Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Newbies Nest

Good morning Nesters & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!:yay:
I for one am looking forward to an AF 2012!!!!!!

Andrew, I sure hope you are able to stay put in the nest I know how much you want to change & improve your life.

Irie, so glad you made it through OK!

Wicked Mom, CONGRATS to you on your 100+ AF days & wishing you a belated BD as well! I bet you are feeling fantastic

I have the family coming later for a turkey dinner so I'd better get busy in the kitchen
Wishing everyone a fantastic AF Sunday!

Lav

[windy]

Newbies Nest

Happy New Year Nesters,

I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season and looking forward to a sober New Year. I know I am. Here’s to 2012…

Andrew – Please stay committed to being AF. I can tell you really want to be free of alcohol and I am rooting for you. Find your own voice and follow it. One thing I know for sure is that the only person who is totally wants me to be successful is me and I must trust my instincts especially where booze is concerned.

Wicked -- Big FAT congratulations on 100 days (plus). That is a great feat and you deserve whatever Byrdie cooks up for you. I was hoping for $100.00, but that request went totally under the carpet I am afraid. Keep posting, I really enjoy reading your progress.

Irie – I really think 2012 is going to be the year for you to get your quit going. We are here to support you in this effort.

Lola -- Are you back yet???

Lav – Have a wonderful day today with the family. You have so much energy for them; it is inspiring.

Byrdie – You are the best! I love you posts and you are such a great Nester.

Unwasted – Thanks for yesterday’s Party Thread. It was a lot of fun.

Min Star -- How have you been lately? Are you staying AF?

Fallen Angel and Sufi -- Please stick around and keep fighting the Beast. We will help you with this battle.

FlyAway -- Good to see you too.


I am up to making plans for the New Year today and just enjoying the day quietly. I have survived the Holidays sober and can’t hardly believe it myself. I feel somewhat calm about it. I don’t think I have strung this many AF days since I was 16 or so. I feel like a newborn person. I really want to share that feeling with everyone who is fairly new. You can do it and it sooo worth the effort.

I have been drinking too much coffee lately and eating tons of sugar, so that is my next hurdle. It could be causing some problems, so I need to find out.

ta ta for now.

[Irie]

Newbies Nest

windy;1236392 wrote: I feel like a newborn person. I really want to share that feeling with everyone who is fairly new. You can do it and it sooo worth the effort.

Windy, you enthusiasm just jumps off the page and is so infectious. Thank you so much for the encouragement!

[BelleGirl]

Newbies Nest

Happy New Year everyone...just want to say that I made it through last night. Not hard, and really quite fun. Brother and husband drank scotch, but not me. Late afternoon, while showering I told myself "nobody can make me drink..." I think that stuck through the evening, and I did not even miss it at all.

Busy day with guest and trying to get a big breakfast on the table...

[Irie]

Newbies Nest

BelleGirl;1236431 wrote: Happy New Year everyone...just want to say that I made it through last night. Not hard, and really quite fun.

Whoohoo! Good for you, Belle!

[Byrdlady]

Newbies Nest

Wicked!!! 100 Days is huge! I hate to brag, but back when I hit it, it was like a National Holiday...there were celebrations and all kids of big doings...William and Katherine also decided to get married on that day, can you imagine? I was so proud! And you should be too! I was ignoring Windy's suggestion of 100 bucks ...as with the group that's about to fall in the club I'd be broke!! Maybe Nelz will give you one of her big STARS! Well done to you, I could just pop with joy!! Something changes after that amount of time, and it's all good. Sort of like when you turn 40, you get a new wisdom...well something like that.
Going to a neighborhood function that will be doing a champagne toast...I will find a way to tap dance around it. I'm on the downhill slope to 1 year and I'm not blowing it no matter what and no matter who!!! Yay us!!! Happy New Year nesters!!! xo, Byrdie

[Queenbug]

Newbies Nest

Happy New Year to all xx

[sufi]

Newbies Nest

Windy, you wrote: Please stick around and keep fighting the Beast. We will help you with this battle.
I have never gone public before and could not have imagined what it means in this battle to have comrades like you. Just one little sentence and it made me warm all over and added to my determination.This is my third day and I havent had an urge, which is a total miracle, so I dont know yet what Nax may do for me. But it will be more than necessary, I know how the Beast can lure you. By the way, I lost all my precious phone numbers. It is a sign from Heaven or my subconscious mind: clean up; new life is starting.

[Unwasted]

Newbies Nest

Sufi, it's worth the fight - we're all in the same boat and there is strength in numbers!

WM - way to go on the 100. Whoo hoo!

Happy NY everyone - we can do this! Sober for 2012!!

[scottish lass]

Newbies Nest

Happy New Year all - 2012 is the start of new beginnings for me and I am so happy to see back of 2011.
I made it thru last night - yahoo
well done to all who managed to survive the festivities and continue to do so - having prime rib today, first time I am having red meat without red wine - another in the long line of firsts!

[WickedMom]

Newbies Nest

Good Good Good Morning everyone!!

