AF day Thursday 2nd August

[Mick]

Good morning world...another fine day today..How are we all?Had a lie in today..it is 0720 am, so coffee and tea are both on.Cup 1 as we speak, is being introduced to my throat, so grab yourself a cup.Today for me is going to be a fun packed day..if you are into pain and other such things.Managed to knock the crown off one of my teeth yesterday, so the nerve is exposed, so I am at the dentist at 12, and then 1510 the hospital with my toe (cant really go without it ,much as I would like to).So how is that for a trip on the funbus
Well day 30 for me..thank you to all who helped me.Never thought I would get here but I have.. so for anyone who says they cant or is just scared to.. it is possible.Been there got that t shirt.

Good morning Lilly E, how are you today?How is life in Lillyland? Licorice tea? never heard of that before.Reading your post..no I don't think that you/we become obsessive or fixative in substituting sobriety for alcoholism..Think probably that is true until you get some goodly amount of time in, but you look at people on this site with 2/3 or more years in,it becomes a way of life and is natural. Doesn't mean that they still don't think or talk about it but not as much as in the early days.Its like learning to drive..you pass your test, and you still consciously check your mirrors before moving off,but as time goes on you do it automatically as your subconscious kicks in.. wow brew time!!

Good morning Lavande.. tea/coffee how are you today?weather still yucky?Bet the chickens are well impressed.Bet the grandkids give you a lot of extra work.. but methinks you like it too!!

Morning sunflower,how did day 1 at school go? So glad you didnt give in.. how did you deal with the little voice?Yoga in 105 degrees?having some of those degrees would be a nice start!!You really seem into thie yoga, good for you.

Aaaah thats better..thats the lifechange we know, in and out of the door.. always busy..havent been for a run for a couple of weeks now, best I can manage at present is a quick hobble!!

Dobro utro Shue.. Kak si? Hey impressed or what :H:H How are things today in Shueland?Never too late to grab a coffee Shue. its on the go all the time How are thing with you still mad busy? just see you popping in and out of the site every now and then..Take it easy

Hi Satz ..you ok?what are you up to anything exciting?skydiving?bungee jumping?

Cantoo how are you?.. by the time you read this you will be on Day 7...brilliant...and well done on binning that wee man with the flag, you are doing really great.How does reality look to you know without the demon twisting it?

Hi Kaslo..how are you this fine day??You going to get out of that dungeon today?Got this image in my head..like in the films..dark and dusty dungeon, with cobwebs all over the place, the candle flickering on the table, with you poring over some massive ledger !! Must be honest your legal system differs slightly from ours. quote "the lawyers for the opposing side will tear my tits right off and stomp all over them".Been to quite a few courts in my time through work, but certainly never seen that!! all you get here is wigs, purple and red robers and phrases like "my learned colleague," and "I put it to you"Certainly an interesting slant on the judicial system :H:H Best of luck

Right I am going now get showered and on to the fun bus..As usual apologies to those not mentioned by name..if there is anyone out there reading these posts and thinking about it..come on in and go for it
Have a great af day
Mick

[daisy45]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Morning Mick - was waiting on you there; Congratulations on your 30 days!
Hope you come off your fun bus pain-free; poor you, but good attitude!
Didn't check in yesterday as for some reason I was exhausted. Still doing good. I find when I wake up to a sunny day, it gives me that zest for life and sobriety strengthens that, if you know what I mean...
Anyway, just a quick hello; heading to hospital with my dad this morning; he is having surgery to remove 2 tumours from his liver in 2 weeks time. I brought him for his pre-op on Monday and they now need to re-check his bloods. Best to get it right....
Will pop in when I get home - sorry, I have not got the names here yet - give me time...
Have a good one...

[FreeFly]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Just jumping in here to say congrats to Mick on 30 days :goodjob:

And I love your driving analogy to the al brain!

FF

[LillyE]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

hip hip hooray!!!

I'm just flying through on my iPad, which I still find hard to type on, to say..

WELL DONE MICK ON 30 DAYS!!!!!!!! :goodjob:

:wave:

It's a good feeling isn't it? Did you do something to celebrate? I do recommend taking some time out to reflect at this point and think about what's next.

And yes, you are probably right re the obsession - I'm sure it'll ease in time And I guess it's worth it if that's what it takes. life, I hear you re getting exhausted thinking about it all the time though.

I may be quiet the next few days. A new project starting up - thank god as works been too slow which has been stressing me out - and a lot going on over the weekend including a bakeathon. I'm making a chocolate cheesecake for a friend's birthday and two dozen cupcakes for the community open days for the non-profit. I think I've mentioned this? It's a writing centre for disadvantaged kids and I've gotten quite involved on a volunteer basis both tutoring and various other bits like painting and baking. Anyway, it felt good to be able to say, sure I can bake cupcakes and deliver them by ten am two consecutive Sundays. In the past, not WAY I would have wanted to stick my hand up for that as I'd have been too afraid I'd be too hungover.

