It Works When You Work It

I don't detail my individual days on here very often, but yesterday provided a nice range of activity for me and I thought I'd share it with you.

Went to my regular AA meeting at 8:30am. People who go to a Saturday morning meeting are serious about recovery. At the core of that group are about 25 regulars. We can count on each other to be there unless someone may be out of town or otherwise preoccupied for some reason. I have not missed that meeting since August 2003, the month before I quit drinking.

I came home and did my computer stuff and then ran a couple of errands around Montrose. I had volunteered my time for an afternoon workshop -- "Surviving the Holidays Sober." It was held at The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston . I was to be there early to help set-up the room. They gave me a large box of homemade cookies and asked me to display them and other cakes and pies on the tables. The display queen in me came out and I had fun with it. About 1pm we all started eating the generous snacks and the workshop began at 1:30pm. There were about 30 recovering alcoholics in attendance and we came up with some creative ideas on staying sober with family, friends and work buddies for the next 2 months when everyone around us is drinking. This was a worthwhile activity and certainly helpful to those who've never faced sobriety during the holidays. When I departed, I dropped by Lambda Center to check out the decorating-in-progress for the Halloween Party slated for the evening. They were nearly finished and I just stayed out of the way. I did get to chat with a few friends before I went home.

One of our friends, Brian, was celebrating his First AA Birthday. His sponsor invited about 10 of us to join in his birthday dinner at a small Mexican restaurant. We all met there at 5:30pm and had great food and fellowship. Brian's parents were there and that was really special to have them present. I always think of this type of thing as a living amends. I know that I, during my drinking days, always took my parents for granted. Parents are people too.

Birthday Night @ Lambda Center is held on the last Saturday of the month. It's special. Really special. Last night, there were 35 people celebrating AA birthdays ranging from 1 year to 32 years of sobriety. They are each provided with their chip/medallion, a certificate and then give a short (hopefully) speech about their gratitude. I would guess there were about 120 in attendance last night for this event. Some were in full costume for ...

... The Halloween Party which began after Birthday Night was over. Great costumes. Creative costumes. People dancing to good music. I left early because this old boy was tired at 10pm. I took no pictures this time because I have another illness ... ISM. Incredibly Short Memory.

I forgot my camera!

But I did stay sober.