April Appreciation AF - week 1

[Chillgirl]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Good morning appreciators

I'm appreciating my dog who wakes me at exactly 10 mins before my alarm goes off and thats a much more pleasant start to the day than a beeping sound.

I am beginning to get anxious about the little details of my move, I'm such a damn perfectionist and every little thing has to be arranged in my mind before I have peace.
I told my husband yesterday I was going, I dont know what I expected but he just sort of stared at me blankly. Oh it's going to be so much healthier to be living in a different place from him, I think my true freedom is about to come and I'm excited.

Have a wonderful Tuesday guys, the sun is shining here and it's beautiful!

[rustop61]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Good morning everyone

Very grey and cloudy here but at least the rain has stopped.

Chill - so pleased that things are coming together for you. It's a new beginning and the time was obviously right for you.

John - Look on the bright side, another year and all that boring stuff is out of the way. Something to look forward to.

Lav - Still on stork watch?

Dill - So sorry about your friends husband. A sudden death takes time to come to terms with. Stay strong.

Everyone else big hello. Off for my morning walk with the doggies.

Rustop

[Stargazerlily]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Good morning to all....

Dill, so sorry for your loss. What a shock. It was interesting to me that you felt angry at the urge to use. I often feel that anger is healthy, and you used your anger wisely. As you know, this will continue to be a tough time for you staying AF, the funeral, wake, being there for your friend. How do you feel about staying AF? I am guessing that you are feeling proud of yourself and happy that you were able to be there 100% for your friend. That is one regret I have, not being there emotionally to the fullest when drinking. I have never once said to myself, "I wish I would have drank." Please pm me or stay close to this thread if you need to. We are here for support.:l

PAguy, what makes a good trainer, is it enthusiasm, technique, or something else? I know I hate when someone just spews out info and I am supposed to like it. Boring. Hope this week is more positive for you.

Chill, you seem more and more sure you are making the right decision. Making the break from you husband is difficult but as you said, healthy. A whole new life, a whole new world. I was thinking that of course you would have some anxiety about everything, heck I have anxiety about just putting in job applications. It really takes practice to stay centered and peaceful. Alcohol has no place in feeling calm and moving in a new direction. Alcohol just keeps us in a hole, looking up, as we sink deeper and deeper into despair.

Lav, what a great year for you as a grandmother. Let's hope that baby comes on time.

I had an OK Monday, but I am really really tired for some reason. I am drinking some coffee right now, and hope it helps. I really get tired after 4 p.m. the hardest part of my day. I am focusing on diet, trying to eat only fresh foods, meats, veggies, fruits and staying away from grains, dairy, and junk. I think I may have an allergy to either wheat, dairy or sugar, and I am trying to figure it out. I never did put out my resume to this one job as I am just not in a good place right now to start something new. I sat down and listed the pros and cons and just can't take the added stress in my life at this particular time. Maybe in a month if things at home are better. My experience is that you can only take stress in so many life areas, keep the other life areas the same. I'm afraid of switching jobs to something worse. In the past I had a job, switched and absolutely hated my new job. It was horrendous. So, I am trying to manage the best I can.

To all, have a great AF day.:h

[Jolie]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Good morning abbers!

Stormy here in my neck of the woods - Lav - you didn't see any tornados over your way, did you? Is today the due date for your latest little arrival? If so, the stork is going to have to put his head down and fight thru the wind to deliver your precious little one

Star - I think you are right - sometimes too many changes can complicate things and I know for myself, I need to concentrate everything I have on my quest for sobriety so good for you - thinking this thru and making these decisions!

Rustop - took turns walking my two dogs last night as both of them at the same time can get tricky (they both weigh close to 100 pounds each) so by the time I got done, I felt like I'd been hit by a freight train! Now I decided that either A) I am out of shape, or B) I am out of shape - can't decide which one it is

Chill - you sound very positive about your decision - and that sounds like a hard one to make. Has it been coming and maybe he just didn't see it?

Paguy - sounds like this kind of feedback is just what your boss needs and you have nothing to lose by telling him the truth - right? Hope the day passes quickly and you can get this boring out of the way!

Newgrange - I have replied to my future in-law (without the $20 words). Kept it short, polite, and to the point. Hopefully we can go forward from here as I do not like having that kind of drama in my life. In a way though, I have to be grateful to her for actually propelling me into the journey for sobriety (although I would never admit it to her).

Morning to Papmom, Mario, Dill - anyone else who checks in.

Today is definitely a stormy but sober Tuesday!

[papmom3]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Star-I feel the exact same way about this job I am interviewing for! However, I also feel that all it is is an interview and then comes decision time IF they offer me the job. I never feel an interview is a waste of time. It sharpens your sales skills and keeps you fresh and on your toes and there is no commitment!

Dill-you hang in there!

