Announcement

**lifechange** · July 30, 2012, 03:24 AM

AF day Monday 30th July

good morning dear Mick!! like always the coffee is delicious! that little snowy owl is so sweet. are you taking care of her? hope to hear good news regarding the toe today. i broke my 2nd to the biggest toe last year (yes i was drinking! and i kicked a box in the girls room full force) and i couldn't believe how painful it was. i couldn't walk on it for days--one little toe. do let us know. i saw the other thread you started--great idea. but i son't know how to add my name without messing it all up. could you add mine!? Lifechange-Germany.

Lav, what a beautiful rainbow. you're so lucky to be able to see them. that's definately one thing i miss about living in a city with tall buildings all around. we never see rainbows-- and rarely see the stars, sunset or sunrise--even the moon is a challenge to see. i guess we appreciate it ever so much more when we visit my family in az. beautiful picture of Lilly, too.

Lilly, i'm soo proud of you for sticking to your plan on friday night. i can imagine it was a real challenge -- and you passed with flying colors. congrats on the 4 weeks--heading into 30 days. i think it's a very good idea to take the time to reflect and to work on a new plan. i imagine it really does get easier the more time we have af, so keeping on with the blind faith and a strong plan, just doing it. i have no idea-- to be honest, i don't yet have a plan for after 30 days. i know what i want but i still don't completely trust my ability to follow through on my plan. pathetic, i know. but i'm working on it!! i'm trying very hard to build up my self esteem and to believe in myself. funny, it is. i Do believe in your ability to succeed!

**lifechange** · July 30, 2012, 03:27 AM

AF day Monday 30th July

good morning to Shue! your coffee is getting cold. i need to get one of those cozies for my french press--do you have one?
how are you doing today, Cantoo?
wishing you all a wonderful af monday--let's keep on keeping on--big hugs,
Life

**porqoui** · July 30, 2012, 05:49 AM

AF day Monday 30th July

Morning Mick and Shue. Thanks for the coffee and the company. Good luck with the toe today, hope they can do something for you. Lifechange, youv'e got me curious. What new thread did you start Mick? Feeling positive this morning with lots of energy. Wishing everyone a great AF day. PQ

**porqoui** · July 30, 2012, 05:58 AM

AF day Monday 30th July

Found the new thread....Mick could you please add me in poperly. Thnx

**satz123** · July 30, 2012, 06:36 AM

AF day Monday 30th July

Mick;1357020 wrote: .Went out for Sunday dinner yesterday to a pub.The food wa plentiful and nice.Ihad a glass of lime and lemon with it.Did not miss alc one bit.The only thing that cheesed me off was the fact that it cost me more for a soft drink, than it would have for any type of alcohol.
Hi Satz, how are you today? coffeee?So you are still a day ahead of me?looking studiously for a plce in the world that is in time 24 hrs ahead, fly there and text you!!So far best Ihave found is+14 hrs
Dont have to be mad here but it helps!!

Mick

Hi Mick ! Thanks for the coffee !
Have been out all week myself in varying establishments having grub as I have no kitchen at present. Prob best thing that happened 'cos now I KNOW I can socialise in a pub without an alcoholic drink :goodjob: and my nearest & dearest are now used to it !

**shueaddict** · July 30, 2012, 08:34 AM

AF day Monday 30th July

Very quick hello to my peeps.

Mick, even though it's 16:30 I think I'll take you on that coffee.

Sorry to be brief, it's hubby's birthday today ( I need to prepare the surprise party).

As fo work, I am preparing the most dreaded surprise "parting" ... I need to fire someone senior tomorrow ... I have been up to the gills with legal and HR today.

I need to be super sober for both.

Be well, fabbers.

**Lavande** · July 30, 2012, 12:45 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

Good afternoon Abbers!

Had to run out for an appointment this morning but I did stop by qucikly for coffee - thanks Mick!
We don't find pots of gold at the end of our rainbows......
Just cold hard cash :H

Hope you find some toe relief today Mick

lifechange, I now live in 'cow country' so I do get a spectacular view of anything going on in the sky BUT I also get to deal with almost non-stop poision ivy outbreaks

You may not believe it yet but you do have the ability to see your plan through. Stick around & we'll help yuo get there

Greetings porqoui & satz!

Shue, I do not envy the task ahead of you....sounds difficult, sorry.

Toying with the idea of a quick granny nap - who would know? :H

Have a great AF Monday everyone!
Lav

**CanToo** · July 30, 2012, 08:11 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

Hello again. I hope you all had the day you wanted. I am here so my day was good. End of day 4 AF.

I am learning loads about AL, my body and my mind from the threads on this site. And from your posts here.

Lilly since I'm not comfortable in group settings, without AL, I don't think I'm ready for an AA meeting just yet. Yes, I have a lot to think about and more to admit. No I have never been to one.

For now I wait for sleep and day 5.

:-( this sugar thing is killing me.

Nite and Good Morning

**TheSunFlower** · July 30, 2012, 08:29 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

Quick stop in and great posts. As a yogi i am enjoying a book that links the yoga texts and 12 steps. Went to 2 AA meetings and ended the evening with a yoga class.

**LillyE** · July 30, 2012, 08:41 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

(WARNING: Another of my crazily long posts ahead. Sorry guys, I've highlighted the key parts so you can skim at will

Hi guys,

So, DING DING DING DING?

TODAY IS DAY 30!!!!!!

It's weird to reflect on, because it's a goal I have literally been trying to reach for an entire year. It started last July, when my anxiety and depression were spinning out of control, as was my drinking, and I started to realize something really had to give. Because it was July, "Dry July" was a socially acceptable reason to experiment with giving up for a bit. (Do you guys have that there - it's where people swear off for July, get sponsored, and raise money for Charity.)

