Newbies Nest

[Neddy Merrill]

Newbies Nest

Hi Everybody,

Just thought I'd check in and see how everyone is doing. I was away hillwalking first thing this morning and, as it's a beautiful day here, I treated an elderly neighbour's fence to a lick of paint.

Going for a bath now and to get ready to go out later to meet an AF friend.

Whatever you are doing, enjoy!

[Neddy Merrill]

Newbies Nest

Hi Moni,

I am really sorry to hear of your loss. Cancer is a terrible thing and it really puts my illness into perspective: I can have a fantastic life as long as I don't lift a drink. How many really ill people would love to have that luxury?

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Congratulations BHalo and Wino7 on the milestones you achieved today! Feels good, doesn't it ? Keep on doing what you're doing - it's working! :goodjob: :goodjob:

Hi, Moni. It is nice to hear from you again. I'm sorry for your loss and for your insensitive friends' remarks. No one wants to endure those stresses but people in recovery need even more support than usual, I think :l. Even though my friends here on MWO are virtual, many have become very important to me. I value these relationships so much and for me, they actually aren't less real than those in person - just different. Hope you stick around here or on other threads - the support is great and you are in a good position to help those nearer the beginning -- not so far along that you can't feel to the core how far you've come.

Happy Day, Nesters! Love, NS :h

[neferkamichael]

Newbies Nest

Wino7 you are fantastic, so proud of you. :goodjob:

[broken halo]

Newbies Nest

Evening Nesters! Thanks for the lovely posts about my 30 days, much appreciated. I wouldn't have thought it possible without the support, encouragement and kindness I have found here.

Thanks for the hat Byrdie, I shall wear it with pride even if it does look a little silly.

You asked how I did it? I faced up to a few home truths about myself first of all. I researched, planned and focussed on what I want from life and the person I want to spend the rest of my life being. I won't get what I want from life if I drink. I won't get to be happy, positive, productive, supportive of friends and family, I won't get what I want from life if drink is on the table (figuratively and literally!)

So, in order to achieve my goals I took it off the table. Permanently. I deserve the life I want, and AL is not robbing me of anything ever again.

I had a great wee day, work was good and then went for a coffee with an AL free friend. (Neddy, what a coincidence you did too!)

Thankyou again everyone, wino well done on your 7 days, that feels great doesn't it? :goodjob:

[witts end]

Newbies Nest

Morning everyone

Well done wino7 on doing 7 days

Congrats on 30 days broken halo

Well done to everyone else keep striving for the af finish line

[TheSunFlower]

Newbies Nest

Broken Halo and Wino congrats on your milestones:goodjob:

Brydie...I was always wondering about people who don't drink and do not have an AL problem. What did they know that apparently the rest of the world did not? Penn of "Penn and Teller" has a great interview on why he never touched alcohol in his life. He knew that there were people smarter than him in life.....and he knew that by not drinking he was not purposely making himself stupid. He is really humble in the interview. For him he knew if he was going to make something of himself.....he needed to work harder and use every edge to his advantage. Working from iPad or I would include the link. Mr. Trump doesn't drink either

Thanks Tess....I do need sleep...by nature I am a night owl. I think it is time to work on being and early bird. By all accounts though I beat the early birds to the punch.....they are sleeping and when they get up....I have already accomplished what needed to get done.....and when they are starting.....I am sleeping. Wish work would see it that way:H. I could do all my paperwork/emails at 2am....then meet clients at noon. I would be more productive. But, they want me there at 8am.....

[Neddy Merrill]

Newbies Nest

Evening fellow nesters,

I thought I would just check in on everyone before turning in.

I have had a great day. Climbed a hill near Loch Lomond first thing, painted a fence for an elderly neighbour and went for a natter with an AF friend (BH my AF friend was really good company, I hope yours was too)

Good night or good day depending on where you live and I'll catch up with you all tomorrow.

[broken halo]

Newbies Nest

Goodnight Neddy, Well done on the hillwalking and the fence painting and for having such a productive hangover and AL free Sunday. A rarity for the West of Scotland, sadly.

My AF friend was very good company too.

