Simply Sober October - Week 3

[nellie78]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

hi everyone! day 1 for me - back to the drawing board so to speak. did nearly three months and have sneaked right back into old habits too easily. was in denial that i had a problem - complacent that three months was sooo easy. but here i am. trying to resist the urge to berate myself too much am trying to be positive and see the slip up as part of my journey to being tea total

[Lavande]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Good morning Octobers friends,

Where is everyone?

Just welcomed you back in the Newbies Nest Nellie. Stay close to the threads, it really helps

I have to finish emailing my customers today & hope they understand that they will not be getting their work done as promised. This is going to be one hugely expensive situation to resolve

Wishing everyone a great AF Saturday!
lav

[Stargazerlily]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Good morning to all...

I have a cold, darn it. It started out as tension in my shoulder, went to swollen glands and sore throat, now congestion. I want to fight it off, but may go to a doc in the box to get zpac due to traveling on Thursday. Lav, any suggestions?

Ran around like crazy yesterday, and made a big pot of chicken soup. Today, read and relax.

Chill, the Dubai thing scares me. I just don't trust that part of the world. They treat women like dog sh**. Having said that, I do not know details of the job, and I could be wrong. I have been reading alot of mysteries lately with kidnappings, etc., so very suspicious currently.

Nellie, three months AF is great, you know what to do. We only fail when we give up.

LBH, road trip sounded interesting. It's nice to be able to take off randomly.

Blonde, have a good weekend. When do you leave for the cruise?

More coffee for me. May be back on later as I need to kick back today.

[ladybirdheart]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Oh Lav, what a mess. We have become so dependent on technology, its another appendage like an arm or leg (only more important). I do think you can rest assured that the kind of information you described is completely recoverable. It's in there. So sorry for your cold/flu, Star. That can be so miserable and historically for me such a trigger for a hot toddy that I think my spirit/the Universe/even fear has kept me free of a respiratory virus for over two years. I feel more ready now should one strike but would like to put it off. It sounds like you are taking care of yourself and you should bounce back quickly. Welcome Nellie, you can get through this, it often takes several tries, just ask me. Off to breakfast, see you later. Love, Ladybird.

[Lavande]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Hey Star -
Personally I would skip the Zpac if it's truly just a cold. Save the abx for use in the event that you develop a bronchitis or something awful like that. Drown yourself in chicken soup
Hope you feel better very soon!

Hi LBH.
I refuse to feel sorry for myself re the hard drive situation, 2 Motrin took care of the tension headache I developed last evening :H
I hope you have a nice breakfast out - I miss that kind of simple stuff.

Think I'll go shovel some chicken poop :H

[Chillgirl]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Hi Guys

Welcome Nellie - don't feel so bad, day one is a pretty good place to start and you will be wiser this time to see the temptations coming, 3 months is a wonderful achievement and you have that to be proud of, you're here and that's also a good place to be :l

Sending healing vibes to Lav's hard drive and to poor Star. Lav, I wouldn't know where to start but like LBH says I'm sure it's all doable. Star, hot drinks of herbal tea.

Dubai is very westernized and has had to be to attract global business and tourism. Apparently there is literally no crime as punishments are hefty. There are also severely tight restrictions on alcohol sales which will suit me perfectly! seriously though, it was just a whim and there have been over 300 applicants for the position so it's unlikely a decision I will have to make. Playing the possibility in my head has been rather fun though!

Went out walking through the fields with Elle this morning and got a bit lost, reckon we went about 8 miles before we found home. Both of us are now enjoying a lazy afternoon by the fire. Mr S had viewers today for the house and I loved slipping back into my Realty Agents mode and I think I have actually negotiated a sale!

Have a great AF Saturday everyone.

[nellie78]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Guys thank you all so much for the kind words. I really had to swallow my pride to come back and post just because I was so cocky that I had it cracked last time, I'm definitely going to stay closer to these boards especially when things are going well.... Cheers everyone x

[papmom3]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Hi everyone. welcome Nellie. If you really want this, you will be successful. You did it for 3 months, you can do it for a lifetime. Sounds scary? Not when you fully accept that AL is POISON.

Chill-my first thought when you told us about Dubai was SCAM. Still not certain it isn't but at least it's not in the picture for you anymore. right???
I hope you did indeed negotiate a sale and that you and Mr. S will drive off to new and exciting things either together or separate. Whatever the Uinverse dictates. I bet you'll miss those walks in the field tho.

