~cattleman cafe~ & another 24...

[briseus]

Morning everyone...

I decided to start this new thread, in honour of a friend here, that has helped SO many of us. Let's not forget that.
I've been put up to speed as to what's been going on...I'm not interested in getting involved...so no talkie here about that.
I went on thesaurus - and came up with cattleman cafe - because it's similar to the other one.

ANYWHO!
I read that the 24 hour thread helped a lot of people too...so you can either join in on the conversation here, or just post asking for another 24.

So.......let's begin, shall we? This one is for you Cowboy.

Sunday morning, it finally snowed here in Ontario (8:42am, another 24 please) and it's 'beginning to look a lot like Christmas' ....well, maybe not entirely, but close enough. I'll take what I can get.
I went to my first Christmas party yesterday....this particular party I've always been shitfaced in...always drank, even if I said I would tone'er down a notch but never happened....I actually made it through, stone-cold sober. The people that did drink too, didn't look like they were having much more fun then I was.
I went home and ran errands and worked on Christmas cards. Usually I would have continued drinking - bah, to hell with that....

OH...they started selling beer at my grocery store. I hate that...but whatever....but there is a niggling thought.
I had to buy liquor for friends for Christmas. I've locked them up in my SO's trunk of his car.
Funny...it doesn't bother me too much...I'm really trying to stay as busy as possible...and I have been, I've been so busy...but I need to come here to stay accountable, and Cowboy has helped me and been there for me since Day 1, no judgement. So I need to have this continue...I was almost panicking when I saw the other cafe "closed down".

But...EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE! EVERY SINGLE ONE!

I'm going to go now and sit in front of the fireplace...listening to some classical Christmas music...the sun is awfully bright...but that's OK...as long as we get more snow.
Anyone want some Apple Crumble and latte?? I know it's a little too early for sweets...but why the hell not!?! It's Christmas Week!! LOL!!

PS. I graduated.

Briseus~

[paulywogg]

Congrats on graduating Bri also glad you had fun at the party booze free,here's to another 24

[Choices]

It's 4:08 am in New Zealand. Hubs woke me up at 2am after his poker game. No biggie.. He'd had some bad news about his dad being ill. But now I can't sleep! Oh well.. Another 24 for me please. I already know I'll have the tired part of the HALT thing tomorrow, YEEKS. I'm really glad you started up this thread Briseus.. I try and post everyday and some days I just read but always at least try and post here.. Because it exactly what I need.. The 24 hour thread was also one of my go to ones when I was really, really.. Really..struggling. So thank you! I'm glad you got through your Christmas party without a hitch. I got really drunk at mine last year and it didn't end well. And I had to put in a grievance on the following Monday for a co-worker sexually harassing me. He was beyond drunk... Off his face.. Non of it was my fault, but it was horrible and the fact that I was drunk was awful. I was having fun and then I was taken completely off guard, cornered. I remember everything just stopped for me and my head just started spinning.. I suddenly realized how drunk I was and knew I needed help. I remember finding my manager at the party, telling him and having him help me get a cab. If I'd been sober I'm not so sure if it would have happened mainly because I would have left the party hours before. And if it had happened, I wouldn't have been nearly as vulnerable. I was really horrified and was so glad to get home. But at the HR meeting I was still hung over.. And it just sucked. Everyone at the meeting was hungover. The co-worker didn't even come. He was in a full blackout when he assaulted me... Married with a new baby at home too.. He was apparently mortified he'd said what he said, and how he'd grabbed me. He was asked to resign. Another co-worker saw the whole thing.., And my manager and others told me how bizarre his behavior was getting. No one was surprised. I was able to get away from him at the party and shoved him. But if I'd been any drunker.. I'm not sure if I would have been strong enough to get away. He was quite determined and really strong. Wow, I only meant to ask for 24! But got going with the Christmas party memories.. Where I was always drunk.. Normally someone always does something regrettable and gossip flys. Who needs it? My dads from Ontario, so I've spent tons of time there with my family. Glad it's looking like Christmas. I live in New Zealand now.. It's summer but it looks like a kiwi Christmas and I'm feeling it!

