Joyous January

[paulywogg]

Re: Joyous January

Morning friends,I'm tired this morning,sleep has been blah,I think even though its been a short workweek its felt long with all the work drama,plus yesterday was slow in the morning but busy for Kell and then in the afternoon it can never be predictable in a salon,Star,I hear you,I've been here a long time too and I'm sure I've lost the respect of some members just by posting "I've relapsed" 1000 times I don't like talking about drinking/not drinking everyday of my life and I'd rather just live ya know? Cyn,glad the job is done,now hopefully you can get some rest SK,it was funny over Christmas cuz we all bought duplicate gifts for each other,Brady got 2 of the exact same wallets so he gave one to his friend,hope Vivian had a fun day! Lav,I checked out that link,thank you wishing us all a fabulous AF Thursday

[treegirl]

Re: Joyous January

Morning all -

Posting now in case we lose power -- it's not so much snowfall - maybe 8-10 inches, but the wind is a concern, and then the temps - not sure if we will break 0 degrees on Friday/Saturday...

Lav, I get the 'alone time' happiness! I am thrilled to be at home alone now to get going on all the things that I had to put off for a week. So nice to just be working my own agenda. Tell YB to close the top of that Yeti before he starts walking around! Nice work with the chickens, I hope they behave...

Pauly, so sorry about the work drama. No worries about bringing up your feelings here, I hope you know that. We are just walking each other home. I believe in you, and I know you want to live free from this. Maybe make January 1 your start and go for 90 days? It's only then that the mist even starts to clear! Just never give up.

Star, so happy to hear you so focused on learning and enjoyment, that's such a gift to give yourself! I look forward to hearing about the new recipes and also about ancestry.

SK, seriously, you are having a bad patch! Dang that car - I hope you can get into a new-to-you one soon! 17 degrees in TX?! The climate is really changing so drastically. Good luck staying warm! Love the presents for Vivian. And poor you outside in the dark with 2 treed raccoons and a crazy dog. Maybe Lav's right about Peggy hearing things in the night... maybe she needs a sleepy dose of Benadryl at night!

OK, off to put holiday stuff away - I've worked night and day since Dec 26th... it will be a relief to get back into some other routine. I'm cooking ahead in case the storm hits hard. Then doing all things that will need to be emailed out in case power goes. Then... a book tonight if I am lucky!

Wishing all well ---

[SKendall]

Re: Joyous January

Hey all. Good luck and sympathy to everyone on the NE coast, wow. I hope your power stays on.

Glad your pot is working out Lav, homemade soup is the best! You maybe right about Peggy smelling the animals. The coyotes live in their dens behind us and when she needs to go out she goes right back there to sniff.

The car. I have to move around some stocks and then I will have more liquidity. However, went out this a.m. and it purred to life! So now starting my car is the same as flushing the toilet - jiggle the handle/key, lol. I haven't received any money from Ger's pension yet.

Cyn, good to be cooking ahead. In the event of a power failure, what heat source would you use? Slow down on the hard work a little.

Star, it was 42 and sunny today and felt absolutely tropical. I hope the freeze has killed the fire ant hills. Still cold in the night but Peggy only wanted out and 10 and 1:30., so there is that. I've tried giving her the thunderstorm medicine. She gets groggy and sleeps, but still wants out. I've never left her for more than 3 hours (except once) and maybe her bladder can't stand much more, I dunno.

This new book about Trump is a bombshell if it's true. A few of the examples ring true.

Later.

[Lavande]

Re: Joyous January

Good evening friends,

Damn cold here, geez
Tomorrow & Saturday the wind chill will be -14 & -16!!!
Our power has stayed on, grateful for that. when the power goes out here I can still light the gas range with a match. We heat & cook with propane, have a 1000 gal. tank buried under the front lawn. Actually, I am waiting for a propane delivery this week. The chickens are pretty cozy in their house with a tiny space heater running.

I pre-ordered Michael Wolff's book today "Fire & Fury'. The release date was supposed to be 1/9 but they publisher got PO'd when he was told not to release it so he moved the release date to tomorrow, ha ha!! I should have it in my Kindle tomorrow. Even if the book is not 100% accurate at least I'll be able to see what's been going on behind closed doors at the white house

Star, we owe it to ourselves to keep learning otherwise we would die of boredom. I love to learn new things too!
I promise if you keep moving forward with your plan you will come to realize that AL no longer occupies your consciousness day & night. It's a special gift that we are give ourselves & it keeps me grateful.

