Newbies Nest

[j-vo]

Good morning,

Kensho, I liked what you said, "it's not wanting alcohol and the crap that goes with it as much as just wanting to escape from the slog." I know when I have cravings, it's all about escape. My alternatives would first be to take a nap and eat. Eventually I'd like to change that to take a nap and exercise! I need to add to my tools, especially when those strong cravings hit. But sleep is my very safest and best escape.

Have a good Friday.

[Lost Soul]

Morning all,

Hope everyone is well? Glad your feeling better Mario. Slowly, slowly wins the race x
Welcome So Cali, glad your feeling so positive - it's really helpful to be in the company of like minded folk ☺
Talk of work has got me thinking, as I get older I definitely slow down but it's no bad thing - I'm more comfortable in my old skin and less caring about what other people think too, so surely that's a good thing? I guess being young & new to a career, you want to leave your mark & build a reputation so puppy dog enthusiasm is a given at that point? Bloody exhausting if you ask me! And here I am sounding like 101!
At any rate, I'm 100% the balance between my commitments has to come second to my focus on sobriety and if it becomes too much I need to step back.If I take care of sobriety then all the rest follows ☺
Blackout drinking is frightening. Having no memory of things I did or said the night before is a sobering thought. My last AL night was one of those. I had a friend (like us) around to visit I hasn't seen in about 8 years. I never see them because you don't drink with other alcoholics when your an alcoholic! We both drunk all our own supplies separately before we met so when they arrived & we realised neither of us had any drink - they left to get more drink & came back! I dont remember them arriving at all so being at blackout point before going onto share the litre of vodka they bought is a frightening & very dangerous position to have put myself in. I would never have that amount of alcohol in the house because it isn't safe so to have crossed that personal boundary was a real wake up call. It very much puts it all into perspective.
I really should have bought that santa hat with 'bah humbug' - so full of doom & gloom I am!
But on a more positive note, never forget where you were or how far you've come, all you need is time & patience x
Wishing all a safe & sober Friday
LS

[paulywogg]

Hello nesters,PIA posting from this new phone! Its so much easier on my old one but its getting old and the internet wouldn't work on it so here I am,everyone sounds great dealing with the blues right now and its irritating me, I know it'll pass but in the meantime waaah! Just gonna walk it off,know it'll pass,not be too wrapped up in the feeling, think I just miss my daughter, holiday crap,reflecting on the year,uncertain of the future, etc,my mind keeps playing scenarios that need to stop,Meh,the 99 cent store will cheer me up haha,wishing us all a wonderful AF day

[scottish lass]

Hi all - Lav, that is just it - the young uns want my job! Not sure I will be in a place to retire early, starting over a few years ago after the ex left me in a lot of debt, but will see. Pav - sometimes I don't even realize I am 30! And have been nursing 36years now!!

SoCali - I found I was surprised to see who else was not drinking, and how many! I was so engrossed in my drinking I didn't realize that many were not - hopefully you find a group of abstainers that you can share the event with?
Still blah but a little perkier today - hopefully the upward trend continues.

Friday - yippee, groceries shopped for and ignored the pull of the poison - so safe for now! Stay strong all!

[Lavande]

Good afternoon Nesters,
Not working today, expecting some visitors soon, nice!

SL, I used to ask my daughter (who was not too much younger than the ones trying to steal my job) what these girks were thinking?! They were brand new graduates with zero experience & I was tasked with teaching them how to actually do their jobs
I hope you can find some way to fend them off, ha ha!

Wishing everyone a wonderful AF afternoon.

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Hey Nesters,
Looking forward to the weekend....remember, it's just Friday, not a ticket to BoozeVille! Hang in there. Not much planned this weekend, and that's just how I like it! Happy Friday, Byrdie

[narilly]

Happy Friday everyone! Its good to see people staying sober. I read a bit about the blackouts. All I know is that every time I drank towards the end I would black out. I only had to have a couple of drinks before i would start to black out. Probably my body telling me to quit drinking. I think I really increased my life expectancy by quitting the drink.

Oh, and poor Heather Locklear, I bet she fell down and hit her nose drinking. I did that a few times, I had so many bruises and lost so many things when I was drunk. I am so glad to be sober. Thanks for that picture JVo.
Friday was always a tough night for me when I first got sober. It was normally my drinking night because I had to 'relax' after a tough week at work. Unfortunately it would lead to me over drinking most of the time which lead to fights with my hubby, hangovers, black outs, embarrassing phone calls, bruises, etc. I pretty well had a 40 year drinking career so I have had lots of time to mess up.

Thank goodness I don't drink now. I am looking forward to a sober weekend here in Canada, by the way it is COLD here. -30 something with the wind chill, and it is as cold as it sounds!
hugs

[Guitarista]

Stay warm there Narilly and y'all further north!

SL and Lav. I've recently begun a job working in the community, where i know i was picked because of my age/life experience. 5 of us started on the job, including a couple of young's. It's a good mix, but one instance where age and life experience is a clear and acknowledged bonus. The fact i'm an older bloke i'm sure counts for a lot as there's a shortage of fella's in the community sector.

