Well, That Didn't Take Long

[NoSugar]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hey, UN

I saw your post about Caroline Knapp's book. My book club read that several years ago -- I remember it making me uncomfortable so that probably was around the time that my problem was becoming an addiction. I should give it another read - I'm sure different parts of it will have meaning now.

Speaking of some good books - I've read the parts of Brene' Brown's books that Amazon lets you sample before you buy. I really think she hones in on some of the problems that underlie many things, including addiction. I'm going to go ahead and purchase her most recent one (Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead: Brene Brown: 9781592407330: Amazon.com: Books) and wait until the others come from the library where I'm on the waiting list.

She is "Going Oprah", which kind of bugs me, but it doesn't change the fact that she has some important things to say.

Good luck with your move and enjoy The Purge :H! :h NS

[3June2013]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Funny how "Going Oprah" turns me off now. But I agree I loved her TED talks.

Un I bet your cats are going to love their new digs!

[NoSugar]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Today I used some of the meditation techniques I've learned while getting my entire face threaded! I think it helped - I didn't even get watery eyes when she was doing the parts that usually hurt such as around my lips. It was much less obtrusive than the only other technique such as this that I know: LaMaze breathing. She wouldn't have been able to do the threading if I'd been panting away :H ! Anyway, I suppose you won't be getting threaded, Pinecone, but I appreciate your motivating me in the meditation department.

When is your actual moving day, UN? You must be so excited!

How are you doing June? I still think you should be the MWO Poster Girl - We'll be seeing you over on that 100 day thread any minute now! Nice to have you join in here, too. We have to keep this thread busy because UN threatened to cancel it due to lack of interest :H !

Free, so many things go well when women are at the helm. I don't think we should be in charge of everything but 50% representation at the top would be a good move. And in what you are doing, it has been clearly shown in several countries that the farms and small businesses run by women are by and large the ones that succeed.

Allswell, I checked out a youtube video on aerophonic farming - I see why you are impressed! My Adventures in Agriculture this summer have been a dismal failure. Maybe I need some new techniques other than sticking the small plants in the soil and waiting to see what happens... This year, not much!

Hey, MyLife - I hope your long time away from home is going well and at least sometimes is fun .

Hope everyone who stops by is having a great day/evening. :h NS

[Pinecone]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

I've always considered myself pretty nerdy too, lol! This is a very cool gang if folks to hang out with and I truly appreciate you as sobriety colleagues.

Fascinating about the innovative gardening technique. I'd love to see a garden on top of a bus.

NS, mindfulness techniques are really working well for me too. It's almost like it has to build up in your system, then it starts working on its own a bit. I'm still sitting daily and the benefits far outweigh the 15 or so minutes I spend.

UN, good luck with your pending move. Stay as sane as you can! It sounds like such a positive direction though.

Alls, great luck to you this campaign!

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hi Everyone,

OK, then, it's gotten chatty around here again. I'm happy to stick to this nerdy little thread if you guys want - just didn't want anyone to feel compelled to post here if they found themselves too strung out among threads.

Now, on to other thread issues..............

No Sugar, face threading........had to Google that OUCH! Talk about the price of beauty!! Oh, I wanted to mention something about Carolyn Knapp. Do you know she died at the age of 42 from lung cancer? Evidently she was a heavy smoker - how sad and ironic that she finally beat the alcohol beast and ended up killing herself with cigarettes. Also, it's funny that you should mention having read it before and it making you uncomfortable. In reading it this go-round, it's like I've never seen it before. I think I must still have been drinking when I read it previously because I don't remember much about it. Imagine that. Anyway, I think it's a great read. And to answer your question about the move - we are in the process of scheduling everything for September 19.

