AF Daily - Sunday July 26

[Doggygirl]

Hi all! I hope I got the month and day and date right today. I've had more coffee than I did earlier this week when I thought it was some other month!

It's really good to see TG and Hula!! We are always here when you need us. July if you are flying by today, I loved your post to mark the beginning of AF year number 3. If anyone hasn't already read that, it's a good one that should be stickied here in my opinion!

I am grateful and happy to be sober today! Mr. Doggy and I are having friends over for grilled burgers - just simple lunch. I was planning on just having peaches for dessert that are really good from Michigan - got them at the farmers market yesterday. But I saw this recipe Healthy Indulgences: cream for Strawberry Mousse and was wondering if it would work for peach mousse. It's not done yet so we shall see. I hope I didn't just ruin several really nice peaches with a kitchen experiment gone bad LOL! In the old days I would still be in bed for a long time to come with a hangover that I wouldn't admit was a hangover. ("it's been a long and stressful week and I'm just tired and want to sleep in blah blah blah...") Then I would get up late and pour myself a vodka drink. I didn't make any pretenses about having coffee first or waiting until noon on Sundays. I just dove right in. If I had an obligation like today involving other people, I would have still started drinking early and been mighty resentful about the need to attempt some control over the volume so as not to be a complete idiot in front of "compny." Then I would have been dying to get people out of here so I could drink at my own desired pace until passing out.

And I somehow thought I could go from that to magically being able to have just one. HA!!

Life is so much better now! Have a great day everyone. Strength and hope to anyone struggling today. Let's never forget how it was for us, which will help us not go back there.

DG

[dill]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Good Morning DG and all to come. Thanks for the start, DG.

I am willing to bet the Peach experiment works out. It truly sounds like a good plan to me! I appreciate your compare/contrast of this Sunday as compared to Sundays past. That served me up a plate of motivation to go with my French toast this morning!!

And I somehow thought I could go from that to magically being able to have just one. HA!!

That IS crazy thinking, and I know, because I do it all the time, knowing full well that the minute I think it, the next thought is something like: "but, that won't be enough!"

July, I'm grateful for your post as well. Hearing from people further down the road is what I crave more than alcohol these days!

A quiet day at home for me today. I am enjoying all that I can, because I return to work this week. Ugh.

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Morning abbers!

I'm glad to be sober too DG & dill. I woke up at daybreak. From a normal non-induced sleep. I was having a wicked dream though. Very stress related. I almost hopped out of bed to escape it but instead I lay in bed looking out the window at the edges of daylight through the trees and really thought about the dream and soothed myself. Lord knows it is so good to be in touch with myself again. Just makes me hug myself! :l

[gyco]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

hi doggylady,it tis a different world,sobriety, ive been attending AA meetings a lot lately,trying to find what they got, that i dont see, i have come to a lot of conclusions,even bill and bob said,everyone is not an alchoholic,it is in the book,page 20,there is a solution,3 different types of people,which is not a big one to me,its just another way of living,,your information and willingness to succeed are over whelming,i to use to get up in the morning and try to justify a beer or a glas of wine, as having a coffee,to many its the same,just does different things to your metabolism,kind like the person who s on meds for hi blood pressure, or the person who has mental illness,the big question i beleive is why is everyone like this,abuse.ive just started a new book,which i have plenty of time to read,adult children of alcoholics,my daughter let me use it,same as the healing the addicted brain,whether i go here or AA or other forms,i be;leive like they said at treatment to many,what dont we get,just cant drink,my dear i love reading your escapades,and how well life for you is now,dont stop writing,inspirationable, are your words thnx , as are many who come here hahaha dont want leave anyone out you no us drinkers we offend easy have a wonderful week gyco

[LVT25]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Good morning friends!

Really, really quick check in for me. Since we are reminiscing, today is our shooting sports event at the fair. Hubby and I are now leaders for the club (4-H). Not last year (I was af then) but the 2 years prior, we took our camper to the fairgrounds. I simply couldn't wait until it was over to have a beer and a ciggie, so I kept sneaking in the camper for a few all afternoon. As soon as it was over, and before the ribbons were announced a few of us parents headed right to the camper to drink beer.
I'm aghast now that I would even think of doing that. How inappropriate? One of those things that makes my stomach turn.
So glad I don't "need" those things anymore!

