Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

[rustop61]

Good morning everyone

Just wanted to wish you all a happy week-end. A big welcome to those newbies
who joined us for the first time yesterday :welcome:

Jacy, Winefree, Olivia, Wakeupmom, keep reading and joining in.

Resolute - A belated happy birthday
Bessie - Good job on the moderation
Sweetpea - You are nearly there, well done
Suki- You are sounding so, so much stronger
Riker - Day 6, looks like both of us were suffering memory loss yesterday. You said the wrong day and so did I!! Thanks for reminding me Eastender, I'm the same as you and it was day 32 not 31.
Lilnev - Dont let work get to you.
Elainey - Day 6, well done
Finally RN- You did it on your own in the past which was great but now you have us and we are all there to support you in whatever you choose.
Teardrop - Glad you were feeling better yesterday, you did 18 days so you can do it again.
Cowgirl - Hang in there, things will get better

To everyone else, Mary, Cindi, Paula, Ms October, Charlee, Suzanna, Flutterby, Universal and anyone else I might have missed have a great week-end.

Rustop

[Doggygirl]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Hi rustop, and all ODATers.

This is my 3rd run at AF for life, and I am determined to make the 3rd time a charm. I did 60 days AF during July/August, then 7 days AF in early November. I feel good when I'm AF, and lousy when I'm not.

So here I am on day 3AF, and I will not drink today.

Best wishes to all for a great day and great weekend!

DG

[Skid Row]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

I don't know if this is the right place to post, this is day 21 (I think) for me, but it is the 1st of December, and today we put up our decs. I usually do this with a snowball in hand, or a fluffy yellow, as my children would call it. Great, pissed doing this every year for as long as I can recall. It is usually a very happy time for us, children fit to pop with excitement and the Christmas spirit truly lifts the spirit. Now heres the thing, I am, at 11.20am thinking about my fluffy yellow, and a bottle of wine, and how is it going to be fun without. I have never been a party pooper, and last night I was a real grumpy old mare. Found it really hard last night, then couldn't sleep. So my mood (once again - is not the greatest) and being of jolly disposition ordinarily (not due to drink - or maybe it is) my family I think are finding me pretty tuff to take. Suggestions on a postcard please, to Skid Row, care of MWO, Christmas time, Mistletoe and a ready and suitable alternative to wine. Keep going guys, don't let my struggling with myself, drag you down please. Love Skid

[Doggygirl]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Hi Skid! I don't have the answers for you, but I can tell you I've gotten quite 'bah humbug' on the 'season' for some reason myself. One thing is for sure - with 21 or so AF days under your belt, it is NOT WORTH giving up your sobriety to seek some fake happiness in a bottle. Christmas will come and go whether you drink or not. Might as well not.

I was using "the holidays" as an excuse not to get back to AF until January (fell off wagon a couple months ago). Believe me - I spent hours and days pondering this. With the help of several folks here, I came to my senses and realized the stupidity of that. I'm on day 3 AF. So I will definitely be grumpy for some of the holiday stuff. Too bad. As Chief and Cindi and so many others are good at saying - my sobriety comes first, period.

Hope something in there helps in your thinking!!

DG
Day 3

[charlee]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Skid
I guess the "grumpies" come with the territory,...21 days Af..please do not jeporadize this, you have worked to hard. The grumpies, will pass, the holidays will pass. Take this time to enjoy your family and the fluffy yellows!!!..These are just thoughts...dismiss them and enjoy the holiday season with your children. ODAT, we will get through this by just choosing not to drink today....

[Suzanna]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Good morning everybody! Rustop you are so good and I don't know how you remember everybody. How cool is it that you are a day more AF than you thought? It's like a present I bet. Skidrow, think about the 21 days you have under your belt and what an accomplishment that is. For sleep I take a naural bundle called "night rest" from Source Naturals and a 5htp. It isn't long before I am out for the count. DG, congrats on day 3 and know that you are able to do long stretches of AF and you will do it again. Abstain or moderate, that is what this MWO is all about, we find what is right for us, and support each other. Welcome to all the newbies! Jacy, Olivia, Winefree, and Wakeupmom I remember you from the boards. :welcome:

[rustop61]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Hi Skid and Doggie

Good to hear from you. The holiday season is difficult. The only thing I can suggest Skid is an non alcoholic alternative. Hot chocolate with marshmallows on top, something like that. Part of it is habit. Once you have something in your hand it feels better. I'm used to having wine at night and it still bothers me at week-ends as hubby still does. I had a non alcohoic beer last night and it helped. One was enough and it stopped me craving the wine as I did not feel deprived. Just a suggestion, try and get through today and tomorrow will look after itself.

Rustop

[Cinders]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

RU, DG, Charlee, Suzanna, SkidRow and all ODATers to come,

Hope all are having or will have a wonderful Saturday and achieve whatever your goals are.

I am on day 20 AF, myself, and feeling pretty darn happy about it.

Skid, I am sorry you are feeling grumpy but it really does go along with the territory a bit. First off, we have no idea how to "feel" after using alcohol to provide us with numbness from "bad" emotions and give us a kick up when we have "good" emotions. If you stick with it, you will learn how to feel those things without the alcohol.

