Dry 6

[sydneysideup]

This is the thread for the alcohol free. Happy and hopeful, continuing from Dry 5 here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/a2137624-DRY-5?msgid=50943574
Whether it's been an hour, a day, a week or a year, join us here.

Hi there and well done (hope that doesn't sound patronising, I live my life in fear of sounding patronising ).

I also came to the end after a hideous Saturday night, I had tried for years to moderate but it just didn't work so had to stop, completely. It's frightening and hard at times abut it really is the best thing. In the early months (and forever probably) the thing to do is play the tape to the end - and look at how the evening or day will conclude if you do have that first drink.

Keep with it!

Welcome to the thread fearandloathing (love the name) :) and yes, well done. It sounds like you're doing all the right things in the early days.

I've just been listening to a really good Bubble Hour podcast and thought of it whilst reading your post - it's about the willingness to get sober here I listen to the Bubble Hour a lot... really identify so much.

molly what a lovely card from your DD. You must have done something right!

Not patronising at all Molly. Thanks for acknowledging. Thanks also for the tip on playing the tape to the end which is a very good idea and a great tool for my growing pack I think.

Welcome fearandloathing from me too :)
Molly yes lovely card from DD and as for you know who

Teapot went to a meeting last night and the topic was willingness so very top of my mind today too

Afternoon!

Hi fearandloathing and rusmum!

There is indeed something going on with the planets, the vernal equinox coincides with the solar eclipse on Friday. I'm 43 on Thursday and I've got the most dreadful PMS so all in all I'm feeling a little odd.

Still dry though . I went out on Saturday for dinner with some friends I've not seen for a long time. It was lovely to relax, chat and listen without worrying about drinking too much etc etc.

I've kind of managed to work through some of the RAGE of last week regarding my relationship with my Mum. I was a Cinderella, my sister the Golden Child. My Mum did apologise to me in my mid 20's for the way she treated me, saying she was jealous of the close relationship I had (and still do) with my Dad. Only then to corner me on my 30th birthday and quiz me on 'when are you going to get on the ladder of success?' I still have no idea what she meant and she died that December so I've never been able to ask her.

Before she died she was chatting to my Dad about us girls and told him I was strong and would be fine. My sister was the one 'to watch out for'. Dad told me this after the funeral. I didn't realise how bloody angry these things had made me until a couple of weeks ago. I guess I just thought I was generally angry about her dying and not being here. Drinking had choked down and smothered my feelings. Actually, it is quite specific!

I can't do anything about her feelings towards me BUT I can do something about the anger I have about all the opportunities I've missed because of my fear of failure and not being good enough. I've spent the weekend looking at further ed courses and putting the info together to try and get my employer to fund it.

Oh! One more very strange thing.....Red Nose Day at DS's school almost caused me to have a mind meltdown on Friday. As I was being pushed to the brink of my patience I thought to myself 'Gawd I need....to exercise' . I've started doing the Davina 7 min fit (great thread on here) and that was my reaction to the stress. Not 'I need a drink!' I amazed myself.

Anyway enough of my ramblings

Heman Happy birthday for Thursday!! Oh to be 43 again .......
Aha so there really is something going on with the planets - good to know and will disregard any other strange urges until after then
Another Cinderella here and 'me too' to the not feeling good enough. Good for you for looking at ways to put that right by doing some development stuff. Great way to channel energy and former drinking time! :)

Hi all!

Welcome fearandloathing and rusmum

Well I'm so sorry I've been AWOL, not drinking (11 months now, squeal) but Oh. My. Word. My family's life seems to suddenly be thrown into so much change! So v busy.

1. Got offered original 1st choice school for DD so been humming and ha-ing about whether we are going to move her or not. This feels like a huge deal. We have decided BTW so not looking for advice there, I'll say more in a few days when it's all final.

