AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

[Arial]

Good morning all!

Thought I'd start the day with picking up on AAs wonderful story about his son - if we could just bottle that feeling! I have two quotes which I found gave food for thought... The first is "Joy is not in things; it is in us." (Richard Wagner) and the second is "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." (Helen Keller)

The feeling that AAs son had just rang so true for the first - happiness comes from inside us and not from things - a fact that in this materialistic world is so easy to forget. It is also hard sometimes to sit back and take the time to find the joy in our lives, so busy are we in the the daily grind of 'living'. The second made me think more carefully about what D said yesterday about so much of our previous lives revolving around alcohol (oh how true that is, D!) and yet in the past we have mourned its 'loss' (and possibly still do). We have closed that door and it sometimes takes a while for us to stop looking backwards at it, but to look forward to see the new one that has been opened - and not 'for us' but 'by us'! I like that we are the ones who have opened up the door to a whole new world of possibilities - we have taken back that control

Apart from that, the sun is finally shining, it's a weekend and there's a whole new day waiting to be experienced (and not just passed through as has happened so often in the past!)

Happy day all, and look forward to catching up with you all later! :l

[Guitarista]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

'We are the ones that have opened the door'...........Hi Arial, and i enjoyed reading your post. Thank you. Have a great, sober day folk's!............G.

[Kirova]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

What a wonderful way to kick off the day! Thanks for getting us started, Arial. I truly believe that happiness comes from within -- that's when you know it's "real." Sometimes I have to dig down real deep to get to it...but it's there, even on bad days. I don't hold anything or anyone responsible for my happiness -- that's on me! Sun is shining here, as well....looking forward to longish run this morning. Happy day, all!

[retteacher]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Thank you Arial for getting us started on a positive note. I have a full day today, but just wanted to check in & say I'm sober & happy about that. Mary

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Hello everyone! Thank you Arial not only for starting us off today, but with such a positive, uplifting post to boot!! I woke up today around 4AM as usual. It was raining softly and we had the windows open - the first night for that of 2009! So I laid there for quite awhile just enjoying the sound of the rain and thinking about how wonderful it is to wake up feeling GOOD and thinking about the day ahead in a positive way - with a smile on my face even. What a very different way to start the day than the old daily grind of hangovers. WOW!!! And then to come on here and read AA's post about his son and the subsequent discussion. Life is good!

Deter, I so agree with you that alcohol used to come first, and everything else got planned around the drinking schedule. I'm so glad not to live that way any more, even though I still feel a bit lost at times - I like the "doors" analogy.

I want to write more but need to go. I'm heading to an AA meeting and then to Curves. And then I might go for some retail therapy. Yesterday a business acquaintence was sporting a very cool new purse and she told me about the shop and the prices. WOW. Must go check it out but also keep myself on a budget!

I posted some chocolate thoughts on the abbercise thread yesterday... I'm with hula (usually) on a small amount of very dark chocolate 85% or 86% cocoa. But "lost it" over raw chocolate and agave nectar the other day. :H

See ya!!

DG

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Morning abbers!

I just love everybody on this thread and I am so happy that arial is back around. I'm just loving her posts here as well as on other threads.

I had a tough week that ended in a day-long snit yesterday. I finally realized what was wrong with me. (well aside from external issues) Not only did I drink coffee all week, but I neglected water. Not just this week but for a while now. I look dehydrated, act dehydrated, feel dehydrated. Enough of THAT nonsense. I started adjusting the water table yesterday and should be better soon. When my mood is like that I think of AL.

Focusing on the closed door is so true, I think. As someone has said before, if you are focusing on NOT drinking, you are still focusing on AL.

I'll have to go back and read AA's post. I don't have internet at the hole anymore so I miss a bit.

Have a good day filled with successes of every size!

[LVT25]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Good morning friends!

Thanks for the lovely start to today's thread Ariel. Oh, how I would love to hear and see and smell some rain DG! After the 50mph winds the other day the air still has dirt in it. Forecast here is for snow and a little cold spell.
What I continue with is trying to not depend on others for my happiness. I do pretty well most of the time, but I'm still affected too much by hubby's behavior. Last night (when he was at the bar again) I kept telling myself, don't worry about it, do your own thing. It helped some, I read my book, but it affected my mood. Something I need to work on every day. I am concerned that the only thing we had in common except our kids was drinking together. Sometime when I get the nerve up, I will try to approach him and have a conversation about it. Something we're not great at.

I also bit the bullet and contacted the compounding pharmacist about getting some testing done. The kit is in the mail, so will be interesting to see what we find out!

Basketball tourney and benefit stuff today--busy, busy!

Have a good one all! :h

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Morning!

I was sooooooooo tired last night. Was in bed by 9pm! And asleep. I slept for over 10 hours. Don't know what came over me.

Nothing much to say other than that. I have nothing in particular planned. Just going with the flow.

