wednesday 9th april

[Mick]

hiya everyone...well hows the world today then?all ok?looks like a lovely morning out there ,so got a few things I need to catch up on ...fit gate and make a fence panel...got a couple of pallets that I need to strip down for that..so on we go...also need to get myself motivated to get some exercise done,just cant really get my head round it at the moment...gotta few pounds to shift.was at the chiro yesterday...feel achey this morning but no pains..

ok thats nuff about moi and ailments,moving swiftly on with a brew......its made so jump in if you want.

hiya tt ...hows you ?kind of guessed you were a wee bit busy ..and it certainly sounds like it..when do you go on your world jaunt?certainly sounds like you have a lotta stuff going on there....

hiya Det...hows you ..apart from being pissed off at yourself..I would be too...still up we get and off we go again.....one day ...just shows you tho drink and drugs...makes no distinction between otc drugs and illegal ones!

hiya Sam ...well hows you doing mate?branching out into markets now?whats your weather doing now?...any chance of getting outside yet?

hiya Lav...well did the sun make an appearance yesterday?what did you end up doing ? ..here you go ..lets have a natter over this brew!got some more plants done yesterday...I also bought another camellia bush ...its a wee belter...reddish and white mix.
Just watching the cattle in the top field...the bull is in there too!!think there are about 6 longhorn cows, hopefully the farmer will bring them further down before the calving season.you any plans for today?

hiya Pauly ..how are you?where are you thinking of going when youve saved up?

Morning SL......how are you today?hope all goes well with your dads surgery...Im led to believe that I dont react too well to going under either...in fact..I know at one stage I was strapped down after an op...heres a good one for you..had to go and pick up my tablets yesterday...there was a queue in the chemists I usually go to ..so went to another one..got the tablets..took one this morning..but when Ilooked at them they are a wee bit smaller than the last ones..ok so first thoughts?the robbing gits.. these are smaller than the ones I get ,but paid the same ..NOT hmm let me check and see if these are the right tablets!!!

allo Chef....and how are you today?one day you need to tell us the story behind the name..how did you get it..is it your trade ..or did you just fancy the handle..kinda like Mick the pirate or the astronaut or summat?

right peeps just let the wabbits out so off to watch them..can see one but not the other!!

have a great day.

heres the camellia..got it wrong ..not white!



bell peppers and marigolds



peppers ,cauliflowers and beetroot



chillies,sweet peas tomatoes



starting at the top..under cloche ..cabbage..to the left elephants foot garlic,under next cloche ..onions..then row of leeks then broad beans then kale..see the new camellia next to the pole?hopefully get as big as the pink one!



there the panel I have got to make..the small one at the bottom in front of the shed



Just phoned the BBC to complaine about that Call Center TV program. .I dont know how it happened the guy on the end of the phone managed to sell me double glazing, some loft insulation, he got me to change my energy supplier and take out life insurance. .I only phoned up to tell them that their program was shit..

My wife told me women were better at multi tasking than men. So I told her to sit down and shut up.

Guess what, she couldn't do either.

My 8-month-old son has developed a nasty cough and the doctor believes it's because I smoke in the house while he's there.

So as from tomorrow, when I want a cigarette, I'll be putting him in the garden.

You can always tell how much a person cares about a gift they receive by how quickly they look it up on eBay.

After my wife's fall down they stairs I've been given the devastating news it's 50/50 if she'll talk again.

I was looking for better odds than that.

Do Yale graduates go on to do keyhole surgery?

I was cooking a barbecue in my garden naked last night, when suddenly my neighbour poked his head over the fence and said, "Dave, can you put some pants on?"

"No problem." I replied, "You eat some really weird stuff!"

Oscar Pistorius has told the court at his trail that he sometimes hides in the bathroom because he gets scared.

He needs to watch you can get shot in there.

[treetops]

wednesday 9th april

Morning Mick - well its dark here now. I am sitting in a builders site - my bedroom! Gosh they found a lot of rotten wood around the windows - moisture had been building up for decades - so all being replaced - I will get new carpet and curtains when I am home from my trip. Leaving at Easter - family with me for the first few weeks.

