AF Daily - Saturday May 15

[Doggygirl]

UP AND AT 'EM fABbies!!!!

LVT, so good to see you. How are things going?

P3 I am so proud of you for ignoring the call of AL after such a crappy day. Things WILL work out. Please keep pushing forward and don't give up!

Mother Nature has gone mad I think. From high 80's the last few days to low 50's for the weekend. Looks like I will get my secret wish to hibernate this weekend.

I need to be careful about that wish actually. I always think hibernation is what I need and what will make me feel good, and it rarely does. So I'm out the door to an AA meeting instead. Hope everyone is off to a great start today.

One thing is for sure....

DG

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Fabbies!! I'm dressed in yoga clothes. My goal is to be there early instead of squeaking in at the last minute.

P3, you did so well to resist what we all know is not only NOT a solution, but it is no longer even an option. It just isn't. Forevermore. One time I bred my male dog because I had my heart set on a female. In the litter there was only one amd I talked about it incessantly for nearly 6 weeks. The husb of the pair that owned the bitch was a lawyer and they were friends of mine. ("lawyer" gives it away doesn't it? :H) Anyway as time drew near, they informed me they were keeping the female and there was nothing I could do as I had no contract. I was furious and I initially refused a pick of the remaing male puppies, but under pressure from FH, picked one who was a 14 year source of absolute joy in my life. A long time later I learned that their female had a malfunctioning anal gland which resulted in butt dragging on the carpet, licking and gnawing by her and the mother dog, and monthly trips to the vet to have it expressed as they were unable to do it themselves. This part was of particular interest to me as they were fondly known to be beyond frugal. We all got what we were supposed to from the unfolding of that situation. Sometimes when we don't get what we have our hearts set on it is for reasons unknown to us which may or may not reveal themselves later. But you already knew that, didn't you? :l OMMMMMMM

Off to yoga!

[bear73]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

hay all - up early here today - didn't pop in again last night as fell asleep on sofa again - need my sleep this week - may be all the cycling to work and 2 gym sessions/1 swim session.
Today cats to vets for jabs,washing on and lazing around - decided to go cruelty free for toiletries,cosmetics,perfume and household cleaning products - so navigating the US and UK PETA lists. Some companies lie about this stuff so I am only buying off the list from now on.

No cravings today but am nervous about going out tonight so want to stay in and cook a nice healthy dinner and have (another) early night. May do some reading, have mini pedi in a bit.
I may look at sparkpeople site in a bit signed up - my current challenges are count calories,commit to gym 3 times a week.

Anyway - may see you all later (if I can stay awake!)
Let it go

[Lavande]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Good morning all!

I stayed in bed until 8 am ~ needed it after yesterday's exhausting but fun with the family

DG, I hear you about too much down time being not so good for you. I've always known that I'm better off (mentally) being busy, busy, busy or I end up feeling sorry for myself & that's downright dangerous!!!

Greenie, sometimes it's nice to see the lawyer getting the shitty end of the stick
Seriously, things do happen for a reason!

bear, keep looking after yourself - you are doing great

Wet weather here this weekend so I guess I'll remove some dust & dog hair from my living quarters - oh joy!

Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Saturday!
Lav

[Accountable for Me]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Mornin' Fabbies!

Ahhh.... Saturday. Nice and rainy, and I have to work. LOL!

B-day party was cute. Met some nice people. So friggen weird to be a part of an event, even if it is a 1 yr old's birthday party where absolutely NO ONE was drinking! So, not what I am use to. I am so very happy to find friends where alcohol is not the focal point. Did I say, 'weird?' Yep, very!

K, off to shower. Have a great day all!

ps. Papmom3 - way to go for not drinking. You are the woman!!!

[papmom3]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

good morning all! I too slept in late. The pups did wake me up at 5:30 to go out-I opened the door and promptly went back to bed. Thank goodness DD has a VERY loud bark! :H We all went back to sleep and I finally crawled out of bed at 8:30. Unheard off!! Let them out again and noticed something was off with my pond-no water in it! Oh no! My fishies!! Ran out in my jammies and a severe case of bedhead, rescued the fishies and proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes cleaning out the pond. It had to be done anyway-couldn't even see my fishies unless they came right to the top!! Pond is cleaned, refilled and sitting there with newly cleaned pump running and waiting for it to warm up a bit. Fishies are swimming around a pail and guess what? I still have 8!! Hopefully the trauma of being caught and transferred will not have taken a toll on them.

