Newbies Nest

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

lifchange - I love that toby story!

Jane, listen to Lav...I know it's easy in the early weeks to get caught up in wanting everything to be normal "now" - but it just really takes time. If they are true friends they will wait for you to get through this phase...and then you can all enjoy conversations where you actually remember what you talked about. This phase is not permanent! it's not going to end tomorrow or maybe not next week - but you will come around and feel like socializing again...and sober. I'm actually looking forward to a get together with friends we used to drink with - I've taken the possibility of me drinking - totally out of the picture in my mind - and I am excited to spend an evening "with" everyone...and not sneaking out to check on something in the kitchen and downing extra vodka while I'm out there. This didn't happen over night. In fact probably even a month ago, the thought of a get together like this scared me half to death. What would we talk about??? Then I thought the whole scenario through in my head and realized that I haven't "talked" about anything of real importance at drinking events with them for years...I keep myself so busy preparing food and filling glasses and drinking - myself - just so that I wouldn't have to try to follow a conversation....THAT would be too tough to do in my state...because by the time of an evening dinner party, I'd have been drinking for half the day already....by evening it's not too easy to follow along or join in a conversation without making an ass out of yourself. So I learned to be the quiet drunk. I did see over Christmas - myself actually talking to relatives...asking what was going on in their lives...and caring....not being preoccupied with drinking. But in those early days/weeks of sobriety - I was definitely self centered! I went to bed early - I didn't want to talk - it was a real struggle - but it WILL pass!!!!!! :l

Australia - thanks for the congrats....:l Today is the 26th and I started on Sept 26th! Only recently do I feel like I'm not "trying" to be sober....I feel like me. Not "trying" to be anything other than me. It's not a constant effort anymore. But I'm still here and still reminding myself of what I don't want to do. I don't want to be that "me" that depended on alcohol to get through every single day...and the only way to avoid that is to leave it alone completely.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good Thursday morning Nesters!

CONGRATS on your 4 AF months Lola :yay:
I'm glad you recognize that it does take time to adjust to living AF after ?? years of existing otherwise

FYI, I didn't lose a damn pound when I quit drinking & that was frustrating. Then a few months later I quit smoking & put on a whopping 13 pounds. Now that was REALLY frustrating
But I'm happy to tell you that I have lost all but 3 pounds.......comes off very slowly when you're over 29 but it does come off

Toby with the painted toenails - now that's a vision :H
My 3 year old grandson loves running around playing with the chickens. They are very docile, good with kids. I hope my grandkids have some great memories playing with my 'girls' too!

Wishing everyone a terrific AF Thursday!
Lav

[BelleGirl]

Newbies Nest

Lolab: Happy 4 months AF!:wd:
You are a great example for all of us to follow. Thanks for all your contributions to the nest. You make it a better place! Your story about having people over and sneaking vodka...I know that one all too well. Never ended good either. Looking forward to someday hosting a dinner sober. Going to wait a while...not quite ready yet.

Lav, love the chickens. I never thought I would say that a chicken is "cute" but yours sure are! My kids both raised chicks in school in second grade. They all got to name the chicks and actually became quite attached to them!

Jane, marvelous job on the sober vacation! You ought to be so proud...as we are of you!

Howdy to the rest of you nesters! Hope you all have a great AF Thursday.:wavin:

[Jolie]

Newbies Nest

Morning gang - day 25 for me and feeling great!

Congratulations Lola on 4 months - well done my friend. You have truly been an inspiration to me and I realized that this time last year, I was still contemplating having that occasional drink out (so no one would question me). Once I took that first "occasional" drink, slowly ended up back where I started. That's the change I need to make for myself this time. Thanks for helping me to see the light Lola.

Lav - chickens are adorable - never thought I would think of them as being "cute" either!

Hope everyone who is checking in today is doing well.

Joined a committee at church yesterday - really looking to get involved as I need things to keep me busy!

Feeling pretty positive but not letting my guard down - I know how dangerous that can be.

Have a great day everyone!

[stella123]

Newbies Nest

I am always so impressed how most of you remeber each others names and to congratulate etc make me feel positively bad mannered lol
Loving everyones posts they really do give me a lift yesterday for me was tough but I managed through it today has been much better still piling on the weight but I reckon I can deal with that once the alcohol cravings subside
Well done everyone you are all doing so well
And how cute are those chick's:h:h

[Starfish1]

Newbies Nest

Checking In

Good Morning, Friends!

Day 7 for me (Whoohoo) can't blow that first minigoal! Thanks for all your support!

L.C. Well, the "H" in the abbreviation, DH, does stand for husband, but we've all had a good laugh about what the "D" stands for. In my case, sometimes it means "dear" and sometimes "damn"...same for the 4 daughters! Three of them are college aged and one is 15 and all very hormonal! Love your chicken story! My grandparents had a pet rooster named "Henry"...he was really mean and would chase us around the yard trying to get us with his spur (ouch)
Nursie - Love the sober dust...I need that Every day!
Lola - congrats on your 4 months - you go girl! You are so wise and inspirational to us all!
K-9 - Again, congrats on the 30 days. I always enjoy reading your posts!
Jane - thanks so much...I have been able to identify with you since the first day you posted on this site...we sound a lot alike...It is extremely hard for me to make any kind of phone call when I haven't had a little AL to make me more sociable..I am an extreme introvert and probably would be just as happy if I never had to utter another word. I think I missed my calling as a "cloistered" nun! As far as the weight gain goes, everyone is correct - this should be the least of your worries, but you also mentioned some other symtoms such as feeling like you have mono and having sweats. Have you changed meds lately? Could this be a new side effect? BTW I too am so proud of you for achieving your goal of that first sober vacay!! Not so bad was it?