1. Can't say too much about the 2nd thing either as I'll out myself but my academic dept is being restructured and I'll have to reapply for my job. Except it looks like my lovely child friendly contract, will all my teaching hours in term time and my marking and admin in the holidays, is not an option. I don't want to go full time.

I do have some options but they all feel like leaps of faith at the mo.

And my DH is also facing severe difficulties at work.

But you know what? I am so pleased and grateful that at least I'm facing this sober, without the added element of drunk/hungover me lurching about ready to fling random spanners into an already tricky situation and make it 10 times worse.

And breaaatttthhhhhhhhhhhe

Hi all.... getting back on thread. Will read back and report in. Hugs to all. Welcome everyone new. :)

Hi again,

I have also been blah all week. teary, emotional, self loathing. White knuckling on the alcohol-front too. Feeling a bit better today. Interesting about the planets!

Hope everyone has a much better day. :)

Hi ya and welcome fearandloathing

Happy birthday for Thursday Heman, do you have anything nice planned?

Oh massive changes sydney, good luck with whatever you decide!

Welcome from me too fearandloathing
waves at everyone else and offers and all round
(yours is natural sugar only lucy )

I have had a really crap time this week as well - so that would be the malign influences of the planets, then? Hmmm I was much better able to cope due to the lack of a hangover as well, though... Although, I did have one drink on Fri night as I felt so crap about something - but stopped at one despite wanting to have more - so felt pleased at that, even if I did fall off the wagon Got straight back onto Dryness though. Not going to beat myself up - I did it, I stopped, I don't want to do it again, and I learnt a lesson about what triggers my drinking - I need to remove myself from one particular room late at night as that is where I crave a drink - a habit, that's all - and one I WILL break.

But yes March is a gloomy month, so much promise one day and then plunged back into depths of winter, the next!

It is sunny here at the moment so I am off out to dig in my veg patch and commune with my hens now

Shall we all just go to bed for the next two weeks then - any takers? Corn are you with me?
Or maybe Molly can sneak us all in her suitcase on holiday with her?
glad nothing to add to what you've said - onwards!
sydney breathe indeed!

Haha! I am BEYOND excited already!

I think bed is a good idea. At least I will stop me from strangling DH who is doing my head in today.

In bed in 5 minutes. Aaaahhhhhh.....

I will just leave him to sort his own mess out..... he failed to meet a deadline for a set of docs for a court case we have coming up mainly because he was fart assing around. [whack] that is me hitting him on the head.

How is everyone else doing? :) glad I want to have hens with a mad mad longing. You lucky thing. :)

Oh how beautiful! I have never heard of Seramas.... miniature you say? Hmmmmmmm....if they are small I could persuade DH..... I was very very obsessed for a bit with a 12 month series in Country Living that featured a family and a small holding and they mentioned that quail could live in quiet small areas so that got me dreaming about quail also....

Quail are very quiet but can be very mean to each other! Serama are lovely - cockerels crow but not very loud, all are very good natured and they can be kept in quite a small space. Eggs are v small and not laid prolifically, but I can't wait to hatch some eggs - the chicks are about an inch tall when they hatch. Sweet!

Oh glad! Miniature Chickens! I want chickens. I want a miniature house chicken that will cuddle up and murmur in my ear. I bet it's really difficult to be sad or stressed when you're getting a chicky cuddle.

I actually have one cwtched up to my ear (on my shoulder) as I type this! He is a bit poorly so is a house chicken at the moment but he is shamelessly milking it for attention

Got a glimpse of the photo this morn on my phone, very cute. Chickens always look to me like they know more than they let on.

Chicky cuddles. Mmmm...... drooling. :) I can offer up a 6 month old kitten with a bad leg (abscess) who is lying next to me savaging her catnip toy.

Oh, just watched a really harrowing documentary 'Rain in my heart' that follows four people battling with alcohol in the Medway. I could not get through quite a bit of it... really hard hitting. Has anyone seen it? Gosh that film cuts through the romantic crap about alcohol pretty successfully. :(