Newbies Nest

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Monique, great post, as usual....I was a late bloomer in really enjoying sobriety myself. I noticed that Nelz, at 6 months sober, was where I was at a year. I'm just a slow person to embrace change, I guess....But it DID come. Thanks so much for putting those things out there for us to read. Happy 90 days, too!! I listen to people who have done what I want to do...and you are one of them.

K9 is an awesome person, but where is she today? I agree, she makes this a very special place.

Stay strong everyone, Byrdie

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Well, there you are Byrdie
I'm still thinking about your pineapple upside down jar cakes!!!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

I will send you a picture of them...PM me your email! They fall right out of the jar, all that ooey gooey goodness going down the sides! B

[Honeysoup]

Newbies Nest

K9 has also been very inspirational to me too. Thank you!

[akaMonique]

Newbies Nest

Destiniey;1360912 wrote: Hey Monique....Congrats on 90 days....that is awesome! I love what you wrote about the forst too....makes sense!!! Ha! I got a book at my AA meeting called Living Sober..it's pretty interesting so far!

FinallyDone..what a nice tribute to K9.....she was one of the first people to talk to me on here wayyyyyyy back when and she is such an inspiration! We LOVE you K9!!!!!!!:h

DESTI - Living Sober is a great book full of practical advice, you seem to be getting good support from AA; good for you to be open to whatever it takes.

FD - Thank you for your brave candor and enthusiasm. And how nice to take the time to give a well-deserved shout out to K9 - Woo Hoo!

Rooni - Congrats on your new path with the AB; it's just the start!

Lavande & Byrdie - Thank you both for being here and giving all of us such good guidance and feedback. And Byrdie, I'm with Lavande, I'm still thinking about those pineapple-upside-down-cakes in a jelly jar. Finally, we get to have our cake and eat it, too. Ha ha.

Still no Internet at home so I'll ck in tomorrow from work. Have a great evening, everyone.

[BelleGirl]

Newbies Nest

Hola Nesters...I am 2 weeks into a 3 week vacation in South America, and happy to say I have remained AF, even with all the dinners, parties (part of the reason I am here is for an event...with lots of beer and wine and whatever flowing). I credit MWO for helping me keep my resolve through all of it. Bits and pieces of wisdom, here and there, from all of you, have helped me immensely. I have been reading a bit here every morning as I start my day.

There have been times, when I think "hey, this is a special time/event/dinner, so why not". Then I remind myself of something I read somewhere here, that it is "just wine", nothing special. There are so many wonderful fresh fruit juices here that I have enjoyed substituting for booze. In fact, during a toast at an event, I had my wine glass filled with a delicious juice. Nobody cared or said a thing.

K9, you are a treasure on this site. You are wise beyond your years...you are so kind and give honest support to all. I loved when you told someone to pour the wine down the drain because that is where it would end up anyway...so might as well save your liver the work of processing it. :H

To those struggling...hang in there. Every day you go without AL is a victory. I see so many people working hard to find their success. Coming here helps so much...if you slip...don't hide away. Support and welcoming arms are always here.

Enough mush...Good night to you all, and wish you all an AF day tomorrow!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Wow Belle ~ good for you & thanks for checking in. Wonderful to hear you are enjoying yourself AF

Byrdie, you know I'll be making those cakes real soon

Wishing everyone a very safe night in the nest!
Lav

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters - Rise & shine

[Honeysoup]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning everyone!

Congrats BG - that must be very hard to do with all the excitement and parties going on. I don't know as if I would be able to do that. I really commend you, keep being strong.

Day 3 for me...and I am still feeling positive I can do this. Breaking all my wine galsses and pour all the beer out was a huge step for me. In the past, I have always left my wine glasses up and say I will use them for pudding cups for dessert. Well I decided regular glasses will work just the same and so I grabbed them and threw them into the recycle bin. It was very invigorating!

I will keep checking in. I hope everyone made it through the night last night AF!

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Good morning! Finallydone, I sure hope you slept as well as I did last night! Nice to have everyone "extra" out of my house and some nice cool temps for sleeping. ;-)

bellegirl, I'm so happy to hear from you. I was going to say to those that weren't here when you started - that you're a perfect example that it CAN be done - no matter how many times you have to start over - no matter how many doubts you have - and it's true! But then I realized that it's also true for me. I started and messed up ALL last summer. But it DID stick. And it's true for Byrdie...I read back over her early posts - at one point - she sounded so unsure in the beginning...and I even remember a time when our K9 posted that she was thinking of not taking her antabuse for a few days....(she was talked out of it)...