Don't worry I am sure the exercise will kick in soon for you. I will be doing a lot of walking on my travels.

Morning to everyone else - I haven't got an open window (computer not my bedroom:H) so I can't read back over posts and my memory is shot tonight as I only had around 4 hours sleep last night - and even that was broken. Daughter was trying to do all all-nighter for her assignment (which I thoroughly disapprove of - silly idea) and although I tried to sleep I couldn't.
I will probably catch up with the posts tomorrow which will be today
Have a great Wednesday all

[Lavande]

wednesday 9th april

Good morning Abbers & Happy Hump day

Great pics Mick - you have a real garden there, good for you! Mine is still in my dreams :H
I think by the weekend it will be dry enough around here to actually get something started around here - geez. Today is just a trip to Curves & a little work for me, nothing special.

Det, I'm sorry about your pill mix up, that can be dangerous as you know. How about putting the Rx stuff under lock & key & away from the vitamins to eliminate the possibility of that happening again?

TT, four hours of sleep wouldn't do me much good either. Hope you catch up soon
House repairs always take on a life of their own, don't they?

Greetings SL, pauly, SF, PQ, Sam, Chef & everyone!
Have a great AF Wednesday one & all.

Lav

[paulywogg]

wednesday 9th april

Mae everybody,garden looks nice Mick,my bougainvillea lost all of the pink doo-dads but its still nice and green,hopefully its just adjusting and comes back,my little rose bush ive had for awhile bloomed 5 roses so far,the most ever so thats cool,not sure where i want to go on a getaway,somewhere quiet but fun,maybe Sedona AZ,no Utah,i lived there for 5 years(shoulda stayed)so ive basically seen everything already there,id like to go to WA where Michelle is but the drive may kill us both,i get back spasms when im in the car for long and hubs has an f'ed up tailbone,we shall see what happens,well off to wake son up,have a good wednesday

[ChefRobaire]

wednesday 9th april

Hello All,
Mick, I am a Chef by trade and my name is Bob...my dad called me Robaire...hence Chef Robaire. I was in the hotel biz for many years as Exec. Chef..I wised up, got out and into health care. I am now Director of Nutrition at a hospital....still LOVE to cook and do it often. I have also come to the realization that excercise is not negotiable...and a must do...so get up and out! Have a FAB day y'all!!

[scottish lass]

wednesday 9th april

Garden looking good Mick! Can I have a bunch of sweet peas when they flower please!
On a conf call, multi tasking here - ie not listening to call :H
Still waiting of news on Dad - yes, he has been strapped down too....hurts to see that. Sad when nursing levels are so low you can't nurse anymore and have to tie down instead.
TT - I can't sleep either when girls stay up with homework, it is mainly as I am not agreeing with it either - these kids need their sleep!!
Will check in later.....

[bear73]

wednesday 9th april

Hi everyone,I ended up drinking last two weekends,I've got a week off ATM so relaxing and planning healthier lifestyle. I just didn't know what to say,and feel like a failure, mixed up, do I don't I need to stop.I don't know how to stop the yes I can,no I can't drink seesaw.
sometimes I'm convinced I can moderate,sometimes I'm not and even if I can moderate,I don't enjoy it.my friends don't think I have a problem,saying my lifestyle is so different from when I drank heavily.what I have seen is when I drink I find it harder to stick to gym routine,with or without big binges,I also smoked.

I'm sick of hearing this myself,do I need to quit,don't I, do I don't I. Its exhausting and I know only I can dig my way out of this I just don't know how.

[treetops]

wednesday 9th april

Welcome back Bear. I think you have answered your own questions - you want to stop. As you say moderating doesn't work for you.

So many of us have said - 'I can't be that bad' - I don't drink as much or as out of control as when I was in my twenties/thirties - whatever. I am a successful functioning alcoholic - I am a good mother/daughter/girlfriend - whatever. During my last years of drinking I never did the crazy things (with my friends) that I did when I was younger. I was very much in control publicly. Our abusive drinking patterns change - and its when its causing us grief/taking over our lives - no matter the quantity or if if its weekends only - that it has to stop.

