SOBER OCTOBER

[NoraC]

SOBER OCTOBER

Tom321;1572411 wrote: Ok, ok. Keeping the demographics of the majority of participants in this thread in mind I have come up with one of the prizes. I had to work out the details and negotiate but here it is: whoever makes it through this month gets a personal visit, at her own expense, from NoraC. Apparently Nora has been spending much of her sober time working on a one woman rendition of Fifty Shades Of Grey acted out with puppets. She will unveil the final product to all those who make it through sober October. Stay focused everyone.
Tom

There has been a slight change in plans!! Instead of using puppets, Tom has so gallantly offered to step in.

[Tom321]

SOBER OCTOBER

Haha. You are the second person to try to get me involved in kinky shit today. I must give off a vibe.

[Quakegirl]

SOBER OCTOBER

Still sober. Don't ask me how. Ordered wine with dinner after especially crappy oncologist appt for my mother (somehow she's managed to miss the fact that it's terminal until now). Drank 2 sips . It tasted awful, so I gave it to my husband.

[Tom321]

SOBER OCTOBER

Thats rough, Quake, I'm sorry to hear that. You had every right to really go on a bender and nobody could blame you...but you didn't. You may have taken a little slap but you hit back and I hope you continue to. Now, go spin or something.

Quakegirl;1572888 wrote: Still sober. Don't ask me how. Ordered wine with dinner after especially crappy oncologist appt for my mother (somehow she's managed to miss the fact that it's terminal until now). Drank 2 sips . It tasted awful, so I gave it to my husband.

[I'm Strong and in Control]

SOBER OCTOBER

Quakegirl;1572888 wrote: Still sober. Don't ask me how. Ordered wine with dinner after especially crappy oncologist appt for my mother (somehow she's managed to miss the fact that it's terminal until now). Drank 2 sips . It tasted awful, so I gave it to my husband.

I'm new, and this is rude and takes a lot of nerve, particularly since you have extremely difficult circumstances. I know, I know. Don't care. What are you doing? How is drinking going to do anything but add to your misery??? What is the mental process? Doesn't matter what transpired after the glass is in your hand, what matters is how it got there! I don't want to go down that road and knowing how you got there would really help. Please, please stop ORDERING the drinks, express how you are thinking and feeling, and know that we are all here for you.

[free at last]

SOBER OCTOBER

Welcome Strong, we are "focusing" on staying AF this month, and in doing so will get a prize from Tom, or maybe from Nora, or possibly from both. I think there is an extra prize for the person who uses "focused" in the most posts in this thread. Not that I am focused on winning, mind you!

Quakegirl, I know the difficulties of parents with terminal diseases (lived through it with my father). You are in my thoughts. And, I think your taste buds are calling out to you -- they don't want to taste the poison either.

Happy to report an AF day for me, though I have been really bad on the chocolate front. Will try tomorrow to focus on reducing sugar from the equation. (Did you see that focus Tom?)

Warm regards to all,

[Tom321]

SOBER OCTOBER

Thats a lot of focusing. Man. I will have to work out details with Nora. My involvement in her act only takes place in her head at this point.

free at last;1573017 wrote: Welcome Strong, we are "focusing" on staying AF this month, and in doing so will get a prize from Tom, or maybe from Nora, or possibly from both. I think there is an extra prize for the person who uses "focused" in the most posts in this thread. Not that I am focused on winning, mind you!

Quakegirl, I know the difficulties of parents with terminal diseases (lived through it with my father). You are in my thoughts. And, I think your taste buds are calling out to you -- they don't want to taste the poison either.

Happy to report an AF day for me, though I have been really bad on the chocolate front. Will try tomorrow to focus on reducing sugar from the equation. (Did you see that focus Tom?)

