AF Day Wed 29 Jan

[treetops]

MAE abberoos
I thought I better jump in and put the tea and coffee on for Mick. I went on a thistle recce today in my neighbourhood. Plenty of the weeds but they all look a bit scrawny for making into soup. I shall have to read up on this.

Hope all are well today. Pauly - are you back on track? I popped in and out of the Tuesday thread and made some silly comments. Can?t see the point in repeating them today.

I see that there is still really bad weather in parts of the US. I guess that's hitting you Lav ? how about you, Yah?

Well today?s little musing is over people taking a break from MWO. I am sort of prompted by Broken Halo?s comments (she is leaving) and the thread Kuya?s started about success stories and what people get from MWO. I sometimes can?t be bothered posting and feel more like just browsing, but like Mick-I feel a commitment esp to this thread. Its not just accountability ? its keeping the group ticking along. Some people decide to leave because they feel that they are OK with their quit, they don?t think about AL and they don?t want to always have to think about it, addiction etc. Besides they are getting on with their lives. Which is great.

So I thought of my connection here. For me, the daily accountability has been so important and esp in the early days ? but I don?t panic if I can?t log in. I think a big step for me has been to feel part of a wider group where we face AL problems at various stages and find our different ways out. I like to be able to help but I don?t have the time to really get into this ? and at times my job is draining (supporting others, making decisions) that I can?t face doing this this on MWO. I get also computer fatigue, I get sore hands, I just can?t type anymore.
I also like to explore the different aspects of AL addiction and issues ? the literature, the research, the therapies and medication, watch docos ? ponder on how AL fits into different cultures and time-periods. I genuinely am interested in this.

But will I take a break from MWO ? as some do? Of course I might have to ? as happened to Kuya. I have times during the year when I know I am not going to be posting so much because I will be travelling. I don?t think I will take a break ? but not because I am afraid of drinking or isolating myself if I take a break.
I might not post every day or as much ? but its good to be kept on our toes.:H:H Mick is always full of surprises !!:H

Anyway this was a long ramble ?but I hope it generates some discussion.

Cheerio ? nite nite here (well its not dark yet) and morning to those waking up!

[Mick]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

mae all..and how are we today?ok then ..well orf we go gotta lot to get through...24 post yesterday!

so armed with a brew lets make a start......plenty for everyone

hiya tt ..hows you today on your thistle hunt?was just wondering ...does milk thistle come from the plant?if so there could be a wee fortune here!!Interesting topic...taking a break from here..yep there are various reasons..but for me..I will always be grateful for what this site gave back to me...no meds no nothing ..just this site and in particular 3 special people..ok so now I dont drink..why do I post?..Simply because I enjoy it..yes at times I get pissed off and cant be bothered,sometimes it is hard to post because of other things,sometimes throw my toys out, sometimes get really down...and yet always come back..I remember a thread somewhere saying its swapping one addiction for another..well I definitely dont see it like that..its about making choices..and I choose to do it..Another reason , is I want to try and help others that are /have been in a similar position...I definitely know of a lot of people who have that same outlook on here..and if all my burbling speil just helps one person then we are doing good...ok lecture over!!

Hiya Lav ..how are you today?ok whats the weather doing to you?Over here we have asda supermarkets ..which the full name is asda wallmart..ergo do you have wallmart asda ? curious question I know..but the asdas here have got gift cards on the go at the moment..with Thomas on them..might have the same the other way round over there..Got one yesterday will put a pic up later for you..anyway heres a coffee ..just made some more ..that last one I made was rubbish!!!

Hiya Sam..how are you today?have the thoughts disconnected themselves yet?Hope so...Didnt realise Pete Seeger did so much

mornin no more Jim..how are you? just a quick visit or plannin on stopping?

Hiya Narilly ..how are you today?ok.well yet again at the chiro tonight..its eased off a lot now ..just when I sit down it locks up and is sore ..otherwise just like a nagging pain ..if its ok tonight will be out early doors tomorrow..so it may just be a quick hi/bye.What have you been up to?owt or nowt?

Hiya SL...how did the bored meeting go...I used to hate them. and I used to think how can so much crap be talked..especially when it is a given the human interest switches off after 20 minutes...as a senior manager I used to have to run these silly bloody things now and again..my challenge was to see how much I could compact them..my best stance was "exception reporting"dont want to know any of last week.months shite ...whats new..best I ever dd was to compact a meeting which usually took about 6 hours ..!!! into 1.40 minutes..strangely enough used to get great attendance at them.what are you up to today?

Hiya Det.....how are you today?nice mention of the haggis ..you been doing your homework?ok folks here you go..

