Newbies Nest

[murph54]

Re: Newbies Nest

Thank you! I really do enjoy book club and would hate to miss it. I think today will be fine since I am on a Newbie high, and I have support. BTW...our book this month is EDUCATED by Tara Westover. It is a memoir, not about drinking but overcoming other obstacles, and I believe if she can make it, so can I.

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Welcome [MENTION=24381]murph54[/MENTION] ! You CAN overcome this. Many of us here have and we can help you too. Glad you're here!

G - I can't seem to open your photos. But I can imagine what you are seeing... (daydream and sigh on my end...)

[narilly]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hello everyone, you all sound really good.
It was nice to read your post Life, glad you are here.

Welcome Murph, I read educated and Loved it! I thought it was an excellent book. Stick around, it really helps to come here everyday and read the posts.

I thought I posted yesterday but must have totally forgot. I have been busy taking care of MIl, she is in rough shape. She will probably end up in the hospital for a few days because they need to figure what is wrong with her.

Hey Ken, I love your signature- "Done. Moving on to life." that is awesome. Yeah, life is pretty good sober. I am grateful to be sober everyday.

G, I couldn't open the pics either so I just imagined how great they looked, glad you are enjoying yourself sans AL.

Hello Tree Hugger Pav.
Ava xo
Lav, Byrdie, Wags, Slo, Pauly, everyone, have a good one.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Our nice weather has gone, awaiting a thunderstorm now, oh well!

Hello & welcome Murph, glad you found us!
Settle in & stay as long as you like. You can see I have been here since right after the nest was built haha!
Good to hear you have local support, that’s very helpful. Where are you located? (If you want to say).

Narilly, goodluck with your MIL. I’ve taken care of all 4 of our parents plus 2 grandparents so I understand the process.

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

Lav

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Welcome. Murph!
When I retire, I want to start reading. It’s one of those things I’ve never made time to do.

Great posts, everyone. I was one of the people who never thought I’d find sobriety or MindPeace. Happily, with support and knowledge I have found both right here.
Work was a bear today, sheesh.
I drank to escape. I escaped, all right, I nearly lost everything! Learning other ways to cope and ‘escape’ have been key for me. As Guitarista says, ‘learn to sit with the situation a while’. BTW, I couldn’t open your photos and it’s a darn shame! (Fists pounding).
Happy Hump Day, all! Stay strong, no matter what and no matter who!
Byrdie

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Thanks for the book recommendation, Murph & Narilly! I love memoirs. Hopefully happy hour (book club) goes ok for you tonight, Murph, but don’t be afraid to skip it in these early months if it feels like too much. I also had to retreat from most things in order to get a good quit going.
I like how people are calling it like it is! -book club is really “happy hour”, [MENTION=20476]KENSHO[/MENTION]’s husband was really looking forward to a “drink fest” rather than going to a baseball game, etc. Well, sadly that’s how I was -I looked forward to the chance to drink more than the event itself.

Sorry MIL is going downhill and/or something is going wrong with her, Narilly.
It kind of works out that you’re not working right now so you’re available to help with her.
Lav, you have done an incredible amount of end-of-life caregiving for your family!

Thanks Sunrise, and Lav & Pav! It is a big step towards independence and not needing mom & dad so much anymore when they start driving, especially if they have access to a vehicle. And she does, as her aunt bought a new car, so we bought her 10-year-old one for daughter.
Hilarious about the win-win-lose, Pav!

Sunrise, hope your table re-finishing project went well once you got your supplies; and after you stripped it, then you stripped out of your paint clothes and into the pool! Glad your daughter has more job options; that camp one may not have been good after all.

[MENTION=24370]FeralPuppy[/MENTION], you’re making it through the bumpy ride; the ups & downs of early sobriety and PAWs. It’s not easy, but you’re staying focused & vigilant.

Welcome back [MENTION=21483]Matt M.[/MENTION]! That’s fun to have a still-sober person come back! I’m 10 months along.

[MENTION=17650]paulywogg[/MENTION], interesting observation about the Ellen show! Reminds me to watch it more often, for the laughs. Drinking on the show and booze jokes sounds annoying though.

Hi to travelin’ G, home alone Wags, hot LC, overworked Byrd, busy NS, butt-kicking Ava, and all in the Nest!

[New Sunrise]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good Morning All,

Just a quick check in and Welcome Murph!

I tried to post yesterday and my computer was terribly slow and would not bring up anything. I worked on this darn thing and nothing improved it. Lost our cable and electricity last night in a small storm and now everything is working great. I guess my connection needed a reboot.

I am still working on that darn table! It is giving me a fit, but then again, I needed a reboot since it has been so long since I have done anything that took this much effort. My body is screaming at me, but once I get going, I am loosing up and moving better. Old age is not for the faint of heart!

Happy Sober Thursday All!

[FeralPuppy]

Re: Newbies Nest

Quick check in here. Still sober and doing well. I feel actually really very well indeed. Between 5 and 6 weeks I guess and few weird symptoms at all. AV is gearing up however... Just tiny little tricksy whispers. Have to shoot that down for sure.

Have a great day!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Welcome, Murph. It is dangerous to go to a known drinking place so early, but if you're feeling strong, have fun! I quit on Dec. 2, so I went to all of the holiday parties sober and really enjoyed myself. When people started drunk close-talking I just left. Make sure that you have your own car so you can bail if you need. I just finished Educated - and couldn't put it down. It was painful, insightful, and well written. My husband and I had driven somewhere for the weekend, and I just read it the whole way home. Eat a lot before the event so you're not tempted by anything, and eat as much as you want to avoid drinking.

G - couldn't see the pictures, but I am imagining your trip. I really, really want to go to South America, but currently paying for college makes travel like that impossible. I'll get there soon!

Sorry about MiL, Slo. I hope it is all ok.

Went to a nice after-work party last night - it was beautiful weather and a lot of fun people. I am getting tired, however...

So Happy It's Thursday.
Pav

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning! The air smells so good this morning here! Last summer we had to smell all the industrial smells of the fracking towers nearby. The companies don't care about nearby people at ALL, and my peace was stolen THIS summer is much better so far!

I have the rest of the week to work at home, which is relaxing. So looking forward to that. Also, ALEXA just told us that it is National Yo-yo day, so there's THAT!

G - thinking about you on your travels. Hope you're sucking all you can out of every moment! You have a few people here living vicariously though your free and easy adventures!

Great work on 10 months SLO. You're doing great... almost a year, and isn't life SO much better?!

Hugs to all!

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Quick fly-by this morning - hope everyone has a great Thursday day and eve. Whatever you've got going on today, whether you're soaking up the sights in Latin America or taking care of family members, it'll be better without al in the picture.

[narilly]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi everyone, I just got a call for an interview on Tuesday, yay!

Feral, you are doing great, nice to see your post.

Wags, I agree, everything is ok without AL in the picture!

Have a great day and don't drink today.

[murph54]

Re: Newbies Nest

Made it through the night, although is was difficult. Stressed out due to sick grandchild in hospital...but happy to be sober so I could help out with the other kids. I feel very tired and hungry, though. Wedding Saturday night with open bar...will be tough but with your help I can do this.

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

[MENTION=24381]murph54[/MENTION] ... Sorry you had the hospital experience, that's so stressful! Great work coping with not drinking! It takes times like these to rebuild your brain pathways so new behaviors can be the habit (instead of drinking!). And it works, I promise! The stronger you are and the more storms you weather, the more sun you'll see! And if you're hungry, EAT!! I've found that even now, if I see white wine and want it, I get a tall glass of sweet lemonade or something like it, and it satisfies the urge, so I think that hunger was definitely a trigger for my drinking. At least part of the time, I just wanted sugar or needed food!

Do you have a plan set for the wedding? For me, in the beginning, I made a detailed plan for trigger times. An open bar at a drunk fest (I mean wedding) is a real challenge early in your quit. I did the same event about 5 weeks into my quit and was successful! My plan included:
- be able to leave early if needed
- have a cup of anything non-alcoholic IN MY HAND at ALL times during the event and reception
- visit the restroom to text MWO frequently
- go outside and sit by myself
- distract myself by counting red dresses, blue shoes, etc.
- EAT BEFORE THE EVENT - and get stuffed there too!!!
- concentrate on how fun it is to dance sober, especially with children!
- Watch how much others drink and feel grateful that it is not you - because you know how it will end

There are many other ideas in the toolbox so you can tailor your plan to what works for you. It's a danger zone for sure early in a quit, so be sure you think about your plan and commit to it! I did it, and I know you can too!!

Hugs!

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning nesters

Welcome Murph and you will never regret finding MWO.

Slo, i hope your fam is ok and the MIL is on the mend. There is nothing more stressful than sick family but your doing it sober each and every day.

Sunrise, i started sanding a huge 8 seater dining room table when i first stopped drinking and it still has a quarter sanded. too mess, could not take it outside and table clothes work a treat. i dont know why i have an 8 seater table, it seems to collect stuff and is not sat around much. maybe i might get rid of it this year.

Matt, well flaffing is fart arsing around with some fluffing thrown in, ha ha. i seem to have done that a lot this week.

Its been such a busy week at work, i have my review next week and ive done no preparation for it, im anxious and think why bother but i spoke to my psychologist for an hour about how to approach this without my anxiety going out of control and overthinking the end when the beginning has not begun. As she says to me tomorrow is a blank page that hasnt been written and we dont know the beginning or the end. I like that.

A long weekend for the queens birthday. We are a bit slow on the uptake since her birthday was in April but i will take a day off. Its getting hard to drag myself out of bed at 4.15am as its cold but i at least get to see the shiny thing in the sky that is covered with clouds when i finish.

Good luck with your interview nar.

take care xx