Now nesters, come in close. no no, closer.......a little closer, that's it, a little more, no no closer than that, c'mon...........that's it. Now listen..............THE WEEKEND's NO TICKET TO BOOZEVILLE! K?! K.

Whew! i need a lay down after that.

have a ripper out there.

[available]

morning nesters

Coolish here too but so much nicer than the heat.
Not much to report from me. A tonne of course work should keep me out of trouble this weekend.
Building up to xmas and my enthusiasm level is zero, my bah humbug is that it is all about the dollars and since i have none then life is good. I do prefer to enjoy the children and spending time with them. I am so looking forward to time off also and a rest.
Nar, i used to start blacking out at the end of my drinking career after a couple of drinks, it was like a heavy fog descended inside of me. I still was a trooper and drank more but lots of little things were starting to build into huge things which i knew in my heart were not heading for a good place. I dont miss those days at all, there is no romance for me now about drinking.
Great work G on your community service work. You are NOT that OLD.
Spending some quality time with the twin 4 year olds today. Downloaded a movie i need kids around to watch so i am winning and they are super cute.

Take care x

[j-vo]

Good evening,

Long week, so I'm plopped on my butt but no different than any other night and I'm just fine with that, because it's freezing cold in my part of the nest.

Watching La Bamba (one of my DH's favs and we've seen it a million times) but did you know the woman Elizabeth Pena who was in this movie was 55 when she died. Guess how. Yep. Cirrhosis of the liver. Drank herself to death. She's so young in this movie. To look at her in this movie and imagine how her life was as she slowly killed herself is not much different than what I was doing. In fact, I believe I would have been in the same boat, 6 ft under if I'd keep up this insanity. It's no life to drink as we did. Nothing was more important, because addiction takes away everything from us. We never just had one or two, had dinner, went home and relaxed. I couldn't stop, wouldn't stop until I blacked out then passed out. I'm 51, and I know I'm not going to waste another minute killing myself slowly.

So much to do this weekend, but that doesn't start until after a good night's sleep!

Ava, enjoy those little ones and all the hugs and lovin' they have to give.

Nar, stay warm! I'm trying to do the same.

SoCali, hope the party went well. I will not be attending any parties, except for family xmas stuff. That's not a time I would tie one on anyhow because I'd be too worried they'd talk about me.

Night all.

[Lavande]

Jumping back in to wish everyone a warm & safe night in the nest.
Grateful for a clear head & a warm fireplace

Lav

[paulywogg]

I love LaBamba! Makes me cry everytime even though I've seen it a gazillion times too,I remember hearing about the actress passing away from al a few years ago, really sad hope everyone is having a peaceful night/day

[Pavati]

Hi, Nest:

Thanks for all of the posts...

These stories are so helpful. If I ever get that foolish thought, "it has been long enough, I must be cured" (which is VERY RARELY any more), I can still easily conjure that horrible, awful, terrified, anxious, defeated, crappy way I felt three years and 6 days ago, and I can still easily talk myself down. Now that I've read and learned so much about drinking, I can say with certainty that I wouldn't pick up the drink again even if I "could" and not suffer harmful consequences. I have come to really enjoy experiencing things in full technicolor - good and bad things - and being present for my life and my family. I have come to enjoy sleeping most nights straight through. I have come to enjoy waking up with zero regret. I am so very thankful that I don't drink. Really. I know that sounds like BS to you newbies, because it did to me. But it is true.

Lav - who would want to get rid of you? Sick the Stella on them.

G - if you are half as charming in person as you are online, WHATEVER industry you chose to work in would welcome you with open arms.

SL - I get not leaving your kids - hope June works out.

J-Vo - Glad you had a good day. I love learning and geeking out, too. I feel respected for my experience and age right now at work, I just don't automatically included in the "fun" stuff any more. I insert myself, however, and people realize that I'm still the life of the party...

No ticket to Boozeville here, and I even did without ice cream tonight. It's the small victories.

Pav

[mario]

Good morning nesters,
Sometimes I relive the thoughts of when I was going out drinking, Especially when I returning home late, & all the memories are of being sick & wanting to lie down & wish it was all over. usually I them days I was also living alone in my old self pitying world, thinking the world was so unfair to me & why can't I be like him & her & them, For me it's important never to forget where & how far i have come , It helps me to be stronger & to keep on going,Were all human we all have our faults it's progress not perfection.

Have a great positive day nesters and remember it can be done.

[madonmehndi]

Hi Nest Peeps

Having a struggle with my AL brain today but have read all the lovely posts on here and I feel better My struggle is because we have been putting up our Christmas Decs and I would usually be having drinks but Im not and it is hard going, just another thing I have to learn to do sober and I am full of cold so not feeling my best either! Anyway, I have done it, we are all festive now and its lovely, going to wrap some presents later and write my Christmas Day menu and shopping list, hope everyone is having a good and sober Saturday