One Step at a Time - February 2017

[Rusty]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

Good Morning, Friends!

I am off to Alabama (If I had used the abbreviation AL you might have thought I was going on a drinking trip. LOL) in a bit but I just wanted to pop in and say how delighted I am to see your progress, AG!:thumbsup: You sound so positive and happy and I loved this:

We laughed, we talked about his schedule for next year, and just enjoyed each other. THIS IS WHY I DON'T DRINK. What a relief to just not think about it. In the past, I may have had him go alone because I needed to start my wine OR go with him, half listening as I'm thinking about the first drink. Ugh.

For the longest time, I thought the depressant nature of all applied to ALL other people except me. It DOES take away your motivation to do ANYTHING...especially FUN things. I am thrilled that you and your son enjoyed a walk with your dog.

Nora:hug::hug: I will be keeping you close today. Please don't hesitate to email, text or call me if you need extra support. I am so glad the thought of a Bloody Mary was a fleeting one, and NS, with her ever-present radar, flew into our thread for support.:sohappy: Good for you for telling your brother you didn't want to talk about politics. Discussions about politics have their place and time. This doesn't mean because we DON'T want to talk about it, that we are burying our heads in the sand. You and your brother are there to clean out your Mom's house, period. I am proud of you for deflecting his anger. I wanted to mention that Overwhelm Mode always meant Drinking Mode to me. I would be so overwhelmed with tasks that I had to complete and I drank to numb my fear that I wouldn't accomplish my goal. Of course, I didn't accomplish my goals when I chose to drink. Thank you for being the level-headed, wise person you are in sharing your journey and helping others. Hugs!

Liz-thank you for the sunshine! When does Mark get back from Germany? You must miss him terribly. I will keep you on my shoulder as I fly into Birmingham. I am staying at a hotel right across the street from a mall that always has great deals.

Big hellos to Glassie, Pauly, WF, Neo, and anyone I missed...Happy AF Tuesday!!!

[paulywogg]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

Hey all,AG,excellent post! Good,clean AF memory making is what keeps me going,it really is the small things like the walk with your son being fully present that make staying AF a treat Nora,moonshine?!? I wouldn't touch that even if I did drink,what do the Oscars have to do with politics in your brothers way of thinking anyways? Good for you on shutting that convo down and drawing the line I found yesterday that I cannot tolerate fish oil! I read sooo much about how its good for joints,heart health, mood,etc so I bought some omega 3 infused milk,had some before work and about an hour later had that physically intense anxiety feeling, anybody who's had anxiety understands what I'm saying,there's a difference between mind anxiety and physical anxiety,feels like electricity running through your veins,luckily it passed after a few hours,Liz,love the pic I wanna go to St.Croix so beautiful, Rusty,Techie,WF have a great day,everyone have a great AF Fat Tuesday

[SKendall]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

AG, you remind me so much of myself when I stopped drinking. I had to start improving every facet of my life. One of the founders of AA said "keep it simple". and we need to do that. Adjust to one temperature before you go messing with the heat/a.c. Pauly, you are right about creating new memories. At times the bad memories come in crashing waves that are frightening but we find relief knowing we can't change the past. only today and tomorrow.

Nora, overwhelmed is my state a lot of the time. When my mom passed my sister and I did it pretty quick for my dad's sake. Heck, we even packed my aunt and uncle's stuff who were staying with us at that time.

Good for you on setting boundaries with your brother. Is he working?

My sister got phished for her gmail data and somehow that's my fault for going to Mexico:egad:

Pauly, I like your tagline "stop overthinking it".

Face still bruised and swollen but I'm heading in the right direction. I bought Vivian a Mexican dress in white with colorful embroidery and some maracas to drive her parents crazy.:happy2:
She has already planned a day to wear it, Cinque de Mayo.

I'll check in later. Have as good a day as you can manage.

[NoraC]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

AG - Fantastic. Way to go. Cherish these times. They make it all worth it. :thumbsup:

SK - that outfit sounds so cute. I'm sure she will love her. I still have my maracas from when I was little. Must have been a trip to tijuana?

[Lizann]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

Nora I'm with Pauly what do the oscars and politics have to do with one another? Good for you for fending off an argument. You're doing a great job dealing with all of this! Sounds like you made a good start. Why didn't your brother get this process started? Just being nosy.

Ahh, rusty have fun at the mall, oh and work too. For me finding the bargain is what makes shopping fun. Gotta love a "good buy". Mark will be home late Friday night. He says he is literally in the middle of nowhere in Germany. CJ will be home Sunday night. I do miss them.

AG, I'm glad you enjoyed the walk with your son. I truly believe the kids treasure those times too! Savor those moments! You're doing great!

Skendall glad your bruises and swelling are receding some. Are you having any pain. I would imagine it to be very uncomfortable.

Pauly, the video you posted was so cute. Louie really is a cutie!

Techie, how are you. Haven't heard from you in a few days.

Hubby and I went out to IHOP for dinner tonight. when we first got married before kids he and I would go there on Friday nights after working late. It kinda took me back:love: it's like we've come full circle.

Have a good night!

[NoraC]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

Whew. My achy body. Long day but we've made 5 trips to the donation center. Dumpster will be here tomorrow. I've got piles of trash. Son and DIL have been amazing. Taking such good care of me.
My brother seems to be in some type of stressed out limbo. I had to move piles of his crap to get to what I needed to. He's glad I'm doing this but not really of much help. Just negative about how sad this is, how much there is to do, etc. I told him I have those feelings to but this has to be done. I talked to him about being positive.
Sorry this has been all about me again.

[Rusty]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

Hi Nora,:hug:You are such a good daughter, and your brother probably feels overwhelmed which is no help to you....I get it!! Vent away, and don't worry if it's all about you when you post. That's what friends are for!!!:heartbeat:

[Lizann]

Re: One Step at a Time - February 2017

Nora I'm with rusty! It's ok it's all about you. We are here to support you. Vent away. Glad the kids are taking good care of you. That's really very sweet!

Came home from work and cleaned the bathrooms! I don't know what came over me but I felt like it. Gotta do it when you feel like it.

Hope everyone is doing ok and enjoying an AF Wednesday night