Hey @Charlie_C!! Congratulations on a year of sobriety! I always enjoy your posts.
@Laraellelarissa congratulations on nine months. Keep up the great work!
@Mno I am glad you are OK after your spill, but sorry to hear about your phone. That is not fun.
@ShadowFax I hope your Dad’s surgery goes well.
I’m SO happy for you! What a wonderful surprise. Congratulations again! 
Checking in 105 days alcohol free. Another sober weekend for the books!
Back from camping, thank goodness! 
Didn’t enjoy it enough for the amount of work it took. I’m a single mom, so kudos to me I guess for even taking the twins. WAY to much work at least at this campground where everything had to be lugged up a hill to the camping area. My son had a blast. My special needs daughter wanted to spend most of the time in the tent. Other adults were drinking last night, but not I. Another 24 hours and day 1797.
Look at you go girl! So happy to see this. Great job.
I hope you got another smile today 
Congratulations Charlie!!!
I am SO proud of you 
congratulations 
Checking in this evening,
After my stressful day at work I came home to eat, took care of some chores, and then watched the series “Mom” with hubby. I can relate to EVERYTHING… seriously lol… the person who wrote that series must have had some experience with meetings and addiction/alcoholism. Anyway, every episode had me in tears 
lol and it made me really miss meetings and the togetherness and the support. I often feel alone in a sense with certain things. Idk. Grateful to be clean and sober tonight.
I’m sorry to read this Menno. That’s a real bummer. I hope it’s nothing serious and I hope you feel better soon my friend.
Ditto what Dazercat said
Be well, not hurting, healed, soon friend.
Very beautiful pic.
That’s a tough one on Lisa. I’ve heard tell you can just say No without giving a reason either. Must be some kind of super power people have. My whole body starts squirming when I want to say no. It can be so hard.
I love those numbers you got there. Looks like a full house. Great job!!
Get some rest.
That is a real long trip! Was there another way u could help without going there in person? I definitely think u should work on being able to say no to things. I can relate to being worried about disappointing people, tho.
Nice number catch btw.
@mno Poor you! I hope u feel better, and can sort a new phone, etc asap.
Hello everyone I’ve missed so much I hope to be able to catch up on post tomorrow and see what’s going on with my 2nd favorite people 
So since I was last on I finished treatment at Park Avenue Centers in Minneapolis. I wanted to say where because I am so grateful for the experience. I hate to say it but I have a feeling I don’t remember ever having. I said I hate to say it because so many people that sober up say that and never make it to recovery. anybody that has seen my post know that I don’t think sober and recovery are anywhere near the same thing. I quit drinking 88 days ago I’ll be in recovery for as long as I decide to better myself. I know that I can only work on my stuff if I’m sober but I also know if I don’t improve myself while sober I will be a miserable person still and just remember more of it. Sorry to ramble.
I was saying I feel different because I am so hopeful. I feel spiritually connected and can actually imagine a future instead of dread it. Around three years ago I remember laying on the couch one day I had been drinking even more than usual for some months and hadn’t eaten in ten days or so. And I recall my breathing getting really shallow and deliberate and I don’t know friends I could just feel the life leaving me and I was so calm and relieved just then my girlfriend at the time came into the room. I gasped for breath I’m not sure when I had stopped and kind of reluctantly came back to a semiconscious state and was so disappointed. Today I couldn’t imagine wanting to just fade away and be done. I have had the worst week my son is going through some really bad things and I have been powerless to do anything to change his circumstance. As a father being helpless to help your first born only boy is devastating. Not one time did I want to escape by using nor did I turn off my ringer and pretend nothing was going on I did all I could to be supportive and prayed on the rest. I knew that using wasn’t going to help him or me at all. It would only cause me grief, put my living situation in jeopardy, and Rob me the opportunity to go through the normal emotions that were appropriate. If anyone reads this whole thing sorry
Thanks for the vent there guys
88 days no alcohol
50ish days no cigarettes
I don’t have a counter for smoking and didn’t look at old post and do the math
I really appreciate you
Love and good thoughts
Charlie! One whole year!
I am so so so happy for you, and so grateful for you! Your relentless showing up continues to inspire me, and your presence on my journey has meant so much to me. I didn’t wanna miss this for anything!
Hope you had an amazing day, and that you have an amazing tomorrow. [In the words of a fine friend o’ mine…] I’m going to do my sober! 
I also struggle with this word but it has been easier to say and adhere to after I had set boundaries. For example when I moved into this close living environment with my parents they immediately assumed I was included in ALL their visitors and plans. At first I went with it because I didn’t want to seem unappreciative. As time went on I became resentful because more times than not I was exhausted or painful and I felt they expected me to be there. My sponsor helped me come up with boundaries which I presented to them one day. It wasn’t a day they had asked me over so there was no way for them to be defensive, I just brought it up and called it what it was “I am going to set a boundary with you…” and why I was setting it.
This was how I was taught to do it because then if you were to be asked again you can say. " I am sorry I have already talked to you about my boundaries and what you are asking me doesn’t align with that." If they push " I can see that you are not willing to respect my boundaries . FUCK OFF!" hahaha I’m kidding about the fuck off part.
Lisa you have been dealing with your family taking advantage of you for sooooooo long. You are such a giving soul, don’t forget about you though.
Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this. Sending you and your son strength and love.
Oh no.
You fell??? I missed that some how.
I hope it’s nothing serious and you get some relief today.
323 days
@TripnMN great post your mindset sounds spot on, good luck for your you and your son, you doing great.
@Mno crap, nothing worse then losing phone, we do really rely on them, hope your shoulder gets better very soon take care
@Lisa07 I hear you, I do the same and then I fester about it, i have been getting better, 1 day you have try to use it to do what you want, you deserve that. P.s. great numbers 
Lovely weekend which is a good set-up for week ahead. Driving in today so early start. Sam my son, will be getting his train back this morning, armed with food in freezer bags to keep him eating, i enjoy doing that. I will be going to see him in 2 or 3 weeks as lovely Christmas markets in his Uni City.
Have a good Monday all 
She had medication that needed to be picked up from a pharmacy near me but she has lupus and was having a bad flare up where she couldn’t get out of bed. I was going to mail it but she needed it today. Because she wasn’t feeling well and needed it, I felt like I couldn’t say no. Also, her roof was leaking and my husband does construction so he went with me to fix it. I haven’t spent that much time with my husband in forever. Having that quality time together made it worth the trip. I just didn’t get everything around my house done but there’s always next week.
