Mod Squad March Thread

[Sunbeam]

Mod Squad March Thread

Hi Everybody!
AllApologies, Welcome! Did you post here with us a few times under a different name? Maybe ThatGirl? Doesn't really matter. Your goal sounds great. I had always wondered how much a unit was, but I guess it is about 2.5 oz. of wine, assuming that British standards are the same as standards set on this side of the pond (one 5oz. glass of wine per day, or 7 per week).

CanadianGirl, hellebores really are wonderful, but I think they are less common because they are not impressive in a nursery pot. You have to see a bunch of mature plants in the ground to be impressed. Yes, they will grow well with primroses (I love the tall candleabra ones!), but will also tolerate drier conditions. They grow slowly, but are worth the wait. We bought our house from a 92-year-old gardener (THAT'S mature!), and I am fortunate to have inherited a large clump, from which I separated out a lot of smaller plants. Then I was compelled to buy more varieties. It just never ends, this gardening addiction. I worked hard to get these gardens into shape because they had been pretty neglected for a long time. If you Google Missouri Botanical Gardens, you will find a bunch of varieties of hellebores with bloom time data. This is a really great site, and I don't hear it mentioned much. Have you been to the botanical gardens near Hamilton? I haven't, but there used to be a HGTV show that often showed plants and people from there. I really need to get up there.

Deebs, I'm thinking your husband needed a new partner, and your brother seemed like a good choice. So it gets even more complicated for you with your livelihood involved. You will be in my thoughts. Yes, go pull some weeds and dig in the dirt. That is always therapeutic.

OK, I gotta get back to work. I brought home a report that must be written, and here I am. Take care, all.

[mg72]

Mod Squad March Thread

Hi Mods,
First let's start with yoga. It was nice to see AFH and DeeBee respond that you both do yoga regularly and it is very positive. I have been teaching for a year and will finish my 200 hour teacher training next month. After that I will be a Registered Yoga Instructor which is fairly rare. I have not done Iyengar and mainly teach hatha and vinyasa classes. I also practice and teach in hot studios which is great. On another occasion I will tell you why I got into it and how it has impacted me.

Eve, That was interesting about your interaction with AAers. I greatly admire what they have done. I also agree with your agreement with me about stopping with number of drinks that do not impact negatively at the time or next day. My absolute limit is three but two is best.

DeeBee, Best of luck with brother and hubby.

Luvwins, Sorry to hear about your bad night. I hope you are back on track with moderation or abstinence goals. I am not sure about message from God but our bodies sure tell us when we go to far!

Canadian Girl, Way to go on AF nights. I enjoyed your description of your progress.

All Apologies, Welcome and hope you stay with your mod goals. I agree that new name could be more positive for you.

Sunbeam, My wife is a big gardener and we are coming into spring when she gets her hands in the dirt again.

Have a great day and I will be back in touch soon.

[AllApologies]

Mod Squad March Thread

Haha, with regards to the name change everybody, All Apologies is the name of my favourite Nirvana song, I've been a massive fan since i was 15 and regularly wake up to this song, and always listen to it when I'm stressed so it has a special meaning to me that most people probably won't notice. I used to post under 'ThatGirl' but forgot my password and already had this accoutn set up to use tracker so there you go haha.

[Sarasmiles]

Mod Squad March Thread

Hey Modders!
Just popping in to say hi! I miss you guys, and of course have missed out on getting to know the new folks. It looks like the squad is going strong.

I'm doing well, on day 28 AF. It hasn't been hard as hard as I once would have thought. It's been pretty wonderful, actually. I'm learning a lot about myself. As some of you know, I was never really a social drinker...Usually drank to ease tension and anxiety. So dealing with whatever comes along (the last few days, it was a nasty fight with a nasty neighbor, which has made me horribly anxious!) without drinking, has been empowering. I am beginning to trust a bit more that I can live through bad days, anxious moments, irritability, and all that, and that I don't have to blur it away with wine. Today I missed it deeply for the first time. I wanted to drink to make these feelings of anxiety and anger go away, if only temporarily. But I also feel a true commitment now to staying sober, so I got through it.

