Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

[Loppy lugs]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

ntcentral, sorry to laugh at your misfortunes but that tickled my funny bone.

Am I the only one here who isn't energetic? I get exhausted just reading about everyone's efforts. There also seem to be a lot of keen gardeners out there. Despite the sometimes good weather we have had this month the only times I have been in the garden is to put the animals out. I have a retired gentleman who looks after the garden for me so normally would be out there only if I had a glass (bottles) of red in my hand. Quiet thinking time followed by quiet not thinking time, followed by quiet comatose time.

If it warms up a bit I might try sitting out there this evening with a book and not watching the sunset.

Wooflet sent me the link to the chaps website who did the MWO hypno tapes and my credit card worked there so they should arrive in about 3 weeks. Really looking forward to that. Little steps with this AF business.

Hope everyone is having a good day

[Wooflet]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hi Everyone

Can I just first say that I love this thread and everyone on it :h I just love how supportive and generous everyone is, despite many of us being at different stages and with different goals/issues etc. And I love how you guys make me laugh, like you NTC with the yoga story :H

LVT it sounds like you've got a farm happening over there, not just a garden! Sounds absolutely amazing. I don't have a green thumb myself so I am in awe of people like you. I agree with NTC, those wonderful veggies will taste even better AF. My taste buds have definitely woken up over the past few weeks, as has my sense of smell.

Peanut enjoy GT tomorrow night. I don't know about you but I used to have a few drinks before going to live music shows, and I'm sure I didn't appreciate them as much as I would've sober. I met Steve Lukather after a show a couple of years ago and wish I remember more of the exchange (although I do remember that he kissed my hand!!). Cat Empire are great, they gig just around the corner from where I live.

wakupmom I love your calm quiet way of racking up the AF days. How fantastic that Al isn't your first thought any more - I would have said that is MAJOR progress, not little at all.

Kiri wow, almost at the big three-oh! The countdown begins...

Loppy I am so with you on the energy levels (or lack thereof). I too feel exhausted just reading about what everyone is doing. My totally unrealistic expectation was that I'd be bouncing around by the three week AF mark, but as you say it's little steps with this AF business.

Yay to all of us here for the huge progress we've made since this thread started three weeks ago. As wakupmom said:

wakupmom;329481 wrote:

every day is an achievement,whether it be consecutive or not.Its the not giving up that counts, so keep up the good work.

Love to everyone
Wooflet x

[cedar]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

hello everyone - i just have to share that today is my double figure day of 10 days AF. the sun is shining, my little girl is running around giggling, i feel so lucky to have found this site and looks like this tread is filled with so much love !
I think I have found these first 10 days AF pretty inspiring, just to know I can do it - I swear I thought i was never going to see myself do anything but the odd day here and there AF and mostly due to a raging hangover... BUT I have managed more than I expected. I love wakeupmom's quote that every day is an achievement whether is be consecutive of not !
I have managed to walk into a bottle store and bought beer for my partner and NO wine for me ! and didnt even drink any of his beers ... and my biggest hurdle was grocery shopping and always adding a couple of bottles of wine (available in our grocery stores) ... can wizz right by that aisle now.
Just going day by day - have no fixed plans on what my target is or even if I am going to abstain or moderate ? Just LOVING every day that i can kiss my girl goodnight with out smelling like the inside of a wine barrel...
anyway that's yakking from me ... i know i am sounding like a stuck record (is the expression now like a stuck DVD) - but I am SO glad to be here
x

[LVT25]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hello everybody!!

You guys all sound terrific!! Doing so well!! It's inspiring!

I am feeling my age (maybe older I'm only 47). I am so out of shape. I have more garden than I do plants--oops! You know what that means!! Get more plants! I figure by fall I will have solved the world hunger problem! (Don't I wish)

I have been saving my Diet Pepsi for evening instead of reaching for that cold beer. Seems to be working so far. Usually I would drink at least a 6 pack during and after a day of gardening!!

NTC--today is yoga day. I don't know how, but I'll try to remember not to eat a 3 course meal before I go!!!:H Actually We won't have it again this week--elem track meet. bummer!

I gotta get busy! No one has clean unders or dishes because mom is always outside working in the 40 acre garden!!:H

Have a great sober day everyone!

[Peanut]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Sleepy

Goodmorning everybody!

Isn't this hump day??? and what do we traditionally do on hump day that we no longer do??? I still, even after all these years, think about going for beers after work on wednesdays!!! I stopped doing that though when my kids were younger, and I was in chauffeur hell (or is that heaven! ha!)