Some of my best friends also enabled me - said I didn't really have a problem. That was partly because they were hiding their own demons. They are good intelligent responsible people and we are still friends. The difference is that now they know I do not drink AL. Ever. And I think they accept that and like it. It took me months to feel comfortable about this.

My advice - is quit - no buts, no contingencies - just stop. You have all the tools and more. Having the confidence to say that to your friends - will boost your self esteem. My other advice - (sorry I have said this before) is to avoid events where AL is on offer. Just for a short period - but to give yourself a break. Try to arrange activities with friends where AL is just not available - there has to be something still on offer in the UK:H

Meanwhile post here every day and we are here to support you as much as we can. You may not like our advice but its said with the best intentions. Of course you must have face to face friends - but you have to take AL out of these relationships - no matter how minor it seems.
:h:h:h

[Turnagain]

wednesday 9th april

Popping in to say Howdy to all the FABbers who are not so near yet not so far. I've been trying to catch up with all for a bit and well...that's a bit daunting!

Treetops...you're still rocking the 'early' thread from down under with great thoughtfulness and Mick...you're still providing the warm fuzzies to everyone who passes through here AND then giving us a pile of jollies to top it off. And, then there's the lovely LAV who manages to keep the whole endeavor pulled together with her steady presence and perfect advice.....

Hugs to all the rest of you passing through....some familiar faces...like PaulyFlashyIconVegasWogg, our socal Scottish Lass, the skating Bear and the garlicky Deter. Hugs to you newer folks too....Chef Robaire...glad to see you're back!

The project I'm involved with is very demanding of my time and has me in front of a computer for long stretches which is hard on my upper body. I'm just not able to spend the recreational time on the puter like I once did. Not complaining...just explaining (that's a fine line, eh?) As challenging as this opportunity is, I am so grateful to have it. I wouldn't be capable of doing any of this if I was still mired in addiction.

Bear and Det ..... I am so sorry to see both of you struggle. For what it's worth, what finally convinced me to quit drinking (and smoking) once and for all - forever - were the non-negotiable FACTS about the drug alcohol. It is toxic. It is addictive. It is damaging.

Every drink stresses every organ system in your body. Every time. This goes for even so-called 'normal' drinkers. The truth is - drinking booze is abnormal...but our culture has evolved into one that accepts and celebrates the recreational use of this addictive drug. The multi-billion dollar alcohol industry wants you (and our policymakers) to believe that alcohol isn't the problem....it's the people who abuse alcohol who are the problem. That makes me so angry. Big Booze is even more insidious and manipulative than Big Tobacco. But, someday, I hope we can have the same widespread public understanding about the facts about drinking as we are now seeing with smoking.

Alcohol is the problem - NOT us. Alcohol addiction changes the brain. And - as long as we don't put the alcohol in, we are not addicted. That simple. But, of course, not that easy when we are actively mired in the compulsive, repetitive pit of addiction.

When I finally made the decision to NEVER drink again - no matter what - it was incredibly liberating. You sure won't find anyone around here who regrets making this life-changing commitment.

[bear73]

wednesday 9th april

Thanks TT,I need to sort it out and believe in myself and that I can change and that my gut instincts are right. I do really appreciate the honesty and the advice here,I stayed away as I couldn't face you all and just felt like a big f*****g failure and like I'm wasting everyone's time.

[paulywogg]

wednesday 9th april

Hi Turnagain,what an awesome post! last time i drank i could feel so many ugly changes going on inside my body,hip aches,toe aches etc,things i dont have when sober,every cell in our body gets affected in some way,very scary,good to hear from you

[bear73]

wednesday 9th april

Thanks turn again,I really appreciate this I'm too scared of committing in case I fail again,never freaks me out and causes me to sabotage myself

[Determinator]

wednesday 9th april

hey peeps, a slow weak day here after entirely too much work, which didn't coincide well with my recent crappy decisions.

