Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Cross posted with you Megan...
ebay has been a pain in the A$$ lately with 'new requirements' for listings.
Everything I sell is brand new, embroidered/monogrammed by me. I sell on ebay just to help my sluggish shop sales a little. I can very easily shut ebay down myself if they get too fussy.....don't have the time pr patience for their nonsense Sorry you've been burned by them Have you had any experience selling on Etsy? My girls do fairly well selling there

Hi greg - the exercise man

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Another day, another 50 cents.....
Well done to everyone for staying in the nest last night... Wishing everyone stregth and peace today! Byrdie

[Sunsign]

Newbies Nest

Day 1: Wish me luck!

Today is Day 1...of my NEW JOB! (Back up, Byrdie! I wasn't gonna give in that easily :H) It truly is UNBELIEVABLE how much different my life is today that just a month ago--regular sleep and exercise, household projects completed, new car, new job, more money in the bank, stronger relationships, and I'm a little thinner, too. I am grateful.

Sot: We have some things in common?I, too, live on a lake and sunsets over the water are glorious, especially this time of year! I also used to be a dock drinker, but when I first went AF, sitting proved to be a little too tempting, so I would water my plants, pick up my yard, or throw the stick to my pup. The good news is I don?t need diversions anymore and I can just get back to enjoying the sunsets without a glass or a stick or a watering can in my hand!
4Me: I hope I didn?t come on too strong?just don?t want to see you struggle. I?m so glad you?re making a plan and getting prepared and so proud of you for not waiting until Sept 1 to get started! Enjoy your vacation?I?ve never been to Montana so take lotsa pics! :l
Clockwatcher: Congrats on 5 Days! Alone time is tough for me, too. If you haven?t checked out the chat feature on the site, you may want to this weekend--it?s nice to be able to reach out to someone while remaining anonymous at the same time. I also find cleaning and exercising to be a big help when I?m by myself?gets those endorphins going and I feel good about myself for accomplishing something (not drinking and a clean house ). Post often?we?ll be here!
Byrd: So glad you posted an update about your hubby?ya?ll?ve (talk about Southern?a double contraction for ya ;D) been in my thoughts. Also, I love your visuals?Ghost of Christmas Past?makes it very concrete for me. Thank you!
Megan: Wow! Wow! Wow! To say you have a lot on your plate is the understatement of the year. So glad you know yourself well enough to know the bottle isn?t going to help anything. Stay here, settle in, read and write.
Jobo: 221?That?s amazing! Congrats! You are an inspiration to me in more ways than one. After only 30 days, I?m starting to hear the ole ?You?ve proven you don?t have a problem?you just needed a break. Now that you?re out of the habit, you can enjoy a glass of wine every now and then,? but your post reminds me to hold diligently to MY voice, recognize that addictive voice for what it is, and take steps to shut it down. THANK YOU!
Grego: THANKS FOR THE SHOUT OUT! And so excited about your new job possibility! Sounds like doors are opening everywhere you turn?it?s about time?sheesh! Keep us posted. We?re rooting for you whatever you decide! :yougo:
Lav: I am so enjoying the 21-Day Challenge. Since I just started, though, I?m only on Day 4 while everyone else is on Day 17 or something. I?m wondering how that?s going to work when it?s over?do you know, by chance? I also think either you?re really in-tune to the Universe or you?ve got a serious case of Nest ESP! Maybe a side business in fortune telling?!?
Turn: I love your idea of spending your AL savings on a family adventure?something that really does feed the soul!
Ellen: Welcome and congrats for taking a couple of big first steps?searching out this forum out, reading, posting, and admitting how much you?ve been drinking! I started drinking when my marriage started going down the tubes and didn?t stop through the separation and divorce and felt justified in having some ?relief? until one day I realized, ?Holy crap?I?ve been drinking at least a bottle of wine a day for at least three years! And I don?t have a reason to drink anymore.? That?s when I found this site. I believe this forum MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE has been the reason I?ve been able to get 30 days under my belt. I haven?t gone this long without drinking since I was a teenager. Settle in and as Greg suggested, MAKE A PLAN!!!

[4me]

Newbies Nest

Happy Thursday nesters! I love this nest! A place to come for encouragement and awesome advice. Another great AF day 4me. Got to get to work, catch up with all of you later.

