Operation October - week two

[FindingMyself]

Operation October - week two

Dill - how can I be craving strawberry-rhubarb pie first thing in the morning? Just the mention of it makes my mouth water. My mother is a fab pie maker even in her 80s she can whip one up in no time with the best crust! (Mine usually have the quality of fine corinthian leather)

Lil - that's terrific about the BP and general good appearances just from being AF!! I doubt I've lost any weight either, but the bloated feeling is gone and my face actually has some shape to it again.

Cyn, Lav, JC, Sooty, Peanut, and yes our travelers, and everyone have a nice day. Gotta get going or I'll be late!

[JackieClaire]

Operation October - week two

HI All,

Can't say hello to every one as I'm going wallpaper shopping with Mr JC. Booooring. ( think of me as a sulky teenager looking for school shoes).

Sooty. Hope you had a happy humpday Now I've got them guessing what a 'shag pile' is.

We really must tell the that we are ladees not overgrown teenagers.

Dill. We had a mouse just recently and took Black Bess to bed with us each night. Mind you what a slightly overweight Labrador was going to do is still a puzzle.

See you later. Keep smiling.

Love Jackie xxx

AF since 7/7/2009 and loving it!

[ladybirdheart]

Operation October - week two

Hello! I am certainly glad to be back. I went to bed at 2 AM after a LONG day of ferries, planes, an aborted landing followed by a really crooked scary one, a four hour layover, more planes, etc. so not much sleep as yet. Thank you so much for remembering me in your posts while I was gone; I only had a couple of chances to briefly read our thread and it helped me immeasurably. It has also cheered me to see everybody doing so well. While I was away, in almost every place I went, drinking was right up there with breathing in terms of what people were doing. I was able to use my skills and stay focused over and over (and over) with two exceptions which I need to work through. The first was one in which a beloved ninety year old gentleman came over to me with two teeny tiny glasses of champagne, one obviously for me, and we sat while he told me a lengthy sweet story and offered a toast. I certainly did not get a buzz from my sip but felt really weepy later that night and was confused as to whether this was from the fact that I would never see him again or for myself as an alcoholic. The second instance reflects clearly an ongoing problem for me that I need to address. Since I went through withdrawal from my third of a bottle of spirits at home every evening and started following this program I have generally done very well. I now am able to have some alcohol around and serve guests on occasion which was my goal, and I am genuinely OK with it, I know it can?t be for me. I can also go to friend?s homes where people are drinking and to local restaurants and cafes where I can order something that I do not associate with a wine pairing. I often feel bad that this is not what I really want to eat but I look at the big picture and realize this is a rather silly problem to be fussy about. What I simply can?t do is go into the sort of atmosphere I found myself a few days ago. Orchestrated by others who were honoring my visit and who really would not have cared if I drank or not, we went to a small restaurant that turned out to be among the top three of my all time peak experiences involving food. It was out of another era altogether, I have never been anywhere like it, I adored it completely within five minutes, and without blinking I knew I would participate in whatever arose. What is relevant here, of course, is that this ended up including three glasses of wine, so here I am again, having messed up the second week of a monthly abstinence thread on a trip out of town, and this time I know exactly why I am briefly weepy. I know such romantic events will never be for me what they seem at the time, isolated, special, and ?safe?. I know because of who and what I am that alcohol will more likely than not find its way into other areas of my life if I give it an opening, even one that is two thousand miles away. So while I got out alive, I did not drink after that, will not drink today, and have cancelled two brief trips with Lord Birdheart next month as they will might involve fine dining or encounters in strange places that might prove too exciting, too seductive. You will find me here, sober and fueled by a sandwich. That?s just fine. I hope that one day I can go anywhere, cook anything, and eat anything but right now I simply can?t. Now to recapture the fine things around me! Please forgive me that this is so darn long; I am only grateful to have you to help me sort things out. Love, Ladybird.

[Lavande]

Operation October - week two

Stuck in the house due to all this chilly rain, trying to keep my Q Tip hair under control, ha ha!

So far I've made Cream of Cauliflower soup (Epicurious style with ginger & curry, yum) and 2 loaves of Hearty Multigrain bread - if nothing else, at least I can eat like a pig tonight

LBH, welcome home! Glad you came right back to us. I really wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself, you have done beautifully! I think we are all going to face those special moments in our lives, you handled yourself quite well, be proud! I stayed close to home & myself during the early months because it was just easier that way. My first big test was traveling to Quebec for 4 days. I managed to stay AF & NF simply by ignoring what everyone else around me was doing. I focused on myself, what was good for me, pretty much blocked everyone out YET I still enjoyed myself, have great pictures & memories Talk to us all you want or need to about this, OK? We are on this journey t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r

More later
Lav

[dill]

Operation October - week two

Welcome back, LBH! It's good to have your voice added back to the chorus! Don't be hard on yourself at all. It sounds to me like you have learned a lot from your experiences. I sure can relate to everything you said in your post. Sigh.

Hello everyone else! Just a quick check in for me as we are about to go out for a bite to eat. I did sleep better last night after I heard the SNAP, but we are not out of the woods. Tis the season for mouse-breaking-and-entering! Lil, I loved the graphics!

[ladybirdheart]

Operation October - week two

Good job with the mice, Dill. I have a garden shed located close to a bird feeder and a fish pond (aka mouse heaven) and once a year the little guys set up a large and happy kibbutz underneath it. I have a tiny oil painting inside the shed (maybe 1X2”) and underneath I put a pencil mark for every mouse I have snapped in a trap. I am winning. Thank you Dill and Lav for the kind words. Love, Ladybird.

