Newbies Nest

[Tess-2]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning Fellow Fledglings and All Nest Dwellers,

Last night I started reading Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience by Laurence Gonzales. The author starts with this quote:

The drama's done. Why then here does any one step
forth?--
Because one did survive the wreck.
--Moby-Dick

I am up early to tackle homework.

sweetpea - I am very sorry that you are tired and your body aches. I am ecstatic that you remain AF!! Where are you in your journey? I don't see your lovely name in Roll Call.

Notts - Congrats on AF Day 5!! That is a BIG accomplishment. I am happy to hear that my story is an encouragement to you. Enjoy your Nanna nap later.

ALL, make this a safe and AF Thursday. I'm going to grab a cup of coffee and get busy. :cupajoe:

Hugs!! :huggy

[jenniech]

Newbies Nest

goodmorning! feeling good today....got my workout in at 5:30am....feeling like I can tackle anything.
my poor teenaged boys are both sick
No matter how old they are, I still feel awful when they are sick....I put my 15 year old back to bed since he couldn't take even a bite of his breakfast. Now I have to go an try to rouse my 13 year old and see where he stands.
So hard juggling sick children with a full time job!!!
Anyway, I will take these challenges and feel very fortunate and grateful that these are the issues I am dealing with today. Looking at the big picture, I am really lucky....
:h

[Lucelastic07]

Newbies Nest

New(ish)

Hello to all. Have been a lurker since June/July last year, so have read tons and feeel I already know some of you! Tried AA for a while last year but it wasn't for me (sometimes depressed me so much that I bought wine on the way home from a meeting!), and I soon slipped back in to my old ways. But today is Day 4, and I have had 18 days AF this month. Annoyed at myself that after 11 days, I gave it up, but it's still a vast improvement on 1.5-2 bottles of pinot grigio almost every night these last few years. I always drank more than my friends when out and would occasionally drink at home if particularly down, but the drinking at home alone really ramped up when I found myself a single mother to a small child - alone, bored, no social life, no adult conversation but still a busy and stressful job to juggle too. The evenings just stretched on and on and I felt I 'deserved' it. Why on earth did I deserve to wake up feeling like cr ap every day, snappy with my daughter, guts in tatters, putting on sooooo much weight, and hating myself?! So here I am, wanting to beat this thing this year and pull myself back together, I'm only 33 so I feel I can turn this around. But why do I feel my evenings will be so boring without it? As if it livened them up or something! It just meant I passed out on the couch and couldn't remember what I'd watched on TV - how totally boring is that?!!

[Hippyman]

Newbies Nest


Happy Thursday Nesters. Last night I put the finishing touches on my 16th century garb for the folk encampment this weekend. I love being part of living history.Today I'll have the fun task of packing up the Baker's lean~to and all the other things needed for a weekend out in nature. On Saturday I will be demonstrating sash weaving on inkle looms. It looks like the weather will be grand. Go out and shine your light today and look for ways that you can help another. Even if it's a smile or better yet a hug! :l http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRVzXcybd2c[/video]]Free Hugs Campaign continued.... - YouTube

[honeysuckle]

Newbies Nest

LUCELASTIC welcome, your story is very similar to many of us. Will be happy to follow your story if you dont mind.

HIPPY, is it your birthday? happy birthday you old relic

[RunningCourage]

Newbies Nest

:welcome: welcome Luce! Well, here's me just settling down to a quick lunch time skive and you pop into the nest! Good to finally have you here. So, you've been a lurking these last few months - grand, means you'll know something of the boards and what goes on. Checked out the toolbox? Always a good place to get ideas on how to beat this.

Ad well done on your AF days so far, that is excellent. Day 4 yeah? Great - more han half way to a week and someone here will be cheeky enough to give you a moony!

Byrdy and kuya and lav and star and k9 will all be along soon to welcome you also as well all the other lovely nesters. They will all have sound and sage advice for battling the beast. And for being a single mum too, that's not easy, though I'm sure your wee one is your most proudest and cherished person in your life.

