Sticky sober situation, averted.

08Jan11

Back in my drinking days, I used to dread the end of a dining-out evening, when it came time to tally the bill and I’d have to pay the piper because of my (un)healthy appetite for alcohol. All those martinis and glasses of vino really added up. So what’s a gal in recovery to do […]

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Tags: 12-Step Program, AA, alcohol, alcohol-free, alcoholic, alcoholics, Alcoholics Anonymous, bar tab, dining out, drinking, getting sober, girlfriends, girls' weekend, not drinking, recovery, sober, sobriety, travel, trip, wine

Reason NOT to drink #8: It’s my birthday.

11Jun10

Time was, a birthday was the perfect excuse for me to get drunk. Not that I needed much to coax me to indulge, but birthdays were a given. Added bonus: the booze was free and people tended to overlook any lack of moderation. After all, IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY! PARTY ON! At forty-something, I’m long past […]

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Tags: 12-Step Program, AA, alcohol, alcohol abuse, alcohol-free, alcoholic, alcoholics, alcoholism, birthday, celebration, change, drinking, getting sober, girlfriends, life, not drinking, not drinking on your birthday, sober, sober celebrations, sobriety, staying sober

Reason NOT to drink #7: “Personal turbulence”

15Mar10

I experienced some of what a friend calls “personal turbulence” about two weeks ago. Well, maybe it was a bit more than turbulence, but I’ll call it that for now. Immediately after it happened, I was in shock. I trembled. I felt nauseous. I felt cold. And I had an extreme attack of dry mouth. […]

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Tags: AA, alcohol-free, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, getting sober, girlfriends, karaoke, life, not drinking, party, recovery, sober, sober karaoke, sobriety, staying sober

Baggage: lost, found and in need of disposal.

18Sep09

Thunderstorms. Canceled flights. Wildly incorrect flight notifications. Lost luggage. The travel gods were against me last Thursday, as I attempted to fly to Virginia for a reunion and football weekend with my college girlfriends. It began as I sat on the tarmac for three hours at my home airport, while the pilot waited for clearance […]

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Tags: 12-Step Program, AA, AA meeting, acceptance, alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, college, college drinking, college reunion, drinking, getting sober, girlfriends, journey, letting go, life, not drinking, recovery, relationships, reunion, sobriety, travel, trip, wasted opportunity

AA out of town and high-tech.

10Sep09

This afternoon, I’m heading back East to reunite with my college girlfriends for a football weekend. When I mentioned this in my home meeting this week, a friend suggested I attend an AA meeting while in Virginia. I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t even considered that. In spite of the fact that football games […]

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Tags: 12-Step Program, AA, AA iphone app, AA meeting, AA meeting locator, AA resources, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, drinking, girlfriends, iPhone app, life, not drinking, party, recovery, sobriety, staying sober, travel, trip

A trip worth taking.

20Mar09

Before I left for my high school reunion two weeks ago, I wrote a post about the trip and my formative years, and how integral drinking had been to my high school experience. And while I had no worries about staying sober during my visit to the past, I wasn’t sure what sorts of emotions […]

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Tags: alcoholism, change, drinking, getting sober, girlfriends, high school reunion, life, not drinking, party, recovery, sober, sobriety, staying sober, the past, travel, trip

New York, post.

19Nov08

Back from NYC, home safe and sound and happy. I had such a good time that I was sort of fearing coming home, thinking I would suffer some post-vacation blues. Instead, I feel very content. I took in a Broadway show and got to visit backstage, had some wonderful girl time, experienced some very inspiring […]

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Tags: AA, AA meeting, alcohol, alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, blogging, girlfriends, New York City, NYC, recovery, selflessness, sharing, sober, sobriety, staying sober, Step 12, Step 2, trip, vacation