Oh look, I've managed to blab on quite a bit even on the pad... Log off time here but wishing you all happy sober days.

mick, you ROCK! Now join me in reaching 100 days?

[Mick]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

def Lilly lets go for it

[porqoui]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Good morning all and Mick, :crazymonkey: CONGRATS ON 30 :crazymonkey: Good luck with having to deal with things today, but you've got a great attitude like daisy said.
Been busy meeting an August 3rd publishing deadline but wanted to check in. Have a great AF Tuesday everyone. PQ

[lifechange]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

BIG CONGRATS!! Mick on 30 days! i'm so proud of you-- we all so look forward to your morning posts. i'm always disappointed when i'm unable to meet you first thing for a coffee.
i think it will be sat. before i can join you early again. i hope they have better news regarding that darn toe today. you really do need it sooner rather than later, eh?
this is going to be my shortest post ever. i have the afternoon alone with my younger daughter and she needs me to be full on. i've already been interupted 10 times in the past 2 minutes--, "do you think it looks better this way, mama? or like this? and from the other side, huh, mama? do you think it looks nice?" " and doesn't this one look nice? this one? look mama, this one?. do you think i should still add one here? mama?" asking about a bouquet of flowers.

wishing you all a wonderful af thursday. will try to check in later. big hugs,
Life

[porqoui]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

And of course I meant have a great af Thursday everyone.

[Lavande]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Good Thursday morning Abbers!

CONGRATS on your 30 AF days Mick :yay:
Sounds like you need ret nurse Lav to help you out today - sorry about the tooth & the toe!!!!
I hope you get everything under control before the day is out

Greetings Daisy, Free Fly, Lilly, lifechange & porqoui!
I hope everyone has a great day in the works!

I will be taking my daughter & grandaughter home this afternoon. We had a nice visit!
I actually have some work piling up so I will have plenty to keep me busy & out of trouble for the next few days!!!

Have a great AF Thursday everyone!
Lav

[shueaddict]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Mick, well done on the 30 days and Dobar den to you too. Impressive language skills!! I wish you good luck with all the pain you need to get through today.

Lilly - new project, yey !!!

Lifechange, I am surrounded by males / boys, I don't get to comment on any outfit and love dressing up. I can take the next shift for you.

Porquoi - are you out the legal woods yet?

Satzland, I loved your post yesterday ... I can fully fully relate to the bottle of wine while cooking dinner.

Kas .. I am available for consulting and would love to leave the hot summer behind. Just sayin,

Daisy, lots of luck with your dad.

Cannot - how are you today?

Lav - I am definitely getting chickens in my next house.

As for me ... All is busy again. I am skipping gym again ... Not good. And having fleeting thoughts of drinking - I read my journal and old posts documenting exactly how shitty and depressed I felt the next day .. I have started reading a bit of Jason Vale each night ... Call it prevention.

"Stress only feels like stress to the person unprepared for it"

Have a great day fabbies

[Kaslo]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

CONGRATS MICK ON 30 DAYS!!!

:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:

Yeh hae dunnit. Keep goin! SO worth it. Good luck with the toe and the tooth. Both ends, huh?

Hi to everyone, I am not in the dungeon today (my office in the basement of my house)....Im preparing to go out and.....pull weeds.

Sorry not to address you all individually this morning, (its still morning here in Kasloville). Love to you all on this fine AF day for me.

Except Shue. Wait a sec. something important to say...Ride it out with the thoughts. I believe the recovery behaviorists are right when they say that AL wires the brain to fail, for rather a long time, and you have to short circuit that wiring what ever way you can.

Good day, eh? kas

[Turnagain]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Well FABbers...talk about great timing...looky what I found yesterday to pass along to you:

Cognitive Strategy Reduces Craving by Altering Brain Activity | National Institute on Drug Abuse

Our Miss Science Panties is just RIGHT ON again! While this study looked at smoking - remember it is the same area of the brain impacted by alcohol.

“Cognitive reappraisal—mentally changing the meaning of an event or object to lessen its emotional impact and therefore alter the behaviors it triggers—is a strategy that helps a variety of problems,” says Dr. Ochsner. Cognitive-behavioral therapists train patients to use this approach, among others, to cope with negative emotions, stress, and substance cravings. Dr. Ochsner says, “People may not realize that they can control cravings or emotions using cognitive strategies—for example, thinking of negative consequences and distracting and distancing oneself—but patients can learn these techniques and then must continue to apply them over time.”

AND - while this study looked at the impact of associating negative consequences to the addictive behavior...I can tell you personally...that associating POSITIVE effects with healthy AF activities also has an incredible outcome.

