Monday the 23rd

[YoungAtHeart]

Good morning (afternoon or evening) all!

This is just a quick check in to say hey before I get to work on some paperwork and billing. For me at least, it is hard to stay structured when you do some of your work from home. This was okay for the first several weeks for not drinking, but I've gotta kick my butt into higher gear now that I've got almost seven weeks of sobriety under my belt. Seven weeks....wow. I'm feeling rather impressed with myself!

At any rate, yesterday was good--I got some good stuff done--although NOT paperwork!:H
Congratulations, Jane, on 70 days. That is just awesome! You deserved to feel "chuffed"! (Love the slang!)

Well, I'm going to check a few other threads, and then back to the salt mines.

Check in later!

Hugs,:l
Kathy

[Doggygirl]

Monday the 23rd

Back at ya with a hearty good morning!! I work from a home office too and spend WAY too much time here....but that's OK I forgive myself. I hate paperwork to and put the "Pro" in "Pro-crastination" for sure. I've got filing to do still from 2006 - now that's pathetic!! On the bright side, all that historic procrastination has left me with PLENTY of things to occupy my newly found time where I am freed up from drinking.

Congratulations on 7 Weeks!! * X 49 (your gold stars) That is awesome, and an inspiration. WE CAN DO THIS!!

Day 13 AF and quite happy to be here for me!! Waiting for a repair man to show up and then I'm off to run errands.

Have an awesome AF day everyone!

DG
Day 13 AF * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[Newyear]

Monday the 23rd

Good Morning! Kathy - 7 weeks is so great -even better that you are happy with it and feeling good.
DG - Congrats on Day 13 - Lucky 13! Tomorrow will be 2 weeks!

I'm at work and it is thankfully quiet - everyone is either late or on vacation today or out of town for a training class. I just need to make sure I do work and not stay here for most of my day!!
My cats kept me up most of the night but I got up and went to the gym this morning anyway. I have been slacking off a lot on the workouts and I can tell a difference.

So when I got up I thought about how tired I was from the lack of sleep but then thought - yes, but I'm not hungover! Then I got dressed and got to the gym.
I know I have been af for a long time now - 270 days I think- but it is still not a 'given'.
I still find myself coming up with reasons to go ahead and drink one, or two. The feelings get easier and easier to overcome though. And coming here keeps me grounded.
So - just wanted to say thank you to everyone here!

Have a good day today - get lots filed

:l Lisa

[YoungAtHeart]

Monday the 23rd

Damn, now I feel like a dope! It's only 6 weeks!:blush: Duh! I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Anyway, when you gave me 49 stars, I realize that I calculated wrong DG, and now I'm embarrassed! But I'm not embarrassed about 6 weeks, though. I still feel pretty good about that! I'll just have to wait until next week for the big 7!

Good on you for 13 Days, DoggyGirl. I admire your energy, so it is touching to realize that you can be a procrastinator like me.

Lisa, I hear what you say about 270 days (congrats, by the way!) but sobriety still not being a given. It is good that we have you around who have a lot more experience and can help us know what to expect! Luv ya lots!!

Anyway, back to the salt mines for sure now!

Hugs again,:l
Kathy

[Determinator]

Monday the 23rd

Happy Monday AB-erooooos! thanks for the kick-start Kathy and 6 weeks rocks!
Doggygirl and Lisa breaking records....wowser!
lovely still morining here, watching the bunnies and quail playing in the yard as the sun comes up. Going to be a heck of a week so I'm very grateful to be healthy.
Be well friends.

[vinophile]

Monday the 23rd

Good Morning,
Congratulations Kathy on six great weeks,Lisa on 270days,Doggygirl on 13 days, and Determinator, I know you have a good deal of abs time as well!!!!!

Everyone on the abs board seems to be doing just great. The 30 day abs board is chalkful of inspired abstainers.
I did so well on Fri and Sat night. Going out and ordering af beer was just fine. Then last night I drank wine. I'm so mad at myself!!!!!!
I am going to cling to this abs board however!!!!This is not easy and I refuse to drop out. I'm going to continue to chug on. As one who has recently (yesterday) had a drink(4) I can reassure all of you,who have gone for so long without a drink, that it REALLY is not worth picking up that first drink again.

As a runner,and being middle-aged and with the low mileage I have put in of late I hesitate to call myself that, I would always become overhwelmed if I kept looking at the road ahead of me and thinking about the miles I still had to go. I have learned to keep my head down and just look at what is right in front of me. Well, I think I have to do that with drinking. Last night I began to think about all the events in August that I had to attend and how drinking would be involved. Instead of enjoying a quiet Sun night after a successful AF weekend, I chose to succumb to the call of the wine. When it comes down to it, I drank because I was worried about possibly drinking in August. What an ass I am!!!!!!

I will doggedly continue on my quest to remain abstinent and thank you all for the support that you provide.

Have a great day!!!
Janet

[paula]

Monday the 23rd

Well done all,
Young at Heart you are now going in to your 7th week so well done.
I was so proud at 2 weeks now I'm on my 5th month ( i think, i lose track) .
Keep on Vino , it's not easy but worth it, you will do it.
Love Paula.xx

[Popeye]

Monday the 23rd

Hi All,
Just popped in to say hello.

Everyone seems to be rolling along the abstainance trail very nicely.
We had some sunshine today.
Never fails to cheer me up.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care.

