Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning Nesters,

The sun is is bright this morning and it's still hot!! Guess it's another day in the AC for me

Welcome Maise! Glad to see you in the nest!

TranqWilly - T-dub-ittude works for you!

Chicken, nice avatar! You're grinning from ear to ear this morning! (Chickens do have ears, right?) Anyway, glad to see you in such good form. Keep those feathers smoothed, they look good

Sooty, have you come up with any positive thoughts about your husband? It's true, some days that can be a difficult task, ha ha.

Well, I have lots to do today, should get started.
Wishing everyone a terrific AF Friday, check in later.
Lav

[ChickenNumber3]

Newbies Nest

Hi Maisie!

Welcome to a truelly inspiring place! Depression, in any form,is a difficult and incidious thing to deal with..in some ways even more difficult than alcoholism, as it has no outward 'handle'! Combine the two and you have a real 'devil' on your shoulder...I know, I'm there! If it helps at all, I just wanted you to know that you are in a good place!
Chicken

[Skittles]

Newbies Nest

Hi All,

Well, my MWO book arrived yesterday and I read the entire thing in a couple of hours..................thing is, I dont have the money to buy everything I am going to need to do this right (at the moment). So I suppose I will just hang around the site until payday when I can purchase the things I need. I am supposed to see a friend of mine over the weekend that I havent seen in 20 years...............dont even know if she still drinks..................have no idea if we will be drinking or not drinking. anyway, I feel hopeful about starting the program, but I am also a little nervous about the side effects of the meds. Dont know what to do about that.

[Muddle]

Newbies Nest

On to Day Two! Thank you for the warm welcome. I posted before going to bed last night, and it felt so good to wake up this morning and see your acknowledgements. Sometimes I feel like the "invisible person" and no one notices or wants to notice that anything is wrong.

A silly little achievement, but I guess you have to celebrate the small stuff. I like to set the coffeemaker on auto at night so I can wake up to a cup of coffee. Lately, I've been so drunk at night, it's the last thing I can do. Last night, I actually set the coffeemaker and woke up to coffee this morning!

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Morning, Nestlings!

Skittles... you don't necessarily have to get EVERYTHING mentioned in the book! Many of us here don't do the meds at all. That's one of the strongest points of RJ's program... that YOU decide which and how many of the tools you want to use.

Welcome Maisie - pull up a twig and stay a while! I know EXACTLY where you're at... was there 2 weeks ago today. From moderating to down hill in a hurry. Yep. Happy day one for you

Chicken - you sound fantastic! Btw... I'm keeping an eye on you! I may have to 'adopt' you... one thing I terribly miss since being away from my little farm.... my ONE remaining chicken! :H She was quite the character... followed me around like a puppy dog, snuck into the house every chance she got, hid at night, so I wouldn't put her in the chicken coop, etc. You're a character, too... omg, your name isn't Ginger, is it??? :H

Lav... will you PLEASE stop bragging about how hot it is??? :H Sheeesh. Thunderstorms and much below seasonal temps here Hrmpfh. Btw... kitty was here when we arrived.. was she ever! Hasn't stopped meowing, purring, and climbing all over us yet. This morning she came with me to feed my horse... I felt like the piper of hamelin... dog and cat in tow, walking down the road...

Sooty.. how's the search for hubby's helpfulness coming? If all else fails, count the times he DIDN'T get in your way while you were vacuuming around him! LOL Seriously, though... hope you two are sailing calmer waters by now :l

Tranq, you hit the nail right on the head. Without AL we have choices. There are MANY ways we can deal with a situation - when we're hammered we don't 'deal' at all. I also find that after a bit of time AF, there's a real tangible shift in thinking. A certain clarity.

Grace... hop up here, on this twig - lotsa room. Let's put our mind to it and do it right, ok? :l

K.. enough chitter chatter, gotta get some work done! Be good nestlings... will check back later!

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Sorry, Maisie... x-post! Happy day TWO!!!!