Rustop-Ack! 100 lbs each? And I find it hard to walk my 20 lb dogs one at a time, never mind all 3! I didn't get up in time AGAIN this morning and now I'm on here with 30 min to go before I have to leave! Ack!!

John-you can afford to be brutally honest right now I think. If they don't like it they can let you go and seriously, in the whole scheme of things, would your retirement pay be decreased significantly if you left one year earlier? You are in a great position right now-you've given notice so you can start to pull away a little and concentrate on life outside the office.
Any 5 or 10Ks this weekend? I'm participating in a marathon myself this weekend-7 papillons in one house for 3 days!! :H

Jolie-good for you for showing restraint! I'm sure once they ar married things will settle down. It's not like she is YOUR MIL right? You are both parents of the happy couple?

OK, I cannot be late so zoom zoom!!

[Lavande]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Good morning all,

Didn't wake up in OZ as I feared considering the wind gusts last night - geez! What's up with this weather anyway??

Chill, you just enjoy the process of your move & try to not worry about the outcome. I know it's a whole lot easier said than done but it does make perfect sense to me. Your husband sounds a little like mine, fairly slow processing information & that's not your problem.

Rustop, today is the due date for grandchild #3 - if you see the stork please send him this way

Star, job switching is stressful without a doubt! I don't think I ever found the perfect position for me ~ if there actually was one!

Jolie, the back of my house faces south - your direction. The wind rattled my windows last night......thought I'd might wake up in your back yard :H I've given up trying to walk my dogs on leashes, they just don't do well & I'd rather not injure myself at this point

papmom, have a fun doggie weekend!

John - since I couldn't get you interested in buying the dairy farm that's on sale nearby I just thought I'd let you know that there's a nice horse farm on the market now! Jolie knows that this is a very big horsey area & there's some big $$ to be made

OK, gotta go make sure my hens are fed & watered before the weather gets any worse!
Have a great AF Tuesday!

Lav

[sooty]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Hello all, my internet has been misbehaving again, so sorry I've not been around.

We've had rain and wind today too, but dont think it was as bad as some of you have been experiencing.

Forecast is better tomorrow so lets cross fingers for a dry humpday.

Take care everyone
Sooty

[Dewdrop]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Heyho all,

We are having a very windy and stormy evening I think my roof is going to blow away! I?ve put my coal fire on and am cuddled up on the couch, the weather is so unpredictable at the moment and it?s interesting to hear it?s happening across the world. Last week the sun was shining and I was out walking in short sleeves!!

Dill I am so sorry to hear your sad news and it must be very difficult to come to terms with, at the same time you must be there for your friend to lean on. I?m sending you love and strength to get through this safely :l John it?s great to hear from you I was wondering where you had gone, there is nothing worse than a boring and demotivating training course and you are in a fortunate position to be able to give appropriate feedback. Chill don?t sweat the small stuff but concentrate on the bigger picture and you will be fine, you have an amazing new life just ready to unfold and it can be whatever you want it to be ? how exciting.

Star it sounds like you are in tune with yourself and I too find that food and especially exercise have a big impact on my moods and ability to cope. I am trying hard to make regular exercise part of my daily routine, not easy but I always, always feel better for it. It is sometimes difficult for women to look after themselves as we tend to look after everyone else first ? family, parents, friends etc. But the more time I have sober the more I too am tuning into my body and my emotions and trying to keep them in balance. I find I am very tired in the evenings and some evenings I just want to get into my jammies and chill, I?m up early so I can?t really expect myself to start at 6am and keep going all day and evening!! And if I feel like a snooze on the couch through the day at the weekend that?s what I do. You will move jobs when the time is right for you.

Cyn I agree with you that family are so important, I am so grateful that mine are close by, close enough to see each other often but not too close that we are on each other's doorsteps, if you know what I mean I'm sorry to hear about your friend as we get older these changes are just so very difficult to cope with and recover from. My goodness Jolie two 100lb dogs is a lot to look after I bet you get loads of exercise! Lav I hope the stork makes its way through the storms and brings your little bundle soon.

Hi to Newgrange, Rustop, Sooty, Papmom, and everyone else I hope you all appreciated having a sober Tuesday. I've taken my melatonin and am off to bed with a relaxation tape, catch you all tomorrow.

Dewdrop :h

[Chillgirl]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Just dropping in on route to bed......

Dewdrop - ouch the weather! I spoke to my Mum tonight and she said it had rained all day. Im going to have to get used to frizzy hair again!

Star - I agree anger can be a good thing, like all our emotions, they are there to tell us something, the problem is when they are supressed and not dealt with, thats when they come back to haunt us. I have found like Dill, bursts of anger at myself very useful for reinforcing things in my life that are just no longer acceptable.