Star-Hope you're feeling much better tonite. I am dreading my first cold of the season. I'm not a good patient and an even worse sick co worker!!

LBH- how neat that you just took off and hung out on the reservation. Does Lord Birdheart understand your need to do this every once in a while? Wish I could just pack up the dogs and go to Maine on a whim. Hang out by the ocean and just be.

Lav-so sorry to hear about your computer woes. Yes they will get fixed but it still sucks to have to suspend business for a while. Glad YB is helping.

Not much to report. OK day at the store. Met a lady as I was packing up whose dog has a feeding tube in his neck. Turns out he's got the same disorder LM has. He's had it for 1.5 years and is doing well. he stopped eating a few months ago hence the feeding tube but is improving. She is seeing some expert in this at Tufts and highly recommends I see her too, that the regular bet won't be able to treat LM as well. This is a tough one for me. I really respect Tufts and have had a couple of my animals treated there. I have no doubt this specialist is good but the $$$$ is insane. I don't even know if I can afford the Kidney profile he's supposed to get in a week never mind a high end consult at Tufts. yet I want to give my boy the best care he deserves. Sigh.

I've done a lot of thinking since Thursday and I think I'm done with job hunting. I have the qualifications there is no doubt about that but time and again it's the salary that is blocking me. I"ve priced myself out of the market and can't take a cut at all. The fact that I can't live on what I am making between the 2 jobs is insane but it's obvious I am not going to find anything I want to do that will pay me more. I am just going to have to do more cutting and just be happy I have 2 jobs, a house and a car in good shape. For once in my life I guess I'm going to have to settle. I'm just so tired of fighting.

So that's my uplifting news for the day. I think I'll just crawl under the covers and rest.

[Lavande]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Chill - an 8 mile 'shortcut'? God, I'd be crawling home after that walk :H
Hope the house buyer follows thru - sounds good!

Nellie, glad you are with us, stay close

papmom, you know all the funky, new age reading & teleseminars I do.......
I keep hearing over & over that we should stop 'looking' for the thing that is supposedly going to make us happy - be it cars, money, house, husbands, etc. We already have within us what we need to be happy. I think a little of Colin Tipping's self-forgiveness helps too.
Around here the University of Pennsylvania rules the roost in animal care. About 37 years ago (before we had kids) we took a dog in for treatment for a skin infection but had to give up because we just couldn't come up with the cash for more than one visit. I can't imagine a dog with a feeding tube - that just seems wrong to me. I won't allow feeding tubes to be placed in anyone unless it was for a very short term/emergency situation. I hope you don't ever have to consider having a tube placed for LM

I decided to take a ride this afternoon to take my mind off of fried hard drives, etc. I ended up in a Ten Thousand Villages shop (love that place). I came home with a bag of organic Ethiopian coffee - yum I have picked up a number of interesting things in that shop - love the idea of global fair trade

Hoping to get some better/longer sleep tonight.
G'night to all!

Lav

[papmom3]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Hey Lav, great minds think alike! that was exactly my thought as I wrote my post earlier. I've been trying so hard to find that "perfect" job that would give me the financial freedom I've been craving. I've done all I can but I've been trying too hard. I need to just 'be' in my life as it is, instead of constantly looking for another one. Gee, think of all the free time I will have now!

I sure hope we never get to the feeding tube stage either. But if we do, I would only do it IF it was very temporary, just to get him over the hump while meds were adjusted. I did that with my precious cat TC many years ago and never regretted it. It was only for a few days until she regained some strength and appetite. But if it was just to keep LM alive with no hope of improvement, no way. Can't think about that right now anyway. He's doing fine and I am taking it day by day.

Your global shop sounds so cool! I bet there is something like that out in Amherst but I've never heard of anything similar around here. If it does exist I can guarantee it's in a part of the city I have no desire to go.

time to get some ZZZZs. I'm pretty sure DD will be waking me up in few hours to go out. He seems off tonite and keeps asking to go outside and then all he does is eat weeds. Something is up with his tummy. Usually this is LM's MO.

See you all in the morning.

