A Singularly Lonely Christmas

greentiger

Oh cats! I love Simon's cat! My own puss likes to wake me by sitting on the pillow above my head and ever so gently prising up my eyelids!

Byatt

LavenderBees wrote: »

For those with naughty cats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q

That's my boy! :rotfl::rotfl:

Calico, ear plugs can help, always worth a try,

Having a lazy day, again, just making cottage pie with soya.

LavenderBees

TFI Friday...I could easily work a 2 day week every week :T...couldn't afford to though , but it is very nice not to have worked a full week. Next week is going to hit me hard... :eek:

Plowing onwards through my resolutions and onto a grot subject - mental incapacity and death

Far flung Friend has sent me this link which is very useful for those considering living wills. What it doesn't address (unless I've missed it) is how, if you are currently fit(ish) and healthy(ish), you make sure that the NHS know you have a living will e.g. in case you are mentally incapacitated by an accident. I'll start with my GP, and make sure he has a copy when I have it ready, and perhaps he could advise me from there.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/legal-issues/living-wills/

I've also read up on age uk about wills and am now aware of solicitors in my immediate area who will be able to help me...

I need to put a lot more thought into both though...a lot more thought!!

LavenderBees

Need2bthrifty wrote: »

WFH, mmmmm I used to do that

It’s starting to get rather blustery here and thankfully I don’t have to go out for anything. The high winds we had just before Christmas practically demolished my neighbours trampoline it was quite scary watching it take off, snapping their washing line on its way before getting stuck and eventually bending over the pole :eek:.

I’m also making lists and looking forward to that smug satisfied feeling that ticking things off gives me – the only downside, in my world, generally as a consequence of completing one it generates another two, but it keeps me busy.

The weekend bottle or two of wine used to be a bit of a habit for me too. I don’t really like the usual soft drinks, too sweet and gassy for my taste. I have however replaced the wine with bottle green cordials; although they are quite pricey I managed to stock up on the spiced berry and the ginger and lemongrass when on offer at sainsbobs. I dilute them with sparkling water or tonic (served in a large posh wine glass of course ) and they last me for months.

Done all my chores for the day and ticked off my list :cheesy: – think I may go cosy up in front of the telly with my box of chocs and watch dr zhivago……again. Wish I had a onesie, a blue and white strippy one.......just like andy pandy

What are you trying to say, like? I'm a conscientious (if whinging :rotfl:) employee. I'd rather have been settled in front of the telly with a box of chocs, but that lovely activity is over for quite a while.

I almost looked at Mr A's onesies yesterday, but luckily, remembered just in time my rezza to not buy any clothes...honestly, I have the attention span of a fish

2 days, no choc, no alcohol....am climbing the walls :rotfl:

paulineb_2

Well, no alcohol free beer in home bargains, everyone who was driving at new years must have bought it all, there was tons of it before christmas.

So I ended up with a bottle of diluting ginger beer and some mocktails.

And some cherry juice. Im actually going to try and knock alcohol on the head for a few months. Somewhere along the line Ive developed pretty much an addictive personality, some people think theres no such thing, I dont agree.

I dont excessively shop, or exercise even though I do a lot of it. But Ive had a few stressful years. I suffered from work related stress in the workplace due to bullying for the best part of 15 years and it made me ill, pretty ill. I have very unsupportive GPs so I felt for a long time I was just shouldering everything and not expressing it. Ive had counselling a few times, but its generally made me feel worse and not better, only so many times I can talk about some of the stuff Ive been through.

I worked with young homeless people and addicts for a long time and I loved my job, it wasnt the love of the job that made me give it up, the working conditions can be awful, long hours, low pay, a big bullying culture and heaven help you if you complain. But having come through all that and come out the other side, I just need to look after myself properly and I havent done that for a very very long time.

I changed career 4 years ago, but I had the misfortune to work part time in a gym and the boss was a bully, I got the worst of it, another lovely girl didnt have a very nice time of it either and she lasted one day after her mat leave was finished. Ive spoken about it elsewhere on the boards but I walked into work in October last year to be met with a letter basically telling me to come in the following day to be sacked. I refused to go and when that happened, things just snowballed. They did sack me in the end, a big case of face didnt fit itis.

But that and some really toxic stuff that happened to my mum last year had me back to square one, or so I thought. I actually picked myself up and got on with things, got back to teaching classes. And for a long time Ive been in a place where Ive hardly been drinking very much.

But Im also still in a place where if I had a bottle of wine in front of me, Id drink it and its nothing to do with the alcohol, I think for me its just a habit, a bad one. In the same way that if I had five packets of crisps in front of me Id eat them, Im the same with wine, once its opened its done (Ive actually had about 3 bottles of wine in a year but I know what Im like).

I think living alone doesnt help as there are times where I feel I have no outlet for how I feel if Ive had a rough day, but having really made the effort to stop treating my body like its a toxic waste dump food wise, I think its time for me to stop drinking. Even though Im drinking under the recommended units weekly, Im drinking it because its there, Im not enjoying it.

I went out on a night out with some people from my local gym in september, I knew it would be a messy night and it was. I dont like being drunk, I cant actually remember the last time I was apart from that, but Ive been thinking since then, just knock it on the head for a while and if and when you have a drink again, have one because you want to, not because its a habit/coping mechanism, whatever.

And I think that was the problem with the meet up group I was in partly, everything they did more or less revolved around alcohol and even on the first couple of meets there were comments made to me about why I didnt want to stay out till 4am and get blazing drunk.

I also cant afford it, thats the bottom line, I have way better things to be spending my money on.

Looking back to about 6 or 7 years ago when life for a time wasnt so stressful, I had a healthier relationship with alcohol and I also had a healthier relationship with me. I was happier, I think thats the biggest issue and its like chicken and egg, when I stop treating my body like a dustbin I'll feel happier and I wont want to continue doing that.

Ive cracked it with the food and even though Im only drinking 1-2 alcohol units a night on average, Im not enjoying it and I need to knock it on the head.

I dont think at this point Im going to say to myself I wont ever drink again, but Id be happy if I got through 2014 alcohol free and had a drink next christmas. I didnt have very much at Hogmanay, I had a couple of pre mixed gin and diet tonics, a few alcohol free becks and I woke up on new years day feeling fine.

I just want to get to the point where if I reach for a sticky bun and a glass of anything alcoholic Im doing it because I want to and not because Im feeling crap about myself and thats the only way I know how to deal with it.

We shall see what 2014 brings.

LavenderBees

calicocat wrote: »

Well I am meant to be asleep....but Keith Moon...(not) is hard at it again. this is going to be a nightmare every weekend isn't it....ear plugs...and the suggested eye-pads....may as well just go to sleep in a motorbike helmet (the ones with black visor) and be done with it.

No exercise done here today as in bed, mint still alive, seeds presumably hanging out in the soil doing their 'thang'.

Chicken soup in fridge to take to work tonight, with a bit of luck all the tins of chocs will have been guzzled by now.

It takes 4 nursing staff from 13.30 until 20.00 to clear a large tin of sweets (if not less).

I have two bottles of fizz left so will have those as and when I do, then going to try not to buy any, not sure if it's better to think of this as a weekly challenge or monthly. I might put another jar up and put money saved into it so I can see another reason to do it. If I say have 2 bottles a week average (including being out and at home)...then that is At Least 40 a month isn't it..!!

The extra jar idea to track your alcohol free saving is a really good idea...it'll either motivate you big time or help you save up for a huge binge weekend :rotfl:

Re drummer boy :mad: - NTBT's nefarious skills may come in handy....am sure she'll give you a discount....

MummyBobble

Still have some chocolate and alcohol in the house so better dispose of it quickly, could be tonight's job then (don't like waste, we are os after all :rotfl:).

While the children are at their dad's tomorrow I will sort out school uniform etc for at least a couple of days so that we can enjoy Sunday as the last day of the hols (apart from having to be at a football pitch to watch DS at half nine in the morning :eek:).

Thanks LB, definitely think we should carry on sharing our ideas and progress into the New Year :T

LavenderBees

paulineb wrote: »

I just want to get to the point where if I reach for a sticky bun and a glass of anything alcoholic Im doing it because I want to and not because Im feeling crap about myself and thats the only way I know how to deal with it.

We shall see what 2014 brings.

Yep, that's me, too. Although I think habit and occasionally boredom plays a big part, too. Anyway, I've made a good start, no reason not to be able to continue. My first aim is to have an alcohol free January. That is manageable, and I'll see after that.

I'm surprised your Meetup groups revolved so much around alcohol. From the emails I've seen from mine, ours definitely has it's fair share of those events but also walking/cultural things etc. Perhaps you could arrange your own meetup to do something you'd enjoy?

I'm off to bed to watch telly...I've slept badly this whole year :rotfl:, and it'll be warmer, too.

night night

xx

LavenderBees

MummyBobble wrote: »

Still have some chocolate and alcohol in the house so better dispose of it quickly, could be tonight's job then (don't like waste, we are os after all :rotfl:).

Thanks LB, definitely think we should carry on sharing our ideas and progress into the New Year :T

Definitely don't waste it!! :eek:. Mine are all put away for odd treats throughout the year, but I must confess therein lies temptation .

TBh, I wasn't sure what we should do with our lovely thread...the title isn't really relevant now...I'd hate to lose the support and community values, and love the fact we're all encouraging each other on into a scary new year, and continuing to share ideas...I guess we'll see how it develops....

Enjoy your evening. Don't you feel guilty about eating chocolate and drinking alcohol...no, no, you just keep on keeping on...no need to worry about me :rotfl:

paulineb_2

LavenderBees wrote: »

Yep, that's me, too. Although I think habit and occasionally boredom plays a big part, too. Anyway, I've made a good start, no reason not to be able to continue. My first aim is to have an alcohol free January. That is manageable, and I'll see after that.

I'm surprised your Meetup groups revolved so much around alcohol. From the emails I've seen from mine, ours definitely has it's fair share of those events but also walking/cultural things etc. Perhaps you could arrange your own meetup to do something you'd enjoy?

I'm off to bed to watch telly...I've slept badly this whole year :rotfl:, and it'll be warmer, too.

night night

xx

I have started my own meet up group, have always advertised my classes on there, but trying to get an outdoor fitness group set up.

Yes, the group very much revolved around alcohol, not always in a pub but a lot, but to be fair, when you live in the back end of hicksville like I do unless you have a car, which I dont, your social life ends up being either pub or gym.

There were a couple of walks, but most of the events were in a pub or a restaurant and some people were complaining that there actually werent enough pub meets

The main reason I left though was because of comments made about my weight by the organiser, who was not stick thin herself, they were actually made last year and she worked away most of the year, but when she came back the negativity towards me started again and after I left the group I got a couple of texts asking me if I was scared of her, it was all rather ridiculous.

I just didnt like the vibe and at the time when she made the comments about my size, I was pretty much feeling awful about myself, I just didnt think it was an appropriate way to run a group.

But meet up allow people to do what they like, they dont step in, when things go wrong, they cant, there are too many groups, so better all round that me and that one parted ways.