FEB FAST ~ Week Two

[Chillgirl]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Hi Gang
Happy AF Friday!
Wishing you all a great weekend or in Portuguese Bom Fin de Semana!

Lode - That horrible little nicotine monster must be dying off nicely now, I used to enjoy that thought any time it got tricky.

Lav - I know the snow is a pain but boy does it look beautiful!

Red - you really deserve a huge pat on the back for staying so strong when things are tough.

Would you believe I was lying sun bathing last satuday and today we have torrential rainstorms which look like their to stay for the weekend.

Just thinking of the things i enjoy doing sober:-
Waking up in the morning feeling good is still top of my list
exercising without my heart racing like it was going to burst!
Walking my dog instead of feeling guilty that im too ill to move
Generally just the clarity of mind is so refreshing
Remembering conversations with friends!

[Lavande]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Good morning friends!

Ugh, can't get moving this morning - still worn out from yesterday's shoveling marathon I think!
44" of snow from two storms in less than a week is a real record breaker!!!!

Chill, be happy all that rain you're getting is not snow - you won't have anything to shovel!

Dill, I picked up a pot of chives nearly 7 years ago for my herb garden - they keep coming back every year, love them.

Lode, hang in there - kicking the nicotine monster out of your life is incredibly difficult. Next week will be my 9 month anniversary

Red, hope you are feeling strong - don't forget you can always dip into a little Lavan-itude if necessary!

Lil, a few days in the Keys sounds like heaven!

Greetings to everyone this morning, have a great day -
I'll be back later.

Lav

[sooty]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Afternoon everyone, snatching 5 minutes to catch up with you all.
Lav - lovely picture but what a lot of snow, you must have felt like you were tunnelling out!
I went for a long walk with Mr S and daughter this morning but it was so muddy - we were slipping and sliding and yes you've guessed it - I fell over
They tried to help me up but only succeeded in pulling me along in the mud - we were all helpless with laughter and I was filthy! I think it did us good - I haven't laughed that much since chat the other night :H
I hope we all have a sober and happy Friday - see you all later this weekend.
The bus is on auto pilot by the way - its magic and can steer itself!
love to all
Sooty

[Chillgirl]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Sooty - Sorry but you sliding around in the mud has really tickled me! Im lol here....:H
:biglaughmonkey:

[Lavande]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Sooty - did anyone get a picture of you, our mud covered driver :H

[redhibiscus]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Just checking in late Friday afternoon.

I did get off work early, came home and a friend called to stop over. I quickly spiffed up my house as I have not started the weekly cleanup. We had a lovely visit, she is such a dear friend. Then I took a nap, a real luxury. Woke up and I am creating a Fabulous February Friday meal. I mentioned the tofu with mushrooms and brown rice to my husband and he was not excited. So, I am making a pasta dish with tofu, spagetti sauce, veggies, and pasta, will put in cassarole and smother in mozzarella cheese and bake. Then, for desert, Rachel Ray's 5 minute fudge. He is such a lucky guy.

Lavande, I just saw on TV where out east the record for the most snow in the winter EVER, since recorded weather, was met in the last week or so. Wow, record breaking snow. I do love the weather.

Thanks for your support, life recently has been one challenge after another. But manageable AF.

[ladybirdheart]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Red, great show on creating an AF Friday that is comfortable and interesting and delicious; gracious living suits you. Miso, by the way, comes in different types and packages, and I have found the best selection at a natural food market. The one I like the most by far comes in glass jars in the refrigerated area and is South River Organic Sweet White Miso, wonderful flavor and far less sodium. Lav, your picture is adorable; your path is so well carved and tidy, just like a little canyon. Dill, while I live in a sunny area I still use a full spectrum light bar on a timer over my seedlings. I also keep the tray I put the germination pots in on a heating pad until they come up as my house tends to be far too cold for certain diminutive seeds. I like all of the ideas about filling time with AF activities. My reading has been attenuated more than I would like, but I hope to get back to it as this morning I had the scary appointment with my eye surgeon who ended up calling in three (3) other surgeons including the biggest honcho around who all concurred on what he was going to do. It sounds gory and creepy, but it is too tiring for what passes for my brain to keep trying to sort out the weird visual input it is getting now (even when sober). I am now scheduled for next month, and as I have had cataract surgeries in the past, I am good to go with the overall drill (I just get lots more stitches) and dead on with all of the expensive drops. Have a great evening (or day) dear troops. Love, Ladybird aka Malocchio.

[Lavande]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Hello again friends,

Yes, I am sitting here with my feet up, Spiderman movie on TV (which I'm not watching), laptop on my lap.........this is the life

Red, just heard that on top of the 44" of snow we received this week - 6 to 12" more is predicted for Monday......we don't need it, honestly
I am also enjoying Fatfree Vegan Recipes
Mr Lav is your typical meat & potato eater - always grossed me out. I had to teach him to eat salads & veggies. We were still in high school when I watched his mother toss a huge standing rib roast, a bowl of mashed potatoes & a gallon of milk on the table for dinner one Sunday - yuck!!

LBH, don't forget - I'm on call to help you out with those postop eye drops friend

Wishing everyone a warm & cozy AF evening.

Lav

[redhibiscus]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Good morning all!! Up after a restful sleep and a cozy night. My dinner came out great and LBH I loved your phrase "gracious living." I just know that it is so nice to come home from work and have dinner ready. I used to be a full time domestic engineer for years and always had dinner ready for my family. I enjoyed it and the miss benig away from home so much.

LBH, I'll be thinking of you during your surgery and wished I lived close to help you out. Good that you have access to specialists and adequate health care.

Lavande, I hope that the weather people are wrong. Another foot? February is a tough month. My husband too loves a meat and potatoes meal. So meatless meals are different for him. I usually do not eat beef much at all, pork only the best cut, so when I do eat the heavier meats now, it is no good.

