Newbies Nest

[Hanna]

Cowboy

Your post was just what I needed to read today. Thank you.

Kharriot
Hugh congrats on two months!

Ava
I am so glad Robert is doing better!

I have been so caught up in my own pain that I have barely read or responded to anyone else on here. I am sorry. While still in a very difficult place, am trying to get out of myself some and be available to others, and in that regard, I hope to give back here a bit and not just vomit my own crap. Although I will still be doing plenty of that I suppose.
Hope you are all having a good start to the day. I am going to the gym, then work, then meeting my new sponsor for dinner and a meeting. Expecting divorce papers some time today but too busy to focus on that. It is what it is. I,plan to have a busy, sober productive day
Later

[Lavande]

Good morning Nesters,

Dark & damp here today - oh well. I feel sad looking at the news coverage of all the flooding in the Midwest
I hope everyone stays safe out there.

Hanna, I hope you get along well with your sponsor & develop a good working relationship. It's good to have al the support you can gather when things get rough. We're here for you as well.

Cowboy, I experienced the same reduction in anxiety/panic when I quit too. What a blessing that was & a good reason to maintain our quits!

Pav, good to see you

Wishing everyone a good AF Thursday!
Lav

[abcowboy]

Hanna, I know you've been through a lot in the past few weeks, but you should be very proud of yourself...

On your 1 month milestone Hanna!

[Byrdlady]

I truly believe nothing is going to change until you want it to, no one else can tell you what to do.

Karen,
THIS IS WORD.
While I'm not the BIGGEST FAN of Oprah, she did makes some good points every now and then (between self promotions!!) One was the question she would ask her celebrity guests: 'What do you know for sure?' Everyone's answer was different, but mine would be 'People will do what they WANT to do'. That sounds flippant, but if you think about it, the deeper it gets. Example, I see folks like my brother languish around in the middle of squalor and I try to help him, for every reason I have for improving his situation (getting a JOB, or throwing something away) he finds 4 why he can't do it (doesn't even TRY). Finally, I have given up... there must be some payoff for his living that way or he would change. He doesn't WANT to change. Change is hard and different and scary. As it relates to my drinking, I didn't want to change, either. I thought I was HAPPY for Criminy's Sake! I thought I WOULDN'T be happy NOT drinking....until I did it. Completely, not just a hit and miss half-assed try. When I finally got serious about it, I found a way to do it. I wanted to NOT drink more than I wanted to so I found a way to accomplish that (sticking to MWO like snot in my sinuses). I think it's also human nature (like Pav alluded to the other day), we want what we can't have! When I was drinking, I wanted to be sober and when I was sober, I wanted to be able to drink!

Changing my thinking around from 'CAN'T HAVE' to 'DON'T WANT TO' helped a LOT! Orimus, this may help you, too. It's the power of choice. Pushing those thoughts out of my head is what did it for me. I just couldn't let a drinking thought take root at all! NO, THANKS is what I would bring forward and I found myself saying it out loud and it worked! NO! NO to the thoughts, and NO to the people who offer it! In addition to the Tool Box, there's 7 years of history in this nest alone....EVERY scenario has played out right here. You can read back and see how folks just like you handled situations. Even a resistant case like ME!! You can do this! It is YOUR time!! Don't let AL take another day of your precious life. Get it all out of your space! Deal? Any one of us will help you if you want additional help (sponsor), all you have to do is ASK! Same for any Newbie, we are happy to help! It helps US to help YOU.

ABCowboy, GREAT POST!! Tool Box worthy, if you ask me!! Would you consider sticking it in there for safe keeping? Those aspects of getting sober get overlooked a lot in the beginning.

Hanna, 30 days? Congratulations!!! Here's your hat! :guy: No question, these are the hardest....now they are HISTORY! Well done!!

Hope everyone has an easy day!! Posting from Hell today (100*) Byrdie

[Mischa]

Good morning. Just checking in this morning before I leave for work. God, I am so blasted tired all the time! And this headache just wont go away. Please tell me this is normal. This this is just my body getting pissed off and protesting because I won't give it a drink. Ugh. Anyway, I did NOT have a drink last night so this is day 7 for me, which makes it one whole week. Yay me!! :yay:

I finally told my husband what my plan was. He's totally on board with me quitting although he didn't commit to anything himself. That's okay. When he's ready, if he ever is, I'll be there for him. I did notice, however, that he did not have a drink in front of me, although he may have had one after I went to bed. That's okay. I'm doing this one day at a time.

I have another read through for my play tonight, which is a huge trigger for me. Having a drink is like a reward for a job well done. I took that beast on last Tuesday and managed to defeat it. It was hard though. This time I know what to expect and I'm prepared to fight head on.

