friday 22 April AF daily

[bear73]

Hey all - happy start of the chocolate eating festival!
I am loving being AF - felt a bit broody and ruminating yesterday - came home from spa early as it was very hot and being still not good for me in that mood.

Today off for a quick cycle into town to return clothes that are too big - a rarity!
Then will do some veg/fruit planting and repotting - it's a lovely hot day here.
Later off to Brighton for a browse and then to see a band - I am driving back - tho gigs aren't a big trigger for me so I feel fairly safe.

Having anxiety/ruminating worry yesterday about what if I fail at being AF/losing weight - talking back to that anxiety and challenging it - stopping believing automatic negative thoughts that get in my way. I can lose weight, I have lost weight before - I can be AF - I am AF now - and have been AF before.I am doing the AF and calorie counting thing RIGHT NOW - I need to just focus on today and not the long term outcome - especially a negative one.
Onwards and upwards.

[Hippy Chick]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hi everyone.

Bear - sounds like you are taking on alot at the moment with trying to loose weight as well as staying sober. Just try to take one day at a time and dont worry too much about the future. I know it is hard but worth trying. Well done on your achievements so far.

Have had a great day in the garden - just love getting my hands in the dirt! Very rewarding.

Hope everyone has a great easter. Stay strong.

Hippy

[mylife]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hello Gang. I've got 22 out of 22 days AF in April, so I am happy today!

Bear, I agree with Hippy. Don't pressure yourself too much with the weight. I want to lose 15 lbs myself, but really my sobriety comes first. I have been trying to add exercise, not because of weight, but to add to my overall sense of well being which helps me to stay sober.

I had thoughts of wine all last night - I think triggered by a gift of a bottle of white wine I received at work yesterday. "A very good white"! (argh) Anyway, I dropped it at my sisters house on the way home and drank about a gallon of sparkling water. Today I feel great however. So happy I didn't give in to that and it also made me aware of the fact it's early days still and I need to be cautious.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and AF Good Friday. :l

[universal]

friday 22 April AF daily

Morning abbers!

Good for you guys on staying sober and not letting temptation get in the way - one day at a time. I have been struggling as you all know but am feeling a lot stronger now - I do think Boo is helping to keep me sober too. Sounds silly but hey, whatever works.

Today is a lazy stay in pj's kind of day. May do some writing, mandalas or even finish painting the upstairs hallway. Who knows. Haven't even finished my first cup of coffee yet so I guess I'll get there when I get there.

[Lavande]

friday 22 April AF daily

Good morning Abbers!

Haven't done a thing yet myself this morning but who the hell cares anyway :H

Greetings bear, Hippy, mylife & Uni & all who stop in today

I am eventually going to head outside while the sun lasts & get a few things done
Wishing eveyone a good AF Good Friday!

Lav

[LVT25]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hello friends!

A big congratulations to Mom3 for 3 years of sobriety. Do you live in DC? Maybe I can buy you a celebratory cup of coffee while I'm there!:goodjob: I am right behind you--it would have been 3 years in June, but I was still piddling around with the moderation thing. So, September is I guess my true quit date. It is feeling more natural to not drink, and more people seem to not care and accept it.

Pap--I still have dreams were I choose to drink once in awhile. I am always pretty mad at myself when I wake up. The last few Easters were drunk occasions for me. One time I drank a big bottle of wine almost all by myself. Smoked an old dry cigar (it was all I could find--I was trying to quit smoking), after everyone left I took a nap and felt like total dogshit when I woke up--yuck! Another year we learned at church Easter morning that a young friend of mine had died in a terrible accident. I proceeded to drink Easter dinner.
I realize now that part of the drinking was due to anxiety about my in-laws. They can drive me crazy if I let them. They are coming this year, they've already changed my menu for me, but it's ok. My house won't be super clean either--too bad. Dinner might be late because I have a lot going on at church Easter morning--they can have a couple more beers that way. :H

The sun came out yesterday and I headed to work at the cemetery. That really felt good to be doing something outside AND getting paid for it. I need to go again today, we had a nice rain overnight, the sun is out, but the wind is blowing like crazy. Oh well.

It's Friday. Good Friday. A time for reflection......

Have a good (sober) one all! :h

[Cassia]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hey all!

Well done for not letting the drinking thoughts get to everyone. They can be difficult to chase away sometimes.

Uni - I am pleases that boo has made you feel brighter. The pup is gorgeous.

P3 - good luck today! Looking forward to your check in to let us know how you got on.

So went hillwalking around loch lomond with my two beat friends. A beautiful day and 14.5 miles all in. Just gotta soak in the bath with my sea salt scrub to make sure that I don't ache too much in the morning! I will really miss Scotland especially on days like today. My friends are arriving from London tonight so we will have a fun filled Saturday. I am going to be knackered by the time
I get to nj.

Xx

[Doggygirl]

friday 22 April AF daily

Here is Boo. He is a VERY smart puppy! I think that is Uni in the background teaching him to type!



:H

Back later to catch up! Uni, I AM going to steal your adoreable puppy somehow. (well, not really. And I think dogs are fab and mine certainly help keep me sane and sober! Well, at least sober anyway...)

Oh. And for anyone who hasn't actually seen Greenie out and about wearing it, here is a piccy of her crown.



One thing is for sure...

DG

[Lavande]

friday 22 April AF daily

:H Greenie should pack up her beautiful crown & head over for the Royal wedding

good pic of Boo Uni!
He definitely looks a whole lot smarter than my Piggy Swissy :H

[momof3]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hi All,

Cold and dreary day in Virginia today. Makes me want to go back to Florida.

Thanks all for the 3 year anniversary wishes. It means alot to me.