Wooflet - now I am the jealous one. Cat Empire? Around the corner from where you live?? That is one of the funnest bands I've seen/heard in a very long time! I especially like the Wine Song - I wonder why???? And, going to see George T. tonight - I have no idea what I am going to drink!?! I was going to bring my own AF beer, but I think they check everybody's bags - I wonder what they would say to AF beer??? They sure as hell won't be providing it!! I will stick with soda water maybe, but it really will be a beer fest - I just know it!

NTC - cravings, chocolate, lasagne and yoga.... Makes for interesting imagery!! I really must try taking up yoga. I had thought of some sort of relaxation yoga to help with sleep, but never did get around to doing anything about it.

Loppy - no energy, eh? I had thought that I would be super energetic once I cut back the boozing. But, apart from my swimming, which I was doing before anyhow, I really haven't done alot more. I thought I would have all this painting done, daily big workouts, my house and yard spic and span. But no. C'est la vie!!

Congrats on all the long AF stretched - 21days for some, 20 for Loppy, Kiri at 28 and Cedar at day 10. I am on another day 3. Modster May for me I suppose!

LVT - I used to have a huge garden too, and I kind of miss it, although it was sooooo much work putting all that food up. Now my garden is much smaller, but I manage green and yellow beans, carrots, beets, lettuce and green onion, some tomatoes, and one zucchini plant, plus some cucs, pumpkin and spag squash (good diet food) - and that is all pretty crowded into that little plot.

Talking about energy - yesterday, I was incredibly sleepy all day. I was going to walk home, but had my son pick me up instead and by 5:30 I was laying down. I finally dragged myself up at 8:00 - I just couldn't wake up!!!! I had a small piece of steak and some brocolli and asparagus - trying to get iron into me in case that was what the trouble was - then I went back to sleep by midnight and slept right through until 6am. What was that all about?!?! So all the goals for exercise and TSPing the walls of that room downstairs went down the toilet! What a lazy bones. Ah well - I will think of it as healing time after a particularly productive and busy weekend.

This is getting long -best get up to the millroom and mill some durum wheat! (actually, 67 samples - I wonder how long that will take!!)

Have a wonderful 21st of may everybody!!!
xoxoxo Peanut

[ntcentral]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hi all, I usually am getting ready for work right now but I have a slow day and there's no need to rush in. How is everyone? Sounds like some are coming up to big number days of AF (including Believer, Midwestern Lady, Kiri, and Cedar! Congrats) Susu, how are you doing? have you been able to notch up a few days AF? If so, how's it going? Loppy, I've had some real energy crashes in the past month. I think the tiredness comes from disrupted sleep patterns that are associated with going AF, and also, just the body adjusting to not having the alcohol-related sugars. LVT25, I love hearing about the garden. Does consuming diet Pepsi at night keep you awake? Just a whiff of caffiene after 5 PM and I'm up all night solving the world's problems. Hello Wooflet! Hello all others.

Peanut, good luck with the AF beer tonight. I LUV yoga, for so many reasons. It is very calming to the mind and it releases tension in the body. If you attend a class with others, participation allows a silent and pleasurable comraderie. There's something almost magical and serene that sometimes happens when you move in unison through the various yoga postures. It took a good three or four months before I discovered the marvels of "being in the flow"....for the first while, I was a clock watcher, perpetually wondering, how many more minutes until this torture is over. Now, the time flies by. I originally turned to yoga as a way to help combat my AL consumption:

All those pictures of serene yoginis in their leotards---hey, that could be me! Smiling beautifically and sipping herbal tea and munching unprocessed nuts, butterlies fluttering in my wake....

Well, two years later, and that image of yogini bliss still ain't me. However, I must say that I am calmer of spirit and that perhaps, indeed, my yoga practice has laid the foundation for my current stab at abstinance. I realize now that avoiding AL is not an issue of "will power". i.e., if the will power is simply strong enough, the problem will go away. Rather, AL fills a void of some kind and the trick is to develop another means to fill it, and a means to develop internal boundaries where AL abuse simply isn't an option.

And with all that typed, I'll end this note by simply saying, today I wish all of you who post here serenity of spirt. Cheers, NTC

[LVT25]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hello all!

Peanut--one zucchini plant!! Come on! :H What's wrong did your friends and neighbors start locking their homes and cars too! :H

Can't wait to hear about George Thor. Was he bad to the bone??

NTC--NOTHING keeps me awake, except the hurricane force winds that were blowing here last night! It was shaking our house, hubby said the water in the toilets had whitecaps!!
Awoke this morning to find our camper shed in the trees! I haven't made it out yet to see what other damage has been done. I'm thinking it probably blew the seeds right out of my garden! It's going to blow again all day. I wish I didn't have to go to work!

I took my kids and a couple of my 13 year old son's friends to visit their friend in the hospital yesterday after the track meet. My son managed to irritate the shit out of me by the time we got home. I took them up there (45 miles), fed them, let them stay too long, put up with their squirrely, immature antics in the hospital---but do they appreciate that? No, I said something that I thought was inappropriate for them to talk about, I wouldn't take them to another place.......WTF??! I was in tears telling hubby about it--tired and cranky--he was a little drinky. Then hubby and I got into it a little over another deal!! I just went to bed. Sometimes I wish I lived alone!!

Enough bitching! Could be worse! Today is another day! I have been AF 10 days right now--thankfully I haven't even felt like drinking lately much. This weekend will be a real test. I will test my moderation skills. I will have a plan! But for now, my quinoa is done--I better get going!

Have a great day all!

[bestlifeldms]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to stop by and enjoy your news. My days are very calm, of late. I love boring. My motto is "Boring is good!" No more drama, like when I was drinking. It has been 45 days, today! Hard to believe, but wonderful! Looking forward to a long memorial day week end, Yard work, etc. Food on the grill. Yummmm!

Warm & Sunny Hugs, :rays: Best

[kiagmin]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

New here too with tons of questions. What do I buy? What really works? I have found alot of great support. And really appreciate every one being so kind and willing to help.

[Peanut]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

ok ok LVT - maybe 2 zucchini plants!!! I have dealt with so many baseball bat sized zucchini in my past, I've been trying to avoid them! But even with one plant, they still lurk under the leaves and morph into monsters!! And I know how those 13yo can drive you to distraction - don't let them get to you! It has been really windy up here too, and dusty! I got up this morning and had to wash my floors, they were covered in grit from all the dust blowing in from outside. I wish it would rain already!!

NTC - your images of yoginis (rhymes with zucchinis - coinkidink?) is really pushing me toward joining one of the classes - esp with butterflies fluttering about! We have Leisure Centres in this city, which are city-run facilities - the pools, gyms, indoor track,etc, and they have free classes for step, muscle sculpting, boxersize, etc, and yoga too. I'm not sure how "good" these classes are, but it might be a place for me to start to see how I like it anyhow. I need something to help me relax - I always am grinding my teeth and my jaw is so sore by the end of the day -need some relaxation techniques!!

45 days for Bestlife!!! You rule baby!!!
Welcome to Kiagim!!! Have you purchased the supplements from the site?? I think the Kudzu has helped alot, and L-glutamine also helps with cravings! Keep reading and posting and stay strong - you will succeed if you really want to! I found that plunging right into the program, and doing EVERYTHING suggested worked for me to get through that tough first week, although I didn't take the Topa.

Cedar - good for you whizzing past the wine ailse. Good thing they don't sell it in the grocery stores here!! Only the AF stuff - which is fine with me. I'm actually getting to like the AF beer (something I would never have admitted to my old-self only last month!!)

Good work Kiri, Loppy and Wooflet - Kiri is almost at 30 days????

It is another day 4 for me in my moderation may!!! As it is now the 22 of May - even though I haven't been totally AF, but almost nearly!!!! - I am finding it much less difficult to go without wine in the evenings. I think I have almost retrained my brain to not even go there on work nights. I was thinking this morning that althought they say 1 glass of wine a day is good for you, I know myself, and I know that I can never actually have just one glass of wine, so if I have to get up for work the next day, I am not going there at all!!! If I want a couple on the weekend, so be it - but I so like not stinking of wine at work anymore!! I made poached eggs for everybody's breakfast again today too! Plus, I actually slept for 7 hours last night without waking - this is a miracle!!! I can't remember the last time I did that!

I managed not to drink anything at George Thorogood last night - Man!! That guy hasn't changed at bit - still rockin' and bad bad bad to the bone!!! Two encores, which was great as we got there a little late and missed the beginning of his show (I just had to go swimming first!!) SO next month I get to see Los Lobos and I really want to see Pink Martini too! Good thing I am saving money not buying boxes of wine!! This can get pretty expensive!

Best go - time's a wastin' here! Got to get myself to the lab!

Have a thrilling thursday all you lovelies!!
xoxo Peanut

[Loppy lugs]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Well everyone seems to have been up to so much!!

Well just getting up. 22 days AF done and about to start day 23. Have decide to stop counting at the end of May, because if it is going to be forever which I dearly hope it will start becoming meaningless after a while. Also since I started on the first of a month it is always easy to work out. I have already calculated that my 1000th day will be on 25 Jan 2011.

