af Sunday 6 April

[treetops]

HI everyone ? thought I might as well start the Sunday thread since it is that day already. Daylight saving time ? so I could have an extra hours sleep but enjoying the extra hour up. Lots to do as I am away for several weeks in a few weeks time ? plus a lot of work things to organise. And daughter?s pressure from school. But we did manage a night off ? went to a play that was OK and had dinner out beforehand ? OK but not exciting.

And... Best bit yesterday was a lovely walk with my daughter along the beach ? lots of surfers in the waves too.

Mick ? what other advice did you get from the nutritional people? I don?t think some coffee is bad for most folk ? in moderation of course. It does not seem to be good for anxiety ? and people with mood swings (I try to tell my OH this but listen he will not).

Good luck with the Thomas birthday party Lav. And enjoy the fine weather that is on its way.

Hi there and welcome Chef :welcome:? I don?t know you ? so if you like to share, whats your background? I see you have been a member for a long time.

Gidday Satzy ? good to see you pop in.

Det ? hope the sale is a winner ? for you.

SL ? I think I have congratulated you but just in case ? you are doing terrific girl! :flower:That's great that you could deal with your daughter?s stationery requests without the association with booze. See ?it does get better.

OK ? off to make some coffee (sorry Mick!) and to get on with the day.
Big hellos to everyone else.

[scottish lass]

af Sunday 6 April

:l:l TT - was thinking about you today on my walk, wondering how you were. I had a lovely walk, but was not on the beach - I am an ocean lover, thats where I breathe deeply and feel at rest...so I am envious, and glad you had a good time with your daughter.
Just had to nip in to say hi, will see you for real tomorrow:H:H

[Mick]

af Sunday 6 April

mae all..just a quick nip in ..its 4.30 am and offski on my travels in a minute

hiya tt....how are you doing?that nutritional talk went really well...was abs brilliant talking about fats transfats,using colours for meals ..bin processed foods etc ..really interesting....so how are you today?ok? still doing your holiday itenary?

morning lav ...one hooge brew to keep you going through the day ..methinks you will need it..thomas undies? want some!!:H

Hiya Det well is that the garage sale done and dusted now?did you get rid of as much as you thought you would? ...Ive got loads for car boot and ebay..


hiya SL...wow a walk by the sea.....cant get better than that!!love it too..glad you had a good walk ....yep ..yesterday was a bit of a mish mash day for me!!so apologies for nae jokes!!despite the early doors here you go!!

right folks ...off to brave the elements......as Douglas Macarthur said ...I will return ..see yo all later..

There's a picture in today's paper of a Geep, a rare crossbreed animal that results from a sheep mating with a goat.

Big deal. I once saw a Shelshman.

It's been reported that climate change could affect supply of fruit and vegetables worldwide and that education is key to helping to prevent such a devastating event occurring.

Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, has stated that although he is aware of the need for further research, he has no intention of inciting panic and confusion by introducing new and healthy produce to Scotland.

I see Vladimir Putin says his divorce was amicable.

It must have been. She's still alive.

The wife was upset only two people turned up at our wedding yesterday.


Only one, if the pub hadn't turfed me out.

I caught my wife in bed with my best mate. She was beside herself.

"It's OK," I said. "I know I've been neglecting you. We can talk about this: there's no reason it should ruin our relationship."

"Oh, thank you!" she said. "I don't know why I did it."

"Shut up," I said. "I wasn't talking to you."

Some girl just asked me if I thought she was wearing too much make-up.

I said it depended on whether she was going to kill Batman or not.

Took me a few minutes to register when I bumped into my ex wife in town today.


Didn't recognise her without my wallet.

As a Liverpool lad, the first time I had dinner at my Manchester girlfriend's flat was unnerving. All was ok though..

It was just like my mother used to steal.

Dont bother with the Grand National any more. Last year my horse started off at 33/1 at Aintree, and ended up at 2 for1at Tesco's

I saw forty old ladies whizzing down the road on their mobility scooters, then it struck me; today is the Gran National.

I said to my wife, "You remind me of a hippo."

She yelled, "Are you calling me fat?"

"No, no!" I said, "It's just that you've got a huge mouth, but only got four teeth."

3 days ago I got a pass-code lock that takes a picture whenever someone enters the wrong code to look in my phone.

So far I have 26 pictures of drunk me.

[TheSunFlower]

af Sunday 6 April

Since Mick nearly demanded a post....here it is.

I had a fairly intense 'bout of "wanting to drink" Friday night. The trigger? Just wanting to escape my brain for a few hours. Sometimes I wish I could take the darn thing out and stick it in the freezer for a few hours. Fairly exhaustive on thinking all the ways I could drink and get away with it. What I mean by this...."how do I make sure the kids don't know". To finally trying to think of all the ways I could escape my brain without having to take a drink. All of the options required energy which I did not have. A nap? Are you kidding....with all that senseless chatter.

So Pauly this is for you (and me to remember)....TV and pretzels. By 10pm I am thanking the universe for not drinking.

Leave it to me to stumble upon a Buddhist Recovery group. I went last Sunday and really enjoyed it. It is held by a woman who works at a recovery center. We meditate for 20 minutes and then the discussion went onto ego-mindfulness....all the stuff I love. I am even enjoying the reccomended book..."Buddhism & the 12 Steps Workbook". I like it because it really gives you options on the 12 Steps vs. the AA 12 Step model. In Buddhism fashion....giving you the option to design your own version of the 12 Steps.

I have been attending the Celebrate Recovery on a more regular basis. I do like the lessons.....and I have managed to find a way to not get to caught up in the religion part of it.

