I don't want to be totally AF......,

[Stewarts]

Yeah, I was good for awhile, but last I was at a grad school friends party, I wouldn't say I was wAsted, but shouldn't be driving me and my friend home last night. Today my stomach is killing me. I am going for my checkup soon, which I never do, it's been years, but I really think I want that shot. I hate this yoyoing. I just want to feel healthy. I did run a 9 mile race Saturday though.

[frances]

Hi there just checking in - hope everyone (ha-ha, well, anyone who is here) had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was good and we had everyone here at my house for dinner which was very nice. Had company again on Saturday night for a football game which was also good.

I joined a gym with my daughter the day after Thanksgiving! We've been going just about every other day. I'm so happy to finally be doing something physical - it is a good feeling!

Stay strong out there!

[frances]

Hi there Stew how's it going? Has November gotten any better? I have not had a drink this month so far. It crossed my mind two nights ago to unwind after a stressful evening, but I had a tea instead. My drinking was primarily at home (of course when I was out I drank a lot too but I just didn't/don't go out much) and that's something I never want to get back to.

[Stewarts]

Congrats on the diet and weight loss, thats great! My November has not been as good a start as my October was. My weekend was uneventful at first. Friday my wife and I did a cooking class, we did bring a bottle of wine. Saturday I did a run. I had tickets to the NYC marathon-eve dinner. I am not running this year, but after you run a bunch of these things, you at times get invited to these things. Sunday was the marathon and we both did drink, which was interesting because we both were planning on initially taking it easy. We ended with a buddy of mine at a bar before we went home, and then one of her gfs wanted to meet us. I so just wanted to go home and was cranky. I knew we were both done and should go home. After eating bad bar food we did go home. Watched some TV and went to bed. My stomach has been bothering me all morning. SHe was in much worse shape. I told her it was because she was mixing wine. She's usually pretty good about this stuff. Anyway, it's just time to get back on track... (sigh)

[frances]

Checking in - had a good AF weekend here - planning to have Thanksgiving and there is a lot to do. My husband painted the kitchen ceiling which had a stain from a leaking roof. That stain has been there for a very long time - it's so nice to have that taken care of!

I've been dieting over the last week or so and it's working - I've lost about 5 pounds. Not sure if it will last since that seems like a lot but I'm happy to see the numbers going in the right direction! My pants were getting uncomfortably tight and with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, I really needed to do something NOW!

We had beautiful fall weather - I was outside quite a bit yesterday for my daughter's softball practice - it was nice. I kept thinking I'd go home and do some walking but of course I didn't do it. Maybe a gym membership would work better for me. Who knows?

Anyway - hope all is well with everyone and anyone who is reading this!

[frances]

That's awesome that you're doing a 15K! I don't exercise at all and I hate that. I know I would feel so much better if I did. Well, now that you know how you want AL after intense exercise you can try to get a plan in place before those so you can help yourself avoid it. Not drinking really does help with appearance - I have looked so much fresher since I stopped drinking (well, basically stopped, you know what I mean). The average amount I drink in a month now is less than what I used to drink in two days! I was looking at my AL 'numbers' other day and thought that was pretty funny.

I have no trips this weekend so it will most likely be an AF weekend for me, which is good. I will try to get some stuff done around the house. My husband is on the jury for a murder trial right now. He started this week and thinks it should be over by the end of next week so that's not too bad. I can't wait to hear all about it when it's over!

Keep it up Stewart, you'll never regret NOT drinking!

[Stewarts]

Hey, my Halloween was very uneventful and I mean that in a good way. My month of October was great for modding... I didn't really drink at all... maybe 4 times the whole month and only one time I would say I had a little too much, but nothing terrible. I did drink too much last night though. I have some good news, well one, nothing bad happened, my wife was a little annoyed when I got him, but nothing crazy, but I know why I did. I am training for a 15K (which is 9 miles). I haven't trained for something in awhile, so this will be good. Anyway, I did a speed workout earlier that day, 400m X 8. I haven't done one of those in awhile. Anyway, I felt really good after that. And I was craving wine, not beer, but wine. which I thought was a little odd. I had an event that night and figured, I'll have a glass of wine, well, had more than just a glass, and went to my club after as well - should've had beer, wouldn't have drank that much. Got home, had a late dinner, annoyed my wife a little and went to bed. I think I figured this out though. After intense activities, skiing, hockey, speed running, etc., I can only speak for myself but beer, wine, Al tastes so good.. it's kind of like a speedball with your adrenaline. I just told my wife this and she also added that I am not drinking enough water, which is also true. She says my skin looks dehyrdated. I am lucky to be this active at my age, but I am getting older. Funny how I said I wouldn't do this and did... but at least i know

[frances]

Hi and happy halloween! Is your wife back yet Stewart?

