First Army Thread of 2015

[shambles70]

My idea of controlled drinking was not drinking before I went into work. At weekends it was waiting until 8am before going to stock up, and towards the end I couldn't even do that, and I'd be making 4am withdrawal trips to the 24 hour garage. I had a cluster of events happen over the course of a couple of weeks at the start of November which woke me up to the fact that I couldn't continue drinking and get away with it. One of them was during such a 4am wine run. I was paying at the night till, (the look of pity/bemusement on the cashiers face...cringe) praying that my hands would be steady enough to type in my pin (why is it that the shakes get worse when you have to DO something with your hands? I had to switch from rollups to tailor mades at times because I couldn't get it rolled without throwing it all over the floor) and, triumphantly putting my wine in my pack, turned around and was faced with 2 police who I hadn't been aware were behind me. One of them said 'A bit early for that isn't it?', and I managed to answer 'Oh, I work nights...I've just come off shift'. Somehow, this satisfied them and I got the hell out of there, leaving them to buy their Ginsters pasties or whatever. I was well over the limit.

That was one of many close calls around that time. Now I'm on 10 days. It's raining out and I'll go to the shops when I feel like it, not because I need alcohol. That's a great feeling.

Wishing you all a happy, content Saturday.

[roxane]

hi shambles, great for 10 days. hows it going?

[satz123]

Went for walk under duress :haha:
Reading back

[satz123]

Only kept miniature voddies upstairs.

I had an everlasting bottle of wine in the fridge which is in the utility room next to the hidey cupboard that I kept the bottle I topped it up with.

Dear lord, the bloody time and effort of sneaky drinking............

:I shouldn't laugh but :haha:
I used decant from a large bottle using a jug into a 1/4 bottle and pretend to be just sipping that
The EFFORT indeed .... FFS!!!

[NoSugar]

Hi, Army.

Maybe we should find out how some of the most recent Newbies found the site. I frankly can't remember how I came across it. I found it and one called Brightside, or something like that out of UK somewhere. Are you familiar with that one? It seemed pretty good, too.

When I joined, there was more emphasis on "give us 30 days and then see how you feel". I think we've drifted away from that - I know I don't mention it when I post. Maybe we could get back to that - it seems less threatening, anyway.

I also didn't do my homework and found out about the medication and moderation parts well after I'd become committed to abstinence. I'm glad of that because while I doubt I would have been brave enough to order meds online, I'm sure that moderation business would have appealed to me. I guess I'm lucky I found it such a hard site to navigate and didn't wander around.

Hope you're all having a good Saturday. I'm about to get going on mine, including taking down the Xmas decs .

[satz123]

My idea of controlled drinking was not drinking before I went into work. At weekends it was waiting until 8am before going to stock up, and towards the end I couldn't even do that, and I'd be making 4am withdrawal trips to the 24 hour garage. I had a cluster of events happen over the course of a couple of weeks at the start of November which woke me up to the fact that I couldn't continue drinking and get away with it. One of them was during such a 4am wine run. I was paying at the night till, (the look of pity/bemusement on the cashiers face...cringe) praying that my hands would be steady enough to type in my pin (why is it that the shakes get worse when you have to DO something with your hands? I had to switch from rollups to tailor mades at times because I couldn't get it rolled without throwing it all over the floor) and, triumphantly putting my wine in my pack, turned around and was faced with 2 police who I hadn't been aware were behind me. One of them said 'A bit early for that isn't it?', and I managed to answer 'Oh, I work nights...I've just come off shift'. Somehow, this satisfied them and I got the hell out of there, leaving them to buy their Ginsters pasties or whatever. I was well over the limit.

That was one of many close calls around that time. Now I'm on 10 days. It's raining out and I'll go to the shops when I feel like it, not because I need alcohol. That's a great feeling.

Wishing you all a happy, content Saturday.

:welldone::welldone: Great going there Shambles ! Proud of you !

[satz123]

god yeah -- I remember a few close calls too -- and those cringe worthy moments --- and ALWAYS breaking my rules --- always always --- I've told this to death here on the army Shambles but as you are new I'll repeat it -- for a time at the end of my drinking I lived a sort of alcoholic russian roulette ---- I would always have a glass of something beside my bed in the morning -- sometimes it was water - sometimes it was vodka --- depending on where I left off the night before --- there was a frisson of excitement bringing that glass to my mouth cos that would dictate the day I would have ----- at the very end I found myself 'wishing' it was water ---- but still drinking it if it wasn't ---- jesus

:hug: Molls

[satz123]

Hi, Army.

Maybe we should find out how some of the most recent Newbies found the site. I frankly can't remember how I came across it. I found it and one called Brightside, or something like that out of UK somewhere. Are you familiar with that one? It seemed pretty good, too.

When I joined, there was more emphasis on "give us 30 days and then see how you feel". I think we've drifted away from that - I know I don't mention it when I post. Maybe we could get back to that - it seems less threatening, anyway.

