laid back

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for my Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition).  It was given to me by my mother in June, 2003 a couple of weeks after I attended my first AA meeting. She worked as a volunteer at a second-hand shop and bought it there for $1.  It had/has many markings and names and phone numbers marked in it.  In other words, it is very used, especially since I have owned it.

that we read The Viscious Cycle in the Big Book yesterday at the 6:30am meeting.  This story is authored by one of the first 100 members of AA.  He is responsible for the inclusion of "as we understand Him" in the AA jargon.  Without those innocent words, I probably would not have survived life in AA.  I am sure there are countless others who feel the same.

for the scenery on my life's journey.  I love being observant.

for waking up sober and clear-headed


Mistakes are the portals of discovery.
- James Joyce

Post # 3000

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the concept of GRATITUDE. Without it, sobriety would really suck.

to know I can't take anything for granted no matter how certain it may seem

for the synopsis of the steps which can be found near the beginning of Chapter 12 of Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions

for my little blog that you're reading. This is my 3000th post, going back to December 2004. My, how things have changed.


Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Welcome to ... August

I'm posting some pictures this week that depict some gay marriage advocates. I hope you're not offended; if you are, call your sponsor.







todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful


for the gift of desperation; it has opened doors for me that would never have appeared otherwise

that I knew where to turn when that desperation got to its bottom

for my friends who celebrated sobriety anniversaries during July, now, on to August

that it was just 3 years ago when my sister and I made the decision to stop all feeding and medicating procedures for our mother. It would be another 10 days before she passed to the other side. I think this will be at the forefront of my thoughts for the next couple of weeks.


Expectation is the root of all heartache.
- William Shakespeare

Another Monday

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for more understanding of words that I often hear;
ie: if he were sought. I see with greater clarity how significant this is if any of us are going to "get it".

for fun in sobriety. It's terribly important.

that my involvement in AA/Recovery-related activities is an easy replacement for all the time I spent in bars

that my friend Mary Christine (Being Sober) celebrated 27 consecutive years of sobriety and recovery yesterday; drop in and give her a howdy!


You can't change the past,
but you can ruin the present
by worrying about the future.
- Anonymous

Going into the weekend .......

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that some of the things that seemed so important just a few years ago (before I stopped drinking) rarely even cross my mind these days

that my life is no longer about drinking OR not drinking; it's about living sober

for the new challenges that pop up, often without my asking

for The Promises on pages 83 and 84 of The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)


The greatest discovery of any generation
is that a human being can alter his life by
altering his attitude.
- William James

Just trying to stay warm

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that the consequences of sobriety seem to be much better than the consequences of continuing to drink

that today, I plan to stay sober to oblivion

for an easier, softer way

for my particular committments to service work, without which I'd either be sitting at home doing very little or sitting in a bar doing way too much


There is no passion to be found playing small -
in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
- Nelson Mandela

Short, and to the point.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that even though I am at a loss for wordage this morning, I am

sober
serene
present
trudging

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, Thank you, that would suffice.
- Meister Eckhart

no title comes to mind

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for sobriety and my chances of dying sober

that my choices are almost infinite, especially when compared to my last days of drinking

for the guys I sponsor; they keep me alert

for people who call me when they have extra baseball tickets; I got 4 freebies to the Astros/Red Sox game last night and I got to take a couple of friends who had never been to Minute Maid Park (which opened in 2000)

Don't let one cloud obliterate the whole sky.

- Anaïs Nin

That's a good thing

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I seem to be really busy this week -- things just keep happening every hour
(that's a good thing)

that I almost always see my part in every aspect of my life
(that's a good thing)

for those who make it back to sobriety after a relapse
(that's a real good thing)

for my new car I bought this week (pictured above)
(that's an expensive thing, but good)


Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
- John Lennon

Humility is the key

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that sobriety and recovery are so popular amongst the crowd of people with whom I choose to associate

for all the jobs I had in my younger days, which provided me with a solid foundation to live a full life and experience things I never expected to experience

yesterday, our 6:30am group read Gutter Bravado from the 4th edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. I love these quotes ... "planned abstinence was extrememly stressful." ..... "the downward spiral of my life began making smaller circles." ... " I began to feel like a clown juggling too many balls." I really identify with these.

that I keep trying to do and be my best; when I fail, I learn a lesson


Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
- Helen Keller

V-Day

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for another weekend of complete sobriety from mind-altering liquids and drugs; that makes 385 consecutive weekends of sobriety (LOL)

that my friend David D. got to speak his sobriety story on Saturday; he's moving to California next week, so it was just in time

that 2 good friends are celebrating 35 years of continuous sobriety; one celebrated yesterday and one today. Congratulations to Frank J. and Bob S. Really though, I want to thank these guys for showing me how to be a great example of recovery.

