July Mod Squad

[ToMyHealth]

Happy July 1st. I have decided to make July an AF month. So far so good :bigwink:

Here's to a good month for all of us!

TMH
Day 1 Done

[FarfallaP]

July Mod Squad

Happy July 1st, too!

I am grateful that today has been an AF day for me, hope to rack up more AF days during July.

TMH, thanks for the WTG on my success at not drinking at home. It pleases me immensely that I have accomplished that, with my little strategies I outlined last month...and I think it is what has helped my liver and my rosacea!

However, I must confess that I do not think I could pull it off with house guests who participate in the traditional "cocktail hour." ... Talk about triggers...I love actually having guests, but being the hostess sets off my "perfectionist" tendencies, and consequent anxiety!

As you said, Here's to a good month for all of us!

FF

[FarfallaP]

July Mod Squad

TMH,

If there is a store called Sweet Bay in your part of FL, they carry a non-alcoholic unsugared fizzy drink called "Sweet Inspirations," which comes in a tall bottle, in several flavors...my husband and I really like the Blood Orange flavor, for AL-free "grown-up" drinks on the lanai in the afternoons..Publix does NOT carry it. The Watermelon, I think it was, is nice, too. FF

[ToMyHealth]

July Mod Squad

Hey, FF, thanks for that info! We do have a Sweet Bay, not real close, but that's ok. Today's list includes groc shopping - maybe I'll just go there. In fact, sure I will. You hit it on the head re: FL lifestyle. Going to go write it on my list now. Thanks!!

TMH

[FarfallaP]

July Mod Squad

It is actually called "Taste of Inspirations". Dumb name. Hope you like it. FF

[drinkingal]

July Mod Squad

Hi Farfalla and TMH (awesome goal by the way!! I'll be cheering for you!)

I've just done the first two days of the month af as well, what a great start to July for us. woot!

[ToMyHealth]

July Mod Squad

Hi everybody! Please c/i, let us know how you are doing. Even if you choose to drink everyday or couple times a week - it's whatever moderation means to you.

FF - found the Taste of Inspirations. They only had 2 flavors SF - the blood orange and lemonade. I bought both but have not tried them yet.

DG - good job on 1st 2 days AF. Me too. It's so early yet but I feel so less anxious; it's as though I took the option off the table so I don't obsess over it. I love going to bed totally sober, yes, sleep is a little more difficult but worth it, and looking forward to that 1st cup of coffee in the a.m.

Off to play golf. Gotta love retirement.

TMH
Day 2 Done

[FarfallaP]

July Mod Squad

Boy, DG and TMH, it wasn't too long ago that 2 days AF seemed like an impossible dream to me...I am ecstatic that now it actually IS something I can achieve!

So, I second DGs "woot" on a great start to the month of July! MWO and the encouragement of folks like you guys have helped me so much in "sneaking up" on my goal of eliminating this obsession from my psyche...so, thanks, guys. FF

[Trixiebelle]

July Mod Squad

Fabulous start to July all,

I haven't been here for a few days, I've been reading the book I mentioned in the June Mod thread. It's good, though I don't think it's really convinced me to put away the drink forever - so strong is the conditioning and brainwashing...and fear :upset: I'm not giving up though.

Started to really cut down last night, I had one & a bit ciders, I'm watering them down with soda, and I'm happy to do this - I don't feel deprived, which is the conditioning I need to get rid of.

Glad to hear you are all doing so well, I wish we had those AL free drinks here in Oz, I guess if I had a really good look, I could find something here. Mostly the Al free stuff here is pretty ghastly, though I think as time goes on, we'll follow on from the US as we usually do.

[drinkingal]

July Mod Squad

I know what you mean ff, two days af is pretty huge for me too :l

Tmh how are you going? are you on day 4 now?

trix, gosh sticking to 1 or 2 ciders in a night is huge. I don't think I could it :goodjob:

so something that happened today is me and dh decided to take the dogs for walk around the block, all good, except dh was out the door while i was still putting on my shoes and I rushed off after him and forgot to take some poop bags. So we get down the street and turn a corner and my dogs start sniffing around in this bit off hellstrip which is like no mans land, it's not at the front of a house and is next to a full height fence (I don't let my dogs wander onto people's gardens in case they pee) and one of my dogs drops a bomb and I'm bagless.

Next thing the guy who's lives in the house on the other side of the fence suddenly appears out of nowhere, and he's pissed, starts ranting and raving about how he's sick of dog **** etc, and is being really aggressive. I was annoyed at his tone but figured I'd just deal with it then and there. so I said to him "have you got a bag?" and he just takes an attitude and says "NO! I DON'T have a bag!" just being a jerk, so I said "you don't have a bag?" (I mean the guy lives right there, and if he wants me to pick it up, I just need a damn bag!) and again he's really arrogant and says "I DON'T have a bag" and then just starts going off again. By this time his attitude is just pissing me off, and I cut him off and pretty aggressively said "Listen, if you've got a bag I'll pick it up, otherwise I'll have to go home first". He finally (begrudgingly) goes off to get a bag, and as he's walking away he starts spouting out more stuff , I'm shouting back at him, it was getting REALLY heated by this time, my blood was boiling at this aggressive jerk, so DH sent me on ahead with the dogs before I had an aneurism, while he hung around and waited for the guy to come back. But why do people have to be such @ssholes about stuff? I mean I totally get where the guy is coming from because even at the dog park we use where there are baggie dispensers everywhere, some people don't pick up their dog's poop, but would it kill some people to just talk to you like a normal person instead of being an arrogant aggressive ass? i was seriously pissed off by the time I got home, and cracked open a drink to calm down.

[ToMyHealth]

July Mod Squad

Good morning. :day4: 3 days done, on to day 4, and holiday and party to go to tonite. Not worried in the least. Now don't mean to be complacent, just feel confident and truly hope it continues.

FF - hear you on the 2 days in a row - and so nice to "hear" your gratitude. That's huge.

Trix - :good: on cutting down. Bet you feel a whole lot better. The NA beer in U.S. isn't bad IMO. Wish you had it. What FF recommended I don't think is billed as NA wine, although it's a lot more expensive than soda. Found it in the "new age" section, not wine aisle, in grocery store. Sorry to hear you don't have alternative in Aust. I think it helps psychologically. I know when dh has an O'Doul's he just calls it beer and enjoys it especially with pizza or hamburgers.

DG - :wow3: you did get po'd. Understand I am not a dog lover and do get irrate over irresponsible dog owners. In your situation, that would not have caused a reaction in me; I would have noticed then thought well, at least it's in a field, etc. etc. You let him know you would take care of it, just get the dang bag. And yes, there are A-holes amongst us. Hope you're feeling better today.

Happy July 4th to all in U.S. Wish it were better times - maybe next year. eace:

TMH

[Stewarts]

July Mod Squad

TMH, that is an amitious plan, go for it! I hope you make it. Summer months I think are though g al free. Today I was at the beach, and had three beers thought the entire afternoon, say 3 to 4 hours. It feels nice, but I have no desire to drink tonight, maybe a glass of wine before dinner, but I had a snack just now and feel full.

I had a slip up, it really wasn't, I did drink over my limit July 2, old childhood buddies took me to an iron Maiden show, yes, you heard that right, immature, but awesome. I knew I really didnt have to go into work the next day, but I like to, usually, before the holiday. I did some smart things though, first, I'd didn't mee them eary o hang out, I met them on a private bus right before we were about to leave the city, so they all had a big head start, but still, I chugged down four tall boys kind of quick. We didnt go right in, we hung out for awhile. I know I had another two, maybe three inside, they shut off alcohol at 9:15, I was kind of glad...there's something about spectacle music and booze. When we got back to the city, my buddies wanted to hang out, but I ditched them to catch up with a girl I'm dating. I meet her at some bar, she orders me a beer, maybe I drank 1/2 if that, she told me this. But it ended up being late because she wanted to go home with me and well, stay up awhile. She left my place around 2ish, I walked her out and decided to get some breakfast at the diner on my corner, got to bed around quarter to three. Getting up for work was an ordeal. I felt bad, but I took Xanax an went back to bed. This was July 2, well, now it was July 3, the next day. She came over. I was feeling really down, like a failure. She asked me if there s anything I really needed to do in the office I couldn't do at home, there wasn't. I just had l go in to pick a few things up for the weekend. She also told me I was very well behaved last night. Which didnt surprise me, like I said before, I rarely do dumb sht anymore drinking, the next day just triggers my depression and anxiety sometines if I consume too much. I felt better by the afternoon and did what I had to do and then drove to summer home where I am now. I'm not trying to make excuse for myself, I did the best I could consideing the circumstances. I think the issue was more I was up too late and as we all know sex releases endorphins so I had a hard time getting to sleep, did the drinking didnt help. I guess in an ideal world I just wouldve went straight home and not met up with my girl.

Good to read about you all..Happy fourth!

[Trixiebelle]

July Mod Squad

Happy 4th July to all you in the US,

Its the 5th here now, and another day.

Cutting down went out the window last night, we went to the local club to watch a football game and the drinks flowed. Every time I go out I do this - at home I can control it, so I understand why a lot of people trying to cut down or quit just stay home.

Out again today for lunch and I guess there'll be wine etc, but I ain't going there - wine/champagne is my poison, goes straight to my head, and I know that I can never stop at one, so none for me today.

Stewarts, I know what you mean about the anxiety the next day, I'm having it now, though I didn't really over do it in a big way I did drink more than I wanted and it just seems that the drink affects me a lot more these days. Might be the time of my life - Just a few can make me feel out of it, and things are fuzzy the next day.....

[drinkingal]

July Mod Squad

Thanks TMH I don't usually get angry like that but I couldn't understand the guy's attitude, the only thing he was interested in was ranting and raving and arguing, even after I quickly offered a solution, and I think people like that just rub me the wrong way. Feeling better today though :thanks:

[ToMyHealth]

July Mod Squad

Success! :day5: Clearheaded and well rested this am. Hosts of party hired bartender and chef from our club; bartender said more booze at this house than there was at our club. Huge home, realtor said even in today's market, over $3 million. Watched the sunset over Gulf of Mexico. While driving there we saw a police car every 2 blocks. When we thanked hostess she said be careful out there. She didn't hear me when I said, don't worry, we're sober. Gads, it felt good to say that. Understand a group hires a limo to go/come back to our community. Smart.

Stewarts - thanks for encouragement. Upon decision dh decided to join me which makes it easier. On way home last night I asked him what brought him to decision. He just wants to see if he can do it and even if "he" goes back to his old ways he will know he can quit, plus it's breaking the everyday habit which we got back into after entertaining. Our house is now stocked with many alternative beverages not just the usual O'Doul's and tonic water. It's good you are trying to be responsible in your swinging, partying, single lifestyle - or at least that's how I perceive it being in NY and all. :danthin:

Trix - isn't that next day anxiety the pits! Hate it. That and headache and slight queaziness, just got so sick of it. Found myself wanting to go home much earlier than normal last night. The band made talking difficult; noise started getting to me and just wanted peace & quiet of home. Enjoy your AF lunch.

DG - new day for you. New day for all of us :cheering:

Beautiful day here in Paradise. Can you believe that yesterday it was 18 deg hotter in MN (my home state) than FL?

TMH
Day 4 Done