December Mod Squad

[nonamegirl]

Morning, my dear ones! I almost titled this the "Holly Jolly Mod Squad" and then thought that was a bit too cutesy and probably not appropriate for us all anyway. NOT to say that we aren't jolly, just the opposite. However, perhaps we don't all celebrate this season in the same way, so, back to the just plain ol' December.

Does anyone else from the States remember the TV show in the 60s called the "Mod Squad"? It was one of my favorites. I get to be Peggy Lipton if we are going to have a reenactment.

[ToMyHealth]

December Mod Squad

First week of Dec already. Have 2 parties this week and want to breeze through both AF. This is partly motivated by a dr appt on Fri.

Everyone have a good weekend? On Sat had a nice FaceTime with son and 2 grandsons. They were hanging out watching The Hobbit, had bought their tree but was waiting for it to settle b4 decorating. Also, they have a cat now so had the water spray bottle ready which youngest gs told me they only had to use once. They texted a pic of decorated tree last night. Sure they needed a ladder. Rights after we hung up phone rang and it was the 2 yo granddaughter wanting to tell me she was going to a parade. 39 deg so a good night to go. Remember taking the now 20 yo gd when she was 4, and it was -6 deg. Gotta love the hearty midwesterners!

Played golf both Sat & Sun. 98 both days, talk about consistent as each 9 holes was a 49. Up early this a.m., going to watch Joyce Meyer, then head over for a workout.

NNG, yes I remember Mod Squad. Wasn't it police women? Was Farah Fawcett in that one?

Have a great Mod Day!

TMH

[Lasha]

December Mod Squad

Hi All,

Just coming to the end of man flu or more commonly known as the cold, still feeling shit.

Getting back to depression my al advisor told me alcohol destroys Dopamine and we stop producing it by the age of 21 hence as you get older the more al makes you depressed. He also said al destroys the nerve ends and that's why alcoholics are usually flat footed. Who wants to be a depressed flat footed person?

NNG, Yes we used to roast potato's and sausages on the bonfire but health and safety has ruined a lot of that with more public bonfires, shame.

Going up to Shetland on Sunday, 600 mile drive and overnight ferry with dog, I'm all busy making sure I've got everything as I'm going up for 2 months to work on GH.
Lash

[Emmy Lou]

December Mod Squad

Hello! Happy Holly a Jolly Mod Squadding to all! (Too funny NNG!)
I am happy to say that my BBQ day was a success. Light beer at the BBQ & 4 scotches at the bar, with water in between. That may sound like a lot but it was from midday to 8pm, & everyone gets leg less. I snuck out at 8, walked home in the sunshine & cooked lamb cutlets for my dinner. With bedtime by ten I woke up fresh as a daisy. I can't as the same for Saturday morning though. On Friday evening my dear friend came over for me to fix his bike helmet & brought me a bottle of scotch in return. He also bright himself a six pack of wild Turkey cans. I held off and drank plain tonic for the first two, then I had 2 scotches & suggested we go get some food. I had two wines at the bar with dinner then went to meet my boyfriend where I had more wine...OMG I had such a bad hangover on Saturday morning. I wasted a whole day in bed! I felt so annoyed! Anyway, I'm back on track, bought half a dozen bottles of low alc red to get me through the silly season, and a few more bottles of tonic. I have to try to keep the consumption low or I will waste too many more days now that I seem to have no tolerance for it. Gone are the days of a bottle of red every night!
I must go off to sleep now. Thankyou NNG & TMH for starting us off in December.
Take care everyone,
X
Em

[nonamegirl]

December Mod Squad

Good morning, and happy First Monday of the month to everyone!
Lasha, good luck with the work at the GH. I hope someday I get to see it. It looks lovely on the website! Your comment about depressed flat-footedness really made me chuckle.

TMH, Mod Squad was one white chick, (Peggy Lipton), one white guy, and one of the first black guys on tv. I don't remember either of the male actors, dang me. But I do remember the black actor's character. He was called Lincoln Hayes. All three were ex-bad guys who were turned into cops to help out with the new agey people in California. And they were so COOL, to this plump Montana girl from the sticks who was sure she would never see any excitement in her life.

Emmy, your weekend sounds lovely, all except for the day's hangover. Yuck. Do I ever remember that! Our tolerance really does change, thank goodness. Our bodies are learning what we can and can't do - or at least what we shouldn't do. I think it would be grand fun to spend a Christmas in Australia someday. Summertime and Christmas - just doesn't compute.

