raanch

Mine is here and here. Both are the same, but different in name.

• being able to pray
• friends that really know me
• being able to talk about "real" things
• seeing Molly (our white boxer terror) running outside my office window
• the project my small business has almost completed
• being honest
• M&M's
• being so surrounded by AA that even when I miss a meeting, I still kinda get a meeting
• learning to type
• staying healthy when so many around me have gotten sick
• finally posting a gratitude list!
  

"We all know that God never closes one door without opening another,
but it can be painful in the hallway."

Here 'tis... clicky

New posts on www.imstayingsober.com

My half-nAAked Thursday post is here. More hnT goodness is here.

I just LOVE the Bastard Operator From Hell series by Simon Travaglia. This episode is too appropos not to post here. The whole episode is here.

Hell, I can't pick out a good snippet. Just go read the whole thing; you're bound to like it...

The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep.

Jalaluddin Rumi

I am really touched by this quotation. I love to step out onto our back deck and simply listen for a moment or two before I leave for work. The birds singing, the fog, the breeze, the colors in the sky, the stars, the trees in green or fall colors - these things I like to simply stop and notice before I start my day. I especially like it when the sun is starting to rise, for the colors are amazing and the birds are quite vocal. Since I get up so early, I've missed them and stopped doing this every morning before leaving for work. I do like the stars, but with no birds singing, I am much more aware that the world is still asleep. It makes me feel like I should be, too. However, with the time change, I am able to be out at dawn again, at least for awhile. So, I shall resume my daily moment on the deck for as long as dawn is available when I am leaving. Perhaps, in light of this quote, I shall even do it beyond then, listening for secrets.

I got this quote in my inbox from www.gratefulness.org.

I feel hungover from this weekend. I got up at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, loaded my vehicle with tools, equipment and such and left for a client's office around 7:30 a.m. With one meal break and a few trips to the store, I worked (with help) installing network/phone cables from 8:00 a.m. Saturday until 3:00 a.m. Sunday, finally getting home around 3:30 a.m. and getting to bed around 4:00 a.m. I slept poorly, awaking several times and was wide-awake around 7:30 a.m. (anxiety and racing thoughts anyone?) Still, with my blindfold on, I stayed in bed and dozed off and on until around 11:00 a.m. I was on the road around 1:00 p.m. making more visits to stores and back at the client's office around 2:00 p.m where I worked until around 10:00 p.m. installing and configuring a new PBX (phone system). I got home around 10:30 p.m. and was up doing administrative work until just before midnight, when I went to bed. Then I awoke to my sunrise alarm clock at 5:22 a.m., thinking I'd gone to sleep with the light on. I managed to drag myself out of bed (for I'd slept very well and wanted/needed much more) and get ready for my main job that starts at 6:30 a.m.

I do feel hungover, but as I was noting that feeling this morning, I had one of those odd little thoughts pop into my mind: "Yes, I do feel hungover, but it's not from drinking. What a good reason this weekend's work is for feeling this tired and achey." Perspective changes show up completely unexpected. I always say that the obvious plumb evades me.

BTW, this job is the largest my small business has ever done. Lessons are being learned (and not too painfully) and my clients are wonderful. This is something I definitely would not have were I still drinking. So many things simply would not be available to me and I would not be available either.

I'm grateful for this hangover. (And I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow to sleep late and do more work for this client and others. I'm grateful, too, for my small business growing steadily along.)



Is being hungover a constant thing in your life? Maybe you have an alcohol problem and should seek out help. Many drug rehab centers offer alcohol rehab in addition to the usual drug treatment programs you would expect. If you are struggling with an addiction of any kind it's time to get help; not just for yourself but for the people around you.

My contribution is here. More hnT is here.

The spam filter at work caught this as a Powerpoint presentation. I found a similar HTML presentation to share with you. I'm not sure of the scientific veracity of this, but I surely like the presentation and the idea it conveys.

A Butterfly's Lesson