December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

[spedteach]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Good morning all,
Lav, your weather sounds crazy. Are you going to get snow? Here it is grey, overcast, snowing to the south. My sons are here from southern California so we're all hoping for snow.
Red, I sympathize with your cranky mood yesterday. Especially the part where you come home and everyone expects you to organize dinner. Am glad you are back at work today. Getting back into a routine, for me, makes not drinking a lot easier. Hang in there. You've got a lot of support here.
Dill, Thanks for the Happy and Content Sober Living thread suggestion. Also the New Years Eve idea.

I still have 5 more days with my sons here. Being with them makes me happier than just about anything. I have drunk away so much time I could have spent with them. They're in their 20's now. Learning how to let them go has been one of my hardest life lessons. Being sober has helped me understand how to do this without feeling like my life is over. I had the empty nest syndrome bad.

I love this daily check in. For me right now,I need to be here more than once a day. Feeling more fragile now than I did at 30 or 60 days.
So later,
Praying for snow in New Mexico

[sooty]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Hello Lav, Dill, Lil, Sped, Red, (I was going for rhyming pairs ) LBH, MM and Shelley
Dill I love the idea of the New Years Party but don't think I'll be able to join in as I'm cooking a meal and that's about the time we'll be eating it (I've looked it up on the world clock and reckon it'll be 8 p.m. my time) but you lot go ahead and I'll really enjoy reading the posts. You can clink a virtual glass of something nice for me. I love schloer - can you get there over with you?
Actually when things aren't so hectic it would be lovely to try and synchronise being on line at the same time - I'd look forward to that a lot.
Do any of you ever go on chat? I must admit I rarely look and when I do there's usually no-one there.
Still raining here - everywhere squelchy again!
Have a good day everyone
love Sooty

[mighty mouse]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Afternoon all,

Red, This holiday time is so hard. I'm not doing all that great either and I'm getting mad about it. I haven't had alot of AF practice before these holidays hit. I need some days alone and I know I won't have them for a while. co-ordinating everyones schedules, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking, cleaning, cooking..Good Grief...I also can't stand looking at my husband... I'm going to leave the house at dinner time and go to the mall.

I think I'll try to focus on dills quote and see it as my roses having thorns and I want to stay with my rose...they smell so sweet.

Love to everyone, MM

[mighty mouse]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Dill, Just checked out Happy and content sober living thread. Thanks. I needed that :l

[sdlovespackers]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Good Morning...opps afternoon now...took me awhile to catch up on all the posts!!

Sorry I've been away for a few days...it's been pretty rushed and crazy around here. It's like we get up and head over to my moms for the entire day to spend with family. Finally everyone has gone...including my son this morning It was his 8th birthday yesterday so I had a house full including his dad and his mother...and my mom, step-dad, sister and brother in law. We just did pizza, presents and cake and watched Brett Favre!! Pretty fun, low key, but none-the-less stressful and a bit awkward!

I will admit again this holiday season hasn't been AF but it certainly has been much better than last year....and being it my first holiday where I even wanted to do something about my drinking...I'll take it as progress and again, and VERY VERY excited to start a new month and year AF!!!

I think as for right now...a NAP!!!!!!
SD:l

[lilmea]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

I really like the idea of trying to get on line together for New Years. Sooty if you can't be here on New Years, can you let us know when there would be a good time for you?

Dill-How about if we start a list and see how many can make it?

Sped-I also suffered from the empty nest sydrome and still do sometimes. Both of my girls are in their 30's!

Cyn-How was your trip? Did you get enough snow?

MM-I like Mondays too. It's like getting a new beginning, once a week!

Lav-50-60 mile winds! It didn't blow all your little chicks away did it! We get a lot of those high winds here. I don't like them!

Red-Are things getting back to normal for you yet?

LHB-One of the nicest things about being af is being able to have intelligent conversations. It use to take all my energy just to try and 'act' some what sober, let alone trying to carry on a conversation.

SD-I am whispering so as not to disturb your nap.

The holidays are over and the house is empty. Suddenly I have a lot of time on my hands. The worse thing I did was get out of the habit of excersising and am finding it a little hard to get back into that routine. But I will.

I hope everyone is having a good day.

[sooty]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Hi Lil, Its only New Year that's the problem - I'm pretty flexible most of the time - I do hope you manage to get together. I'm 5 hours in front of you lot I think and I'd happily stay up late one night if that suited you all.

Lav a thousand apologies, I missed your anniversary - wot a plonker I am.

There's a lovely young lady called Lav
She has a weapon we all want to have
She's always polite
and she's never rude
She just powered by Lav-attitude

boom boom

Sooty :l

[dill]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Lil and Sooty, we can change to any time you think would work. I suggested 3:00 because I knew it would be 8:00 in Sooty-land and I didn't want to make Sooty have to stay up late. Pick a different time that would work better for you, Soots. I have the whole day open. No social commitments here.

[mighty mouse]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Hi gang, I can probably sneak away for a while on NYeve. my time is flexable so let me know. MM

[ladybirdheart]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Good Evening from here. It is so intriguing to see all the reflection in your posts, I am in a thoughtful frame of mind as well after being on the front lines of the season. I am fixing a extra special dinner on New Year?s Eve but it should be calm and peaceful as we shall be joined only by two well-mannered gentlemen. I?ll do my best to join in the thread party, and when I think of the New Year, the comfort in knowing I shall be with all of you is strong and sure. Love, Ladybird.

