One Step at a Time - January 2016

[Rusty]

POETS' DAY, EVERYONE!! (Thank you, Mr. G):heartbeat: Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday.

I am happily home after my client in Georgia suggested we leave a day early to avoid the storm. Am I ever glad! So here I happily sit in my PJs...chatting with all of you. Love it!!

Mr. V! Good to see you here....I've been following you since you joined MWO. Thanks for being here with us. So glad to hear more male voices on our tight little thread. I'm Rusty, I'm a 54-almost 55-year-old woman, 2 days older than Mama Bear, which is why I think I can boss her around (Hahahh). I've never been married and I have no kids and no man in my life. Yes, I am STRAIGHT! Hahah! I own a quality assurance consulting and training business and work out of my home. I see you live in Ohio. I spent quite a bit of time in the Dayton and Cleveland areas as I had clients there for over 10 years. Oh do I get it on the weathermen's forecasts! I used to be in TV and in radio (on the air), so I had daily contact with the meteorologists and they have to be positively vague, otherwise they get lambasted by viewers and listeners. One of my meteorologist co-workers received an anonymous death threat because he predicted sun on the day one of his viewers was to be married....and it rained! She called him at the station and threatened to sue him for ruining her outdoor wedding. I live in Wisconsin so I think it's kind of funny when Ohio closes the schools one day before the alleged storm gets there.

Here's my story: After many starts, stops, serial relapses...I finally decided to do something about my drinking, which spiraled out of control in 2006....after years of moderate drinking. Like Mama Bear, I moderated successfully, but I have been sober almost 4 years. I don't give my sobriety date because I am afraid it might jinx me. Hahah. I got sober with the help of Baclofen, which addressed my 50-year-long struggle with extreme anxiety, and Naltrexone, which is excellent for AL cravings. I posted for years on the Abstinence Threads but came here because I missed my dear friend, Mama Bear, and I wanted us to stay connected. In the course of being on this thread, I have met some of the loveliest people on MWO and I thoroughly enjoy our time together. Everyone on here struggles with something in their lives....job-related issues, divorce (hugs, Fenny), aging parents (hugs, Nora), but they take the time to reach out to others and offer support.


IJM-I used to follow you regularly on the ABS threads. Welcome Back! Did you sell your parents' house? It sounded spectacular....6,000 sq. ft.
Techie-I hope your mom is doing ok. She is lucky to have you as a son.

Mr. G! Nora and I are fighting for your affection and attention, dude. Love ya!!

Nora-whatever happened after "the talk" you had with the owner of your company..have you had more talks since then?

Hey Pauly-how are you doing? I know Fridays are your day off so I am just hoping you find happy ways to spend your well deserved time at home.

Lizzylou-you are so sweet to comment on my nails! Did CJ and BF make it home OK?

Mama-I love you!

Fenny-how is work going?

A shout out to Skendall, Sunshine daisies, Samstone, Techie, Mr. G, Red67, NoSugar, and other lurkers! Happy AF Friday!!!

[paulywogg]

Hey all,I guess I'll do mine: 42,married 25 years 4 kids 25,24,21,17 and a 2 year old grandson who I love more than anything hairdresser in Vegas,drank extremely heavily for 10 years,only started trying to quit in 2012 with a lot of starts and stops,I'm over drinking ....like Rusty,I keep my quit to myself but I'm still only a few months in,I don't like knowing the exact day count,although I do have an app on my phone that counts em for me with a lovely picture of the stones I bought at 7-11 that say "hope" "gratitude""serenity" and a caption that says"the day I quit being a selfish asshole" ho hum, hope we all have a great Friday,I'm off this morning to a therapist to see if I can figure out the root of why I'm anxious, I hope he doesn't go on and on about my childhood, I hate that shit! Be well all

[NoraC]

Pauly - hope it goes well with the therapist. Mine never dwelled on the childhood stuff. My issues are the last 15 years not childhood!
I forget how young you are. You are so smart to be dealing with all this alcohol crap now instead of when you are my age. :hug:

[mama bear]

Pauly - good luck....a lot of my issues ARE from childhood. I was a foster child till I was ten and therapy was very helpful for me. Fell better honey bunny
Hey Nora and Rusty and Mr. V.
I am glad are home safe and sound and warm. And bossing me around!!
Mr. V, I lived in Columbus and went to Ohio State. I followed my college boyfriend to Florida. We were married briefly, but it didn't stick so we divorced. No kids, thank heavens. 8 months later I met the (most of the time) love of my life and we will be married 25 years in June.
Nora and Fen - I keep thinking about your moms.
Back to work for me
Love you all
me

[NoraC]

Hey Mama - I forget how old you were when you went to foster care. Were you two? I didn't realize that you had married before Papa Bear.
Thanks for your positive thoughts. :hug:

[paulywogg]

I didn't know you were married before either Mama,dang we are all so mysterious even though we've been talking for years,therapist went good,he's just a few years older than me,also used to drink(jeez,I guess its pretty common) he actually talked about the stuff in the 3 PS thread that is still too hard to understand for me,just getting a grip on your thoughts and dealing,stopped at el pollo loco,omg,the under 500 calorie enchilada plate is awesome!! Try it

[paulywogg]

Btw,I'd be rich if the damn 99 cent store would shut down!

