Newbies Nest

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

I miss the nest! We are very busy here in the Kensho house... lifeguard certifications, planning trips and visitors, planting spring gardens and planning two birthdays, while having too much work has us sweating. BUT I am not drinking. Something happened yesterday that made me very aware of just how much I value sobriety. It is truly the best decision I have ever made. Look forward to reading some tomorrow - best to all for a good night!

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Now I’m left curious about what happened yesterday to make you value your sobriety, Kensho!

I spent the day visiting relatives, plus driving the three hours there and then back; with my mom and sister. Gone are the days when my mother would just fly down to her hometown herself and not invite me -now she needs a ride due to vision problems, so I’m included!
There were many bottles of hard liquor out for mixing drinks, plus bottles of wine, plus lots of beer and spiked cans of stuff in the fridge.
Then when a cousin arrived carrying practically a full bar with her in her carrying caddy, that’s when twin sister succumbed and started slipping hard liquor into her water glass. I could see the change in her eyes and in her speech.
I wish people and society could make it easier on alcoholics to join in social gatherings by not making such a big deal & focal point out of their drinking, and not needing to have so much of it sitting out in plain sight.

It does make me value my sobriety though, anyways.

Goodnight, Nesters!

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

I'm really sorry your sister couldn't resist the temptations, SLO. It can be tough when it is right there in front of you and it seems like everyone is enjoying it (and thinks you should, too!). Good on you for staying true to yourself.

Rahul, you've been in my thoughts wondering how you and your family are coping. It is hard to live in fear of an invisible foe, like we all seem to have experienced at some point over the last year. Some of my friends have increased their alcohol intake (a lot!) in an effort to deal with all of it. I was grateful to face it with a clear mind. Hope to see you fly back into the nest soon to share more of your poetry.

I've been hanging out with my elderly parents this weekend. Yesterday was cold and rainy so we were housebound all day (other than 2 long rather miserable walks with a puppy with too much energy and no way to burn if off in this weather). I was able accept the slow pace so much better than back in the day when I would have been counting down the minutes until I could start in on sneaking sips of the stash that would have been hidden in my suitcase. I wouldn't have been able to start too early because of the fear that I wouldn't have the 'enough' that Byrdie mentioned to last through the evening. I sure don't miss that fear of scarcity that used to plague me.

I'm eager to get back to volunteering - your efforts sound so helpful and rewarding, Steady.

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Rahul - so glad you're ok, and so sorry for what is happening all around you. What a terrible situation. Take care.

Good to see you pop in, Kensho. Sounds like you have a lot going on.

Not much to report here. Went out to a real restaurant last night for the first time - inside. It was limited capacity and had a lot of doors open, but heading back to normal. The food itself was just ok, and it was one of my favorite restaurants. I hope they pull it together! It was a late dinner and I ate too much so I had a bad sleep for a while with indigestion. Getting old...

Cleaning and cooking today. I'm sort of excited for it.

Happy SOBER Saturday,
Pav

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Cloudy but no rain so far today, maybe later.
I had enough energy to do ‘something’ today so I decided to clean the 2 windows in the chicken house, haha! I’m sure they will be happier trying to see out - just kidding.
Not much else going on here.

Kensho, glad you checked in & are doing well

Slo, I feel sad for your sister being in that situation. Too much too soon in her sober journey I guess. I hope she can put the brakes on & get back on plan.
We certainly do value our sobriety, we fought for it & won’t give it up!!

Ava, I will be having my blood drawn Monday morning. I don’t think I have Lymes but I’m also getting a lot of other stuff checked out. I haven’t needed a winter coat for the past 25 or more years, Lol
Stay healthy & happy!

NS, our parents have been gone for a very long time but I do remember their slowness. I guess we are the elders of the family now, geez.
I guess your pup will learn to adjust when family is around. Takes a while for Goldens to mature, I have had that experience a few times

Pav, sorry your dinner out wasn’t up to expectation. Hopefully they will get back normal soon. I can no longer eat late either, I ma old, haha!!

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

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Rahul - I've been thinking about you. I'm so sorry that things are so devastating all around you. I'm glad you are safe but that must be heartbreaking on many levels.

Kensho - good to see you!

Ava - thanks for the website recommendation. I'll check out what they have to offer.

Slo - I agree with everything you said about socializing without the pressure to drink. Sorry to hear your sister made the choice that she did, and super glad that you're holding strong to your quit even through some difficult times.

Pav - bummer about the restaurant experience. Hopefully they'll get back in the groove soon!


Hellos and waves to everyone. Hope you all have great starts to the new week!

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Quick check in. All good on a Monday morning. What a gift to never have a hangover.