Need to get on to my knitting. I'm working on something that requires concentration, and I can't do it once the dog and the husband are up.

[crocus]

December Mod Squad

Hi Everyone! I'm back from my Thanksgiving bacchanalia! I still have to go back and read posts but I couldn't wait to post on the Holly Jolly big board!

First...I'm day two into "detox" (and loving it) after a grand four days with all the newlyweds and hubby. Sunday, I had my sad day when they all had to leave...just as I do every year, but the gathering was beyond wonderful. I cooked, drank, danced, ate, ate, ate, stayed up late, laughed, laughed, laughed, floor-wrestled, partied, sang, from noon to midnight every day. Heaven on earth with my gang afoot. Thank you God! I did drink too much, quantity- wise, but it evened out over the hours, and I was up by 8 w/ no hangover every day. The kids slept in. I admit I am tired today, but happy.

Lasha - I have to go back and see what GH is.
Emmy - Yaaay! Sounds like so much fun! And you felt good for most of it.
NNG - I certainly do recall Mod Squad. BIG HAIR days! Yup! hahaha!
TMH - You sound like far too much fun to have kids that old! I'm hoping for some grandkids soon.

Going back to read the posts, then get some work done and resume normalcy...if that word can ever be applied to me. Decorating our tree tonight. At this point, I'm utterly disinterested in any AL. That'll change, I 'm sure, but I'm going to roll with it as long as I can. Talk soon!

[nonamegirl]

December Mod Squad

Morning, my dear friends.
Crocus, my dear, I am so glad to hear from you! So very grateful that your Thanksgiving was so much fun. It sounds simply wonderful!

Well, I have been trying to decide if I would share this or not, as it really isn't all that important, but it is interesting to me, and I wait to see how it progresses. The last two nights I have set myself up (on purpose, mind you) for a fall. Why did I set myself up on purpose? No idea, other than I guess I wanted to test my will power - though heaven knows it isn't very strong. Sunday night I had one glass of wine with every intention of having a second and then more after dinner. My husband expected me to have a second after dinner. But, I didn't even want it. I thought about drinking one anyway, (stupid, right?) but chose not to. Last night I had my glass of wine and then a small glass of hard stuff knowing that that would probably set me off again.... but it didn't. I didn't want any more. Hmmm..... Knowing that my will power isn't very strong this test could have gone very badly. Something else was happening here. The thing is, I COULD have had more, really intended to have more, and didn't because ... I DIDN"T WANT IT!:egad:

Okay, I know each of you have had this same experience and this is no big deal. Tonight will be AF for me. I am grateful for this growth and will take it and learn from it. I'm sure that it isn't a permanent change, that I will continue to have to work the program, but it was an interesting couple evenings.

Thanks, my friends, for listening to me ramble!

[nonamegirl]

December Mod Squad

Hey, all. Just so you know, my husband's biopsy came back all-clear. Thank all that is good and miraculous in this world! I thought I was going to celebrate last night in a liquid form (well, not so much celebrate as experience a release of the stress of waiting for results) but it just didn't happen. Diet tonic instead. :l:l:h:h

[Emmy Lou]

December Mod Squad

Oh NNG, so glad your husbands test was good, what a relief!
Take care all,
X
Em

[I'm Strong and in Control]

December Mod Squad

Hello Modders - just wrote a long post that somehow disappeared. Had plans to have a drink tonight - old friend in town - going to the holiday fair (sounds dorky) where we traditionally have a glass of glog in the annual holiday souvenir mug (which I collect and pull out every Christmas - this will be something like #20). This has evolved into a party for his last night - at my favorite 'celebratory' restaurant with great wine. I woke up this morning (as I have for the last 50-plus days) and my first thought was "I'm not drinking today". Does giving myself permission to have a drink mean I must have one? (head games tournament this morning). Thinking about it now, I don't want to drink tonight. What if I change my mind? I've heard others say that "thinking about drinking" took too much effort and they finally just gave up drinking altogether because it was too much trouble. I'm not bothered about it - just playing it out in my head, no more obsessed than over whether to wear the black dress or pants. It really is easier to just say "I'm not drinking today".

[I'm Strong and in Control]

December Mod Squad

After a long walk, I cleared my head. In social situations, I've recently" checked in" on myself to see if I truly wanted a drink or not. Just being mindful amd honest with myself has helped tremendously and freef me from drama amd angst . The only time I can control is THIS moment. Now I want to find that thread about losing weight . . . !