[Tess-2]

Newbies Nest

The salads for our BBQ this afternoon are made, well-chilled, and ready to eat: Red potato, Asparagus, and Tropical fruit (for dessert, which I will serve with Lemon sorbet). It's so fun to have friends over and not need to worry about alcohol. Non-drinking friends are priceless, especially in early sobriety. Nice!!

Hubs has gone to the hardware store for a few things. While he's been gone I've been researching alcoholism a bit. Yes, it's a really lame thing to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon. But it's turned out to be 20 or 30 minutes well spent.

I found a physician who specializes in the field of addiction speaking about alcoholism. (The physician kind of reminds of Mr Rogers from Mr Rogers' Neighborhood, which is great because I rather like Mr Rogers. But I digress...)

The physician explained many things but the thing he said that caught my attention is this (my paraphrase): When you have been sober for six or twelve months, you will say to yourself, "I've been sober for quite a long time now and I've changed a lot, so it will be okay to have a couple of drinks." You may not believe that you will think that, the doctor went on, But I can promise you that you will. When that happens, he said, I want you to look and see if the color of your eyes have changed. No? The wiring of your brain hasn't changed either...

At seven months of sobriety I needed to hear this. I have not yet seriously considered having a couple of drinks, but I have MWO friends who have chosen to drink at this stage in recovery and have gone on to regret it very much.

My eyes are not going to change from blue to brown or green. The wiring in my brain isn't going to change, either. If ever I choose to have "one or two drinks" the resulting buzz will send me spinning.

Scientists may yet come up with a cure for addiction. But to my knowledge there is currently no cure. The only way to manage alcoholism is through total abstinence from booze.

So... as I say, I needed that reminder. NOW I'm going to go play on this gorgeous afternoon. :sun:

[allankay]

Newbies Nest

Memory is a funny thing.

Smell of fresh cookies remind you of your grand mothers house...Kei$ha's tik tok song reminded me of all my nights out and I had a spontaneous craving for barcardi breezer...LOL

Good thing I only have wine, wiskie and beer in the fridge

[broken halo]

Newbies Nest

My eyes are not going to change from blue to brown or green. The wiring in my brain isn't going to change, either. If ever I choose to have "one or two drinks" the resulting buzz will send me spinning.

Loved this post Tess, thank you. And thank you for your kind words earlier.

I was offline for most of the day, it was a very good day though. Off to bed, goodnight everyone

[Rahulthesweet]

Newbies Nest

2 days of being sover now will be starting 3 rd day tomorrow so far beeing stuffing myself with d food to cut the carvings of beer ... hope to continue being sober till eternity.

[3June2013]

Newbies Nest

Tess thank you I think it would be nice if you post that message in the toolbox, it is a really good reminder to us all.

Rahul keep eating and posting, whatever it takes to get you through today!

Neddy, BH glad you are enjoying the company of AF friends. I am so lucky my husband doesn't drink. Hm or is it luck? Not really. One of the reasons I picked him actually!

Which brings me to you AllanKay. What makes you so sure your future wife won't drink and wouldn't it be nice if she doesn't? And I also would like to say that sometimes it feels like you are teasing us talking about all the booze in your fridge. I don't know why but it feels that way!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

RtheSweet! GREAT JOB on going into your third day. Eating is such a novel idea for those of us who drank most of our meals....it really is the laser guided bullet to help you thru these first challenging days. Stay the course and you'll never regret it!

Tess, I agree, you should put that post in the Tool box! For those of us who think our eye color has changed and that we can now manage AL! That's a great analogy.

Allan, don't let your mind think of the romantic doings of AL, change the subject on yourself! That's what I do. I do not let Euphoric Recall come in to my head....I drank wine in gulps from a box hidden in my closet....how romantic is that? How romantic is it to wake up with such guilt, shame and remorse you don't want to even live? Yes, that's what AL has done for me. Not a dam thing good. I wish you'd get that AL out of your space. I don't trust it. It has voices. Call me an old mother hen, but better safe than sorry. Remember, not one drink, not ever. That's my mantra. Zero Tolerance. That's the way to have true indifference to The Beast. Starve it to death! Ok, I'll stop now....

Hope everyone had a peaceful, easy day today! Stay strong and sober, you will never regret a night of NOT drinking! XO, Byrdie