Newbies Nest

[wagmore]

Newbies Nest

frances;1700321 wrote: Laughing out loud at that one! Yes you have to do a double take and you will see what Rivergal's husband noticed!

:H:H:H

[KENSHO]

Newbies Nest

Hi All! Way to go Ava! Byrdie, way to emphasize how "farking" amazing 9 months is!

London, glad you got your perspective. I lost a long post last night, but the gist was that this feeling won't last. Looks like you found your way there and I'm glad to see that you are recognizing the part that food and exercise also play biochemically. Throw all the artillery you can at AL, and with a little patience you will notice such a change. I became severely depressed in high school, and I made myself a rule that no matter what I go to the gym. Some days I arrived, walked 2 laps, did 12 sit-ups, and left. But I kept my promise to go, and I built the habit. Please set yourself a few (not 20) good rules and stick to them like your life depends on it. I promise you will see results!

Yesterday we drove 2 hours to get to a craft brewery, waited 45 min for a table, and ate mediocre food. What a waste. Got home and they had a scotch. I had to leave the house. Took kids to the beach to watch the sunset and decided to be grateful for my sobriety. At home I did want wine with steak (really badly), but staved it off - not "just one". Then, felt fabulous to be perfectly sober when others were tired. Happens every time.

Had a conversation with MIL about drinking. I told her a little about my behaviors before I quit, and she said she did and does the same things. She said she might try to quit again when she gets home.

Love to all my friends here. Have a grateful day!

[Pavati]

Newbies Nest

Hi, Everyone:

YES, I noticed what those feet were doing also. (Add that to the list of things that are better sober, by the way).

The other emoticon that people use that I'm not sure if they see what is going on is the dancing banana. If you look closely, he's smoking a joint. :banana: Maybe you DO realize??

A beautiful day here in my part of the nest - heading to the beach without hangover or regret. Cherokeer - I still get that tug at the very start of an activity that used to be a drinking activity for me, but it doesn't last very long and my gratitude for not being drunk takes over. It sometimes seems like BS to some of you newbies, I know because I thought so also, but really and truly I am happy to experience things without alcohol now.

Congratulations to Ava - a funny and stalwart old timer.

Happy Monday (to those of us in the US - happy day holiday!).

Pav

[Matt M.]

Newbies Nest

Posted this on a thread/journal I have been keeping for future reference thought I would share it here as well. Thanks everyone!

Hope everyone is having a great Labor day,*
As I creep up on 30 days I have been feeling surprisingly good, especially as far as cravings go, my last quits when I have reached the 30 day mark, I recall really battling with the reality of "never again" and the cravings were very intense, From what I remember anyway. As I've mentioned before I have never felt this obsessed about protecting my quit.*
With all that being said, here in the great state of Texas Usa, September 1 marks the being of hunting season with migratory birds/ Dove hunting. This Is a yearly ritual I have been a part of since I was a child. Of course as an adult it had always been a guys weekend out and camp and drink lots and I mean an absurd amount of Cold Beer.*
After hunting this morning everyone gathered around the truck and cleaned there birds and the ice chest began opening. I found myself literally salivating watching the ice chest frost/condensation run down the can, I may have heard Angels singing :wings::wings: ;-) or more likely the beast telling me in my head "GD! That looks good.*"
I quickly quenched my immediate thirst with a bottle of water.*
I then did something I read on here in the beginning. I ran a "what if I drank a couple" scenario and plotted out how the rest of the day and days to follow would have gone.While plotting this out in my head, it didn't take but just a second for me to realize and remember that all of my 20 quits prior started out just like today, maybe not the camping/hunting scenario. It could be at a pool party, at a Christmas party, work dinner etcetc. All of these occasions a certain drink looks astonishingly good for a second and then Boom! I let my guard down and let that Fucker~Al take over again.*

I'm glad to say the beast didn't win today I must never let my guard down for if I do that sneaky MF can creep in. Moderation is not an option for me never ever.*

(A note to myself in case I forget, I plan on going back and reading this one day).*
Dear Matt,
Hope your doing well, just a quick reminder in the event you decide to be a dumb shit~ YOU CAN NOT DRINK ALCOHOL, NOT ONE, NONE! YOU CAN NOT MODERATE YOU HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN TO MODERATE, IT DIDN'T WORK! NOW GO ENJOY YOUR GRACIOUS,NO SHAME, NO REMORSE, NO GUILT LIFE!*:thanks:
Matt*

__________

[Rahulthesweet]

Newbies Nest

Congrats Ava !! U r super

Matt I I bet u will enjoy hunting season without AL more. It's a difficult prospective , living
Life without but it surely worth it.

[NoSugar]

Newbies Nest

Rahulthesweet;1700373 wrote:
Matt I I bet u will enjoy hunting season without AL more. It's a difficult prospective , living
Life without but it surely worth it.

