Saturday 30 August

[Loppy lugs]

Good morning all,

Hope you have interesting weekends lined up. I have chores, office,chores and more chores lined up for today, but I have a nice treat for Sunday when I go to play with some LLamas. Well you all know me and animals!

Mary, sympathise about the dentals I too am suffering. Mainly from shock! I have a quote so stupidly high, to sort them out, that I don't know how I am going to pay for it. I wouldn't mind but my mouth doesn't even hurt (well not that much).

Beck, we'll miss you. See you in October.

I am still taking the antabuse and intend to for a long time. If I need to take it for a couple of years then that is what I shall do. I know it is hard on the liver but not as hard as my alcohol consumption was, surely. Obviously it is up to the Doc how long she will continue to prescribe but so far she seems amenable. It's good to have you back Cindi. I have learnt so much from you.

Beyond reading some of the literature I have not really looked at AA but I know that many people here find it very helpful. It must be good to know that when you are travelling there is always somewhere to go where people can relate to your issues without thinking them trivial. It amazes me that DT finds meetings everywhere he goes. Cruise liners, middle of the desert.......

Hope everyone who had a stressful week, has a better one coming up.

Have a great weekend.

[Doggygirl]

Saturday 30 August

Good morning and Loppy, thank you for getting us started. You always have something thoughtful to say which is wonderful considering it's early yet! (my brain is NOT functioning that well quite yet!)

It sounds like many of us are reaching a point where we are branching out in our journies - looking at different resources and finding new directions in life. Mary and Char, I appreciate both of your observations from yesterday about "normal" drinkers. I love the "sipping one glass and probably didn't start early and won't finish late at home" example. I can't either. But I'm getting comfortable not drinking in more and more situations (not as difficult as it used to seem). And I think others are getting comfortable with me not drinking, and they truly don't care whether I drink or not. The heavy drinkers seem fine as long as my NOT drinking doesn't affect their acces (). And the non or little drinkers don't care either way.

Beck we will miss you!! I know when you come back we will all be a step further down the path - including you!

It's really been an eye opener for me to hear about people's positive experiences with AA even for those who don't necessarily buy into the whole AA philosophy. Cindi I can see how have a group "on the road" to visit - people who understand the journey - would be very beneficial. Years ago when I used to travel, I think the "sitting in the hotel bar" was a way of seeking some sort of social contact outside of the work people. When you are on the road week in and week out, the options seem limited. I just think it's cool how you are embracing a different (and healthier!!) way of getting social contact - or whatever it was for YOU that might have been in the hotel bar.

Loppy and Cindi I think you are right on for taking Antabuse because it's working!!!! This is such a tough nut to crack - heck I'd use anything I had to that worked. Gives you time to work on the rest of your new life without AL in it.

I'm so happy to be at this milestone, and to be reaching beyond the phase of "not drinking" being the #1 and only thing. Of course not drinking will ALWAYS be the foundation that my future AF is built upon. But I'm looking for new and different building materials for the house.

Today will be dog training day, but also prep cooking day for tomorrow - we are going to Mom & Dad's and taking all the food so my Mom doesn't have to worry about it. I know she's tired. I'm making country style ribs with home made BBQ sauce (yum and can make it without sugar). Cole slaw without sugar, and green beans and yellow beans from the farmers market. A big ol' cantalope for dessert. I want to get most of it ready to go today so I can still go to the SMART meeting tomorrow.

Anyway...I will enjoy the day and I hope all of you do to!!! Thinking of Deter at the burning man event.

DG

[Determinator]

Saturday 30 August

Happy Saturday AB-landers!!!

I'm back a day early! Dx is staying with some adopted friends at another camp for a couple more days and I snuck home last night and took my first glorious shower of the week.

Loppy, thanks for the nice kickstart and glad AB is helping you as it has me.

DoggyGirl, great to hear your getting comfortable with your AF self, isn't it a wonderful sigh of relief?

in regards to AA it's funny but I only attend their meets when I'm in strange places on travel. it's comforting to know they are easy to find all over the place if you look.

I'll post my initial burning man observations in general after my coffee is fully kicked in.

it was fun but I'm very glad to be back. XXXXXXXX to you all

be well friends

[retteacher]

Saturday 30 August

Hi Fellow Absters:

I'm doing well & having absolutely no cravings at all. I know that I could have one, so I'll always be on my guard. A couple of observations:
-No one that I can think of notices my abs or cares at all.
-Drinking before parties & after (& of course during) was standard for me. Normals don't do that.
-Only a problem drinker like me would say "what's the point?" to sipping a glass or 2 of wine during a soc. event.

I spent the day shopping w/my daughter (she's a totally mod drinker). We talked about my brother-in-law who is drinking heavily again after a long, long bout of abs (more than a year). She (like most normal drinkers) can't understand the phenomenon of having one drink set off a heavy bout. He tried AA but couldn't identify w/the folks who talked about car accidents, broken marrieages, lost jobs, etc. He's a functional type, but he could be there some day (in my humble opinion). I certainly didn't drink as much at the beginning of my drinking as I did at the end.

Anyhow, I wouldn't be where I am today wo/MWO to motivate & support my effort. I too have had my relapses (Cindi, I'm not sure if you should claim queen status). However, I KNOW in my heart that someday I will be a non-drinker. I'm already on that road now.

I'll never forget Young at Heart saying that she was in MWO for 2 - 3 years before she realized that she just couldn't drink normally.

Take care everyone.

Mary