Newbies Nest

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Kensho - that's fantastic news about your dad! Glad you'll be able to enjoy the holidays with less worry.

Lav - nope, not a full week off here. Actually, I have a class on xmas day! But I've got tomorrow off and a very light schedule for the next week or two, so it'll still feel like a decent break. Glad you were able to drop off gifts for your grandson - I'm sure that made his day. I hope he gets well quickly!

Ava - that's scary omicron is spreading so quickly there even during summer. It's going crazy here too but that seems less surprising. Stay safe!


Well, I have to be honest, I'm feeling a temptation to drink like I haven't felt in a few years. This is the start of a very hard time of year for me in general (Dec-Feb, AKA winter in the U.S.) because I've had so many hard things hit during this time over the years. I'm pulling out extra tools and checking in here right away but wow did it come on hard tonight. I don't even really want the *drink* per se -- I just want the buzz or feeling of escape in my brain. Sigh. This really sucks but I'm sure I'll stay strong. Just wanted to be up front about this unexpected struggle. I'll be sure to check in tomorrow and I'll hop over to the tool box if needed. Thanks for listening.

Take care everyone. It's (almost) Friday!

[STEADFAST]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Everyone,
just a quickie from me. Drove over an hour to pick up M-I-L from her nursing-home to take her out for lunch today. Staff rushed out to greet us, advising home's gone into immediate lock-down, so all we could do was wave and blow kisses through the window, and then drive home again. Very sad. First Christmas without my own Mum tomorrow, at brother's place.
Very good to see Rahul drop in, thanks and best wishes, Rahul!
Ava, it would be lovely to catch up if Mr G has time before flying off on his Latin adventure (onya, Mr G!). Either way hope to see you soon Ava. I hope you get some nice, chill time for yourself now.
The world is crazy right now, but let's all hold on tight - alcohol only makes things worse. I will hold on to sobriety with all my might!
take care, everyone,
Steady
:heartbeat:

[Mulburry]

Re: Newbies Nest

Mulburry, how’s it going with you?

Post withdrawal symptoms have been getting better, a lot more intermittent now (it's nice to have some good days too). Still dealing with some health issues, which haven't really resolved with abstinence but have to get more tests to see where that goes. Hope everyone has a great holidays!

[BelleGirl]

Re: Newbies Nest

Happy Christmas or Christmas Eve to all, wherever you are. And happy day to those who don't celebrate Christmas!

This has always been a hard day for me because years ago I got into the habit of drinking while wrapping gifts. Well...today I have a ton of gift wrapping to do, so it may be a struggle. I'll have to get creative about what my drink(s) of choice will be. A couple of christmases ago I drank so much I had the "flu" and spent Christmas Eve dinner in bed while the family enjoyed a great dinner. Idk why I have so much anxiety around Christmas. I guess I just want everyone to be happy like they were when they were kids. Son and I decided yesterday to make Christmas Eve dinner easy, so I bought a chicken pot pie (that looks like it feeds 50, lol) from Costco. Hopefully that will cut down on the stress. Tomorrow it will be a beef tenderloin that son and hubs will work on.

Wags, I hear you. This is a difficult time of year for me too. It gets dark so early it is like I don't know what to do with myself. I'm not much of a tv watcher and I should be doing more sewing but there are alot of other things I need to deal with and feeling in the dumps, it is hard to get going.

Ava, enjoy the new car...summer. Such a sweet word. I cannot imagine having Christmas in summertime though!!

Lav and NS sorry about the covid in your families. I have almost come to the realization that we all will get covid at some point, vaccinated or not. At least if we are vaccinated we have less chance of taking the old "dirt nap".

I'll need to stay close today to not fall into my old drinking habits. while looking for a place to hide christmas presents I found where hubs keeps his wine. I need to tell him to move it. He is not a good hider, and I am a good finder. But only my little feet can take me to where the wine is stored, and if I don't go there (it is out of the way) I won't drink.

I'll also visit the toolbox. I love to pull up random pages and read. So much wisdom there. I swear I am not going to ruin another Christmas Eve with AL. I promise. But any words of support will be welcome.

[NoraC]

Re: Newbies Nest

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to the Nest!!! I wish you much love & happiness.

So sorry to hear that so many are being affected by Covid. Really hard when kids are being hit with it.

