Evolution didn't happen overnight

... and neither did this year.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I lived another calendar year, my 54th

that I was sober and present for my mother, who died in August at age 85

that I can cross of a couple of items from my Bucket List ...

• to skydive
• to be in a stage play
• to buy a new home

for my new mantra (see the title) that I made up

that I have so many wonderful examples of recovery in my life every day


Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past.
-Landrum Bolling

Don't get wet

an abandoned pool in India

todAAy i AAM grAAteful & thAAnkful


that I'm learning how to live sober, one day at a time

that I get to discuss Step 1 with my newest sponsee today

that our friend JJ posted again after a 5 month absence. CLICK HERE to drop by and visit. She's really cool but is going through a tough period in her life. We all do. She needs our support today.

that my therapist thinks I can take a few weeks off from visiting her. WHEW!!

that today is a workout day with my trainer

that I'm neat and organized

I gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which I must stop and look fear in the face...I say to myself, I’ve lived through this and can take the next thing that comes along.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Harmony

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my inner compass points me in the right direction more often these days

for a really quick birthday night at Lambda where only 18 of 25 celebrants showed up, two of whom were Rodney W. and Jeremy M. -- At Lambda Center, we celebrate annual sobriety birthdays just once per month, on the last Saturday of the month. I know that many venues celebrate each week or even every day with a cake, but not here.

for my good friend Norris L, who is going through a most difficult illness with grace

that we don't have to deal with snow where I live (hurricanes & frequent floods yes, but no snow)

The world steps aside to let any man pass if he knows where he is going.
-David S. Jordan

The Doghouse

Stay out of the doghouse.

CLICK HERE to find out why.

Rudolph

Video courtesy of Bill (Life on Planet Bill)

Boxing Day

Boxing Day, December 26th, is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and countries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. Contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a "shopping holiday" associated with after-Christmas sales.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my recovery takes no holidays

that my "recovery program" seems to just kick-in when I least expect it

for a fine gratitude meeting on Christmas Day followed by the food and fellowship of many friends at Lambda Center

that I'm a day older than yesterday and still sober!!

for the lifetime of entertainment given by (Santa Baby) Eartha Kitt, who died Christmas Day (very appropro) at age 81

He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.
-Persian Proverb

A Day for Kids ...

This was sent to me by Boston.





todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that today is my 6th sober Christmas although as a sober adult, it has lost much of its appeal

that although I am not at all religous, I respect the religous traditions practiced by others

that I felt no guilt staying home last night while my partner and his Mom went to midnight Mass

for the compassion I sorta felt yesterday when we had a relapser appear drunk at the 6:30am meeting; he was obnoxious and disrupted the last few minutes of the meeting, but we did our best to ignore it. He has been a regular attendee of that meeting for nearly 2 years.


Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
-M. Kathleen Casey

I am learning

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a very powerful noon meeting yesterday -- a good friend lost him Mom after her long battle with Alzheimer's; he shared about his loss which prompted many shares about those who are at various stages of losing a parent to illness, so the meeting was essentially about grief and how to handle it

that we will see how our experience will benefit others

that I can often be of help to others just by being present

that I actually remembered to do the next right thing that I'd rather be happy than right and avoided a big argument difference of opinion


It's never crowded along the extra mile.
-Wayne Dyer

pertinent information

Watch this video. It's all about Santa Claus. Yeah, right.




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that we discussed Step 3 in the Monday Step Study meeting -- of all the steps, its practice is most often on my mind, as in --- turn it over, baby, turn it over!

that my daily inventory includes some good things too

that my specialist dentist followed up my Friday surgery with a phone call on Saturday, then I visited him for a quick look-see yesterday morning. He pronounced me a very lucky patient.

for my 3 cats

The opposite of love is not hate but indifference.
-Elie Wiesel

Christmas Week

a table full of Christmas presents at Lambda Center shortly before our gift exchange event Saturday night




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I got to hear Anthony F. relate more of his AA story; I can soooooooo identify

for the progress that I've made since I first came to Alcoholics Anonymous

that I had oral surgery last Friday morning. It appears to have been successful. For those who are interested, I had dental implants installed. It consisted of drilling 6 titanium rods into the lower bone so that new teeth can then be screwed into those rods. I have worn dentures for several years and this was simply the next step. The fun never stops!

that I rather enjoyed being f_ _ _ ed up for the surgery, as Scott W can attest. LOL


When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
-Helen Keller

The human body

• It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.



• One human hair can support 3 kg (6 lb).



• The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.



• Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.



• A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.



• There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.



• Women blink twice as often as men.



• The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.



• Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.



• Women reading this will be finished now.



• Men are still checking their thumbs.

Watch this video. It's all about Santa Claus. Yeah, right.

Moses

I think this is a British TV commercial ...

another week just about gone...

You might find a message here --


CLICK HERE to see a short video called, "The Black Hole."



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for sobriety (I have it all the time)
for serenity (I have it much of the time)

that I no longer go to the bar to vent and rage to people who could not care less about my problems; I have AA to go to instead LOL

that Hayden and his Mom made it here safely


Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.
~~ anonymous

Schemes & Dreams

WARNING FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ...

BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE--
NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)

Heads up everyone!


You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into reverse.

When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper, or whatever it is, that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car.
So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!

BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.

If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you
certainly do NOT want this info to fall into the wrong hands.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to be sober and serene, once again

for the power of prayer, even though I am not at all religous

that I sleep so much better as a sober person and my dreams are almost always good ones

that every day I remain sober is one less day of humiliating myself

that Hayden returns today after being out of the country for the past 7 weeks


The more a man knows, the more he forgives.
-Confucius

one of those days ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my spiritual awakening happened like a flash, although it took decades of drinking and months of AA education to get there

that I do my best to remain learnable

for people I can confide in with trust

that I'm not a violent person now or in the past

that I rarely have one of those days any more because I possess the tools to make things right

Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.
-Alexander Solzhenitsyn

just thinking ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for another meaningful 1st step meeting with a newcomer

that another person asked me to help them through the steps -- someone with 9 months of sobriety who was looking for a new sponsor

that I've never been convicted of a crime, although I have been arrested twice

that I don't have to know or understand every new technical gadget

Kindness makes a fellow feel good, whether it’s being done to him or by him.
-Frank A. Clark

from my keyboard

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I was reminded that this will be my first ever Christmas without my Mom & Dad alive. I spent many holidays out of the country working, so that makes things a bit easier.

for the fun, food and fellowship I got to experience at a Christmas party Saturday night. Scott W. and I went together and I enjoyed our time together, as always.

that we had our cast party for our little Roundup play -- it came off beautifully with plenty of food and fellowship. We all (30 of us) watched the DVD of the play for the first time.

that I removed the "followers" from my blog. There was something that just didn't seem right about it. Because it is not all-inclusive, someone might well cop a resentment over it. Although that would be "their problem" and not mine, I don't need to fuel their fire.

I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
-Laura Ingalls Wilder

Another True Story ...

Santa had a bad day

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.
Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.
Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, “Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?”

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

The True Story

The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner.

On July 17,1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees. The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.

Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car. They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees, turned on the air conditioner, and cooled the car off immediately.

The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them $3 million for the patent. The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they wanted the recognition by having a label, 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner,' on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed.

Now old man Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords. They haggled back and forth for about two hours, and finally agreed on $4 million and that just their first names would be shown.

And so to this day, all Ford air conditioners show Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max on the controls.


So, now you know!

Traditionally

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for Tradition 5 of Alcoholics Anonymous -- "Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers." We spent a full hour discussing this in our small early morning meeting yesterday.

that our home is the venue for a cast party on Sunday -- Josette B. is directing the party as I am traditionally not a party aficionado.

that it's not too painful to realize that I'm not as good as I would like to believe -- at spelling!CLICK HERE to try this spelling test of the 25 most commonly misspelled words. I got 8 wrong. UGH!
Let me know how you did in the comment section.


The best way to predict your future is to create it.
-Unknown

Moments

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my friend George S. told us a little bit about his AA story yesterday

for all of you guys who keep coming back, one day at a time

that we actually had some real snow yesterday and throughout the night (maybe an inch), although the temperature wasn't quite cold enough to let it make a giant mess. Snow is a big deal for us here in Houston. The last time it snowed was on Christmas Eve, 2004. Typically, we get a significant snowfall about every 8-10 years.

that I didn't accept that job when the Governor of Illinois called me

Life isn't a matter of milestones, but moments.
-Rose Kennedy

Finding my way ...

My GPS System




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that we completed reading the Big Book yesterday at the 6:30am meeting -- it took about 15 months to read it, reading a few pages every Tuesday morning

that I have read the Big Book all the way through 3 times now

that I have sufficient clothing to stay warm today -- it's very cold here (well, cold for us)

that I have been slowly decorating the house (for Christmas and the cast party too) over the past week and it's just about done

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
-Martin Luther King Jr

Perception

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that Laurel K. is chairing the 12:15p Monday meeting this month -- it's a step study and she is the best I've seen (yet) to lead such a format

that I am not as sub-standard as my mind would sometimes have me believe

that I am rarely as busy as it seems like I am

for my health

Do or do not. There is no try.
-Yoda The Empire Strikes Back

Faith, Freedom & Fantasy

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a couple of really spiritual meetings about Faith and Freedom

that I can do and I can have just about anything I want --- if I practice the principles in all my affairs

that we have now raised enough funds to buy all new chairs at Lambda Center - that's about 200 chairs costing over $5000

for perfect weather over the weekend that allowed me to get a lot of work done outdoors in the yard

that O.J. Simpson can now discontinue his search for his former wife's killer, at least for the next 9 years


Hope is like a road in the country; there wasn't ever a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
-Lin Yutang

Prop 8 -- The Musical

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

NOTE: - If you can't play the video, CLICK HERE

borrowed from Todd, my favorite blogger in Hell's Kitchen
If you're offended by this, talk to your sponsor.

Bargain Children's Books

1. You Are Different, and That’s Bad
2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
3. Dad’s New Wife, Robert
4. Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share
5. Hammers, Screwdrivers, and Scissors: An I-Can-Do Book
6. The Kid’s Guide to Hitchhiking
7. Bobby Was So Bad His Mom Stopped Loving Him
8. Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence
9. All Cats go to Hell
10. The Little Sissy Who Snitched
11. Some Kittens Can Fly
12. That’s it, I’m Putting You up for Adoption
13. Grandpa Gets a Casket
14. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
15. Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia
16. The Pop-up Book of Human Anatomy
17. Strangers Have the Best Candy
18. Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way
19. You Were an Accident
20. Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
21. Pop! Goes the Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games
22. The Man in the Moon is Actually Satan
23. Your Nightmares Are Real
24. Where Would You Like to be Buried?
25. Eggs, Toilet Paper and Your School
26. Why Can’t Mr. Fork and Mrs. Electrical Outlet be Friends? A See-for-Yourself Book
27. Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things
28. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry

Honestly,

OK. I got tagged to list 10 honest things about myself. However, I am not going to tag anyone else or provide any links. So, here goes...

1. I have never been a good liar.


2. I have never been a good poker player (because I'm not a good liar, I suppose).


3. I was never in denial about being an alcoholic.


4. My mother and I were always very close, even throughout my drinking years. Since she died in August (4 months ago), I have not shed a tear. I don't know why.


5. I have always been anal-retentive.


6. I'm afraid of horses and snakes.


7. I sucked my thumb until I was about 10 years old.


8. When I wrecked my Mom's car at the age of 16, I lied and said I swerved to avoid a dog. Of course, I had been drinking.


9. I had the hots for a camp counsellor. At church camp. I was 14. He was grown.


10. I almost became a professional baseball umpire, but my instructors said I was too nice to be an umpire.
    

Always hold your head up, but be careful to keep your nose at a friendly level.
-Max L. Forman

Time to stay sober

It's correct twice each day!




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I completed another 24 hours without my former favorite liquid (alcohol)

for better instincts than I used to have

that my story did not include the consumption of illegal narcotics after I was in my early 20's

that I was outside in my Jacuzzi last night when a cold front was blowing through town; it felt great!!

that Scott's new shirt is very pleasing to the eyes


If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
-Steve Bartkowski

Still wondering

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the miracle that occurred that left me not wanting to drink alcohol anymore

that I sometimes wonder what my purpose is for the rest of my life; I think I'm still around for a reason, just not sure what it is --- until it's clear, I'll continue doing what I'm doing (whatever that is)

that I am usually dependable; I've had several occasions lately when friends said they were going to be somewhere and never showed up or showed up a lot later than promised.
Wassup wid dat?

for a small Roundup hangover (that's a good thang)

There are men who hate me;Let me love them.There are men I have wronged;Let them forgive me.
-Saying Of The Dinka Tribe

Life

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that our noon Monday meeting is a "step" meeting; yesterday was about Step 1 and there was some great sharing

that we're having the cast party from the Roundup play at our home; Hayden won't be here and I'm not an accomplished party thrower, but I will have help

that I got about half of my outdoor Christmas lights put up




Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
-Maori Proverb

a brand new month

So much has occurred these past few days it would be impossible for me to list everything, but
todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for 4 really nice days of recovery-related activities -- the Thanksgiving Gratitude meeting followed by a potluck dinner for 200; then the beginning of our local GLBT A.A. Roundup (A.A. Conference)

that our sobriety play, "A Brand New Day", went very well and all of us in it did our best

to sit with my favorite bloggers at dinner Saturday night, before an AA speaker meeting

for relief from many of my major character defects

that Mary Christine made it home safely yesterday evening after 3 lovely days here in Houston


The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
-Samuel Johnson

Today is WORLD AIDS DAY. Read about it HERE or make a donation.