Thanks Hess & Chrissie for your support

Still not sleeping well and have been awake since some ungodly hour, but yes I do feel better thanks. Not being hungover helps. Yes, it's still summer here and we have plenty of work on. And we do say TGIF! The money problems will sort themselves out eventually.

Will go and see how you guys are doing.

Cheers
Sticky

Hiya Sticky!! Just checking in with you!

I am about to call myself cured. Wanted you to be one of the first I tell as you have been with me on this journey all along!

I hope you are well. And listen, if money is your only gripe-- you are a lucky woman! Money is cheap in the overall scheme of things. Now health... well, wouldn't you agree that health and having it is the true wealth on this planet????

Here's to your health and well-being despite what your bank statement reads!

Sincerely,

Ketchikan1

Hi Ketch

Thanks for that and yes, you are so right. Health is so much more important than money. We have a wonderful friend in Sydney/Australia who at 67 only has a short time to live. I feel so sad for him & his family and am trying to feel very grateful for myself & my own family, despite whingy kids!!

You go girl, and will cut & paste this as you have been one of my greatest support people here..

Take care Laura

Cheers
Sticky

Sticky, sorry to hear about your recent setbacks and money woes...I feel you on that. I have been living pretty much paycheck to paycheck since May even though working at times 15 hours a day with two jobs..and for my mental health I just had to quit one of those jobs lol. So we'll see. But I agree that money well, it's important, but thankfully it's also something you can drum up more of if you work on it (unlike for instance...health

Also I'd like to echo Hess : "You always make NZ sound amazing - holidays, rugby, boats, "sausage sizzles." Sounds like a great time!!"
Uhm, yes. I love rugby and sausage and well, holidays I might be making it out to Melbourne for a wedding in 2012 but I imagine it's still a fair bit of money to fly to NZ from there?

Wishing you the best of luck,
EL

Oh bugger, I should have known. Just wrote a long spiel, went out half way thru to get a DVD for kids and lost it all. Don't think I can be bothered to try and recreate it all now, so will catch up on how others are doing. Not a bad week BTW - 20 units and 4AF. Still having too much when I drink though.

Cheers
Sticky

Hi Sticky - I hate when that happens! I have to make sure I copy everything to the clipboard before I even attempt to submit. That's what us long-winded folks get for being...long-winded.

Sounds like you had a very reasonable week. Be sure to keep us updated on the summer season in NZ, as we're getting snow* in the Northeastern US today.

*Truth be told, this has been the mildest winter I've ever experienced. Even when I lived in Baltimore (Mid-Atlantic US), it wasn't this nice.

Enjoy the weekend.

-H

Wow Sticky, those are really good #'s! 4 AFs is awesome...are they comfortable to do?

Yeah, doing the math on your #'s, I see you must do what I do these days: play "catch up" after an AF. I shouldn't act like this blind sides me every time...maybe I can plan the "day after" and set a goal of #'s, or some specific activities to distract me/break the habit pattern. I will put on my thinking cap...

The term "sausage sizzle" DOES sound very appealing...much more glamorous than "pig roast"

Hey Sticky - The money numbers look bad but your weekly drink numbers look a lot better. What a shame about the sailboat, etc. But you'll rebound. I'm so glad you're staying with TSM to see it through. And I know you'll get there.

Hey guys

Thanks for the support. My numbers don't look too bad, but I am still drinking way too much for me when I do drink. Chrissie - 4 days AF is not too hard. Mostly thanks to people here saying that by my stage in this process I should be able to do it. Remember that I used to have MONTHS AF. Even 2 years once. I haven't had any days with only 1 or 2 drinks lately. It's been at least a whole bottle of wine or equivalent, then poor sleep and tired the next day. I haven't slept well since we came back to work 5 weeks ago. I think part of it may be menopause. Yuk!

Have had a nice summer day today, but yesterday was a bit cold and windy. Thought I might swim today at a beach we went for a walk on, but it wasn't warm enough. Still nice though. We are having some good friends over for dinner soon. They are both very understanding and supportive of my issues and they have 2 boys similar ages to ours, so we often spend time together. My friend is not an alcoholic, but even she won't keep white wine in the house during the week in case she drinks a whole bottle. She struggles with cigarettes, like my hubby.

