AF Daily - Monday July 13

[greeneyes]

I get an e-mail everyday from the universe. (Thoughts Become Things - Choose the Good Ones) TUT This came today. I hope you like it.


Yesterday I watched a small bird, flying very fast, disappear into the canopy of an oak tree. So dense were its leaves that it was impossible to see what happened next, though I can tell you it remained inside.

I wondered how the little bird found its opening through the leaves at such a speed, and then managed to gently align its fragile body on the branch it chose to land upon, all within a fraction of a second. Not to mention the impossible to imagine flying maneuvers required: the banking, the curling, the vertical and horizontal stabilizations, the deceleration and landing.

Memory? Calculation? Not in that tiny brain. Instinct? Maybe, but how does instinct know which way the branches of a tree have grown when no two are the same?

That little bird just knew. It had faith, in spite of not being able to see how things would work out, that if (and only if) it stayed the course the details would be taken care of; that an opening would appear and a twig would be found. In fact, had she slowed down enough to carefully and logically inspect the tree first, the prudent thing to do, she would have lost her lift and fallen to the ground.

Kind of like reaching for your dreams. Neither memory, nor calculating, nor instincts are the deciding factors, but faith coupled with action.

Tallyho,
The Universe

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

'Thoughts Become Things - Choose the Good Ones' I really like that one, Greenie. I always read your signature when you post.

Well, I am still sleeping like shite as Little AFM still has a cold and has sought out comfort in my bed. I put her into her bed after she falls asleep and is snoring like a man/kicking the crap out of me only to awake to her hot, snoring breath in my face. LOL! Night 4 of this. Going to get some sort of sleep aid and some ear plugs for tonight! hahaha!

My weekend was pretty laid back. Saturday it was so hot that we didn't get out of the house to 'play' until after 6pm. It was a fairly early night for us as well. Yesterday, I worked for 6 hours helping my boss catch up on some Board Reports due on Wednesday. I cannot believe how fast the 6 hours went! It just blew my mind. It was chilly when I left work (a complete turn in the weather - that is West Coast living for ya!). Picked up the child and came home, went out for coffee, and then to bed.

One thing I have to mention is that I am really loving the AF life this time around. I am seriously loving it. I don't think I have ever felt better physically and emotionally. The last couple of 'try' to quits I had, I was completely consumed by thoughts of drinking. I wasn't living at all. Just feeling sorry for myself and sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for a reason to really give a go at getting shit-faced.

This time is so different. I feel at peace, resolved and sincerely happy! I wish everyone who is trying to quit could feel the way I have been feeling.

Anyway, gotta make lunches, shower and run! Have a fantastic day, everyone!

[Cinders]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Greenie,

Thanks for starting the thread and I loved the e-mail.

AFM,

You truly do sound so good. I am filled with joy for you. Truly. :l

Doing great here, myself, but busy day. Travel day.

So, must rush.

However, had to say "hi" to all my AF friends.

Love,
Cindi

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Cindi, you, too, sound like you are getting a good grasp on the beast! I am proud of you!

[dill]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Hi Greenie, Cinders and AFM, and all to follow!

Thanks for starting us off today, Greenie. I started to a couple of times earlier today but got interrupted both times. I enjoyed pausing and thinking about the wonders of nature as the description of the bird lighting in the tree unfolded. It also reminded me of the power of faith: as in the belief that things will work out.

AFM, I really appreciate your unbridled delight in the AF life. It is such a positive message to me and others, I'm sure.

Cindi, It's good you took time from your busy day to pause and check in here. Make time for yourself in spite of your busy schedule!

This morning I went to breakfast with Mr. D at a local kind of 'hole in the wall' diner that we started going to this time last summer. It's not much to look at, but boy, can they make a good breakfast! Anyhow, I was sitting at the table giving my order to the waitress. We have come to be 'regulars' there and know the staff. I suddenly flashbacked to doing the same thing last summer, but being hung over at the time and wondering if it showed. Ugghh. I was at the height of my escalating habit last summer when we started going there. Today I was clear-eyed, clear headed and able to eat! Very nice. Very nice to contrast the two very different "me"s.

Strength to all who need it!