[sot]

Newbies Nest

SUNSIGN, very encouraging... right now, it feels like I can't do one without the other..

GREG, thanks, I'm glad i found this site by accident.. I hope i gain some confidence.. At this moment i have very little.

MEGAN, i'm very sorry.. I can't imagine. You have to be a very strong lady.

CLOCKWATCHER, 5 days is great! Congrats! I can relate to your situation so well.

LAVENDE, i have been writing down ideas of things to do to keep us occupied. I am really nervous about it.. already setting myself up for failure..But, at least... i think i am beginning to realize that this problem needs to be addrressed... i have been in major denial.

BYRDLADY, great idea. Now that you mention it, i haven't went 4 weeks without AL in over 17 YEARS... wow... i had never thought about that

[sot]

Newbies Nest

Has anybody, at anytime, ever tried to tell themselves that this was a habit, rather than an addiction? Because that is what has been going through my mind over and over today... I guess its more of that denial.

[Megan1959]

Newbies Nest

Copyright infringment. I listed 6 pandora beads after seeing thousands of auctions for them. Ebay told me the company complained and the listings were pulled. I was given a warning so I didn't list anymore. A week later my account was suspended. It took me 2 more weeks to find out why. Meanwhile, everybody and their cousins are selling these beads on eBay illegally. They told me to contact the company and I did. Spent more than 2 weeks talking to them. Finally straightened it out. I'm a small seller (665 - 100% positive), contacted eBay and they basically said, "We're sorry, you're done". (Enter stage left, Charlie Brown falls once more for Lucys trick of pulling the football away).

[Megan1959]

Newbies Nest

Oops! Sory sot Don't know how I ended up on this page to reply. Please disregard the above post. And yes, I've tried to tell myself it's a habit. My favorite saying is, "I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a binge drinker". The above post was why I got kicked off eBay after 9 years. Selling on eBay was a positive task that took my mind off of drinking. Now all I want to do is drink and sleep. But I'm not drinking yet. Grasping at straws trying to find another replacement and bring in money.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Sot,
Which one of us in this group didn't tell ourselves this was just a habit? They say it takes 21 days to break a habit. Now that'a a habit. Try on the word addiction for a while and you will see that it's a totally different animal. If it were as easy as not chewing gum, there wouldn't be over 300,000 people reading my posts from over a year ago. If you are like me...it was a progression of drinking over time that had gotten worse and worse. It's a hell of a hole to crawl out of. I have seen so many people come and go on this site. The undoing of many is thinking that this is a temporary condition. After you've been, oh 30 days, you think you've got it licked! And what do we do to reward such stellar behavior??? We have a drink or two...which turns into watching the clock all day until 5 o'clock rolls around so we can have another..then we change to a bigger glass to fool ourselves.. then the 'what-the-hells' set in. And so it goes. Now I can tell you this until I'm blue in the face....this is a journey each and every person must take for him/her self. But I wish I had a do-over...I would have listened to the people on this site, and when I quit the first time, I would have stayed quit. THE ONLY THING ONE DRINK DOES IS LEAD TO ANOTHER. EVER. Read all around this site...knowledge is power. The Voice we keep referring to, is that voice in your head that's talking with all its might right now. It is fighting to stay alive. It will tell you ANYTHING to keep alive. This Voice is one of the most powerful you will ever encounter. It sounds like 'hope'. It sounds like whatever you want to hear...this Voice will tell you you don't have a problem...what is the harm in just one? The mind chatter is one of the biggest obstacles in this journey. The very first thing you have to do...is get control of your mind. Read back to my post #12,852, Greg refers to this as the " I have a Plan" speech (with apologies to MLK,Jr)...but it outlines my version of a plan. If you are serious about getting clean...you have come to the right place. All you have to do, is reach up to the nest...pull up a twig, and talk a while. This is not a race...we take it one day at a time, one hour at a time. We put one foot in front of the other until we can do it without thinking. Welcome home...it is a very peaceful place. Byrdie

[Turnagain]

