A New Direction - Weekenders 16-19 July 2021
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
In for a sober weekend. Ya'll be careful out there! The exercise thingy sounds like a good plan. Reid, take care. Chicken soup...does that still go for Covid?
Anyone who is lurking, join in. It helps to talk about whatever is going through your head if you're struggling to stay quit.
Owen, good to "see" you. I hope you do make it past the weekend sober. It's time, yeah?
There is a beautiful Great Blue Heron standing as still as a statue in the shallow water near the bank of the river just below my window. On the other side of the river is a mama Mallard duck with her six tiny fluffballs. I'm sure she sees that predator! She's staying over there and moving away.
Anyone who is lurking, join in. It helps to talk about whatever is going through your head if you're struggling to stay quit.
Owen, good to "see" you. I hope you do make it past the weekend sober. It's time, yeah?
There is a beautiful Great Blue Heron standing as still as a statue in the shallow water near the bank of the river just below my window. On the other side of the river is a mama Mallard duck with her six tiny fluffballs. I'm sure she sees that predator! She's staying over there and moving away.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,809
I'm in!
I had to do almost everything differently at first when I quit drinking. Obviously, trying to quit while living the same way hadn't worked. It was scary at first but after a short while, I discovered that the joys of being sober made the changes completely worth it.
I was thinking this morning how lucky I am to be where I am in my life now. And how big a part being sober has played in how life is now, compared to a few years ago. It was 2-3 years into sobriety before I really started to reap the benefits in a meaningful way. I mean, lots of small things changed right away, but it took some time and hard work to take care of things like repairing damaged relationships, cleaning up my finances, and most importantly, having some respect for myself. I'm not saying I'm DONE with all that, but where I am now is a place I'm OK with. Still working on some stuff. I always will be.
If you are just starting out and feeling lost and hopeless, know this: IT GETS BETTER. Just keep doing the next right thing, every day. It takes time. It takes work. But the promises do come true (that's an AA reference, but life holds promise for you no matter what recovery method you use).
I had to do almost everything differently at first when I quit drinking. Obviously, trying to quit while living the same way hadn't worked. It was scary at first but after a short while, I discovered that the joys of being sober made the changes completely worth it.
I was thinking this morning how lucky I am to be where I am in my life now. And how big a part being sober has played in how life is now, compared to a few years ago. It was 2-3 years into sobriety before I really started to reap the benefits in a meaningful way. I mean, lots of small things changed right away, but it took some time and hard work to take care of things like repairing damaged relationships, cleaning up my finances, and most importantly, having some respect for myself. I'm not saying I'm DONE with all that, but where I am now is a place I'm OK with. Still working on some stuff. I always will be.
If you are just starting out and feeling lost and hopeless, know this: IT GETS BETTER. Just keep doing the next right thing, every day. It takes time. It takes work. But the promises do come true (that's an AA reference, but life holds promise for you no matter what recovery method you use).
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
Originally Posted by Robbie64 
Well remembered Mags! Yes, the Christmas tree was and the cenotaph (which I also posted a picture of last year) is in the village centre along with a number of businesses such as restaurants, takeaways, craft shops and pubs. There's a large park nearby which stands on the grounds of an old pit which closed in the early 1970s. It's a great area for going for walks.
To help with my osteoarthritis I bought a mini exercise bike a few months ago. It basically looks like the bottom part of a bike and was only £40. I used to go to the gym to use the bikes there but with them being closed I wasn't getting to exercise properly and was finding it difficult to walk far at one stage as my knees were becoming weaker, painful and stiff. My doctor told me years ago that the best exercise for osteoarthritis in the knees is to use an exercise bike as rotating the knees helps keep them from seizing up. The mini exercise bike I have is what I would call "cheap and cheerful". It basically does the job without me having to fork out expensive monthly gym fees. Thanks to the bike I'm now able to go for long walks again.
To help with my osteoarthritis I bought a mini exercise bike a few months ago. It basically looks like the bottom part of a bike and was only £40. I used to go to the gym to use the bikes there but with them being closed I wasn't getting to exercise properly and was finding it difficult to walk far at one stage as my knees were becoming weaker, painful and stiff. My doctor told me years ago that the best exercise for osteoarthritis in the knees is to use an exercise bike as rotating the knees helps keep them from seizing up. The mini exercise bike I have is what I would call "cheap and cheerful". It basically does the job without me having to fork out expensive monthly gym fees. Thanks to the bike I'm now able to go for long walks again.
I guess I'm in, lol.. couldn't resist a knee post, haha.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
Originally Posted by MLD51
I'm in!
I had to do almost everything differently at first when I quit drinking. Obviously, trying to quit while living the same way hadn't worked. It was scary at first but after a short while, I discovered that the joys of being sober made the changes completely worth it.
I was thinking this morning how lucky I am to be where I am in my life now. And how big a part being sober has played in how life is now, compared to a few years ago. It was 2-3 years into sobriety before I really started to reap the benefits in a meaningful way. I mean, lots of small things changed right away, but it took some time and hard work to take care of things like repairing damaged relationships, cleaning up my finances, and most importantly, having some respect for myself. I'm not saying I'm DONE with all that, but where I am now is a place I'm OK with. Still working on some stuff. I always will be.