Pav

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

We’re moving into some pre-summer weather here which means hot & humid. I’ll be fighting back by getting my hair cut tomorrow, haha! It’s never short enough for the summer humidity

Hello to Wags & Pav & everyone!
Wishing a safe night in the nest for all

Lav

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening to all,

Hope the bloodwork went well today, Lav.

Rahul, what an impossible position to be put in; to be asked to find hospital care for someone with COVID, when there’s no beds or supplies available.

I’ve had some indigestion nights too, Pav; since I now use food instead of booze for energy and to help with social anxiety at gatherings.
I hope your weekend was rejuvenating.

I didn’t realize that golden retriever puppies are slow to mature out of the puppy phase. Sounds like you have your hands full. NS!

Byrdie, interesting how those old pathways of where you used to shop for booze resurfaced right along with resuming driving.

I’m ready for bed-de-bye. Bye!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Nice day, sunny & in 80’s today as promised!
Delayed my haircut one day but I will get there. My bloodwork results are back, everything in normal ranges. So the mystery of my B/P spikes remains a mystery. I guess more med changes are in my near future.

Slo, hope your day was good!
I have had several Goldens & they were all big babies, LOL
We bred our first female & she had 12 pups. I was a bit overwhelmed but all went well. We kept one male puppy for about a year but he was hyper & tearing up the small yard we had at the time. Found him a good home after that. Years later I got a male pup from the same breeder & he lived nearly 15 years, he was my best buddy, miss him still. They can be big babies but they are loving family members.

Hope everyone is having a good day & wishing a safe night in the nest for all!
Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Lav - glad to hear of the normal bloodwork, although it's a bummer your BP spikes remain unsolved. Sounds like you had beautiful weather today!

NS - walking an energetic pup in the rain can be trying for sure, but you're oh-so-right that remaining patient while wishing you could get home to start drinking would've been worse. In my drinking days I probably would have snuck something to take along and drink on the walk. Ugh.


Great job everyone. Hope you all have good days and nights in the nest.

[Pavati]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, All:

Wags, when I think of the places and times I thought it was ok to drink... Thank goodness that is over.

Lav, glad your blood is good.

Puppy...rain... it all sounds delightful. We are already in "fire season" here, a month earlier than usual. I miss the rain!

For some reason I started listening to a sober podcast yesterday - Soberistas - all women early in their quits or talking about the first six months. They talk about how much work it is to stay sober. To have a plan. To stay home and not go to the party when necessary. As we open up and keep getting invited out to things that were postponed and missed I have to remember to make time for myself to recharge and focus on my own wellbeing and health. I discovered through getting sober, confirmed in the pandemic, that I like more alone time than I usually get.

Happy hump day,
Pav

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Sunny & a hot 88 degrees here, no rain in the forecast either. So, we water everything daily. Just across the Delaware River is the state of NJ where they are already having forest fires, how sad ;(

Pav, staying sober during the lockdown was OK for the majority of us but I can see the possibility of someone newly sober being tempted with the re-openings. I slammed the door on AL a long time ago & don’t know what it would take me to start drinking again - maybe a meteor landing in my backyard? I don’t know. I do hope anyone having thoughts or being pressured to have ‘just one’ remember what it took to quit! Who wants to go thru all that again?

Wags, I seem to be a walking mystery, haha. I’m really hoping this is just lingering effects of the vaccine which seems to be when all this started. Maybe it will just go away on it’s own, maybe.
Hope your day was good!

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

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hey, Nesters!
Rahul, what an awful situation your country is suffering through. I think about you and your family every day and hope you are staying safe and healthy. You were put in an impossible situation, please don’t carry that guilt. This is just a hard time in our lives, hard for everybody. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected. I’m hoping that things turn around for the world soon.
Slo, Im sorry to hear that your sister is still struggling. Damn this disease.
Mammogram tomorrow, aka The Smash and Grab. Had the eye doc yesterday, I have cataracts on both eyes, so will be getting that fixed. I can’t stand the thought of touching my eye. I feel sorry for the doctor. Maybe I should send him some cookies.
Hope everyone is staying safe. Hugs to all, Byrdie

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning!

Everyone seems to be busy getting healthcare needs taken care of now that restrictions are easing.

Daughter #2 is undergoing egg retrieval even as we speak! I hope they can be successful at having a baby instead of more heartache and dashed hopes.

I had a good day, Lav -mostly because it has been warm out instead of cold, and I am home instead of at daughter’s -so I am back out on my bike, riding through the fragrant Spring air! Exercise and being out in nature seems to really benefit those of us with anxiety, depression, & addiction issues.

And we really do have to make time for ourselves to re-charge: we no longer have the shortcut of covering up those needs with a drug and cutting loose & relaxing that way.

Onwards!