You're right, it is worth it, Rahul! And it is much less difficult than a drinking life, at least for an addict, and it just gets easier over time. As you (and most of us, I'm sure) experienced, it is tough at the beginning and it seems that each time a person has to start over, it is a little more difficult than the time before.

That is why we (I ) harp on this - don't give up a quit once you get it going! Tomorrow isn't going to be a better day for it and it will probably be worse. Each quit you give up is time and effort lost - and you'll have to do the hard parts all over again. We made our lives tough enough already with this addiction - once that you know you need to stop, give yourself a break and do it the easiest way possible. We all suffered enough.

Enjoy an AF holiday, US folk!

[available]

Newbies Nest

Hi everyone and thanks for the congrats. At 9 months i finally feel as if i am walking he walk. I have gone from a "newbie" to a "tweebie" to an "oldie" all in the space of 9 months. What an achievement i must say and i am proud to be an "oldie" now. Earning this badge has been a hard fought battle sometimes, not only in the beginning which was hell but taking what life has throw at me along the way. As Matt posted about moderation, i cant moderate, i am an alcoholic, end of story. Like an ice/speed/heroin addict, i cant have just one and now i dont want just one, i dont want any. I want to keep this life i have found and nurtured and come to love, its mine and i have worked hard for what i am today. Farking hard i might add.

Byrd thanks for telling me now about the 4 to 9 months of discomfort NOW! i thought i had given up and that was it, that the first two weeks of no al once over were then plain sailing. WRONG again. I thought PMS was bad, its got nothing on recovery! At least i knew when PMS would hit, the emotions/cravings from al withdrawal hit hard and fast at any time. The good news is they settle down, everything settles down and life moves on. I do know lovely lady that i would not have gotten to where i am today and i thank you.

Lav, i thought you were the biggest bitch i knew on here! Short, sharp and sweet were your words to me. I just thought to myself that i would prove you damn wrong lady! Ha ha. Now i know you are a gem and a treasure and the had words are needed to be said at times even if they are not appreciated by the intended. I do know i love my mum and i do know i cant wait to experience my grandchildren and be the best nana like you so totally are. I admire you very very much Lav.

It only takes one person to hold out their hand and offer to help initially and that was NS, without her pm to me that mentioned that i said i was going to quit and when would that be? I would still be thinking about quitting. There is never a good time to stop drinking, ever, and to me that was the push i needed or shove! I loved my best friend al, he was my lover, my confidante, my everything. Now he has gone and i have grieved his loss immensely over the months but now i am realising that he will never be back in my life and i have moved on. There are no happy memories of al for me to look back on, he nearly ruined my life and took everything i held dear. MWO has given me my life back completely.

Today at work a patient gave me a card in appreciation for what i had done for her and when i opened it, it was a $20 gift card to Dan Murphys a grog shop. Now that made me laugh. How apt on my 9 month anniversary. If she had given that to me 9 months ago i would have been planning what two $10 bottles of wine to buy and ecstatic that i would be drinking after work and something classy other than the $2.50 bottles. I gave it to a work friend who knows i have given up drinking and i was happy to do that.

Well Tuesday here and the birds are singing and i am sober as usual and getting ready for another great day. I hope everyone had a sober long weekend, keep fighting al, you wont regret winning for one minute.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

It's been a great day! Whether you are on day one or day 1000, each day builds on the next. Every day without AL is a victory for US!!! Keep it going! GREAT JOB, everyone!!! Fabulous posts today!!! B

[blackflag]

Newbies Nest

Hey everyone,
Just on my way home from my first sober band practice in a LONG time. Felt good to not just be barely holding it together.
That said the other guys were drinking, and that made me kind of feel left out. I stuck to my water though and I'm glad I did.
I also caught myself thinking about drinking normally in the future, but I nipped that in the bud. I know from experience and from what people here have said, it's not going to happen, and I'll have to come to terms with that, like available just said.

B.F.

[abcowboy]

Newbies Nest

Hi all, new to the board, looking around and getting comfortable...

[Cherokeer]

Newbies Nest

Welcome Cowboy! Glad your here.

[Pie]

Newbies Nest

Welcome, abcowboy! Glad you found the Newbies Nest. It's a great place to get started here on MWO.

[abcowboy]

Newbies Nest

:thanks: Thanks, looks like a great place to be and a good place to start!

[available]

Newbies Nest

Welcome AB, love your signature line. I had every excuse under the sun to not stop drinking but once on this journey i have an amazing array of excuses to not have a drink. Every post on mwo is basically a tool on how to handle not drinking and there is some amazing advice and wisdom on here. My advice is to post and post and post some more.

[abcowboy]

Newbies Nest

Thanks available! No such thing as too much support!!