AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

[SAUSAGE]

Morning everyone

I'm up bright and early after celebrating my 6 months sobriety last night with an AF drink!! Thanks to everyone who read my "my story" and posted encouraging comments. I have wanted to post in the "my story" section for some time, but wanted to get a bit of AF time under my belt first ie 6 months.

The weather is a bit dull and cloudy today - yesterday was lovely and sunny so a bit of a contrast, but I'm feeling positive and off out for an early swim shortly

There seems a lot of "green fingered" people on this thread, all your gardening stories are motivating me to perhaps try and do something out there.... Were you all into gardening and planting stuff /growing things etc when you were drinking or is it a new interest you have acquired since creating a new AF life - just curious? As we were discussing the other day, it's no good just living the same oldlife minus the alcohol, we have to change our lives in many ways to create a new interesting and fulfilling life.

I'll be back later - have a good day everyone

[Waving_not_drowning]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hey Sausage :-)

I've been outside most of the day sorting out my veggie patch for the coming Winter..

I'm in Melbourne and it's now 4:10pm Sunday..

I've always had green thumbs, I used to love knocking off a bottle(or two) of wine out in the garden, so no, not a knew habit.

The rows of veggies are all in a straight line this year though..

This is day 4 AF for me..

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Good morning Sausage - thank you for getting us started today! Congratulations again on your 6 months milestone. That felt like a really big one for me and I hope for you too! Welcome Waving! Hope you will join us on this thread each day as we all word towards a sober life. Congrats on your AF days.

Sausage, gardening is new for me. I grew up around a lot of gardening (and freezing and canning and jelly making) but never really learned how to do anything start to finish. The kids in the immediate and extended family were just workers given specific chores to do (weed this, pick that). We didn't really learn how to do anything from end to end. But I'm sure back then I didn't really want to learn!!!!!! So I'm sort of starting from scratch with this as a new sober hobby.

Last year I was still drunk every day at this time of year, so missed the chance to actually get a garden ready and in the ground. So in June or July I worked with the lady at the garden center who helped me design some big pots - she picked out the plants and drew little maps so I knew which plants to put where. Like paint by numbers only with plants! They turned out really nice. The only veggies I grew were a couple of tomato plants in pots. So the big garden is a new experience. So far so good but I'm sure I will have challenges with bugs and weeds and all kinds of things I know nothing about so I'm glad the gardening thread is there in the General area!

Mr. Doggy cropped the sod for my garden expansion project. So today I need to help him get that layer off and then he will till it up. I'm planning to hit the garden center tomorrow to find my mentor lady and get advice on what I will plant next. I think pretty much everything I will plant (except for any repeats) will be in this week and next.

I should get the camera out there today for some updated pics.

Sausage, any yardwork I tried to do when drunk was pretty bad. I would start things and then leave them half done including leaving the tools and everything right where I stopped working. I always had bushes with a bad hair cut! And rusty tools which drove Mr. Doggy nuts. The AF life is a great life.

DG

[dill]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hi Sausage, waving and DG,
Sausage, congrats on 6 months! :goodjob::applaud::wave:I read your story too. You are a person with a lot of grit!

waving, good job on day 2!:thumbysup:

DG, I can relate to your gardening stories while drinking! Yes, gardening is not new to me, either, but maybe this year will find a better, more cared for garden! We have a large yard and it takes a long time to mow on riding mowers. The last couple of years I actually would drink while mowing! Sheesh! Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Hula, I do go back and read the previous day thread, too. I'm always glad to see your check ins. You're the only one I 'know' in Hawaii!:wavin:

Well, I had a nice 34 day streak going when I decided just to see if I couldn't 'just have one'. Turns out, I can't. Three days later, waking up hangover free and getting back on board. Sigh.

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hey Dill. I can relate to drinking while mowing. I drank while doing everything. Yikes. I'm sorry to hear of your relapse. As much as I hate to say it, and would never encourage it, I think there is something deep inside all of us that just HAS to try out the "now we can have just one" thing to see if maybe we are the ONE person that it's true for. That's the thinking that convinced me to give it a whirl after 60 Days AF in the summer of 2007. I'm so glad you are right back here after a couple of days. It took me 8 months of farting around before I could finally get back on the wagon. That possibility is one of the major reasons why I would never encourage anyone to try just one!

I suppose the benefit though, of the 8 months of pain my own "just one" experiment led to is that I now KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt that "just one" is not possible for me. Why I would have ever thought it was, when I cannot remember a single time EVER in my 30+ year drinking career ever actually having one, and only one drink, is beyond me. But anyway, it's all water under the bridge now. I hope that is true for you too Dill. Dust 'em off and let's keep going.

DG

[dill]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Thanks DG. I just edited my post. It's 3 days later, not two. It was my birthday when I did my experiment. You are right. It was that thought that I surely must be able to control this now that I've gone 34 days. But I can't. It's beyond me as well. And your point about never having 'only one' in your whole drinking career: That applies here as well.

Dusting off.

[Lavande]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Good morning one and all!

Like everyone else, I'm enjoying my gardening more this year. I went through the paces but really didn't enjoy it the past few years - all bright and new this year, thank goodness.

DG and Dill, I started my journey here thinking I may possibly want to enjoy a glass of wine again one day too. I now know, from my own feelings and reading of your experiences, that this will not even remotely be a possibility for me. One glass will put me right back on the slippery slope, I won't go there again. It's great that you are both on the right path.

