Reboot, your doing so well!

I'm so glad your here sharing your experiences. And so many AF days! Thats fantastic. I can't do 1 yet, so you give me hope.

Hugs.

Jaba - I started out with 25 for a week. But I also had several days where I took a second 25 during that second week because I was at the beach and we were having a few beers on beach during the day and then 6-8 hours later when we got back and started grill I would have several more drinks. So I took a second 25 to make sure I did not over drink the NAL. My only complaints were a few times where I had some stomach cramps and diarrhea during the first week or so.
Tamara- the AF days will come. My first one was when I had a NAL over. Not the best of circumstances but it was an AF day. I really was concerned for the first couple of weeks but kept with the program and it just sorta happened that my day to day drinking at home has slowed dramatically. the only real change I did was to buy some flavored seltzer to keep next to my beer. And instead of taking the pill around 4 PM because I knew I wanted a drink at 5. I waited until I really wanted to drink, took the pill, set my phone timer for an hour, drank seltzer and waited an hour. After several weeks of this I realized that when the timer went off I really did not want a drink anymore. I had to have one because I took the pill but only one or two instead of the 7-8 I would have had in the past.

So this week was not to bad for a travel week. I had made a goal of not drinking in the airport - that did not happen this time! Hell, I didn't even make it out of the house and I took the pill. Oh well. Next time. But I only had a couple in the airport. None on the plane and none on my arrival so all in all a good day. The rest of the weekend was one party after another and the drinking around me started at noon. I did manage to hold off my drinking on two of the three days until around 5PM. Drank a lot of seltzer before, after, and during my drinking. I managed to remember every bit of the weekend and all my conversations so I consider that continued progress. In the past ( a couple of weeks ago), with all my friends around and with no one having to drive it would have been party all night and wake up and start drinking
again to get rid of the hang over.

Numbers went like this 0,5,11,11,14,1,and 0. These numbers are in units - which is a real pain to deal with. Kind of hard to know if I am doing it right but I guess if I am consistent with my count then that is all that matters.

This week I have a party week end as I will be spending time in the Keys in Florida with a hard drinking crowd. I will have to stock up on seltzer and make sure that I am on top of taking my pills and trying not to out drink the NAL during a long day of socializing with my drinking buddies.

Reboot, all sounds like great progress. Slow and steady, slow and steady. Have fun in the Keys!! Use lots of sunscreen it is still hot as h--- here is FLA!! xoxo Newlife

You are doing great! Thanks for the update. Have fun in the Keys.

Well - not a great week - but I knew that it would be tough because of the trip to the keys. Days went like this: 4, 16, 23, 51, 0, 0, and 0. Guess which days I was in the Keys? I was actually very happy with my results except for the last day. It started at noon and went out on the boat to a sandbar for several hours of beer drinking, then to a BBQ where there was more beer drinking, and then back to the hotel where the notorious Capt. Morgan came around and we sat around until early morning hours. Whenever I drink the rum it really shoots my numbers up as both my wife and I make them double/double talls. Which makes it easier to lose count, control and be foolish. That is going to be my next goal is to try to make a weaker drink. But I did take a second pill - just a half. And I do believe it helped as I did not do anything to stupid. Well except to smoke pot for the first time in a long time. That did not go well. So that night was really what sent my numbers up this week.

The rest of the days in the keys I actually meant my goal of either not drinking until 5ish or just having a one before. Not easy when everyone else starts the days with bloody Mary's or OJ and vodka. But I felt good about it. No one cared that I didn't partake and I felt no peer pressure. Actually made the bloody marys for everyone one morning.

The trip home put me back into reality and finished up strong with three straight AF days. Plenty of stress to go around with teenagers causing us lots of headaches. Fruit does not fall far from the tree. And payback comes with interest unfortunately.

This next week should be good. Pretty confident that I should get the numbers back down. Going to be working on boat for several days - wife and kids will not be around - and in the past that would have meant a lot of happy hour time but I think I am going to make it solitude time instead.

Reboot,

My goodness you must be young...or young at heart, for if I drank that much I would be sleeping by 8PM esp. being out on the beach or on a boat...but it sounds like you had a blast! I admire you for having 3 af days after that, for some reason it takes me awhile to get back in the swing of af days if I don't have them often. I am glad you were able to keep your goal of not drinking until 5ish for it is so easy to just give in, so be proud!

I don't envy you with the teenage thing...I gave it to my parent and got it back 10 fold with my daughter (thank god my sons learned from her mistake...they take after their father).

So are you working on a boat or going to work on a boat (hobby or job)?

It sounds like you have a solid plan, and I wish you many joyful hours of solitude!

Jaba

Not much time this past week to keep up here. No internet during past week and probably none this week. Heading out of town again. Not a bad week but no AF days. Count went 2,2,4,6,5,15, and 1. Had a retirement party out of town that I drank a wee bit to much. Paid for it yesterday - not a real NAL over - but slow moving. Hope all is well with the gang. Be back on Sunday night - hoping this week-end to try to keep from a double digit day. Gonna be hard as I am going out to see a lot of friends in a party situation from Thursday night to Saturday night. Good news is I am going to airport this AM and I think it should be easy to stay away from the bar as the flight leaves at 730 am./

Reboot,

It seems as though you are doing really good. Your numbers look great even without an af day. I am sorry to hear that you had a hangover, for I know that too well after being on the nal. (never had one pre-nal). Good luck on you flight. I do hate those early flights for you have to get up so early , but it will be good for you if you cannot drink. What surprises me is watching people order drinks that early in the morning and not just one...I guess whatever floats their boat.

Have a great time (if you can),

Jaba

Feel bad for not being active on the forum but life seems to be a series of trips and meetings that take my free time away. Not complaining as a lot of it is for enjoyment. But this week was another mixed bag: 5, 12,15, 3, 10, 0 and 0. Did great in the airport on first day of week heading to a big party - but it was very early so not a huge victory, but a victory. Had to much beer for next two days -but no hard liquor, did not drink in airport but had three big jack and cokes that counted for 10 units when I got home. Rallied at end of week and finished off with 2 AF days - including tonight where I went out to dinner with friends and did not even want to drink a glass of wine or have a beer. So total units 45.

I hope to have time off tomorrow to go through and see how everyone is doing. Best of luck.

Reboot - this is great success. Look at your numbers - they are half of what they were at the start. I think that you are doing really well. Funny, how many people love to drink at the airport. They must make huge business there. I guess it is slight anxiety, loneliness, no family watching etc. that all contribute to this. I also loved to have a drink at the airport - especially, if I had access to the lounge where drinks are free. That drink allowed me to sort of switch mood - go from home to travel mood. It was also craving for "empty" time when I am not accountable to anyone. In my youth, smoking was such ritual. When I needed to think or have a few free minutes, I smoked. But then one day, I just stopped since I got bored with the ritual.

Nal on!