For centuries it has been a symbol of Scotland alongside tartan, bagpipes and whisky.
But haggis is actually an English creation, a food historian has discovered.
The claim has sparked a fierce backlash from proud Scots who eat the dish every January to celebrate the poet Robert Burns, who wrote in praise of 'the great chieftain of the puddin' race'.
Food historian Catherine Brown has found mentions of haggis in an English cooking guide from 1615 which proves it was being eaten south of the border some 171 years before Robert Burns wrote his Address to the Haggis.
Scottish workers prepare haggis+3
Delicacy: Scottish workers at MacSween's prepare haggis, which food historian Catherine Brown has found was in fact invented in England
The writer, herself a Scot, found a reference to the 'delicacy' in the 17th century book 'The English Hus-wife', by Gervase Markham.
It says 'small oat meal mixed with the blood, and the liver of either sheep, calfe, or swine, maketh that pudding which is called the Haggas, or Haggus of whose goodnesse it is vain to boast, because there is hardly to be found a man that doth not affect (like) them.'

pretty small price to pay for what England has had out of Scotland!!!

I think we have hit common ground..not sure about the fish ..but black bean sauce is defo a winner for me..need to try fish in it!

Hiya Kuya ..hows you doing?yep pity about the youngsters and the attitude..hey having a good time ..not interested ...guess we were all there once....when getting older was a far off land at the bottom of the list under drink,drunk, sex, cars, money, job, music ,good times.!
no particular order to the list by the way!

Hiya ppqp ..aka stomper ..you ok after your stressful day?is your boss a delegator or abdicator?doesnt really matter...only one is in charge ..the other thinks he is!!here have an anti stress brew!!..happy reading in the lavvy.

Last but not least ...hiya Pauly ...and how are you today?apart from feeling pissed off at letting yourself down..if you truly (that sounds all bible ish!)want to stop then you need to relook and think your commitment and strategy..but your starting point is almost like a flow char ..do I or dont I ..if so have I got the commitment...is my strategy right..when do I feel the urge..do I give in too easy ..what else can I do...everyone here is rooting for you..this isnt meant to sound harsh ,so dont take it that way..instead of giving in...just think of al as someone in life that you have known or met and disliked intensely..now imagine that person was trying to boss or bully you around into doing things?..your reaction would be what?
So dont give up..sometimes I hear in your posts how cheesed off you are..but keep at it..and be more forceful..feck you I will win this war ..you might have won the battle ..but the fat lady is still singing..hows that for mixed metaphors?
Seriously tho you want any help just yell..pm or otherwise...

right peeps tis time for the offski..take care










If Mary, James, Peter, Richard, David and John are all in separate vehicles, travelling at a constant speed of 60mph, in a forward direction with no obstacles, at which point is Mary likely to stamp on her brakes and cause a fecking accident?

My mate walked up to me in the pub last night and said, "Who's the bird sitting in the corner with duct tape across her mouth?"

"That's my new girlfriend." I replied.

"Really?" he said, "You've kept that one quiet."

I visited America last month and decided to soak up some of the culture.

A shop keeper said "Have a nice day!"

I didn't.

So I sued him.

Our window cleaner doesn't half do a thorough job.

Twice I've come home in the past month to find him cleaning the inside of our bedroom window, whilst embarrassingly my wife is still in bed.

I can refute the common assumption that bachelors live off crap food.

Tonight I'm having a home made Thai green curry.

It used to be a chicken Korma but it's been in the fridge for three weeks.

My three greatest regrets in life are; drinking too much, and not paying attention in Maths class.

I thought I was a pretty good stripper and pole dancer...

Until the people at the fire station told me to put my clothes back on and feck off.

This woman come up to me in the pub last night.

"You wouldn't be able to handle me." she said with a cheeky grin.

"I can see that" I said "I'd do my back in you fat git."

After 15 minutes of the Merseyside Derby there has been 12 shots on goal, 14 fouls and 300 cars outside the ground broken into.

I just had a bouncy house delivered for free.

All I had to do was stand on the ledge outside of my office building.

[Lavande]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Good morning Abbers & Happy Hump day to all!

Yes TT, the weather still totally sucks here :H
Had another inch of snow overnight & it's 7 degrees above zero at the moment - that's cold!!!!
I've stayed connected to MWO on a daily basis for just about 5 years now & wouldn't have it any other way
This is my choice & the right one for me! My reasons for staying connected have changed over the years but that doesn't matter. I have grown from a scared newbie into the obnoxious person full of Lavanittude that I am now :H :H I am most grateful for the priceless support I have received here!

Thanks for the fresh coffee Mick - I'm chugging it, wrapped in my blanket as we speak
Good to know about the Thomas gift cards. My Thomas obsessed grandson's 3rd birthday is coming up the first week of April. I wasn't able to print the map. I think I'll look around to see if there's a larger poster or something I can get for his bedroom wall!

Sam, how are you today? Are your chickens coping with this weather??
I'm always half afraid to open the door to the coop in the morning to check on them. They have done well so far during this cold blast - bless their little hearts

Greetings to PQ & narilly! I know you two deal with more snow & colder air than I do - not sure hope you girls cope!

Greetings Det, SL & everyone!

I need to get a move on & get some things done. Work first then likely a trip to Curves.
I picked up 3 pounds of fresh mushrooms yesterday so I know there's a pot of soup in my future!!