Have a great day!

[narilly]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Thanks Arial and everyone.
Have a happy sober Saturday. It is great to wake up today and feel GOOD! I have to go to my daughter's piano recital this afternoon. I remember going to that recital over the past few years so hungover and I couldn't wait for the recital to be over because I felt like crap. OR once I missed it because I was drinking with some friends.....I am going today and feel Great! - I am even making a desert! No box of last minute cookies.

Thanks for your posts.

Narilly

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Happy Saturday ABenators far and wide!!!!

Ariel, thank you for the thoughtful start.

AFM, I slept for 10 hours also! wow. still a tad sleepy in fact. I ended up doing construction work for a couple friends that are starting their own martial arts gym on a shoestring budget. I'm happy to help them but my back and hands aren't used to this. owie!

LVT learning to not depend on others for your happiness is a huge issue for I think a lot of humanity (whether they have the presence of mind to identify it in themselves or not). Having deep conversations (without them becoming confrontational) is extremely important to the health of any serious relationship. Kudos to you for realizing the need to approach him. something I've found helpful is to remember it's you two vs the world. not "hey, I have a problem with YOU". because that will just alienate him and make him defensive.

hey, I need a radio program and a microphone! hahahahahaha. oh dear that would be funny. The Doctor Det show. My standard line would be "eat two cloves of garlic and call me in the morning".

ok, the big new is.......I'm going skiing tomorrow!!!!!! woooooo woooooo!!!!! for the first time in 7 years. In ski trips of past years I was always either really hung over or really distracted by thoughts of heading to the lodge to slug down a few. None of that crap for me!!

Be well my friends. love, life and light for everyone

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Narilly, that is such a sweet post. thanks for making me smile.

[Miss Behaving]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Wonderful to wake and see such positive thoughts. Arial that was a great post ....thanks!

DG - funny that you window is open for the first time .... we were just discussing yesterday whether we need to start closing ours! But today is a nice day again and we are heading down tot he waterfront shortly - me for another swim in my new wet suit and Uncle Mame for a swim. Then we will head to the bakers for fresh bread and the Sunday papers ..........I love Sunday mornings that are hangover free!!

[hulagirl]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Good Morning Y?all!!! I don?t get to say that very often because my mornings are very ?fuzzy?. I start work at 7:00 am so I?m out of the house by 6:55. And no, I do not get up at 4 am like some of you. I do try to catch up on the threads in the evening but was feeling a little sorry for myself as being the last (or almost last) poster of the day. But (ok?here?s my cup half full), thank you for all who go back and read the respond to the previous day. It really makes me feel like a part of the action. Aren?t we strange as human beings? I had my first ever drinking dream last night. Mr. Hula (who has stopped drinking too but without all the angst) and I shared a bottle of red wine. The dream was so vivid with the decision, the taste and that first ?rush? feeling of relaxation. And then the remorse, guilt and what was I going to tell my MWO friends? Talk about peer pressure. What a relief to wake up! I also have neglected my water intake. It has been coolish here, actually cold in the high 60?s, (yes I know what you?re thinking), but I noticed that I?ve been coming home from work and my water bottle is still almost full. When it is hot, it is empty and frequently re-filled. I had a head-ache all day yesterday and then the dream and still woke up with a slight head-ache. Must re-hydrate! Lots of good thoughts and ponderings here this week. Everyone is doing so well on their journey! Enjoy the week-end?piano recitals, shopping, exercising, projects, kid?s activities, dog?s activities, quiet time, reading, hanging out, chores (yes, enjoy those too), hobbies, entertainment?.All while AF!

[A Work in Progress]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Just got home from visit with Mother, and this was one of the not-at-all-good ones. As she bitterly complained, I sat there recognizing that this was the situation in which I would typically begin planning to immediately, after getting done with the visit, have a great big drink... and then a whole lot more. In fact, knowing how those visits usually went, I would often take some booze along with me on the trip to visit her, so that I'd have a drink ready and waiting for me in the car, and I wouldn't have to wait to get home. Really bad days, those were.

As for now: the feeling of "Give me a drink! I need a drink right now!" is still quite clear, alive, and vivid, in my mind... and what I do now is this: I step back, mentally, and observe it (feel it), and let it go. I don't feel as if I have to fight with it to let it go... I just let it go. There is still a small feeling of regret that goes along with the letting-go... but that small feeling of deprivation is nothing compared to the horrific feelings that I know I would have, if I acted on the impulse to drink...

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Sat. March 7th

Good for you WIP.

I have been dealing with a lot of emotions myself with family lately that back in the day; I would have done the same as you described. I would have had a couple of drinks on my way to my dad's on Monday and then had some in the car waiting for me for after the visit.

There is nothing more empowering than rising above it. Caring about ourselves enough, that we don't need to harm ourselves over other's behaviour, and attitudes.