Later! :h

[Marshy]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Afternoon all,

Yum, peach mousse all round!

Weirdly enough, when I had a Mon-Fri job, Sunday was the only day of the week that I didn't drink. I think it was some vain attempt to look OK at work on Monday morning - the only morning I was hangover-free. Towards the end of my drinking, I sometimes used to be so thoroughly sick of how much I was drinking on Saturdays and feel so hungover and lousy from Friday night that I'd look forward to Sunday, when I didn't "have" to drink. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

BTW, hulagirl, I completely understand that family trigger thing. I can just about cope with visiting mine for a few days - and I always take an emergency Antabuse tablet with me in case. Four weeks would be a hell of a challenge!

A happy AF day to everyone!

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Good morning!

DG, your drinking patterns sounded a lot like mine. Especially when I switched from wine to vodka back in the day. The only difference is I could never sleep in so I would start with the vodka first thing in the morning. What a life I led back then. I am very thankful for MWO as those days ended soon after I joined. I still struggled with binges but I made the concerted effort to wait until at least noon. What a wasteful life it was.

Late yesterday, my sister phones and says she is on her way to Victoria to look at places (yet again). She really needs to stop procrastinating and decide whether or not she is staying in Parksville where there is NO work for her now or move her ass down to Victoria where there is work available. She is a Care Aid.

She left her husband at the end of February expecting to have this wonderful life of partying, men, friends, booze, and her husband paying through the nose with child support for her two boys. Well fast forward to today.... she is now unemployed, her husband hasn't paid a dime (they are going to court at some point) and she has been borrowing thousands off of my poor nana to pay her 1200 dollar rent that she obviously CANNOT afford.

OK, so back to her telephone call. She says hello and says she is on her way down to mom's. She asked me if I want to come to mom's. She says that she and mom are getting shit-faced. She then asks me if I want to get shit-faced? I tell her NO, I am still not drinking. There is this long pause. She asks me why? (I laugh) I say that I am feeling too fricken good to sabotage myself over one night of drinking. She pauses again. (I guess she is thinking that she could convince me to drink). She then asks me if I would go anyway? I say sure, I will phone mom. We hang up.

I immediately went to the cupboard, pulled out the Antabuse, and popped one! I love having this around for times like these. Don't get me wrong, I DON'T want to drink, but my sister can make me feel bad if I don't drink. Although the last time she was here, 3 weeks ago, I managed to stay committed to my 'no'. (exhausting as that was)

I get to my mother's and she is there. My mom and her are already into the cider and vodka. My mom open's the fridge and offers me a vodka mudslide. (she knows I don't drink either, but was being polite, I guess). I say, 'no thanks, I took an Antabuse before coming here because sister darling was being pretty persistent for me to drink'. My mother actually said, for the first time ever, that she was proud of me.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. Typically when the two of them drink together and when I am around they tend to start in on me. It didn't happen this time. We sat around, ate some finger foods and had great conversations. I helped mom with dinner (as she was getting tipsy) and after dinner, Little AFM and I headed back home. My sister (feeling tired after drinking and eating) followed us. I then took my sister for a viewing of a place at about 8pm. It was a nice place and I guess she is making her decision today about it. (Lord help me if she moves into the same neighbourhood!) I hope she will find friends fast, as I WONT be drinking, EVER!!

I am so proud of myself for not giving in under the extreme pressure. I am thankful for having Antabuse as a back-up. I am a very happy, happy, AFM. I am thankful to be sober, healthy; and ready to enjoy my Sunday. I am also surprised that being in the situation with them drinking, I actually had a great time! It was fine after-all!

Today, I am going to putter around the house and then take Little AFM to the water park. There are always tons of children there and it is so nice outside. What a perfect way to spend our Sunday.

Have a great day everyone!!

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Happy Sunday ABerooooooos!

And I somehow thought I could go from that to magically being able to have just one. HA!!


DG, ditto that sister! truly amazing how far our addicted brain will twist the fabric of reality.

