af Sun 2 Feb

[treetops]

Well me wee Scottish friend is off on his offski soI thought I had better start today's thread .I won't post names individually -sorry - but I am too zonked - from all the cleaning and de-moulding we did today. I hope someone - maybe Lav?? can make the tea and coffee!!!
Sorry that YB changed his mind Lav -or are you?

Here in NZ, Feb is the month when the good folk give up the booze for a month - its to raise money for youth with drug and AL problems. I haven't really looked into it - as I don't need to detox for Feb. Here's the link in case anyone is interested to see how its done here.

https://febfast.org.nz

You all have a great Sunday and I hope that its not too cold for you poor wee souls still encased in winter.
Nite nite

[TheSunFlower]

af Sun 2 Feb

TT are you already getting ready for your Monday? Sometimes I am glad to be a day behind you Hope you are not recovering from the paint fumes.

Went to a concert tonight...wrote in my journal about it. I'll edit it and post it.

I can be so anti-social when I am busy. So I wanted to take time to reply to posts from yesterday....

Narilly....I never used to make plans period. Never knew how I would feel. If I was drinking it was a pretty sure bet....it would be like crap. It is so nice to know I will not be hungover tomorrow or if I have my way....ever again.

Mick....I am still not completely sold on the disease model. But, certainly agree something had ahold of me. I am finding myself drawn more to Buddhism and Science of the Mind. I like that both emphasize it needs to be practiced....not enought to intellectually know. Wish more Christians "practiced" vs. "preached". My next life....a Buddhist Monk....the life seems so uncomplicated.

Lav....I am always around I checked out the Outdoor Show....I never enjoyed any of those activities...probably a good thing....I certainly would have hurt myself or someone else. I agree on the fighting being exhausting....being af is just so simple.

SL...what finally clicks is usually pretty individual. But, I do think we all concur....we were tired of fighting. Fighting for what....a good hangover?

PPQ-glad you enjoyed your time with your Dad. I'll try to send you our sunny and 60 weather for next week.

Hope I did not miss anyone....I am sure I did. I am up late working on few projects....I'll post that journal entry edited shortly. Another novel....sometimes I wish I could bottle sobriety and give taste tests out of it. Us humans make things so hard on ourselves. We are supposed to be the evolved species....I think that is a load of crap.

[Samstone]

af Sun 2 Feb

morning all
saw the forecast to be 60 F today. Then rain/snow. It was quite sloppy out and about yesterday. Snow melt but the ground still frozen makes a slippery mess.

I, too have had a hard time with the concept of disease, yet maybe there is no other explanation. Certainly I know that if I start after a month or two in it, control is out the window. Tobacco products have their additive chemical in it, generally people who continue to smoke are addicted to nicotine, yet AL is a tricky thing, some may drink and not go down the path we apparently do. So what is the explanation? Yet none of it really matters as whatever it is, the end result is the same for me; if I begin drinking, I become a drunk. The cure is obvious and simple. The quit can be difficult and a long term trial and error of fooling myself that I can moderate and dragging family members through the mire of the deception.
I glad that I'm over the deception part!!

So superbowl sunday, national beer holiday will see me watch the game with a nice tall glass of water! I rooting for the refs, they always win!

[Lavande]

af Sun 2 Feb

Good morning Abbers,

Yep, I have the coffee & tea ready - help yourselves

Today is known as Groundhog Day around here. A bunch of crazy people out in the western part of the state get up early & drag the famous rodent Phil out of his nest where he supposedly predicts an early Spring or 6 more weeks of winter. I am totally serious :H
Punxsutawney Phil Vs. The Farmers' Almanac: Whom Do You Trust? : The Two-Way : NPR

TT, I guess anything that draws attention to the perils of excess is a good thing. Giving up AL for the month of February, giving up for the Lenten season, etc. It would be wonderful if a few people actually deiced to stay quit after the end of the month

SF, it's heading to 50 degrees here today, tomorrow we're getting 8 inches of snow. Makes no damn sense to me. Have you read Rick Hanson's 'Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness'? Great book!!

Greetings to everyone else. Mick, I hope you are careful out on the roads today!
Time for me to get moving, lots to do.
Have a wonderful AF Sunday everyone!

Lav

[Lavande]

af Sun 2 Feb

Hi there Sam - cross post

[Samstone]

af Sun 2 Feb

Hey Lav
one of my favorite movies... Groundhog Day!

[TheSunFlower]

af Sun 2 Feb

Lav--I used to live close to Punxsutawney....yes, it will be on the news all over the US. I stayed in the hotel where Groundhog Day was filmed. We kept joking is this new day or is it a do over. Also, being such a small town, you can only imagine the Phil stuff you can purchase year round. Thanks for the book recommendation...I certainly will check it out.

Sam...for me I just can't relate it to diabetes or cancer. I consider it a self inflicted injury. I need to keep top of mind, that I caused it and there is healing to be done. Also, when I consider it an injury...it deflects any sort of pleasure I used to get from it. Certainly some people can use it and not get addicted...but, I think that goes across all drug lines. I know someone who does coke occasionally....doesn't mean I think its good for them. And I do think its none of my business.