LVT. I live in Northern VA right outside of DC. When are you visiting and for how long?

DG. I swear I can't keep track of the number of jobs and volunteer positions you have. You are living life to the sober fullest.

Uni. I love, love that little puppy.

Cassia, when is your actual departure date to the US?

Mylife. Good for you for giving that bottle of wine away. And, doesn't it feel good to wake up the next day knowing you did not surrender to the urge? Another small victory and a huge deposit in the self-esteem bank. The more you do it, the easier it gets. In the early days, I can remember crying as a result of the urges I had. I have some thoughts now and then now but never urges.

Hippy Chick. It sounds like you are doing well. I find digging in the dirt to be very healing.

Bear. I love that you are loving being sober. I can only speak from my own experience here, but, I would find tackling the alcohol and weight loss at the same time to be very hard. I was very discouraged with my weight when I quit drinking but it slowly came off once I stopped. This is not surprising given the massive amount of calories I was consuming a day by drinking 2 plus bottles of wine. Once I had stopped drinking for awhile, I had loads more energy and I increased my exercise. I also focused on eating good, nutritional food but I did not watch my calories. This resulted in yet more weight loss.

Where's Greenie?

M3

[papmom3]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hey Cass-interview is next Friday and I will definitely let you all know how it goes on Monday AND Friday!

Uni-I guess I'll have to wait in line to steal that puppy :H!!

LVT-I don't want to have anymore drinking dreams thank you! I was putting way too much energy into a decision that is a no brainer in waking life!! Good luck with your inlaws on Sunday. Here's what smacked me in the head today about my boss, who was being a big baby the past 2 days: I can't change how he treats me or reacts to anything I do or say (thank you serenity prayer!) BUT I can change how I reaction to HIM!! So simple yet so long in coming!! Again, good luck and say your prayers as often as you need too!!

DG-that is one Bling Bling crown Greenie has but it looks a little painful

Mylife-congrats on your 22 days!! How cool that everyday of this month meant something special to you and you didn't even have to keep track!!

Hey Hipster!! I''m so jealous of your dirt digging!! I fear by the time the weather gets good enough to do that it will be HHH!! I don't think we're going to have spring at all this year!

Bear-I could only concentrate on being AF. I still haven't lost the weight and it's high time I did almost a year later so that is next on my list. Be careful about trying to reach too many goals at one time. You've already quit the ciggies right? Ease up on yourself and just do what comes naturally which seems to be exercise. I can't stand journaling my food which is why I'm not that successful at WW but I will try again damn it!!

So tomorrow is supposed to be cold and rainy. good day for getting up early, having a hearty breakfast and working on my transfer evals first thing. Then food shopping for HEALTHY fruits and food and some sides for our potluck easter dinner at Sis's. Sunday more evals then dinner, Monday interview and more evals. I've got to get 40 of them done before I go back to work on Tuesday. That will leave 90 in my box and of course more come in all the time. Next weekend the whole system is down so no work will get done but I'm going away anyway. Then I have 2 weekends left before Orientation. Its going to be a close one this time around, even more so than in January. Good thing my boss took away one task from me during his hissy fit. Just lightened my load and upped his. Stupid shit. :H
So along with the stress of these interviews is the stress of realizing I might not make deadline this time around. Whoo boy! But I'm staying away from the whoopie pies!! no one said anything about staying away from cookies and Hostess cupcakes tho!!
Hey to M3, Lav, Jolie, G, Mario, GREENIE and anyone else missing!!

[Cassia]

friday 22 April AF daily

Hey p3

Sorry, I got totally confused there. Good luck for Monday!! Don't work yourself too hard with the evaluations. You have got a lot on and I would hate for you to burn out during interview week.

If you had the choice, which role would you prefer? X

[Hippy Chick]

friday 22 April AF daily

Afternoon all.

My husband is at golf, my daughter is at the park and my son is at his mates....... aaahhhhh can you hear the silence?? Peace at last! I have missed my "me" time lately. Although in my previous life, I would be well into my first bottle by now thinking that the drug induced high was just me feeling good... Now what make me feel good is a cup of coffee (from my new coffee maker that I treated myself to, makes a change from treating myself to a bottle of "good" wine!), sitting in my garden with my little Tilly smooching up to me. My cat mustnt have liked me when I was drinking as she rarely came near me.

Whenever I am doing something now that used to involve me treating myself to a glass of wine, I just ask myself what AL would do to make the situation better. And the usual answer is NOTHING. I can do things that I simply could not think of doing before without poison floating around in my blood stream. It is quite liberating when I finally realised that.

My daughter and I went to see the Justin Beiber movie today. To be completely honest, I was (pleasantly) surprised how talented he is. We have tickets to his show in two weeks so my daughter wanted to initiate me into the tween world of JB so I dont make a complete moron of my myself when we go see him life. I wish my mum would have taken me to see David Cassidy when I was her age (now I am showing my ages!!).

Talking of my mum, she dropped a bombshell on me the other day. She told me that dad told her he didnt love her and wanted a divorce - this is after being married for 50 years! OMG. My dad is a practising alcoholic and is nasty and horrible to be around when drinking which is everyday starting from midday, so I think she will be benefiting from a divorce. She has been with him since she was 19 (70 now) so I dont know if she even knows how to live by herself. One problem with their relationship is that my dad will never admit to be a drunk and mum doesnt drink, so she doesnt understand that uncontrollable urge to drink. But that is their problem, I am not going to get involved, well going to try not to. I have enough stress in my life without having to worry about others.

Anyway that is my day nearly done. Another sober day which I love. Must be about four and a half weeks now since I had my last drop of poison. YAY.

Take care and have a good weekend.

Hipster