that I have a Valentine

If you understand, things are just as they are;
if you do not understand, things are just as they are.
- Zen Proverb

being sober and stayin' that way

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the results of being sober

that I can't be sober 2 days at a time

that I've learned how to stay sober

that I choose to do the right things (mostly)

that I know how to take direction, without resentment


"The gap between your expectations and your reality is your suffering".
~ St. John Augustine

up to speed

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

I try not to romanticize my drinking days, but memories of those times (good and bad) are necessary for me to keep fresh. Yesterday I was reminded about those first days of drinking as a teenager and the warm feeling of Drambouie as it slowly slipped down my throat. I can look back on that and know now that my alcoholism began then.

for this quote from the Big book, 4th edition, page 450 ...... "I had to separate my sobriety from everything else that was going on in my life. No matter what happened or didn't happen, I couldn't drink."

that today, I get to chair the first of 4 Wednesday noon speaker meetings this month

that my work on lowering my expectations (of everything) is on track and working well


Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
- Mother Teresa

Merry Christmas, Adam & Eve

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the specialness that is today and tomorrow

that my sobriety has zero tolerance, but my compassion has much (well, it's getting better)

for the little things in life

for Step 10 -- some of my favorite reading is about this step, especially ...
... love and tolerance of others is our code
... continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear
... we have ceased fighting anything or anyone
... alcohol is a subtle foe
... our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness


Every thought we think is creating our future.
- Louise L. Hay

Nature, naturally

This week I'll be posting some pictures of nature at work. Enjoy!!

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a good attitude

that I never have to hit another alcoholic bottom; one was plenty!

for the honor of working closely, one-on-one, with 4 recovering alkies on a weekly basis

that a former sponsee is getting ready to celebrate 5 years of continuous sobriety; I am so happy for him!

that when I briefly became sick over the weekend, I took care of myself and limited my activities; it worked.


We may not always be aware of it, but we all create and repeat affirmations constantly. The problem is, we typically don't pay attention to exactly what those affirmations are saying. Often we go through the day giving ourselves all sorts of contradictory, or even negative messages. We may project confidence to the world around us, while our inner dialogue says... I hope this works. I am so nervous about this. I hope I don't blow it. Affirmations are self fulfilling prophecies. If we say, This is never going to work... then chances are excellent it never will.
- John Assaraf

end of week

I hope you like Johnny Carson.





todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that it's not my job to keep you sober, or anybody else sober

to be reminded that life is not getting any shorter

that I got a second chance to do my life and I'd better not waste it

for AA's Tradition 7 -- it's not just about finances but about service to one's group as well


Gardening is all about optimism.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

it passed

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my sobriety opens me up to so many possibilities and opportunities

that I'm not stuck on a barstool, wondering when tonight's blackout will begin

for the years I spent travelling, living and working in Europe and Africa. I could never duplicate those experiences as a tourist. My exposure to so many cultures has provided me with a unique (I think) perspective on the human condition.

that I have something to offer when I'm willing to give it


The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
- Benjamin Disraeli

Reality

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I'm not a fake; what you see is what you get (deal with it)

that through sobriety and therapy, I've come to realize that I had many less-than-positive feelings as a youngster. I was never quite like the other guys but I did everything I could to fit in. This went on until I stopped drinking at the age of 49.

that I didn't give up 5 minutes before the miracle (back in my early AA days)

that I got to see Betty White (my current favorite actress) on Inside the Actor's Studio last night. She is fantastic!

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Looking at things differently

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the concept behind "as we understood Him". I think those are the most important words in 12-step recovery. Without them, I would not be alive today. I would not have kept coming back if you guys had forced me to accept the God of my upbringing. But you gave me the freedom to form my own concept of a Higher Power, one that evolves each day I stay sober.

that I'm pretty sure I'll remain sober as long as I keep a relatively close contact with my Higher Power

that as long as I remain sober, I can continue my recovery from alcoholic drinking and thinking

to be more open-minded to new ideas

Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means moving on.
- Anonymous

Pass It On

1951 Chrysler K310



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I can stay sober - no matter what. This has not been a problem (yet). I just couldn't stop drinking 7 years ago until I learned about a Higher Power. But because I work a successful recovery program (so far), all of the life situations I have faced have not tempted me to drink.

that I try to pass this along to others -- both verbally and by example

that I don't seem to be a whiner (nor was I a winer!)

for other recovery bloggers -- click here to visit Marie (Experience, Strength, Hope) and give her your favorite recovery slogan


Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.
- Dr. Wayne W. Dyer