[coachgibby]

Newbies Nest

New Newb ready to go midway through day 4

Hi all,

It is great to be part of this group and I definitely appreciate the support and comfort of not being alone. This is Day 4 of being alcohol free but not Sleep med free. Nice little present I got after 25 years of drinking is a masked insomnia! I remain determined to beat that one too but one step and day at a time. If anyone needs any help with transitioning to a new life, I am not an expert on withdrawal from drinking as I am in the same boat as a lot of you but I do offer services as a professional Lifecoach. Many people did not consider me an alcoholic even as I rarely binge drank and just had my 2 glasses of red per day and a double rum and diet coke but that had become a steady habit. Anyway, as most of you know, you quit for your own reasons. I am finding myself irritable for the first time today since I stopped with a headache that has since subsided. Anyway, it's the weekend and it's coming down like cats and dogs here in Ottawa,Ontario but there will be a rainbow following it and that's how I see abstinence from Alcohol...

Paul
eace:

[warrior22]

Newbies Nest

One Day AF!

I made it through the night without a drink last night!!! First time in 5+ years!! It wasn't as hard as I expected. Except for that darn sleeping thing. I was feeling quite drowsy and had turned out the light, when BOOM my mind and body woke up!! So I was up and restless for a couple of hours before finally drifting off. I took a librium at midnight--was that why I felt so groggy this morning? I also suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome. Anyone else?? The alcohol often masked that, but most nights where I haven't had "enough" to drink before bed, that really bothers me. Well, I'll see how the next few nights go. Reading yours posts here tells me insomnia is a VERY common thing in eary AF days, so hopefully it will pass.

And I felt GREAT GREAT GREAT today (once that morning grogginess passed). No withdrawal. And no hangover! And proud and grateful to all of you here for giving me the courage to try.

Last night, I was able to do something I never would have done before: at 8 p.m. I took my daughter to the library, browsed their used book sale, and picked up a couple of books. I NEVER drive anywhere at 8 p.m. because I'm too sloshed by then. So I was really happy to be able to do that. A small thing, but a big thing for me. I mentioned before I was worried about how I would fill my evenings without the liquor. And I am worried about that. But I have to realize that there is a whole world of things one can do in the evenings that just weren't options when I was busy drinking! Browsing book sales, for example!

Thanks to all of you here. This site has been so helpful to me, just starting out. Wish me luck as I go into AF evening 2!

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Don't have to wish you 'luck', warrior! Wishing you SUCCESS! Because YOU can do it!

Paul... congrats on Day 4... wow day 4 used to be a horrible stumbling block!

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Evening Nesters,

Hope everyone had a good Friday, I did. Got to spend a few hours with my almost 9 month old grandson, what a joy

Skittles & Maisie, hope you both are settled on a comfy twig for the night, great to have you here!

Sunni, I'm not bragging about this heat, I'd give it to you if I could, honestly it's getting tiresome. I kind of shut down & don't work well in these conditions.......yuck! The thunder storms that roll thru have no effect, they certainly don't cool things off any. I'll try to remember this in February when we're freezing our butts off!

Congrats on 4 days Paul, that's great! You'll find your mood stabilizing very soon. Frankly, I calmed down so much when I stopped I couldn't believe it - what a difference.

Warrior, congrats on Day 1. You should feel happy & proud of yourself! The sleep issue will take a while to improve, but you are on your way

Wishing comfort in the nest and a safe AF weekend for one and all!

[sunshine_gg]

Newbies Nest

Day 14

Well, lil birdies.. how are we doing tonight?

Lav, I'm just teasing - I know you're not bragging Personally, I'm not a fan of high humidity either... but I'm DEFINITELY not a fan of THIS crappy, cold, rainy so-called summer!

I hope you all had a great AF Friday... I sure did. 10:30pm here, we're about to watch a movie (if the phone ever stops ringing!) and planning on a little 'date' after

Talked to my dad tonight... my mom was moved out of ICU today... she's doing a little better, has finally eaten (since last Sunday) and is taking/keeping in fluids. Things are looking up!

Oh.. btw.. I did put up some pics and a long-story-short (no, not really that short) explanation of how this whole house thing came about. It's in general here

Well, nestlings, have a wonderful night and a fabulous weekend!

[TranqWilly]

Newbies Nest

Hi Maisie! Day two! Simply Awesome.

Chicken: "I can honestly say that this 'nest' is what has replaced the spaces that alcohol has left!" I think you're right on this one Chooks - I've read that participating in a group is a huge part of effectively dealing with al. I don't think I'd manage very well in a twelve-step program, but I find that this site is a great way to get things off my chest and deal with thoughts and fears out in the open, but with the comfort of total anonymity. Not only that -- I also like all you guys!!! I feel very fortunate to have found a virtual home away from home, where so much luv, support and respect resides - *sniff* aw I choked myself up - gotta be careful with that mushy stuff.