Anyway, I found I couldn't do it. I managed 9 days before I drank in secret shame. Then I think another two weeks. For the past year I have found I could go a week to two fairly easily (somewhere between 10-17 days would typically be when I'd drink again) and in October I went 24 days, never longer (UNTIL NOW). Repeat cycle over and over? It sounds like such a tiny amount of time I can't believe it's taken me a year to get here.

Tonight I plan to take some time out to journal and reflect and set some new goals. And I know I need to do that as I have had some slippery thoughts creeping in the last few days. I'm glad, however, that I'm so aware of them and working to change them reading here and elsewhere and trying to remind myself of the benefits of sobriety. Let's face it, if I didn't need to be totally abstinent I probably wouldn't have had to try for a whole year to get 30 days AF and I probably wouldn't have been coming here almost every day for a year.

But even just last night I was over at a friend's house cooking dinner for him (the friend who's hurt his toe too, Mick), and his partner offered me 'just one glass of wine while you cook'. I was actually fleetingly tempted! But then, thank god, I quickly thought, "Now how stupid and upsetting would it be to wake up on Day 30 hungover?" Because we all know it would not really have been 'just one'? I KNOW it would not have been just one. And today I'd be hungover and incredibly upset with myself.

So, new goals ahead. I think I will focus on six week next and also try to get myself to an AA meeting, finally, this week too. I've been scared of it for so long but it can't hurt to check it out. I feel I need to keep pushing myself to go further.

The support, advice and caring here has been SO ESSENTIAL to me. Again, thank you all.

Shue, I hope the firing AND the party planning went well. Yikes, I'd hate to have that task. How did they take it?

Mick, that owl is so beautiful! Is she in your garden? Well done on being AF at the pub and not minding. I know what you mean about the drinks cost. I get really shirty these days when places charge me almost as much for a soda and lime as a beer or as much for a mocktail as a cocktail. It's not the money so much as the principle of it. You're right - it's not encouraging responsible drinking at all!

Life, I think you nailed it on the head re the blind faith and the strong plan. I think both are essential. We have to keep educating ourselves enough that we can have that blind faith - enough to keep going - that it's worth it - even when we don't always feel it or the cravings and triggers hit. And we have to have a plan of attack in place to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I believe in your ability to do it too. I believe we both found a turning point and the reason we keep coming here daily is that deep down we really, truly want to be free. I know you can do it! I will have confidence for you until you find it for yourself - and you will. What day are you on now anyway?

CanToo, I know AA is scary. I'm still scared of it and there is also a lot about it I find really unappealing and I'm not sure will be right for me (with NO offense to AA etc). But, that said, I figure real life support could be invaluable. Just to meet people going through the same thing. But, you are here, maybe that will come in time, or not. It's not for everyone - that I firmly believe already. As for the sugar - I say indulge it for the first week or so. You can worry about cutting back when you're over the worse of the withdrawal. Keep reading, keep learning, keep sharing.

**CanToo** · July 30, 2012, 08:48 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

LillyE

You are amazing. Congratulations!

**TheSunFlower** · July 30, 2012, 10:00 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

Congrats Lilly! I admire that you are able to be so honest with yourself.

AA is not for everybody. I do like having actual f2f people to connect to. I always joke that I am part of an an elite club. Only 10 percent of the population even qualifies to get in. Two percent even make it through the door...my odds of getting in AA were slim. Wish I had those odds with the lottery

. And heck, it was not easy all those years paying the price of AL to qualify to get in. and 100's of people show up daily in my city to support each other.

That said I think it is important to go with an open mind. Otherwise, all you will focus on are the things you don't like.....and you'll miss the good. I am speaking from my experience, took me years to appreciate it and open my mind to it.

**Kaslo** · July 30, 2012, 10:46 PM

AF day Monday 30th July

Good evening Fabeens. A bit late to check in, very glad to see Cantdoitbymyself here, because its easy to start to feel a bit intimidated, and thats the last thing we wanna see. I am so glad to see Lilly making it to 30 days. This time really is different for you, I hope. For one thing you have US to contend with, and this place is very good for so many things, advice, support, friendship, kinship, fun and....kicks in the arse, but only for medicinal purposes. Ha ha.

I would have checked in earlier Mick, but I had to rush out to my office and start cranking out the science. What a box of farts that was, all day. I dont want to put yez all off but its got to do with a heavy metal whos name wont be mentioned, and unlike Shue, I didnt have to fire anyone but that did not stop me from WANTING to. I have a new advisory job, which means I have to really carefully read a bunch of toxicology, and make sure I know what I am talking about, or at least be able to say I dont know but I will look it up, and come back and translate that into English.

So my topic for today on MWO is the toxicology of AL. Dont worry, I am not going to into endless detail. Im just going to say, that if you knew what you had been doing to your liver gall bladder, eosophagus, brain, blood, kidneys, skin, etc. and what that all meant for your health, you would have a whole bunch more reasons to stop drinking for good. I got to the point where I could feel my gall bladder getting swollen and hard when I bent over to tie up my hiking boots. I could see the spider lines on the skin on my face. I could see the cheezy look, older than I was, and feel the fat deposits accumulating ... I knew when, and how much and what it meant. And I was only at stage 1, I think.

Well, folks as you know, the good news is, your liver and the rest of your body will forgive you if you promise not to pour another drop of SHIT down your throat.

And thats fantastic. Everyone have a great nite. One thing is for sure.

Welcome Guest to My Way Out Forums.

Announcement

AF day Monday 30th July

AF day Monday 30th July

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment