Friday, August 31, 2007

I am NOT a Senator ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the things I am learning about boundaries -- first, I had to learn how to spell it

that I need to be flexible and willing to change

that I have no need to deny who I am; my Higher Power did not put me here in order that I might deny my existence

for loud thunderstorms at dawn

that a little bit of communication can go a long way

that I could help a friend update his resume on MS Word (he had never used it)

that I can spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.
-Abraham Lincoln



Thursday, August 30, 2007

hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy



foot massage.
good.

more GOOD stuff HERE

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the things I am passionate about ...
... sobriety
... Hayden
... Lambda Center

that when I set proper boundaries for myself, the less chance there is for people to shame me into doing things for them

that honesty and denial usually don't belong in the same sentence

(except this one, of course)

that yesterday, Ben C. told us a little bit of his story in a most articulate manner and he told it with great clarity, enthusiasm and honesty

that Hayden made it home from Canada safely, although a few hours late

that we (Hayden and I) have a lot of potential life-changing things to discuss, but none of it requires immediate decisions

It may be that those who do most, dream most.
-Stephen Leacock

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

R.I.P.

Bruno died on Monday afternoon.

He was part of my sister's family; the oldest of her 2 English Bulldogs.
Bruno was insane. A nut. And he licked me nearly to death every time we got together.

He died suddenly at the doctor's office after panicking. His heart just stopped beating.

Bruno was 7 1/2 years old. In people years, that's 53. I am 53.
May he rest in peace.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that doing the next right thing rarely involves feeling guilty afterwards

that the less self-sufficient I am, the more peace of mind I experience; this flies in the face of everything I have always thought!

that I have a sober history with dozens of friends and acquaintances

that I have a sober BLOGGING history with several people (I'm talking about 2+ years)

for a nice, relaxing massage yesterday during a loud thunderstorm

that Hayden returns from Canada today after 3 weeks away

that tomorrow is hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy -- Be There or Don't Be

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
-Thomas A. Kempis

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

enlightenment





The Evolution of my dining room. from top to bottom ... 2003, 2005, 2006 and now.


todAAy, i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a fantastic meeting about Everything Happens For a Reason -- it really shed some new light on my current life situations/events; now, I am more confused than ever as to what actions to take

for Step 10 of Alcoholics Anonymous; it provides me a way to improve myself, to become a better person than I was yesterday

for guidance, especially when I don't need it

that I continue to remain busy throughout each day

for peace of mind (when it happens)

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.
-Suzanne Somers

Monday, August 27, 2007

practicing these principles ...


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the novelty of being sober and in recovery -- thanks for reminding me of that, Kenny

that we had 42 people celebrating 545 years of sobriety Saturday Night @ Lambda Center

that my head is still in a not-so-comfortable place but drinking alcohol still seems like it would be a terrible way to handle my problems

that my sponsee asked for a ride to a meeting I needed to attend, so we both went

for a consistent internet connection (this is very rare in many countries)

that I have done a makeover (new furniture and lighting) in my dining room and it looks pretty damn good for someone with no designing flair (pix tomorrow maybe)

that, although my self-esteem continues to take a severe hit, I don't need to take a hit to boost my self-esteem

for a reminder from Pam that there is life outside of Dave -- today and every day

Enthusiasm is a kind of faith that has been set on fire.
-George Matthew Adams

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Doctoral confusion

THE PSYCHIATRIST AND THE PROCTOLOGIST

Two doctors opened an office in a small town and put up a sign reading:

"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors."

The town council was not happy with the sign, so the doctors changed it to read, "Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."

This was not acceptable either, so in an effort to satisfy the council, they changed the sign to "Catatonics and High Colonics."
No go.

Next, they tried "Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives."
Thumbs down again.

Then came "Minds and Behinds."
Still no good.

Another attempt resulted in "Lost Souls and Butt Holes."
Unacceptable again.

So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts."
Not a chance.

"Nuts and Butts?"
No way.

"Freaks and Cheeks?"
Still no go.

"Loons and Moons?"
Forget it.

Almost at their wit's end, the doctors finally came up with:
"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends."