[Lavande]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Here ya go papmom ~ find your shop:
Store Locator

The one I go to is in Lancaster County in the middle of Amish country & a whole lot of cows :H

[Chillgirl]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Happy Sunday guys

Nellie - hope you are doing ok today, unhung Sundays still make me smile.

Papmom - Like Lav I have grabbed every piece of spiritual self help info out there to help make sense of this crazy life :H Reading your post struck me like you have reached a place of acceptance and are ready to stop resisting all the crap you keep coming up against. This sounds like a much more peaceful and easier place to be. It's SO difficult and I'm in a similar financial place to you as in I still can't work out how I can get a job that would pay the rent for me to afford my own place. However like you say if it's accepting frugal living and going without then somehow I will do it. Constantly fighting the way it is is exhausting, leaves us emotionally battered and cripples our self esteem.

It's not easy to let go of the frustration at life for dealing this wrap but I can finally shrug most things off and think oh well somehow it will work out. For me it's a lot about trusting the Universe to meet me half way if I do all in my power to get by. I think if you can be at peace with how things are you may be amazed at what being in that place of acceptance brings you. You are one amazing strong resilient lady and peace of mind can be a rich place to be.

Lav - the last two miles I was fading fast and so was poor Elle but it felt good afterwards. I will be delighted for Mr S if the sale goes through and he can get out of his financial pressures. If I'm honest I think we will be parting ways when the sale happens if not before, I just need to get a job in order to be able to secure a rental but like I said to Papmom, I'm trusting the Universe to deliver me something, I just wish she would hurry up! :H

[papmom3]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Thank you Chill!! You hit the nail on the head!! I too wish Ms. U would hurry up and show us what is in store but as Joel Osteen say, God (and the U) work at their own pace. We just have to trust that it will happen but maybe not on our time table.

You sound very peaceful about parting ways with Mr. S and I'm glad. he was there when you needed him the most but he is a source of stress for you with his untidy financial habits. You have been strengthened by meeting him and got to live in a place closer to your heart. You are on the right path-just keep trusting you will continue to be shown the way.

If there weren't so many blogs out there about living frugally and learning from our mistakes, I would start another one!!

Glad you and Elle made it back home safely. It does get scary when you realize how far you've gone and you don't know if you have the strength to return and where you are, but our best friends support us and show us the way home. I've been in a similar situation and if it wasn't for DD I surely would have panicked.

Went without Ambien last nite and had the strangest dreams. Not restful sleep at all. My dreams were about fighting one thing or another-every single one of them. Hmmmm.........

Up early to let the pups out. Too late to go back to bed so here I am. Looking forward to meeting more great dogs and their people today.

Hello to all to come!!

[papmom3]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Hey Lav-I was right!! There IS a store out near Amherst. It's in Northampton which makes perfect sense and is 10 minutes west of Amherst. Thanks for the link. The next time I go out there to visit bro, i will find the store if we decide to make a day of it in Northampton. there are also stores in and around Boston one in Cranston, RI of all places. Not a single one in Cental MA which doesn't surprise me. We are not small business friendly, especially my city. Bah.

[Lavande]

Simply Sober October - Week 3

Good morning kids!

Matilda's 6:30 alarm clock never fails :H
It's still quite dark out at that hour......

I decided a long time ago that I had to stop fighting everything
I was thoroughly exhausted, burned out, well done so to speak. It takes a good long while & a lot of practice to truly change your thinking style, IMHO. I will continue on my mission though

Chill, I had to give up trying to walk my big dog Maxie. She has such a hard time with her arthritic shoulders & the roads & trails around here are a bit hilly. I paniced more than a few times trying to get her back home & there's is no way I can carry her :H
I am still a bit frustrated with all the work needed to maintain this place BUT after spending extra time with YB last week I am grateful for a lot. His mood swings are absolutely bizarre, I am grateful to not have to deal with all that on a daily basis. He is still not a happy person & is still seeking greener grass (ie the moving to the Florida Keyes fantasy).

Papmom, I hope you get to visit one of those shops. They have lots of neat stuff to look at, a little something for everyone.
I stopped at the feed store yesterday to pick up a bag of Maxie's food. I laughed at all the people who had their little dogs with them in the store & told the clerk if I ever brought Maxie in I would never be able to get her out! All that food, so many toys, so little time :H

Have a great day everyone! I am expecting two hyper little boys & their strtessed out college student mother this afternoon - oh boy!
Lav