I also didn't do my homework and found out about the medication and moderation parts well after I'd become committed to abstinence. I'm glad of that because while I doubt I would have been brave enough to order meds online, I'm sure that moderation business would have appealed to me. I guess I'm lucky I found it such a hard site to navigate and didn't wander around.

Hope you're all having a good Saturday. I'm about to get going on mine, including taking down the Xmas decs .

Hi NS
We've missed you :hug:
Leave the decos 'till at least the 6th ...... or ......... I dunno :headscratch:
We 'll need to ask Jacks's granny :haha:

[satz123]

Molls - I've 'liked' loads of your posts just to annoy you :haha: :llama:

[NoSugar]

Does Moll not like likes? Well, sorry about that, cause like it or not, I really liked a couple of her posts yesterday and said so :wink:!

[satz123]

never heard of that site NS --- I do remember finding here tho --- holding one eye open at 4am --- tears STREAMING down my face --- and in my first 'life-story' in the treatment centre -- I don't think I had accepted that I had 'crossed the line' at that stage ---- ffs - yeah -- we could talk the 30 days --- or maybe -- just MAYBE --- and this may be controversial --- is there an outside chance that by 'pushing' the nest so much that new people could feel a bit cordoned off? If I went to another site --- say Soberista's or something and posted on a thread and even politely if they sort of said the best place for me would be....... -- how would I feel? just a thought.....

haha --- I'm quite enjoying mine still being up --- would have to clean the house if they come down now...

just liked you back haha ----- I LIKE being liked ----- s'luverly you goin out to the pub?

Ah well don't yer know. I said I'd go ONLY if the pub is restricted to 1.5 hours and then there is food involved.
So :
Pub to admire the crazy decorations at 5pm then the Angler's Rest for yummy fish
Everyone happy

[satz123]

Just did me roots - 2 weeks and they are up.
That's the roots on my head not the ones on my arse from sitting around for 2 weeks :haha:


Anyhoo.
Are we having a BIG PARTY & CAKE for Foxy / Roxy for negotiating first Christmas sober in yonks????
I think that deserves a CAKE inkele:

[DreamThinkDo]

Liked the root post, Molly, as requested.

Satz, like the way you do things these days: putting your foot down, while still accommodating Mr S. I'm sure we did cakes for FoxyRoxy? I'm craving vegetables and fruit - can't seem to get enough, so shall I do a veg torte?



And a really big one, too!!


I joined here at the tail-end of the big push for 30 days - and most sites recommend that. That seemed unattainable and impossible enough, so a push for lifelong abstinence would have had me heading for the hills, screaming and shouting (or the nearest wineshop, most likely). And the abs/mods wars here will never stop, same as the meds wars - now that section has seen blood in the streets lately. I do feel that we should keep pushing for the 30 days, Sugarbabe, and then let people decide what they want to do, how they want to continue. My way out, after all. I understand Reggie's frustration about the site being hijacked, in a sense. There are lots of strong personalities here, and with RJ a vague rumour, well, things get pushed in a direction that I think is the right one, but definitely not the only one.

Sorry, I'm insanely busy at the moment, and I haven't been here much lately; also haven't really contributed to any discussions here. So, hugs to all.

[shambles70]

hi shambles, great for 10 days. hows it going?

:welldone::welldone: Great going there Shambles ! Proud of you

Thanks a bunch guys! Positive feedback is such a good motivator. Much appreciated !

... for a time at the end of my drinking I lived a sort of alcoholic russian roulette ---- I would always have a glass of something beside my bed in the morning -- sometimes it was water - sometimes it was vodka --- depending on where I left off the night before --- there was a frisson of excitement bringing that glass to my mouth cos that would dictate the day I would have ----- at the very end I found myself 'wishing' it was water ---- but still drinking it if it wasn't ---- jesus

Heh..that reminded me of the plot of the book 'The Dice Man', who makes every single decision in his life based on the roll of a die. Many times I 've g̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶l̶e̶e̶p̶ passed out leaving a bottle of wine unfinished by the bed, woke up in the morning and chugged it thinking it was water (I always had a wine bottle of water by my bed, a glass was never enough) and then phoning in work to say I was working from home because I would never go into work smelling of it. (Despite going into work every day humming from the previous night...)

Hi, Army.

Maybe we should find out how some of the most recent Newbies found the site....

I was told about this site by a friend of mine a couple of months ago. She told me I should join up. I must thank her for that.

[satz123]

That seemed unattainable and impossible enough, so a push for lifelong abstinence would have had me heading for the hills, screaming and shouting (or the nearest wineshop, most likely)[/B]. And the abs/mods wars here will never stop, same as the meds wars - now that section has seen blood in the streets lately. I do feel that we should keep pushing for the 30 days, Sugarbabe, and then let people decide what they want to do, how they want to continue. My way out, after all. I understand Reggie's frustration about the site being hijacked, in a sense. There are lots of strong personalities here, and with RJ a vague rumour, well, things get pushed in a direction that I think is the right one, but definitely not the only one.
.

WELL SAID DREAMY - exactly how I felt too !!! :hug:
Need to accept that 30 days when you are a daily drinker is too far a jump.
Easy does it for some of us more fragile folks