Friday, August 24, 2007

some basics

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful for

Step 3
skin
hair
oil
writing
dirt
wood
air
noise
birthday night @ Lambda Center

"There are those of us who are always about to live. We are waiting until things change, until there is more time, until we are less tired, until we get a promotion, until we settle down -- until, until, until. It always seems as if there is some major event that must occur in our lives before we begin living."
-- George Sheehan

Thursday, August 23, 2007

hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy

A couple of months ago it looked like I might have to have a type of by-pass surgery in my legs, especially the left one. After 36 years of heavy smoking, the arteries were sufficiently blocked as to prevent adequate blood flow. The condition is known as Peripheral Artery Disease.

I began a strenuous workout program on June 1. I have had very little exercise since I was in my early 20's, about 30 years ago.

After 2 months of exercise, the arteries have opened up enough that the vascular surgeon told me that surgery will not be required as long as I continue to get proper exercise AND as long as I don't start smoking again.

for a different view & more miracles, CLICK HERE


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I got to hear Ginger tell us about a small bit of her incredible life as she grew up in New York, over 20 years ago. Today, she is sober for more than 23 years.

that I have learned to take my time and consider multiple possibilities and consequences before making decisions

that I was able to take a friend to the Astros baseball game last night --
we had a great time!

that sometime, it's just easier and more efficient to get things done when I take the bull by the horns and do it myself!

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure—try to please everybody.
-Herbert Bayard Swope

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Self vs Unself

Sometime, I really do consider myself a freak.
The noon AA meeting yesterday was about my least favorite topic ...The Fellowship.


One would think that topic would produce gratitude. Instead, for me, each time we share about The Fellowship, I am triggered into feelings of isolating. Talking about The Fellowship reminds me that I have so few real friends. I'm talking about people that I hang out with. People I call or speak to regularly. People I visit outside the rooms of AA. People I do things with.

You see, there is no one that fits that description.

I am still a loner.

This pisses me off -- at me. I can't seem to change the fact that I'm a loner. I'm still - and always may be - afraid to put myself out there. So I have to live with it. Usually it's OK. But when there is a meeting about The Fellowship, I am triggered.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that even though I feel apart from The Fellowship, it's only a feeling and not necessarily a fact

that my busy daily schedule is flexible enough to change, although I often resist it

that a sponsee called me when he needed help, and I could actually be there for him

that Hayden still has his ways with me - emotionally (why am I grateful for this?)

for my sponsor, who knows just what to say to me when my ass is falling off

that tomorrow is hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy

Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.
-Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

In order to minimize confusion ...


(click on the pic
for greater detail)


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for some really helpful suggestions about how to deal with just about any problem --
One Day at a Time

that I am not the only person who usually doesn't get it the first time I hear something

for a really nice Step 9 meeting yesterday

that I am not beating myself up so often today because my relationship with a certain Trinidadian has hit the rocks; I am very comfortable knowing that I have done absolutely everything I can to allow it work and have been the best person I can be.

that I have volunteered to produce 3 very amateur art pieces for our AA Roundup Service Auction in September (watch out, SW)

When you rise in the morning, form a resolution to make the day a happy one for a fellow creature.
-Sydney Smith

Monday, August 20, 2007

Words, and more words


(click the pic
for greater detail)


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that acceptance is the key to all of my problems; it's great having a solution!

that I didn't have time to isolate all weekend, much to my chagrin

that we had another successful Talent Show fundraiser @ Lambda Center, making about $2200 in an hour

that Hurricane Dean looks like it will miss us here in Houston

for the new topic on SOBRIETY SOCIETY; click and comment

that I have a KIT and a KABOODLE

Be loyal to what you love, be true to the earth, fight your enemies with passion and laughter.
-Edward Abbey

Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Perfect Man

A man walks into the street and manages to get a taxi just going by.

He gets into the taxi and the cabbie says, "Perfect timing, you're just like Frank." The man says, "Who?" The Cabbie says, "Frank Feldman. He's a guy who did everything right all the time. Like me coming along when you needed a cab. Things happened like that to Frank every single time."

The man said, "There are always a few clouds over everybody."
The Cabbie, "Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete, great tennis player and a great golfer. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star, and you should have heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy."