Hey Aus! Have you tried those Atkins meal bars? The chocolate peanut butter ones are great and satisfy my sweet tooth too.

Mornin' Belle and Lav, and Byrdie and all else.

Thanks again for everyone's support. I will achieve my mini goal (7 days). Fourteen days, Here I come!

[Unwasted]

Newbies Nest

Hey Nesters - just stopping in to say hi and send my strength to everyone here! So much going on.

Lav, your chickens are precious - makes me feel good about being a vegetarian!

Hope everyone is doing well - just know that it does get better and better and if you can hang in there, the struggle will lessen and good things will start to happen. I'm feeling more like a non-drinker every day. 73 for me. Yay. Congratulations to everyone for continuing the effort.........it is so worth it! Oh, and I'm drinking vegie drinks that I juice daily -- it's really helping with the sugar cravings!!

:lilheart:

[K9Lover]

Newbies Nest

Morning Nesters!

Just rolling by to say Hi and see how everyone is. Things are sounding good in the Nest today! Day 31 and feeling good, no cravings.

I am especially grateful today. I have been driving on "illegally bald" tires for 3 months now. To replace them is $600. I did my tax return last night and wasn't expecing any money back. Well guess what, I'm getting $664. Looks like I can get those tires. I said a prayer of gratitute, my HP always comes through for me, I always seem to get just what I need. Not a windfall of money, but just ENOUGH. Whew.

Lav, you and your chickens crack me up. I LOVE ALL animals, and I mean ALL! My dad (who does my yard work for me) laughs because I do NOT want him to put any snail pellets out, I say "Dont kill them!" Spiders in my bathtub get a personal escort to the front yard. I just can't kill anything. And of course my dogs just walk all over me...literally! LOL

I hope everyone has a great day!

K9

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

If those cute little chicks stayed little for a while longer.......
They grow SO darn fast & by age 6 months are laying eggs!!!!!
I only ever kept one rooster & his name was SOB - yeah, he was a big SOB. I gave him to a farmer & I'm pretty sure I know what he did with the rooster :H :H
I will not eat my chickens! When they get too old to keep I hand them over to the Amish farmer down the road & well I know what he does with them but at least I don't have to watch. I would never make a good farmer

CONGRATS to Starfish on 7 AF days & Jolie on 25!
Unwasted rockin at 73 days - nice

K9, hope you get your tires soon. I know what an expense it is to maintain cars & I'm currently keeping two of them (long story), ugh!

I need to get a few more things done before the grandkids get here....

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Hey Nesters! I've been traveling for work and I didn't take my personal computer so wasn't able to check in. Everyone seems to be doing just great! Star...look at you with 7 days, you've conquered every day of the week...there's nothing the week can throw at you that you haven't already handled, so while you don't get a hat yet, you get a nice horn toot, :day5: wait, there's a hat on there....well, there's some pressure for you, a premature HAT! Now you gotta make it to 30 days! I have no doubt you can do it.
Jolie, my AL Soulmate...well done sister. When we are 80 years old, we'll look back and say, yep we got sober around the same time....just a few months in the grand scheme of things. We are together...and we have each other.
Lola, yours are some wise words. What you say times 2. Last night I took my niece out for dinner, and drove!! If this had been before I quit, I've have snuck into town under the radar screen to avoid the situation and just drank alone in my room. She is such a quiet girl (she's 22). So I had to do most of the talking. I realized something...that all those years that I'd used AL as a crutch to be social or funny or talkative....I actually have that inside, and I don't need AL to bring it out anymore. It's a great place to be. The more I go, the better it gets. I am as sharp mentally as I have ever been, and I sure couldn't say that before, as I'd begin most of my sentences with "I may have told you this already, but"....now I know what I said. This took a while to come back to me, mental acuity....it's on the way, along with your self respect. Balance is coming...just takes a little time to return. Also, I've lost 9 pounds and I am not trying...I actually eat more than I ever have, just not taking in the 2000 or so calories like I was in the form of AL. I gained a few pounds at first, then they slipped off and then some. Just keep going. So proud of everyone!! And glad to be home. MindPeace, Byrdie

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

hey byrdie, all ya had to do was ask us! We knew that you don't need alcohol to be social or funny or TALKATIVE...:H Just playin with ya...:l It's great to have you back. I know just what you mean about "did I tell you yet?" conversations....most of the time with my son who was looking at me quite pitifully....ugh.

Have a great night everyone!

[Starfish1]

Newbies Nest

Yay. Actually made it through day seven

And could not have done it without y'all ! Thanks for the party horn and the premature party hat, Byrdie! I won't let any of us down. Thirty days it is !!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Glad you're home Byrdie

Can't believe it's 10 pm already - geez!
Time to wish everyone a safe night in the Nest & hope the weekend plans are in place

Lav

[Nursie]

Newbies Nest

Hola Nesters,
Jane, thanks! I am addicted to working out and running. I have another race in the spring! While getting sober and the last month prior to getting sober I stopped and it contributed to my anxiety and depression. But I'm back and runningggg!

Starfish! 7 days girl! So happy for you!!

Another busy day for me. So busy, I actually weighed LESS when I got home then when I left this morning. I just rode the crazy like it was my bitch today. Yeehaw!

[scottish lass]

Newbies Nest

Quick check in - crazy two days at work with an audit from our regulatory board, think we survived, waiting for the written report, but exit interview did not feel too bad - and I am so ready for a good nights sleep - in the past it would have been "so ready for a drink or three" - left the others drinking and home safe in the nest! Night all - getting ready for a good sober weekend! Night all...