AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

[Cinders]

Hi, everyone.

Don't have much to say yet. I have been awake since 2:00 a.m. and am sitting here wondering how my day will go today.

I did the same yesterday, so I know I can do it. But it sucks.

Client did great yesterday, though, and my help, helped.

Love to all,
Cindi

ps I will be checking back in on and off, I hope.

[retteacher]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Hi Cindi: I'm back to MWO after a pretty nasty 2 day bout w/the stomach virus. I don't have much to say except hello. I'm going to do my readings call my sponsor, & will be back later. Mary

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Hi Cinders and thanks for getting us started today. I was thinking of you yesterday hoping you're doing OK on the road. Sounds like it's no garden party but you're dealing with it. I think some days, that's as good as it gets and that's OK. Hopefully days like that help us appreciate nicer days with family or doing something special for us, etc. KEEP HANGIN' IN THERE! You can do this, and YOU ARE WORTH IT!

I feel a major great vibe coming from the Daily AF thread these days. Wonderful positive energy. I love it!

I met a "young kid" (28 year olds are young kids to me) at AA the first closed meeting I went to. He happened to be sitting right in front of me and he has a big smile and he made me feel really welcome. It turned out he is the boyfriend of a guy Mr. D and I have known since shortly after we got married. So even though I hadn't known this "kid" I certainly felt a connection and always saw him at the meeting slot I go to on Mondays and Fridays. Well, he wasn't there on Monday and that worried me. I ran into his BF yesterday and sure enough, he took a very hard fall over the weekend that may have landed him in jail - BF doesn't even know for sure where he ended up. The police were involved and it was really ugly. The point in me telling this story is that not only was this a reminder of the ugly behavior and life events that surround alcohol (not like the glammed up TV commercials), but it was JARRING in terms of the negative energy I felt just hearing about this incident. Who needs it? I hope "kid" is OK and turns up somewhere. He is still young and I think at a crossroad of life - what will the future be? A positive outlook or a sad life at the bottom of a dark pit? I guess we are always at that cross road and can make the choice any day, every day which way we go. But some moments just seem more crucial and defining than others.

Anyway...sorry for the No-So-Perky ramble this morning. For me, it's a good day to be grateful for my sobriety and all the positive energy sobriety brings to my life. I am also grateful to be on this journey with all of you.

[mother mode]ThatGirl, I think of you often. You are a brave young woman and a smart one too being honest with yourself about the potential problems you could have with alcohol. I'm so glad that you are here and learning. And no matter how your experiments turn out, as long as you know exactly where you are on the scale of "problem drinking" or not, and no where to go for help and what to do, you can save yourself a LOT of misery.[/mother mode]

On caffeine from yesterdays thread.... I'm with you Deter. For now it's my last vice besides buying stuff from the Mary Kay Lady every week and I'M NOT GIVIN' IT UP!!!! (at least not now....) Hannah, I can sure understand giving it up though if you can't sleep. Sleeplessness SUCKS. The Big One. Have you had your hormones checked???? Also - glad you are still my Curves Buddy! I still go 5 - 6X per week. Today we're starting Crazy Mixed Up Wednesday where you do the circuit in a non-standard order. I "tested" it yesterday afternoon and it was really fun for a change of pace. I wished I could have gone to work out this morning right about now. The retirees who work out at 6AM are rather change resistant - they moan about backwards Friday where we just reverse direction on the circuit. I will probably be hearing the moaning all the way at my house in a few minutes!! :b&d:

Well, now I'm REALLY done. Have a great AF day everyone!

DG

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Cross posted - Hi Mary! Glad you are feeling better.

Oh - Our first crocuses of the year should bloom today!! I need to get my camera out there as soon as I get home from my "stuff" this morning. YAY!!!

DG

[dill]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Good morning Cindi, Mary and DG and all to come. Thanks for the story/reminder of what can be if we let alcohol rule. I hope that young man gets back on the path.
Today I am focusing on 'fear'. The daily reading (thanks AAthlete!) contained this thought:

When fear persisted, we knew it for what it was, and we became able
to handle it. We began to see each adversity as a God-given
opportunity to develop the kind of courage which is born of humility,
rather than of bravado.