[buckledown]

Monday the 23rd

Hi everyone...sounds like a great day ...keep up the good work and dont be too hard on yourself if you slip up...day 48 for me today....i think that is right...i need to check my drink tracker....i have a huge business trip around the corner that is already starting to make my head spin...have so many drinking dinners i have to attend while there...yuck....i am trying to stay present in today and not think too much about the trip - its a long one too...thanks for reading...have a fabulous day! buckle

[Newyear]

Monday the 23rd

Hi Janet- sorry you are dealing with this and I do know what you mean. A similar thing happens with dieting...holidays coming up and all kinds of good things to gain weight on...might as well start now!
Same thing with alcohol - kind of a self fulfilling prophesy.
Wish I had the right advice to give.
One of the things that has helped me ( besides some good mantras) is to just get angry. I can get very determined when I get angry.
My thought process might be something like this : 'Oh, they think all that wine around is going to make me drink, well, it isn't. They can just drink all they want and then drink some more but not me. Nope, I will have none of it. They can't make me drink...they can't make me! Let them have every bit of it!! They will think I want it too but nope...none of it! Can't make me, can't make me."

ok....I'm a bit of a wacko.... and the "they" is not necessairly the people there. I just get mad at "them" (maybe I'm mad at the wine) as if someone is forcing me to drink and I have to get angry and say "NO"
I have no idea if this even makes sense to anyone else but it has helped me. I think it goes along with the difference between saying no because you want to and saying no and then feeling deprived. If it is my decision then I'm in control and the wine is not!

Gonna stop at that.

:h
Lisa

[Kitty]

Monday the 23rd

Hi abbers,

Not been on since Saturday because I've been feeling sooo down. Not quite sure what it is. My mood had really improved since going af and my pins and needles and muscle pains have gone now so I really have nothing to blame it on, and that in itself is frustrating.

I've been super mean to my partner and even my kitten is driving me crazy. I really feel like a woman possesed. It is taking superhuman willpower right now not to start drinking again and I don't want to titrate up too soon with the Topa.

I just have this really negative outlook that I just can't shake off. I really hope it will pass soon. No amount of exercising or healthy diet seems to shift it.

Any ideas will be gratefully received.

Kitty

[YoungAtHeart]

Monday the 23rd

Hey Kitty, we all go through down times when it hardly feels worth it to stay AF. Our mood plummets or we get really restless or bored or something. You say you have no reason to feel this way, but is that really true? Are you sure that something isn't bugging you? I know we're all supposed to be all happy and stuff because we're not drinking, but it doesn't always feel that way. Sometimes I feel like I'm slugging along day to day, believe me, and other days I feel better. I can't always predict when, where or why, either. I don't know anything more to say than that, but if you look over on long term abstainers, you'll see that lots of people with long-term abs time have gone through difficult periods. I hope you feel better soon.:l

Your backyard sounds like a little slice of heaven, Deter. It's nice to have some restful sights and sounds to counteract the hustle and bustle that we have to deal with so much of the time. I hope your busy week goes well.

Janet, I have done what you did yesterday quite a few times myself. I refuse to worry too much about the future now, or if I worry, I give myself 5 minutes and then cut it out! Also, with the development of AF wine, I just get myself a bottle if I'm facing a social event and take it. It makes it SOOOO much easier, for me at least. It's a case of BYOAFB! Anyway, good for you for climbing back on the wagon right away and understanding why you drank.

Wow, Paula, working on your 5th month! That's really cool!

I'm glad you had some sunshine, Popeye. You've been needing some of that, haven't you? Take care of yourself, too, laddie!

Hi Buckledown--48 days is great! We're pretty close together actually, I'm at 42 days today. I wish you good luck on your trip. You'll be mighty proud of yourself when you get back and haven't had a drink!

Lisa, you have a good idea about being in control, even if it is a little bit crazy.:H I mean who cares how you stay in control as long as you do, right? Get mad at the wine, whatever. As long as you don't act crazy! People might get suspicious if they see you muttering to the wine, or worse, to yourself!:H Sorry, I wish I could share the visuals here, but they defy description! I'm cracking myself up. Yeah, I know, you are probably all thinking that I'M CRAZY now. More than likely true....

Anyway, Kitty, please don't stay away because you're down. That's especially a good time to come here and let us all know how you are. I'm glad you posted today. I hope we'll be able to help you get out of the place you're in.

>At any rate, I'm getting to bedtime; six weeks behind me now! Whew! I see my psychiatrist tomorrow, and I know he will be proud of me. At one point, he was probably ready to pull his hair out with frustration with me. It will be good to get all the good vibes. Also, I want to talk with him about how tired I've been. Exercise helps a bit, but not with being able to focus. Oh well. I've written another book. You're all getting used to me by now (I hope??).

Hugs,:l
Kathy

[Determinator]

Monday the 23rd

Kathy, alway love your "books"

Lisa the "anger matras" is so funny. really though I'm glad it works.
Buckledown...nice to hear from you...been a while? or my memory is just crap maybe.
Kitty, how many days AF now? ....we'll figure this mood thing out!

cheers all,
(with my n/a Ariel wine of course)

[Hannah]

Monday the 23rd

Lisa 3102, you are very wise. As a person who about 5 years ago had gone 10 years AF, I can assure you that it is a big mistake to think you can ever, ever, have just a little drink. It only stays a little drink until it's gone, and then it morphs into something that is sorts like laundry - starts out as just a little bit and then grows into a mountain (I've always said the laundry basket has a sex life, otherwise how could it multiply so fast? I learned this the hard way. Vinophile, the important thing is not to dwell on your slip, just get right back on track, and keep on trucking! You can do it!