[NoraC]

Bri - thank you for this........


Congratulations on graduating!!!

I am asking for another 24 please.

[All done drinking]

Bri,

Thank you for starting this in Cowboy's honor. He offered a lot to folks here and will be missed. He was the first person who welcomed me to the abstainer forum and gave the best words of wisdom, to read what I wrote as to why I was finally ready to quit, and to pull that out in a weak moment to remind myself of why I had made the decision. The BEST advice.

I like the combo of the two threads as it's always good to ask for another 24 to work the program that day, but nice to share more. Do miss his cafe picture though. We'll have to figure out how to pull up another one to get in the cafe spirit again.

~Addy

[All done drinking]

I'm glad you got through your Christmas party without a hitch. I got really drunk at mine last year and it didn't end well. And I had to put in a grievance on the following Monday for a co-worker sexually harassing me. He was beyond drunk... Off his face.. Non of it was my fault, but it was horrible and the fact that I was drunk was awful. I was having fun and then I was taken completely off guard, cornered.

This is probably the best thing about our quitting Choices, no more embarrasment at parties (especially work parties!). I was kind of wondering how I had been at mine last year as I got a little mushy toward the end of it. Thought no-one really noticed until the hostess gave me a friendly kick this year and made a statement about how "some of us had drunk a little too much the year before." Gulp...and big gulp. Embarassing, shameful, and SO glad those days are over.

Think we'd better get into the cafe spirit if we're honoring Cowboy's Cafe. So, I'll grab a cup of Joe and sit awhile here at the Cattlemens.
~Addy

[Guitarista]

Congrats on graduation Bri! I've found myself in many dodgy situations with booze Choices. Glad that circus has left town. I'll have your largest serve of that apple crumble please Mam, and another 24.

[Choices]

Cool we order coffee here? And 24 hours? I'll have a soy flat white with a side of another 24 more hours here in NZ 9:27am,, On a bad nights sleep and a three year old in charge! Na, all good.. As long as pippa pig is on.

Addy, Ug I've had that said to me with a little pat on the back.. "Someone's had a bit to much" when it's about you... *cringe*. Yep Gman, the circus has left town! Go away clowns!

[briseus]

Curled up on the couch here at the cafe - with a huge blanket here, a nice cup o tea and my puppies. Dogs are welcome here, after all. I wonder if Hank'll come around for a visit.

Choices - doesn't it suck when you look back on nights like that? I mean, it's good that we are done and over it now...but I still shudder at some of the crap I did. Like, leave ALL my friends to go and sit in a bar alone, teary-eyed, the bartender bought me a drink for chrissakes! And everyone ended up leaving me because they couldn't find me. A lot of the times I don't even remember how I got home.
Yesterday at the party, I saw some ladies in the women's washroom, talking and laughing about how one of them was so drunk the night before she was nursing a huge hangover and she had no idea how she got home and she ended up puking (hardy-har, right?)...well, I was just stunned...this USED to be me, you know? HOW can one think that something like that is even funny?? What if something (heaven forbid) horrible had happened? I mean....sometimes I look at us as a human race and just wonder....

I am actually enjoying the Winter so far alcohol-free. I was afraid that I wouldn't.
I feel so different this time...but there are moments where a part of me wants to fall back on old patterns...just because it was habit. But when I look back, I quite honestly, want to puke in my mouth a little...the thought of it makes me sick. How it made my anxiety worse, and I was perpetually drunk, fat and bloated and hated myself and everyone else.

I will never give my sobriety away for that again.

Anyways...hope everyone is having a good night so far.
There's more Apple Crumble if anyone would like a piece. I also ended up throwing some chicken pot-pie in the oven....sure, it's a cafe...but we gotta eat!

Bri

[Sunbeam]

Bri, congrats on your graduation! And thanks for filling our void with this thread. I didn't post here every day, but I always read through everything. I post most regularly on the gratitude thread, because that is the most important of all for me.