AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

[Marshy]

Hello abbers!

First, a flavour of our Greek holiday...









We had such a fantastic time. A lovely little village, all the bars and restaurants were in a strip along the beach and all open air so we had dinner every night looking at the sea. Swimming every day, great food, lovely friendly locals. All perfect.

Oh, and on the way back to the airport at the end of the holiday the road was blockaded by striking taxi drivers and we had to sit at the side of the road for an hour while they held their protest but they very kindly cleared the road so we wouldn't miss our flight home!

Then (the bad news), mum was taken into hospital with severe abdominal pains while we were away so I hotfooted up there when we got back and spent the weekend visiting her and my family. She's being transferred to a hospice tomorrow. The doctors say it's not a one-way ticket but the hospice is better able to deal with pain relief. The idea is that she will stay there for an indeterminate length of time and then be able to go home. But obviously things are not good. I'm back in London for a few days to work and will be going back to my parents at the weekend.

Hope everyone is doing well. Got to dash and sort a few things out before work. Have a good day all.

[Treya]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Hi Marshy,
Morning aberoonios. Day 15. I managed a night out with my OH and his best drinking buddy last night completely sober and as someone said on yesterday's thread -they sure did sound dumb after the third/fourth drink.
Still, it was other half's birthday so I made the effort to join in on the hilarity. :-)
Feeling very fresh today! S'GREAT!!
T

[greeneyes]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

YAY!!!! We've been tapping our fingers and toes waiting for you, Marshy!! With great piccies too (I take it back that you're stingy with travel pics) Let's hear about the food! Sorry to her you mom was experiencing so much pain and hope that hospice provided effective management of it. Is your dad holding up OK?

Treya, :goodjob: last night! That provides a valuable AF social experience for you to draw upon in the future.

LVT, I meant to say I was glad you posted the pic of the cemetary. In my minds eye it was and acre or two, so I was suprised at the enormous expanse and have a new level of appreciation for your "side job".

Have a lovely!

[ItsJustMe]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Mornin? All ?

Not much exciting going on here. Just rolled out of bed ? hit the board for a little morning inspiration and wisdom then it?s hit the shower time.

Mornings are really cool these days. I get up actually refreshed now. Last night was about the strongest temptation yet. But once it passed I really felt good about my decision not to drink. My oldest son brought his girlfriend over and rather than being slumped over on the couch, I made them a pretty awesome dinner. Tonight will mark and entire week AF. That is a small victory for me. All the AL should be totally out of my system by now so I am running on sheer will-power.

Doggie ? how did registration go?

Marshy, your pics make me wish I was there!

Treya ? Congrats. That is really an accomplishment. I don?t think I am quite ready for the temptation of being around others that are drinking.

Greeny ? Waz up with you these days?

Pap ? Looks like you had an awesome time. I was setting in the back trying to watch but DG kept eating my popcorn!

Lav ? house full of kids and grandkids for a meal??? I wouldn?t need AL. I would need a Valium the size of a cookie!

Alright ? I gotta get up and get moving. I?ll check back in later and see how the rest of the gang is doing.

IJM Thought of the day: How do you KNOW it's new and improved dog food?

Later!
IJM

[universal]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Morning aberoos!

Marshy!!! We missed you - your trip looks amazing. I am so sorry about your mom, I will pray for her that she isn't in too much pain.

DG - good luck today on registering for school.
IJM - one week! Awesome - feels good, doesn't it?
Treya - good work girl!

Sorry if I missed anyone.

Bear, I hope you don't think we were all attacking you yesterday. We are just watching you struggle and want to help. You have had good sobriety times in the past and always seem so happy when you are sober and so regretful when you are not. I hope the benefits of sobriety outweigh the cravings for you soon.

I am tired, had to get up early to let Boo out. However I did have a nice relaxing evening last night. I am really finding that doing my morning meditation and prayer is taking away all thoughts of alcohol for me for the day. It's like something up there is saying - thanks for checking in and all will be good for you today.

I am going to clean this house today and then I am meeting a friend for coffee. Tonight I am back up to the trailer/cottage for the rest of the week but I have Wi Fi so I will be checking in.

I hope everyone has a great AF day!

Love and hugs,
Uni

[Lavande]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Morning Abbers!

Welcome back Marshy, glad you enjoyed your trip! Nice pics, thanks for posting them.
Your Mom will receive good care in hospice - pain management is their specialty. Thinking of both of you.

Treya, good job maneuvering through the evening AF It can be done - we just need to want it bad enough. Be proud

Greetings greenie, IJM & Uni!
My AFness is really allowing me to enjoy the time with my kids & grandkids no matter how chaotic it gets. It also is helping me to understand that YB"s emotional junk is indeed his problem & not my fault. There is a good person buried inside him but it's a person I haven't seen for the past 15+ years.

Time to get back to work like a normal person :H
Wishing everyone a terrific AF Tuesday.

Lav

[bear73]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

hey all - thanks for input - I have been incredibly frustrated with myself - that's not going to help me be AF. TBH I was really shocked as these friends usually don't pressure me at all - whatever it's an excuse tho - I chose to drink.

I do really want to get sober BEFORE I hit rock bottom - need to stop listening to BS of the voice that tells me I can moderate. It gets to be vicious circle - fail - try again - fail - get scared of trying - but alternative is so much worse.Back to it - cleaning my kitchen tonight and making an apple cinnamon cake to use up old fruit.

laters.

[Kaslo]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Good morning...I think its still morning. Welcome home Marshy, looks like you had a lovely time sun and surf, a whole month of it. Sorry to hear your moms taken a turn for the worse. i wanted to tell you that my mother died on my trip HOME from Bali, but I didnt want to freak you out or make you worry your way through your Greek trip just because of something some eegit on the internet said just before you left. Anyway, my sympathies.

IJM, as usual. You sure are fun!

Bear, I guess you just have to start fastforwarding when faced with AL, as Deter says. very wise words Det. I am using them every day right now especially.

So i managed to survive all my northern travels and I am back in a very posh hotel that the engineering firm put me up in for two nights, but I just really only want to go home. Very tired, lots of gear to bring back, and still arranging Arctic trip too.

Last night as I was taking the elevator up to my suite, let me stress this is a very expensive hotel, and this woman (well dressed, expensive jewelry) got into the elevator with a glass of wine in one hand and an jeweled handback in the other. She was slurring and weaving, and looked terrible. She asked me if I was tired, and obviously I was, had come all the way from the Sikanni Chief mountains, and I had no make up on (lol). I had made an effort, i.e. no coveralls or backpack, ya know. So she said, Jesus im pissed, and staggered off but then lurched back in, and glared at me. I said " I have to get up in the morning...., and she laughed wryly. When we both got to the right floor, the higher the number the better the prestige, I thought after she had gone out ahead of me, that there by the grace of God go I. My orange juice with an eighty dollar dinner was yet to come for me, and I was not going to be like her, but once i WAS like her. I cant tell you how happy i am no not be there any more. And I would have said to her, you know you can quit... but in this venue, with this level of wealth, booze is SO everywhere. Its part of the culture of wealthy North America. (WHich I am not part of, I dont make that much money). I wonder how many of these people are wrecking thier health with this poison just because its expected of them, and lets face it, to them, the beautiful glasses, and sparkling liguid must seem terribly attractive. She looked so pathetic weaving off into the beautiful opulent elevator lobby on the 12 floor ahead of me. I felt really bad for her, and healthy, even in my fatigue.

I honestly would have traded my bunk in the camp at the gas plant in the Yukon, and the engineers and bison, the mountains and the peace for what I have seen here in Vancouver in the past 12 hours.

[LVT25]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Hello friends,

Got an early start at work this morning and it felt great. I will admit I enjoyed the peace and quiet of my camper last night. I surprised my son and his friends--obviously none on them expected to see me there. I think I may have spoiled their plans. :H Oh well.

Marshy it's good to have you back. The vaca looks and sounds lovely! I'm sorry about your mom too.

Treya and Pap--good job at your functions.