Hey, I like your new avatar; seems kind of mystical/spiritual - I'm just having a hard time figuring out what exactly those two people are doing(?). Ah, nevermind, I'll just let my imagination go with the mystical stuff.

Sunni - sounds like you made it back home and like things are looking better for you. Good for you in dealing the these challenges. I think I know what you mean about the 'clarity' bit - once you step away from al for bit, what you were missing starts to become clearer. I couldn't really "get it" while I was in the fog; but once I get "in the clear" I was able to sense - just a little at a time - how much better life can be if I let it. I've learned that it just doesn't happen by itself though.

Warrior wrote - "I also suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome. Anyone else??" Yeah, that happened to me in first week or two af, especially when I was tired. I hadn't noticed it since I was moderating early last year, and attributed to too little alcohol and some kind of heeby-jeeby thing. I don't feel the restless legs all the time though. I wonder if its a side-effect of withdrawal or something. I'm a binger not a daily drinker, so I wasn't really expecting any kind of withdrawal. Anyone know what causes that? Is it a side-effect of any meds - I take statins, thyroid and bp meds. I also thought perhaps it was a reaction to one of the supps. Lav is our resident medical expert, and dispenser of 'tude when indicated. What's with that RLS stuff?

As for me, I'm doing well. Took my son off to college today - what an experience that is! I'm proud but hurting inside 'cause I'll miss him big time - truly my best bud. On the AL front: Bad news/good news- My af streak stopped yesterday on day 31 - sorry to rain on the parade, but I got rained on at a concert. I was very moderate though, and planning to stay that way - had a couple wines with dinner and a beer during the show. Figured three drinks over five hours wasn't bad - I had to try to see how I'd react after reaching 30 days.

Day 4 for Coach! That is great, and it keeps getting better, I wouldn't mind knowing what a life-coach does. Sounds kind of interesting.

Lav - 9 months is a great age for kids, those little sponges are just full of joy and discovery. Hope you cool off soon - we've dropped into the low 70's for highs and 50's at night. brrr - I'm not done with summer yet!!!

Good night everyone! Have to get some rest to keep up with this crazy weekend. Take care.

[ChickenNumber3]

Newbies Nest

Afternoon Nesters!

Well housework here...all day!urgh.Cleaned out my linen closet and done most of the washing, still got some vaccuming to do and want to clean out my kitchen cupboards...will see how I go!!!
Sunday we plan on a cooked breaky and then take the kids to the circus which is in town!Should be fun, if it stops raining!

Tranq-my avatar is called 'My Trojan', by me! I'm not sure what their doing either...any suggestions??I get the restless/aching legs too,but have never connected it to the drinking!

Sunshine-good news about your Mum,my thoughts are with you,stay strong!:h
Well done Warrior, its nice to do 'normal' things again huh! I must admit the insomnia is not something I can relate to,as with two little girls still waking me up anywhere from 1-7 times a night, I just die when I can! In saying that though,the whole scenario is heaps easier to cope with when I'm not hungover!:H
By the way feel free to adopt me,but I come with two chicks, a rooster ,a dog, cat , lizard and ancient horse...just to make up the whole 'farm' effect for you!

Coach-tell us more about the Lifecoach thing?
Maisie- you will never be invisible here! MMM..aint it divine when the coffee brings you awake!!!Hubby brought mine in for me this morning in bed, with my two girls eagre to wake me from my 'sleep in' day! Usually up from 6am!

Skittles-I ain't even read the book yet,and I've only started on the Glutamine! Basically I am feeling pretty happy that with the support of this group and MWO in general that I am doing ok...just do it your way! Take the advise you get and use what you need or want to!

Sooty-how you doing?Are the visitors gone yet?

That's all for now folks,this lil chook needs to go get busy cleaning up her pen!
*cluck*:l

[ChickenNumber3]

Newbies Nest

Oops, the adoption bit was for Sunsine...apologies and bashfulness here!urgh
chicken

[ChickenNumber3]

Newbies Nest

Dang!

Obviously no one else is in the nest! *sob*
Are you all out hunting insects or something?
Chicken