I rather not honor a beverage that has harmed so many. Al has done more damage in this world than all the other drugs combined. Because it is legal and acceptable. Being illegal and unacceptable kept me away from the other stuff. I am not saying to make it illegal.

But I will say....being in a big arena concert last night....I noticed a true shift in drinking levels. Maybe it was $15 beers. I heard one person complain "two drinks $30!" But, I still see a shift going on.

Tonight 50 percent of Americans will tune in to watch commercials. I am irritated that the leaked Budweiser commercial uses our military to build their brand. But, that is advertising for you. It sets a tone of how much they support the troops....so, people have some sort of fuzzy feeling that they too are supporting the troops when they purchase the product. What a freaking load of crap.

Off for my day!

[Determinator]

af Sun 2 Feb

Ahoy ABerooooos!

yesterday morning it was 14F and it felt like it! didn't stop me from getting out and having some good recreational 'mountain time' with friends.

there is good medical documentation that shows some humans are born with a strong genetic predisposition to alcohol, and others without it can simply become alcoholic due to hereditary/environmental influences. at any rate it doesn't much matter.... alcohol is a thief and has no place in our homes.

i'm one of the few guys in the US perhaps that's not watching the game today. I just never got into most mainstream sports. if there's not too much ice on the road I'll get out with my dear Dx for a bike ride.

be well everyone

[Determinator]

af Sun 2 Feb

ditto what Sunflower said on the bud commercials. shameless!

when my dad was in Viet Nam the beer and cig companies would provide their product for free, or almost free to indoctrinate our boys. sounds a lot like the neighborhood meth dealer and the 'first one's free'.

[scottish lass]

af Sun 2 Feb

Hi all, Happy Sunday - bit gloomy here and very windy. Apparently rain has been spotted a little West of us, so hoping it will make its way here. Will be watching the game, but just for the adverts of course! Feeling calm and at ease - did not sleep too well again, but that will come - continued to do a lot of thinking...
Saw a quote that works - "forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace"

[TheSunFlower]

af Sun 2 Feb

I wanted to share this. I know that all us abber’s have had these instances.

Tonight I went to my first big arena concert/big artist since putting down the drink 10 months ago. Actually have not been to one of these types of concerts in 4 years. While driving there I can literally feel the circuits in my brain start to light up. Quickly, I can literally taste the beer on my tongue. I knew quickly this tiger in my mind could tear me to shreds. So I stopped and said, “SF, you are not even there yet. You are here, right now driving. Focus in that….find refuge within yourself”. I got distracted by driving and getting parked…the tiger in my mind was gone.

This is how fast your circuits can light up without a warning….after being AF a decent amount of time. What was the trigger? I was simply doing something that in a past lifetime I usually drank at. That is how powerful the grooves we have created in our brains are. No drinks in 10 months…and not this type of concert in 4 years….yet, the gooves are still there waiting to attack me or be smoothed out.

Funny to note….later in the evening I had to pour someone a glass of wine. I didn’t think much of it, I got a whiff of it and my eyes began to water and I felt my stomach roll as in almost a dry heave. I looked down and saw that it was the brand/type of wine I drank, during my brief wine days.

In the beginning it is harder. Your tools are weak and your triggers are around every corner.
But you literally you have two choices. Give in and strengthen your drinking brain circuits. Or you can choose to sharpen your tools. It is entirely up to you. And trust me….I know all about how that tiger in my mind can consume me, make me think I just won’t make it, I’ll go nuts without a drink…literally tearing me to shreds. The tiger is a big fat liar, making you believe things that are not true.

I don’t know if this helps anyone. But, it served as a great reminder to me. Sobriety cannot be explained. It has to be experienced. But, honestly…life holds so much more for you. Things that are so magical they simply cannot be explained.

I have used every excuse in the book. I tried everything to keep a drink in my hands. I don’t miss a single thing about drinking…period. My hand to God…..I never ever thought I would say that.

[paulywogg]

af Sun 2 Feb

Excellent post Sunflower

[scottish lass]

af Sun 2 Feb

TheSunFlower;1621977 wrote: My hand to God?..I never ever thought I would say that.

Yeah SF!!!!! That is a gift - to you, and to those of us struggling to know that that day truly is achievable!!:l

[narilly]

af Sun 2 Feb

SL, love the quote. We could all use that.

Sun, loved your post yesterday AND today (not that I don't love them everyday)
It is crappy about the Budwiser commercials. AL is so addictive and all these liquor companies take total advantage of that any way they can.
Det. What you said about giving the vets free cigs and beer. Wow, that is messed up.

Anyway, watching the game (sort of), drinking tea and nacho chips w/salsa.

What a booze fest the Super Bowl is. Let's make as much money as we can- drink, drink, drink!
It's gets pretty stupid.

[narilly]

af Sun 2 Feb

Cross post.
Wow Sun, I loved that! What a great way to think about it. Way to go for you to recognize it. Thank you for that post.