[Lizann]

Mr V you are so right about the forecasters. So there's a 0 to 100% chance that we will be 0 to 30 inches of snow! Shish! Anyway CJ texted this morning. Her flight was cancelled for tomorrow and the airline put them on a flight Monday night. So I guess were good.
Off to a seminar with hubby tonight, that I am totally annoyed I have to go to! I did read back but will take time to post more later. I will have all weekend apparently. Getting out while the getting is still doable.

[mama bear]

Nora - I was three.
And yes - I was married briefly. He was my trainer....as I say....like a training bra!!!!!!
Today was doozy...all good for me...so don't worry, but I am zorsted, as Zen used to say, so I am chilling with Netflix.
Lizz, hope CJ makes it home safe and sound, I am tucked in wearing my Polar Bears jammie pants and listening to the wind blow.
I love you all

[Mr Vervill]

Morning all,
Looks as if I escaped the storm of the century, just 1/2 inch of snow here. But I know some of you will not be so lucky, and it really will be bad. I just hope you don't lose power, or have something horrific happen like a roof collapse.
Thinking of you especially Liz, and Techie. I know that Lav will be in the thick of things too.
Ended up working yesterday, and took Mrs. V out to dinner, and didn't get around to checking in last night. I'll be working both today and tomorrow, but will check in later.
Hope everyone's well.
V

[Mr Vervill]

Nora, I just saw you hit your 6 months! Congratulations!

[Lizann]

So we are in the throes of a major blizzard. Snow totals are now expected to be 12 to 18 inches! I worry about my parents. They live about half an hour away from us and knowing my dad he won't wait until we can get there to dig them out. He will be 87 in two months and certainly is a young 87 but he still thinks he can. I am relieved that CJ and bf are tucked safely away in St Croix, just wish I were with them. I will make some chili in a bit. Cleaning and laundry are also on my agenda.
Mr. V glad you fared better than us here.
Techie, how are you holding up where you are?
Mama, I find didn't know you were married before either. Interesting the things we find out about each other as we go along.
Rusty, I just love how you keep up with everyone. How very interesting that you used to work with forecasters and such. I swear you have the most interesting life! Haven't you just done and seen it all. So I know you and mamas birthdays are close, may I ask when that is?
Nora congrats on 6 months! You are doing amazing! I'm with with some of you in that I too don't like to put a number on my days. I honestly do better just taking it a day at a time! The days are adding up and that's good enough for me! So how is it going with the boss and daughter at work? Have things gotten better since the talk?
Fen, how was work? Do you have to work weekends?
Hubs and I went to a marriage seminar at church last night. Honestly, he took me kicking and screaming. I hate to admit it, but it was so good. We have two more sessions to attend and I promise I won't be the b* I was last night. We have a homework assignment to do to see how well we know each other and I think it's going to be fun. Funny thing is, for as much as he wanted to go to this thing, he really isn't into the homework.
Hope you all have a great Saturday. I will be back later. Gotta go shovel some snow:cuss:

[fennel]

Good morning, my peeps! We just got the lightest dusting of snow here in south central wi. Liz, I hope your dad stays "put" until you and hubs arrive to dig your folks out. My mom used to pull shenanigans like that...it's how she broke her arm seven years ago (slipped on the ice). I love my mom, but her impatience resulted in a painful fracture, plus I went to her house every day for six weeks to bathe, dress and bring her meals. Not fun for either of us.

I was married when I was 21 to a guy...it was my pre-coming out last attempt at forcing myself to be heterosexual, LOL! It didn't work. Based on my failure rate, I won't be attempting it again.

Work is so busy...and I finally spoke to my lead worker about the lax procedures for isolation cases. The woman whose room is in isolation is actually pretty infectious it turns out...and everyone from social workers to nursing staff have been traipsing in and out of the room with no PPE, while I look like I'm entering Three Mile Island. Lead worker spoke immediately to our infection control director and things are now firmly in place.

We only have to work every fourth or fifth weekend, and I am being trained on weekends next weekend.

Mama, that's funny about your "training" hubs, lol!

Pauly, I sometimes go to the dollar store with my mom...they actually have some really good greeting cards there!

Nora, how are you?

Hey Rusty, Mr. V, everybody...

[Lizann]

Pauly, hubs has a bit of a 99cent store obsession too! He actually found one in Germany when we were there a few years ago! I have considered telling the owner of the store that hubs may not come in unless he has a note from his wife!
Fen, do you get days off during the week when you work the weekend? Good for you for getting "things" in order over there!

[techie]

Hi Liz, et al. Snow is much heavier than expected. I am off into it as I need to walk to pharmacy to pick up moms meds. Everyone in the storms path please stay safe!