I'm having some pretty ambivalent feelings about leaving a home I designed, built and love. I hate it that I'm this attached to an inanimate object! I think, though, that once I get to CO I can move past it. When there recently, I didn't really think too much about my house. The thing that's really stressing me more, though, is the cats and knowing how badly the move will stress them. I've seen that in action, and it's awful. They don't move well and are very attached to their home. I'm doing everything I can to make the move less stressful for them, but there's only so much I can do. You know, they are like my children since I don't have any. Totally irrational, I know, to be so worried about them. I need to focus on a better life for me and the hubs - just can't seem to get away from obsessing about it, tho. BUT, I haven't weakened and imbibed, so at least I'm testing my AF mettle and succeeding.

Pinecone, I'm glad you guys are still having the conversation here about meditating. I must get back into it - just feeling so distracted at the moment. I'll get there.

Hey June - I know what you and NS mean about the "Going Oprah" phenomenon. I guess people just can't resist and it does help get their word out. She has a vast audience, to be sure. And thanks for the reassurance about my cats. I hope you're right!

Free, thank you for the well-wishes. And thank you for doing what you're doing. You and Alls are to be commended. I hope to do something meaningful in my new place.

Hope everyone has a good day today.

Hugs,
UN :lilheart:

[Pinecone]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Good afternoon gang,

Un, I totally relate to your ambivalence. We are going to be adopting a puppy soon, and I know it's going to turn my life upside down for a while. I've been a dog person my whole life and we lost our girl back in May, had her for 14 yrs. I go through bouts of excitement and then a tinge of fear, as if I don't know what to feel. That word ambivalence just really struck me when you posted it. I've always had this feeling for the bigger events in my life.

Btw, I knew what threading is, but not from experience thank god!

Have a great AF afternoon!

[NoSugar]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Pinecone;1548919 wrote:

Btw, I knew what threading is, but not from experience thank god!

Hey, there! It beats waxing, plucking, or electrolysis :H!

[allswell]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hey All,

Wow, I didn't know Carolyn Knapp died at 42. I remember watching a late night TV show on a Sunday night after I'd been drinking all day (all weekend actually) and they interviewed her about her new book. She was smoking in the interview and touched on it in the book about her smoking but knowing deep down the real problem she had to address first was the drinking. Drinking A Love Story was the first book I bought to address what I knew was my problem. It put me on the road that lead me to today and I am eternally grateful for the eye opener, so sorry to hear a brilliant writer died so young.

Hey UN, I think animals like consistency and react to change but are definitely adaptable and will get the feel of your new cabin in an unbelievably short period of time. I adopted a sphynx rescue once and that little guy was at home in like 8 hours. Amazing.

Take care Everyone

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Alls,Knapp's book is pretty amazing in the way it chronicles her alcohol addiction. Her thought processes about drinking --how she stayed mired in the misery before figuring out that the alcohol was actually the cause of her unhappiness is so poignantly described. I just can't believe she kicked alcohol and then died so young from lung cancer. Seems like such a waste. Such a gifted and intelligent writer. Now, it seems like we hear about some famous person either in rehab or dying from alcohol (or alcohol and pills) almost weekly.

I'm feeling such a turnaround in my thinking now. Even though there are still times I feel some kind of "void" I'm able to put the thought in its place and tell myself that it's false thinking and that I'll just have to get my jollies some other way. I think for the first time in trying to get off the roller coaster I've INTERNALIZED the realization that I'm happy to not be drinking and that I can be content without it. I had to let go of wanting that giddy, yeehaw feeling alcohol gives me and go more toward enjoying little things like reading, (even TV). And, when I get to CO, I'm hoping to replace some of my TV addiction with healthier activities like hiking and either a part time job or volunteer work. As they say, quitting drinking is about so much more than just putting down the drink - it's building a new life really. Having said all that, though, I always keep in the back of my mind that some errant thought could catapult me into picking up again.........just this flippant little "F it" thought, that I always have to be mindful of........

Pinecone, just a word about the puppy. It really is a test, isn't it. My cats are a huge joy to me, but they also limit my ability to travel. I can get pet sitters, but they really miss me, so I feel guilty if I'm gone more than a week. They get terribly lonely. That takes being able to spend a month or more somewhere impossible. It seems like we do things that work for us in one sense, but in another they don't. Having pets gives you fulfillment 99% of the time, but that 1% where you want to be free to not be tied down becomes a problem. Sigh.........the dilemma. Oh well, maybe traveling isn't an issue for you. I just would love to have the freedom to do that but am not willing to leave them for that long.

Well, I got on a ramble - thanks for listening everyone.

Free, June, My Life, and anyone stopping by - have a good one.

UN :lilheart:

[free at last]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hi all, just popping in because I'm still in the middle of this 3 day conference. But, the end is in sight, I've just finished my fifth consecutive night of dinner engagements AF and come Friday, I will get a massage, workout, maybe even a swim. Been enjoying the conversation but too tired, with little bandwidth to actively respond.

One note on the pets, we actually hire a dogsitter (a college student who needs a little extra cash) to stay in our apartment when we go on holiday. Our record is three weeks away, but I can envision 6 weeks. I like to think the dog misses us, but as long as he is in HIS apartment, on HIS bed (ours), HIS couch (while we are gone, he manages to sneak on top), and HIS neighborhood, I am not certain he is too troubled. The tell tale sign is when we return and he looks at us as if to say, "Oh, you're back. Does that mean you expect me to give up the couch?"

Should have some time this weekend to catch up on thread and be an active participant.

Cheers all.

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Free, I think having someone actually stay in the house would be good. I just could never find a pet sitter that didn't have pets and family to tend to. Maybe in CO.

Incidentally how goes it at these business dinners? Are people polite about your not drinking? Just wondering what you say and how you handle things.

Alls, you? I imagine you have lots of evening business events where this is an issue too?

Not much new in my world today - just readying for the move.

Have a great day everyone.

UN:lilheart:

[allswell]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hey UN,

I've been going to various events off and on for over two years now without drinking and it's absolutely no big issue now. In the beginning it was hard because well, I wanted a drink since everyone else is drinking but now realize no one else cares if I'm not and rarely get asked about it. If pressed I've mentioned training for a marathon and that usually ends it right then and there.

I hope your conference goes quickly FAL, I have to get continuing professional education all the time and find it exhausting due to the dry content and uninteresting presentation from a lot of the speakers. I hope your conference is not like that.

Looking forward to Fall for some reason. It's been humid here and always enjoyed long runs in the crisp, early Autumn mornings.

[free at last]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hi all, I am back among the living, but exhausted. I was brought in to rescue the conference. A few weeks ago, it was a mess -- no clear expectations of outcomes, the speakers were not confirmed, logistical details had not been attended to. I have never organized an event before--when I worked at full time job, I had experienced people who did that. Happy to report it was very successful, the participants were engaged, my client has strong recommendations for further actions.

As for not drinking at meals, that is not much of an issue for me. I had 5 consecutive dinners this week and no one questioned my not drinking --they would be suprised to see me drinking because I usually have work to take care after the dinner. For me, the issue is not to unwind with wine in my hotel room after the evening is over.

Have a massage booked for later today and plans to hit the gym shortly. Tomorrow, I start in on next big project for my client, which will involve (surprise!) more travel

[Unwasted]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Free and Alls, you two sound so together! I think you're handling potentially tough situations very gracefully.

Not much new here - still packing (ugh) and moving things along.

Have a super day everyone.

UN :lilheart:

[mylife]

Well, That Didn't Take Long

Hello All,
I am back at home finally. I will still be making trips but not for as long a time again. I am ashamed to admit I broke down and drank for a few nights. I was constantly bombarded with social business functions and one evening feeling very stressed I caved. I didn't drink a lot but I did keep drinking for the next several days and it didn't take long before I began to feel crappy again. I'm back to AF and looking at it as a learning experience. I really need to work on alternative stress releases like meditation, and make that a focus as my main weakness with Al seems to be as a stress reliever.

Sounds like you are all moving along great on your AF paths, it's really nice to read your positive posts. :h