The man, "Sounds like he was something really special."
The Cabbie, "There's more...he knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything." The man, "Wow, some guy then. How did you meet him?"
The Cabbie, "Well, I never actually met Frank. I just married his*%!%&#$ widow."

Saturday, August 18, 2007

15? Are you kidding me?



Miss Teen USA 2007 contestant Logan Brook Travis poses in Pasadena, California August 14, 2007. The 15-year old from Amite, Louisiana is the youngest in the competition. The 25th Miss Teen USA pageant will be held on August 24 in Pasadena.

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES)

Friday, August 17, 2007

Being convinced ...


REDNECK DOORBELL


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that because of Tradition 8 of Alcoholics Anonymous, my sponsor has not charged me any money for any of the step work we've done together ~~ Whew!

for busy and productive days, almost all day, every day. This is only noteworthy (to me) because I am retired and still manage to remain quite busy, somehow

that I am learning about detachment; If I don't poke my nose into a beehive, I won't get stung.

that I was able to drive through about 1 foot of water during a flood yesterday and not damage my engine (yeaaaaaa for SUV's !!)

for more good life advice from my therapist

for the power of writing

for dinner with 2 of my support group because my trainer told me that to lose more weight, I must eat more (go figger)

that when I had my wisdom teeth removed a few years ago, I did not have dumb implants

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
-William Shedd

Thursday, August 16, 2007

hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy




Cool Slideshows!


CLICK HERE for the HNT website


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to hear some Experience, Strength & Hope from my therapist at the mid-day AA meeting yesterday

that I can be of help to others when asked

that Hayden and I were able to work out a major difference of opinion which might have ended our friendship

for a pretty good diagnosis/prognosis from a Vascular Surgeon regarding my Peripheral Artery Disease. Surgery will not be needed because of the improvement which is due to the fact that (a) I stopped smoking last year (b) I am getting daily exercise. When I began working out in early June, I could only do 5 minutes on the treadmill at a very slow speed before my calves would totally lock up and become inoperable. Today, I can walk as long as I want at a much quicker pace with minimal soreness, if any.

I have overwhelming feelings of feeling useless and unwanted at times. I am grateful that I can stay sober through these times. I'm also grateful that I have an appointment with my therapist today. LOL

Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Still not drinking


the newest cell phone --
for your favorite
gangsta



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the lack of drama I get involved with (usually)

that I am entirely comfortable going to at least 1 AA meeting every day; this is the main way I remain sober and centered in my program; it's not that much different than my drinking years when I was comfortable going to a bar every day

for a productive morning with my remodelling contractor, choosing materials

that I miss Hayden very much; the deep deep feelings are still there although I know the right thing to do is to Just Let Go! It is the hardest thing I've ever tried to do.

that tomorrow is hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy and I'll get to see body parts of some of you bloggers

The world is a great book; he who never stirs from home, reads only a page.
-Saint Augustine

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

being accountable


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for moderation, in all its forms

that my sponsor's mother is finally in a better place; she died yesterday after a long battle with cancer

for the concept of living amends and the ways I can use it every day, when I choose to do so

that I can catch myself beginning some dangerous thinking and pretty much stop it OR as Barney Fife once said, "Nip it in the bud." This is one way I go into isolation. One errant or bad thought, then my brain takes that and magnifies that thought.

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, August 13, 2007

following the path

I was always a big fan of The Beatles.
I think most of their music was great.
I also think they solidified a change in the attitudes of most of the world's population.

What say you?