"LVT, I meant to say I was glad you posted the pic of the cemetary. In my minds eye it was and acre or two, so I was suprised at the enormous expanse and have a new level of appreciation for your "side job". "

Thanks Greenie. It is about 20 acres total, but I don't have to tend to all of it. There are 8 sections total. I love the job.

It is still reasonably cool this afternoon, so I'm going to go do some more weed therapy. #1 son is feeling poorly--too much lake water up the sinuses I'm afraid.

Enjoy your sobriety today.:h

[Doggygirl]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Hi fABbies!!! I have a conference call (that I would rather not do...but...) in 7 minutes. So just a quickie for now and I hope to come back for more later.

I'M OFFICIALLY A STUDENT AGAIN!!!!!! I'm registered for classes, got my ID badge, my badge is "activated" () for the library (which has no visible books ), and got my text books, which thankfully are the old fashioned kind that I recognize.

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! Tomorrow I'm having lunch with a guy who runs one of the recovery programs here in my town. I'm looking forward to hearing his ideas about my future possibilities down the road post-school.

LOL - the under-29 year old who processed my ID badge noticed on my schedule that I'm in the Addiction Studies program. She said "I AM TOO!!" She told me not to worry about being an older student. There is "one guy in her class who is at least 50! :egad:!!!!" I'm so glad she made me for the 29 year old that I am. :H

Marshy - so good you are back. I'm very sorry to read about your Mom. I hope she is doing OK managing the pain. Hope your Dad is holding up as well. And you too. ((((Marshy))))

IJM - CONGRATULATIONS ON 7 DAYS AF!!!! See? If you wouldn't have decided to drink, you could have been with the rest of us in Greece eating popcorn and spying on Marshy and XNGF. Sorry you had to stay home and endure hangovers.

Treya - AWESOME job last night!! Sounds like you were a better sport that I might have been on OH's birthday.

OK - I gotta run for the moment - hello to everyone else!!! This conference call always ends up with a couple of the usual suspects who love to hear themselves talk, telling us how fabulous they are. ukingsmilie:

One thing is for sure!!!!

DG

[Doggygirl]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Wow. That was quite a conference call. For a while there, I was wondering if I put in the wrong pass code and ended up on some other organizations call. My write up about it was pretty....cynical??? Anyway.... so it goes with volunteer stuff sometimes....

Anyway. Back to the important stuff of life!

LVT - sounds like you had a nice time with the boys at the camper. I'm sure they had NOTHING important planned for when Mom was not there. :wings:

Kaslo, that story about the woman in the elevator is one of those that made me stop breathing momentarily. Because it hit so close to home. Not the rich and ultra glamorous hotel part, but the stumbling in the elevator part, with a glass of wine in one had and lord knows what else in the other. Spilling, stumblin, slurring. In the later years of my business travel, I always tried to fein illness, important family phone calls, or work that MUST be done immediately after dinner. So I could go back and drink myself drunk in my room by myself rather than do it in the bar and make a public ass of myself. I am so very grateful not to live like that any more.

Bear, one thing is for sure. Consequences get progressively worse until you stop. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. It's up to you. One thing I have noticed is that you are willing to try some things, and not willing to try other things. I was the same way. Some programs I was willing to try, and others I was not. In my case, I don't think it mattered so much WHAT I was willing to try or not try. So long as I felt I could be choosy about it, I was not humble enough to do whatever it took to stop. I truly had to be willing to do ANYTHING in order to start getting well. Only then did my efforts at what I DID try start to pay off. If that makes any sense. As long as I acted as though I had the upper hand over AL in any way, it just didn't work. I do not have the upper hand over AL. That was very difficult for me to accept. It was also my ticket to freedom.

Lav - I'm so happy for you that in AFdom, you are able to so enjoy your kids and g-kids. You are such a wonderful example of what is really important in this life. Sad that YB is not chosing to participate...but that's his deal. (:b&d

Uni, you sound so wonderful and I am so very very happy for you! When will we get some updated BOO pics? I can post them for you if you want to e-mail them. Hint hint.

So Greenie. What's up in your kingdom? :crowned: What have you been busy with?

I can't wait for tomorrow. Because then we will have a new question of the day from IJM.

I confirmed my lunch with my recovery program friend. He mentioned that there is much afoot in the mental health field, including addiction treatment, due to Obamacare. I guess there are lots of requirements for expanded coverage. I hope that means more people will have a true chance to recover who want recovery. I hope I get to be part of it all.

You guys are the best!!!

DG

[Lavande]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

I guess there's no way to get the 3 hrs back I wasted this afternoon waiting to get my car inspected
But I did have my handy Kindle with me & read almost half of Karen Casey's 'Let Go Now: Embracing Detatchment. Good book & I will keep practicing

Kaslo, I wish I was stuck in a luxury hotel for two days :H
I'm very glad we're not that woman in the elevator - sounds like a nightmare to me.

DG, how are you going to find time to do your homework & keep an eye on us at the same time? :H
I wish you the best & hope you really enjoy the learning process again. Not sure if my CRS would allow me to learn anything new at this point in my life

LVT, I'm jealous of anyone having cooler weather these days.......profoundly jealous!

bear, we all have faith in yuo - you can do this if you really want to!!!!

I'm at a loss as to what to try to feed Girl Dog. She's lost 20 lbs over the past 9 months or so. The Vet gave me meds to give her before meals so hopefully she starts absorbing & utilizing any nutrients I do manage to get into her. She has turned her nose up at every type of dog food I've offered her. I had her eating table food for a while but after I give her something a few times then she doesn;t want it anymore. Yesterday I fed her 2 grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast & a can of Spaghettios (believe it or not) for dinner. I had the Spaghettios here as an emergency meal for EB. So far today she has had nothing to eat but keeps moosing me for food. What does she want?????

[Doggygirl]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

Lav, can you dog eat raw food? Our dogs have thrived on it. Our one dog that has a digestive illness is no longer on medication and she eats raw fish and potatoes. One of our local grocery stores puts together a standard order for me every week. For her, she gets a pound of boneless catfish nugetts a day divided in two feeings (no bones for her - she cannot tolerate a lot of calcium). With each feeding of fish she also gets one medium sized cooked potato. (I just nuke 'em) I add a raw egg (for all the dogs) every other day. I know you have no shortage of those!

The rest of the dogs eat mainly ground turkey and raw chicken with bones. It's better to give them more variety, but budget matters around here.

There is now a holistic vet newsletter available through mercola.com that might be interesting for you. (and anyone else with pets and wanting holistic info) It's written by one of the vets on our doggy health care team - Dr. Becker is fabulous.

My CRS might prevent me from getting far in my return to college, but I'm willing to give it a shot for a semester! :H

DG

[Lavande]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

DG,
My daughter & SIL talk about raw food for dogs but we all know that Girl Dog has a delicate stomach.......barfing is her specialty. :upset: The Vet thinks she has developed a pancreatic problem & is not absorbing anything - I'm getting the Pancreved into her (stuffed into a peanut butter cracker) but finding something she is willing to eat on any given day is a crap shoot
Then there's the Piggy Swissy who is only tooooo happy to empty Girl Dog's food bowl after polishing off her own. Some days I just feel schizophrenic with those two dogs :H

[greeneyes]

AF daily - Tuesday, July 26th

P3 I'm so glad your party adventure was a success!

DG "a guy who's at least 50..:H:H Congratulations on your official studentdom! No, you don't get to have the crown.

The shower door got installed today and I moved "the stuff" into the bathroom. Hung blinds and all that jazz. It is very nice. Glad that's over! Well, that part anyway. Still have to get carpet for the adjoining room and wrap up the claim.

Other than that, I've just been busy with some of my dad's stuff and some of FH's stuff. Things are kinda quiet around here in the summer and like Lav, I don't like the heat so I've been home in the AC.

Lav, Girl Dog is old? 20 lbs is a big deal! Karen Casey's book is pretty awesome, don't you think? That's tough stuff for those of us who are used to trying to fix situations.

Guess I'll figure out dinner.