Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Friday evening greetings Nesters,

Our half day of sunshine yesterday is over, back to rain, thunder storms.....whatever.
I am now dog sitting my son's dog while they ar on vacation. I normally enjoy having her here but she's been sick for a few days. They came right from the vet office this morning where the dog was getting some IV fluids due to dehydration. Guess I have my work cut out for me for the next week. I am happy to be healthy & functioning so that I can help others - even grand-dogs, ha ha!

Slo, your daughters did what my kids did - one was married in September & one in December a few months later. Almost made me want to lose my mind. I was still drinking then but I don't think it was too problematic. Still, I kind of wish I was 100% sober for the events. You'll have lots of sober time under your belt by the time your next daughter's wedding comes around ;0

LC, nice to see you & glad to hear you enjoyed your time off.

Narilly, glad you are enjoying your new job & the paycheck


Hello to everyone & wishing a safe night in the nest for all!

Lav

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

[MENTION=15430]lifechange[/MENTION], the wedding is July 27 of next year. You’re right, it should be good motivation to get a full year under my belt and get well-prepared to do it sober.

[MENTION=8356]Lavande[/MENTION], that’s interesting that your kids got married three months apart too! And admirable that you wish you would have gone through their weddings sober? I guess I have a year to try to adopt that kind of a mindset.

I ended up sitting in a group with three people who were drinking today. Annoying as I didn’t expect that to be part of my day today. Guess I’d better get used to it. At least I got to leave and go take my daughter to her next activity. Kids come in handy that way.

Rava & Overit-still, cravings are hard. I’m eating a lot of chocolate and ice cream and cookies to keep them at bay. Overit, I was worried you’d be craving after your bad night the other night. Can you pop an Antabuse?

Happy full moon night! I’m happy to get to the other side of it tomorrow.

[Rava]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning nesters. Hope everyone has a good Saturday. I am wanting to drink pretty badly today. Trying to stay focused and playing the tape to the end. There is no such thing as enjoying “a” glass of wine. That would not even touch my desires. UGH. Working on towing the line and remembering that I have over 1 month under my belt......

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

hi Nesters,

just a quick hello on this hotter than hot Saturday afternoon. We are losing it here with temps in the mid 90'sF! We had a nice reprieve this morning/afternoon with a trip to the forest for a walk and then a dip in the lake. I also had a treat last night, watching the lunar eclipse from my balcony. I sat and watched it for about an hour and thought about how happy I was to be sober. I've been struggling a bit with thoughts of drinking again recently which totally annoys me.. with this hot weather I want a "refreshing" drink.. but of course alcohol isn't. It makes me sweaty and stinky and red in the face.. So I'm moving slowly, making some yummy iced drinks, might watch some netflix.. or read.

Not much to say.. big hugs all around.xx

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

X-post Rava! I'm sorry you're having a hard time.. Playing it through to the end is such a great strategy.. it also helps me to remember again, in detail, why I decided to stop drinking. And to try and figure out what's underlying the desire to drink?? Am I bored or antsy or tired or hungry? Procrastinating? Just wanting a refreshing drink? There's always something down there because I KNOW that I actually don't want to drink. If I can figure out what's really going on, I can deal with it in a different way.. Also, I've found, just telling myself NO, I do not drink.. very strongly and with intention does wonders. Taking the option off the table, as they say. :hug: to you.. Let us know..

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

thought about how happy I was to be sober. I've been struggling a bit with thoughts of drinking again recently which totally annoys me..

Follow the thoughts that bring happy feelings and let the ones that make you feel annoyed float on by and you'll be fine, LC :hug:. Negative thoughts and their associated feelings are like a hot stove - it's a signal to step back. Even if there is a "real" problem (unlike most of mine, which I invent ), a solution isn't likely to pop up into an agitated mind but just might into a calm one.

I am wanting to drink pretty badly today. Trying to stay focused and playing the tape to the end. There is no such thing as enjoying “a” glass of wine. That would not even touch my desires. UGH. Working on towing the line and remembering that I have over 1 month under my belt......

Don't give up those 30+ well-earned days, Rava :bravo:!

It was kind of a breakthrough for me when I realized that a single glass of wine (even the very generous size I drank, not the standard 5 ounces) sounded totally irritating! I heard someone call s'mores "moreish" recently and realized that is what wine is for me - if I have any, I want more and more and more. There is never enough.

Have a great weekend, Nesters! xx, NS

[Overit-still]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good afternoon. We are inundated with fires here in N. California and it is so smoky it's hard to breathe. So, instead of hiking or being on the lake.......I came into work. blech

Slo, I'm doing fine. I was just really antsy. I get that way with my drinking. either I like to drink when I'm mad or moody to console myself or drink when my mood is high as a kite to celebrate life. We know how both of those end though don't we.

I didn't have an antabuse on Thursday, just because there wasn't one in my pill holder. That wasn't a problem though because with almost a month of antabuse in my systeym I couldn't have drank anyway. But, it was Friday AM when I was calculating in my head that if I was already off of antabuse for one day, how many more before I could have a drink, so I didn't take one and thought about drinking all day. Then thinking oh, I could just have one of those airplane shots, that surely wouldn't be enough to make me sick, but of course that would have done nothing for me and I would have been pissed that I did it and said f*ck it and kept going. I KNOW HOW IT GOES. I've been down that road literally thousands of times. So, I made sure to take it today.

I have to get to the point that the reason I'm not drinking isn't because I'm on antabuse. I know I can do it. My original quit on 12/12/12 I was on AB for 4 months. Then I just kind of went with it. I kept it on hand so that if I found myself in a situation that was iffy, I would pop just one and that settled it. Lots of work to do.

Have a great day everyone.

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nest! We are on a 7 day camping road trip with the kids. In a 10,000 Ft. mountain town having lunch at the moment. Thinking about you all and not drinking. Will check in as I get reception. Hope everyone is hanging in there. I’m getting SLEEP which is absolutely golden!!!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

I am profoundly jealous of your 'getting sleep' kensho, ha ha! Enjoy your time away

Rava & Overit, would it surprise you if I said I still get an occasional drinking thought after nearly 9 1/2 years AF? It's not a big deal, it doesn't upset me in the least & I know to brush the thought off immediately. I must have told myself "I don't drink' 10,000 times over these years. Thoughts are just thoughts & we certainly don't have to act on them. Hang in there ladies, you've got this!

Hi there NS, hope you are having a good day!

LC, this summer has been extremely hot world wide, ugh.

Would you all like to hear about the 5 foot long black snake I found in one of the chicken house nest boxes this morning??? Dear God, I almost had a heart attack. I've seen these snakes plenty of times but not quite that close, LOL
Wishing everyone a safe & comfy night in the nest!

Lav

[TJAF]

Re: Newbies Nest

5 years ago tonight, my wife's Birthday and I was completely and totally smashed. Vodka and lots of it. I don't remember the night though. The blackout kindly blotted out what was sure to be an embarrassment. You see most nights I hid my drinking but family parties were liberating, I could get openly drunk because you know, I was a social drinker. Well I woke up with a rare hangover, I had before that stopped getting them so I must have really put them down the day before. No hangover didn't mean I wasn't sick most mornings but it was a different kind of sick, withdrawal coupled with a blood pressure level likely through the roof, muddled thoughts, I think some know the feeling. Long story short, I had enough. About a week later I found this site and it got me past that first week, then month, then year. After two years I figured I was well on my way. Now it's 5. Thank you all. Hard to fathom sometimes but oh am I thankful. I'm alive, really alive and life is so much better. For those of you just starting out, there really is a path. Just believe it's possible and you'll get there

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

TJAF, that is quite an inspiring story, and really something how committed you were that you just quit and stayed quit. Thanks for sharing that you like life better AF. I’ll bet your wife likes having you off alcohol too. What a nice birthday present you’re giving her this year!

Congratulations on your 5-year AF anniversary, TJAF!!

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

TJAF - congrats on your 5 years, and thanks for sharing your story!

Kensho - enjoy your much-deserved sleep

Rava - sorry to hear you're struggling but glad to hear of the tools you're pulling out. Nope, no such thing as "a" drink, and playing the tape forward usually reveals the truth behind the lies al tries to tell us. Hang in there!

LC - I hear you about heat. We've had a long streak of mid to upper 90s here as well, which I know doesn't sound all that hot to many folks but in this part of the country we aren't equipped for such temps. No AC for one, so no way to escape unless you can get into water. We set up a cold water soaking tub in our backyard - it's really a horse trough, but we find this use better during summer. Even a large size adult can get all the way down into the water, and it really drops your core body temp for an hour or so and makes the heat tolerable in 30-60 minute chunks. Lots of people find the heat to be an excuse for cool summer drinks, but I've been indulging in watermelon popsicles made from real fruit juice - way more refreshing!

Lav - I'm sure that snake was quite a shock! No thank you!!!

Hope everyone is having (or has had) fantastic weekends!

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

TJAF, congrats on your big 5-OH!!! :yay:Yes, I was very familiar with that lifestyle, I didnt have hangovers unless I REALLY blew it out, something I had to watch since my drinking was on the radar of my hubs. What an awful cycle I was in. I hate lifestyle change as much as the next person, but this one has been well worth it. Like anything worth having, it took work to get. Great job on 5 years, thank you for checking in and sharing with us.
We got the DNA results from my second brother yesterday, he is only my half sibling. What a turn of events to find out my sister and I are the product of a long running affair. I tell you, just when you think things cant happen to you, it happens to you!!
I have so much to be grateful for, so Im concentrating on those things. As the Jungle Book advises....Accentuate the positive and EEEEE-liminate the negative. Hope everyone has an easy Sunday. Is it ever going to stope raining? 13 inches in July!!!! Byrdie

[Rava]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy Sunday Nesters. [MENTION=19794]TJAF[/MENTION] congrats on your 5 years! That is quite an accomplishment! Thanks for sharing your story with the rest of us. Hope and encouragement is good! I am taking it easy today and trying to relax a bit. Hope everyone has a good and sober day!

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,
Coming to the end of my Sunday.. it's been a nice day. Uneventful.
Not a whole lot to say..
Hope everyone is doing well.. hugs all around.xx

ps I do the same, Wags, but in our bathtub.. just keep it full of cold water. It does help a lot!