I was out of town for the weekend - for daughter's softball team in Florida - sunny and 85 degrees, can't complain! As I've said before, traveling and outings with the team and families is one time when I tend to drink and this trip was no exception - I did have a beer one night out with dinner and then a glass of wine at the airport again. Nothing I regret so all is good here.

Just checking in....Hope you are doing well!

[Stewarts]

yeah, overall it's been really good. I can't call it an "AF" free month, but the drinking has been to a minimum. I went to the Jets game (it was the early game) with a friend. I did drink, I wasn't driving. I had a hockey game later that night, I knew all I needed to do was take a nap, which I did, but I picked up some bad Chinese food before that. I think it was the mixture of all the salt and MSG (with the AL of course earlier that day), made me kind of sluggish, but still played ok... looking back, I may have done things differently, but no harm, no foul... I really can't complain, I do wish my wife was back though

[frances]

I DO NOT consider that drinking.

Sounds like successful moderate drinking to me! This is my goal...drink rarely, and when I do, don't overdo it. It is a good feeling and it is so nice to never wake up hungover! Good luck this week without your wife home - just try to get a plan in place to either avoid doing things that might cause problems, or to know what you're going to do if you get tempted to drink (or overdrink).

[Stewarts]

Yeah my sober tober hasn't been completely AL free, but it's been fine. Meaning I have no regrets. We went away to Upstate NY for my dad's birthday. The first day, at lunch, my sister and I had a glass of Cab. That night for dinner, no one had any AL. On Saturday, we did A LOT of hiking, that is my sister and my wife (and me). My sister wanted wine, so I got us a bottle of chianti, my wife didn't want any; my mom also had a glass. I the ordered an ice wine for desert for people to share. I DO NOT consider that drinking. Sunday, no AL at all. Now my wife is going to be away most of the week, so this will be challenging for me, but I think I will be okay. I feel myself getting back into my more ideal shape also.. so that is helping.

j.

[frances]

Hey Stewart - sounds like you're doing well. Glad to hear it!

No tournament this weekend so I won't be traveling - should mean no AL for me unless something comes up that I can't predict. Then the following two weekends after that I will be out of town again. My daughter wants to play softball in college and her team goes to showcases where college coaches can watch them play. Most are within 4 hours drive but at the end of October we'll be going to Orlando - which reminds me - I need to book my tickets!

Hey we're more than half way through the week - that's a good thing! Have a good one out there!

[Stewarts]

Hey, yeah, my wife and I were good at that going away thing. NO Al for us. It was one of those really loud places, so it was tempting to drink, because you really couldn't hear anything. My wife and I left early actually. Funny thing, when we said we were calling it an early night, my one friend, who was getting bombed, saw that we weren't drinking or told him we weren't, he even said, "hell, if I wasn't drinking, I'd be taking off too!" LOL

[frances]

Hi Stew - I was out of town for a couple days and didn't get a chance to get online. I know how it feels like you're talking to yourself sometimes here! I always check in usually daily but sometimes when out of town I go more than a couple of days away from here. That is great that you went 8 days AF. Sounds like you were giving yourself the OK to drink before you did it when you went out to see your friends band play. I guess it depends on what your goal was. AL has a funny way of getting you to change your plans from nothing to something! It may seem weird to look at it like that but in a way it really is like it's something 'else' that's making you change from your original plans. When you are used to drinking a lot and sometimes too much, it is definitely very hard to get away from it. When you decide you want a drink (or another drink, whatever the case may be), maybe you could consider having something different - I don't know what you like but I'll get seltzer with cranberry and lime, or sometimes just water with lime or a soda...sometimes having the seltzer feels more like I have a cocktail in my hand so it's psychological I guess and helps me not want the real thing. Anyway, when you do that, and give it a little time, the feeling for wanting to have a drink will pass. It really does.

Food for thought anyway.

Hope you had a great AF night with your wife on the 7th!

I'm doing OK. When I travel and do social things around my daughter's softball schedule I usually will have a drink when out with a group. I did that this past weekend. We went to a nice little place in Jersey with the team and parents and I had a glass of wine with my dinner. I had another back at the hotel. I don't really know why I did that and so that is a little concerning. I will need to be very cautious - drinking like that for no social reason is not something I want to do.

[Stewarts]

I may be having conversations with myself, but that's ok. LOL. So, I went to friends show and had a few beers...I look at no harm no fowl. One made a good point, it's sober tober, means just don't get drunk.. I know stretching it logic. The good news. After their show, yeah, I hung out a little bit with them. I got home at a reasonable hour. I made no pitstops, food al, or otherwise and feel fine. Also, a friend of mine is moving out of town and we're having a going away party for him somewhere. This just may be me, but, if I drink the night before, even if it's not a lot, it's easier for me NOT to drink the following day. Tonight, definitely would have more possibility of being a sh#4 show if feeling the need to unwind, which now I don't...plus I'll be with my wife.