[crocus]

December Mod Squad

Happy Thursday to all my friends! And a great big hug to NN for that negative test result! YAAAAY!

Speaking of head games. I am often bothered by them because I tend to overthink. I too have been helped by asking myself if I really WANT the drink. And strangely, sometimes I don't.

The thing is, though, that like Emmy (I think it was Emmy), starting the day with "I'm not going to drink today" usually works against me because of my inability to stop thinking about my little pledge. I'll keep thinking about it all day. TOO MUCH!

It's better when I get to say "I didn't drink yesterday," which happens more often if I start the day with... "I may have one or two tonight," and then I don't think about it until the last minute, when sometimes, I really don't want one, and don't have one. How's that for a run-on sentence?

Emmy - I bet I would love that music festival. One of my sons brought his new Stratocaster to Thanksgiving and got us all up and dancing.

Stewarts - It looks like most of us have done battle with depression. The thing that used to be the scariest for me was how (for me, anyway) it would just come so suddenly out of nowhere. In retrospect, music has been the most therapeutic for me, so I'm so glad it has been a key part of my life for so long. But I (and my daughter) still battle with aspects of it, so just know that you are not alone, and that you have my (our) very best thoughts going out to you. I take citalopram and am not troubled by any AL interactions.

[Stewarts]

December Mod Squad

Lasha, that is interesting about Dopamine and age. It makes a lot of sense also, hence why you probably bounce back a lot faster when you're younger. I am flat-footed, but I am sure that has nothing to do with AL, I'm pretty sure I've always been like this. :-)

Well, I had a rough spot. I don't want to get into detail, I have a big pitch soon, but I will be staying away from AL for quite some time. I won't be going on the abstaining boards because I can't stand those people, but I had a close one. I have been feeling much better, but last two days, starting feeling rather edgy in the afternoon and I don't know why... ??

My company's holiday party is tonight, most are all our already at it. I and a few colleagues have to work.... I might go to the dinner later.... I haven't decided yet...I definitely won't be drinking.

j.

[Emmy Lou]

December Mod Squad

Hello, I've been stressing quite a bit about the number of functions I have to attend in December & how I'm going to find enough days in the week to have some AF. Also how I'm going to avoid hangovers because I've completely lost my tolerance. Well, yesterday, I decided not to put the same limits on myself for December. I'm not going to insist on a particular number of AF days, I'll just take them when I can fit them in.
Obviously I want to drink less than I have in past Decembers but I don't think that will be a problem, I'm managing to slow down quite well. And the night before a 'big' night I'll allow myself two or three, to prime for the next day. I've noticed a correlation between hangovers and an AF day the night before. It seems to help if I've had one or two the day before a night of 'more'.
I think some people may find the last part of my plan a bit of a cop out, but I'm going to see if I can make it work.
In a very shallow way I'm motivated by losing weight. I've never been a huge person and have been very fit for most of my 44 years but right now I can see that it's possible to actually get back to the weight I was at 22 I'm only 8kg away right now. Once December is over, it will be great motivation to back off again.
X
Em

[nonamegirl]

December Mod Squad

Good morning, all! First of all, I'd like to say "Welcome!" to ISIC. You and I were on the main boards together last year, and I am thrilled to see you here now. Welcome! I also hope to see Scottishgirl here.... read on the Just Starting Out board that she might be joining us.

Crocus, thanks for your sweet words. Such a relief to hear the words "No sign..." whew! I HATE the intervening week when you are expecting the worst hoping for the best.

Stewarts, you know you are in my thoughts right now. It is always a good idea for any of us to take a step away from alcohol... and once in awhile it has to happen at a time when we'd rather not. Since you are in a place right now that it FEELS like a good idea, take it and run.

Emmy... I am with you on the whole holiday season. I don't want to feel owly because I am at a party but it is one of my AF days. And you are right, losing weight (or not packing too much new weight on) over the holidays is a great motivator.

I think all of us need to make good, calm decisions about when, how much or even whether we drink.... I know my biggest trigger is stress. I had three drinks the other night after a brief tiff (really brief, not even close to an argument) with my husband over how much the cat's vet bill was. I was angry at myself the next day because I knew what I was doing as I was doing it - took the first drink too fast on purpose. This after I had been congratulating myself here on doing so well. Stupid. Could have been worse.

Ah, well. Step by step. I send my biggest hugs out to all of you. You are dear to me, even though it is through cyber-space. :l:h