Keep reading, keep posting and settle in

RC

[Hippyman]

Newbies Nest

honeysuckle;1454195 wrote: LUCELASTIC welcome, your story is very similar to many of us. Will be happy to follow your story if you dont mind.

HIPPY, is it your birthday? happy birthday you old relic

NOPE, I was born in Sept. I'll be 61 years young this year and damn proud of it! Pure Virgo the virgin I be! But thanks for asking. :thanks:

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

hey lucelastic - I completely understand your fear of boring empty evenings coming up - without alcohol....and in the beginning, it will be waaaay different than before - and you won't know what to do with yourself....and the temptation to drink will be strong. So a big part of your plan should be having a list of things to do to keep yourself occupied during that time. Have some books ready to read....websites ready to peruse....pinterest....paint a room....knit....movies you had always wanted to watch ....relaxing bath or even just snuggling into bed early...get some things lined up and get excited about the opportunity to finally be alert enough to stay awake through them! After a while, it won't seem so foreign to spend an evening without alcohol, and you won't have to do so much planning, but in the beginning, it's a necessity.

Well done to Kairos, Tess, and New Day - congratulations on 31 days!!!! :-)

We have high wind warnings, flood warnings, and lake effect snow warnings all at the same time. 60 degrees yesterday, 20 today. crazy.

[lolab]

Newbies Nest

Star, I liked your joke....

[Slaythefear]

Newbies Nest

Good Morning Nesters! I hope this day finds everyone strong and if not, grab a hand and hold on.

I am still having problems getting into the 'Just Starting Out' section, so something has gone awry on my end. I can get into the general discussion area, and I was able to get to the NN from a message, but that's the only way. I have other things to deal with today, so Slay is on Day 7 for the third time. Ugh! But third times a charm, right? We can't change UNLESS WE CHANGE! So here's wishing everyone a strong AF day as we march forward.

I did get a chance to read New Day's post. I wish you well in whatever you decide as we all have to learn on our own path. Experience is a great teacher, but sometimes we have to really suffer damage before we do and with that can come some great regret. I can hear everything you said in my own past thoughts, and I completely relate to the heartache issue, etc. and drinking. I can hear your head reasoning just like mine has. One point I am seeing this time around is if we are so eager to moderate with AL (keep it in our lives), it must still have a hold over us...we are still desiring it. Why? Seems to be just another clever way for us to not give it up. Why can't we give it up for good? Why are we still trying to get it in our lives if it doesn't have anymore power? It shouldn't even matter. Why such a desire if we are really free of its power? We are best at lying to ourselves and hiding the truth from ourselves. I have really learned that in several areas of my life and with some very harsh lessons...tragic actually. I start with one or two the first time, and pretty soon my shut off switch isn't working again and I find myself completely drunk each time I indulge. Keep us posted. I want to know how you are doing. If you do find yourself where I have found myself, come back soon. Get a grip fast. Said with love.:l

Tess, I had a chance to read your 30 day response as well. Beautiful! There was one point in there about the suicide that hits home for me. The descent into deep depression isn't far away. AL takes the heartache and depression I am going through in my life and moves the descent into darkness further down. It's not the way to heal; it's the way to pour alcohol on the fire. It roars!

Sugar, good job on 7 days. Today is mine for the third time.

Kuya, thanks for the reply. I'm going to reread it when I get time. I read it before I had the problem logging back on, so need refreshing. Time to get working on some changes today. I need more than just not drinking the sorrow away.

To everyone else I may have missed being locked out :l:h:l...we are all fighting this drug together for whatever reasons we have chosen to use it in our lives. We can beat it if we want to.

Love,

Slay

[paulywogg]

Newbies Nest

welcome luce,i i wish i had gotten control over this when i was 33, im 39 now and realize i wasted my 30's with this b.s,so much wasted time! so yes do take control now please,and Hippy im a virgo too we rule!