Pauly, I hope you take the opportunity to do some free reading on the ToDo Institute website. I have purchased a lot of their materials for myself & others over the years & it's all been helpful.
Crappy sleep this week seems to be a common theme, you are not alone. Hope we all do better tonight

Cyn, I really hope your power (and mine) stays on. This weather has been a rough ride, to say the least.
YB carries his Yeti around like a kid with a sippy cup, ha ha! He's always been a bit clumsy but I've noticed he has some real balance issues going on. I think it's all related to his long term tinnitus & no one has been able to help him with that problem. I've given him all sorts of herbal preparations, the ENTs have given up.

SK, I give my 35 lb dog a Benadryl tablet when she has allergy issues & sometimes at night just to help her cool her tools. She's part beagle & I swear she can sniff out an animal a half mile away. I've also taken the water bowl away so she doesn't load up on water right before bedtime. Not much different than potty training kids, Lol
I hope your car keeps starting for you - that would be nice

Have a nice night everyone!
Lav

[SKendall]

Re: Joyous January

Lav, I was meaning to ask about the extended release Melatonin, what is the dosage?. I have the 10 mg and it takes a while to kick in but it's pretty effective. I also take trazadone RX which is a great help, I have been an insomniac since a young age. At least I don't have the 3-4 a.m. wake up of thirst and anxiety, that was always bad.

I give Peggy teriyaki beef jerky for her treats and as an hors d'oevre, I know, I know. Lately, when I say "that's enough, no more". She fixes those brown eyes on me so I say, "okay, just one more". So saying no has absolutely no meaning, lol.

Good thoughts on the drinking water. I have one of those water fountains and since having it she drinks a lot more water. Of course, the jerky treats are salty, osteroops:

I'm in bed already about to watch more episodes of Peaky Blinders. It's quite graphic with the violence. Has anybody else watched it?

Sleep well if you can.

[Snoopy56]

Re: Joyous January

Good morning...

Up super early, 4:30 am. My day did not go as expected. I started a load of laundry, got dressed then went back to the kitchen and thought, what is that, realized that my entire kitchen, pantry, laundry room and more were flooded. A pipe froze behind the washer, and I did not catch it in time. Spent the entire day dealing with that. A nightmare. Plus, had the delivery at my son's. I was able to get a plumber out, he figured out where the leak was, cut a hole in the wall, told me to get a heater to defrost it, charged me a huge fee, and left. I was lucky he came out so quickly though, so don't mean to complain. My husband came home for a few hours and helped with the clean up, the pipe defrosted quickly, we were lucky to get a small space heater, one of the few left. Now, I hate this cold weather, feel a little scared as it is -25 this morning with wind chill. I have lived through this weather before and it is hard on our bodies, houses, and cars.

Pauly, it takes alot of courage to keep on keeping on in regards to becoming 100% AF. I like what Cyn said, set a goal for 90 days, the beginning of the beginning as far as mindset and body/physical changes. At the same time, one day at a time. I do better in small goals. So here we go right?

Lav, excited to try that Lasagna Soup today. I have to get to the store and will make a big pot of it. I did not get to my cooking class yesterday so hope to have some time this afternoon. I want to exercise this morning, it is tough to make myself get out in this cold. Good you have alternate power if you need to. What a winter. I am disgusted by 45, would not be able to read the book, you'll have to tell us a little bit about it. We know it is a sh**show at the WH. I do love how Bannon attacked 45, they are all so unstable and childish, not worthy of being in charge of our country. Disgraceful.

Skendall, lucky you having 40 degree weather, even for a little while. I always had treats for my dogs too in the past. They were so appreciative.

Cyn, lovely you have time at home to catch up, cook, take care and rest. Enjoy.

Let's have a super wonderful AF Friday.

[paulywogg]

Re: Joyous January

Morning friends,Star,so sorry about the pipes! Thats awful,when I used to live in snow country we would leave the water on just a tiny bit overnight,I've done 90 days many,many times and tbh for me it seems like it gets harder around that time,,,I think I forget the bad parts or something,not making any excuses at all,just trying to be mindful of right now,Cowboy says "today is a good day to not drink" works for me to think of that first thing now,waves to Cyn,Lav,SK,hope we all have a fabulous AF Friday

[treegirl]

Re: Joyous January

Morning all -

Star, SO sorry about the flood !!!! I remember when out sewer backed up,all the water, it was horrible... I hope that everything is working out for you - so nice that HB came home to help a little. I think it was good that you were not working- who knows what you would have come home to... good luck getting everything back together.

