Thursday 1 Feb

[Paddy]

G'day Absville,

Miss Melon,we salute you and all the other fellow fighters.

Just gotta tell you my experience with Topa. Had my first dose yesterday. So, here goes me for lunch. Ordered my usual sparkling mineral water. Surprise. It tasted disgusting. ... Ok, evening comes. After work, I decided to see whether Topa was going to do the job on my absolute MOST favourite drink - sparkling wine. It DID. My most favourite drink tasted absolutely disgusting ... So, I ended up having just two glasses of wine, but with no feeling of satisfaction ... I guess Topa's really working with me. Fortunately, I'm not into spirits, really.

The only drawback with Topa is that I was unable to sleep, had nightmares, and was totally dehydrated in the morning. But hopefully that'll go away in the next few days.

How have you guys been doing? Oh, Kim, thanks for the update from Oz!

[Popeye]

Thursday 1 Feb

Morning Paddy,
Day 12 AF for me today.
I didn't get much chance to come here yesterday so I'll have to catch up later.
I went to post a '0' in the DirnkTracker this morning but it's February now and I couldn't get the thing to show me January. I had 30 days AF with only the one day drinking. Absolutely brilliant. I couldn't have done that without the support of everyone here. Thank you all so much.
Got to go to work now. I'll pop in later.

[Changeling]

Thursday 1 Feb

Happy Days

Trying to be first but it seems like the guy's get up kinda early here....
Paddy, I have never taken Toppa so unable to comment, however I can tell you that my sleep pattern has improved greatly. From about 4th AF week I have been sleeping 8/9 hours solid every night.

** Well done Paul on your 30 days **

Day 36 for me and continue to feel really good.
Some days I just feel so HAPPY - and it's real, not the false drunken kinda of happy

Have made a long list of all the things that are better without drinking and I read it every morning to remind myself where I have come from.

Best wishes to all that folllow today
Happy Thursday
Changeling

[weemelonhead]

Thursday 1 Feb

Mornin' Paddywhack and the Superscot..........

Paddy, was the 2 glasses of wine a test for the topa, or did you actually feel like a drink?? I'd be interested to know...it sounds like it's doing the job for you anyway. Sorry to hear about the side effects though, I don't take it, but maybe these are things that go after time...someone will be along that can let you know anyway.
Pauly....are you SURE it's February????????? You know what problems you have with the 'earthlings' calender...
Yipeeeeeeeeeeeee...it's Thursday night here in the land of the long white melon, that means tomorrow is the magical, wonderful and groovy day of the Fri......I am going to see my dear offspring tomorrow night after work...we always meet in a little cafe in Ponsonby Rd (and yes....Ponsonby road is VERY PONSonby...full of braying twerps with faaaaarrrr more money and better clothes than the rindy one!!!!) and spend a lovely couple of hours rambling away about scribbly nonsense (she is the minimelon as far as conversation goes!!!) and I will also plant a few sneaky smackers on her dear little fizzog when she is caught unawares (I am prohibited from depositing more than two kisses a visit as she says I kiss like a sink plunger and remove all her carefully applied makeup and half her cheek capacity wherever the melonmouth strikes!LOL).........Aaaaahhhhhh happy days!!!

love to all who follow.......and may everyone find SOMETHING nice about their day today (that was mine)......xxxxx

[weemelonhead]

Thursday 1 Feb

Posting at the same time as you Changeling....good to hear about your lovely long zeds, and a big knicker flashing can can for your 36 days......xxx

[Ilex]

Thursday 1 Feb

Good Morning Abbers! And a happy and glowing Thursday to you all - I hope it brings you many rich blessings!
I x

[irishlady]

Thursday 1 Feb

Good morning all Abbers,

Paddy, its lovely to see you back, like weemelon I can't comment on the topa because I don't take it myself, but it sounds as if it is having an effect on you.....

Paulb, as Changeling has said, congratulations on 30 days AF....I thought it was just me being thick as regards the drink tracker because I can't go back to previous months either... Although I think it was on Sunday, I only had to sign in once on drink tracker, I thought it was fixed, but no, since Monday I still have to sign in twice...I'm not complaing though, its so lovely to see all those bright yellow squares with their little black zeros in them...

Changeling, well done to you on 36 days...I know what you mean about that happy feeling..At times I can just feel it sort of wash over me for no reason at all, and it is different from the drunken happy, because then I would know at the back of my mind that I would have to pay for THAT feeling the next day, whereas this normal happy is free with no strings attached....

Weemelon, bursting forth with energy and words and sounding sooooooooo happy at the thought of meeting the babymelonhead, how old is she by the way?? I love reading your posts, the way you string words together, well, they look like one well filled line of washing blowing in the breeze...Sometimes its a gentle summer breeze like todays offering, other times it can be just like the March winds blowing like a gale and getting rid of all the cobwebs...You know, I think I will collect all your posts, have them published in book form, sell them for loads of spondoolys, then I will come and visit you in the land of the long white melon, oh bugger, just remembered, I can't speak Melonese, never mind my dear, perhaps we can converse in good old sign language till I gain fluency in the melonese tongue...Just a thought....And congtatulations to you, it must be either 57 or 58 days AF for you now...Anyway have a good Friday with the offspring....