Newbies Nest

Sing it, Byrd! Habit- smchabit. I really don't want another Day 30 in my life. I KNOW my body does not process alcohol like those who CAN have one or two. I am addicted. While I have decided/accepted that I don't drink anymore...that doesn't mean I am not sorely tempted. The alcohol is being thrust in my face lately. Last night, UPS delivered a small crate of premium blend from a tiny brewery we invested in 25 years ago. OHHHH. I wanted just to taste! We've never had so much AL in the house. My husband brought a CASE of wine home last week. And a few days ago, someone gave us 4 nice bottles of Malbec. I'm doing some very intensive talking to myself over this. All my relatives are leaving Sunday. I can sense danger ahead. I do not want to lose my quit! Byrd...I can feel you on my shoulder. Lav...I can hear you in my ear. I'm going to start building my specific plan for this next week...starting tonight when I have a break.

Byrd...I'm sending good energy your way for you and your hubby and for powerful 'seeds' of healing.

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Goodness gracious Nesters!!!! :H

I love that we are all here talking our way through this BS period of our lives
I have never been big on putting names/labels on anything or anyone. I felt no need to identify myself as an alcoholic, alcohol abuser, sad, depressed & lonely woman trying to numb her emotional pain, etc, etc. I just knew that I had to quit what I was doing ~ it was not good & it wasn't helping me resolve any of my BS!
For me, reaching for the wine bottle had become habitual, just like picking up a cig. You just do this dumb stuff without even thinking about what you are doing. I realized this & purchased a simple online program called 'Habit Busters'. I worked my way through that program before I found MWO. I think that prepared me to let go of the habit of drinking once & for all. A program like that helps you to clear the mental blocks that hold you back. It's a relatively simple program, inexpensive & works in a month If anyone feels the need for a little extra boost of confidence I would highly recommend looking up 'Habit Busters'!

Turnagain, don't set yourself up for failure. Move the wine out of your way & just tell people that you are not drinking now......don't let anyone pressure you, that's crap! We are adults & do not need to succumb to peer pressure. That is my long time attitude ~ aka 'Lavan-ittude'

Sunsign, sign up for emails from the Chopra Center, tune into their online radio programs.....there are lots of free meditations for us out there. If worse comes to worse, go to youtube & you'll find more. I think keeping up the practice is very helpful!

4me & sot - just keep hanging in there & remember it's all about making progress, not perfection. We didn't become problem drinkers/thinkers overnight so it's going to take some time to make all the necessary changes but we all can do it if we stick with our plans!

Megan, please don't continue to get frustrated with ebay. My daughter sells jewelry making supplys to the people who make jewelry ~ on Etsy. Look at that site. My daughter-in-law sells prints, greeting cards & all kinds of things she makes with pictures she takes around here & in Cape May, NJ. Her Etsy store is called Capture Cape May. Both of my girls do pretty well there.
ebay is going to put itself out of business IMHO!

Byrdie - 50 cents? We really need to give you a raise :H

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Megan,
I just looked up Pandora Beads & the online shops selling them.
I also looked at the 37 pages of listings on ebay for the beads!!!!

Did you use your own pictures in your listings? i see that a lot of the current ebay listings are using pictures 'borrowed' from the other websites. That can be a problem.......

I would take to time to contact some of the other ebay sellers & do some investigation

[Tx Ellen]

Newbies Nest

Lav and Turn,

Last night went fine. I did take a sleeping pill so I could get a good nights rest. Tonight I know I won't drink because tomorrow am I am going to the dentist. The 3 day weekend is my next hurdle. I usually only drink between 8pm and 10pm. The rest of the day it doesn't really cross my mind. I do not want to join AA, I have tried it before and didnt like it. I have found in the past if I eat dinner early (usually have it about 9pm) that the temptation to drink isnt as strong. This weekend I am going to try some new recipes that will hopefully keep me on track.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Yes, Lavs, I could use a raise. My boss says it will become effective as soon as I do.....ehehehe.

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Tx Ellen! How lucky you are that you only have a 2 hours window to get thru! This is fabulous news! You can do this...wow...just 2 hours....you are on the right track. Distract yourself by doing things up a little differently.... My window of drinking was much wider than yours...so I had quite a bit more time to fill up. OY. Keep yourself and your mind busy. Tell us more about you....we are good listeners! Byrdie