Just wanted to drop in to say hello. I think of you often - this place had such a big part in getting me to where I am today. So very grateful that alcohol is no longer a part of my life. Thank you.

[Slo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Merry Christmas Eve to my peeps! The big day is upon us.

Belle, can you wrap gifts with someone else -not their gifts, but the others? That makes it much more fun, I find. A shared group project! With Christmas music or a Christmas movie in the background!
Otherwise bag what you can into gift bags to shorten up the process.

Wags, yes, it is the feeling of being calmed and blitzed that we are after. It is very brave of us to face life now without blitzing ourselves in order to get through it. We’re not checking out anymore, but rather enjoying the kinder, gentler dopamine hits that we find in real life. And we can enjoy them now, now that booze isn’t covering them over.

I’m speaking to myself too, Wags & Belle; because I’m feeling out of sorts too, and wishing for a quick fix.

I opted out of the gift exchange at HB’s family’s Christmas celebration tonight (I decided to go), because it’s a “bring a $50 food / beverage gift” -and I know it will mostly be a booze exchange.

My daughter D3 & her HB bought me 4 kinds of specialty NA beers for Christmas! How thoughtful is that?! I can look forward to having special drinks of my own now tonight and tomorrow.

Good luck with the holidays, all. We can do it!!

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning nesters

Merry Christmas from upside down land. I am quietly laying in bed with the dogs listening to xmas songs.

Belle i love the "dirt nap" thank you for the laugh. still having a chuckle about that one. Oh and you dont drink, thoughts are thoughts and that is all they are. Us alkies dont need to act on those thoughts at all and you are strong and happy, we all know al will ruin that in one foul swoop if we let it.

I was by myself last night listening to music and pottering and had that "a glass of wine" would just top this off and then thought WTF did that thought come from so i am in the same boat as everyone else. I did have wine in the house but its not me, hate the stuff but count me in on thoughts of a drink.

Steady, Nora, Merry Christmas to you both. Steady that is sad about not being able to see MIL. It seems to be a way of life for us now. Plans just cant be made solid.

Mulberry, your health will improve with time, i always figured i drank a LOT for 10 years so if it took me 10 years to heal then that was ok, physically and mentally that is. Has taken me 7 i think and now have my shit together but there is always room for improvement. Merry Christmas and have a great af one.

Lav, i hope the kids get to facetime you for xmas so you can see them opening their presents.

Wags, dont work too hard. i know how you feel though, i will have to work tomorrow and if the kids get too loud and pissy i will be hiding away and doing some work. I find xmas hard also but probably because it is always fecked up by some family member, my mother and she has successfully managed it again though i am not worrying about her today, i have my children with me so i am really lucky.

best be getting up and motivated, my son has called to say he is on the way and that will take a couple of hours, i have to pick up my other son and friend as i dont want him to drive. Im actually pretty organised, have enough af drinks to drown myself. The first few hours will be great and then i find my tolerance level for pissed people becomes zero but luckily the kids know and leave me be and i can hide.

I hope you all have a wonderful, happy day and thank you all for always being here for me. Much love and take care xxxx
ps: Kensho i am so glad your dad is going to be okay (sorry forgot to mention that before ) x

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Merry xmas to evabody from the future!

Great news Mulberry that you're slowly healing and having better days. As Ava points out, we did some sustained damage often over long periods of time, so stands to reason we take a little time to reset physically, mentally, emotionally. Keep up the beaut work.

Hi Belle. Get through tis time and you can get through anything. If we feed the 'beast' or the old 'program', then nothing changes. Except things do actually change. They get worse.....much worse. That's what i've noticed over the years. Each time i've gone back, drinking get's worse, my emotional state and mental state plummet like a rocket on ethanol! Wait a minute.....i was on ethanol. We can stop the madness if we decide to draw a line in the sand. No turning back. No looking back. There is only now and i am gonna be the best i can be in this moment, and every moment from now on. Enough ripping myself off. life becomes shorter doesn't it? Do the rocking chair test - Imagine in our last years reminiscing on our life. Imagine the frustration, anger and misery we'd be experiencing if we didn't do this, or that, go there, meet with so and so, complete this/that.....did i give my life my best shot? We can at least aim for something higher than boozing. And i mean 'higher' in the natural sense. back yourself and be gentle on yourself mi amiga.

