2013-LET'S DO THIS!

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

FEB 3

Good morning twenty thirteeners! ( I thought we needed a name ) HAHA

All is well here and I hope everyone is doing well.

This coming week I have the meeing I mentioned with the incessant drinking going on. I am taking antabuse today so I have no worries. I just hope that the big drinkers do not drink and drive.I think my comapny is shamelessly promoting drinking, since part of the agenda seems to boil down to bar-hopping. One of my nondrinking colleagues from Cali will be there so I will hang out with him. He is a delightful person so I will be fine.
Last year at this meeting a young woman got really drunk and drove. Some peeps saw here, took her keys and took her home, only to find out that she went back out after they left. I shudder to think of it.

Yesterday I recognized an unfamiliar feeling. I quickly realized it's called HAPPINESS.
Things just get better and better. Someimtes clarity of sobriety brings with it a re-evaluation of realtionships that may not be working. Though it may be sad it's far better than slogging on unsatisfied.

Happy Sunday to all!

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Alcoholic;1454360 wrote: Ann: so glad for those able to do it!!! I knew I couldn't and didn't. I think I caved 1 or 2 days out of 31 days... Maybe next month w 28 days I would do better. I'm so proud of you guys though!!!

Ally think of all you did accomplish this month! A day or two out of 31 where you drank is one hell of an improvement from where you were, right? Congratulations to you. Slowly but surely you are making changes to your "alcohol brain" and redefining the way you live your life. Keep on going, this is the way to sobriety. :goodjob:

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Frequent Traveler;1454401 wrote: Jan 31st has arrived,wow who would have thunk it back on New Year's Day that here we would be.
It has not been easy, several questionable desperate days but overall I am so glad I made this step and say as AL above next month with 28 days will be even better.
To all of you on this journey you are all my inspiration and I truly thank you.
FT

FT look at you! Each time you battle the beast and win, he gets weaker. A craving is just a thought. I still don't know how you are managing to give up nicotine at the same time, but you have an amazing amount of willpower. Here's to February!

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Ann how was your Friday night dinner?

I am absolutely slack-jawed at your company bussing workers around to allow them to get drunk! I'm glad that you have a non-drinking friend to hang out with for the night.

Like you, I've noticed subtle shifts in my mood and thinking throughout the year. Every time I think, "wow this is what it truly feels like to be sober" things seem to improve even more. I can't say it's all been a bed of roses; I've had a few bouts of depression along the way. But really this past year has been about learning how to live life without my old numbing agent; how to feel pain, deal with loss, deal with anger, etc., how to truly life my life.

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

EXACTLY FLY!!

I agree 100%. After years of self-medicating to get through lifes ups and downs it's nice to clearly evaluate what needs to be done. Or undone I should say.

The Friday night dinner with the friend who admitted the alcohol problem was nice. We are going tod o that every month or so. She wanted to talk about drinking issues, which I was happy to do!

As for the busing I'm a little shocked frankly. The group who went to this meeting already said that some of the other groups are going bowling etc but NO-our group is doing the trolley, bar-hopping with dinner at the end and more alcohol. I'm appalled.
Rumor has it that drinking is allowed ON the trolley. Set-up disaster? I think so.

I will report back later in the week. I hope it goes OK. I have AB in my system so I have no worries.

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

I'm not worried about you at all Ann. If anything, watching people get sloshed and make fools of themselves will probably strengthen your resolve. I'll be mentally commiserating with you though! Look forward to your return in a few days.

[NoraC]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Hello twenty-thirteeners. :H That took me awhile to type. ROTFL

Ann - I still can't believe this about the whole work/drinking thing. Good for you for taking your AB. I'm looking forward to hearing how it all plays out with everyone. I'm glad that you have someone that you can spend time with.

I'm still hanging in there. I'll be honest though. I've been struggling. I've had to force myself to take the AB. But, so far I'm still taking it. So, I'm not going to worry about what I do a week or month from now. Today I am not drinking.

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

There you go Nora

Exactly right-it's all we can do, one day at a time. This dose I took today will hold me until Friday and I'll take another one then.

Making jewelry today. It's all turning out pretty nice

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

NoraC;1456282 wrote: Hello twenty-thirteeners. :H That took me awhile to type. ROTFL

Ann - I still can't believe this about the whole work/drinking thing. Good for you for taking your AB. I'm looking forward to hearing how it all plays out with everyone. I'm glad that you have someone that you can spend time with.

