Mags1

MantaLady, you can do this, it’s not easy but you know it gets easier.

saoutchik

We are all so vulnerable to hacking now Kaily, I have had my bank account hacked twice now, the first time was 20 years ago when I had barely heard of hacking.

Well done on posting MantaLady. I have no experience of weed triggers so I'm not much help but have a read of MesaMan's 6th year anniversary post. There is a sentence or short paragraph about reaching inside yourself that might be helpful.

Sometimes getting the mindset right is like looking for something in a dark room, you have to search everywhere until you stumble on what you need and then only after treading on several pieces of Lego first.

It is a gorgeous day here in London. It is a relief to be able to switch off and just be myself.

saoutchik

Btw the reason I always photo the same side of the bridge isn't because i'm lazy. There are water and utility pipes protected by railings this side which restricts the view somewhat.

jr67

I'm a convert, STD. Made one again Saturday evening, with which to toast my father's birthday. The google has it roughly right, but "season to taste." For the one I made last night I added chopped mint (as in the recipe I learned here in SRland the other day) and some blueberries. When I learn how to post a photo here from my cell phone, I'll show y'all how it turned out. Tasted great.

So hi, weekend warriors. Day 18 dawns with a whisper here in jr's corner of SRland. Blue sky, which I hope portends a warm-up enough to help melt the overnight snow. Now that I can see outside without actually venturing into the winter wonderland, I can stop wondering, and I can see that it looks like we got about 3 or 4 inches. Piece of cake to snowblow. Might not even need the machine, just the shovels, if it's as light and powdery as it looks from here.

The dogs are sleeping in, unusually late, I guess because I had the antsy one out after 1 a.m. and the other one goes 10 or 12 hours sometimes without, well, you know ... going.

They'll be nudging me soon enough, as it's beyond their breakfast time.

Today is the middle of a 3-day weekend here in the U.S. of A. MLK day. Ok you ferriners, pop quiz. Who is MLK? Essay portion of quiz: Why do we have a holiday for MLK? (Talk about writing a book!)

I'll be working a bit, though. Besides shoveling snow I gotta do the kind of work that pays the bills for a while. (Inner voice: Yeah, yeah, you'll get to it. What's the rush, Tuesday morning's meeting is still 49-1/4 hours away.)

That reminds me: I've noticed a few posts about procrastination. Lifelong issue for me. I'm planning to start a thread on the topic. ...

(Drumroll please):

... when I get around to it.

(Groan.)

But if anyone of you, dear readers, wants to get off your proverbial duff and beat me to the punch on opening that thread, be my guest.

All right, I hear one of my condo neighbors starting to shovel. Guess I can't put it off any longer. Oh wait, she was just doing her entryway stairs or something. I can hang here a bit more, guilt-free, so I will, but it is time to hit Submit Reply to SRland.

theVman31

As you said Manta you know what you need to do. As well you know you can do it now too.
I hope you dig down deep and turn things around. We all know how quickly we can lose control.

So what colour hair did ya get. ? 😁

Cityboy

Thank you for sharing mantalady.

My email account got hacked last year and everyone in my contacts list was getting bogus emails. Had to close the account and start a new email address.

Not a frog, but my brother had an oscar once. That thing ate all the other fish in its tank and would eat anything you put in there almost.

fishkiller

Good morning all!

I read all the posts since I was last on and I have to say I'm a bit jealous at how y'all can remember and respond to each one.
By the time I read the next one I forget which of the previous ones match which poster.

I guess I have a mental exercise I can practice now

jr, get off your a** and shovel that snow! Quit procrastinating!

JK
kinda

SnoozyQ

Happy Birthday Red i hope you have a wonderful day sweetheart.

Almost Monday here in Australia so thought I'd post b4 i hit the hay

Cityboy

They had snow in the forecast here for Tuesday. Actually it said freezing mix but I was trying to think positive. Now it just says low of 30 F, so wife will have old sheets all over the citrus trees. It has snowed here twice in my life of 55 years.

jr67

I'm honored and humbled that it was *my* post, out of all the ones you caught up on, that you remembered and responded too, fishkill.

Doesn't mean I'm going to do as you say, but thanks anyway.

If it were that easy, I would have started, oh, about 55 years ago (that's about as far back as I can remember the onset of this temporary condition, doc; I'm sure it will pass soon enough).