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for productive days with a smile on my face

that I operate so much more effiiciently when I follow my instincts (which always include a plan)

for awareness -- the longer I stay sober, the more it seems that I am just of average intelligence (if that). I read things that you guys write and comment about and so much of it is over my head and incomprehensible to me. I don't think I'm dumb. I have lived and worked all over the world and been very productive and gotten along with many languages and cultures with little problem. But I don't understand the concept of spirituality. It baffles me.

for a very enjoyable afternoon with some fellow Lambdettes in Galveston, watching the almost-premier of TUNA GOES VEGAS

for the wide range of entertainment given us for 50 years by Merv Griffin, who died yesterday at age 82

that if I had a hat like Mary Richards, I'd throw it in the air too

The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
-Anonymous

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Queer Quotes

Queer Quotes

1. Why can't they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going, "Who'd you call a faggot?" -- Jon Stewart

2. The one bonus of not lifting the ban on gays in the military is that the next time the government mandates a draft we can all declare homosexuality instead of running off to Canada. --Lorne Bloch

3. When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one. --From the tombstone of a gay Vietnam veteran

4. The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision. --Lynn Lavner

5. My lesbianism is an act of Christian charity. All those women out there praying for a man, and I'm giving them my share. --Rita Mae Brown

6. Soldiers who are not afraid of guns, bombs, capture, torture or death say they are afraid of homosexuals. Clearly we should not be used as soldiers; we should be used as weapons. --Letter to the Editor, The Advocate

7. You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight. --Barry Goldwater

8. If homosexuality is a disease, let's all call in queer to work: "Hello. Can't work today, still queer." --Robin Tyler

9. Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands? --Ernest Gaines

10. War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting? --The Value of Families

11. I'd rather be black than gay because when you're black you don't have to tell your mother. --Charles Pierce, 1980

12. That word "lesbian" sounds like a disease. And straight men know because they're sure that they're the cure. --Denise McCanles

13. As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children. --Anita Bryant, 1977

14. If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters. --Anita Bryant

15. The radical right is so homophobic that they're blaming global warming on the AIDS quilt. --Dennis Miller

16. Jesse Helms and Newt Gingrich were shaking hands congratulating themselves on the introduction of an antigay bill in Congress. If it passes, they won't be able to shake hands, because it will then be illegal for a prick to touch an asshole. --Judy Carter

17. My own belief is that there is hardly anyone whose sexual life, if it were broadcast, would not fill the world at large with surprise and horror. --W. Somerset Maugham

18. Drag is when a man wears everything a lesbian won't. --Author Unknown

19. I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated, "all my Homosexual patients are quite sick" - to which I finally replied "so are all my heterosexual patients." --Ernest van den Haag, psychotherapist

20. When it comes to exploring the sea of love, I prefer buoys. --Andrew G. Dehel

21. If male homosexuals are called "gay," then female homosexuals should be called "ecstatic." --Shelly Roberts

22. My mother took me to a psychiatrist when I was fifteen because she thought I was a latent homosexual. There was nothing latent about it. --Amanda Bearse

23. Some women can't say the word Lesbian...even when their mouth is full of one. --Kate Clinton

24. No matter how far in or out of the closet you are, you still have a next step. --Author Unknown

25. It always seemed to me a bit pointless to disapprove of homosexuality. It's like disapproving of rain. --Francis Maude

26. The only queer people are those who don't love anybody. --Rita Mae Brown

27. 'You could move.' --Abigail Van Buren, "Dear Abby," in response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

3 Words

Pam did this meme a couple of days ago;
I liked her answers and thought I'd give it a try too.

3 word survey:
You have to use 3 words to answer each question. No more, no less.

1. Where is your cell phone? on my desk

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? in my mind

3. Your hair? is very short

4. Where is your father? does anyone care?

5. Cheesecake? I love it

6. Your favorite thing to do? all by myself

7. Your dream last night? I never remember

8. Your favorite drink? Cup of Coffee

9. Car You Want? is a collectible

10. The room you're in? my dining room

11. George Bush: is very unpopular

12. Your fears?: seem to multiply

13. Nipple rings? can taste good

14. Who will/did you hang out with tonight? my 3 cats

15. Go check GoofyAuctions.com and give your opinion?: maybe later, dude

16. One of your wish list items? don't have one

17. Where did you grow up? you are assuming

18. The last thing you did?: see # 6

19. What are you wearing? blue workout shorts


Tagging 3 volunteers

Friday, August 10, 2007

The Day Before Saturday


Michael Vick, pro football quarterback, is under indictment for direct participation in a large dogfighting scandal. I guess what comes around, goes around.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my self-esteem seems to be increased by some new boundaries I've followed

that I am not mean nor heartless

that I am able to remain fairly well-centered in my recovery program because I do the things that have been suggested instead of trying to reinvent the wheel

that my sobriety is not threatened by those who relapse; in fact, it is made stronger

for a really good talk with my therapist, who assured me I have acted appropriately this week in regards to the way I have handled my personal life

for another local Lambda Center blogger, Tom K.
visit him HERE at Tom's Journey

Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.
-Jean Cocteau

Thursday, August 09, 2007

hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy

Click on the pic for a closeup.