Somehow I love the oddity of rejecting AA, while attending a religious based group (and not being saved)....and mixing it in with Buddhism. As if I can be the hippest 12 Stepper on the planet All kidding aside....I think I like these two groups because they go deeper than AA.....and they emcompass so many forms of recovery.

Lav....I hope you have a great birthday party. Terrible Twos? I am so grateful to be walking the teenage years sober. I did watch Johnny Depp talk about dealing with his teenage daughter and he said he wished he had an "opium IV". I could relate, give me the hard stuff.....booze simply would not do the trick

TT-walk on the beach....so jealous.

Mick....have a great day....4:30am...I am still a night owl....I really wish sobriety would have magically turned me into a morning person.

SL....glad to see that the unchartered waters seem to be smooth.

Det--isn't amazing the crap we held onto to? I have gotten rid of 75% of the stuff that I don't need. The 25% I still hang on to will make its way out of my life eventually. It truly is freeing to unload the crap.

Back to reading for me. Hope everyone has a great day!

[treetops]

af Sunday 6 April

SF - I thought 'brain freeze' was when you eat too much ice-cream:H

well done on letting your rational part of your brain talk you out of drinking. We can all do it - even on a Friday night!!
And as you so rightly show - its often just time - a few hours - some mindless diversion therapy - or whatever the situation demands.

Made pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread and vanilla cookies today. Time to read over some work tonight before I sink my teeth into my latest Scandinavean (crime noir ) DVD - The Bridge (its been remade as The Tunnel in the UK/France - and its been remade in the US - set there on the Mexico border).

[Lavande]

af Sunday 6 April

Good morning Abbers,

Sunny & a bit chilly here this morning but nothing falling from the sky today - I'll take it :H

TT, it nice that you can connect with your daughter during these high stress times. Sounds like maybe you two are cut from the same cloth so you have a close bond :l

I like the ocean too SL but haven't seen one in years! That's a shame too because I don't live all that far from the coast. Glad you are moving right along

Mick, thanks for the coffee. I'm sure going to need a lot of it to energize myself for today's festivities! Because you asked so nice, here you go:
Thomas the Train Boys 3 Pack Underwear - Toddler - Handcraft - Babies "R" Us
Hope yo have a great Sunday!

Det, I had a garage sale here just a few years ago & it was truly exhausting. From now on I think I'll just donate stuff to the Purple Heart Association. They come & pick up any useful item you put out & the proceeds go to a good cause

Greetings to everyone else!
PQ, sure hope you check in soon.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

af Sunday 6 April

Mae everybody,just a quick fly-by,i have Louie so short on time,just wanted to say hi,ooh now bye,have a good sunday,ill probly stop by later

[scottish lass]

af Sunday 6 April

Morning all - had a drinking dream - nix that, had a drinking nightmare last night - woke this morning wondering how I was going to deal with drinking and what I was going to say here - really, it was very real until I came too, but I am all out of sorts. Not a good way to start a Sunday, better than really drinking, but I don't like this :upset: wonder what the message was - I was not thinking of drinking last night, did not need the reminder

Det - like Lav, I can't cope with selling my "stuff" - I also donate, the vetrans society come past here every month or so, and I can write off on taxes too. It makes me feel ok about keeping things to a minumum, knowing that it is helping others, and the routine is great!

Lav, my dream is to retire to the ocean, I do go fairly often, but not nearly often enough - you should take the grandkids, they would love it and you would love them loving it!

Hi TT and Pauly - happy Sunday. Interetsing connections SF, you sound happy discovering them:l

[treetops]

af Sunday 6 April

SL - I think many of us get these drinking dreams - out of the blue - I had one a few weeks ago. I think Lav's advice to me has been to not worry about them - just let them go. I really wouldnt read too much into it.

I also feel out of sorts for ages after one of those dreams.

Last night (its Monday now) I had dreams about things I wouldn't do in real life - or at least not these days (no explanations will be given!!). Dreams are complex and different cultures attach different meanings to them. Maybe think of it as opening the 'filing cabinet' for a peak - and just shut it again.

Think of the ocean instead.

[scottish lass]

af Sunday 6 April

Will do TT - ocean thoughts are here...it was remarkable how sure I was that it had occured when I woke up, I don't seem to dream like that normally (meaning vividly)
Hope your dream was fun - our imaginations are running riot, but I am sure you realise that:H

[treetops]

af Sunday 6 April

I actually have far less vivid dreams these days. Most of my life I had very vivid dreams. It had nothing to do with AL. Just my crazy makeup- my mum and brother were the same. Partly why I find it hard to stay asleep for long periods. I just live with it

[scottish lass]

af Sunday 6 April

Feeling better Strawberries are in - just got a three pack from a fruit stand and they smell soooo good, and three bunches of sweetpeas, the smell reminds me of home!! Happy Sunday after all:l

[Lavande]

af Sunday 6 April

The party was a success & I am E.X.H.A.U.S.T.E.D :H :H

It started off nicely with the kids greeting each other with hugs & kisses, handing over gifts & all that. By the end of the party there was a lot of tug of war going on with toys & of course a lot of tears. I'm proud to say that I did not cry :H

SL, I put out a bowl of fresh sliced strawberries & kiwi with the cake & everyone had some - yum

TT, I have been a lifelong 'extreme dreamer' myself. You know the kind that wake you up & leave you thinking WTF all the next day!!! I was also a sleepwalker as a kid - wonder if that was related?? Or maybe I'm just a giant weirdo, who knows???

[treetops]

af Sunday 6 April

Glad you survived Lavande.

when my daughter was about 5 years old she went to a birthday party for which we spent ages making a very lovely costume. She came home in someone else's shorts and tee-shirt with wet hair. That was because she was completely vomited over and had to be thrown in the shower. The creature that vomited on her is now a very 'cool' aloof and handsome teenager at her school. She still doesn't trust him:H