Newbies Nest

[Pavati]

Hi, All

Mr. G that was an amazing post. I feel the same way, and hope our missing friends come back. I feel free to admit it here, but in real life I feel like such a scrooge if I express sadness this time of year. You said it in an amazing way.

JKM and Ori - Great for coming straight back. What makes/made you drink? How can you change your approach this time to make it stick? Just asking as a way of offering support.

NS - You crack me up. Seeing yourself as an experiment - why doesn't that surprise me? I will say that I do not miss the first year challenges - there are other challenges that are enough to keep me occupied. I like that sober is the new normal.

Re: DeTox. I get a wellness letter from a University and they pretty much debunk "detox" diets. Livers and kidneys are there to detox your body. Eat a healthy diet, get exercise and sleep, drink plenty of water and the detox will take care of itself. Human bodies are amazing.

Congratulations all you milestoners!

Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

Friday - and I will NOT be buying a ticket to boozeville. Just staying home, eating soup and going to sleep.

Pav

[Byrdlady]

Happy Friday!
The weatherman is predicting snow flurries so the city has cancelled everything! We may get 1/8 inch so stop the presses!

I went to the Lady Parts doctor yesterday and she asked me if I smoked....I said no. Do I consume alcohol? NO! Boy that felt good.

There was a day when I'd have lied and said I had 2 glasses a night....Viking Goblets.....actually, who needs a glass?! Those weren't the days.

This may have officially been a short week, but it's been the longest month of my life....had a doozy of a project come in last night at 5 oclock that had to be completed by 7:30 this morning....but we did it! It was an elevator project and I promised the guy I wouldn't leave him hanging. :hahaha: (you had to be there)

It's only Friday, as Pav noted, NOT a ticket to BoozeVille! Hang in there, eva'body! Have there been times where we all said 'feck it'? You bet, but I am counting the days now til my 6th year anniversary and I am SO GLAD I did whatever it took to keep my quit intact. We had lunch today at a brewery downtown. I remembered as we sat in the SAME BOOTH as almost 6 years ago. I sat there the first weekend of my quit and I was struggling REALLY BAD (but couldn't tell my hubby, remember we were on thin ice back then). I told him today and he told me how proud of me he was. I've come a long way since then....and I've done it one day at a time. It IS worth it, I promise.
Happy Friday, all, Byrdie

[available]

morning nesters

So damn hot here and no motivation to do a thing but put the air con on and die a slow death from the heat. I am sick too so that doesnt help.

JKM good on you for coming back. I remember thinking that i would and could never ever be like the others on here with long sober days but just putting one foot in front of the other seemed to work. Promising myself each and every day to just not drink and doing it. i felt so sorry for myself and so deprived and so stressed and sad but that was life. I was told that sobriety got better if i could just hold on and i did and they were so right. 3 years on and a glass of al does not entice me to drink, seeing people drink does not make me wistful of what i am missing as at the end of the day i am alive and i have a life without al. I have mourned my best friend al and now al is just a horrible memory of the life it took off me for 10 years.

Welcome back Ori, keep on here and dont wander off, accountability is the key.

Great post G, i always wonder what happened to the ones that meandered off and knowing as an alkie it cant be good. No wandering for me, i will protect my sobriety with my life.

Wags, i lived in fear when i drank and it was such a black feeling. I was scared constantly of failing so i drank, i was scared of facing my past so i drank. Now i will try anything, its not going to be the end of the world if i fail. I am doing so many things now i dont drink. Knitting funny beanies that i make the children wear, 1/2 sanding stuff, doing a course and hopefully moving jobs in ten months. Its a big world out there and lots to accomplish. I dont need to hide anymore.

Pauly i am so proud of you girl, you have such a great attitude and its lovely to read your posts.

Coffee time for me. Take care x

[scottish lass]

Hi all - happily trogging along in my af 2017 - nice to see so many others keeping me company
Nar - so great to see you!
Belle - hi!!
Sorry I have been mia - so busy getting back to work, school etc and the crazy schedule - up waaaayyy too early and absolutely exhausted - school for teens really really should not start so soon - it is just impossible!

So 2017 will bring a lot - my oldest will finish school, and in spite of 2 1/2 really bad years, she will graduate! and off to community college! Yippee - but on to the youngest. Looking for a counselor for her, of course my insurance just changed, and makes it all the harder. She is having a really tough time, but we will get there!

So checking in here - really planning to have an af 2017 - and so far, so good. Feeling steady (might be all the extra weight from the holidays that is grounding me mind you - better get back to the exercise!)

