Friday 1 May AF daily

[Loppy lugs]

Morning all,

And today I do know what day of the week it is!!! Sorry about yesterday.

I am so excited I am up early even by my standards. Last night, reading yesterday's thread, something clicked in my head. I'm not sure whether it was one post or the combination but I feel wonderful...... I'll explain.

Many year's ago I used to chain smoke. I gave up, it wasn't easy but I managed it. The up side to smoking was that I was waif thin because I used to smoke rather than eat. Sometimes I look in the mirror and it occurs to me that if I smoked again I would be very thin again.... But never in a million years would I make that choice.

Last night I realised that I will be in a similar place with drinking. There will come a time when I am sitting in the middle of my living room, in tears, thinking ... I don't want to feel like this... It will occur to me that if I have a drink I don't have to... but never in a million year's would I make that choice.

The switch in my head clicked when we were talking about stress and drinking. I used to believe that I couldn't face a stressful situation without a cigarette but I have now been doing it for years. I didn't think I'd ever be able to socialise and enjoy it without a fag... but guess what.

Sorry I am not being very articulate here. I just can't describe how excited I am by this realisation. To this day I know that if I have one fag I'll be chain smoking again in no time, so I've never had one. My recent relapse has taught me that one drink and in no time I am back to harmful and secretive drinking in no time at all.

For the first time I can truly see the other side of this struggle. One where life goes on but I just never have that first drink just as I've never had that first fag. I don't say getting there is going to be easy. It certainly wasn't for the first couple of years of giving up smoking but I can now see what that life looks like.

Sorry to bleat on and on...

Hope everyone to follows feels as good as I do.

Take care.

[rustop61]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Hi Loppy and all to come

Glad you are feeling so positive Loppy. We live and learn as they say.

Loved your story about the ducks yesterday Don. Yesterday when I was letting the dogs out of the car in the woods I heard the cuckoo for the first time this year. Reminded me of my childhood when everything was new and fresh. In a lot of ways being AF after years of over indulging feels a lot like that.

Had a very early start this morning as one of my daughters was going on a field trip. Will be away a lot this week-end but am driving both days so even though we are attending a lunch tomorrow, Al wont be part of the equation.

Have a great week-end everyone.

Rustop

[Doggygirl]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Loppy thank you for starting us off today. I love those moments where all the lights come on! As an ex-smoker who will NEVER light up a cigarette again (made that mistake years ago after 6 months quit - the "now I can have one" lie...) I can relate precisely to what you are saying. I leaned on cigarettes to get me through everything, and about went mad at first without them. And leaned even more heavily on my other addiction, AL. Dealing with dumping AL truly is very similar. And lots of people manage to get through life and stress and highs and lows without nicotine OR alcohol to lean on. We can do it too.

Hi rustop! I can relate to what you mentioned about life feeling new and fresh post AL. This is my first sober spring in a gazillion years (the first fully sober one since I was about 17 years old!) and I am enjoying it. Especially this time of year with the flowers starting to bloom and the world just going from gray to green (and so many other colors). Planing stuff in the garden (on time!) etc. etc. etc. YAY! Have a great time on your field trip.

Today I have my regular leads group meeting at 7, then a busy day with some stuff still up in the air schedule wise. I was invited to meet a couple of new girl friends for coffee right after the leads meeting which I want to do. I also need to get in a workout at Curves, and get to the garden center to get the good plants before they are all scooped up this weekend! I plan to work in an AA meeting and also try out a jewelry class with a local artist which should be really fun. I'm sure Mr. Doggy will not be happy about me taking two hours away from the phones / voice mail on a work day for that. But that's when she has the class so we shall see how it all works out in the end. Of course the business has to come first - that's what pays for the fun stuff.

Anyway....we shall see how it all shakes out! I better enjoy my remaining quiet time here this morning because the rest of the day will not be quiet!

Have a great AF day everyone!

DG

[retteacher]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Hi Everyone: I'm in for a busy day. I'm having an AA friend here for dinner w/his date, so it'll be dinner & no need for a plan about drinking. No AL will be on the table.

I do want to go through life crutch-free. I want to be one of those strong people who feel my feelings & gets through them. Of course, there will be difficult moments. That's life.

Mary

[caysea]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Hi All
This is a happy spring without al.Yes also the first in my life since I was 14.That is said to say.
Last summer I went to my first baseball game in my adult life without drinking and getting drunk.Never thought that would be possible.
I am not a smoker.I have been able to say that my entire life.Now it is nice to say I am not a drinker.No big deal I just don't drink.
Nice being in the company of non drinkers.

Stay Healthy and Keep n Fighting
AF 5-16-08

[greeneyes]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Jackrabbit!!

My first sober spring since.................? Good thing because I have to use the weedeater. All too often to suit me.

Much to do today to leave for a little vacation tomorrow.

[LVT25]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Nice post to start us off this morning Loppy! I'm coming up on my one year anniversary not smoking! If ever a thought of drinking pops into my head--so does the thought of a ciggy to go with it! That's how I trained my brain. I wonder if that will ever go away? If not I guess that means I'm destined to be a non drinker the rest of my life as well.

I have been super busy these past couple of weeks and I'm feeling a little resentment creeping in when hubby won't bother to communicate with us to try to make life just a little easier. For whatever reason it's fun for him to give me smart ass answers when I ask him things. He's been asked to take over as head of a local organization here, and although I know it would be great for the group--it would not be so great for the boys and I. I'm afraid when he's not working, he'll be there. I guess I need to force him to spend a few minutes with me and discuss these issues like normal married people should. (Thanks yet again for letting me vent! I'm sure you get tired of hearing me whine about hubby so much!)

Another coalition on youth and drinking today--should be interesting.

Have a great day/weekend all! :h

[com1]

Friday 1 May AF daily

As an ex-smoker of 18 yrs., this was a great post, Lop. I too believed that life without smoking would be life full of stress and not a life too nice! How wrong I was about that.

And then the AL crept in and captured my heart. An addictive personality to be sure. But I am on AF day 2 and feeling great for a change. A post like yours gives me a new way to look at the choices I will have to make in my future. "Never in a million years" is now part of my dictionary.

:thanks:

Com1

[Determinator]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Aloha Friday ABeroooooos!

Loppy I really enjoyed your starting post and I can relate precisely.

Com1, congrats on day 2! stick with us....great part of town here and also great to meet you in chat.

my dear Dx is off to visit with friends tonight so I think I'll sneak in an extra trip to the gym. I love my new gym addiction!

be well,

[momof3]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Hello All and Happy Friday,

It's nice to have no association with fridays and drinking anymore. It's just another day.

I'm an ex-smoker too although it's been almost 20 years since I had a cigarette. I have applied many of the lessons learned from quitting smoking to quitting drinking.

I loved Don's story about the ducks yesterday. The image of mama duck coming back to the same place with a new and different set of ducklings is just so sweet. Like mama duck, I am finding in my AF life, that simple routines and structure are incredibly satisfying. I used to call that boredom and the Al, of course, was a way to mix things up. What a waste.

Have a great weekend all,
M3

[LVT25]

Friday 1 May AF daily

mom/3--it's great to see you back here and doing is well!!:goodjob:

[momof3]

Friday 1 May AF daily

You too LV!

[narilly]

Friday 1 May AF daily

Thanks Loppy!
Hi mom of 3- I haven't had a smoke for 20 years too, it is great isn't it. It is strange but expected that most of us have had addictions to other things. Smokes, pot, candy, cleaning whatever....

Take it easy everyone have a great sober Friday night.

Narilly