Newbies Nest

[Jkm123]

Is it 8:30 there lc?
I ate lots at lunch, so full i can barely think about a parfait from la madeleine but ill try really hard haha. Im pretty happy today....feels odd. No sugar, do you eat fruit?
No tony, lav, or byrdie so far today.

[NoSugar]

Glad you're feeling good today, Jkm. I hope that continues for you - and becomes NORMAL!

I'm not eating fruit this week but normally I eat a little bit - some berries, Granny Smith apple - but not a lot. I eat TONS of veggies, though.

Are you in the US or in Europe w/ Lc?

[lifechange]

Hi! yes it's 8:30 and the girls are brushing their teeth! We have to be up extra early, at 530 tomorrow, as my eldest is heading off to an internship on a farm.. mandatory in the 9th grade here! Bio dynamic, organic.. good for them to feel and learn the connection! right?
So I'm off to bed soon.. Jkm, stick close to your plan and here..! Looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow..:hug:

[Jkm123]

Night LC
Nosugar im in texas and i love fruit but there are not alot of veggies i like.

[KENSHO]

I'm here too JK! Running to errands after FINALLY completing billing. Such Blech. Running errands now.

[Jkm123]

Kensho- hi! 3:45 and the voices start. Its worse when I'm alone so ive been in the kitchen straighting up all the food and eating alittle.

[Guitarista]

Good friday morning from Upside down land! Hi JKM. Sometimes a movie can be a good distraction for a couple of hours. Hope you have an easy night friend.

Day 55 and feels good to be alive. Went for another (part time) job yesterday and hired on the spot. Geez that feels good. I put it down big time to my sobriety. Confident demeanor, switched on, sharp (ish) vibe, head held high shoulders back but humble. Not drinking does that to me.

Take it easy out there.

Wishing all safe and sound passage if you're in the path of that hurricane.

[Lavande]

Good evening Nesters,

The days are getting shorter so I feel like I don't have time to do everything I need to do - oh well, it's OK, ha ha! I think part of the problem is simply due to aging, not moving quite as fast as I did in the past
I am currently trying to talk my newest flock of chicks (now 16 weeks old) into thinking about laying some eggs in the next month or two, LOL

Jkm, glad you are doing OK today.
G, good news on the new job & 55 AF days, yay!
Hello to LC, Kensho & everyone.

Byrdie, evacuation orders in your area yet?? Better get moving & be safe :hug:

Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[Byrdlady]

OMG, what a day! I SOLD SOMETHING! Wooohoo! I am very happy about it, it was only one location butvthey have 230 so it could sprout!
Theres always bad with the good, those excel spreadsheets are kicking my arse! These are forms, and if you monkey with a field you mess up the formulas and the whole folder is shot. Mindboggling.
My neck is doing better, as is my toe. Hopefully the hurricane will take a turn before it affects us too much. Most of us are boarded up in preparation. Now just waiting.
Eloise, charades in China! I wish I could have seen that! You are adorable!
JKM! So glad you are hanging in with us. Have you been around long enough to know I used to carry around vodka in a hairspray bottle in my purse? Yes, I was hardcore, so if an old drunk like me can finally get sober, there is hope for everyone! We are so proud of you!
GMan, well done on the job! Look at you! Keep it going!

Gosh, Im jealous of those of you who can go back to sleep, if I wake up and 3 or 4 I lay there and start working! UGG.

My boss wants me to do anothe session of robo calls, OMG, what lottery did I win to deserve all this?
This new job has certainly been a challenge.
Thank GOODNESS IM SOBER! I cant tell you how thankful I am for that!
Hugs to all! Byrdie

[Jkm123]

JKM! So glad you are hanging in with us. Have you been around long enough to know I used to carry around vodka in a hairspray bottle in my purse? Yes, I was hardcore, so if an old drunk like me can finally get sober, there is hope for everyone! Byrdie

Thank you byrdie...this made me tear up. Congrats on your sale!

[Guitarista]

Byrdy, congrats on the sale! Don't forget, things like excel spreadsheets can be learnt/taught. But no-one can teach your natural gifts and skills which include gr8 communication, commitment, passion and general decency and balance as a person. Go forth young maiden and kick ass! :llama:

Lav, 16 chicks?! Wowza! Bound to be some characters in that lot.

L8tr g8trs.

[Pavati]

Hi, All:

I read through yesterday, and thought I posted, but I guess I got distracted??

JKM - there's hope for us all. Don't give up. That post of LC's had me go through some of the Hip Sobriety blog. I know people have been talking a lot about it, but I didn't look until then. She did a great post where she compared her addiction (and the way people were dealing with it) to her mother's cancer. She wasn't downplaying cancer, but musing about what it would be like if everyone brought her flowers and meals, if she got some time off work, if people celebrated success, if there were a state-of-the-art treatment center for her. It really actually made me mad. I get defensive now when people belittle addicts. I guess if we can't get that kind of care from others, at least we can give it to ourselves. Keep using us, JKM. I would recommend reading through older threads here, especially the toolbox. There are also some great YouTube documentaries that will put what you're doing to your body into perspective. Books. Podcasts. Hot baths with lavender salt. Whatever you need.