TGIF - though I am on call this weekend - getting ready for the 7 days of rain we have forecast - this drought seems to be heading out, think our rain fall is well on the right side, just need the snow pack to catch up. Lots of warnings for flooding, so hopefully we will stay dry!

[Lavande]

Greetings Nesters,

Friday evening in front of the fire here - great!
We only had a small bit of snow last night, more coming tomorrow I think but no big deal. But it is COLD!

Jkm, glad you came right back!
Get your plan adjusted to cover those triggers & find success.

Ori, welcome back to the nest. Speaking of plans......
Stick around with us now & let us know how you are doing.

SL, my brother lives just north of you I believe so I'm sure I'll be hearing about rain. Hope there's no flooding. Take care!

Wishing everyone a safe & comfy night in the nest!

Lav

[Lost Soul]

Hi all,
Checking in for a late & cosy one this Friday - taken a raincheck on than ticket to boozeville, forever :happy2:
JMK - Sending cyber hugs to ya buddy. It is very difficult to actually come back & post so well done & not all of us get this first time, I find it can take time to work out the techniques & safeguards that work for each of us - it is well worth persevering & you will find what works best for you x
Thanks Byrdie & Lav - I hope you don't mind me asking Lav, how your Husband is doing, has he recouporated well?
Belle, it's so hard the first few days, Wishing you strength xx
Kensho are you around 5/6 months? Im sorry you had a stressful day, I'm sure your amazing AF time is a great source of strength now as well - thinking of you x
Wags, Thank you - I could not have achieved this without you all, sincerely :heartbeat:
G, so true and very wise - you can always find the right words x
LC - glad you feel so much happier & positive - you can hear in your post - haha its good to have kicked week 1's butt!
Ori, nice to see you here - I'm back to after a long time awol, the support & kindness in the nest is so helpful x
SL, sounds like you have a juggling act on at the moment - Im sure if it takes a little time to find the right councelling for your youngest, her greatest asset is you in her corner supporting her & hope you find time for yourself too x
Mario, hope you got home safe & sound.
Pauly, NS, Pav & Roobs thankyou all for being so helpful x
Something funny thing happened tonight, Any self respecting alkie doesn't keep booze in the house. My desperate behaviour led to giving in late in the evening & ordering indian takeaway & a bottle of wine (cringe). I haven't been in the last 7,8 weeks & the indian i order from popped in with a 10% discount card tonight - must miss my boozy ways. It's really hilarious, shameful, tragic - depending on how you look at it? I drink soft drinks usually but have taken to drinking tea again - there is no comfort in curling up on the sofa with a glass of coke - so tea is a good alternative. I also dug out some old books, 'chicken soup for the soul' - lots of little inspiring and anecdotal stories - but still warm the cockels of my wee heart ...
Wishing all a safe & sober Friday & weekend
LS

[paulywogg]

Hello nesters,not much going on in my neck of the desert,cold,cloudy and gloomy weather predicted all weekend, plus I hafta work with my most unfavorite coworkers today just stick in my corner of the salon with the radio turned up and shut them all out! Funny cuz when I drank I treated them like best friends, crazy cuz I always used to hear that the truth comes out when someone drinks,that's horseshit and actually its the opposite.. the lies and fakeness come out when we drink,I shall get through today with a positive mental attitude! Wishing us all a wonderful AF day

[Byrdlady]

Pauly,
I have always admired the hairdresser. How can you cut hair fearlessly? How can you put all those crazy chemicals on someone's head without worry of balding them? I know you are trained, but everyone's head is different! Everyone's HAIR is different. I think you must be part artist. My hat is off to the hairdresser, I dont know how you do it!!
Your secret admirer, B

[Pavati]

Hi, Nest

and actually its the opposite.. the lies and fakeness come out when we drink,

SO true, Pauly. I think I put up with a lot more BS when I was drinking, partly because I was so insecure about everything. Have a great day.

Ava - weird to hear about your hot as we are in cold weather here in the US (I know my cold 45 degrees F doesn't compare to others' actual cold, but waah anyway...I miss summer)

SL - Teenagers! They are so challenging. My oldest went through a really rocky time but seems to be coming out of it now - 18 months later. We'll see.

Byrdie - Congratulations on surviving the ups and downs of an elevator job.

Happy Sober Saturday.

Pav

[Struggles 106]

Hi nesters

Day 83 here. My last post was a rant about my daughter etc, and I'm still trying to figure out what to do.
May will be the 3 year mark that I've given up a lot for them and I think that's enough.