Gardening discuss.... My garden is totally beyond me and it is only about 40 foot by 20 odd. Went out to sit in it for a bit on Wednesday afternoon but an elderflower had totally overun so that it blocked out all the light on the deck so spent all my relaxation time hacking that back. Retired gentleman who normally looks after the garden is a bit under the weather at the moment.

Tried to sort out accupuncture but after a very confusing conversation, I acsertained that the chinese herbalist doesn't do the accupuncture another doctor does who is away until the end of June... but herbalist has lots of herbs that can help me.... Left at this point as I am happy with the way the Kudzu and L-Glut are working for me.

I didn't realise there was such a thing as a suoermarket that didn't sell booze. That really contributed to my downfall. Picking up ingredients for dinner every night and adding first one bottle of wine then as the years progressed...And 24 hour supermarkets...... Thankfully the section in my local supermarket is easy to byepass now that I want to.

I hope that the wind didn't cause too much damage. Do you ever get used to it?

Anyway time to go to work. Hope evryone has good days.

Catch you soon.

[LVT25]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Thinking about our Colorado friends today. Tornadoes there yesterday. Worst in Windsor as near as I can tell on tv. Windsor is North of Denver a bit.


Hope everybody is ok!!

[Peanut]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hey everybody!
TGIF!!!! Loppy - congrats on day 23!! Sounds like the Kudzu and L-Glut are just fine, so don't even think about acupuncture! I went back yesterday, as the rest of my ear patches were lost in the pool on sunday!! I really now only have the insomnia one and the weight loss one.

Messed up yesterday - damn wine!!! I have a headache today - not succeeding very well on AF May, I must say!!! Have a big road trip this afternoon, so maybe I can snooze while my beau drives. I don't really want to go, but I told my daughter I would bring some stuff for her new place, so it's off to Calgary we go. I hate leaving the 16yo boys alone again - they had better behave themselves!!

So - windy down there in the state, yes? I think we have had the residuals of that wind up here - blowing a heck of alot, but no rain.

Long weekend for the UK and the US this weekend? We had that last weekend - it was nice, but worked too hard and got over tired! You all try to relax, have fun at the lakes - and enjoy the AF beer!!

Must run - baking bread today!
Will try to check in on the weekend!
Peanut

[ntcentral]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Hi all, Loppy is today day 24 for you? Hope it went well. Peanut, how did you do today? Hey Wooflet, LVT25, and everyone else.

I'm feeling like a slug. I just got back from a movie (Baby Mama--pretty good, not great), where I downed a tub of buttered popcorn. You know that buttery feeling in your stomach when you've eaten too much garbage--that's what I'm feeling right now. It's 7:40 and I'm thinking how marvelous a glass of wine would be----or two or three. We actually have a bottle of moderately priced red in the house (the good stuff is in the basement) because my husband wants to make osco bucco (sp?) tomorrow. There were several instances of wine drinking in the movie and I found myself panting at the thought. Isn't that a sign of a problem? When the very sight of wine can send you into a heart flutter.

We threw a birthday bash for one of my daughters today. Eighteen teenagers over for hamburgers and corn on the cob. We had planned on having a volleyball game in the yard but it rained so we had them all inside. I think they all had a good time but you never know with teenagers. At any rate, every one is out now, husband is watching the hockey playoffs, and as I said, I'm feeling like a slug. At least I'm a sober slug. I've gone from being the proverbial life of the party to being a stay-at-home-on-Saturday-night sober slug. And much to my astonishment, I'm feeling better for it. Good evening to all, NTC

[Loppy lugs]

Days 1-30: Hello Sober Living

Sorry folks have not been reading or posting that much. Well 24 days sober but at what cost.

I am on such an emotional rollercoaster I don't know who I am anymore. The cheerful, go lucky, positive person I normal am seems to be hiding behind her evil twin. I am just hoping that this too will pass.

Obviously I got myself in such a mess with drinking that going back is not an option but......

NTC congrats on resisiting last night despite the temptations. Peanut you are having a really good month moderating, when was the last time you spent a month with as many alcohol free days as this? Wooflet, still doing well?

Gardeners, you might have told me it is not a good idea to tackle leylandii in short sleeves with a hacksaw before I tried it. Covered in tiny scratches and an allergic reaction to the sap. Wasn't my day yesterday. Retired gentleman still not good and leylandii hedge has suddenly shot up three feet blocking the light out of the garden. Realised this once I had tamed the elderflower. Needless to say I made no impression on it. There is no way I trust myself with power tools and a ladder at the same time! How to progress?

Hope everyone is having a good bank holiday weekend. Chucking it down here which is par for the course. I think I'll take myself back to bed with a cup of tea and a book.

Take care