And - when you realize that you have ALREADY been employing these brain retraining techniques ....it is thrilling. You are making progress - even when you don't necessarily feel as if you are. I liken my brain retraining to the physical act of building muscles. Every time we employ new - and healthy - thought patterns and actions, we are building our AF muscles. And gosh darn it....day by day...we are getting buff!

Just look at all the newest little HULKS that are sprouting up around here...Congratulations to MICK and LillyE - and all the other recent 30 day achievers. And for those of you beyond 30 or on your way to that first milestone, keep wrangling those thoughts - you DO have the power.

Shue - it's great that you are looking back over your past posts...that is an EXCELLENT tool for helping you along - especially when you do get hit with cravings. See - you already know what to do! Sometimes it is tough...but I bet as you look back...you are VASTLY stronger and more equipped to give the CAPOW to cravings or thoughts than you were back in the early days. Smack 'em down. TKO!

I can promise you...with practice - consistent daily practice - it gets easier to vanquish the cravings and thoughts. I don't ever 'miss' drinking now. Not even for a nanosecond. And it's been that way for me for awhile.

AND...I have never had this level of emotional stability in my life. BONUS! I need all the serenity I can muster this week. On Monday, the hubby woke up with blurred vision in his right eye. Turns out he has a tear on his cornea and his retina is detached. Yikes!!!!! He is going in for surgery today. The doc is only giving him a 50/50 chance of recovering his vision in that eye. Keep your fingers crossed that the procedure will go smoothly and that it will work!

Thanks to what I learned in this last year around here about employing the attitude of gratitude...I can say I will be dealing with this situation in a much better way than I would have back when I was drinking. I am grateful we have decent insurance....I am grateful there are good doctors here....I am grateful hubby got scheduled right away....I am grateful my dad and stepmom are here to help....I am grateful I am clear-minded to help and can take care of hubby in the next critical week.

Okay....off to sheetrock taping land for the the morning and then onto the hospital...

Later FABugators!

[Kaslo]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Oh Turn, sorry to hear that about your dad. I will be thinking of him....AND you. Your post here was fantastic! Thank you for posting the cognitive strategy link. My daughter took a course in that very topic in school in her fourth year. It is vitally important to use this, and its got to have a hugely better success rate than the usual way of getting through the first year of no alcohol, which for many of us has been a lick and a promise. Thanks so much

Mick let us know how your toe and tooth top and tail are going. you are such a fine person.

Kas of the weeds and all.

[LillyE]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Turn, what a wonderful and inspiring post - I read it through twice and will go read that article properly after I've posted. Thank you. I'm sooo sorry to hear about hubby's eye - all fingers and toes crossed for you and him - but glad you are approaching this mini crisis from a place of gratitude and strength.

Shue, glad all is well, if busy, in Shue land. Wanted to say thanks to you because your comment about juicing and nutrition and ginger awhile back got me to pull out my dusty juice and for the past week I've been starting the day with a fresh veggie-fruit juice and feeling great for it. It's amazing the ZING of energy you get 10 minutes later. Much better than a coffee.

Mick, I hope both the toe and tooth get better ASAP - you have been in the wars haven't you, poor man.

Cantoo, how are you doing/feeling??

I found this article inspiring too this morning:
Do You Know What Keeps Your Addiction Recovery From Getting Better?

I have a friend's birthday dinner out Saturday and in the past that might have been a trigger/worry but one good thing is that I think my friends are getting used to me not drinking, which makes it less of an issue.

HELLO everyone else. I hope you're all doing well.

Happy day/eve all!

[TheSunFlower]

AF day Thursday 2nd August

Congrats Mick! 30 days is no small feat!

What did I do to not cave....I thought about the next day and how shitty I would feel

Mick....I trained to teach yoga and did teach for awhile....but, it really got in the way of my drinking

Kaslo....I used to take a class with a 70 year old woman who brought her oxygen tank to class...and she kicked my butt....and I was only 30 at the time!

Daisy....prayers for your Dad.

Shue I so hear you on the drinking thoughts!

I had a super sucky day yesterday....lots of things going wrong at work....which are not my fault, but ultimately my responsibility. My sponsor completely flaked out on me and I let her go. And when I pulled up to McDonald's they were not serving diet coke! I did manage 2 meetings though. One I went to purely so I did not kill someone at the office Ended the day with Chicken Noodle soup and watching a movie with the kids.

Today was much better. Boss came into the office and we are working on a solution. Met my family for lunch (the kids had the day off...yes, after one day of school).

I found the coolest AA meeting I have ever been to (and I have been to lots...in different cities). Honestly, this was so much fun....that if people knew about it....they would be drinking to "qualify" to get in And I got a new sponsor who I can already feel a connection with.

My head was starting to spin with the drinking thoughts today. Then a friend of mine who had 13 years of sobriety....and relapsed a while back.....(in a short time her disease has taken everything good from her)...texts me that she had to drink because her cat ran away (its back now a mere 12 hours later)........THAT kept me sober.