October Opportunities - Week Two

[rustop59]

Good morning everyone

Just thought I would get us started on our second week.

Good luck with the move Chill - have a nice warm soak for the aches and pains.

Lav - Glad YB is coming to his senses and hope that you get as much work as possible done while he is in this mode. I could do with him in my garden at the moment!!!

SD - It is a pain when that happens. I lost my username some weeks ago and could not log in so no exactly how you feel. Dying to know what your news is, please fill us in.

Star - Hope you had a nice week-end with your daughter.

Rusty, Papmom, Jolie, Cassia, Mr. G, Dewdrop and anyone else I missed big hello and have a great AF week.

Rustop

[Lavande]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Good morning rustop & everyone!

Frightening to think we'll be halfway through October in just a few days.......
Trying to get myself in gear this morning to get to Curves then back to work but I'm having a bit of difficulty :H Well at least I know the lethargy is allergy driven & not AL driven

SD - you have to be careful with those 'sandwich posts' :H
I know others here who write them offline then just copy & paste them onto the threads

Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Monday!

Lav

[Stargazerlily]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Good morning to all...

Rustop, thanks for starting the week two thread. I had a great time with my daughter, I was exhausted after drving so many hours two days in a row, although it was worth it. We visited and did fun things, I wish she lived a little closer. How are you doing with your oldest gone?

Chill, moving is hard work, it will be so nice when you are done and can enjoy your new home. Dog trails will be lovely for your Elle.

Lav, will wonders never cease. Hope it continues with YB being more open. How wonderful to have your family around and all the grandkids.

I got alot done yesterday and feel exhausted today. I would love to stay home, but have a busy day scheduled at work. To all, have a great day.

[Rusty]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Good Monday Morning October Friends,

Rustop- I didn't know Seamus was the Irish name for James...but he is such a cutie-pie...I just love playing with him. He is in West Africa with his parents. I love the name and spelling of Ciara. In the US, it is mostly spelled Sierra....but I like your spelling better. Oh, and the name butchering....my name gets butchered all the time. Drives me crazy. I don't go to Mass every Sunday but I'm trying to go more often. My church is looking for people to drive sick and elderly parishioners to their appointments, so I'm going to offer to be a driver for elderly people on Saturdays....taking them to appointments, etc. I feel this need to want to give back to my community and right now Saturdays seems to be the best for me.

Star-hope you have a great day at work.

Dew-I hope your cold is on its way out and your strength comes back.

SD-if you don't tell us what your news is, I'm going to burst.

Lav-Any "indoor" plans for you and YB today?:H

Chill-Here's to hoping that this move will be your last for awhile and you can happily let grass grow under your feet.

A shoutout to Shelley, Jolie, Cassia, Papmom, Turnagain, Mr. G:h and anyone I may have missed....have a fabulous AF Monday!

xoxo

Rusty
AF4ME4EVER

[Lavande]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Keep your knickers on Rusty :H
I'm remaining realistic as far as YB is concerned. If he is indeed beginning coming out of his prolonged funk, that's wonderful......we shall see. I'm just keeping myself present & sane because I know what happens to me if I become anxious & start feeling sorry for myself - not going there ever again :no:
Where in the world are you stationed this week?

[Rusty]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Hey Lav,

I am home todayinkele:..and I don't have to fly all week!. I took a mental health day today. I was scheduled to meet with a consulting client in Milwaukee but rescheduled. I am burned out....from traveling....working 16 hours a day....and yesterday I had a VERY close call with The Beast. I managed to ward him off by calling my mother and talking to her for a while. Feeling overwhelmed is a HUGE HUGE HUGE trigger to my drinking. I just wanted a day at home to get caught up on invoicing, etc....all related to my business, but I also wanted a relaxing day where I could clear my head....run along the lake path, ride my bike.

I'm very introspective today, Lav. I will PM you a little later.

How are YOU? I was just teasing you about having indoor fun with YB. I really do pray for him that he finds peace and every time he comes over....I also try to think good thoughts and hope he's had the kind of epiphany that I did once I addressed my drinking....you look at the people you hurt and you want to apologize to them.....move forward to a new life, but also to mend those damaged relationships.

Regarding anxiety and feeling sorry for oneself....oh, yes, I am the same way. Not good. Must avoid those feelings at all to remain AF. Never ever ever do I want to go back to that sad lonely place.

More later. Thanks for being online, Lav. :h I needed to vent.

[Lavande]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Glad to be of service Rusty

[Rusty]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Thanks, Lav.:h

Just sent you an e-mail. I wasn't finished!:H

[Turnagain]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Good Monday all you Octo-ops!

I'm pleased to join ya'll in looking forward to another productive and positive AF week. I'm getting close to completing month 3 of my new life and am still working hard to catch up with the neglect and mend the damage left by my old drinking life.

The acceptance that I cannot drink...ever...not one...not a sip...nada...no way...no how...not even for a 'special occasion'...grows even stronger with each day. But I gotta tell you...the nights...AFTER I'm asleep...have been just downright weird lately.

Last night, I had another drinking dream (okay...NIGHTMARE.) This one seemed quite realistic too. In it, I somehow ended up accidentally drinking a half glass of wine before I realized it was real alcohol. I felt doomed and trapped and made myself wake up before my dream self had to make a choice about tossing the glass or finishing it off. Last week, I dreamt that I was walking by a giant glass keg of beer shaped like a bear - it looked like a 4 foot version of those honeybear containers! As I passed it, I bumped into the keg bear's ear and broke it off. The beer splashed into my mouth and started gushing out. Again...I made myself WAKE UP before dream self could do anything more!

I am shaking these subconscious night terrors off...but geez it would be great to dream about puppies and blue skies! I am grateful my reality is so much different. I love being AF. There's no way I'd drink out of a bear's ear...or out of any other hole....that's for sure.

[Lavande]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Turnagain,

We will be sure to throw you a party for your 3 month AF anni

I was right there with you having drinking & smoking dreams (nightmares) after my quits!!!! I think most of us have suffered through that BUT they don't last long so hang in there

A couple of nights ago I had a cheese dream! Yes, I said cheese!
I have suffered from lactose intolerance for nearly 30 years & recently have become completely intolerant to any amount of dairy (even the lactose free stuff). So, I decided - that's it - no more dairy for me! I feel much better but it isn't easy being completely dairy free & I have been jonesing for a grilled cheese sandwich :H Well, apparently I had the grilled cheese or something in my dream, woke up completely disgusted with myself, waiting for the unspeakable GI symptoms to start & realized - DUH, it was just a dream :H :H

We all will be OK provided we don't have heart attacks or something brought on by these nightmares!!!

[Dewdrop]

October Opportunities - Week Two

A quick hello from Dew?s world, all fine here I?m still shaking off the last of the cold especially in my sinuses so I am hopeful for a good night?s sleep and possibly a great start tomorrow. I?m filling up my spare time at the moment looking for alternative careers/work and am toying with lots of ideas from complementary therapies, clinical hypnotherapy to different franchises ? some web based, some in retail, service provision etc. It?s quite refreshing to take a look at what?s about and to reassess what you would do if you simply had the choice. Maybe one day and there is no harm in dreaming.

I?m just back from my grandson?s 6th birthday party, it was good fun but my goodness a houseful of kids can be a very noisy and excitable place to be!! The birthday boy was in good form though and had a great time, he is growing into a lovely little boy and full of life as only a 6 year old can be.

I hope you are all well,

Dewdrop :h

[Dewdrop]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Big Hi to Turnagain :welcome:

[Lavande]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Hi Dewdrop,
Hope your sinuses clear soon - that's annoying
Congrats on surviving the BD party for your grandson! I remember only too well how crazy a bunch of boys at that age can be :H
Choosing another career path for yourself is exciting, isn't it? You can be anything you want to be. Have fun in your search

[sdlovespackers]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Hi All!!

Ok...let's try this again....I really must be a long winded writer or something!!:H

I'm guessing Star is watching a little football tonight (Da Bears are playing!) They just might give these Lions their first "L" this season!! 10-7 at the half!!

Lav--I think it's good that YB is coming around more...I sometimes still have that fleeting hope that my ex will wake up someday and realize what he is missing out on...it goes away REALLY fast at this point now!!:H

Chill--How's the new house looking?? Won't it feel so awesome to be all moved in?! SUre wish I was there to help...I know how hard it is to do things by yourself...many hands make light work!:l

Rusty--If I'm getting to personal, tell me to shut up...but you mentioned having a close call with The Beast yesterday...when you say that do you mean you just thought about alcohol and how you maybe would have handled a stressful situation before or do you mean like sitting in the parking lot debating wether to go into the store...or somewhere in between?? I don't know how much AF time you have but I guess the reason I ask is because for the most part most days I never even think about drinking anymore...I guess the times I think about it is when I go to my parents and they are drinking or I think about getting on this website or of course, when I'm having a horrible day (like the past two weeks)...but the thought is never been should I go get a bottle of wine...it's more the opposite...I won't go get a bottle of wine because they may have ruined my day but they can't take away what I've worked so hard for (my sobriety). I guess my question then is what is a close call?? Just even having those tempting thoughts or conversations with yourself....like I did the past week??

Which brings me to I guess my news...which really isn't news anymore, as it's kind of played itself out now. My principal ended up writing me up and I had to have several meeting, with the Super, AEA President, Principal...letters had to be written...by me as well as anyone that witnessed anything...some of the things in the write up I felt were false and I had documentation backing up my "defense" I guess you could say. Anyway...I think it all ended up ok...my principal and I had a really nice talk afterwards and I think we understand now where each is coming from....I just really want to move past this and starting working as a team. Hopefully the teacher and I can move past this as well. The best thing that came out of this was the child's "plan" was improved/changed. I guess if I get a letter in my file but the child is being treated more fairly (better)...I'll take it!

Okay....I'm going to stop for tonight and let you all put down your sandwich and go get a glass of milk (not you Lav...you can have tea!):H THIS BETTER POST!!

Have a great Tuesday everyone...to everyone I missed....thinking of you all!!!!:l
SD

[Rusty]

October Opportunities - Week Two

Hi Everyone,

SD-glad everything turned out well for you yesterday. Nothing gives me more anxiety than to have conflicts like that.

As far as a close call with the Beast, I get fleeting thoughts when I'm burned out....I never feel like drinking when I'm exhausted....I just want to go to sleep. It was more of a thought of I'll pour a glass of wine and sit in front of my roaring fireplace. These fleeting thoughts happen to a lot of people, I've heard. At least the thought did not become a reality. I called my mom and then forgot about it.