If it were that easy, I wouldn't need to start a thread here about procrastination (if no one beats me to it).

No, really, I'm ready to head out there, but: The dogs are still asleep, and if I go mucking about to get dressed for outside they'll get all wakeylike and its just so quiet for a few moments (i.e. 3.5 hours since I slipped out of bed, where they still are slumbering), that I can't bear to break the mood.

Happy Yesterday plus 1, fishkill and all soberlandians.

Kaily

Drinking is not for us alcoholics Manta, you know that. I get it though, its tough not being able to enjoy a simple glass of wine, but we can't. Easier to go without than to try and moderate I'm sure.

Mags1

Happy Birthday Red, have a great day.

andyh

Sao - are you sure you're not in Holland still? I was in North London today & the views over the city in the sunshine were rather nice.

Manta - well done for reaching out. what do you need to help you put down the wine again for good?

saoutchik

I have a dream, that we have MLK as a public holiday in Britain too in order that I might catch up with my laundry that way.

I had to Google what an oscar was (a fish if anyone else doesn't know)

Talking of birthdays Happy Birthday Red! Sorry about the "OL" but it was the only one I could find that didn't involve red wine.

Dee74

Happy Birthday Red

I'm sorry you're struggling Manta. I took took to alcohol even more when I could no longer afford weed but the truth is both would feed my inner addict and both beat me down.

Can you apply what you learned in rehab at all to this current situation?

D

Willow00

Love the kitty cat teacher Dee, and this is great!
“They mean well but say no enough and - they may not understand it still, but they'll get that the response will always be an unwavering no.”

Yes I think I’ll have to have a proper talk to him Bim .... and I’m sure the gorillas recognise you ❤️
Lol Dragon, a swift kick might annoy the crap out of him

JR happy birthday to your Dad! A grapefruit ginger mint mocktail sounds a perfect way to toast his birthday

Gorgeous pics Kaily

Vman I stayed at my job for a year finishing off projects, but knowing I had a leave date helped me get through it

I had a nuts weekend trying to clean out the shed. Got all sad and nostalgic and had to stop once I looked in some boxes of Mum’s stuff I just can’t deal with it yet. The AV piped up really strongly and I just had to close the lids and leave them, dust and all for another day, it’s too hard. But I didn’t drink, I ate chocolate though, a truckload of it... I’m still feeling sad and blah this morning and having to force myself out of bed to face the day. I just want to hide in bed all day . Or perhaps forever...

Manta, sending you strength and support. I don’t have any great advice, only to echo what Sao said about Mesa’s awesome 6th soberversary post, about reaching inside yourself, beyond self-sabotage. And also something Dee said about finding your joy. I have not quite 3 weeks sober again and I’m looking for my joy. Looking really hard (yesterday was really tough and really sad) and I’m having to dig really deep. But I’m searching for experiences that make me feel “alive” again. I’m banking on next weekend away in the forest bringing me some joy and aliveness... xxx

And Manta maybe we need hairdos like Vinny suggests What fun!

Now I really have to get up and face Monday...

mariposa

STDragon

Weed was my goto in my younger years, I stopped that right before getting married. Tho I drank then, I believe it became a replacement and slowly escalated over the years. I quit smoking in the year 2000 (had to make sure it wasn't the end of the world first - Y2K) and even that was easier than the drink. I think I could never try weed again, tho, I'm afraid it would give me paranoia.

I was an aquarium enthusiast in my teens and early twenties, I had several tanks, include one with Oscars. It started out with several Oscars but they eventually killed one another. They can grow to be quite large.

Had a good day today. spent most of it in the garage playing with my power tools. I now have a perfectly manicured block of hard maple that started out as a stick I rescued from an old couch frame. dressing, chopping, laminating and sanding. I'm going try and bandsaw a couple of ukulele hangers out of it...

Mags1

There’s a chill on this Monday morning. Alexa said 3° C but it’s white over on the grass in patches. Sun’s out though.

Have a good sober Monday if you can. Shout out if you’re struggling.

Red78

Thanks for the bday wishes! Back into the land of the living and shattered.. Will post photos tomorrow of the amazing trek I did..
But I finally got a sober bday! Been trying for the last couple of years and succeeded this time..