Hello David, and welcome!

I just came across your prolific posts and am so impressed by your wisdom and intelligence. This writer could learn a thing or two from you! (Yep, another student of the English language here, though most of my work has been with advertising copywriting and magazine articles.) Very strange that so many writers/artists/creative people have a problem with alcohol. Or, "abuse" alcohol, as you so aptly stated.

I disagree that the stigma is gone from alcoholism, as some mentioned. I am ashamed that I drink too much. Would I be ashamed if I had diabetes, heart disease or cancer? Of course not. But I have been roped into the mentality that out-of-control drinking is a character flaw, that I could stop if I really wanted to and had enough willpower. Logically, I know this is wrong. Too many studies prove otherwise. But emotionally, I still battle with it.

I am heading toward week 12 on Tuesday and I haven't seen any significant improvement yet, except for reduced cravings. But I still drink as much as I did pre-TSM. Looking to the success of others on this board for encouragement.

I thoroughly enjoyed your posts. Welcome.

David,
I appreciate your kind words, but allow me to clarify a slight misconception. My picture here is a photo of actor "Kenneth Osmond", who played the character "Eddie Haskell" in the black & white sitcom "Leave It to Beaver" in the late 1950's / early 1960's (I loved that show). I chose Eddie as an avatar because some people I work with consider me mischievous, while keeping an outwardly respectable appearance, something that the character in "Leave It to Beaver" was known for. In reality, I am 51 years old, perhaps thoughtful, and ordinary looking (judging by the way women look right through me all my life).

Other than the picture, everything else I say here is real.

Also, I am the opposite of a writer/artist... I am an professional engineer. I think I am creative, but in a practical or rather tangible way.

Regarding the stigma of alcoholism. It is still here with us in society even though it has gotten better marginally. As recently as today I heard it stated that alcoholics are engaging in escapism which is a form of cowardice. Although that may have been true at one time long ago, it has not been true for decades. I have been addicted. That's all. Just addicted. No moral judgments necessary. Now I am de-addicted, thanks to TSM. If I crawl back into a bottle now, it is escapism.

Killing or not killing bugs is a person's choice and really doesn't have anything to do with masculinity. My wife kills bugs (except spiders) without a second thought as do I, but we both rescue frogs and lizards, releasing them outside to take up their role in nature. Spiders get to stay indoors since they fend off insects.

I think your son-in-law's desire to experience everything by exposing himself to the emergency room is a great idea. It exposes him to a wide array of human conditions which ultimately adds to his depth of understanding that he'll use later in his career.

It's getting late for me here. I need to return to work tomorrow after some days off, so I'll sign off for now.

Bob

mmmmmWWWWAAAAhhhhhh!!!! Great guys here!

Back at ya, itty-bitty. . .!

OH MY GOD! Bob, what a difference a week (or two) makes. I'm so happy happy happy for you! (Yes, there are too many superlatives/exclamation marks. . .well earned.)

My lightning strike made everything topsy-turvy for awhile. That and my professional obligations have kept me pretty much out of the loop. But during that time I see how much progress you've made - bravo! Me, too. Yesterday was AF, without effort or thought. Me and Jake just got too busy with other things, and by the time we thought to take the Nal. . .just didn't care to. Now we're each having a drink - but who cares? This monkey is on its way back out to the jungle where it belongs. Hope it gets eaten by a lion.

Yay for us!

PS: I also love the word games. Maybe I'll reawaken some of those brain cells deadened by AL.

Dear Bob3D et al,

Oh, Silly me! Since I was never much of a TV fan, I entirely missed your Eddie Haskel association, though I vaguely remember his name back then. So, even though I'm quite embarrassed here about being so out of touch, never mind, I greatly enjoy ALL our exchanges here. There seems to be so much to share about TSM, and maybe we all prefer to share some of this personal information in private. Good! I mention things here that I would not be likely to share on other online forums.

So, let me confess and correct, or update, the record and explain that I TOO am also an engineer by mind, heart, and profession. I've no college degree in anything, but I've taught advanced computer engineering courses during my long and lucky career and I'm now a retired "stand-alone-inventor" working out of my self-built home shop and lab and enjoying every minute. I love my family, my friends and my life, so now let's work on curbing my drinking of alcohol, which I believe is nothing more than another simple addiction. However, I also believe that alcohol is a serious and potentially destructive addiction for each of us at the personal level. As you know, it is a VERY COMMON affliction, worldwide today. It is far more dangerous to society than tobacco, but not quite as dangerous as heroin or the many new designer drugs we are seeing our youg people succumb to, because those particularly POWERFUL addictions destroy people very quickly, usually at an early age. I know of some, I hope you all do not.

On a much lighter note for all my TSM friends,

What would you call a drunk who works at an upholstery shop?
A recovering alcoholic.

"Let we here highly resolve ..."

Regards,

David

Funny!

Bob

Dear All, esp bob3D,

Say, friends, let's all exchange some "guy walks into a bar" jokes but try to make it gender neutral for extra fun.

UPDATE-- My personal progress seems slow but steady. After 13 weeks, my craving has shot up through the roof, maybe to a 12 level, but I find I can deal so long as I have Nal! My most honest assessment suggests I'm down a solid 20% from initial 10 units/day average to current 8 units/day average in 13 weeks. My dear counselor is naturally scared to death for going along and prescribing this regimen for me, but we seem to have a bond of trust. I feel obligated to succeed, not only for me, but for her courage in (uncomfortably) supporting my effort to explore TSM. Man, yesterday I did a true FIVE!

A guy walks into a bar with jumper cables. The bartender says, "You can come in, but don't start anything!"

Your turn ---

Regards,

David

A man walks into a bar with a dog. The bartender says, "Hey buddy, can't you read that sign? It says no dogs allowed! Get that mutt out of here!" The man replies, "No, I can't read the sign - I'm blind, and this is my seeing eye dog." The bartender is embarrassed and gives the man a beer on the house. Later that day, the guy is telling his friend about it: "I told him I was blind and I got a free beer!" The friend then takes his dog into the bar and sits down, and the bartender says, "The sign says no dogs allowed! You'll have to leave!" The friend says, "Sorry, I can't see the sign because I'm blind, and this is my seeing eye dog." The bartender replies, "Since when do they give out Chihuahuas as seeing eye dogs?" The man says, "They gave me a Chihuahua?"

A man walked into a bar holding an alligator. He asked the bartender, "Do you serve lawyers here?" The bartender said, "Yes, we do!" "Good," replied the man. "Give me a beer, and I'll have a lawyer for my alligator."

A guy walks into a bar and sees a woman at the end of the bar. The man says to the bartender, "I'll have a beer and I'd like to buy a drink for the douchebag at the end of the bar. The bartender says, "OK, but you shouldn't talk to a woman like that." The bartender asks the woman what she would like. The woman says, "I'll have a vinegar and water."

A leprechaun walks into a bar. The bartender serves him and says, "That'll be $2.50." The leprechaun puts two dollar bills on the bar and starts walking away. The barkeep shouts, "You're a little short!"

A piece of rope walks into a bar and the bartender says, "We don't serve your kind." The rope goes outside, ties himself in a knot and frays one end of himself. He walks back into the bar and the bartender says, "Weren't you just in here?" The rope replies, "No, I'm a frayed knot."

A man runs into a bar and asks the barkeep, "Give me ten shots of your best whisky." The bartender sets up the ten glasses. The man starts drinking them as quickly as the bartender serves them. The bartender asks, "Why are you drinking so fast?" "You'd drink fast too, if you had what I have." The bartender asks, "What do you have?" "Seventy cents."

@ those

A man walks into a bar and says "Ouch!"