That thought hit home as I tried to relate to what kind of courage is "born of humility". That truly is the courage it takes to stay sober! I have been thinking about this concept of fear since some time last weekend. There was a post from a long time MWO member named Thankful. She was checking in to say she was still AF and how happy she is as a result. I was so inspired by her post that I looked up her old threads. She posted one about being afraid of "forever". It resonated with me. Here's the link to it if you want to see it. It's from January '08.

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f9...-af-17691.html

I guess I hadn't thought of the struggle to stay sober as an act of courage, but it is. A large or small act? I guess that varies according to the individual. After reading that post and thinking about it, the cliche "Are we men, or are we mice?" poppped in to my brain. :H I think Moe of the three stooges said that more than once! LOL! Anyway, I have been repeating that phrase to myself to get myself home from work without stopping for you-know-what!

Hope I haven't gone on too much here. Have a great day, all!

[retteacher]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Hello Again: Facing life, really facing life wo/AL is a challenge that I know I'm up to. I want to go through all adversity sober. I don't learn anything from numbing out difficulties. One of the things my sponsor is having me do is to write down all of my fears. There are a lot of them. I've noticed that they've grown since I started drinking alcoholically. Drinking means that we don't get to walk through our fears which then multiply.

DG: The story of the young man is important in that it teaches me that I cannot be complacent. At my very first meeting (& a couple after that), I sat next to a very jittery young guy. I haven't seen him since then. It saddens me to think that he might be out there drinking again. I cannot ever forget the hold AL can have on us...& the destruction!

Mary

[greeneyes]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Morning abbers!

Jackrabbit! Actually, I forgot this AM. And April Fools day too! I have to stop by GF house who is a real prankster - must keep my guard up!

I have a six pack of beer minus one in the fridge left over from Sat. lunch fling. I hadn't thought about it but last night had a dream in which I was angry with estranged one and was looking in someone elses fridge for beer and was puzzled that it wasn't there. Rather telling dream, don't you think? Guess I'll be giving that beer that I THOUGHT I wasn't thinking about away today. I was so surprised when I opened the fridge this AM and it almost jumped out at me.

My stomach is making unhappy noises this AM and I'm afraid it doesn't like the antibiotic. A feckin' TWO WEEK prescription. And for $88, I am NOT going to switch. Grrrr. I was reading about it (amoxicillin) and got to skip the alcohol part. Oh, thanks LVT I do try alternative stuff first. I have one guy I travel 2 1/2 hours to on occasion. I wish THAT stuff was the mainstream.

I have soemthing this weekend and bding AF has just come to mind. I'll talk about it later.

HAve a good one!

[LVT25]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Jackrabbit! I can't remember why--good luck right? A little of that can't hurt on april Fool's Day!

I just wanted to respond quick like to the caffeine topic. I have given up ciggies, beer and diet pop (artificial sweeteners). I was reading about hormone imbalance, and coffee is bad if you are estrogen dominant. Ugh!! I really like my morning coffee! If I get too pure I think my hubby will wonder who the hell he married! :H

Well, we'll see! I'm trying to cut down to 1/2 pot instead of 1.

Yoga today! Our instructor is back and we have a new "yoga room". Also need to enjoy a couple of days of nice weather before we get it again this weekend!

Happy day all!:h

[peacenik]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

morning all, i hope everyone is well.
i posted an article in research about the health benefits of coffee, and i have read alot of research that says coffee's benefits far outweigh it's detrements, so drink up kiddos! it even protects the liver from cirrhosis, so that is good for our moderating friends to know.

i have been struggling with going to school the past few days. i am creating negative thoughts about it (driving 100 miles a day, being that far away form my almost 11 year old, if anything should happen to her etc...). so now i'm thinking i might look for something online that i can take...i don't know, i'm very anxious about it all, as i've already been accepted at the college and have registered for my classes which start during the summer courses in may-june. ugh...my husband supports whatever i want to do, so i guess i just need to make up my mind. i'm not getting any younger!!!


well, have a good day all, we actually have sunshine for onec. maybe i can get the dogs out today, they look depressed!

peace

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Jackrabbit? Not sure what that is but I will say it. JACKRABBIT!

My alarm did NOT go off this morning. LOL. This has to be the beginning of daily surprises for me! LOL.

Ummmm..... nothing to say today. It is all good in AFM's world. Oh, and DG... yes, I will let you know about my date later this week Hahaha. I simply don't have the stamina to date; but I am trying to plunk myself out there so I don't feel too imprisoned at home.