I know there are those that come here and feel like failures - for repeating the same pattern and I know from my own experience that those feelings can make you turn away from MWO. But keep pushing through - keep posting - keep trying - it WILL stick. You WILL find the "thing" that works for you. For Dest and Roon, it's quieting down the mind chatter with antabuse - for others, it's other meds, for others its rehab. For me, I was in a 'private' hell. Not one soul - aside from here - knows what I was going through. I hadn't hit a "public" rock bottom - and I didn't feel I could order meds or anything. So my toolbox was different. But you keep adding things to it, and taking them away until you have something that works. Something that has everything in it that keeps you AF.

I've been able to do things this past weekend that I never would have imagined I could handle without the "help" of alcohol....I dealt with my mom's death a few months back - sober, but prepping for a big party (I would always drink to get ready - then not drink much there) and dealing with someone who is unappreciative and downright nasty (and moreso - the more AL they drank!) would have sent me right to the bottle. It's such a huge learning experience - watching sober - what AL can do to others, and also coming out the other side and realizing you've done it. THAT never changes...from the realization the first morning that you wake up sober - to your 30 day celebration - to now. It's really quite amazing. :-)

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Hi Lav and honeysoup...

see honeysoup? Some people say drink something AF out of your fancy wine glasses...YOU did what is going to work for you....:goodjob: I think that's cool.

[itsmytime]

Newbies Nest

Hi All,

Having a couple of bad days anxiety wise. Haven't had a drink, but fear that I might. I know the first months are a struggle, this is what I dont' agree with Jason Vale, it's not hey I quit now life is grand. We will have struggles and need to push through them to make it.

Been checking in but feeling as I have been, not posting much.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Morning all! Lola, you nailed it. Staying away from MWO when you fall is prolly the worst thing you can do...I did it! I'd say, 'I'll wait until I have some good AF time under my belt before I show my face again'....that's like rinsing off your car before you go to the car wash! That's what this place is for!! If I had gotten everything right the first time, I would not still be here in the NN helping others who have lost hope like I did. I still defend my AF'ness and say to those for whom AL has been a problem, there is no middle ground. This way of thinking is where the road parted for me...once I accepted that I can not have one drink .... things became EASIER. And I am seeing this in Rooni and Dest...once that choice is gone, you just move on with the cards you have and it AIN'T ALL BAD!!! You CAN move on!! That devil and angel finally get the hell off your shoulder and you can go to parties and enjoy yourself. I don't give myself a choice anymore....AL is not an option. This thinking is liberating and once you quit fighting it, you can learn to live with it. No more G/S/R!!! Life is 100% better and simpler!!! If what you are trying isn't working...give it a shot. It worked for me. Just say NO, HELL NO! AL will not take away one more day of my life!!! XXOO Byrdie

[rooniferd]

Newbies Nest

Day 4 AF. Remember that post from a few weeks ago where I wrote out two morning scenarios - one after drinking the night before the other after going to bed sober? Well, I played out the sober scenario this morning. I woke up all snuggly with the dogs, laid there for a while and thought about my upcoming day. I could just taste that big cup of coffee I was going to have. I even walked both dogs and watched the sun rise. I am so lucky. I have so much to live for.

I HATE alcohol and how it's robbed me of so many of those mornings. I HATE alcohol for all the innocent lives it's ruined. But you know what, that damn beast is NOT going to ruin mine. Thank God I kicked him out of my life before something awful happened. You know all those news reports you see about people going to jail for the rest of their lives because they killed someone in an accident after drinking? That could have most certainly been me....

I have put a lot of thought into my future. I compared one with the beast to one without the beast. The one with the beast is cold, lonely, sick, and above all - SHORT. The other one is full of life and wonderful opportunities.

Like Byrdie says, find what works for you. If one thing doesn't work, try something else. Where there's a will, there's a way.

I am so happy to get my life back. It's so nice to be able to make plans again and know I'm not going to have to break them because I'm either drunk or hungover.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Sharing some pics of the beautiful work done by our very own, talented Byrdie





Great to see everyone this morning!!!