Warm regards to all,

[gettinitright]

SOBER OCTOBER

What exactly is going on in your head Nora? Hey hey... Keep it g-rated! Hehe. Tom, you got everybody on the site all worked up with the nipple talk. Nobody will ever be the same. LOL

[I'm Strong and in Control]

SOBER OCTOBER

I'm focused on becoming more focused because I have been very un-focused, but realized (after being fully focused) that I've been irritable and (I think, uncharacteristically) nasty. Downright evil with friends on FB over nothing. Going out to dinner (wine bar) with friends. Told them I'm having medical tests and can't drink. Already heard the "just one won't hurt" line. I won't drink. But da#%n. I'm P##SSED off and unconsciously taking it out everywhere. Apologies all. Didn't expect to be a covert terrorist! Dinner isn't until Saturday. Now I FOCUSED on mr anger, seeking release thru my puppet fantasies. Amd while I'm still a raving, angry lunatic~ who designed these TINY little keyboards on my phone?????!!!! Living the joyful AF dream, folks!! (and laughing at mysel) . Dinner n a play with DH tonight. Hope I'm nice to him.!!

[NoraC]

SOBER OCTOBER

Well - it starts like this.......................



and then there's some of this................

[Tom321]

SOBER OCTOBER

Lmao. That made me laugh. Seems nipple pinching is the thing right now.

[gettinitright]

SOBER OCTOBER

Strong,
We all are irritable at first I think. I have a daily headache. People talking to much is getting on my nerves. I sit with the TV half the time. I cant stand the chit-chat of nothingness right now. I got irritated on FB last night too..BLAH HA HA. It was stupid. Nothing important.

Nora,
Too funny!!!

[NoraC]

SOBER OCTOBER

Strong - I'm so glad that you are focused. It's so sad to not be focused. I was focused once.

[Quakegirl]

SOBER OCTOBER

I'm Strong and in Control;1572934 wrote: I'm new, and this is rude and takes a lot of nerve, particularly since you have extremely difficult circumstances. I know, I know. Don't care. What are you doing? How is drinking going to do anything but add to your misery??? What is the mental process? Doesn't matter what transpired after the glass is in your hand, what matters is how it got there! I don't want to go down that road and knowing how you got there would really help. Please, please stop ORDERING the drinks, express how you are thinking and feeling, and know that we are all here for you.

Hey Strongetc - thanks for the questions. They are good ones. I really don't know what I am doing. This week, I had 3 attempts at drinking. None of them 'took'. Why? I really don't know. I was out of town on business and eating out on my own each night. Maybe that was a trigger for me? At home, I am really armed and all defended up, ready with my 'no thanks, I don't drink' when I am with other people. But away, it's just me...also, I had a conversation with a therapist I have seen from time to time who thinks I am trying to do too many things at once (the terminal mother, issues with my aging dad, big time at work, heavy gym programme, not drinking etc etc) and she really doesn't seem to think I have a drinking problem.
Regardless, I feel so much better for not drinking. I like the feeling when I wake up in the morning. I like not feeling guilty. I like not consuming up to 800 useless cals a day. I like setting a good example for my teenage kids. And I very much like that I am not encouraging my husband, who really shouldn't be drinking too much for health issues, to drink.
How did I get there? I think I allowed myself to toy with the 'what ifs'. And I have been lucky, that when I DID experiment this week, it didn't stick. But I know that is likely more luck than anything, and it wouldn't take much for me to fall all the way back off the wagon.
I didn't drink after work tonight, while everyone else did. And that was fine. It really didn't bother me. I don't feel like I am missing anything - at the moment, the balance is tipped more towards gaining things from not drinking, than gaining things from drinking...sometimes when it feels the easiest, is when I think I'm at most risk from just getting caught off guard and forgetting.

[Quakegirl]

SOBER OCTOBER

Back again. No more 'slips', and I'm still in for Sober October. Am heading for a clean finish now.
Thanks Free and Tom and Strongenough and everyone for the support. Being here gives me an anchor. Tom and Nora, you should totally consider putting your performance up on You Tube. Someone did some Harry Potter thing with puppets that my kids showed me, and it spread like a pandemic...