Have a great day everyone!

ps. I LOVE COFFEE and was thrilled to read the study that peacenik posted. I was getting a little worried with my increased intake of the great stuff!

[narilly]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Morning everyone, April Fools! I already had a couple of cups of coffee. Mmmmmm.

DG- I have met people like that at AA meetings and it is sure a wake up call. It is always so scary because we can all end up in that ugly place if we drink.

Love reading your posts.
Another non- hangover day for me which is great.

Take care,
Narilly

[hulagirl]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Good Morning All. Don't know why I'm up so early. Didn't do anything I wanted to do yesterday because I'm so easily thrown off course. First half of the morning was spent with the computer guy diagnosing an old (5 yrs!) Macbook that I want to bring back to life. Terminal diagnosis. It will be OK for offline stuff but has "aged-out" for internet. Then the appliance fix-it guy was here replacing a broken belt on the clothes dryer. So what so stressful you may be wondering? I had to spend money!!!! So after all this was over, I did not have a drink (or 3 or 4). I just kind of moped around all day. We had good moping weather--windy, gusty, rainy. Today I have plans to get into my classroom and spend a few hours. I need to take down all the oceanography posters and put up the space posters. I need to laminate some space pictures (nebulae, etc.) I need to really plan what I am going to do with my "elective" course for the rest of the year. I'm going to do a unit on energy that I have to get organized. I have got to get in some exercise today. I have an hour walk routine. The hardest part is getting up and out. I also like to go for a bike ride along the bike path but that involves a 15 minute drive. The hardest part is getting up and out. I really admire those of you that just do it, every day, without complaining, or whining. So today is April Fools' Day. Be on guard.

[Hannah]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Morning everybody - I am sitting here saluting you with my cup of decaff!!!! :H

Okay, I realize it's not for everyone, and believe me, I LUV the stuff myself! But having gone through the "withdrawal" as it were, I am not going back! Don't worry, I still have vices.....I can't walk through a clothing store without buying something, for instance. Hubby had to reconfigure my closet so I could get everything in it!

Well, today off to meet some friends for coffee, and then Curves. Yes, DG, it's a wonderful thing, isn't it? I have to see the before and after pics of you!!!!! And to do that I will have to re-subscribe, since mine has long run out. (Mental note - add to list of things to do today!).

I've never gone to an AA meeting, but I can well imagine - I've seen plenty of folks drink themselves to death, including family members. Not a pretty thing to watch - makes one realize that no matter how many times you have to pick yourself up and start over again, it's worth it.

Have a good day, everyone.

[hulagirl]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Oh Peace, about the school thing. Can you start out taking just one or two classes? When I went back my kids were in kindergarten and 3rd grade. I took all my classes Tues - Thurs. (Not only did I have to commute, it was to another Island. I had to fly to Oahu, stay two nights and come back. I did this for 2 semesters. Fortunately the elementary school had an on-site after school program. Hubby came through with all the "kid" stuff. It was very stressful on my family though. I did miss one week of school when kids had chicken pox. (were they the last cases in America?) and I missed one week when Mr. Hula had an appendectomy (!). The next time I went back to school, 10 years later, was all on-line. You might look to see if you can take one on-line course and see if it works for you. Some classes are a combination. Especially if you are starting in summer will your kiddo be out of school? How is that going to work out? You can do this. But I would start out slowly, if I were you. You will also have to do homework, and that also takes time away from family. So, I don't mean to discourage you. Just the opposite. Go For It! I'm just sharing my experience so you can begin to picture what it might look like for yourself. The first time I went back I already had a 4 year degree and was taking the course work for teacher licensing. The second time (on-line) was for a Masters Degree. Unfortunately, both times I drank my way through the stress. It would have been a whole lot easier and I would have gotten more out of it if I wasn't in that dark, isolated mess of alcohol addiction. You are already off to a better start that I was!

[ThatGirl]

AF Daily, Wednesday 4/1/2009

Hey guys, I didn't april fool anyone today :| completely forgot it was april fools day until i saw it mentioned online somewhere. Anywho, day 25 now, am feeling good, tired, but good. had horrific day, won't go into to much details but i'm not gonna be visting my sister again for a while. anyway, hope ya'll are having nice days

-TG