Take care, and love to all who follow,

Louise xxxx

[tumadre]

Thursday 1 Feb

Good morning to all you in absville!
I haven't posted here before, nor made any sort of "announcement", but I've gone abs for now. I guess I wanted to see if I could actually do it before I posted here. So, began 1.25.07 (my Grammy's birthday, long gone from this earth but she was my very favorite person and helped to raise me). So far, doing well. Husband's agreed to do it with me, so we've committed to at least 30 days. I read here every day, and must say that y'all are just as much fun and as warm-hearted and loving as those mods people! (Just teasing, as I know many of you "cross-post"). Thank you all for being here. Just when I think I have no worries, no issues with alcohol, it raises its big ugly head and sends me running back here to read, laugh and cry...and feel supported, even if I don't post.
I have been having trouble going to sleep *turning my brain off*, so I'm really tired right now, and have to wait up for my daughter and her friend to come in to the bus station. They were traveling from So. California to No. California (by car, about a 9 hour drive). They missed their first train, found a bus to take them to the next train station, got onto that train, it "died?" (I didn't know trains could die! ), they had to transfer to another train, then continue to a station where they would be put onto a bus that would bring them to our city.
Originally they were to come in at 11:00 pm, now it's 1:30 am, and I'm still waiting to get the call to go and pick them up. I'm sure it will be a few hours still. Ahh, youth! They're 19, they can handle it! Although, they did start sounding a bit whiny the last time I spoke to them-they also sounded like they were going to lose it-everything sent them off into giggles, they're so tired. :nutso: This is at the end of a fun road trip for them, so should make for a good story.
And that's what life is all about...the stories we tell ourselves, and the stories we tell to others.

Love to you all :h
Tumadre

[tawnyfrog]

Thursday 1 Feb

Tumadre,

Hey ... I admit it ... I'm a cross-poster.

I wish you all good things. Loads of good things. And I'll listen to your story anytime you wish to share.

[Java]

Thursday 1 Feb

Day 20 here!! Woohoo!!! Congrats to all on you AF days, and Paul you are such and inspiration, i love how you didnt let that one day get in the way of your mission, I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

Love,

Victoria

[YoungAtHeart]

Thursday 1 Feb

Hi All, and Good Morning to the USA folks! Good afternoon/evening and even tomorrow to everyone else!

FYI Paddy, topa does make carbonated beverages taste like poo.... Also, I doubt your sleep disturbance is caused by the topa. As you continue to up your dosage (if you choose to do so), you will likely find that it helps your sleeping. I'm thinking that the lack of alcohol might be disrupting your sleep. Keep up the good work!

Paul, thank you for the thank you. You give so much here, though, I think that we should be THANKING YOU! You have been BRILLIANT during January. I think that you can locate January on the drink tracker by going into the archives if I'm not mistaken, if you'd like to admire all your zeros!

Hi, Changeling, bravo on 36 days, great accomplishment! You give us all a lot to look forward to.

Weeplungerkisser, what is it with those teenage girls? I don't know how I managed to spawn an ice princess either, being a rather cuddly sort myself! I only get hugs and kisses when things are very good or very bad, but other than that, I get the averted check and air kisses, but only when her royal heinie is so predisposed! HUMMMPH!

Good to see you to Ilex! Hope you have a wonderful day.

Irish, good to see you. How are you today. Can I join you in your get rich quick scheme? I will diligently study melonese so that I can translate. We could have such fun, and I'm sure there are lots of rare fruits (to us) with which we can concoct new and exciting AF drinks (excluding using Miss Melon, of course, even though she is a very rare and exotic fruit!).


:welcome: Tumadre. You sneaky thing! You are welcome over here, and congrats on 7 days so far. Well done. I'm looking forward to hearing from you more. You always have such insightful things to say.

And hey, Tawny. Cross post all you like! Your two cents' worth is welcome here anytime in my book .
nt-family: Georgia;">
Morning, Victoria! You just sound better and better with each passing day. All the best to you.

I'm finding myself more moody beginning this time of abs, but I don't think this is a bad thing, really. I think that on some level I am more serious and less giddy about it--that "pink cloud" has definitely worn off for me. I've become more aware of the internal work that I have to do and the issues I have yet to work out that have supported my drinking all these years, and doing that work is a little daunting, even though I am committed to doing it. Despite being moody, I do feel that I am on the right road. Maybe being "moody" is just letting myself feel my feelings as they come and not expecting myself to be "happy, happy, joy, joy!" simply because I'm not drinking.

At any rate, enough philosophising....I have work I have to get done. I am happy about that--I AM getting more work done.

Hugs to all,
Kathy:l

[maryt]

Thursday 1 Feb

hi everyone not been or posted here for ages have been struggling to get my focus and motivation back think i have found it so am now on day 5 am always very tentative at the beginning incase i slip up i did buy a side stepper and have started salsa classes so hope the extra excercise will keep my mind occupied so heres hoping hope everyone has a lovely day see ya soon

love maryt

[irishlady]

Thursday 1 Feb

Oh maryt,
Lovely to hear from you...Congratulations on your five days AF...I have one of those side steppers as well, they are not too bad if you use them regularly...Keep on posting and let us know how you are doing..

Love from Louise xxx

[maryt]

Thursday 1 Feb

thanks louise can always rely on you for an encouraging word or two will have to make more of an effort to post here more often have been really lazy about most things lately but that is about to change so once again thank you so much

love maryt

[lorisunshine]

Thursday 1 Feb

Good morning everyone.
February is here, oh I can't believe it.
Paul I did not get my drink tracker filled in either, ah so what.
I too enjoy cross-posting, but now I am wondering if I have to change my clothes before I do. Any hints anyone?
Maryt welcome back to Absville.
Do they sell dictionarys for translating Melonese into English. That might be helpful. Let me know where one can buy such a book.
I am in a great rush today, perhaps I catch you all later.
Have a wonderful first day of "hopefully" another month of AF days.
Love Lori