine, actually I think mine is even bigger lol. The poor guy.

Good luck to the job hunters, it’s only a matter of time. My boss quit this week, and everything is up in the air at my workplace. I’m nervous about it, though I’m sure it will be fine. I just don’t like change and don’t know what to expect.