[cyntree]

Operation October - week two

Hello all - almost midnight here (good morning UKers!). Too exhausted to write much, except that I'm still with the program - day 11 done. When I have some energy, I'll write down a few tips and techniques for organizing -- it's my passion, and it really is fulfilling. The problem is, MY house is a disaster area -- all my time is going to clients -- hence I'm still up at midnight. Ah well - better than being passed out!

Incredibly grateful to be in this community - LBH great to have you back, and it seems like you did amazingly well on your trip.

I'm off to another city this weekend, and a very different schedule, with lots of 'meet and greet' obligations with people. This always was a tricky time for me, so I appreciate any protective energy you all can send me. I'll try to post tomorrow and Saturday. I'm sure my angels will be wearing their wings out, flapping over me!!

Take care all -

[sooty]

Operation October - week two

in a hurry but just wanted to say hi LBH - lovely to see you you did really well give yourself a pat on the back.
I'll be back later, have a good friday one and all
Sooty

[Lavande]

Operation October - week two

Happy Friday morning October friends,

So dark & damp here this morning, ugh! Apparently it's going to be like this all weekend so I should get used to it!

cyntree, good luck this weekend, just stick to your guns & you'll do fine. A big congrats on your 11 days, that's great

Hello Sooty, Dill, LBH, Lil, Sunni and everyone yet to come. Hope you all have a great Friday, I'll check back later. Not sure yet what's happening here today, we'll see
Lav

[lilmea]

Operation October - week two

Just a quick check in here this morning,

I have an early morning haircut and then going over to my Mother's for a while.

LHB-So Glad to see you back here safe and sound with us. One of these days you will be able to do all those things you love to do. Right now you're learning and growing. Stay close and hang in there.

Sooty, Finding, Cyn, Pam, Red, JC, Dill, Lav everyone vooming up for the week end? Have a great day my friends!

[lilmea]

Operation October - week two

Lav!!!cross post. getting spooky!! :H

[dill]

Operation October - week two

Good morning, October beauties!

Woo-hoo! I have a day off today! I have NOTHING planned! I love it! The day holds so many possibilities....of course, many are mundane, but I don't care. Even the mundane is enjoyable when you are not hung over!

Hi Lav, Yes, it is the same here: dark and damp. I've heard mention of snow possibly for Saturday. I sure am glad we did the addition 3 years ago: new kitchen/laundry and attached two car garage. No more opening the back door and getting hit in the face with that dastardly wind out of the north/west barrelling across that open field! I'm sad though, that I drank through a lot of that time. I think I would have picked a different counter top if I had given a #%$^ about more than just getting home and back to my bottle.:upset:

Cyn, good luck with the weekend events! You are going so strong just now, I think you will be able to take whatever comes your way! Check in with us here, even if it is only to read. We'll have your back!


Sooty, where are you off to in such a hurry? Well, Ta-ta! Talk to you later!

LBH, I loved the description of your mouse kibbutz. Do your little mice wear yamakas?:H

[dill]

Operation October - week two

Lil! Hi! I'm joining the cross-post crew!:H

[FindingMyself]

Operation October - week two

Good morning cross-posters, mouse-hunters, and everyone else!

LBH – Welcome back! I imagine we will all be faced with these tricky situations at one time or another. I hope I can be as successful as you with working though many of them. Don’t forget to give yourself plenty of praise for staying focused and working through those (sounds like several) occasions where you were able to proceed with your plan.

Lav – homemade soup and bread. Sounds delightful! I haven’t attempted making bread in a long time – it is such a treat – but a lot of work.

Lil – yes, I guess it is job security – lol!

JC – is the Mr. the home decorator?

Cyn – Sending you positive vibes. Check in with us when you can. You are doing so well!

I’ve noticed the last 2 days thoughts of drinking have been way down. Of course, I’m not sure if that will continue over the weekend, but it nice to have a bit of a reprieve.

Happy Friday to everyone and happy hunting (for those of you with little critters to catch).

[Pamina]

Operation October - week two

Hello cross-posters & co. It's turning sunnier here by the minute, good time to send those rays out to your dark and windy corners. Cyn, vibes of strength floating your way. You're not drinking. That's what you do. There's no debate, no options. It's just the way it is. It's nobody else's business what you choose to put into your body. Try to get into that headspace for the weekend. Abstinence is normal. Oh, and any organisation tips are gratefully received. My place is a mess after all my time away. Hi Sooty, what's the rush? Hopefully something nice. Lil, enjoy your time at mom's. Lav, let us know how the Friday turned out, all options are open, eh. Dill, couldn't help chuckling at the kitchen counter top, I know it's not funny but I can just picture the urgency of other priorities at the time. Speaking of which, I met up with some friends last night and was looking forward to catching up with someone who's got the same bus route home as me. Well, since he'd 'only' had about 5 pints by the time we were done, he announced he was going to a late bar instead with two really annoying women who'd later joined our group. I know I shouldn't be disappointed as he was only feeding his compulsion, but it was a stark reminder of what it does to our relationships. LBH, it's lovely to have you back. I agree with previous comments that you're being unduly harsh on yourself. A few glasses of wine is not the end of the world in and of itself, but of course we all have our individual relationship with the beast, and I do get the opening the door issue. I've been mulling it over myself lately after engaging in a modding experiment in September, thinking I'd made it through the first anniversary of my dad's death. One glass of wine doesn't activate a bender for me, but stress makes me vulnerable to slippage. As two people then died in September, the timing of this experiment wasn't great. Luckily I know what to do, but I'm finding harder to keep a firm foothold in the clear headspace than had I not tried that stupid experiment. Aneeewaaay, how did this post get to be so long? Have a good strong Friday everybody!