AFM, wow and congrats to you ! My mother actually said, for the first time ever, that she was proud of me.

so happy for you

Hula great to have you back, you know what to do and you've made no excuses.... awesome.

LVT, 4H shooting sports, wonderfully politically incorrect of you. I love it!!!!!! thank you so much for educating our youth instead of trying to shield them from reality. Shooting is a wonderful discipline and can be extremely challenging. My wife and I are members of a shooting club and shoot competitively together.

on the road again tomorrow so you won't see much of me. about a 9 hour drive. boooo hisssss! but I can do anything when I'm sober.

be well my friends,

[Determinator]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

oh, forgot to mention you can download AA podcasts for free on itunes! I've got a couple downloaded to my iphone for my trip tomorrow. if I don't have something engaging to listen to I tend to get sleepy while driving.

[hulagirl]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Aloha All! Wow AFM! I truly admire your resolve and strength and determination. I'll try and remember your story on my next family visit. There's a wedding coming up in Sept. and I still haven't decided if I'm going. (My nephew). My mother needs me to take her there, about a two hour drive. Or she can catch the Amtrak, about 3 hours. For me to take off work (teaching) is a huge amount of extra work. And of course the cost of travel is always an issue. sigh. It is so hard to live far from family. But once you move and set in roots it is very difficult to leave. Especially when you live on a beautiful island. First we had to get children through school now they're out. (also far away). Now we can not afford to leave secure jobs (retirement) and take a risk. I just have family issues that I need to be sensitive to. My mother is 83. Father passed away 4 years ago. It is hard for her to take care of the business of life by herself (house repairs, maintenance, bills, car...she can't put in gas. What happened to service stations?) Thankfully she is very feisty, very social and very active. My time there was to help with a garage sale that she has wanted to do for years. She has so much stuff (she was an antique dealer, is a depression era kid, lots o' travel = buy lots 'o stuff, an artist, art teacher), that we barely made a dent in the amount of "stuff". Oh yeah and she likes her scotch and can't understand why I wouldn't have wine with lunch at the restaurants. Oh the triggers. So I have to be like AFM. Steadfast and committed.

[AllApologies]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Well done AFM - Your doing so well, I really admire you for being able to say no in a situation like that where even the most strong willed of people would have struggled.

Thanks everybody for your advice, I shall get a doctors appointment tomorrow, and have it sorted for a day or two after I return from the festival I'm going to. yes that right it's finally here! so there won't be any news from me from wednesday-monday/tuesday as I will be in a muddy field, with a few friends, my gorgeous fiance and whole lot of heavy metal! Cannot wait.

-TG

[LVT25]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Yes, Det, I thought I might get your attention with that one! The kids did great by the way. My youngest got grand champion in his age group and my oldest got 2nd.
They shoot BB guns, Air rifles, .22 rifles, trap and archery.
It is a great sport for kids.

[Cinders]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Hello my AF friends,

Woo Whoo, yet another AF day under Cindi's belt. It is awesome.

My life is turning around and I can't tell everyone how grateful I am.

I have been wondering where you were, Hula Girl, and very happy to see you back with us. I have a SIL I worry about visiting because she drinks so much. Oh well. I have to get used to these things, I will be around drinkers the rest of my life. I might as well get used to it and just let my brain learn to deal with it.

Everyone, please have a pleasant Sunday evening. I plan on some much deserved quiet peaceful time. Grandchildren back at home with parents and it is just hubby and I.

Much love,
Cindi

[LVT25]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Cindi--I'm so happy you're doing so well!!!!!:goodjob: :l

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Sunday July 26

Thanks everyone! I am really proud of myself as well. I think my resolve is finally strong enough to get through the tough situations. I will do anything to stay sober, anything.

Welcome back, Hula! Nice to see you. Visiting with family can be a huge trigger, for sure. I know that you know, you can do this. I would so love to visit an Island in Hawaii. I have never been there, which shocks many people. I will get there someday. It sounds like you live in paradise!

Hello to the rest of you who checked in after moi. Cindi, you are sounding so good! I am really happy for you!

OK, it is time for bed for this chick. I am going to lay down after such a busy weekend and watch some boob-tube.

Have a great one!