Turn, what a pleasure to see you ol friend, and wise words indeed from my favorite accordionist.

all I can think of currently is that it's remarkable that I'm still alive after a lifetime of abuse. anyone currently struggling should bear that in mind. this day is a gift and it's worth more than all the money in the world.

Lav, I got sloppy with my PX drugs because I don't have kids in the house and thought it would be fine....problem is that I'M the biggest kid in the house and really took a bruiser. not smart. indeed they are put away now. the statistics on RX drug fatalities in the US are alarming. more than 50% of all drug fatalities are via RX drugs legally prescribed. yowser. we tend to think it would be street drugs but it's not the case.

be well everyone

[Turnagain]

wednesday 9th april

Bear - I remember feeling that fear. It certainly exists - but you can overcome it. Here's how I started out my AF decision process - I 'tried it on'....like trying on a jacket to see how it fit. After all...abstinence was the only thing I hadn't tried. What I had been doing - trying to control an uncontrollable addiction - sure as hell wasn't working. I was already failing pretty regularly and miserably at that.

I took some time and really visualized what a 100% alcohol free life looked like in glowing, glorious detail.... How I would feel about myself and being able to be free of addiction and how that would positively impact every area of my life. I saw the pride and relief in my kids eyes. I saw myself exercising without joint pain, being free to go out and enjoy hikes and dinners. I saw my skin looking alive again and I saw the beer belly and butt shrinking away. I saw my friends feeling admiration for me for overcoming addiction (after getting over their surprise that I was addicted!) I saw myself being very productive - getting things done...getting my house back in order...being productive, clear-headed and creative at work...being able to drive anywhere...anytime because I had no worries about being over the limit. I felt relief of not being enslaved by the compulsive need to get a daily fix. I felt the freedom of being in control. I felt the joy of no longer feeling isolated by my secret.

I liked what I saw so much that I decided to try committing to abstinence - despite my fears.

As it turns out, the reality of being free goes even beyond what I was able to imagine. There is a hell of a lot of power between our ears. Harness your brain and make it work for you. Think of your brain as being the ultimate test simulator. When the negative self-chatter starts up....crowd it out with those thoughts of what you are getting by healing your body after years of addiction. When depravation thoughts pop up....counter them with thoughts of gratitude for all you are getting and that you are no longer damaging yourself each day. This isn't just happy - psycho babble blah blah. You actually start building new neural pathways in your brain and the old negative pathways begin to go dormant. It takes practice and persistence, but each positive thought is one more step forward.

Finally...I found ways to really reward myself beyond the intrinsic goodness. I started a side bank account online and transferred the money I saved from not drinking and smoking into it every day. It was great to see it grow! And it was fun to spend. After week one, I treated myself to a mani-pedi. As my fund grew, I started making a monthly donation to the local animal shelter. I got a new puppy for myself. I took my whole family on an amazing raft trip down the Grand Canyon. I'm now setting aside part of that money to help my son through law school and to offset the cost of building an off-the-grid home in Arizona.

To date...my total monetary savings since I 'tried' on my quit and kept it is now up to $21,802 (991 free days and counting x $22 a day) And the most important savings - my life - is incalculable. I can feel my dopamine pinging like a slot machine right now!

Today, I am proud to be a non-drinker. I absolutely refuse to label myself or any other former addict as an 'alcoholic.' As I told my friend LifeChange earlier, I consider those of us who have chosen abstinence over addiction as heroic. It makes a huge difference in how others view me and most importantly - how I view myself. I am far from a fragile, damaged, powerless, diseased person who can't have a drink and has to worry constantly that somehow a drink will get down my throat. I am someone who knows that alcohol is toxic and addictive and I now have the power to confidently choose not to poison myself ever again....no matter what.

It's time to openly and actively challenge the status quo -

Of our drinking culture, The alcohol industry, the alcohol recovery industry....and.....ourselves.

You can live....without alcohol....without addcition....without fear....without shame...and that life is better than the best you can imagine.

[NoSugar]

wednesday 9th april

TurnAgain, that post is one of the most convincing I've read about the benefits of quitting. Who wouldn't want to live just like you are? Enjoy your upcoming 1000th day!