Tuesday

The top 12 indicators that the economy is bad--

12. CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

11. I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

10. I went to buy a toaster oven and they gave me a bank.

9. Hotwheels and Matchbox car companies are now trading higher than GM in the stock market.
8. Obama met with small businesses - GE, Pfizer, Chrysler, Citigroup and GM, to discuss the Stimulus Package.

7. McDonalds is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

6. People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and are learning their children's names.

5. The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.

4. People in Africa are donating money to Americans. Mothers in Ethiopia are telling their kids, "finish your plate; do you know how many kids are starving in America ?"

3. Motel Six won't leave the lights on.

2. The Mafia is laying off judges.

1. If the bank returns your check marked as "insufficient funds," you have to call them and ask if they meant you or them.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful


for the role models in my life (I shall decline to name them here)

that I can go through a whole day (morning, noon and night) without the urge to have a beer or a rum & coke

that I've been able to do that for over 5 years

that keeping my side of the street clean daily is much eaiser than ignoring the mess for awhile and then having to clean it

that our forecast today is for a high temp of only 98; we've had 7 consecutive days of +100, ranging from 101-104 deg

Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.
- William Penn

back to ...

Nairobi umbrella





todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the miracles offered me, often without my knowledge

for just about the most fun I've experienced in sobriety -- about 7 hours with 15 other friends in recovery as we decorated vehicles, then waited for hours in the extreme heat (together) at the staging area for the Gay Pride Parade. The Parade took 2 hours itself, and I got to drive the convertible which presented Mr & Miss Lambda 2009.

that I got to meet and hold conversation with Annise Parker and Carlos Obando, who are running campaigns for Houston Mayor and City Council. Both are openly gay candidates, but stand for much more than just that.

that Scott W. celebrates another birthday today and he does it as a sober man

The giant oak is an acorn that held its ground.
~~ unknown

The Colo-Rectal Surgeon

Amazing, Simple Home Remedies

1. IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON AN ICE CUBE, SIMPLY POUR A CUP OF BOILING WATER DOWN YOUR THROAT. PRESTO! THE BLOCKAGE WILL INSTANTLY REMOVE ITSELF.

2. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

3. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

4. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

5. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

6. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

7. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

8. REMEMBER - EVERYONE SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.

9. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

Looking at Me

THIS is my all-time favorite music video, especially the last minute. The song ain't bad either.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

we read Step 4 yesterday in the 6:30am Eyes Wide Shut meeting. Here's some words from the 12/12 that can serve me well ...

• we grab for more of everything we need, fearing we shall never have enough


• step four is the beginning of a lifetime practice


• fear, greed, possessive-ness and pride have too often done their worst


• did I try to cover up those feelings of inadequacy by bluffing, cheating, lyin, or evading responsibility?


• did I recklessly borrow money, caring little whether it was repaid or not?


• the most common symptoms of emotional insecurity are worry, anger, self-pity, and depression


• the primary fact that we fail to recognize is our total inability to form a true partnership with another human being


• either we insist upon dominating the people we know, or we depend upon them far too much

for the 40 years of talent from Michael Jackson

for my favorite Charlie's Angel, Farrah Fawcett

for the fine example of the institution of marriage that the South Carolina Governor has been. He is a shining example of the (conservative) argument against gay marriage. NOT!!


When people shake their heads because we are living in a restless age, ask them how they would like to live in stationary one, and do without change.
- George Bernard Shaw

Better choices

this is different




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful


that I chose Gayle M. to tell us what it was like, what happened and what it's like now. She shared yesterday at the 12:15p AA meeting @ Lambda Center.

that Scott W. will be chairing that speaker meeting in July

that more of my choices today (these days) involve thinking before I make them

that most of us seem to have survived the 104 deg heat yesterday


He who wants to expand the field of happiness, let him lay the foundation of it on the bottom of his heart.
- Tao saying

middle of the week

What nine letter word in the English language is still a word when the nine letters are removed one by one?
Take a few minutes to try and come up with a nine letter word that fits the bill, then watch the attached video.... Well, just watch the video....because you're never going figure it out!






todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I get to stay sober again today

for the rituals we follow at the beginning of AA meetings -- it helps me get centered for the meeting

that I was rarely a physically violent person (except a couple of times when I was really drunk)

that I still seem to be going through mental pause

for air conditioning -- it was 101 deg yesterday


He that is afraid to shake the dice will never throw a six.
- Chinese Proverb

now that it's summer ...