Click HERE to go to the HNT site.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a peaceful and serene day and being OK with being single again

for the healing powers of verbalization

that my sponsor shared a bit of his E, S & H at the noon meeting yesterday

that Hayden made it safely to Canada last night although his flight was delayed by over 3 hours

to have my home back to myself (and the cats), which is how it needs to stay (at least for awhile)

that today, I shall make lemonade

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.
-Benjamin Franklin

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

The Courage to Make a Change

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that through a lot of prayer, I can sometimes see the right thing to do

that I continue to stay sober and smoke-free during the difficult times, thanks to my Higher Power

that my sponsor will be the guest-speaker-of-honor at the 12:15p Speaker Meeting today

that the noon meeting yesterday was about FEAR and walking through it; this came only a couple of hours after I had to let go of my 5+ year companionship with Hayden. I won't give details here because it's not anyone's business; suffice it to say that we are both in a lot of pain over this, but we shall both emerge from it intact, but most of all, we shall remain friends

that tomorrow is hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy - snap an odd pic of yourself and post it

All receive advice. Only the wise profit from it.
-Syrus

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Extended coverage

I mentioned yesterday that we went shopping for about 7 hours on Saturday. I have to get one thing clear ...
I normally dislike shopping. If I want or need something, I go get it and I'm done. What happened on Saturday was the result of Hayden needing a suit for a wedding he's attending this coming weekend. We decided to go to a clothing store where a friend works (a friend in the program) as they were having a half price sale on men's clothing. We each bought a new suit -- for the price of one.
We're also remodelling a bathroom so we went looking at an array of fixtures. We were then near The Galleria (the 4th largest shopping center in the USA) so we decided to look around. That's where we then spent about 4 hours, including eating dinner there. We also got a few small accessories for the suits.
Mainly, it was about spending sober time together. It wasn't about the shopping. Neither of us are movie goers, so it was just something to do on a Saturday night.
Now that I've got that cleared up ...


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my HP made the Earth round so I will never know what's around the corner

that I was asked to fill in to chair the Wednesday noon speaker meeting this month and I already have some really fine speakers lined up

for priorities and an ability to see them

that I am more of a doer than a wisher

for this knowledge ...
that when I've got my shit together, all I have is a big pile of shit

"Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days... What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Monday, August 06, 2007

Speak No Evil


More pencils.



click on the photo for detail


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for some continuing Courage to Change

that I get to help my mother this morning, part of my living amends to her

for my sponsor, who is experiencing the failing health of his mother with dignity and grace

for the ways my recovery program works me when I allow it to AND that I can even recognize that fact

for a new (but well used) topic on SOBRIETY SOCIETY --
drop by and leave a comment, please

for a really wonderful Saturday with Hayden; we went shopping for about 7 hours, something we've never done together for so long and I have never done at all -- LOL

that I am not ashamed of myself; there are behaviors I would prefer not to have exhibited and performed, but they were a product of my alcoholism and alcoholic thinking and apparently were necessary to get me to this place in time

"People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be."
-- Harvey Mackay

Sunday, August 05, 2007

dAAve knows best. Yeah, right.

It's so nice to be perfect.
It eliminates any need for me to listen to the advice of others; I can just pretend I'm interested, then chuckle to myself. If he only knew what I know!

Sorry.
Many times in my life, this is the line of thinking inside my round but sluggish head.

How persistently we claim the right to decide all by ourselves just what we shall think and just how we shall act.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 37

If I accept and act upon the advice of those who have made the program work for themselves, I have a chance to outgrow the limits of the past. Some problems will shrink to nothingness, while others may require patient, well-thought out action. Listening deeply when others share can develop intuition in handling problems which arise unexpectedly. It is usually best for me to avoid impetuous action. When I put my faith in the spiritual power of the program, when I trust others to teach me what I need to do to have a better life, I find that I can trust myself to do what is necessary.
DAILY REFLECTIONS (August 5), p. 226

Saturday, August 04, 2007

rednecks & irishmen

As part of my conscious effort to abide by AA's Rule 62, this is today's attempt to not take myself nor the world about me too seriously...

An Alabama couple, graduates of Auburn , both bona fide rednecks, had 9 children. They went to the doctor to see about getting the husband "fixed."
The doctor gladly started the required procedure and asked them what finally made them make the decision -- why, after nine children, would they choose to do this?
The husband replied that they had read in a recent article that one out of every ten children being born in the United States was Mexican, and they didn't want to take a chance on having a Mexican baby because neither of them could speak Spanish.


Spanish singer Julio Iglesias was on television with British TV host Anne Diamond when he used the word "manana". Diamond asked him to explain what it meant.
He said that the term means "maybe the job will be done tomorrow, maybe the next day, maybe the day after that. Perhaps next week, next month, next year. Who cares?"
The host turned to Irishman Shay Brennan who was also on the show and asked him if there was an equivalent term in Irish.
"No, in Ireland we don't have a word to describe that degree of urgency," replied Brennan.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Getting a clue ...

A few days ago, Mary Christine listed some of the search engine queries that led people to her blog. These are the latest queries that brought people here ...

... short poems in figure
... worst puns
... prom higher powered
... foods with alcohol
... craig ferguson alcoholic
... Higher Powered
... list of character defects
... higher powered auto
... great song titles
... hercules the british mastiff


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the definition of humility on page 58 of the 12/12 and the significance that humility has in attending to my own character defects

that I find commitments pretty easy to keep, which is good because I still don't know how to say NO!

for great attitudes and good vibrations

that my day will include 3 AA meetings, a workout at the gym, an appointment with my therapist, a meeting with a sponsee, dinner with the man of my life, watching the Astros (probably lose) and a good night's sleep**

that more people were not killed in the Minnesota bridge collapse - that is a miracle!

that I have finally contracted someone to carry out some bathroom remodelling, beginning after Labor Day

** all of this is subject to change (see Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous)

"Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by traffic from both sides."
-- Margaret Thatcher

NOTE: several people thought that the fortress I pictured yesterday was not real. It is real, for sure, I was there. CLICK HERE for more information on this 15th century piece of architecture.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy

I'm sitting in front of The Fortress in Alexandria, Egypt (2000 A.D.).
I was lucky enough to work there for 3+ months.

These days, I work at home staying sober through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the obvious and not-so-obvious connections/relationships between all of the 12 steps of A.A.

for a very nice impromptu meeting with my sponsor

that I got to hear the story of a guy who has spent some rough months in recovery at a halfway house

that I've lost 13 pounds in the 2 months since beginning working out and adopting a new diet; 9 pounds to go to meet my ideal weight

Life is a compromise of what your ego wants to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do.
-Bruce Crampton

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Proper Procedure

I don't normally publish this kind of filth, but ...




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I attend an A.A. Big Book study each Tuesday morning; yesterday morning, just 2 hours before going into hospital for a colonoscopy (which required a total colon cleansing), the story we read was on page 512 of the 4th edition, entitled "Empty On The Inside."
Now, don't tell me my HP doesn't have a sense of humor!

that my medical procedure yesterday went fine; they removed one polyp and should have the biopsy result in a day or two.

that I felt totally back to abnormal about 2 hours after coming home from the hospital; I wholeheartedly suggest that each of us over the age of 50 have this procedure done at least every 3 years. The payoff is tremendous, just like staying sober!

for water to drink

for food to eat

for coffee

for long, civilised, late-night talks with Hayden to straighten out our difficulties; it works every time

that tomorrow is hAAlf nAAked thursdAAy -- ideas get more difficult after doing this each week for 2 years, but I keep trying to come up with something original

"A lot of people have died wanting to get sober."
My Mind Is Out To Get Me