I think those of you who drink because it's pleasant and social and fun at parties or dinner, are in a very different boat. That's a heck of a lot closer to "normal" than where I was. It doesn't matter about how many drinks or how few were involved. What matters is that I drank to try and wash away my negative feelings. Now I don't. And so far, I'm surviving! But I'll keep you posted!

Love, Love, Love to all.
Sara

P.S. I don't often post on AF threads here, but am getting daily support at SMART Recovery on line. If anyone wants to find me there, or to know more about it, send me a PM. Big hugs, Sara

[Maia]

Mod Squad March Thread

Hi Sara,

It is great to hear from you! I love to hear you are doing great, you sound so confident and happy!!

MG, I would love to do yoga, actually, that was my 2010 New Years resolution. It is embarrassing to say, but with two small children I haven’t found the time for it. That’s horrible, it’s almost April!! I need to work harder on that! MG, I like your advice about leaving a party early. I usually get in trouble when the events last for too long. I’ll do that. I cant this Saturday, as I will be hosting the party……

My computer kind of froze the last three days and I wasn’t able to post or read. It was annoying! And I don’t use my husband’s computer to visit this site.

I appreciate the messages I have received about the wedding! thank you. I do think im doing better, actually much better. im just not where I would want to be but as Sunbeam said, i might need more time and practice! As I write this, I get scared that I might be falling in what Sara used to say about your thoughts after a few days of a bad episode "im not so bad". Well, I have to remind myself that what happened is unacceptable, but it is still a lesson for me and I can learn from it. Eventhough I know it was bad, I still appreciate posts such as Ask’s. Thank you for remarking that weddings are unusual, not our everyday life! It is true. I still need to work on that, but at least my everyday life has improved a lot!

DeeBee, im thinking of you everyday. I am very close to my family and they have such an influence on me, that I know how tough it is not to be in good terms with them. Hope things are better for you!

I have more to say, but I just realized that im running late. I’ll come back later!, Welcome Allapologies!!!

[DeeBee]

Mod Squad March Thread

Morning Friends.

Sara, it's so wonderful to hear you sounding strong and resolute!

MG, I do TriYoga which I believe is a form of hatha yoga. I go to the most beautiful temple that overlooks a valley so it's peaceful, quiet and serene. A lady joined our class the other day who had been attending yoga classes at the local gym with the same yoga instructor and she commented at the end of the class that she couldn't believe how different the experience had been for her -- at the temple it is very spiritual.

Maia, good luck with the party this weekend. Maybe you can offer coffee and and desert earlier than you normally would. For me that always marks the end of an evening nicely.
Thank you for your thoughts.

I had a lovely swim with the ducks again yesterday, the duckling has grown up to be a fully fleged teenager. I wonder at what age do they leave their parents?
Today I have a couple of small gardening chores planned for this morning and then I'm going down to spend the night with my Mum as my husband is away this weekend.

Hope everyone has a lovely day today:-)

[letgolaughing]

Mod Squad March Thread

hi modders
i just got caught up on the last few days posts....seems everyone is doing pretty well.

great to see your success at AF Sara, truly inspiring.

I have been very very busy. My "real" job is very stressful right now with the issues going on with the company so i've been working longer hours with that. I also have been working on my jewelry to get ready for our first art festival this spring. (was it you canadian girl who asked about the silver? it's up there, only 6 pieces so far. .thanks for asking

so, i've had bad stress and good stress. i only had 2 af days this week, and last week. so, i digressed a bit. however, i think a couple of my habits have been broken. one, on the nights i do have a drink, i don't pop it right at 6pm anymore. sometimes it's closer to 7pm before i have a drink. second, if i go out, i don't have a drink BEFORE i go out anymore, i wait until i get there.
third, I don't have a drink when i get home from being out now. at first, these were things that I struggled with when cutting back. but now, like it said, it's changed. i don't WANT to do it like that anymore and it's not a habit anymore, so i feel good about that. so, now when i do drink, it's considerably less than i was. that is the positive

the negatives are, i'm still struggling with wanting a drink after an anxious day, "deserving" a drink on the weekends, and not having enough AF days.

so, i'll keep on truckin' i realized something today, which might be obvious to all of you but I just caught on. this modding thing is a lifestyle change, which means it's continuous and it's helping me to know that if i mess up, i can try the next week to make it better...and the more I continue to track my drinks and be AWARE and do this MODDING thing, the better i get at it. I don't have to go back to square one just because i went back to 2AF days. I just have to make sure that I try harder to keep it from backslidding anymore.

so, there. hope you have a wonderful day!!

xo

[DeeBee]

Mod Squad March Thread

Well done for 'getting it' LetGo!! Yip, modding is so much more than just drinking moderately -- it's about living the mod life. For me it also meant getting in touch with my spirituality for the first time in my life as well as reconnecting with my creative side. Drinking is such a waste of time that we forget just how much there is out there that we haven't experienced yet.

I forgot to comment on your jewelry website, my apologies:-( I am a sucker for jewelery and loved what you had made -- good on you.

[canadiangirl]

Mod Squad March Thread

Good morning all!

LetGo and AllA, what you wrote pretty much covers it for me, too. I'm both cutting down and trying to change the lifestyle that I've developed through daily drinking. Good luck to us! (Checked out the jewelry, LetGo: particularly liked the Owl)

mg, yes - tell us more about your yoga journey. I've been a some-time DIY practitioner since jr. high. But now I have severe musculo-skeletal injuries and my chiro and physio guys told me not to do the postures, so I just do the breathing and relaxation stuff. Probably not properly, but it seems to work.

Sarahsmiles, you sound at peace.

Sunbeam, thanks for reminding me of the Hamilton Botanical Gardens - it's been too long since I've visited. If you decide to come up, may I suggest the Lilac Festival? Wandering minstrels and FOOD!!! Let me know if you visit, I'll try to meet you there.

DeeBee, from what I've heard about ducklings lately, they are staying in their parents nests well into their 30s, claiming to be on the edge of breaking into the music (or film) industries. Eventually, the mommy and daddy ducks sell the nest and take to an entirely migratory existence, joining flocks of humming birds, just to escape.

Happy weekend to Eve, Maia, and everyone.:wavin:

Last night was a very lite nite (for me). We went out for dinner and had 2 beers, then watched the skateboarders in the town square, went to a movie (Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren) and then for desert. Previously, it would have been dinner and home for more booze. Lots more. Last night was more fun, actually. How surprising is that...?

[Sunbeam]

Mod Squad March Thread

CanadianGirl,
What a fun idea for us to meet at the Royal Botanical Gardens near Hamilton:Horticulture RBG

I don't think I will make it in mid-May for the lilacs, August would be more likely. Anyone else want to join us???? I will soon be 56 years old, and am cutting back to part-time work. My new job starts July 1 with 3 weeks of training (full time), then I will be working just 3 days per week. Until then, I'm feeling pretty booked just going to work every day and catching up at home, including my gardens, on the weekend. Like you, I have orthopedic and neurological conditions that slow me down a bit. My current job requires lots of walking, often a couple of miles per day, and I'm pooped.

Sara, I am so happy for you finding peace in your new life. Your post on the LT Abstainers thread was excellent, "I'm an alcoholic". It did strike me previously that your anxiety was the tough part of your personal mix. For you, it is not just about changing some bad habits. Anxiety can be an awful thing. My sister is permanantly disabled with a mix of issues including depression, anxiety, some compusive stuff. It all breaks my heart.

LetGo, good work on identifying and changing those habits. Keep doing this, you will do great.

MG72, I too would welcome more info from your yoga side. I'm a practicing Presbyterian, but I also appreciate the spiritual side of yoga. And maybe a link to breathing exercises? I think that stress/relaxation is the most common reason for drinking, and we all need alternate strategies.

Take care, all.

[mg72]

Mod Squad March Thread

Hi Long Term Mods,
This is my story about why I started practicing yoga. Six years ago I was experiencing intense neck and shoulder pain. I tried chiropractor, massage therapist and m.d. No one seemed to help much. One day my wife gave a yoga dvd and said "try this". I never thought I would ever try to do yoga but within a few minutes of following the dvd I started feeling some relief. I continued do yoga with the dvd a couple of time as week until about six months later I went to a studio for a class. I waited so long because I was embarrashed how tight and unflexible I was. I felt so much after that first class I was hooked and have been practicing ever since.