Let's all go kayaking in the wide open ocean!!




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I had a desire and continue to have it

to watch somone new in recovery get it. To see them with more clarity of thought, more awareness while regaining the ambition to become what they could be.

for the people I consider to be my support group. I'm not sure all of them know that they are part of this important function. Should I tell them?

that people trust me enough to ask for AA commitments and that I'm able to fulfill them

that we had a 15 minute rain shower yesterday evening -- the first measureable rainfall at my home since late April --- it was lovely!


Experience is what allows us to repeat our mistakes, only with more finesse!
- Derwood Fincher

the way it is (today)

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I feel comfortable in any AA meeting I attend

that my friend Doug F. was not injured in a traffic accident that totaled his vehicle (a lady ran a red light and broadsided him)

for having fun participating in our little Roundup fundraiser Saturday night -- it was entitled "Dr Bob's Dysfunctional Family Feud"

that I've recently experienced some progress/improvement in dealing with my Peripheral Artery Disease in my legs (I can go longer on the treadmill before my calves lock up)


Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
- Aristotle

$2,250,000

is all this costs on eBay right now!

Phone Repair

Lawrence, Kansas
December 12, 2008

A Kansas farm wife called the local phone company to report her telephone failed to ring when her friends called - and that on the few occasions when it did ring, her dog always moaned right before the phone rang.

The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile lady. He climbed a telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned and the telephone began to ring. Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:

1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire with a steel chain and collar.

2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.

3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the number was called.

4. After a couple of jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate.

5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.

Which demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by pissing and moaning.

heresay

Advice from Snopes

Here is a nice little tidbit of information. If any of you are wondering why I won't return something to you that said something like 'if I don't get this back I'll....or, 'See how many flowers or hugs you can get back', or 'Forward this to 10 people in the next 5 mins.. or something bad will happen to you', etc.

The following is one reason why I will not send them back.

Advice from Snopes.com <>

1) Any time you see an E-Mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an E-Mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and E-Mails of those folks you forward to.

The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' E-Mails to use in SPAM E-Mails, or sell to other spammers.

2) Almost all E-Mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards.

All it was, and all any of this type of E-Mail is, is a way to get names and 'cookie ' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers - - to validate active E-Mail accounts for their own profitable purposes.


You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor (PLEASE) by sending this information to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam E-Mails in the future!

If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of E-Mail, now you know why you get so much SPAM!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless how inviting they might sound!
You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT in the long run. Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later! Plus, we are helping the spammers get rich! Let's don't make it easy for them!

Also: E-Mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other organization. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition. Make a hard copy and sign and MAIL by US mail.

Read the full story here:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp <>


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that alcohol wasn't the problem (much to my surprise)

that I enjoy participating in my recovery and don't have to go to meetings (instead, I get to go to meetings)

for John C., who gave me the above thoughts as we talked and ate dinner last night; he doesn't have a blog, so I stole these to put here

that I'm still free to do as I please, but today, I do differently


Some pursue happiness, others create it.
~~ unknown

changes

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that by the end of my first year of sobriety, I had made the necessary changes to help build a strong recovery foundation

that I've been able to modify my life to fit my recovery

that Scott W. filled in at the last minute when my scheduled speaker could not appear; Scott does/did an amazing job of explaining his feelings behind his drinking

that I laid some paving flagstone all by myself (in this damn heat!)


Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
- Theodore Roosevelt

Addendum --- I was outside in my hot tub at 5am (after publishing this post) as I am every morning before jumping in the shower. At the same moment I looked skyward I witnessed a beautiful meteorite burning up in the atmosphere, leaving its long trail. It was a lovely God shot and a great way to begin my day.

things to live for

click to enlarge


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I no longer have to guess at what happened last night

for the Twelve Promises (pages 83/84)

that I am familiar with the traditions of AA and show respect for them

for those infrequent times when I can see why things happened they way they did

that I'm in contact with Zane and his family emergency is over. The news was favorable. He will return home at the end of the week.


There is more to life than increasing its speed.
- Gandhi

hope and sanity

presenting the 2010 GM (government motors) Obamamobile



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

someone shared in a Step 2 meeting yesterday that a return to sanity means to him that he no longer thinks that a drink can or will make anything better

for hope that I may become even more sane than I am right now

that my partner had a safe flight to the UK; he'll be visiting there awhile

(Liz, he should be calling soon)

for indoor air conditioning (it's really hot here folks)


Tough times never last, tough people do.
- Robert Schuller

maintenance

why naked men should not skydive



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that the maintenance of my sobriety is my priority

for a fun surprise birthday party I attended Saturday night. A recovery friend celebrated his 40th year on this planet and his partner planned a great surprise for him. Fabulous!

for this guideline that really works well ...

• does it need to be said?
• does it need to be said right now?
• does it need to be said by me?

to be able to help a friend in need

for another recovery blogger, Another Real Alcoholic. Drop by and say howdy to this garden variety drunk.

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Obit + Breaking News

AN OBITUARY PRINTED IN THE LONDON TIMES.
Interesting and, sadly, true.

'Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, 'Common Sense', who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
· Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
· why the early bird gets the worm;
· Life isn't always fair; and
· maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by
· simple, sound financial policies: (don't spend more than you can earn) and
· reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

· Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate;
· teens suspended from school for using mouth wash after lunch; and
· a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student,

only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost further ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot.
She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by
· his parents, Truth and Trust.
· his wife, Discretion,
· his daughter, Responsibility,
· his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
· I Know My Rights;
· I Want It Now;
· Someone Else Is To Blame;
· I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone.'


BREAKING NEWS ... BREAKING NEWS ... BREAKING NEWS ...

today is Tall Karen's (AHA Moments) 5th sobriety birthday. Drop by and wish her well!!

How to solve the global financial crisis

It is August.

In a small town on the South Coast the holiday season is in full swing, but it is raining, so there is not too much business happening. Everyone is heavily in debt.
Luckily, a rich tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a room and puts a £100 note on the reception counter,takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor.

The hotel owner takes the bank note in a hurry and rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes £100.
The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt.
The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay £100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.
The farmer triumphantly gives the £100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.
The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she was owing the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.
At that moment, the rich tourist came back down to reception.
He informs the hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory.
He takes back his £100 and departs.

There was no profit or income. But everyone no longer has any debt and the townspeople look optimistically towards their future.

layin' back for the weekend

2 of my 3 girls



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for alternatives

that I am a whole lot less judgemental than I used to be

for the process of working Step 8 for the first time
(a sponsee is doing this now)

that I'll never have to rearrange my life so that I can get drunk
(it was always a time management issue)

You only live once-but if you work it right, once is enough.
- Joe E. Lewis

BONUS THOUGHT ...

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

no more hangovers

todAAy i AAM grAAteful & thAAnkful

that PAM has 18 years of continuous sobriety today!!

that Keith F. shared some of his experience with us yesterday at the 12:15pm speaker meeting

that I saw The Hangover last night -- very light and funny, easy to watch

that I rarely had serious hangovers during my 30+ years of drinking

for THIS piece by Mr SponsorPants about the possibility of a person being an alcoholic


Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.

- Mary Tyler Moore

Following the path

the updated landscape project -- those little trees and the gray moonrocks and the borders are all new. The 1965 Riviera provides a sweet background.



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the power of time

for the 6:30am meeting I attend every weekday; yesterday, we read about the sobering of Bill D., AA's 3rd member

for glimpses of sanity

that 14 of us got together for a really nice lunch at Baba Yega's as a sort of farewell to Hayden's mom who has been visiting for the past 2 weeks

for someone who has returned to the noon meetings after a 3-year absence. Now I know why I come to meetings every day. This person looks they they have aged 10-15 years in those 3 years. Apparently, crack and crystal meth will do that to you.


Heroism consists in hanging on one minute longer.
- Norwegian proverb

no title today

A rancher's widow needed help to run the ranch, so she advertised in the local paper for a hired hand.
Two cowboys applied for the job. One was gay and the other a drunk.
She thought long and hard about it, and when no one else applied she decided to hire the gay guy, figuring it would be safer to have him around the house than the drunk..He proved to be a hard worker who put in long hours every day and knew a lot about ranching.
For weeks, the two of them worked, and the ranch was doing very well.Then one day, the rancher's widow said to the hired hand, 'You have done a really good job, and the ranch looks great. You should go into town and kick up your heels.'The hired hand readily agreed and went into town one Saturday night.
One o'clock came, however, and he didn't return.
Two o'clock came and still no hired hand.
Finally he returned around two-thirty, and upon entering the room, he found the rancher's widow sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine, waiting for him.She quietly called him over to her.
Unbutton my blouse and take it off,' she said.
Trembling, he did as she directed.'Now take off my boots.' He did as she asked, ever so slowly..'Now take off my socks.' He removed each gently and placed them neatly by her boots.'Now take off my skirt'. He slowly unbuttoned it, constantly watching her eyes in the fire light.'Now take off my bra'. Again, with trembling hands, he did as he was told and dropped it to the floor.Then she looked at him and said, 'If you ever wear my clothes into town again, you're fired'.


I know that's been around awhile, but I love it. LOL



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I was in first grade the last time I was sober for this length of time

for seemingly constant reminders lately that my recovery must come before anything else; it's because of my recovery that anything else is possible

for some really powerful first step meetings over the past few days


That they may have a little peace, even the best dogs are compelled to snarl occasionally.
- William Feather

Back to Gratitude

a few minutes with Barack


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for more reminders that I need to strive for patience (for myself and my fellow man), love (for myself and my fellow man) and tolerance (for myself and my fellow man)

for recovery fellowship in so many forms; yesterday, I spent time with 6 others at a late breakfast then went to a baseball game with 3 others. These are things that I now pursue, because left to my own instinct, I would sit at home alone.

that I get so many things done, almost daily

that I'm up and about very early (even for me) this morning and will head to the gym @ 5am

that I know what I did last night, but not what you did last summer


It's not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it's who you are.
- Elvis Presley

Pete and Beulah Mae

click

being the breast she can be

It's Friday!

from downtown Galveston, Texas... Col. Bubbies is a well-known army surplus store. I was curious as to the spelling of the word "senter".

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I have 2,100 days continuous days of sobriety and I am SOOOOOOOOO glad I only had to do them one day at a time!!

that I can occasionally surrender my will to my HP and when I do, good things seem to happen

that I drove Hayden and his Mom to Galveston for a short look-see and we had a nice lunch; it's being reconstructed after last September's Hurricane Ike, but there's a whole lot to do. I don't believe that the island can ever be the same.


Whatever you do or dream you can do— begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
- Johann Goethe

being there

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to hear Jane W's story of experience, strength and hope yesterday

that I've been able to avoid complacency in my recovery by going to lots of meetings, having a sponsor and being a sponsor and remaining accountable to myself, my sponsor and my support group

that yesterday was Hayden's birthday and his Mom was here to celebrate it with him; we enjoyed a great dinner last night at a fancy Italian restaurant


Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't.
- Pete Seeger

another moose

todAAy i AAM grAAteful & thAAnkful

for Dr. Bob's Nightmare in the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 171-181)

for this passage from the above story ...
"I spend a great deal of time passing on what I learned to others who want and need it badly. I do it for four reasons:

• Sense of duty.


• It is a pleasure.


• Because in so doing am paying my debt to the man who took time to pass it on to me.


• Because every time I do it I take out a little more insurance for myself against a possible slip.

for continued health; I'm still on the treadmill 5 or 6 days each week and work with my trainer twice every week

that I seem to learn more about myself every day, like it or not

Every time we open our mouths, men look into our minds.
~~ unknown

Hanging on

?



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the psychic change I had just at the right time (isn't that how it works for us?)

that I've been fortunate enough to keep taking forward steps, with just a few setbacks since getting sober

for more lessons that I should not judge a book by its cover -- nor an alcoholic by the way he/she appears

for memories -- for some reason, I've been reminiscing about my years in the oil industry. My travels and all the people I associated with. For you latecomers, I was lucky enough to live and work in 25+ countries over the last 8 years of a 20-year career.


To be loved, be lovable.
- Ovid

a nice weekend

Susan Boyle lost.
Here's the act that beat her in the finals of Britain's Got Talent.
Thanks, Scott W. for passing it along to me.




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful


for a really enjoyable sobriety birthday celebration on Saturday - at Lambda, we celebrate annual birthdays on the last Saturday of the month, instead of doing them on the actual day. For May, there were 31 celebrants with a total of 420 years of sobriety.

for a weekend of beautiful weather with only a few clouds. But it was hot.

for our new landscaping that Hayden worked really hard to achieve


In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.
- John Churton Collins