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Faith coupled with action. I like that. Greenie thanks for starting us off today and special thanks for sharing this e-mail from the universe. I think a small kernel of faith has always been there within me, but I really really struggle with it sometimes!

AFM, you have such a cute way of telling the daily stories of life with Little AFM. LOL on all this bed hopping at your house! You *SOUND* a lot different in your posts this time. I'm so glad you are sharing your journey - it's inspiring! It sounds like the new job is really rockin' too. I'm happy for you AFM!!

Cindi - that is a great picture in your new avatar. Do you take those yourself? You always have cool avatar piccies. Be safe in your travels OK?

Dill congratulations on the "new you" compared to this time last year. I love those moments with a bit longer view where we can see that we have truly made great personal progress. That restaurant sounds awesome for breakfast! I love that sort of place.

Well, I'm getting back to usual a little ahead of schedule. I went to the gym this morning and just did 20 minutes of cardio but it felt good to get back in the groove. I thought the roughness from the breathing tube was all cleared up but I could feel it once I was going and breathing harder. It felt good though - like getting my blood flowing is probably a good thing for continued healing. I hope so anyway. Also went to AA and then the usual round of errands both in and out of the office. I'm sure I will feel like going to be early tonight but I'm glad to be getting back to normal!

There is news on the Dad front - I hope it's good but am not 100% sure. He is being moved as we *speak* from the hospital back to his home town to the nursing home that he was in right before the surgery. That is several days earlier than the surgeon thought he would be going, and the surgeon also said he wanted my Dad in a different type of care facility - one that is more focused on physical therapy. (They have physical therapy at the place he's going, but it's more of a long term care place than a recovery place I think) The whole point being Dad's need, according to the surgeon, for very intense physical therapy. So...this turn of events has me concerned that there is a problem with the insurance or something. My Mom doesn't know of such a problem, but the doctors / hospitals tend to work that out behind the scenes and generally do what the insurance will pay for without necessarily making a big issue out of it with the family. I just hope he is getting the care he needs..... Mean time I'm sure my Mom will be very happy to go home tonight and sleep in her own bed rather than the cot in his hospital room. I am working to have faith that it will all work out the way it is supposed to.

I took a few pictures today of the garden. There are teeny tiny watermelons on the vines that are so cute. I just never imagined a watermelon starting out so tiny. Of course they do, I just never stopped to imagine what that would look like. I'll come back and add a picture once I download them.

Have a good day all!

DG

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

What a loverly sunny Monday ABerooooooos!

whew, more activity than I've been used to lately being all gimpy and such. Time to sit for a bit with my leg on ice.

Greeneyes, i also love your start for us. Good practical lessons there. Reminds me some of Napolean Hill's work on "think and grow rich".

AFM, I hope little AFM feels better soon and you can get some sleep tonight!

Cindi, travels is a pain, I'm doing the same. Just back from a day trip today and packing already for a couple days starting early this Wed morn. I am going to try and get a XM radio tomorrow so I can stay awake on these long road trips. I just get sooo drowsy on long drives and it really scares me sometimes.

DoggyGirl, so glad to hear some positive news on your dear dad. How you feeling today?

Be well my friends,

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

I'm good today Deter - just posted some silliness in the Abercise section. Did a weenie workout today. If you are driving then I take it the Dorkboot is on the left foot? Be careful - long drives at night make me drowsy too and that is so scary. I can't believe how much drunk driving I've done in my life...yikes. I'm lucky.

Here is a teeny weeny watermelon!



And just for fun here is me and Mr. Doggy's dog Ferguson



He really does have two ears. Oh - and yes he sure needs a brushin! Both of the Shepherds are going through their Almost Bald season.

Have a good rest of the day all. It's pretty quiet around here I hope all are just out havin' some AF fun.

DG

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Geesh, you are BUFF, DG! You look like a completely different person than when you first started with MWO! Holy crapola! Way to go! I am also glad to hear that your dad is doing better. Very cool teeny watermelon.

[A Work in Progress]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Hey everyone! I am copying here (just below) a post I just put up on "General." Wanted to say a special hello here to all of you, however, because this is such a fantastic group of people! Thanks to each of you for your friendship, help, encouragement, support, wisdom... all of it! ... over the time I spent on MWO. You're the best!