LBH, thanks for the advice on the Miso, we have a health food store down the street that I will check out. Thanks.

Plans for the day? Finishing up my current book, starting a new one. Vacuuming, dusting a bit, and just relaxing. Later, I am going to create another great meal. Then possibly to the movies to see Wolfman. Not my choice but I do love to go to the movies.

For some reason I have not had cravings this week. My focus has been on surrender, just giving up the fight and realizing I am done. It is helpful to stay close to home and have fewer temptations. I have been reading the just starting out posts and offering some suggestions. I remember how scary it was at first. I realized I have been on this site for almost two years and thought, I am still messing around with the idea of being AF. It is time to just do it. No matter what, no matter where, no matter who I'm with. It is over.

I'll probably check in later. :h

[lodestar]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Love to all...

Crashed and burned (literally) after hitting my 72 hours with no nicotine. Long story, but I'll leave it at I chose to smoke after finding a forgotten stash that I could not let go by myself. So, back to the drawing board for me in the morning. NF is happening again at the ass crack of dawn and for my penance, I shall endure another blissful 3 days of nicotine withdrawal. Silly girl. I refuse to quit quitting. For all of those who thought I had superhuman strength, I shall go with...I'm human, sadly. Getting back on this horse again and loving myself all the way. Rome wasn't built in a day, and apparently, neither was my non-smoking self. Damn it.

See you soon, lovelies. BTW, are we chatting on Sunday afternoon?

[lodestar]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Hi Red, cross. Good for you, girl! Keep on keeping on.

xo :l

[dill]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Happy un-Hung Saturday, Friends!

Lil! It's great to hear from you my snowbird friend! Glad you had a nice visit with your daughter and I hope you can check in again once you get settled in at the keys.

Red, you are doing awesome! I can totally relate to your statement about having been on this site for two years and it's time to just do it. For lots of people on this site (myself included), that is what it takes. Keeping at it, never letting the effort die until one day, it just clicks! That "click" does not happen without an effort.

LBH, what is the date of your surgery? Since your vision is compromised, perhaps it would help you to get some audio books from your local library? I'm a big fan of downloading audio books onto my Ipod so I can listen no matter where I am. Our local library has a membership to this service called "digital downloads". You "check out" books virtually on-line and transfer them to your Ipod or listen to them on your computer. This is one of the things that should go on my 'things I enjoy doing' list. I truly enjoy walking, I truly enjoy listening to audio books, but put the two together and it's a home run for me!

Lode, welcome to humanity! I'm sorry you have to start over, but glad you are undaunted. I think if it were me, I would consider tapering from the nicotine by using the patch. Or I would try chantix. I think cold turkey would be very hard.

Lav, thanks once again for the link to the Vegan site. I had lost it because my last laptop crashed. I have a new laptop and am starting over with building up my favorites links. As for the spiderman movie, I watched a bit of that last night. I'm a fan of the spiderman movies. But, I was too tired to stay awake!

Soots! I was laughing right along with you! What a moment!:H

Hi, Chill! I'm right there with you on enjoying waking up feeling good. It's the key ingredient to enjoying anything!

[Chillgirl]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Hi Gang!
The rain has stopped although more storms due tomorrow so making the best of the sunshine today and heading to the beach bar for a AF lunch of grilled fish, rice and salad! Enjoyed lying in bed appreciating that saturday un hungover moment!

Lode - as i was rightly reminded of last week "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail..." I spent 5 years giving up smoking before i finally cracked it and im sure you can improve on that..

Dill - Im a huge fan of audiobooks, i can whiz through them on my ipod while walking, cooking or whatever.

Wishing you all a fantastic feb fast saturday....

[Lavande]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Good morning Feb friends,

Dark & cloudy here this morning but at least it's not snowing :H

Just got word that I am watching the 'Insanity Twins' this weekend
I haven't had them here for many months.......should make for a very interesting weekend especially with all the snow on the ground. For those of you not familiar with the Insanity Twins - they are my son's Golden Retrievers & they are a bundle of energy :H

Dill, I found a recipe for Irish White Bean & Cabbage Stew on the vegan site last night - I'm going for it today!!!!

Chill, hope you enjoy your beach day..........I can only dream about that right now!

Lode - go get some Commit Lozenges. They really did help me. This is the first time I've quit & stayed quit for any real length of time..........9 months on the 19th!

Wishing everyone a terrific AF Saturday!
I'll be back.

Lav

[spedteach]

FEB FAST ~ Week Two

Hey all
I'm about to go get my hair cut but wanted to check in.

What a crazy day I had yesterday. An elementary school, the Friday before Valentine's Day. Party central, a chocoholic's dream. Needless to say, was exhausted by the end of the day.

Dill, I do love substituting. Compared to my last teaching job, it is like I died and went to teacher heaven. 75-80% of my jobs are at the same school and it is a school where I used to teach. So I know the staff, the kids, where the bathrooms are. And when the bell rings I get to leave with the kids.
You don't have long before retirement. Hang in there.

Chill, I love thinking about you at that beach bar eating grilled fish. Have never been to Europe but am thinking Portugal may be my first stop. And audio books while cooking! One of my favorite activities.

Red, your Friday gracious living experience sounds so cozy and fine. You sound so very determined to have another af weekend.

Lode, "I refuse to quit quitting." You rock tenacious girl. Hang in there. Same thing happened to me once when I discovered a hidden bottle of wine while cleaning out my garage.

LBH, Malocchio?? When is your surgical date? We are all concerned.

Lav, you and Spiderman!??

Now I'm late. Who gets their haircut at 7:15 in the morning anyway??
I'm up for chat.