Lav -- good luck with your turkey -- after last Thanksgiving’s turkey I have decided to stick to lasagna or a savory souffl? for special occasions -- even though I was sober it was a disaster! Thanks for the birthday wishes -- I do feel terrific! I can’t believe I made it through December AF -- especially being away from home for so long. Every evening (or afternoon) when the bottles were opened up and everyone at my parents house (husband, mother, sister, brother, friends, and misc. relatives) eagerly filled their glasses with wine, whiskey or whatever, I just ignored the entire ritual -- almost pretended I didn’t even notice it. Mostly I would go to the kitchen and cook dinner, or go upstairs and straighten up messes. Often though I did join them with my glass of water. There were some awkward moments, and a few times I could feel that weird body memory of reaching for the glass of wine and putting it to my mouth. But it was just an old habitual movement that I was feeling -- sort of like when I quit smoking a hundred years ago and my body missed the motions that were involved...

I actually had a really good time. I love remembering my conversations from the night before, winning the the ultra competitive scrabble games, and laughing out loud for real! For me, a former almost 2 bottles of wine an evening drinker (couldn’t finish the last few inches in the bottle because someone might notice that I had a problem!) -- supplemented with multiple swigs of whatever hard liquor my husband had around -- (did I really do that?!) I realized that there were “only” a few hours each day that might pose a challenge. Even after 100 days AF I am on guard -- I just refuse to let that fleeting urge get the better of me.

Irie -- thanks for the congrats. I still feel like a newbie myself -- the time has just flown by. You can do it too -- if I can, anyone can!

Windy -- I’d happily accept $100 for the 100 days -- but without sounding greedy I just realized that’s about 10 percent of what I would have spent on wine for that period of time! Maybe we should up the $100 to $1,000. I must have been crazy!!!

Byrdie -- Please brag away -- you deserve it! I did have a most joyous private party for myself in my head. It’s funny that the people around me have no idea of the celebration that is going on inside my mind -- but they do see the outside. I’m happier, much more energetic and almost 20 lbs. lighter. Woohoo -- now I don’t have to add dieting to my New Year’s resolutions this year!!!! Happy dancing at the champagne toast later today -- I’d love to see it!

Happy New Year everyone!!! I’m off to do some cooking....

[WickedMom]

Newbies Nest

Just wanted to add one more thing:

Byrdie -- something really has changed. When I first came on this site I remember asking when the continuous thoughts of alcohol would stop taking up so much space in my head. Well -- I still think about it daily, but my relationship with it has changed dramatically. I had a really great experience on my birthday last Friday. An old college friend was visiting as we were busy packing up the car to head home. It was early afternoon and we were hanging out on the front porch in the sun -- I offered him a beer (old habits die hard) which he accepted and my husband went into the house to get it. He came back with one for himself as well -- along with 2 shot glasses and a flask of “extra special” whiskey. I protested that they both would be driving home with their children in a little while. They both looked at me with a certain irritation, then the friend laughed it off. My husband wistfully said “You used to drink” in a way that implied I should understand what was going on -- and a hint of he wished I was joining in.

The incredible thing is I never once even considered joining them -- it didn’t occur to me that it was something for me to participate in -- but three months ago I would have been right there with them. Anyway, to make a long story short -- they of course had more than a shot -- and we left many many hours after our scheduled departure time. I just have to say, I did not resent their drinking even a little bit and it felt completely natural not to join in. Woohoo!

Unwasted -- congratulations on your successes as well. I can feel your 60 days is going to happen -- you picked what is probably the hardest time of the year to give up drinking. January should be a breeze!!

Scottish Lass -- same goes to you. Hurrah for AF holidays!

Sorry about the long/multiple posts, but once I get going I have a hard time shutting up!

Now I’m really off to cook some good luck lentils...

[Fallen Angel]

Newbies Nest

Hi Guys hope everyones ok? Well here I am halfway to my 4th goal, already ticked the boxed to an AF Friday night, AF NYE (Never thought that one would happen) lol, just 2nite to go for my 3rd goal AF weekend, and then 4th goal is AF for 10 days

Must admit though although last night didnt really bother me its really been a struggle today and ive felt a little down about it, does anyone else ever feel like this? I dont know if its because Im colded up and feel run down or if its because its the new year and people are still celebrating, and ive been keeping myself out of the way of temptation i feel like im missing out? maybe a mixture of it all but i really dont feel like myself at the mo and quite emotional

Thank goodness for this place tho Im so grateful for finding the nest, i seriously doubt I could have achieved half of what I have already, so thanks all for your words of support x

[timpin]

Newbies Nest

Hi All

Just a quick not to let you know I got through my New Years Eve party with no problems thanks to friends who did not try to tempt me with AL. Great night drinking AF wine. Great to remember what happened and to wake up ith no hangover. Day 59 now and through the worst of it !

[Andrew from Ireland]

Newbies Nest

Irie;1236369 wrote: Welcome back, Andrew! I slipped over the holidays, too, but challenged myself to not drink on New Year's Eve, so I'm happily on day two. Let's build up some momentum and write our success stories in 2012. What do you say?

Sounds good to me. Just finishing Day 1 now and the fog of alcohol-induced depression is starting to lift. My housemate cooked dinner and even had a large glass of wine poured for me on the table. Had to tell her that she was going to have to drink that herself!