Have a great AF Wednesday everyone!
Lav

[paulywogg]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Mae everybody,i do keep a journal of all this and and can pinpoint to a tee when ill get the f'its,bad cravings,and all,so maybe i set myself up for failure knowing these button pushing days?i also have noted that i have alot of enablers in my life,its not their fault i choose to drink,but sometimes i want to just be left alone with my mood,or pain then i feel guilty so i use drinking to soothe my whatever,rambling but thanks for listening,have a good wednesday

[porqoui]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

MAE ALL....

Had one of those nights where you're constantly waking up. Every time I was awake my mind was racing with the "schedule"...gee wonder where that came from. :H

Pauly...at one point when I was in therapy I heard an interesting analogy and it sure fit me to a "T". I've been so used to living in daily chaos that when I quit drinking and things settled down I didn't know how to handle it. I would deliberately sabotage my quit as I felt more comfortable living in chaos. That's when the brain training helped. It was hard to change that auto response but it can be done. Hang in there and here with us.

TT...hope you're having a restful sleep. I felt overwhelmed at one point thinking I HAD to post every day and address everyone one all the time. I don't feel that way anymore. I like to support this thread because I have come to care for all the regulars here. Sometimes just a comment can make the world of difference to someone.

Mick...definitely think abdicator fits the bill. He's been on the job for 18 years and the last 5 had no support from his administration staff. I'm thinking he's feeling finally someone who cares and is capable of dealing with the day to day issues. I've become the IT expert, HR sounding board, media spokesperson, conflict resolution person, etc. etc. It's just a good thing I love my job. I remember when you took a break from here and how lost I felt. Glad to here the back is easing a bit for you and hope you can get your early out tomorrow.

Lav...yup it's easier for us as we grew up with it. Always remember waiting for the big deep freeze so we could go spin donuts in the safeway parking lot. :H

Need to force myself to get up and going as the "resentful renter" should be at my office in 1/2 hour. Have a great AF Wednesday all and all to come.....PPQP

[Samstone]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Snow and cold this morning, very pretty light fluffy snow. Chickens wonder what the hey?? Glad I got my ponds fenced off so cows don't walk the ice. There's always one that defies the electric fence.

Glad my bout with the blues is over. Now on to other stuff. Thanks to every one for listening and responding. Just expressing seems to help, even if it is after the fact.

[treetops]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Thanks for the feedback Guys. I have also posted on the General Discussion thread. I like the way people here say they like the regular contact - but that this changes over the years (years!! ain't it grand to think we have years of being AF behind us.
PPQP - Like you I guess I feel guilty sometimes because I don't respond to everyone's name but some days its just too much and there are days when we don't know what to say.

I didn't sleep well either - I have too much to do, brain too active. I will catch up later though. Eventually exhaustion wins over!

[Lavande]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Sam - you & Det both need to do what all the ladies do here. When a problem crops up just bitch it out, don't internalize it so it does damage
I think that's the primary reason I stay connected here. Having a captive audience is not a bad thing :H

[Lavande]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Hey again TT

[treetops]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Talking it out does seem to gender related doesn't it Lav? :H:H But we know that.
You keep warm.

As usual when I get an idea I go into overkill. I started reading about thistles last night - even watched a video on how to harvest them. I do have a book on 'wild food' and foraging - thats specifically about New Zealand - but surprisingly it does not mention thistles.
I found some wild blackberries yesterday - picked them but they are not quite ripe yet. Maybe I can cook with them - in a tart - or muffins.

[Mick]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

tt ..that kind of sounds like me...need to know the how ,why what where when etc....

Lav here it is......they might have similar your way...

[narilly]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Hi everyone,
Hope it is a great day today.
It is snowing like crazy here but that is no problem. It is January after all.

Feeling strong in my sobriety.
30 days tomorrow. I don't really get too caught up in the number of days but ITS 30 DAYS TOMORROW!!

Back to work,

[YoungAtHeart]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

Aww, congrats, Narilly! 30 days is BIG! :goodjob:

I'm not always as regular about posting as I would like to be; my problem is that I put a lot of pressure on myself to be profound and/or remember to say something to everyone. I still have a critical mother chattering in my head, and sometimes I forget to tell her to SHUT UP!

MWO has meant so much to me over the years. I have left for periods of time, but I do think it is an important part of my STAYING SOBER. One of the times I wasn't even lurking, I was in a long-term relapse. I knew that coming here regularly, and posting frequently definitely was part of my sobriety plan, and it still is. I also care deeply for everyone here, and I feel you care for me. MWO has made a real difference in my life, and while some old-timers have left, I have some former MWO'ers that I am still in touch with in other ways as well. Many of them are still sober.

Anyway, I had a free hour, but now it is back to work for me. I like the idea of a topic periodically, TT.

Hugs,
:l
YahYah

[Samstone]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

TT
I got to tell that it was one of my chores as a child to go chop thistles in the fields, they were and are invasive for pastures. I hated the hot summers in the field chopping those damn things.

[YoungAtHeart]

AF Day Wed 29 Jan

LOL, Sam. I can completely appreciate that you would hate that.