[Hippyman]

Newbies Nest

:colorwelcome: I am so glad you found us Luce. Snuggle down and make yourself comfy in the nest.

paulywogg;1454225 wrote: welcome luce,i i wish i had gotten control over this when i was 33, im 39 now and realize i wasted my 30's with this b.s,so much wasted time! so yes do take control now please,and Hippy im a virgo too we rule!

Yeppers Pauly, We VIRGOS DO RULE!!!

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Lucelastic07;1454191 wrote: Hello to all. Have been a lurker since June/July last year, so have read tons and feeel I already know some of you! Tried AA for a while last year but it wasn't for me (sometimes depressed me so much that I bought wine on the way home from a meeting!), and I soon slipped back in to my old ways. But today is Day 4, and I have had 18 days AF this month. Annoyed at myself that after 11 days, I gave it up, but it's still a vast improvement on 1.5-2 bottles of pinot grigio almost every night these last few years. I always drank more than my friends when out and would occasionally drink at home if particularly down, but the drinking at home alone really ramped up when I found myself a single mother to a small child - alone, bored, no social life, no adult conversation but still a busy and stressful job to juggle too. The evenings just stretched on and on and I felt I 'deserved' it. Why on earth did I deserve to wake up feeling like cr ap every day, snappy with my daughter, guts in tatters, putting on sooooo much weight, and hating myself?! So here I am, wanting to beat this thing this year and pull myself back together, I'm only 33 so I feel I can turn this around. But why do I feel my evenings will be so boring without it? As if it livened them up or something! It just meant I passed out on the couch and couldn't remember what I'd watched on TV - how totally boring is that?!!

Welcome, Luce!
I am just beginning all this, also. I have found that hanging out on MWO during the evenings when I would have been drinking has really helped during the last couple of weeks. It is amazing how quickly 2 hours goes. Experienced people here will tell you to read and post, read and post. I was timid about posting but once I started it really helped and I think is why I have made it to day 8. I have alot of hobbies that I really enjoy and plan to get back to those in good time but for now, I think the best way for me to spend my evenings is here. I'm looking forward to getting to know you while we DO THIS!

[New Day]

Newbies Nest

Welcome Luce....you've come to the right place....your evenings will change for the better. There is always the option of going OUT to activities that drinking kept you home from.

Hippy and Pauly....I'm a Virgo too!

Well, day 31 here and spending it at the hospital ......FIL supposed to be discharged sometime today but we will have to order an ambulance to take him home....he's too frail for me to handle. I've got a hospital bed rented at home for him along with other medical equipment and nursing care I home arranged. He really should be in a nursing home, but MIL "doesn't want to be alone". She's about to find out how difficult this is going to be

Wishing you all a great AF day!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Luce! Welcome! So glad you came out and said hello...I hope can see that the very act of posting alone helps!! Getting your thoughts out and reading what YOU wrote is important. We are so glad you found us!

Tess, wow...that was a wonderful 30 Day post! Thank you for making the time to write that. It IS a process, isn't it? I'm going to print that out and stick it in my 'things that are important' file. That is code for my ALK folder. You express yourself so well and in an organized fashion...like someone who has found PEACE of mind. Well done!

Slay...you make an excellent point about continuing to want AL in your life AFTER ALL THIS!!! If you still have The Voices, you still got the Monkey!!!! :crazymonkey: If after ALL that AL has put us thru, we continue to want to try and MAKE it work in our lives, after it nearly took us down?? Pull up a twig...You do NOT have to have AL in your life to live and be happy! To the contrary...we CAN live and be happy without it....ever! And it becomes NO BIG DEAL! That is the payoff in this whole thing. That LONGING to have a glass of ____ goes away....You have to cut off the food source to make it die...THAT'S the only way I know to kill it. (and I tried EVERYTHING to make it work). All you have to do is take a stroll thru this site, and see story after story of the misery that letting AL BACK IN has lead to. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that 'That can't happen to me' CAN happen to me. Done it.

It's a two can day outside (two cans of hairspray). Windy as the dickens! Hold on to your quit, Nesters! It's my most prized possession! Byrdie