Hi mlb! Don't know what that stands for - don't watch much baseball - We're a Canadian Football League family here...huge Calgary Stampeder fans. Just wanted to pop in to say WOW!!!! Your story from start to what's happening with you today is just great. Text book!!!!

I love how you can stick to routine like that. It is a personality thing but what a lesson for us. I'm going to do some thinking about this and see if I can incorporate some of what you do into my life.

I have not been drinking for the past few weeks as I have to wait for a shipment from River/India, but I've been fine with that - don't have much desire anymore. But there are other areas of my life - like eating - that I would like to use some 'routine' for.

So tomorrow the thinking cap goes on and the planning starts. I'm going to like this new 'toy' - thanks and way to go. Oh, just a little reminder - if you have a few slip ups or bad days don't sweat it!!!!! You are headed for success.

Thanks, BGH! "mlb" is just my initials, although I'm a big baseball fan, so I like it for that reason, too. It's too bad I didn't register mlb.com before those baseball guys got it.

I was out of town on a business trip most of the past week. I don't travel much (and don't care to) and I didn't know how the drinking would go when my normal routine was disrupted.

The trip was a mix of stress during the day and boredom at night. Not surprisingly, the "solution" was to drink more, so my units were way up for the week.

I'm not going to beat myself up about that. I got back home late last night and will get back on track with my normal routine.

I hope you are all well.

I think its probally normal for units to spike when we are out of our normal routine. I expect mine to rocket next week when I go on holls but I think all the other benifits like being more lucid and no blackouts to still be there.

mlb, we seem to be eerily paralleling each other. I have to go out of town on business later this week until next week and I'm kind of expecting my numbers to spike a little, cocktail parties etc. I went AF last night and may try for another this week to try and keep the numbers down. I know you'll be right back on track. That spike makes your graph look a little more interesting anyway. Keep up the great progress and sorry for the highjack. I need to post my weekly update.

"The trip was a mix of stress during the day and boredom at night. Not surprisingly, the "solution" was to drink more, so my units were way up for the week.

I'm not going to beat myself up about that. I got back home late last night and will get back on track with my normal routine."

My hero! Not only are you disciplined, but are rather duck-like in letting a week with a spike not lead to you threatening to hurl yourself in front of a train, you are obviously not channeling the inner drama queen that plagues me. I'm already up in units so far this week on Day 3 because I'm so bummed about the elections (apologies to my conservative/tea bagger friends but I'm a flaming liberal and just got a text that Rand Paul carried KY and Crist lost senate race in Florida which sent the screwtop flying off my second bottle of Kim Crawford NZ Sauv Blanc )--thanks for reminding me it's not big deal and even if I'm up a little this week I won't lose sight of "the prize"

st jude, i'm with you, how else to squelch the fear about a rand paul victory????
perhaps i'll just avoid the news for awhile. better than drowning my worries
hang in there,
path

sorry mlb to not include you on your own thread. so glad that you are taking slightly higher number in stride. you have an iron will and i'm sure you will be back on track in no time. you are an inspiration!
path

Unfortunately, after my business trip spike week I did not just magically return to the pre-trip level, but at least I went down a little. Part of the problem was that my wife was gone the past week, so I was home alone, and I typically drink more then.

MLB, you are right back on track. My trip had some higher daily totals too and I'm looking forward to getting back to my routine.