Pauly - you do whatever works for you!! I love Cowboy's phrase... Just know that I felt on many quits that never drinking again seemed like people were telling me to walk off a cliff edge - I just couldn't imagine how it would work. But going the distance is such a gift - it's hard to get a grasp on how thoroughly AL affects our thinking, our brains, and how different life looks when that coping option is off the table FOREVER. Freedom! I know you will live yourself into that reality. Keep at it, no matter what - just remember, your health is on the line.

SK - good that the car is working! You have coyote dens behind your apartment building??? Sheesh, that sounds scary... good luck with that! Yeah, maybe less salty treats can help the water issue for Peggy - experimentation is your life right now!

Lav, would YB go for acupuncture? I was cured of a really bad case of tinnitus with acupuncture. They consider it an imbalance in the body. Or maybe reflexology could help...

No power loss here. I did a lot of shoveling, though, and cooking and prepping for power out . I need to do my guided meditation today... I got kind of cranky yesterday - now that I have the time to deal with all the stuff that's been left (Christmas decorations, lean the house, get caught up on finances, get caught up on work,) I am in a bad mood about it all! Well, I know how to change that equation; gratitude, meditation, and action. So, off to get my spirit polished up and things out of the way so that I can think once again.

Stay warm and get happy! Life is precious --

[SKendall]

Re: Joyous January

Star, what a pain with the flooding! Did you have a wet vac? I've been flooded twice this year and it's miserable, but for broken toilet reasons. During all this chilly weather we are advised to run the taps at a trickle and keep all cabinet doors open as homes in the south are not that well insulated. But in the north you expect insulation will cover that.

Hi to Pauly.

Cyn, I swear I'm exhausted just reading about your accomplishments, but they are that, accomplishments, so good for you. The other stuff seems to pile up so quickly.

The population of coyotes has multiplied here because there is constant construction, so they keep finding new places. We used to have a lot of rabbits, not any more. They are bold and come out in the parking lot. I understand they are showing up in The Bronx!

Took Peggy for a decent walk.

Anybody feel as if the wheels are coming off @ the W.H?

[Lavande]

Re: Joyous January

Good evening friends,

Yep it's still freezing, was 2 degrees when I got up, geez. Wind chills are -15 below, wth??
I bundle up just to walk out to the mail box & chicken house but still really feel this cold in my bones.

Star, sorry about the flood, that sucks. I have had my share of washer floods, hot water heater floods & who knows what else? Back when we had vinyl flooring those floods made a mess of the floors, ugh. I hope a warm up is on the way soon.
I hope you got a chance to make that soup, I loved it & still have some left. Today I cooked up a pound of pre-soaked roman beans in the instant pot in 8 minutes!!!
So I made a big pot of rice & beans with a lot of sautéed veggies & herbs - delicious

Pauly, whatever mantra you choose for yourself is good. Just keep repeating to yourself & out loud thruout the day until your subconscious gets the idea. That's another reason I like the MWO CDs - they worked on your subconscious.

Cyn, YB's tinnitus was caused by not wearing the proper ear protection at the pistol range probably 35 years ago. He damaged his hearing all on his own. He hasn't tried acupuncture, don't know if I could talk him into it, maybe. Glad it worked for you
I think it's perfectly normal to have a bit of a mood shift after the holidays. We don't get dumped on having to do so much of the work. I have found that my own personal mood swings are not as frequent or severe as they were when I was younger. Everything is better now that we don't drink anyway!

SK, that sustained release melatonin is only 3 mg. - not nearly enough. I'm not sure what I want to do at this point, I really don't want Rx sleep meds but I may have to soon. Part of the problem is I am dealing with hot flashes again since I went off the HRT. Why can't this nonsense just come to an end?
I have been told that there are coyotes around here. I know we have chicken stealing fox.
Milkbone makes tiny little 5 calorie dog bones & that's all Matilda gets, she is borderline too heavy as it is, ha ha!

I checked my Kindle app on my iPad when I got up but the 'Fire & Fury' book wasn't there yet. I checked again at 9:05 & there it was, in all it's glory, ha ha! I an't sit for long periods of time to read so I just open it up & read a few pages at a time. It's interesting to note that the author describes himself as 'the fly on the wall'. Everything he included in this book he's seen or heard with his own eyes. If 45 & the political elite don't like it, TOUGH SH*T. It is what is is......

Have a nice night everyone!
Lav

[SKendall]

Re: Joyous January

Star, I hope things have dried out a bit.