I'm still hanging in there. I'll be honest though. I've been struggling. I've had to force myself to take the AB. But, so far I'm still taking it. So, I'm not going to worry about what I do a week or month from now. Today I am not drinking.

Nora you are doing great taking the damn pill! Your brain tells you all kinds of BS about alcohol, but it will get weaker and weaker. Look at you now with a month under your belt! My emotions were all over the place when I first quit. I was rocked by some days of depression off and on. It slowly has evened itself out and now the last couple months I've been feeling really great. Still have my headache issues, but I think moodwise you'll find things slowly shifting over a period of months.

Ann do you sell your jewelry?

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Hey Fly

Sometimes I sell the jewelry but I give a lot away. Want some? You can PM me your address and I can send you something

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

FEB 4

Hey guys

I feel so good these days that I just don't know what to do with myself! It is great.

AND now I am actually looking forward to the meeting. This is because I realize how good it will be for me to see people acting stupid drinking. I heard from a colleague today who went to the first meeting and she said some of our colleagues were ridiculous.

Selfish me, I immediately thought OH YEAH this will be good for me, instead of thinking how bad that will be for them.

Apparently at one point there was an open bar and a woman was not happy with her drink so she poured it in the bartenders ice bucket. What an idiot! BUT this is the kind of stuff they are encouraging if you ask me.

Happy Monday all and have a good week

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Do you have photos of your jewelry? I was wondering what it looks like. Are you working with beads? I know a woman who makes jewelry as pieces of art. Some incredible stuff, but I don't know that I'd wear it. One beaded necklace was the tree of life from the Garden of Eden complete with a snake.

I think you've got a great attitude regarding this meeting. It's amazing how an "attitude adjustment" changes everything. What once would have been a trigger is now not just a non-event, but a turn off.

I think my husband is finally starting to get used to the idea that I'm a nondrinker. He actually acknowledged it the other day and asked me if it bothered me or was hard to not drink. I told him nope and asked him if it bothered him that I don't drink anymore. He said no. I can't begin to count how many times in this past year he's tried to get me to drink or to just take a sip of what he was having. Hopefully he's past that now.

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Hey Fly

HEY! I did not realize that you are coming up on a YEAR!! That is wonderful!

I could take some pictures, but I can tell you that I do use beads of all sorts, though I never use cheap stuff. For example as far as crystals I generally only use Swarovsky crystals. I usually do silver but I have done gold and could but I find that many people prefer silver.
I have literally thousands of beads, all sorts of semiprecious ones, turquoise, glass ,crystals etc

Ir really is fun

About the meeting I am hearing more and more stories today about drunken shenanigans. It really is going to be great to NOT be stupid!

[Struggles 106]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

MEETING UPDATE

HI ALL

One more day of the meeting tomorrow with no alcohol planned. Tonight is the pub crawl and I did not go . YAY! They are getting on a "trolley pub" and going to 3 bars then Brewmasters for dinner. Also they could have drinks ON the trolley as well.
Uh..thanks but no thanks.

Last night after the meeting was the cocktail hour, which I had to attend before dinner. I had soda of course. Here is an interesting thing---There is a young woman who works near me who made many comments about being sober. All through last spring and summer she would say stuff about getting sober, being sober, quitting drinking etc etc. We had one or two conversations about it and I told her I was taking antabuse and she said she quit cold turkey. WELL..last night she was drunk. It was as if she had forgotten all those months of comments about being sober. She was telling people her trickes to avoid hangovers. So I guess she has been drinking again for a while. It was weird. Of course I would not say anything but I was thinking WTF?

I got a little grief about not going but I just laughed. THey were going to be on the trolley from 6:30 to 8:30 then dinner. I cannot imagine. I'm too old for that shit anyway LOL

[FlyAway]

2013-LET'S DO THIS!

Me too! :H

Three bars before heading to Brewmasters? So you've got to figure at least 1 drink per bar. Then Brewmasters where I'm sure they are doing more than eating dinner, judging by the name of the place. And I'll bet that most of the people going consider themselves "normal" drinkers. I don't blame you for not going. Sad to hear about your coworker.