I retired from my full time job a year and a half ago and decided to go to a teacher training session. After that I decided to pursue the 200 hour program to become registered. I will complete the program next month and teach generally two classes a week along with attending one or two other ones.

It is amazing the benefits I have experienced. I used to have so many injuries from sports it is hard to remember them all. After practing yoga for this long I am much stronger, more flexible and pretty much pain free. I believe in practices that raise our heart rate significantly and ends in at least 6 minutes of corpse pose. By getting the heart rate up we enhance our immune systems and bring relaxation through endorphins into our brains. I could go on and on about the changes it has brought about for me and also for other students and teachers I know.

It is also critical that every student listen to their bodies and not try positions that cause pain or injury. Yoga is about healing if we don't try to go too fast too soon.

[letgolaughing]

Mod Squad March Thread

so, i had a huge event last night. for example, last year, this event fell on my birthday. we are there with lots of our close friends, and it's lots of fun. last year, we drank(i didn't count last year)and stayed up really late. we went to a local pub after and did karoke! it was a blast. anyway, i felt like shit the next day.

so, this year, i knew it would be a big event(although it didn't fall on my birthday this time). it was. we stayed out til 2am. here's the thing. i had only 3 and a half drinks! from 7pm to 2am. i didn't even have to try too hard!
i had 2 beers at the event, and then 1 beer at the pub. i then had a few sips of my husbands beer. had water in between drinks. not because i had to, but because i wanted to! anyway, i did not sleep. ugh. i was so tired today because i couldn't sleep. but, i wasn't hungover! very glad i didn't over indulge.
it wasn't as much fun as last year, but it would be hard to top that anyway.
LOL

[DeeBee]

Mod Squad March Thread

MG, I loved reading your post about how you came about doing the yoga program -- that is certainly something you can't do hungover.

LetGo, well done! Your evening sounds like a huge success all round and not only because of the amount you drank but because it wasn't an issue. You must be proud of this accomplishment.

Hi to all my friends and lurkers. Today is a public holiday for us so I'm treating it as my Sunday as my weekend got a bit messed up (will explain another time)

[DeeBee]

Mod Squad March Thread

canadiangirl;825275 wrote:

DeeBee, from what I've heard about ducklings lately, they are staying in their parents nests well into their 30s, claiming to be on the edge of breaking into the music (or film) industries. Eventually, the mommy and daddy ducks sell the nest and take to an entirely migratory existence, joining flocks of humming birds, just to escape.

:H

[Maia]

Mod Squad March Thread

Mg72, thank you so much for sharing your experience with yoga. My husband is constantly complaining about back pain. I've telling him to start yoga but it seems hard for us to find the time with small children, but after reading your post im going to push him to try! thanks!

Letgo, im very happy for your successfull event! I also did good on my party saturday (DeeBee very sweet of you to remember about it) I had four drinks but they were sangria so the wine was deluted and mixed with fruits, it really didnt feel like I drank a lot and I felt great next day. It was scary for me at the end of the party, everyone left and some of my friends stayed helping me clean out and then they all decided to seat and have some drinks. I debated for so long about what to do because I had already started,followed my plan (making an effort) and I wasnt prepared for this "after-party'. But some how I got the strengh to only drink sprite! This is the first time ever im able to do this! so it's a big deal for me. I had been able to mod and was doing ok, it was just not drinking at home, or no overdrinking at a restaurant, etc. but not in a situation like this, so it was good!

My husband birthday is on Frinday, so I'll be AF until then. We wont have a party as we had planned, too exhausting for me to have two parties at home only 10 days apart, but we are going out to dinner with friends. Im planning on not having more than 3!

Canadiangirl, i admire you for being able to have a couple of beers and then go to a movie! before i joint MWO I coulndt do that for sure, I havent tried it since I started modding but it looks difficult, I get really sleepy and I dont think I could concentrate... I will try for sure!

Have a good night everyone!