Welcome Trojanhorse!

Tetrax, I would go for a brisk walk on some days rather than running every day which can be hard on your joints, especially if you are running on concrete.

this is something I just found on recovery connection.

Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.

I like this a lot, it sounds wonderful..

It's the start of my weekend, 7:51pm on Friday night, so far my recovery has been in bed posting on SR and making tea for everyone, so I would call that a win and I definitely won't drink tonight.

The problem is, it was more like romanticising the self-destruction itself, pressing the 'F it switch'. Knowing it will only bring bad things was part of the allure. The masochism of it I guess.

Am I f'd up or what? I definitely need more connections in my life. I think this is the underlying issue.

Morning gang,

I was an avid runner before I quit drinking. The problem was, I'd run a great distance and instantly hit the booze the moment I got home. Sometimes that also meant those early morning runs. That behavior was destroying my recovery (from running) and over the years, it became harder and harder to keep up the pace. I quit running and drinking at the same time. So right away I stopped something that had a strong association with booze. Over the next year and half I suffered alot of joint pain as my body healed. I always thought I'd run again but several attempts to restart proved I just don't have it in me anymore. Booze destroyed something I really enjoyed.

Recovery is lifelong- lifechanging, every moment in every action, every word. To live up to the higher principles that are so easy to be comfortable with when life is easy and good- but hard when all seems to go pear shaped. From making my bed, washing, saying hello to neighbours when I would rather not, to offering support- to those struggling. It is forgiving someone I do not want to forgive and it would be so much easier to stay indignant and angry. It is in those very stressful moments I remind myself NOTHING warrants drinking. From dealing with my own death, my dad's (when I was in a coma), divorce, disfigurement, pain, memory problems, whatever- drinking does not help. Life has to be experienced, not numbed with booze or drugs or isolating in my bed. Every breath I take now, I see with a grateful and a much humbler heart.

One day I might even become a nice human.

Good to come here this morning. I woke up feeling like a complete and utter loser for the great job I lost (6 years ago) and other drunken behavior. Realize it's just the worm going to work early on me. I have today and the sound of crickets. Don't need much else at this point in becoming.

Holiday weekend here in the US, let's stay on the straight and narrow. I will be watching football and taking a trip to the horse track with friends.

Friday, 2131 here in wintery Adelaide. All is well....

I like the part where it says a self directed life, while I was drinking booze led every part of my life, right now stay sober is leading all aspects of my life, I want to work o get to the point where neither of those things is in charge anymore, I'm in charge. Lovely quote.

Weekend is here, stay busy so we can all come back Monday and say we had a clean weekend. tkr.

Good Friday morning!

Welcome to all the newcomers! If you start to struggle this weekend, be sure to check in! There's almost always someone around.

I almost forgot it's a holiday weekend in the US. All it means for me is an extra day to maybe get out and go kayak fishing. I have a lot to do in my house, so I need to spend Saturday starting to clear out my kitchen cabinets for the remodel. I have things in there I have forgotten about in the 16 years I have lived there. I have a lot of stemware I can pack up to give away. Won't be needing those wine glasses and margarita glasses. I also hope to get some actual good sleep this weekend. It's been in short supply.

MLD, you still have cocktail glasses? I have such a tiny kitchen I was thrilled to see them go.

So many new names in the thread and that's so great. If you're on Day One or Day 5201, Welcome. Let's stay sober today, that much I know I can do.

I stopped having frequent drinking thoughts a long time ago, but the little nagging, "A _ __ _ _ _ _ sounds good," is still under the surface. I know a drink would take me away from my true self, and I NEVER want to go back to that way of living again. It was horrible, it was scary and I'm just glad I survived it long enough to find that moment on my knees where I knew I was beat and had to give it up.

If anyone is struggling this weekend or any day, come to this thread and talk it out. Just getting it out into the open could be the thing that makes the difference.

Not only that, think about all the people here who would say to you, "Don't do it!!"

That was a trick I used in early days when I had drinking thoughts. I would list in my head all the usernames I could think of from this site. It's amazing how many I could come up with after reading their stories. I knew they were with me in spirit, and it would distract me and take me past the urge.

Yes, Bim, I have big, high wall cabinets and the glasses are way up on higher shelves. I don't see them, so they have just sat there for 4 and a half years. I have a few more in a china cabinet I can get at more easily, but for some reason, I just don't see them, so it doesn't really bother me that they are there. But I had to take some shelves down that housed my collection of tiny Chinese teapots, and the wall the shelves were on is mostly gone now. I need the space in the china cabinet to put the teapots now, so the glasses are going away. If anyone comes to my house and wants to drink wine (doesn't bother me as long as it's under control) they can use regular glasses.

I saved all my crystal glasses. I just drink my iced tea and LaCroix in them now. I feel all fancy lolol

I'll probably hang onto the actual real crystal champagne flutes because my family does champagne toasts at Christmas and other holidays and some of us drink sparkling grape juice instead of champagne for various reasons. I like using the fancy flutes for that.

I like that too. Living a self-directed life is not easy though.

That's a shame about your running Dragon, I guess the ukelele has replaced it as your hobby now. I was not a runner prior to quitting booze so my slow plodding along the canal did not represent a loss of ability.

Best wishes to SoberLeigh and to anyone else living in the path of Hurricane Dorian. Staying sober is so much better than swilling booze on any weekend but with an approaching Hurricane people need their wits about them more than ever.

The former Mrs S got to keep the small but fancy Waterford crystal glasses set when we divorced. I got to keep the Italia '90 World Cup beer glasses from the Esso garage.:c011:

I finished work nearly an hour ago so my weekend proper has begun. I challenged someone at work to duel just before I went home. Rather than pistols at dawn it is going to be Nerf guns at Monday lunchtime (It is a dispute over the source of the River Thames btw)

Gonna head to a CA meeting in a bit. Hear some different perspectives to the usual AA regulars. Still romanticising getting smashed. Need to stay close to recovery stuff this weekend.

Hang on, Tetrax.

Distract, eat, (good idea on the new meeting,) exercise, do a project like cleaning a closet or painting a wall.

Nothing romantic at all about having to start over on being sober. I've yet to hear one person say how awesome it was to go back to drinking.

Sit on your hands if you have to.

Nice reading this evening weekenders.
A few phrases stick in the head like the "F it switch" and "that moment on my knees when I knew I was beat" and of course "Italia 90"

As addicts and compulsives know only two well we have trouble setting limits and staying between those limits. I used to know no limits in my younger life. My objective used to be to lose control in excessive amounts and to dangerous extents. Still struggling with my moving limits but I'm sober for now.

At the beach now for two nights before the back to school next Monday.

Italia 90 :)