I have had a bad eating day today and I didnt exercise, im finding a link between the two, when i workout, I feel good about myself and my body and therefore im less likely to abuse it.... lesson learned: must get lazy ass to the gym more often!

[Lavande]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Due date has come & gone - no grandbaby today BUT I did go out & pick up 4 new chicks today

I didn't plan to get them (today) but I went to the feed store to grab a bag of dog food & there they were just waiting for me
These are the Araucana breed - the blue egg layers. I did want to get a few more at some point but like I said, they were just there waiting for me! I think I may be turning into a crazy chicken lady collecting chickens :H I can't collect cats because I'm allergic to them :H

Chill, the focus on diet & exercise just seems to kind of come & go with me. I lost 2 lbs the first week on weight watchers & 2 lbs the second week as well but I'm not going to go crazy expecting that to continue.... I know myself better that that

Crazy cold here tonight but the rain & wind have stopped, thank goodness.
Wishing everyone a comfy night!

Lav

[cyntree]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Quick check-in, hello all ---

Dill, I am so sorry for your loss, and for the pain of your friend. Brava to you for sidestepping the wine - I do understand how aggravating it is to have to spend even 10 seconds processing the 'do I don't I'. What a gift you gave your friend to be there completely for her - good luck being a support in these next days, as Star said thank goodness you will be there to help with the details.

PA - I'm sorry you had a bad week last week and glad that this one seems to be better...but I'm also grateful to hear someone else say that they get overwhelmed once in a while. I can get darn close to paralyzed sometimes, and it frustrates me so. Good job staying AF, you must be so proud of yourself.

Chill - we hope to leave the desert at the end of November. In the summer I will join HB briefly in the east and start the house (rental) hunt. Then we'll have to leave it to friends and realtors to keep looking for a place for us, I guess. Everything else has worked out for this move, and so I believe this will too. Yes, people here think we are crazy to leave. We will be leaving this for a winter clime, but I know what we are getting into...I lived in MN for 25 years, and I would much rather go through a winter there than a summer here (since it has already topped 100 degrees here - 2nd earliest in the history of the state). PM me with any of your move worries....
Star, Rustop, Rusty, Jolie, Dew, Mr G, Lav (baby chicks, now where's the real baby?!), Papmom, Mario, Sooty, Newgrange (welcome), Sped and LBH where are you, and anyone I am missing (so sorry) -- have a wonderful AF night.
See you on humpday (or as dear Chilli says, humpback day....)

[Chillgirl]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Happy humpback day!

Storms here last night but I never heard a thing, very high winds today.
I'm not working till 12 so I'm absolutely going to the gym as I stepped on the scales this morning and :yuk:

Lav - or "mad chicken lady" as you will soon be known :H I hope that stork shows up soon.

Cyn - I have my parents already checking out rentals for me and I intend to take for only 6 months to begin with so I pretty much trust them to know what is suitable. Once I get there I can decide if Im happy to take for longer but I guess that depends on work and where I want to be. I'm getting impatient, now I have finally decided I just want to go today!

[mario]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Morning very dark morning here, looks like rain here , how unusual :-), May you all have a happy sober day.

[rustop61]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Good morning everyone

Happy Hump Day. We didnt have the storms and it was actually quite warm yesterday. Heard on the radio that it is promised good for the week-end. Hope so, my garden needs some tlc.

My poor daughter has her oral Irish exam today. It's 25% of her mark so I hope it goes well. She is well prepared but was nervous. It was like walking on egg shells this morning. She wanted to go in early and that meant pursuading her sister to be up and ready!!! Normally she drags her feet and that means a row. Got up really early, made pancakes and managed to get them both out the door in time, phew. Need my cup of coffee after that. At least I am doing it with a clear head. Cannot imagine coping with a hangover!

Chill - I am sure everything will work out for you. The hardest part was making the decision.

There is a lot to be said for the ODAT approach. None of us know what is around the next corner. So everyone enjoy your hump day.

Rustop

[Stargazerlily]

April Appreciation AF - week 1

Another Happy Hump Day!!

Hopefully milder temperatures are on the way. I mean 40s and 50s. Spring is trying to come but it is a slow process in the Midwest.

Very busy day today at work. Then came home and found out my daughter was offered a new job, one she really wanted. She accepted and there was celebration long distance. We are all so happy for her. It's funny, in this facebook age, my friend called me and knew about it before I could tell her. My daughter had posted it on her facebook. I don't have one and just feel weird about it. But I was not quick enough with the news. What are others thoughts about facebook and social media?

I am feeling more hopeful about being AF as the weather gets warmer. That is when I like to party, outside on my deck. NO MORE!!! I have thought about it and am a little afraid of myself. However, I have really enjoyed, every day, feeling healthy, whole, honest and there. I don't want to give up my time and life, again. Does anyone struggle in the nice weather?

Hello to all and have a harmonious and happy humpday. AF