I know some of you don't venture outside of this section of the forums (and with good reason!) so I am copying and pasting my other post, here:

Today I received an email from MWO, saying that someone had tried to send me a PM on the site, but that my inbox was full. So: I did some thinking , about whether I wanted to log onto the site, to clear out that mailbox.

It was almost a year ago when I first arrived on MWO, and almost a year ago since I last had a drink. It was about 3 or 4 months ago when I departed from MWO, and I have not logged in for quite a long time, now.

I do know that when people suddenly leave MWO, whether with or without an explanation (and I did provide an explanation, partly because I didn’t want people to worry about me), the people who once were friends (and some who were, shall we say, not so friendly!) tend to wonder… “How is so-and-so getting along?” I know the feeling very well; I still wonder, sometimes, how WonderWorld is (she left with no explanation, and my worry about her still lingers).

So, with all that in mind, I decided that I would log in, clear out the inbox, and say hello. A progress report, for anyone who might care, from A Work In Progress. I am just about at the one year mark, so the timing is good.

I’m doing fine. I don’t drink, and I rarely think about it. Life still has challenges, but alcohol is not one of them, for me. No hangovers, no blackouts, no fear, despair, and shame over what I have done, what I might have done, and what I might in the future do, because of alcohol. The longer I go without drinking, the more clearly I realize that the idea that alcohol is something that adds something to life is a huge distortion, and it creates tremendous suffering for those who cannot reliably control their drinking. I no longer allow that idea to inhabit my mind.

Which brings me to the issue of self-control. I believe that conquering a serious alcohol problem is a difficult project that requires commitment and self-control, like any other significant project in life. It is very much like a career, like raising children, like a marriage, like finishing a degree or certificate in school. It requires doing things we sometimes do not want to do, and giving up things we would like to have.

And, perhaps more than those other demanding life projects, giving up an alcohol abuse problem (or addiction, or dependence… whatever you want to call it) requires self-control not just in the most obvious area of behavior (getting the alcohol, and putting it into your mouth), but also in one’s thinking, emotion regulation, and impulse control. All of these are related, but not identical. One aspect of self-control that was very important to me was to discipline myself to tell myself “I don’t drink” repeatedly, and to refuse to allow myself to dwell on ideas about (a) how “nice” it would be to have “a drink” or (b) how maybe this time I can begin to successfully, reliably, control my consumption. Those thoughts will lead to only one place, and I refuse to go there.

So: Hello to my friends here at MWO, and also to people who have arrived in the last few months, as well. I wish you all well. If you are determined to get alcohol out of your life, you can do it. It takes determination, and a lot of work (changing one’s thinking, environment, and behavior). If you want it badly enough, you can do it. And I hope you do; the suffering that alcohol creates for us, and for our friends and families, is unnecessary and (to be honest) it is inexcusable.

Finally, please don’t be lulled into the idea that “slips” are inevitable. This is something that is often voiced at MWO, and I think it is dead wrong, and a dangerous idea. Yes, it’s true that relapses are frequent occurrences; but each relapse is a decision to do something of great potential harm. Once I accepted that fundamental fact, things became much easier for me. I hope that it will help you, too.

[cyclefan]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Hello WIP, nice to hear from you. I am delighted to hear that you are successful. xo Beth

[prancy]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Work in Progress, I can't tell you how much your post helped me. I am so glad you logged on to do an update. I have 9 days and although it is hard to imagine a year, I would love to say I can do it! I am so sick of the negative consequences of drinking and I have tried so so many times to quit. I just found this site and have been sticking close for the last week. It is helping a lot, but your reality check really did the trick! Thanks.

[Cinders]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Hey AFers and Hi again WIP,

I just checked into my hotel, grabbed by club soda with lime and hoofed it up to the room to check in with everyone here.

Another very successful AF day in Cindi land.

Love,
Cindi

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

AWIP!! just now saw you popped in to visit and I'm so glad you are doing well xxxxxxxx I think of you often.

[A Work in Progress]

AF Daily - Monday July 13

Hi Beth (Cyclefan!), and Cindi (again!).

Prancy, good for you!!! Hang onto your determination to make the necessary changes to get that stuff out of your life! I'm glad you found this (AF Daily) thread; great people here!

Det, I love your new avatar. That stuff is great! I've missed you, too.