I quit work 30 minutes early today and went on a strenuous hike that really made me feel great. I am on the self care bent right now. I still feel mentally funky (I'm with you, Byrd, but I haven't had my cry yet), but the good thing is I know it will pass and I know alcohol would only make it worse.

Way to go, G. Love that loping llama - brings me joy. El, hope you find a yoga mat - that image is hilarious. Kensho and LC - thanks for the pearls you've been helping us with.

Night, all.

Pav

[KENSHO]

Howdy Nesters. Eloise, your story was funny. Glad you all had a laugh about it! Can't believe you are in China! I visited Tokyo when I was 20, and it was a pretty amazing experience. Have you been there before, or is this your first time?

A strenuous hike sounds lovely Pav. I've put exercise on the back burner and I always regret when I do that. [free] pilates tomorrow am - I need to take advantage of that as much as possible. Not sure I'm going to choose to afford it when the membership I won is over.

I would agree about the sugar thing. In the very beginning, it helped me feel more free and satiated to eat whatever I wanted and however much. I didn't keep that up for too long though for the reasons mentioned here. When I eat sugar and grains (except for once in awhile), my blood sugar gets whacked and I end up feeling yucky.

That said, I've been craving something the last few days. Nothing seems to satisfy it. I haven't been on my best diet, and I've been neglecting my vitamins so I wonder if it's something I'm missing there. It's no good craving that elusive "thing".

I'm also quiet bored and irritated with the husband's obsession with this beer festival. He spent 30 min. on his AP for God's sake looking at the brewers he wanted to visit. "Craft" beer - it's like saying I'm a connoisseur of crack. I just don't see the value of alcohol and an event like this is nothing more than an excuse to get wasted. He says its his hobby - but I'll bet he wouldn't make a hobby of finding nuances in the subtle flavor variances between the milk of different cow species. If it didn't have a solid buzz in it, he wouldn't be into it. His "hobby" is drinking - let's call it what it is. I am thankful that he doesn't drink to excess nightly, but it takes him from us and now that I'm not escaping, I rather like the present moment. Maybe someday he will realize that. At the same time, I don't want to be too judgmental of others - I just can't see a damn thing that is good about alcohol (and I really don't want to try to convince myself otherwise).

Anyway, it's late and I have an hour of work to churn out - so here it goes.

I hope you kept yourself busy this afternoon JKM. I was here, and then I was stuck in traffic so I couldn't respond to you. Find those tools! You're doing great!

[Justme Again]

Hi Nest

What a frustrating morning!! Turns out everything re my electricity account is correct. It is just four fold it usually is... so angry!! Someone might be tapping into my grid, so now a beautiful dance of flipping the main switch everytime I leave. And testing the geyser and oven - what a pain! Cried about it for 2 mins, then adult life had to get on.
Would love to build an off grid house.

Pav - it is aggravating how addicts are treated. When I go over the things in my head that led to so many enstrangements in my life, I wish I could let people understand that I was really, really sick. I was not myself. And it is NOT that easy to get help without exposure which can be devastating for some professions.

Kensho - I understand your frustration with your husband. Also think his hobby is drinking. In conversations with my ex I experience the same thing. The last hour before he passes out on a friday/ saturday night ain't pretty! But its not just them. Addicts and health nuts get it, the rest doesn't!

Read something on fb about how hard it is to speak the truth and how convenient it is to believe the lies...

Jkm - so proud of you! Can see that you target the difficult hours by thinking ahead and making new plans. Special strenght for you this friday. It will get easier!

Only had 4 squares of chocolate last night. Thought it might be my body wanting the oils for repairing brain tissue. Maybe I should up on omegas.

Till later

[NoSugar]

At the same time, I don't want to be too judgmental of others - I just can't see a damn thing that is good about alcohol (and I really don't want to try to convince myself otherwise).

Yeah, we don't want to be "that guy" - the reformed drinker/smoker/over-eater/etc. who sets out to improve the lives of everyone around them by getting them to do the same thing. It is tempting, though, when we see transformations in our own lives and those of our friends here. It is so wonderful to be free and to feel strong and healthy, you just want it for everyone - especially your loved ones. No one in my family drinks much but I have seen the drinking habits of my friends change for the better over the last few years. Maybe part of that is because they have observed what I've experienced. I hope so. Leading/modeling by example is about all we can do - and make it clear that we are open to questions and conversation about what we've gone through.

I don't share this in my day to day life (because it would just turn people away) but I believe that alcohol should not be consumed by anyone ever. It is a toxin and a teratogen. We poison every cell in our bodies every time we drink it. Many of the supposed benefits of drinking it are based on suspect data and are a bunch of hype (Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Not Offer Any Health Benefits After All; Claims May Be Based On 'Flawed' Science). I used that information to justify my drinking for years. The "approved" number of units to drink per day were pretty much pulled out of a hat. If alcohol were a new compound and put up for approval by the FDA, there's no way it would pass. It is too harmful. This video is a pretty good summary: YouTube and this article lays it out pretty clearly:There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption | Professor David Nutt | Science | The Guardian