Lav, I was just reading the holistic thread and some are enjoying glycine as a sleep inducement. 1000 - 3000 units. This is also an ingredient Roberta Jewell had in the powder she used. It also keeps you asleep! Worth a try. The 10 mg of melatonin works and apart from Miss Peggy's nocturnal adventures, I stay asleep.

[Snoopy56]

Re: Joyous January

Good morning...

The carpet in next to the kitchen is finally dried out. I do have a wet vac and used it several times, but needed to put towels down with heavy books, then a fan to get that stuff dry. I always leave a trickle, but the pipes to the washing machine are on an outside wall and froze on their own. It is so cold here, -25 again, that a hole was cut in the drywall, and the heater is placed in front of that pipe. We are going to put a vent there and when it get this cold, just run the heater between the washer and dryer.

Lav, I decided to make soup with ingredients I already had, so will make the Lasagna soup today. After going out to exercise, I only went out to get the mail. It is too cold for me. I struggle this time of year. Even with cute boots. OK, I want a copy of that new book, saw interviews with the author who is sticking by his story. We know it is true, 45 is a child or as I think of him, lunatic. I was so pleased that the publishing company put forward the book early, not letting the WH ban the book. I mean, there is rule of law and free speech. It is only going to get uglier.

Pauly, I agree that once we have some AF time, 90 days or more, that we forget the agony of drinking. Interesting convo with my daughter yesterday. She apologized for saying something at Christmas and said it was because she had wine and is not herself, even with just a little. She noticed how much lighter she feels and better about herself when she does not drink. She explored wanting to have just one and I laughed, noting we are not made that way. She noticed that it always seems that it gets out of control. I am that way too. I think to remember the negative consequences is helpful and to have a list of other things to do. I watched part of my 600 lb life (I know, but it was while I was cleaning up the water) and this poor person was so addicted to food, had no other interests or coping skills. It gets that way with alcohol or any addiction too. I really thought about using alcohol as a coping skill, something to do, and how bad it is for me, you, all of us. Does any of this make sense or help? I want this to be the year of total AF.

Skendall, thanks for thinking of me and the clean-up. What a pain in the neck. I was so grateful to have a shop vac, the water in the carpet was terrible, and never would have gotten it out without that. Up hear we are just trying to get through this cold spell and survive. My son came over last night after work and we had soup and salad with him, then watched the last two episodes of Stranger Things. Time to just eat warm food and watch TV right?

Cyn, I can see being a little resentful having to do all the stuff at home. I am so lucky my husband like to help me with everything if I ask. I still have my lights on outside, too cold to take them down. I want to get new meditation CDs, to raise our energy we need to do as you suggested. Meditate and focus on gratitude, then taking action. Not getting in our own heads.

Not sure what I will end up doing today except keeping warm! Have a great AF Saturday.

[treegirl]

Re: Joyous January

Morning all -

Just a quick note for now; I didn't send out up a big Email campaign that was to go out last night... I was so tired and was afraid I would mess it up. So I must send it out this AM first thing.

If anyone is looking for uplifting guided meditations and affirmations, I love The Honest Guys on YouTube. The one I use everyday is: "Positive Affirmations, uplifting daily exercise" (sorry, can't figure out how to get a link here). I love these guys, and they have a ton of material, check it out.

More later today - so sorry it is so cold for so many of you! -2 here for us, but has been hanging around there for a week now. Star , glad you got the carpets dry and things under control, good for you keeping a good attitude! . Lav, 8 minutes, seriously?! SK, wow the coyotes story... habitat, we forget what a part it plays in the world.. Pauly - thinking about you all the time and sending good vibes your way - lots of love!

Take care, all ---

[paulywogg]

Re: Joyous January

Morning friends,just a quick hello this morning,I'm so tired! Sleep has just been elusive these past few days,ugh,wishing us all a nice AF Saturday

[Lavande]

Re: Joyous January

Hello friends,

This day started out great but went downhill quickly
We were shopping in Costco when YB was notified that a young firefighter (42) from our old hometown was killed in a house fire in Philly this morning. My heart just sunk like a rock & YB actually burst into tears right there in Costco. This is the nightmare of every firefighter's family, something we worry about 24/7 with our son. This young man has worked for the Philadelphia FD for 11 years now, was a lieutenant & had just taken the captain's test, something that our son is also doing right now. He was trapped for 30 minutes under burning debris after the walls collapsed until he could be rescued. He died at the hospital shortly after. We've known this young man since he joined the volunteer fire company & watched him learn & grow into the fire service, again, just like our son. I am so sad.

I hope everyone is OK I'll be back again tomorrow.
Please remember our firefighters & their families :hug:

Lav