Big waves to all. Surf's up round here. x

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good evening Nesters,

Husband & I had negative tests this morning so daughter & her family could come over. We had a nice time, a good dinner & they are on their way home now. Just got the news that my son is also Covid positive in addition to my grandson, oh boy. I guess it’s going to go thru their house.

Anyone feeling anxious or wanting to drink right now, please think it all the way through. AL never solved any problem for me, just made things worse & disappointed me & everyone around me. We have hundreds of tools in the Tool box, let’s use them & stay on plan.
Wishing everyone a safe night in the nest & a very Merry Christmas!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Belle and Slo - sorry to hear you're struggling with the holiday/winter blues as well. We can all do this. Just one day/hour/minute at a time.


Checking in sober and that's all that matters.

Merry xmas eve everyone.

[BelleGirl]

Re: Newbies Nest

Checking in on this Merry Christmas morning. Family had a lovely SOBER christmas dinner and then I let the kids open one gift. Sort of a tradition.

Mr G, thanks for the pep talk. BTW, Colombia, as you probably already know is a beautiful country, chicas included. My daughter is a Colombian chica. Even as a baby people said she looked "exotic". Of course at 18, that attracts plenty of male attention, but she is very selective about who she gives her time to. When we were in Colombia adopting one of the kids (can't remember which one)...husband could not believe that Every.Single.Woman walking down the street was beautiful. And it was such a common thing, the Colombian men did not even bother to look at them.

Husband and son will be cooking dinner tonight. I will probably take a nap (not to be confused with a "dirt nap", Ava...lol) as I spent almost all yesterday wrapping christmas gifts. I have some tea called "yogi" and there are different varieties. I had the "stress relief" Honey and Lavender. I savored it and it was great to have something to drink that was not AL.

Sorry to hear about more Covid in your family, Lav. At least you are in the clear. Enjoy the zoom party!

And for those of us struggling with this time of year...let's stick together and we'll get through it.

Have a great AF day everyone!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Merry Christmas Nesters,

I hope everyone has had a lovely day with friends & family.
It’s been cloudy & damp all day & the temp in the 50’s. Doesn’t seem very Christmassy. Lol
We dropped off a huge bag full of food & cookies for son & his family this morning, I think they’re all doing OK.maybe next year will be Covid-free, maybe…..

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

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Merry Christmas (or day after at this point).

We had a very quiet holiday here -- my wife made seafood chowder and we had dinner + pie with my dad. Zoomed with my brother and my wife's sister. Lots of short walks with our pup (very cold here right now).

Sober and grateful for it.

Catch you all again tomorrow.

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Wags, are you buried in snow? Chowder sounds nice.

I remember a few years ago being at my mom's house during a Christmas celebration, newly not-drinking. I was struggling, staring at the liquor cabinet, and feeling very alone. I remember my friend G-man logging in and saying, "Get out of there Kensho! Go for a walk!" And I did, and I got through it. Thanks G.

I just walked away from a conversation about wine. I can be around it now, and even serve it, but I don't want to get wrapped up in long conversations about the taste. No thanks. So I'll leave until the chocolate is served. Oh... I think they got the hint and chocolate lava pies are being served.

SO, Happy Christmas everyone. We WILL get through this time and I think there are good things to look forward to. Different as the world is now - as long as we stay on the horse (or get back on), we get to ride the ride.

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

Evening nesters

another sober xmas done and dusted and no wish to drink after seeing them drinking and how they woke up today. i went and hid twice yesterday when it got too much. my knee is paying the price of being hostess today also. just when i thought i would be offering them coffee, some child ubered more al. FFS i am so glad they didnt have that in my drinking days. But i made it though and got some great pressies. two new car seats for my car and steering wheel cover, a facial that i will go to with my daughter and a lovely pop plant holder off my mother.

today has been very quiet, watched 4400 which is on paramount or made it to episode 2 before i fell asleep.

Glad everyone had a lovely xmas and lets hope 2022 is a better one.

Kensho i remember my first xmas not drinking, i was 24 days in and i just felt deprived. My daughter even wiped the wine off the table so i didnt lick it. I had never licked the table before lol but i tell you she must have read my mind that day. Now my 8th sober xmas and i am so glad those days of deprivation are over and i can enjoy the day.

take care xx