2017 Catch All thread

[Steve9347]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

[BigSqwert]

It's a weird market they cater to still, I guess, but I've read before that the attached pizza places (I think they all pretty much have one?) are a big part of it. They still make 'movie night' an event in and of itself that the whole family gets involved in. And while it's less convenient than streaming, new rentals can be had for cheaper than you'd pay on Amazon plus they have free kids movies. Some of it's gotta just be last-man-standing. All of their brick-and-mortar competitors are pretty much gone, both chain and small mom & pop stores.

 

But also porn.

 

(Didn't click the link as I'm scared I'll get a warning here at work) Why would people rent porn? Seems absurd. Is this for old people who are not tech savvy? Porn is free everywhere online and you can be 100% anonymous about your consumption.

[BigSqwert]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

 

Congrats dude! Genuinely proud of you.

[StrangeSox]

(Didn't click the link as I'm scared I'll get a warning here at work) Why would people rent porn? Seems absurd. Is this for old people who are not tech savvy? Porn is free everywhere online and you can be 100% anonymous about your consumption.

 

It's a Time magazine article, but words might still trigger work filters.

[RockRaines]

my wife makes 90k

my nanny makes 28k

Yeah, I wish that was the case. My wife was a teacher, it was basically a loss overall as well as the time she could spend with the kid.

[knightni]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

Congrats, Steve.

 

It takes a mature man to admit his problems and get himself right.

 

 

[RockRaines]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

I have two speeds: 0 and 100. And my 100 can get bad, real bad. So nowadays I am actually sober except for maybe one night a month give or take. Personally I think to each their own but you (I) have to know what kind of drinker you are. Personally I was one that would be out till 4am if I started.

[Iwritecode]

Blockbuster's biggest failure IMO was when they decided to get rid of late fees and instead jacked up the prices on rentals. The last time I was ever in a Blockbuster it was sometime in the early 2000's. I wanted to rent a PlayStation game with a friend of mine.

 

We picked out the game, got to the counter, saw how much it would cost and immediately put the game back and went down the road to another video store. It may have even been a Family Video we went to that night.

 

Late fees suck but I wasn't willing to pay 2 or 3 times what it cost to rent a video somewhere else just to not have to worry about having one.

 

We have at least 3 Family Videos near my house but I don't think I've been into any of them in at least a year.

[Soxbadger]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

 

Steve,

 

Congrats! Alcohol hasnt been my thing since back in college, but I can certainly relate. Personally over the last 2 years I have cut back significantly on my vices, but never have actually reached any sort of milestones. That being said, you should definitely feel good about it, especially if the lack of alcohol isnt negatively impacting your life.

 

Fortunately/unfortunately alcohol just kind of wrecks my system, so 1) I cant sleep when Im drunk, 2) I feel hungover/cant function the next day and 3) it makes me actually feel slower/dumber.

 

 

[Jenksismyhero]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

 

Kudos man. 52 days is an amazing achievement.

[Steve9347]

I have two speeds: 0 and 100. And my 100 can get bad, real bad. So nowadays I am actually sober except for maybe one night a month give or take. Personally I think to each their own but you (I) have to know what kind of drinker you are. Personally I was one that would be out till 4am if I started.

Drinking until there was no drink left and then sometimes heading out to acquire more drink.

 

Know thyself.

[Steve9347]

Kudos man. 52 days is an amazing achievement.

The sad/good thing is how easy it's been. I keep wondering why I couldn't just moderate myself. Oh well!

[Steve9347]

Thanks everyone!

[Steve9347]

So, nanny update.

 

She'll be released next Thursday. Giving her two full weeks' worth of pay as a parting gift. The new one starts next Friday (had to give a week's notice).

 

I went into my QuickPay activity just to see the recent trend to make myself feel better. In 11 of the 27 weeks since January (including tomorrow's payment) she has received less than full pay for various reasons. Now, some of the weeks included multiple absences (and two we entire weeks off 1 for vacation and 2 for bereavement).

 

Holy s***, in 40% of the weeks in the last 6.5 months, we've had to figure out alternative childcare.

 

BOOM we are making the right decision. Can't believe we put up with it for so long. Any excuse to miss work was taken, and we were too close to realize it.

[Brian]

That's awesome. My career at Blockbuster was from 2001-2005. Pretty much my second job all through college. I loved it.

 

I was only there 2 years but was a blast until our awesome store manager left and a biatch came in that killed the store mojo, causing the fun employees to quit and killing morale.

 

I was there two years and she promoted someone who was there 2 months over me because he had a new kid. I quit and 2 months later they fired him for stealing out of the safe.

 

It's a weird market they cater to still, I guess, but I've read before that the attached pizza places (I think they all pretty much have one?) are a big part of it. They still make 'movie night' an event in and of itself that the whole family gets involved in. And while it's less convenient than streaming, new rentals can be had for cheaper than you'd pay on Amazon plus they have free kids movies. Some of it's gotta just be last-man-standing. All of their brick-and-mortar competitors are pretty much gone, both chain and small mom & pop stores.

 

But also porn.

 

There is a Family Video down the street and I have never been in it, nor do I see many people in there when I drive by. I used to love the video rental experience but just have no need to now. It's sad.

Edited January 12, 2017 by Brian

[StrangeSox]

The sad/good thing is how easy it's been. I keep wondering why I couldn't just moderate myself. Oh well!

 

congrats man. my dad had something similar about 30 years ago, realized it was a problem and hasn't even wanted to touch a drop since then. knowing his and the rest of his family's history, it's something I've always made sure to keep an eye on for myself. good luck on keeping it up and being the best you can be for yourself and your family.

[Jenksismyhero]

So, nanny update.

 

She'll be released next Thursday. Giving her two full weeks' worth of pay as a parting gift. The new one starts next Friday (had to give a week's notice).

 

I went into my QuickPay activity just to see the recent trend to make myself feel better. In 11 of the 27 weeks since January (including tomorrow's payment) she has received less than full pay for various reasons. Now, some of the weeks included multiple absences (and two we entire weeks off 1 for vacation and 2 for bereavement).

 

Holy s***, in 40% of the weeks in the last 6.5 months, we've had to figure out alternative childcare.

 

BOOM we are making the right decision. Can't believe we put up with it for so long. Any excuse to miss work was taken, and we were too close to realize it.

 

How did she take it?

[Steve9347]

How did she take it?

She's being released next Thursday.

 

Spoiler alert: it won't go well.

[RockRaines]

Drinking until there was no drink left and then sometimes heading out to acquire more drink.

 

Know thyself.

Yup. Sitting by yourself drinking until the wee hours is usually a warning sign. I will say my weekends are much more productive. I still budget a day a month to go out and feel like s*** the next day, but thats about it.

 

The summers are harder for me with golf and lake living and stuff, but I'm hoping I lose my appetite a bit for it.

[whitesoxjr27]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

 

Congrats my friend! Been 13 years for me.

[Jenksismyhero]

Yup. Sitting by yourself drinking until the wee hours is usually a warning sign. I will say my weekends are much more productive. I still budget a day a month to go out and feel like s*** the next day, but thats about it.

 

The summers are harder for me with golf and lake living and stuff, but I'm hoping I lose my appetite a bit for it.

 

I drink probably 3-4 nights a week. 1-2 drinks max, with maybe 1 night a month where I go out and drink more. I just can't do hangovers anymore. It got to the point with kids that dealing with the following day, with the lack of sleep and feeling like ass for another 24 hours, just wasn't worth it.

 

New Years this year my wife and I had a few drinks and made it to 12 and it felt like we cured cancer or something. It was a major achievement.

[Texsox]

So confession time.

 

Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good.

 

Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked.

 

Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps!

 

Congrats. It's a tough path. My family suffered for years with my wife's alcoholism until we left. My son still talks to her occasionally, but for the most part she lost almost everything. I get nervous now when I have a few drinks every day for a few days. It kind of killed my social drinking enjoyment.

[Texsox]

Geek alert. I love my students. We are doing a sonnet project and one of my better students who also loves to play an angle was working with

 

Sonnet III

Billy Shakespeare

 

Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest

Now is the time that face should form another;

Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,

Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother.

For where is she so fair whose uneared womb

Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?

Or who is he so fond will be the tomb

Of his self-love, to stop posterity?

Thou art thy mother's glass and she in thee

Calls back the lovely April of her prime;

So thou through windows of thine age shalt see,

Despite of wrinkles, this thy golden time.

But if thou live, remembered not to be,

Die single and thine image dies with thee.

 

As a kind of easy throw away portion of the project they were asked to find a companion song or poem that deals with the same theme. She came up with

 

Dream On

Aerosmith

Every time when I look in the mirror

All these lines on my face getting clearer

The past is gone

It went by, like dusk to dawn

Isn't that the way

Everybody's got the dues in life to pay

I know nobody knows

Where it comes and where it goes

I know it's everybody sin

You got to lose to know how to win

Half my life

Is books, written pages

Live and learn from fools and

From sages

You know it's true, oh

All these feelings come back to you

Sing with me, sing for the years

Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears

Sing with me, just for today

Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away

Yeah, sing with me, sing for the year

Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear

Sing with me, just for today

Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away

Dream on

Dream on

Dream on…

 

She's presenting the project to me and I see that and start laughing. Come on, you listen to Aerosmith?? Or did you figure the old white guy must be an Aerosmith fan? She had a great analysis and just nailed the project. Way cool when that happens.

 

I'm trying to picture Tyler high on some drug and ripping off Shakespeare

 

[RockRaines]

I drink probably 3-4 nights a week. 1-2 drinks max, with maybe 1 night a month where I go out and drink more. I just can't do hangovers anymore. It got to the point with kids that dealing with the following day, with the lack of sleep and feeling like ass for another 24 hours, just wasn't worth it.

 

New Years this year my wife and I had a few drinks and made it to 12 and it felt like we cured cancer or something. It was a major achievement.

It's rough. Those nights where you go out hard hurt for 3 days at least. I'm dead tired and unproductive at work and with my kid. It's really motivated me to cut way down. I mean I was getting blacked out by myself on thursday's sometimes because there was a game on or something.

[Steve9347]

It's rough. Those nights where you go out hard hurt for 3 days at least. I'm dead tired and unproductive at work and with my kid. It's really motivated me to cut way down. I mean I was getting blacked out by myself on thursday's sometimes because there was a game on or something.

You sounded like me. Just decided to shut it down for good.