My extra incentive in making this decision is my 5 month old grandson. I spent a beautiful day with him yesterday and will be seeing him again today. This would not be possible if I was still drinking. My son and daughter-in-law have been very clear about this and I love them for it.

I hope everyone finds their special reason to stay with the program

Lavande

[speedster]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Quick check in. It's another rainy day and I hope my garden doesn't rot. We should get some partly sunny days by Tuesday. Don't want it to be too sunny after such cool days, the baby plants are full of water and will be shocked.

Sausage -congrats on 6 months! YAY! How time flies when you're AF and you remember all of it!

R2C - congrats to you and your hubby. That's awesome that he supported you. I hope he's proud of himself as well.

more later

[Cinders]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hi everyone!!

Sigh, I had wanted to garden so much this year. I had many plans. The broken arm has kind of put a crimp in it.

However, what I have decided to do is slowly compost this year and get a good bed ready for next year. I think I will make a raised bed because our soil is so poor up here on the mountain top. A few railroad ties, throw some good organic stuff in there and let it sit.

Next year, I will be ready.

I just got an invitation to a Blackjack tournament. Free entry and free 3 night's lodging. I am thrilled. It is a dream, although I know since it will be my first tournament, I can't expect to do well but I will learn.

Hubby is going with me and will help keep me focused and away from the booze. Although staying sober is critical for a tournament anyway.

I go in May.

Wish me luck!!

Have a wonderful AF day, friends.
Cindi

[Marshy]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hello all,

I'm decompressing after work, having a slobby day. Ahhhhhh.

Sausage: Congratulations! That's great.

Drunken gardening? Hmm. I can't remember doing that. Drunken painting was a bit of a speciality in my last flat though - lovely streaky walls.

Dill - good for you for getting back on track quickly. I don't think anybody here achieves what they want straight away. I've done a lot of slip-sliding about.

Cindi - I'm impressed by the blackjack tournament. You must be good. I can play it slowly, with friends, but the only time I tried it in a "professional" setting was in a casino in Las Vegas a few years ago and I lost money at great speed! (And I'd found a really cheap table, knowing that I'd be rubbish at it, but it moved so fast I was $50 down before I knew what was happening).

[LVT25]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Good morning friends,

Slept in a bit since I awoke with the same headache I fell asleep with.

Sausage, I have had a garden for as long as I have been on my own. Before that, I helped my mom. I can alot mostly tomato stuff and green beans. Gardening is one of those things that usually required beer and ciggies. I wasn't a morning drinker thank God, but after a hot hard day in the garden (or mowing) a few beers was the norm. Last summer I did most of my gardening AF--it was really hard, but I believe part of the process doing these things to teach the brain it doens't need the al or nic to go with it.

I had a hard time getting motivated to get out and start my garden last year, and this year isn't much different--the weather is not warm enough anyway.

Cindi--a black jack tourney!! How fun. I remember we were in Deadwood, SD and I was so drunk I finally said "I gotta go" I had 11 showing! That is something I would still have trouble doing sober--so no trips to any casinos for me in the near future!

I'm going to be late for Sunday School--I better get going! Have a great day all!:h

[Determinator]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Happy Sunday ABenators far and wide!!

Sausage you get the bratwurst award for sailing through 6 months! I know it was touch and go a bit but you've done awesome.

Dill, sorry to hear of your painful experiment, I also had quite a few of those (arg). being I'm super hard-headed.

Wavingnotdrowning a big welcome (cool username BTW)

I'm such a crappy gardener I actually get excited to see weeds pop up in our yard. oh well.

no drinking thoughts, no depression....it's a glorious day

be well everyone

[retteacher]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

The "maybe I can have just one" idea is a favorite of mine. I'm going to watch out for it, because it usually sets in at about 3 months. I won't be doing that this time. No I will not. As far as drunken chores: I did so many things under the influence...mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, gardening, just about anything physical that I could do on auto-pilot. I had the mistaken notion that it would be more "fun" that way. Have a great Sunday everyone. Mary

[ready2change]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hey all...Happy Sunday!! Well I feel a bit better today (just in time to go back to work tomorrow..ugghh). Did my volunteer work yesterday and a bike ride today. Going out to get some gardening done as well. Feeling VERY tired...stress sucks...glad I don't have it all the time.

I want to thank all of you who responded to my post yesterday. It really helps to know your cheering me on. I really didn't have any drinking thoughts yesterday or today. But I will remain on guard. I'm just wishing the time away until Thurs when me and doggie go to the vets. I told some people about her lump yesterday at the event and some of the stories I heard made me a bit discouraged. But I will remain with positive thoughts until I hear otherwise.

I talked to my Dad today and although he is swollen and in pain, I think he is doing better. And he sounds encouraged by the outcome of the surgery, so that is a good thing.

I have decided not to let my boss take my happiness away. I will do the best job I can do, and that is all I can do. I will never be her and if she can't handle that well then that is her problem.

Thanks again for all your encouraging words.

R2C

[lilmea]

AF Daily Sun May 3rd 09

Hello All,

Sausage-Congratulations on 6 months! Good for you.

Dill-Looks like you've picked yourself up and dusted yourself of and are ready to get on with things.

I've always worked in my yard. Put in a small pond and several flowerbeds over the last 10 years. As I said in another thread, I just seem to get a lot more done when I don't have a drink in one hand and a cigy in the other! I've already gotten so much done. Even with all the rain we had this last week. I am so grateful and amazed at how good I feel.

To everyone else, I hope you have a good and peaceful evening.