Newbies Nest

[Starfish1]

Newbies Nest

Hey Fin- so glad you hopped right back in the nest- that's the best thing to do. Keep your spirits up and your attitude positive.

:l Star

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Fin, now you know! I could never be happy with the drink I was drinking for thinking about the NEXT one! Maybe now you can tell that little voice back there to shut the F up! That voice is Dick Head! He's realllllly good at his work. I'm so glad you are back. My date below would be a full year longer if I hadn't listened to him. But we all have to find our own way...I gave him every chance in the book and every single time he bit me in the arse. GREAT JOB of getting right back up!! It's a journey for sure. B

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

Thanks Star and Byrd - This next effort goes back in time -- avatar dedicated to Francis A. Lane, my great-great uncle who was in the first modern Olympics. Time to get back to work on this path toward ultimate freedom.

Remembering the First U.S. Olympic Team — History in the Headlines

[matchee]

Newbies Nest

Fin;1401623 wrote: Thanks Star and Byrd - This next effort goes back in time -- avatar dedicated to Francis A. Lane, my great-great uncle who was in the first modern Olympics. Time to get back to work on this path toward ultimate freedom.

Remembering the First U.S. Olympic Team — History in the Headlines

Welcome back Fin!

That's where we mess up- thinking just one- but I think the first one corrupts the thinking almost automatically. Like if I'm gonna break a rule then I'll break 'em all!

Glad you are back here!

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

matchee;1401626 wrote: Welcome back Fin!

That's where we mess up- thinking just one- but I think the first one corrupts the thinking almost automatically. Like if I'm gonna break a rule then I'll break 'em all!

Glad you are back here!

EXACTLY. What killed me was that I really didn't want to be at this event. I should have gone for a walk, or something. Then I thought, ah just one glass of wine (which I don't typically drink) will make this tolerable. All I can say is that it was not worth it and good lord, hangovers SUCK so bad.

[RunningCourage]

Newbies Nest

Respect to you Fin.

You're wiser for it...

...and you were damn wise before it.

RC

[Catbuddy]

Newbies Nest

Hey Fin,

I'm proud of you in many ways. You were honest about the slip. You thought about the emotions (I don't want to be here) that were a part of the experience. You recommitted - isn't that key? The slip is NOT enduring, it's a slip.

No matter what, you are my wingman. We have the same quit date, and we are still chasing the same goal - to be in charge of our lives. Welcome back, mate.

Cat

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

RunningCourage;1401632 wrote: Respect to you Fin.

You're wiser for it...

...and you were damn wise before it.

RC

Thanks, RC. I feel like such a loser, but I'm not going to let this get me down, or defeat what we're all doing here. As such, thanks a million (to all of you) for the continued support.

[Catbuddy]

Newbies Nest

Fin, go back and look at that picture you shared with us of reaching the top of the mountain on your run. That man is not a loser. He has strength, endurance, commitment. He succeeds at life.

So why did AL take over his resolve to have just one? Is it because he is a loser, unable to commit and succeed in life? Clearly not. So it must be.....that with AL and given his body/mind chemistry.......he doesn't have a chance to succeed. So when he tries, he is setting himself up for failure, an unfamiliar experience in his life.....

You can substitute *she* or *Cat* in the above.

Cat

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

Catbuddy;1401634 wrote: Hey Fin,

I'm proud of you in many ways. You were honest about the slip. You thought about the emotions (I don't want to be here) that were a part of the experience. You recommitted - isn't that key? The slip is NOT enduring, it's a slip.

No matter what, you are my wingman. We have the same quit date, and we are still chasing the same goal - to be in charge of our lives. Welcome back, mate.

Cat

Cool. Now, I'm wondering if I can call this day 28. I'm still on the path that I started 28 days ago. I guess not. As such, don't ever let me catch up with you.

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Hi Fin. I like your new avatar...

nope...no loser status for you. After my first 30 something day quit, I started again....I fought with it after that - but only because I deep down wasn't sure that I wanted to live without AL...that I "could" live without it. Anyway - from April to Sept of last year I fumbled - tried to quit - drank - tried again...until Sept when as byrdie says - it "stuck". I can look back and say that it sucks that I messed up and wasted that summer...but the further I get along in all of this I start to see so many things in a different light. I now see that summer of "trying" (kind of) as a very important step along the way. There's no way I'd be where I am today if I hadn't done that....(it took me all summer to realize that I was being a numbskull and only took you one night but hey - I'm a slow learner!:H) I might always have that nagging question - wondering if I could be "normal" again...if it could be "fun" again....

It's hard because I can't advocate for everybody to "try" drinking again - after being abstinent - because so many are so quickly led right back to the same path, but at the same time - if that IS something that did happen - don't condemn yourself to being "stuck" or feel that you're now "doomed" - look within and figure out the why's and how to handle those situations the next time and add another chapter to your book that you call your "plan". :l

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

lolab;1401646 wrote: Hi Fin. I like your new avatar...

- don't condemn yourself to being "stuck" or feel that you're now "doomed" - look within and figure out the why's and how to handle those situations the next time and add another chapter to your book that you call your "plan". :l

Hi Lolab,

Thanks for the note. You're right. I was saying the same thing to Cat offline. It was sort of like I needed to test where I was even though intellectually I had a strong suspicion that I'd fall hard. Interestingly (and here's the whole story), I hardly caved Sat night with just about 2 1/2 glasses of wine.

Remember that six pack of IPAs that was sitting in my refrig from a couple of weeks ago? Well, I got home before anyone else late yesterday afternoon and figured what the heck, I'm going to have some of that beer. Well, I discovered that I have zero willpower when it comes to those Stone IPAs. Wine was "easy" to regulate, but holy hell...exactly like I predicted last week, I didn't want just one or two. I drank the entire 6'er. Good lord. Wham'o! RIGHT back to where I was a month ago.

I did learn a very valuable lesson that I needed to eventually learn. I guess better after 28 days than longer. Well, back to it. Thanks again.

[matchee]

Newbies Nest

Hey Fin,

The important thing was that it was a slip- one day.

My last was a really hard fall... a 3 day bender of epic proportions that ended with me contemplating life...

So wipe it clean and forget it. I know the amount of time you had was hard to let go but think about how you got there. I've never been an active poster on these forums but you've got me in the roll call everyday!

Thanks so much for being an example.

[K9Lover]

Newbies Nest

Fin -
You are NOT a loser. It happens. I messed up on day 40 about 4 times. I'm not sure why it was so hard for me to get past that day, I guess I felt "cured", but as I learned the hard way, I cannot drink, period. I've never had ONE beer and I never will. You're back, and that's all that matters. Dust yourself off and start over. We still love you :h Now superglue your butt to the Nest!
K9

[Fin]

Newbies Nest

K9Lover;1401656 wrote: Fin -
You are NOT a loser. It happens. I messed up on day 40 about 4 times. I'm not sure why it was so hard for me to get past that day, I guess I felt "cured", but as I learned the hard way, I cannot drink, period. I've never had ONE beer and I never will. You're back, and that's all that matters. Dust yourself off and start over. We still love you :h Now superglue your butt to the Nest!
K9

God, I love you guys. THANK-YOU-THANK-YOU!