[Lavande]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Evening friends,

Ms. Sooty, thanks so much fot the poem, I love it :H
I am deep, deep down relieved to get past that Christmas Eve mark - that was a big (personal) deal for me! Now I feel more relaxed & just crusin'

The massive winds have calmed down but it's still very cold. I have heard some mention of snow possibly New Year's Eve overnight into New Year's day, just not sure yet.
My hens ran out into their yard as usual this morning then turned around & ran right back inside. The wind was too much for them I think!

I'm exhausted - didn't sleep real well last night (the wind kept waking me) & my energizer bunny grandson just left (his mother was exhausted too)! He turned 13 months yesterday.........never stops for a minute Guess we'll all be sleeping well tonight!

I'm available any time for our party - I'm staying home in my comfy, AF dwelling!

Shelley, stick with us - we are a seriously determined group as you've probably already noticed!

Lil, Dill, LBH, red, MM & everyone - have a warm, comfy night. Dream nice things!!

Lav

[sdlovespackers]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

I will so meet everyone for New Years whenever works our for everyone!!! And can I just say...SOOTY!!! You crack me up...what a plonker I am? I don't even know what that is but it's so cute just to read and hear it in my head!!!! I love it!! Oh I wish I could meet you!! We had this joke a long way back with my son...when he'd wet his pants and would say Dad I peed my pants....why didn't it sound as cool as...Daddy, I went weewee in my britches?! EVERYTHING sounds way cooler said in a different "language"! I honestly wish we could all meet in real world land some day---what a riot it would be!!!!
Good Night All!! Back to my pillow...I'm pretty sure I've slept a million hours straight and don't even care...no kid, no dog (getting fixed)...house is a mess but I don't even notice cuz I don't leave my room!!...Merry Christmas to me...............:H
SD:l

[ladybirdheart]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

You sound fantastic, SD, cheerful on the inside. I trust you are enjoying your visit with your now grown up sons, Shelley, and Lav, when you talk about your grandchild, I envision this bright busy zippy little fellow with no Off Button. Sooty, you really are funny in any accent. Greetings Red, MM (keep that little fist in the air), and my buddies Lil and Dill. I did lots of errands today including a trip to Home Depot and on to Costco where it seems I just missed busting Lord Bird Heart buying yet another fancy peripheral something or other for his Christmas Television which, of course, now requires yet another upgrade in this or that service. I then watched people wheeling out carts with industrial size vats of booze, and twenty year sober Inspector Gadget appeared rather low maintenance by comparison so I think I?ll keep him. I braved the holiday sales later and emerged scarred but victorious with a camel cashmere scarf, pearl earrings, and brown satin slippers. The point of all this is while out I ran into a couple I have not seen in six months, and they went on (and on) about how ?beautiful? I looked. Trust me, I am an old bat, but not drinking has some good side effects as I am now evidently a rather gorgeous old bat. One more incentive, yes? Love, Ladybird.

[redhibiscus]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Good morning to all December Determintators soon to be Just Do It in January. Three o'clock eastern time sounds good to me. Now are we going to chat, or here? I am not sure how to get on chat, but am more than willing to try a new adventure online. Let me know. Later on in the evening, I plan on preparing a little dinner for my husband and myself, already have nonalcohol fruit beverage and will make a cake or maybe that last pecan pie. Any suggestions for a main course?

Dill, thanks so much for your thoughtful post. In the aftermath of a time of drinking, emotionally and physically I am a wreck. If I look at the big picture, I have changed my drinking patterns tremendously, but AF is the only way to go. I guess I still have it in my mind that "once in a while," won't hurt me, but it does.

MM, I laughed when you said you couldn't stand the sight of your husband, or something to that effect. I felt the same way two days ago, the accumulation of cooking and cleaning endlessly, too much togetherness, and I was ready to snap. Yesterday, after being apart, we are fine, loving and good to each other. He said to me, "It's hard in the winter, I guess we had cabin fever," and I had to agree. Plus, the drinking did not help anything. Last night had a peaceful night, AF. Way better all the way around. The holidays are wonderful but so stressful. Hope you have a great day today.

I will be around today, so will look for everyone throughout the day. Have a good AF one.

[redhibiscus]

December Determination ~ AF ~ Week 4

Lilmean, I also have not been exercising regularly, no privacy in this cram packed house, and thought I would start tomorrow after I take my son to the airport.

Sped, thanks for sharing your feelings about your sons. My son lives thousands of miles away, struggles, and at times I miss him so badly I feel physically sick. But I know that he is doing what all young people should be doing, getting a life, so it is possible to let him go. The mix of emotions is what is so hard for me: wanting him to go, not wanting him to leave and be so far away. Whew, it will be hard tomorrow taking him to the airport. The great thing, I keep telling myself, is that we can talk often due to free long distance. I remember as a kid, long distance was so expensive, letter writing was the only way to communicate to distant loved ones. So anyway, just wanted you to know I am with you regarding the empty nest feelings....

LBH, your shopping trip sounded fun, I have to shop today and hope I am as successful as you. Glad to hear that you are looking more like your beautiful self, knowing that you have changed you alcohol patterns.

Lav, your grandson sounds adorable. I had the opportunity to spend time with an almost two year old boy yesterday,and it was so fun. They are precious angels. I can barely wait till I have grandchildren.