Thank you everyone for the support regarding yesterday. Yes Greenie, I do know everything happens for a reason, I just resist it sometimes. I've always been very obstinate :H!! My friend is going to let me borrow her truck to go get the camper (did I mention that last nite?) so at least that is settled. Unless of course I get a call from the RV guy saying more suprises were found. Fingers crossed. As far as the job front goes, serenity prayer all the way. I've done all I can. There are no other postings appropriate for me but I will keep looking. In the meantime I need to get through Graduation and Orientation and then seriously commit to selling some things on Ebay. I don't feel great today, more resigned than anything else but I have plenty to do to occupy my mind.
Hope everyone has a fabulous day. No rain yet-hazy sunshine and high 50s for now.
Bear-making the decision to stay in is brilliant!! You will be able to go out again, I promise but you need to feel 100% safe before you do it with fail safe plans in place. Once I got over the fear of what people would think of me if I wasn't drinking, it was a non issue to be around them in that sort of setting. :goodjob:!!

[LVT25]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Hello friends.

It did feel good to sleep in a bit today. I have many things on my to do list, so many I just don't know where to begin. I have as yet to get into an exercise routine which I badly need to do. I think if I got into the habit of starting my day off with a walk, I could think about my plans for the day and get going!

I've been reading the thread when I have a little time. It sounds like most are doing well (Bear!:l) and we have some new avatars popping in which is great! But how is Uni? Cinders? Has anyone heard from them? I feel bad for those that struggle so with the al beast. I am so grateful he appears to be out of my life quite probably for good--just like Greenie said--not an option.

**Better get a snack if you haven't already**

I've been busy at the cemetery trying to get caught up so that we have it looking beautiful for Memorial day. Two days of rain slowed me down, but in the long run it will be awesome because we needed the moisture to green things up. Yesterday I wore my sweatshirt and insulated coveralls most of the day! I wish spring/summer would get here and stay! I feel pretty good and energized when it is warm and sunny out with no wind!
My garden spot has been ready to plant for some time now. I hope to at least get my potatoes and some other root crops planted this weekend. I also hope I can gather my guys and get the plastic on the greenhouse! The garden spot is huge, but I really don't want to plant the whole thing this year. It is just too overwhelming! Hubby said he and the boys will help....but my boys hate the garden, and honestly they kind of kill the fun for me out there. I also want to totally relandscape my front yard--take out the grass and put in flower beds, a path, etc. All of my flower beds are a mess.

The good news is, with the rainy days, I was able to catch up on some bookwork, and I sold the boys loft bed and moved the antique bed upstairs. So when the daybed arrives for #1 son's room, we'll be all set. I still have a messy house with boxes of clothes that need to be sorted through, etc....but that is a work in progress.

I did a little shopping for the trip to DC which is in 16 days. I ordered a new little camera, a cute canvas backpack, a water bottle from flylady, and got a good deal on some carry on luggage. I have been experiencing anxiety about this trip for awhile now. Mainly because I am still trying to catch up from being away so much with Terry, and leaving #1 son behind. So, I forced my hubby to sit for 5 minutes and have a serious conversation about the trip. He never has wanted to go very bad, but he is also the one that loves history and would love to see DC. His mom bought his ticket and REALLY wants him to go with her. I honestly only signed up because I was pretty sure he would back out.
At this point we've decided that he will go and I will cancel my reservation. I felt instant relief with this decision, so I know it is the right one. No more rushing to get things done before we leave, no worrying about who to keep an eye on #1 son, no more anxiety about flying, the big city, etc. I can always go a different year if I decide to.

I also bit the bullet and ordered a new Vitamix blender. My old 1980's model bit the dirt and I can't get parts for it. I hated to spend that much money for a new one, but I LOVED my Vitamix and truly believe it is the best! I ordered the new model--refurbished--I get $100 back for sending my old one in, and it has a 7 year warranty. I can't wait. And since I don't feel like I am a bad ass anything. I would like to be known as the Queen of smoothies! (Not to be confused with the Queen of the Universe--Greenie!)

Ok, that is enough for one day. I know this was long and boring, and my memory is so bad, I simply can't remember everyone I wanted to comment on. I am wondering how mom3 is doing with that incredibly frightening and amazing race she is doing today!

Have a great sober weekend all. Think SUNSHINE!!:h

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Feck. I have to practice what I preach. My tile guy can't finish the job and needs to unload the supplies into my garage and take his trailer. So ~ to the drawing board for a new tile guy. I feel the disappointment, but some new person is about to come into my life for whatever reason. I hope he is as nice as the one that isn't able to finish. And so it is.

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Lavande;1114674 wrote: Greenie, sometimes it's nice to see the lawyer getting the shitty end of the stick

literally :H:H:H

[greeneyes]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

LVT, I'm so glad the nonvacation is what is happening for you! Besides, what you save by not going balances out the new vitamix! Ta-Da!!

