Back from one trip, leaving already for another. Lest you should think all I do is travel and live the Life of Riley (some days I think so too!), excuse me while I hustle for my worthiness by noting that in the 10 days at home between vacations I hosted two family dinners, babysit my grandkids twice and my niece’s little ones too, sat chained to my desk for several days doing (much loathed) accounting for our business, vacuumed, went to Costco and bought a new vacuum, revacuumed (Dyson V6 – holy hell what a miracle machine!), did 12 loads of laundry, lost 5 lbs, endured a migraine, recorded a Bubble Hour episode, played my first game of curling since breaking my leg (yah, I’ve still got it!), got new boots (see photo above), attended a “Lean In” luncheon, and last night had a great time at a dinner party (for the foodies, the hostess served from Donna Hay’s Easy Entertaining recipes: onion & feta tartlets, grilled salmon, stuffed zucchini, and some kind of fennel slaw. A true Canadian desert: Saskatoon pie from a Hutterite Colony – if that’s garbledegook to you then you need to put Alberta on your bucket list!).
For pictures from my Europe trip with my mom and sisters mentioned in my last post, visit my Instagram page @unpickledblog. (Btw, that trip worked out wonderfully. If you have teenage girls that are driving you nuts with their squabbling, take heart that they’ll get along fine in their 50s.)
My trip today is to a little spa on Vancouver Island to meet two friends from high school whom I haven’t seen in nearly a decade. We lived in dorm together at a Lutheran boarding school in the 1980s and life has taken us in dramatically different directions since. I’m flying on points and the three of us are sharing a room, so this is definitely a budget-friendly trip. I won’t worry a speck about splurging on a few massages (3!) and several yoga sessions (6!) while I’m there (4 nights!).
I’m also excited that I’ve connected with some women in recovery on the island who I’ll meet up with. We don’t know each other but they’re familiar with my work here and on the podcast and a mutual friend put us in touch. I love sober meet ups!
Now you may not believe this, but right before I left my husband convinced me to join him on a trip to visit his mom in Palm Spring five days after I get home again. I started to rattle off all the reasons I should stay home (month end, year end, guilt…) when I realized I could easily bring my work along and manage just fine.
Why not? Life is for living, and I’m all in.
(PS speaking of sober meetups, I’d love to have coffee with any readers in the Palm Springs area when I’m there in the first week of November. Leave a comment here or drop a message on my Facebook page if you’d like to connect. I’ll be staying in Indio.)
Hey Jean
It is awhile since I wrote on this site. It is now almost five years since I have had a drink. At all!!I don’t even take the wine at communion. I am so used to it now it never even crosses my mind from day to day. Still the hardest things for me to endure are the weddings. Am I the only one who feels like this? I am so sober that I don’t even feel like dancing. That is not good. I thought of doing some dance classes to get in the groove again. I hope that all of the people who have written on your site are still trying hard to reform their ways. I look back on the decades of heavy drinking and I think what a waste I am so happy now as a grandma who is totally reliable. I think the years of drinking has left me with some memory loss. I tend to have complete blanks about things that are fairly recent. I too am travelling more with my better half. He is still a “normie” drinker and he counts his blessings that I gave up when I did.
I love this blog and I owe it my life. Thanks x
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I have been waiting for this morning for years..maybe 10 or 11 in fact… peeking my head here every now and then.. to read the story’s of those who have made it.. I once posted a while back in here ..that I was a “rat in a box” and someone replaced the water with wine…
Well TODAY… this morning!! Right fucking now!!!! Is my first complete WEEK without alcohol …I made it… I fucking did it!!! I won mother fucker!!! I am not sorry about last night… I am not thirsty… my throat isn’t on fire.. I slept the best I have in a decade…
God I have longed for this day..
I think Dean has awoken from his nightmare
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Hurray for freedom! You may be through the worst physically but your brain may play tricks on you now and then. Stay vigilant and determined. When your ready, it will be helpful to look at why you drank and how you can work through it differently going forward. That kind of healing and shift will really give you wings in your new life.
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Cute boots. And yay for sober meetups! 🙂
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Lovely boots.
I hope we can find a connection time soon. I miss you!
Anne
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Wow how fun!! I wish I was there! You are soooo beautiful! It’s great to finally put your beautiful face with your name 🙂
XO Sober Shar
Sent from my iPhone
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What a gal on the go! I won’t be in Palm Springs, but will be in the YYC airport Nov. 2nd. going through to the US. When are you passing through ?
Day 479
Sunflower 🌻
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Around lunch time! You?
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Darn….so close! I have a 5PM flight,so not likely to be there much before 3.
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Let’s meet for lunch on the highway halfway between us when I get back!!
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Yes, we should ! I’m gone for a month, let’s keep it in mind for December! Have a great time at the spa!
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Hope you have a fabulous time at the spa with your girlfriends! Traveling can be exhausting, but so refreshing too.
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I love getting new boots!
Have fun in the sunshine!
xo
Wendy
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