I Am Thankful

My ex wanted to take me out to lunch today. Embracing my poor student status, I said yes. Went to lunch, then he said to sit in his car with him, he had to tell me something. Ut oh!

Seems "the boy" has to go to court on Tuesday for misdemeanor trespassing. This happened two weeks ago, I think he said. Which means I've been riding with the boy for two weeks back and forth to school and he never said anything. Seems he was too afraid of my reaction to tell me. Wise of him. Now I understand why he's been sick for the last week.

Now, six months ago I would have freaked!! Not today tho. I'm actually happy about it. Maybe this is what he needs to set him on the straight and narrow. Ex said the cops thought he was on something cos he was shaking so bad. Good! I'm not sure if I'm gonna miss class to go to court. I told the boy to never make me have to go to court for him cos it devastated me when I had to go for his brother 4 yrs ago (long story, but that scared my eldest onto the straight and narrow, except for the driving under the influence that he does).

I called the boy and asked how he was feeling. He said still kinda sick. I said what about the nervous breakdown he was having. He said "what??" I asked if he had nice clothes to wear for court. He said yeah. I told him "you know, I do love you" he said "I know" and I said "I am gonna kick your ass". He said "I know".

My mother used to say "You're only as happy as your most miserable child" (I think Erma Bombeck said it first). That's not true, tho, I am happier than my most miserable child cos, I know now, I have no control over this. God does and that's not me. I'll be concerned, but not freaking out (hopefully). But I didn't teach him to do something stupid like this. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Gratitude List:

1. Sobriety - I can show up for court and not be hungover or crazy emotional.

2. Serenity - I don't have to fall apart over this. And then try to drink it away.

3. I have AA in my life - I'll share about this tonite and hopefully someone newer to AA than I will see that you CAN handle life clean and sober.

4. Most importantly, I have a God of my understanding watching over me and my boys. Which is handy, trust me. :o)

Oh, and, Hannah was a letdown. The rain and the wind were ok tho. I got to sit at the register in Outside Garden in the rain and do my reading for school. That was very peaceful!

Thinking, As Usual...

So, I was mildly fiending yesterday, as usual. That's cool. It's my first summer not drinking, it's been hot out, yadda. I was talking to a friend from the meetings about it (someone I hang out with regularly). And my sponsor, of course.

Well, someone who went back out six months ago came back last week. She's been sharing and also starting the topic for meetings with "what do you do to keep from drinking". I shared that, while I need to go to meetings daily to be reminded of what I need to do to stay sober (since my memory still sucks), when things get really bad, I just have to remember what it was like the day before I got back into the rooms. And that, while I do have the free will to go back out any time I want to, I know in my heart that I probably wont make it back in again. I half joked with my friend that if I went back to drinking they'd find me with a needle in my arm and a razor blade in my hand, cos that's where I know my disease would lead me.

Then, tonite after the meeting, I was talking to another friend thats been sober for almost 2 years. Man, she was bad off! Lots of joint pain/she just needs something. The pills she takes help her but she's run out. They're not the kind of pill that you get off on. She NEEDS something, percoset or vicodin or... I was like "cmon. You'll only get strung out like I did. Do you really wanna be chasing that? Now? After all you've gone thru? Obviously you wanna be sober, or you'd not have put in so much effort here" type crap.

Then it hit me! Whatta freakin hypocrite I am! (that's not the epiphany. I knew that already)

Now, from reading all the blogs (lou, syd, kel, junky's wife, etc.), I've had that "is this what I did to people" heartache. I read what they write and I feel like they're writing about my actions. And then I dare to try to help someone, when I'm fiending myself. Sheesh!

Anyway, something for me to ponder tomorrow. Fiending sucks in so many huge ways. Does it suck enough to go back out and die over? If not, what then?

What to do...

Yeesh! When I chose to trade in my high-stress job as scheduler (mon to fri, 8a to 5p) for the less stressful job as garden head cashier, it was for the perk of thu-sun, 8a to 7p (4-10hr days). Since we were over hours, store wise, there was a sign over the time clock asking for any full timers to cut to 32 hrs. I offered.

Well, a month later, they wanna reneg on the 4-10 hr days to full flex (any shift, from 5:45 am to 10:30 pm, mon to sun). They act like they did me a favor by letting me go to 32 hrs. So, there goes my meetings and commitments. I know, with me, no meetings = no sobriety. If I want a set schedule, they offered for me to go part time, which means they can schedule me only 6 hrs a week. Hmmm... right. We're gonna talk about it when I get to work on Thurs. Something to look foward to, huh?

Adding to that is my resentment towards a "friend" in the rooms who chewed me out last Saturday at a meeting cos I called her to see how another friend was seen in a bar the night before by my sponsor and she accused me of gossiping. I said "No, it wasn't gossiping. It was concern." Well, it turns out it was her in the bar. She shared about it at that meeting, which I missed cos, heart pounding, I said "Fuck this!" and walked out. (this was before the meeting/no one else was there) So, I get home and that "friend" was nice enough to text me that if I needed a meeting, I could come back! Argh!

Anyway, that, plus I had to go to court today for a speeding ticket (I really have to stop drinking so much coffee!), having to take my car in for an inspection tomorrow (which I don't think it will pass and I can't afford to have it fixed) and the job thing... well... I'm stressed. But, I called my sponsor, shared it at meetings and will continue to pray on it. I'm sure God has a plan. Which make one of us!

Venting, venting, venting. Give it up... Turn it over... Keep it simple... Buy doughnuts... oh, uh, oops? ahem

Onward and Upward!