Snowed in today. I think I'm going to work on a couple of new songs on my guitar.
Feeling very resentful last night, and that is not a good place to be. I just cannot believe I raised such a selfish entitled person. Makes me sad.

Peace to all-

Ann Carolina

[lifechange]

Hi Nesters,
I've meant to write all day but I was caught up in a packing frenzy! I started at 10 this morning and just got done, 7 hours later.. I was feeling a bit stressed with everything I have to manage to get done this month. And I ended up having such a nice time listening to old cd's, trying to decide whether or not I wanted to take them along, sorting through books and kitchen stuff and clothes. Still a lot to do but I made a huge dent!

Pav, I think you're probably right about the detox thing. I did a real number on myself before this LAFQ and my body was so fed up.. I can't expect an immediate reversal of damage done. I noticed I had quite a bit more energy today.. slowly but surely. I love how much better my overall nutritional choices are when I don't drink.

Pauly, I sure wish you lived nearby and could fix the worst haircut I've ever had. I made the mistake of letting the manager of the shop cut my hair and she always has one eye on everything going on around her.. so you can imagine what I ended up with. Hideous and it's going to take some time to grow out. Looks ok in a pony tail!:happy2:

Ann, Congrats on 83 days! Have you been playing the guitar a long time? What sort of music do you play? I've been storing a piano I bought last year at the flat I'm moving into and am soooo excited to begin playing again. I'm starting all over again but am looking forward.

Ava, I have a hard time imagining being uncomfortably hot as I sit with a warm water bottle tucked under my shirt.. I have to say, I'm enjoying the winter this year. Though my bike lock is frozen so I have to heel-toe it everywhere which takes time! Especially when it's icy out.. yikes!

SL, good to see you!!!
Lav, jealous of the fireplace, you lucky dog.. how are the ladies holding up with the cold weather?

ok.. off to read a bit and then early to bed, I guess. More packing tomorrow!
Wishing you all a lovely, easy and relaxed weekend!

[scottish lass]

Hi all - wet and windy as forecast, but so far not as bad as predicted. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse.
Lav, yes your brother is north of me - hope he comes out unscathed - think we have a good week of this...
Changing beds today - girls are almost done, flannel and cat hair! Enough to drive me nuts! Pan of chilli on stove too - will freeze it to let the spices develop, will be good for the wet week days!
Hi Pav, LC & LS.
take care everyone and stay strong!

[Guitarista]

Ann, Congrats on 83 days! Have you been playing the guitar a long time? What sort of music do you play? I've been storing a piano I bought last year at the flat I'm moving into and am soooo excited to begin playing again. I'm starting all over again but am looking forward.

Oh Yeah! :thumbs:

haven't been to a hairdressers for yonks. I just change toupe's. Dunno which is more expensive, though i hear the line is miles long to Pauly's chair for cheap tuesdays which includes a rare audience with the artiste!

Jane!!! Congrats on 3 whole years off the turps. You are an amazing Wonder woman! Wowza! :balloons:

[Lost Soul]

Hi all
Settling down for a cosy Saturday night, I hope you all had a nice day? It was bright & dry today - so did some gardening & the wee one dug some holes in the flowerbeds :happy2: I think part of my AF plan should include time outdoops, weather permitting - it always feels good when you body knows you've 'done a days work' & I definitely have plenty to catch up in my garden!
Byrdie - I like your story of your brewery lunch. It goes to show how as time passes, & as you've grown so strong in you quit, you can look back at a really tough time & see how far you've come - 6 years is such a great achievement, no wonder your husband is so proud!
Pauly, I know what you mean, l think I set my own standards & boundaries so low when using Al, it's hard to impose a different set on other people's behaviour! Or perhaps I just felt so hollow, anything goes?
Ach Ann, sorry you haven't worked out a solution. I think to offer your kindness & giving your time is a really positive quality, not all that common it sometimes seems these days. I empathise with the feeling of resentment because if someone takes your time & help for granted you just end up feeling used which is very unpleasant. Sending positive thoughts & wishing you strength xx 83 days is some feat, well done for getting through AF!
LC, to me, music is memories so I would take them all...to hell with the er, table! Who needs it?! Hope you get a chance for some downtime amidst your busy schedule this month & you so can do it :-)
Wishing all a safe & sober Saturday
LS

[Lost Soul]

Congratulations on 3 years Jane :sohappy: