Newbies Nest

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Everyone! Last night here... flying home early tomorrow am. The trip got better because I focused on myself instead of my husband. So all good here... sober and so glad about that!

Congrats Narily I’m loving your new job environment!

I’ll have more to myself soon, and will be glad to check in more often.

Good night!

[TJAF]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hello all! Nice to see some familiar names, having been away for so long. For those who don't know me I'm an alcoholic! I drank from my late teens until my mid fifties. Nearly 6 years ago I quit cold turkey. (I didn't say I was very smart) For you newbies, see a doctor you can trust and, quit under medical supervision. Anyway i'm still very much sober. I sometimes wish I was more available to help folks starting out. My excuse for staying away is that I just really want to forget, and for the most part I no longer think about alcohol, not tempted at all but I worry that making my sobriety a focal point would also come with temptations.
Living life sober is a joy. I'm alive, not numb or sick or both. Drinking was so horribly exhausting. Getting the booze, hiding the booze, lying about booze, hiding the evidence, worrying that my next drive to the store would end in an arrest. My next fight with my wife would be my last. Worried that every little pain was my health finally taking a dive ( and oh it surely was, you can't drink a bottle of vodka a night and not do major damage). My message is simple. Life is far better (a little scarier at times, maybe) sober. Lasting sobriety is possible.

[narilly]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning everyone!
I have this Friday off which is awesome. I am grateful for this job and now that I am sober I hope to really excel in it. The opportunity is there, YAY!!!!
Thanks for the congrats everyone.

Hello TJAF, great that you are still on track. I remember you, of course, we had lots of posts trying to stay sober and look where we are now.

Everyone sounds good, I am going to go get ready for the day and have another cuppa. The sun is shining here in Calgary and we are looking at three beautiful days of weather, oh yeah!

Don't drink today xo

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi TJAF! Love when you stop in

Keep fighting for what you’re worth Ava. We get what we must have.

We were up at 2am our time for a flight and are now home eating breakfast. I’m out of it! Feeling sturdy in my quit and love my home... as much as I loved the moist air, beach and thick history of the Carolinas. Charleston was beautiful!

Today in the thinner air, I have laundry, groceries and hopefully a nap!

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

Congratulations on your new job, [MENTION=1354]narilly[/MENTION]! It is cool that you are with all new people - you'll be just another run of the mill nondrinker at your first social event :smile:. I grew up in a family of nondrinkers so I know that there are TONS of people who never consume alcohol. We just don't let ourselves see that when we are in the throes of addiction.

It is good to see you [MENTION=19794]TJAF[/MENTION]. It's great that you know yourself - better not to be immersed in addiction day to day. I, on the other hand, feel more comfortable with a daily reminder. Everyone needs to find their own way out. I'm so happy for you that you've found yours.

I am so excited! I have a date to chat with [MENTION=15430]lifechange[/MENTION] on the phone next week! We have been typing friends for so long and now will have a chance to hear one another. I remember the first time I talked to [MENTION=11704]Byrdlady[/MENTION] on the phone. I about fainted! It was the first time I had ever been that open to someone who knew what seemed like my shocking and horrible truth. I love what we have here in this forum but I would encourage everyone to make as many real life connections as you can. I'd just love for us all to be able to be together in a room and share a :hug:.

I've been traveling here and there for the last 3 weeks with only a few nights at home between trips with that continuing for another week. I'm a homebody at heart so this is not my favorite. I never would have been able to pull off all this driving and need-meeting if I were still drinking. And the truth is, I'm needed right now. I can only imagine how I would be feeling if I were lying and manipulating to avoid responsibility. My self image was already very low. There was no where to go but down.

Have a good AF weekend and upcoming holiday week (for those in the US). xx, NS

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Bah! I was nervous talking to you, too, NS! I find it much easier to type it out, we actually Skyped, too! Putting a real face and voice to our connections has been just awesome. There are REAL people behind these posts!

I am suffering from vacation fever! This has been THE longest day! I'm looking forward to 5 o'clock! Ha, that used to be the brand of vodka I drank. I remember thinking they should rename it to 2:30 Vodka :egad:

It's only Friday! Not a ticket to BoozeVille! Byrdie

[Overit-still]

Re: Newbies Nest

TJAF-Great to see you. Like you, I prefer to just not think about it, not make it a THING, just live life without it, but not a constant reminder that I'm living WITHOUT something. But, so far that hasn't worked for me because here I am, back again, 3 weeks under my belt this time. Been chasing this cycle for almost 7 years now. What a waste!

I'm so glad everyone is tucked in safe. Have a great weekend and just don't drink.

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Still hot & nasty in Lav-land, yuck! We have a severe storm warning up at the moment & all we got was 3 minutes of light rain ~ weird!

Kensho, glad you are home safely & glad that you turned the focus on yourself.
That was the hardest thing for me to learn after a lifetime of people pleasing. Honestly, I look at it as a survival skill we all need.

TJ, great to see you as always! So glad you continue to do well too. There’s no turning back for us now
I don’t think about drinking or not drinking anymore myself. Things are fine & just the way they should be, right?

Narilly, enjoy your weekend, you deserve a good one!

NS & Byrdie, I’ve enjoyed making friends here too
No real need to explain ourselves & no need to be nervous either.

Overit, you’re doing great. Just keep moving forward, no looking back!

I hope everyone has a safe night in the nest. I need to pop out & check on my newest flock of hens. They were added to the older flock today (kinda just snuck them in when no one was looking) haha. Now I can close up the nursery portion of the chicken house. Such exciting times, huh???

Lav

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

MOrning nest

Glad to see you home safe and sober Kensho.

I am meeting my cousing in August who i have not seen in 30 years i would say and i am sure it will just be like yesterday since we saw each other. I dont have much family so this is very special and exciting. i hope we remember to take a breath. She rarely drinks so there are no issues at all about al.

Bryd i remember you or NS organising the time differences to chat on skype, so long ago and just to hear the difference accents, as us aussies dont have one ha ha.

I slept in till 9am today, the first time in forever, much needed i think. Its cold and rainy so no real reason to bounce out of bed in winter. I was just talking to my son about his friend, who's nan has about three weeks to live and they went out and got drunk. i said it would be easier to deal with sober! It only makes us forget for a short time the pain. Then i heard the litany of justification. Oh well, it needed to be said.

Lovely to see you TJ and happy 6th birthday when it arrives. I know how you feel about not being reminded. i could go off MWO tomorrow and be secure in living my life sober but this is my family and they helped me so very much in the first year of sobriety and who knows, something i say may resonate with newbies and i think us women always like a chat and gossip!

Hows life Sunrise, i miss your posts!

Well off for a cuppa. I hope you dont melt or get blown away Lav.

Take care xx

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hola friends!

Byrdy, i used to drink a brand called 24/7........

Keep cool Lav!

Exciting to meet your cousin Ava!

Well, they say all good things come to an end. Of course, another door will open and the repercussions and effect of this adventure will be long lasting. I could easily live on this continent. My last full day in Ecuador Sth america. I'm on the long 15 hr flight home tomorrow at lunchtime in a little over 24 hrs. Meeting a nice chica today for some cozy time and a farewell. We've spent the last few days together and she's a great woman. It will be a little sad, but my attitude is one af gratefulness and i think it's hers too. Part of me is looking forward to returning home to my bands and work, and part of me wants to stay. The next few weeks of reflection will be interesting. I know i will be returning for sure. Latin people and culture are great!

Big waves to y'all.

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

G and Kensho - sounds like good endings to two fabulous trips for both of you! So grateful to hear how others are navigating the world and really LIVING when they set themselves free from drinking.

TJAF - great to see you!

Overit - 3 weeks is fantastic. Keep coming back - we're all in these quits together

Nar - enjoy your long weekend and the relief/satisfaction/etc of your new job!

Lav - I think we got your thunderstorm here. We rarely get thunder and downpours but had both. At least it isn't hot right now so we didn't have that layer on top of everything. And hooray for our new roof and gutters doing a fantastic job!

NS and LC - enjoy your opportunity to talk next week - really glad you're connecting in that way :heartbeat:


I had a horrible drinking dream early this morning - right before I woke up or thereabouts. I was staying at a friend's house (not a real life friend and didn't recognize the house - just generic) and I had decided for some reason that I could have a few shots of some clear liquor they had. And I reached a point where I held up the bottle and realized I'd had so much of it that it would be noticeable and I would have to replace it. But then replacing it with full would be obvious, and who would want to buy a full bottle and pour about half of it out just to make it look like the original. Ugh! I was disgusted with myself and deeply disappointed while in the dream, and experienced such relief waking up and realizing it wasn't real!

I never ever want to go back there, and I know I'd be in that level of drinking in a hot minute if I allowed myself even one, so here I stay firmly butt-velcroed to the nest and to my quit.


Hellos and waves to Pav, Byrdie, Belle, Ava, Matt, and anyone else stopping by the nest today. Have wonderful weekends!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

LC - great to see you check in. I love this sentiment:

You're not in any way boring.. just hangin' with the wrong people sometimes.

What river are you on? I am always on the hunt for a good, undiscovered river community where we can hike and swim without hundreds of people...

Narilly! So amazing about your job. It is so exciting to start a new job, and the fact that you already like your team is such a plus. Congratulations again.

Lav - Do you have hundreds of grandkids? Do they just visit all of the time?

Love that you all talk to each other. I have developed friendships outside of this platform with people who help me keep it REAL. I recommend it as well...

G and Kensho - glad you had great trips. Mr. G - I'm telling you. You need a South America travel ambassador job. You really make me want to visit...

Byrdie - hope that deal works out in spite of the hag.

Happy SOBER Saturday. We're having an 80th birthday party for my mom. Should be fun, and a nice day, thankfully.

Pav

[narilly]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy sober Saturday everyone, grateful to be Un Hung this morning.
Wags, I probably had the same drinking dream, ugh.
Pav, You sound great, have a great sober time at your mom’s party. My mom is 84 and still going strong. I agree that Lav has a hundred grandkids!
Byrdie, enjoy your weekend, you deserve it.
Ava, that is good what you said to your son. Hopefully he will connect the dots one day. It’s so hard to watch though, I understand xo

G Man, sounds like such a great trip, I am so happy you are enjoying it so much. Lucky Chica you are meeting today.
Ken, I am the same way, I like the vacation but I love coming home. Nothing like your own bed to sleep in.

Hello Overit, you are doing great. So nice to read your posts.
TJAF- a big hello!

Well, am sitting in the sun enjoying my morning. So grateful for my life- my sober life. This is truly going to be a new chapter for me and I am going to work hard, love lots and live Big because I am sober. This is the life I want. Yippee!!

Don’t drink today xo.

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning. I woke up not knowing where I was! Great to be home... my power place, as LAV said. Husband is already planning a visit to breweries here with his drinking buddy... I said that I would meet him out for dinner but didn't want to be at a brewery. He said with sarcasm, "Yah, I'm never taking you to a brewery again...", and I responded, "Glad you finally figured THAT out!".

AVA glad you got to sleep in. I absolutely LOVE sleep. I deprived myself for too long.

LAV, how many chickens do you have now? Do you eat eggs every day?

G, hope your flight goes well today. It's a long one!! You have a great attitude about life and drinking, your posts are uplifting.

Arrived home with a migraine - no doubt due to lack of sleep, plane travel, hormones and 2 weeks of eating whatever I felt like eating. Fried green tomatoes, biscuits, shrimp & Grits, ice cream....(don't regret it!) Still fighting that a bit. But glad to be back in my space, where I make my own rules and have a little more "me" time. I love traveling with my kids, and they are getting more independent, but I do appreciate time to myself. And I'm SO glad I'm not adding hangovers to my mornings!

Happy weekend!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Finally had one of those big thunder storms but it didn’t last long. May be getting another later tonight.
Just so everyone knows: Granny Lav has 3 grandchildren, 2 boys, 1 girl. The boys live close by so there are here often & when their parents are at work or wherever. I have 12 laying hens & 8 youngsters that are not laying yet but will be soon. I definitely do not eat eggs very often due to a family history of severely clogged up arteries. I actually eat vegan more often than not, haha! Now my husband is a huge egg eater with a normal cholesterol level ~ go figure. I give eggs to everyone I know, had regular egg customers years ago. It’s an interesting but messy hobby, for sure

Wags, drinking dreams are disturbing but they have always secured my quit! I will never have another day 1!!

Pav, just 3 grandkids, haha! Hope the party was a good one.

Ava, have fun meeting your cousin, nice! A cousin of mine just contacted me on FB recently. I’m sure it’s been at least 30 years as well.

G, wishing you safe travels to the homeland. I’m so glad your trip was special for you.

Narilly, stay as happy as you are right now! You deserve the happiness after all your hard work.

Kensho, glad you are back in your power seat, LOL
I would ignore the snide remarks about the brewery - kind of juvenile, don’t you think? I hope you are feeling like yourself in no time

Hello to Byrdie & anyone else checking in tonight.
Have a safe night in the nest!

Lav