[papmom3]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Plus LVT-you now have a very cool water bottle, backpack and camera to take with you on awesome walks!! You have dogs right? Or no? Anyway, we expect pics of your local landscape as you walk.
I'm so glad you are not going on the trip. I could feel your anxiety all the way over here on the East Coast. Yea!! The Universe has stepped in for you and the most amazing part is that Hubby listened! Good luck with the rest of the cemetary spruce up and the garden planting. Mine won't be ready to go until at least June but that's OK as Mem Day weekend is the absolute earliest we should be planting anything other than peas around here.

Greenie-you and me both will be putting our faith in our good common sense and the Universe.

Forecast cast calls for cloudy but NO rain today. Might have to actually mow the lawn now! Yuck!!

Fishies are in their newly cleaned pond. I hope they do OK. Guess I will have to feed them tonite as there is no algae left to eat! :H

[Kaslo]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Good morning Absters! I read with relish, (and mustard) your adventures! Fish saved, party for one year old ended clear-eyed, unwelcome trip not to be made....Greeneyes, a lawyer just WOULD say no contract, but a verbal agreement is a contract... He got what he deserved for being an A-hole, though. Your story made me smile.

I am girding my loins for a working trip out into the reservoir on some beaches to assess vegetation treatments. Probably in the rain all day, but wtf. Its a living. (For the next three and half weeks!) And I have to organize a lot of people. And I have to prepare a talk to give in the North in two weeks, but before that somehow drive 500 miles to a friends memorial. A friend who drank too much for years, and finally died of a rare form of cancer. I am sure the booze had something to do with it. A lawyer too. Hmmm.

But today, today I must plant my new rockroses and weed the front bed. One thing is for sure....

[universal]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

I apologize in advance as I did not read the thread. As of Monday, I go back to rehab. I called a friend who works int he psychiatric field and she has a friend who runs the local rehab facility. I don't know what it's like for you guys but around here the wait to get in to female facilities is ridiculous. When we want to go, we want to go know and we can't. She arranged it so I could. I am lucky. She is also my daughters step mom and they could have taken my daughter away from me so many times it's not funny and they never did because she always understood this was not my fault.

So Monday I am off. 5 weeks, maybe 6. But 5 healthy weeks. My daughter comes home tomorrow night for a safe night with me and my BF and then Monday after I take her to school I go to the program. I can't do this anymore. I need help. I'm lucky I have those there willing to help me.

I am feelign a lot of love right now. Thanks guys for always being there for me too.

Soon I will be 5 weeks sober and back on track.

Love and hugs,
Uni

[papmom3]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

Aww Uni! So glad to hear this! I sure hope this time you will get to the root of why you want to hurt yourself so much. I think you are almost there. Now to get some tools in place to deal with the hurt and horror and to get past it somehow. I'm sending you all my love and all the positive thoughts I have. Be safe, be strong and fight for you. You are a beautiful wonderful person and mom and you deserve only the best. You do not deserve to spiral down and down and down. And your daughter deserves a mom who is fully present and loves not only her but yourself as well.
Don't forget to bring your mandelas!!
:h Pam

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Saturday May 15

((((UNI!!!)))) I am so happy for you that your friend was able to pull a string and get you in. I am so very happy you are willing to ask for the help that you need. Will you be able to check in here once in awhile?

P3, you might be amazed what you can find around your house and sell on e-bay. Mr. Doggy has pulled in quite a bit of $$$ that way - selling old hobby stuff to pay for new hobby stuff. You never know!! Glad you were able to rescue your fishies!

Kaslo, I hope your next big project goes well. That is a lot of people!!

At AA this morning one of the guys who I always really listen to spoke of a "former running buddy" of his who died. We talked about the alcoholic death. Not pretty. Not always classified that way, but for people who keep on drinking like I drank.... The sad truth is that a high % of us "problem drinkers" will end up that way. I do not want to be one of them. I love that we have fun on this thread but I also love how serious we all are about getting sober. I love that we know how serious the consequences can be. I can never afford to forget where the path leads if I start drinking again.

LVT - I'm so glad you were able to opt out of that trip. Love the idea of starting the day with a walk!!

Greenie, I am :H over the "lawyer getting the shitty end of it.." That is all. :crowned: prevails!

AFM - I have been continually amazed to find this whole big world out there that doesn't revolve around the nearest bar. :H So glad you are having fun exploring that world!

Bear - what a wise decision to stay in, protect your sobriety, and save the socializing for another time. It WILL always be there. You are putting things in the right priority IMO.

Lav - when you are done dusting, would you like to come to my house????

Good AA meeting. Heavy topics, but real life stuff. The guy I mentioned above has a bullshit detector the size of Montana. He always says something that really makes me introspect and get to another layer of truth within myself. Sometimes uncomfortable, but always good. Then I decided to go visit Dad since I can't work outside anyway. A much better decision than hibernation would have been. NOW I'm going to curl up with my Tivo and watch something silly. The best of all worlds.

Have a great rest of the day everyone!!!

DG