I am suffering PAWS off and on and it is driving me a bit buggy but my understanding is that it will get better, mostly gone by 6 months AF. I'll be rockin' and rollin' along and all of the sudden a brain fog hits and I get tired and forgetful and clumsy. It is weird but I just tell myself it is my poor old abused brain working on healing itself.

I am very excited about spending an entire holiday season sober with my grandkids. I wince when I remember past holidays where Granny was not the responsible adult she should have been. I do notice that the kids are enjoying my company a whole lot more now that I am not drinking around them. What a gift.

So, for today, I will not drink and I will remember that because of this, I can play with my grandkids and they will enjoy my company.

Love to all my MWO friends,
Cindi

[Suki411]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Good morning all. Can't believe it is December1st. Yikes, where did the year go. I always say that I must have been in a coma, the time has sped by so fast. (probably an alcohol-induced coma!).

Thursday, jumped off the wagon, triggered by a couple of things, one was work (we work in the same city lilnev, maybe the same stressful industry, but I know that I'm not going to let my job, toxic co-workers, set me off again). Thank goodness, in my department we work on staggered schedules and people just want to get out of there so quickly, that no one even thinks about gong out for a drink after work.

Had a VERY MOD night last night. Sat in bed and read and had one mild drink, knowing today that I was going to start day 1 for the third time this month. Am joining you today Doggygirl for day 1. Nothing for me today. Will check in with you tomorrow.

Skid, I HATE the holidays, always have, except when I was a child. At least you have children, don't know how old they are, but my friend who's husband passed away 5 years ago this time has 3 kids, 16, 18 and 23. They were so excited about decorating the tree this year, it was infectious. (maybe I should rent a few, if I decide to put one up!) Try a new tradition...like hiding a pickle ornament in the tree, an old german tradition, the first one who finds the pickle gets a special present and opens it first. Everyone usually laughs at me when I suggest that. 21 days, how fabulous at this time of year. Keep it up, we're here for you.

Rustop, yes, I feel stronger, but I'm also getting to know myself better, understand who I am, why I drink. I'm happier than I have been in years (except for Friday when I woke up and felt that old anxiety creeping back, the start of that vicious cycle where I come home, have a drink to get rid of the anxiety). I have never been one for journaling (I guess that is what I am doing now), but since I dropped my therapist and found out how good it feels to be AF for 7 days, I want to be able to reread that when I'm down. Now that I dropped my therapist, I can afford to buy a journal!!

today's plans for me.......search and rescue...trying to find my dear grandmother's wedding ring I lost Thursday night when drinking (another reason not to drink, I lose things). Working on paperwork that needs to get done and mailed long before 12/31 so we can settle my mom's estate and I get the job of writing to my useless brother who calls me up and pretends he is my best friend, who abused me as a child, to tell him that I am following mom's will to the letter, so he doesn't get any part of the place at the beach, nor does he get any money outright, but he gets it when I give him any. What an exciting Saturday. A month ago, I would have run to to the bottle as soon as I woke up, so I didn't have to deal with any of this. BUT not today, going to try to get it all done, get my supps ready for the week and think of all of you who have helped me so much. If time, go get a manicure and pedicure and treat myself.

I truly feel everyone here has taught me so much and that we all will eventually get to where we want to be. :thanks: :thanks:

lots of love to all on a cold saturday morning

[Suki411]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Doggygirl just read your post. My apologies...... 3rd day AF. You're up two on me.

[FinallyRN]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Thank-you Rustop61. I needed that.
This is day 2 AF..........

[retteacher]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Cindi: I'm enjoying the g-kids so much more sober. I'm not struggling to focus & listen. I'm fully there & will have a wonderful AF holiday season ODAT. For today, I did not drink, & for that I'm grateful.
DG: It's pure drinking thinking to wait for Jan. 1 to "start" a sober life. I've done that so many times. I've waited for significant dates: Jan. 1, my birthday, mother's day, my anniversary etc. I'd then find myself indulging a day or 2 later. I stopped on Oct. 6th. No particular date...I was just fed up w/drinking & said "enough is enough."

Good luck everyone. Mary

[happydog]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Hi everyone,
i know this is late for me cant seem to get on the pc during the day.
Thanks rustop61, not sure if it be december but i will make sure i will have more AF days under my belt. Skid Row hang in there, i cancel one of my xmas do's for monday because i dont trust myself, plus i know if i do have that drink then i might drink the rest of the week.
day3 AF for me!
Have a holy good sunday everyone.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Love
Teardrop.x

[universal]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Hi everyone - hope everyone had a great day - I'm on day 3 AF now and am feeling soooooo much better than I did earlier in the week. I finally said to my BF that I'd had enough of the way he was handling this fight and that he better put up or shut up. It worked.........he called me almost in tears to tell me how much he loved me and how sorry he was that he didn't talk to me all week......just needed time to figure out what he needed. He's coming over tomorrow to talk, I'm not letting him off easy - this is the first major fight we've had in our year together and I don't like the way he handled it and I plan to tell him that. Communication is key, to have a successful relationship you need to talk to each other. But things are looking up and I am feeling better every day. Thanks to all you guys for the support - Day 3 - at the beginning of this week I didn't even think I'd get a day 1!

Talk to you later!

[Suki411]

Newbies in need ODAT - Saturday

Universal - good for you! You are sounding so strong and in control!

I'm back to day 1 again. Need to get out of bed, out of here, back to going af, makes me feel so good.

Hope you have a great talk with your bf.