If you are just starting out and feeling lost and hopeless, know this: IT GETS BETTER. Just keep doing the next right thing, every day. It takes time. It takes work. But the promises do come true (that's an AA reference, but life holds promise for you no matter what recovery method you use).
I had to do almost everything differently at first when I quit drinking. Obviously, trying to quit while living the same way hadn't worked. It was scary at first but after a short while, I discovered that the joys of being sober made the changes completely worth it.
I was thinking this morning how lucky I am to be where I am in my life now. And how big a part being sober has played in how life is now, compared to a few years ago. It was 2-3 years into sobriety before I really started to reap the benefits in a meaningful way. I mean, lots of small things changed right away, but it took some time and hard work to take care of things like repairing damaged relationships, cleaning up my finances, and most importantly, having some respect for myself. I'm not saying I'm DONE with all that, but where I am now is a place I'm OK with. Still working on some stuff. I always will be.
If you are just starting out and feeling lost and hopeless, know this: IT GETS BETTER. Just keep doing the next right thing, every day. It takes time. It takes work. But the promises do come true (that's an AA reference, but life holds promise for you no matter what recovery method you use).
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 33,506
Thank you Mags! I sure hope your knee feels better soon.
So glad to be here with all you wonderful people.
Have a great day! I have to go to the library for my mom this morning and then she is going to drive me to the doctor for my ablation. I hope it helps and goes well.
Love and peace to you all.
So glad to be here with all you wonderful people.
Have a great day! I have to go to the library for my mom this morning and then she is going to drive me to the doctor for my ablation. I hope it helps and goes well.
Love and peace to you all.
saoutchik
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London
Posts: 16,204
Joining Weekenders for anothersober week!
Thanks Mags, I hope your knee isn't too bad.
After about the third year of failure I too came to realise I had to change what I was doing or I would remain stuck in an endless cycle of failures until my body gave out. I had eliminate much of my evening, which is always when I caved in, from my life. To do it I would get up at zero dark thirty, go out jogging, do a days work, eat my evening meal, post on SR a bit then go to bed at 9. It was a very analogue way of getting sober but it worked.
Good to see you Owen!
Best of luck with the ablation Aly, I really hope it does the trick for you. Migraines sound like no fun.
When I first moved in to my flat my oldest daughter left her rowing machine in my kitchen "for a couple of days" that turned into 3 months. I was still drinking then so you can imagine how man times I fell over it. I am surprised I can still walk.
We have had a lot of rain recently - Flash floods in some parts of London but no rain so far today. Apart from being able to make it rain, St Swithin or Swithun could mend broken eggs which is an unusual skill and one that came to early for Humpty Dumpty. I once posted a photo of Humpty Dumpty's egg-shaped grave in Weekenders - not a lot of people now he has an actual grave in a cemetery.
My photo is nowhere near as good but I snapped a heron at my local pond in Victoria Park and the ducks all swam away as fast as the could.
Thanks Mags, I hope your knee isn't too bad.
After about the third year of failure I too came to realise I had to change what I was doing or I would remain stuck in an endless cycle of failures until my body gave out. I had eliminate much of my evening, which is always when I caved in, from my life. To do it I would get up at zero dark thirty, go out jogging, do a days work, eat my evening meal, post on SR a bit then go to bed at 9. It was a very analogue way of getting sober but it worked.
Good to see you Owen!
Best of luck with the ablation Aly, I really hope it does the trick for you. Migraines sound like no fun.
When I first moved in to my flat my oldest daughter left her rowing machine in my kitchen "for a couple of days" that turned into 3 months. I was still drinking then so you can imagine how man times I fell over it. I am surprised I can still walk.
We have had a lot of rain recently - Flash floods in some parts of London but no rain so far today. Apart from being able to make it rain, St Swithin or Swithun could mend broken eggs which is an unusual skill and one that came to early for Humpty Dumpty. I once posted a photo of Humpty Dumpty's egg-shaped grave in Weekenders - not a lot of people now he has an actual grave in a cemetery.
My photo is nowhere near as good but I snapped a heron at my local pond in Victoria Park and the ducks all swam away as fast as the could.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 33,506
Thank you, Sao. Beautiful Heron. 
Thank you too, Venus.
So, sweet and kind of you both to think of me. So hoping it works. The last two days I've had really bad migraines, so at this point I'd do about anything to get rid of it.
Love and peace to all our weekenders. So lucky and happy I re found you all again.
Thank you too, Venus.
So, sweet and kind of you both to think of me. So hoping it works. The last two days I've had really bad migraines, so at this point I'd do about anything to get rid of it.
Love and peace to all our weekenders. So lucky and happy I re found you all again.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 3,517
Best of luck Aly, hopefully you'll soon be free of your bad migraines
Andy, I forgot that today is St Swithin's Day. Thankfully it's been dry and sunny here all day and there should be no prospect of any rain at all.
Andy, I forgot that today is St Swithin's Day. Thankfully it's been dry and sunny here all day and there should be no prospect of any rain at all.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
The thing I had to do differently was change my attitude. I had to adjust it to that of a non-drinker. I would actually say out loud to myself, "I'm a non drinker now", whenever I got the urge to drink.
It helped me greatly when I started practicing gratitude every day. That, more than anything, changed my attitude.
It helped me greatly when I started practicing gratitude every day. That, more than anything, changed my attitude.
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