Am feeling a little sad and paranoid after hubby told me that a mum of one of my younger son's best buddies asked him how things were at home recently. I have never told her about my issues b/c she has never invited me in for a coffee, so haven't got to know her too well. She is a nutritionist and did work in an expensive A & D rehab for wealthy Americans, etc at an Auckland West Coast beach ,which no-one I know has ever been to. Her hubby is quite famous in NZ and used to be in a well known band. Apparently he has suffered from depression. The mum of my youngest's other best buddy must have said something to her for her to ask such a question. I imagine it's only because they care, but it doesn't feel nice to know that they have been talking about me behind their backs...

Better go and start cooking, but will check in on how you are doing soon.

Cheers
Sticky

Week 1: 1,8,AF,3,AF,AF,3.5 total 15.5,3AF Week 2: AF,8,8,AF,AF,4,8 total 28, 3AF
Week 3: 4,8,AF,8,AF,5,AF total 25, 3AF Week 4: 16,AF,8,7,AF,10,AF total 41, 3AF
Week 5: 7,12,8,AF,8,AF,8 total 43, 3AF Week 6: AF,5,12,AF,AF,8,AF total 25, 4AF
Week 7: AF,14,AF,6,AF,5,AF total 25, 4AF Week 8: 8, AF, 12, 12, AF, 1.5, 1.5 total 35, 2AF
Week 9: 12, AF, 10, 2,AF, 10, AF total 32, 3AF Week 10: 9, AF, 10, AF,1.5, 6.5, AF total 27, 3AF
Week 11: 12, AF, 14, 3.5, 1, AF, 7.5 total 38, 2AF Week 12: AF, 8 AF, 9, 2, AF, AF total 19, 4AF
Week 13: 8.5, AF, 9, AF, 12, AF, 14 total 43.5, 3AF Week 14: 7.5, AF, 8, AF, AF, 9, 9 total 33.5, 3AF
Wek 15: AF, 9, AF, 9, AF, 9, 10 total 37, 3AF Week 16: total 34, 2AF
Week 17: total 32, 3AF Week 18: total 34, 4AF
Week 19: total 33, 3AF Week 20: 32, 3AF
Week 21: total 38, 3AF Week 22: 29.5, 4AF
Week 23: 34.5, 3AF Week 24: 36, 4AF
Week 25: 30.5, 3AF Week 26: 29, 3AF
Week 27: 22, 4AF Week 28: 33, 2AF
Week 29: 24, 4AF Week 30: 23, 4AF
Week 31: 19, 5AF Week 32: 29, 4AF
Week 33: 29.5, 3AF Week 34: 20, 3AF
Week 35: 35, 2AF Week 36: 20.5, 3AF
Week 37: 30, 3AF Week 38: 16, 5AF
Week 39: 32, 2AF Week 40: 23, 3AF
Week 41: 27, 3AF Week 42: 24, 4AF
Week 43: 37, 2AF Week 44: 29, 3AF
Week 45: 24, 3AF Week 46: 25, 3AF
Week 47: 29, 3AF Week 48: 25, 3AF
Week 49: 26, 2AF Week 50: 26, 1AF
Week 51: 20, 3AF Week 52: 25.5, 3AF
Week 53: 23.5, 4AF Weeks 54 - 56: 25, 3AF
Week 57: 30, 2AF, Week 58: 35, 1AF
Week 59: 16, 5AF, Week 60: 20, 4AF
Week 61: 25, 2AF, Week 62: 25, 3AF
Week 63: 20, 4AF

Heya Sticky!

Thought I'd pop in to see how you're doing after your post in Chrissie's progress. While reading I was reminded of something EL said, I think it was EL, a good one to remember and is true for how I'm feeling today. I can live like this regardless of what happens with my numbers, when I think about my worst drinking days in comparrison to today it's night and day! I have never felt so good and accepting about myself. What joy!

Zippy