Sunday 25th March.

[Popeye]

Good morning All.
I hope you're all chipper today.
I was at a party with my wife and some family last night.
I had a couple of pints of lemonade and lots of buffet food, rounded off with some nice conversation. I wasn't fretting about not drinking. Instead,I just relaxed and had a nice night. My polite refusal of 'real' drink was met with the usual quizzical stares, but I laughed it off.
I seem to have conquered the desire to drink on a week day ( I haven't done that since last November), and I'm managing to keep sober at parties etc.. I've just got to get to grips with Friday nights now.
I think I might be getting there. Small victories, baby steps.
Thank you so much for all your help.:h :l

[irishlady]

Sunday 25th March.

Good morning all,

Popeye, good for you, and wasn't it grand to get up this morning, come on here and tell us about your party last night knowing you hadn't had a drink.... Keep working on those Friday nights, as you say, baby steps..

Hope everyone else is ok, must rush, working today, agh, must remember, never volunteer for overtime, ha ha ...

Love to all, Louise xxx

[Bella]

Sunday 25th March.

Good morning to you all. popeye, you sound up beat today, that was great to not have any drinks at a party! You can give yourself a good pat on the back for that. The word party just conjures up flowing alcohol for me, i have yet to venture out to one of them! Have a splendid sunday. B

[cassy]

Sunday 25th March.

well done Popeye

its a great feeling to wake up refreshed and guilt free...i could get used to this feeling (I hope!)

funny how peopel quiz you when you dont drink alcohol isnt it...its like it highlights other people,s guilt? about doing so?)

i have a cuople of family members who are now abstainers and I find myself curiously watching to see if they are enjoying life....actually both of them are very happy people!

both dont avoid pubs etc but use them differently to me..ie they go for a quiz night, an early evening meal and then leave.

Their social lives are now more, cinema, theatre, weekends away, the gym, swimming, walking, cooking for friends......sounds good to me!!!!!!!!!also they both always were committed christians who recognised their weakness for the booze and both have inspired me to the discipline of am and evening prayer or a little spiritual reading......for me that helps(I,m not pushing any faith..though i am a practicing Catholic...well trying to be)Just think as i,ve said before ...tackle alohol addiction with every strategy you can think of.

Off to church, day 35 for me and have a spring in my step... I hope it lasts.

A big thankyou to everyone on this site who shares their emotions so humbly..you are an inspiration to me...hence i have been on her an hour this am and now need to get ready for Mass.

At least i can go to mass today not hung over or full of guilt! a lovely feeling


take care and Good luck


regards Cassy

[weemelonhead]

Sunday 25th March.

Wot a lovely thread start this Sunday.......
Good on you Popeye!! King of the party boys....stick to the lemonade/water, and then you can tell people who ask that you have decided to become an aquaholic instead of an alcoholic.....that will shut 'em up.....Great noos my friend:h

Mornin' Oirish.......remember, NEVER scratch under an armpit when asked by the boss to raise hands for overtime volunteers.......or at an auction for that matter....

Good to see you Bellsebub...I too have yet to go to a party...luckily, I don't even know that many people who would invite me...hermit melon just stays at Starbucks with her imaginary chums

Cassy...you sound fab missus, and your friends sound a fantastic advertisement for sobriety.
Use your springy step to bounce off to Mass, and enjoy hearing every word without a throbbing bonce!!

Sunday night for the melon, so she is enjoying a slobby evening before workiepoos tomorrow. It is Special Olympics day, and the young man I look after is in three events, so we will be galloping about the race track along with special needs students from all over Auckland and beyond....it's a great atmosphere...
Unfortunately, 'L' has to put up with me as his assistant for the day, and I am to sport wot Pavarotti is to thong swimwear........his mum and I always joke that I am his disability...not the cerebral palsy....bloody cheek:H
Have a good day all...not much of mine left...I'm off to bed soon wiv a cup of horlicks and a much re-read Pterry book...dreaming of 'L,s' glorious Gold medals.........

Play those bongos!
Weemelon xxx

[TomNolds]

Sunday 25th March.

Good job Pop Eye

[Popeye]

Sunday 25th March.

Thanks for the kind words All,
The Melon made me laugh again..........

[Determinator]

Sunday 25th March.

Bright and early here on the left coast, a big happy Sunday to all the cats n kitties in AB'sville! special congrads to Popeye. I've yet to attend a "real" party while abbing but Vegas next week will certainly be a slippery place to test myself. Got my gear packed and I'm off to the range to shoot a match for the first time in three months, back in a few hours. Hey Tom, nice to see you in here! congrads Cassy on the awesome AB days!
Be well everyone.

[Breez]

Sunday 25th March.

Afternoon Abbeys!

Proud of you Pop! Great job!
Hi, Det, Tom, Irish (don't work to hard), Bell & Melon (luv those visuals in my head) and Casy (congrats-35).

Enjoy Sobriety !

[truthiness]

Sunday 25th March.

great job popeye! you give me hope....

[Java]

Sunday 25th March.

Awesome Popeye!

Doing good here, four days left at this training class and then I get to go home, thank God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria

[pansy]

Sunday 25th March.

Wow Vic, I had no idea that class was SO long! Can't wait to see you around more! Hope all is well with you.
Hugs,
Pansy

[pansy]

Sunday 25th March.

Oops - got up and left so early this AM I forgot I hadn't posted! LOL - I won't address everyone separately as I am only popping on whilst answering the phone. I am in such awe of you folks who actually go to parties - that is one that thing that I have not done yet - at least not done without giving in a bit! Seeing as how I am in full tilt AF mode now, I don't see myself going to any parties soon, but that is okay because I have already done more today than I used to do in a whole month of weekends. Fair trade, I think.

So, I wish everyone a wonderful AF evening (or day to all of you aussies and kiwis)!

Hugs,
Pansy

[cassy]

Sunday 25th March.

just back home from the pub with hubby...a lovely feeling to be sober too..no booze just a pasta dinner, a walk by the river and look in the shop windows and home feeling all cosy and full but SOBER.

couldnt do it without this site , faith hubby and my friend who is also on boad. so we three are 35 days AF today...yipeeeeeeeeee

Went to Mass this am and prayed so hard to free us all from this horrendous curse of addictive behaviour, mindsets ..call it what you like but its horrible!!


I am off to sit in front of the fire with a hot choc and the daily paper ...so very very glad that through the power of prayer, support from you guys on this site that i can go to bed GUILT FREE.


I thank you all who share so honestly and i hope i too can offer my support at times to those who are on the wobble.

dont get me wrong I know i am not home and dry(oh that sounds funny!!) but i want to bask in this day...in case i blow it tomorrow!!!!


good Luck to you all...any improvement has to be better than where we have been.



From a very happy lady...Cassy...can i just say it one more time as I need to pinch myself...35 days AF........

My goal is 40 days ..i will plod on until Easter and then have to review............there lies the next problem...so dont switch off .. I need all the support I can get.

good night to you all may you sleep peacefully(its lovely to wake up without yesterdays make up on, dehydrated and full of GUILT)


Cassy

[Determinator]

Sunday 25th March.

Well, I did make it to the range but slipped on the first stage tearing a huge hole in my pants and messing up my knee (superficially but it hurts like hell) normally afterwords that would be the perfect excuse to knock down a few, "for the pain". Seems the many macho way to deal with a mishap. Ha! me thinks not. Just came home and let Dx play nurse and we had a good laugh about it. Nice quiet evening here in the high sierras and getting ready for another hangover-free Monday morning be well my friends.