Anyway, gotta split. Take care everybody and as I get stronger with this I'll be sure to post more. Happy day!

[Byrdlady]

Mischa! Around here, 7 days scores you a Moon from your peeps! :butt:
Those first 7 are tough and they are now behind you! You'll get NO CRACKS from us about your accomplishments, we are standing by you (cheek to cheek)!! We are SO PROUD of you!!!
Yes, it is normal to be exhausted during the first 30 days as your body converts from an ethanol engine to one that runs off food nutrients. The headaches are common also. They will abate! Keep up the great work!!! Byrdie

[abcowboy]

Mischa, congrats on the first week, as Byrdie says, it's the toughest! What area of Alberta are you from? I'm in the Lloydminster area, Narilly is from Calgary... would be cool if the three of us could get together for a coffee one day!

[LilBit]

A big congrats to Mischa, Kherriot and Hanna on your milestones. Way to go!

We have our classic combo of foggy, then sunny, then hella windy today in the Bay Area. After what I've heard from other places, it sounds idyllic. 90-100 degrees? Oy! After living in Atlanta for much of my life, I've had my share of thighs fried on the convertible seat and steamy outdoor saunas. I remember being shocked that no one had AC when I first moved to SF. On the few hot days here each year, I would set up a big bowl of ice behind a table fan as a "redneck AC" for our big, long-haired dog. He was grateful.

I'm blessed with a sudden day off today. (As a writer, I work only when the assignments show up in my inbox.) 'Remembering how the news of a day off used to trigger that tired, old argument with my drinking brain. "You deserve some relaxation," it would say. "You'll enjoy sunning and gardening on the deck so much more with a glass of wine." Or, "Have a little vino with your almond chicken salad -- it's elegant."

Elegant. Yeah, right. There was nothing elegant about having that sip at noon, finishing the bottle by 2 pm and then either passing out and missing the rest of my day off or spending the entire time arguing with myself about walking up to the store for another one. Far from elegant were my puffy red eyes, bloated belly and Neanderthal conversational skills. I even used to hide from the mailman. "Just leave it on the front stair," I would shout through the door when he brought a package, pretending that it was because I was keeping the dog at bay rather than the real reason, which was that I looked like cast member from Night of the Living Wine Freaks.

Contrast all that with today: fully enjoying my morning coffee "unhung," skating for 1-2 hours, including working on my Axel, spending some time sunning and tending my flower pot garden, then working on my novel (which really isn't work for me), doing some leisurely shopping and cooking a nice dinner. And, I'll wake up tomorrow feeling great. What a difference!

[NoSugar]

In my opinion, LilBit, you've found the key to gaining and maintaining the life you want and deserve:

Contrast all that with today: fully enjoying my morning coffee "unhung," skating for 1-2 hours, including working on my Axel, spending some time sunning and tending my flower pot garden, then working on my novel (which really isn't work for me), doing some leisurely shopping and cooking a nice dinner. And, I'll wake up tomorrow feeling great. What a difference!

I hope you're as proud and happy as we are for you!

[Hanna]

Cowboy...thanks for the congrats, but don't deserve it! I will let you guys know when I actually string together 30 CONESCUTIVE days...not there yet!!

[crockettaa]

I'm rooting for you Hanna!

LBit you are a skater? I was a figure skater when I was a kid and I remember it took me forever to land that first axel! Now I'm in my 50's & I'm afraid to even attempt a waltz jump...good for you!

Went to the gym, feels so good to exercise again after my little "slide". That feeling is a great motivator.

[LilBit]

Thanks, NS. My "perfect day" may sound dull to some, but it's very satisfying from where I sit. BTW, I lapsed on my sugar-free stint during vacation last week and the similarity to an AL relapse really hit me. Your SF thread and recent article link really helped me get back on track, so many thanks.

Yes, Crocketta, I'm a skater. I still compete in USFS "Adult" division (= old farts over 25). 'Working on my doubles and have an Axel that comes & goes. Like you said, the exercise is a great motivator. As an adult competitor, I used to down wine or vodka before my freeskate to make my knees soft. Funny, it seems so much better without it. Hmm...

Keep up the great work!

[jane27]

[jane27]

[kherriot]

I just had to write in and tell all of you how much I appreciate all the encouragement and help. Just had to let you all know that I went to the gym today and one of the girls showed up so we did aerobics instead of machines and now my legs are really feeling it. I really didn't want to go because I didn't know who would show up and it was just the 2 of us and she is an instructor, so I think she killed me. I AM SO GLAD I WENT AND CONTINUED ON WITH MY COMITTMENT TO WORK OUT, even if other people don't show up. I am sure it will be different in the fall.

Just have to say again how great I feel, it has been a while. :yay: