daily quota: It Was A Tough Life

"Every day I would think: 'I won't be playing in a year.' And I drank to take away the pain and misery. I wasn't looking at what I drank. It was just volume and strength. I wouldn't drink something I like if it was three per cent proof. I'd drink something horrible that was 40 per cent proof. The quicker I got a hit, the better. And every time I took a drink, it was because a voice in my head told me to. The voice was scary and the only way I could get rid of it was by having a drink. Then, sometimes, I'd manage not to drink for two weeks and the voice would go away and I'd think: 'I'll just have a casual drink, just one.' Then the voice would come back and I'd be drinking heavily again...
I thought the left side of my face had dropped that I was blind in my left eye, deaf in my left ear. I started getting pains down my left arm a prickling in my elbow... I had a double whisky and another, until the panic and pain went away. After a couple of hours the same thing happened again. I drank some more...
I was so scared I went to the hospital. I hadn't had a stroke, but I didn't accept that drink was the cause of what happened... I drank all the way to the clinic thinking: 'This will be my last...
There are still bits of Gazza in me, but they aren't the mad, drunken Gazza. I'm more Paul Gascoigne now. It was a tough life being Gazza."
- Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne, 'Glasgow Sunday Mail'

quipping post: He Didn't Say A Word

A drunk's wife thought she'd make a suggestion. "If you absolutely refuse to quit drinking, maybe you should at least cut back. Why don't you try some of that lower alcohol content light beer?" Her husband looked back at her with a completely blank look on his face. The silence was deafening.... He didn't say a word. She quickly added, "What was I thinking? Obviously, 'light beer' isn't your style: maybe just for you they'll come up with a 'blackout beer'."

links added today: Angels; Friends; Domain

Angel Programs
"We are a group of 'Angels' who come to area hospitals upon request to share with those suffering individual or family problems with substance use":
Angel Programs



Friends of Bill W
"This is your virtual meeting hall in cyber space"
Friends of Bill W Chat



The White Horse Domain
The Friends of Bill W site above is part of this domain. Now linked in the dryblog 'variety sites', you can find lots of wonderful resources here:
White Horse Domain

resources: New Forum; Workbook

New STS Recovery Forum
"You don't need to register, join or have a password. Just come on board":
STS Recovery Forum



Remember Who We Are: A Workbook
Based on an adaptation of AA's 12 steps, this is Carol Ann's 1st book and it is due for publication later this year. Learn more about it on her site:
Remember Who We Are


See Carol Ann's Homepage here:
Room For Healing



note: dryblog is updated with new quotes, quips, resources and links every Monday thru Friday;
current news stories are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with yesterday's still available below


to bookmark dryblog: Click Here

daily quota: Generations

"For instance, if a pollster took a census of the number of alcoholics in three generations... the head count likely would be very high. Why? Because alcoholism was deposited in the family line. It came calling, and an unfortunate number of children and grandchildren answered the door."
- Beth Moore, 'Christianity Today'



to go to the home page, click the button:

links added today: Community; PAR

She's In Recovery
"The online community for women in recovery":
She's In Recovery



PAR: People Advocating Recovery
"Kentucky group of concerned individuals working to eliminate barriers to recovery from addiction":
PAR Kentucky

resources: Prayer; Self-Esteem

Serenity Prayer
The Origin Of Our Serenity Prayer:
AA History & Trivia



Flash Animation: Self-Esteem Is An Inside Job
This 30-second presentation narrated by Jennifer Lopez was produced to reach teens and young adults. Click the link to see it:
Face The Issue

daily quota: The Alcoholic Label

"Being a recovering alcoholic is nothing to be embarrassed about in today’s world. In fact, in many social settings, it has become a status symbol. The only problem that you are going to have to deal with is... that label being tacked onto your shoulders. Not to be flip but, if that is the case, get over it. There are a lot worse things that people can think about you; being an alcoholic is certainly not one of them."
- Ann Israel, 'NYLawyer.com'

quipping post: Gratitude

"Few things are as important in recovery as developing a capacity for gratitude. In support of your recovery in this area we are delighted to be able to present you with this opportunity to exercise gratitude in a practical way." To use the tool, just go to this linked page and click on any of the images:
Recovery Man Humor

links added today: Road; Radio

The Long and Winding Road
"This page and the following links are dedicated to the 12 Step program Alcoholics Anonymous without which I probably would not be here today. In the following pages you will find how I came to the 'rooms' of AA, the basic text of our program - 'The 12 Steps' - other AA related material, and much more":
Long and Winding Road



Euphoria Recovery Internet Radio
"Streaming the spoken word of recovery from addiction":
Euphoria Recovery Radio



Other links added this week:

---> Alcoholics Anonymous Links ---> Free To Live

---> Mingy's Ireland AA Guide ---> NACR

---> Wolf Running with the Spirit Wind ---> Yo' Joe!

---> WIRED Initiative ---> Web Rings

note: some 'strong' language on this site ---> Sexual Abuse Male Survivor

resources: Daily; Memories; Things; Human; Spiritual; Archives

Daily Recovery Readings
This page is updated every day:
Tammy's Recovery Links


* also see the dryblog 'daily recovery resources' category for similar pages;
it's near the top of the links list on the right --->


Building New Memories In Recovery
"Do you have painful memories? Why not start building new life giving memories today by trusting God and loving people":
Recovery Times



Ten Things
"Ten things God won't ask on that day":
Sweet Sobriety



Rules For Being Human
See the 10 rules on the linked page:
Sunlight of The Spirit



Spiritual Warrior
"Living from my heart and what I believe; No other person's judgement shall hurt me; For God is my authority; This is who I am." See the WisdomFlash animation:
Spiritual Warrior



dryblog Archives
This past Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of dryblog -- the first post went up August 24th, 2003 -- so there are more than a few quotes and quips archived! I will be throwing in some graphics on the past pages but in the meantime I put a new scroll box, near the top of the links column, to make it easier to browse anytime...
This blog's for you!
Bo B.

daily quota: Drunk Twin

What I'm going to talk about here, is alcoholism. In his novel 'For Whom the Bell Tolls,' Ernest Hemingway expresses the opinion that of all the slaves to human vice -- gambler, nymphomaniac, miser, glutton, etc. -- the drunkard is the most despicable, the worst. And I must say, I agree. Is there anything more pathetic than a grown man reduced to the level of a babbling, chattering child? Or, worse, a nice guy (when he is sober) turned into a jackass...
And the worst part is, it's not really him. I mean, it's the guy, yeah; but he's drunk. He has traveled to drunk-land, and his drunk-twin has taken his place. And this twin is nobody you know; you can't reason with him; he doesn't hear a word you say...
Last night I went to drunk-land, and my drunk-twin took my place. But he was in pretty good form. I was lucky this time. However, many's the time I've awoken, and found that my drunk twin was in horrible form...
And I'll sit there, and think, hell, I don't remember any of that. For me, alcohol resembles an evil spirit; it possesses my body. It makes me do all manner of annoying, taboo things; and then it leaves me, and I'm left with the consequences."
- Jeff Gaither, 'Exploring the realms of alcohol' TechnicianOnline.com

quipping post: Australia Gets Drunk, Wakes Up in North Atlantic

"After what witnesses described as an all night blinder... Australia this morning woke up to find itself in the middle of the North Atlantic..." With no offence meant to our good Aussie friends, read the story here:
Satire Wire

links added today: Wolf; Initiative

Wolf running with the Spirit Wind
Clean & Sober Biker, Native American Spirituality
12 step recovery, writings, links, and more
Wolf running with the Spirit Wind



WIRED Initiative
"WIRED is a unique new initiative to tackle drug and alcohol misuse that merges real world activities with a high profile web based communication system..." Check the bottom of their home page for links to their other sites 'Daily Dose' News, 'SubstanceMisuse.net' and 'Drugs In Sports':
WIRED Initiative

resources: Big Book; Visualization; Message Board

Why We Call it the Big Book!
To find out, see the short article here:
Cybriety



The Art of Visualization
"What is it in one’s spirit that enables them to break the cycle of a dysfunctional pattern of living and choose to live a healthy life?"
Recovery Times



Recovery Living Message Board
"Alcohol & Drug Addiction Help/Support, Recovery Links, Readings, 12 Steps & More":
Recovery Living Message Board



dryblog is updated with new quotes, quips, resources and links every Monday thru Friday; news stories are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday...

...to bookmark dryblog: click here

daily quota: Problems

"Every problem has a gift for you in its hands."
- Richard Bach

quipping post: Great Deal

"Jeff and I ran to the store to get some beer and we found this great deal on something called Coors Cutter.... We got back to practice and Jeff and I ripped the stuff open and started downing it. Dave says, 'Coors Cutter? Isn’t that non-alcoholic beer?' ... We thought we had found this great deal on beer."
- Scott Miller, on how his band got their name The Cutters, 'Metro Pulse Online'

links added today: Free; Recovery

Free To Live
"Welcome to my 12 step page.My name is Peter and I'm an alcoholic.All that is on this page is things that help me stay sober and clean...":
Free To Live



National Association for Christian Recovery (NACR)
"Resources for Christians recovering from addiction, abuse, or trauma":
NACR

resources: Slip; What We Gave

Twelve Steps To A Slip
"Know Your Danger Signals!":
NA AA Recovery Zone



What We Gave Our Children
"I am a fourth generation alcoholic. It was naturally ingrained to drink. Drunk or drinking was the norm in our home growing up...":
Recovery Times

daily quota: Self-Inflicted Disease

"The editorial considers whether alcoholics should receive liver transplants when their livers fail. Is it a waste of medical time, effort, and money? This is a controversial question, the authors observe, because some believe that alcoholic liver disease is self-induced and that therefore sufferers do not deserve a transplant...
Fright and the hospital experience encourage sobriety. The problem of alcoholism, in other words, lies in the psychological, spiritual, and moral realm...
...according to the crude sentimentality of our modern moral sensibility, only victims are worthy of a full measure, indeed an infinite measure, of sympathy. Everyone else can—and should—go to the devil. But since it would be harsh to send so many people thither, we must pretend that almost everyone is a victim.
It is possible, however, to look at the whole question differently. Yes, alcoholic liver disease is self-inflicted: but we know that man is a fallen creature, and that none of us is without his weaknesses. That a man has done harm to himself, or even to others, is not a reason for withdrawing all sympathy from him—which would be a hard doctrine indeed. It does not follow, therefore, that a man guilty of self-inflicted harm deserves no assistance. Moreover, the post-transplant sobriety of alcoholics suggests that redemption is possible, that a man can change his ways."
- Theodore Dalrymple 'City Journal Magazine'

quipping post: What People Think

A drunk's wife was telling her husband the truth and he wasn't enjoying it too much. "You say you don't care what people think about your drinking. But if that was really true, then you wouldn't ask me and the kids to lie for you and cover up your binges!" The drunk disagreed: "That's not true at all! I couldn't care less what anyone thinks.......why, have you heard something?"

links added today: Links; Survivor

Alcoholics Anonymous Links Page
This is an unofficial site: "Find information on alcoholism signs, alcoholism symptoms, AA meetings online, Big Book, AA history, AA research, AA books, and Alcoholics Anonymous history":
Alcoholics Anonymous Links



Male Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse
"Abuse survivor, Recovering alcoholic, Addict, Rent Boy and sometimes Archaeologist" (note: includes some 'strong' language):
Sexual Abuse Male Survivor

resources: Gratitude; Adversity; Ask Bill; Rings

Gratitude Tip
"If you are having trouble making a gratitude list..." For the suggestion, see here:
Sweet Sobriety



Adversity -- A Different Perspective
"I believe that trouble-makers are valuable in any fellowship, almost indispensable":
Sponsor To Sponsor



Let's Ask Bill W: Drunks In AA Meetings Q & A
Dear Bill, "If an alcoholic comes to an A.A. meeting under the influence of alcohol, how do you treat him or handle him during the meeting?" To read Bill W's answer, see here:
Silkworth.net



Recovery Web Rings
New: dryblog is now a member of four online recovery site web ring communities. There are lots of great resources, many of which I hope to share with you here! You can see the full link boxes and explore away by scrolling down to the (almost) bottom of this page, or the link here will take you there:
Web Rings

daily quota: Help and Kindness

"When I had a heart attack and wound up in the hospital a year ago, who was the only person to visit me? Paul. And when I needed a doorway to sleep in over the past couple years, who let me? Paul... He treated me like a human being. That's something you don't forget."
- Don, ex-homeless recovering alcoholic/addict 'NBC11.com'

links added today: Ireland; Yo'

Mingy's Guide to AA in Ireland
The purpose of these pages is to: Provide visitors to Ireland, listings of Groups and Meetings within the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; There are also other items of interest, i.e. photos, details of coming events etc":
Mingy's Ireland AA Guide



Yo' Joe!
Courage To Change... "Your recovery questions answered":
Yo' Joe!

resources: Anniversaries; Devil's Candy

Sobriety Anniversaries
"Congratulations on Another sober day!":
AA History and Trivia


See their home page here: AA History and Trivia


Conquering Crack Cocaine
"The journeys that crack cocaine took me on ended up being a blessing. It exposed me to the evil side of life. It is there that I found and ate and loved the devil's candy...":
Recovery Times

daily quota: Emotional Muscle

"They guaranteed me that if I didn't pick up one drink, one day at a time, no matter what happened, my life would get better, but if I continued to drink my life would get worse... I have had, since that time, these wonderful bonuses... AA gave me emotional muscle. The ability to sort things out emotionally is the greatest gift I've been given."
- Mr B, 'Sunday Times, Australia'

quipping post: Olympics

Two Al-Anon members were watching the Olympic Games on TV when one of them commented, "You know, those athletes are sure fast! My husband could probably do that." The other lady didn't understand, "What do you mean? You said all your husband does is sit on the couch and drink all day!" The first one explained: "He does, but you should see him move when he's out of beer and the liquor store's about to close."

link added today: Carrying the Message

Primary Purpose
"The Primary Purpose Group is committed to carrying the message as described in the conference-approved literature of Alcoholics Anonymous":
Primary Purpose



other links added this week:

---> Alcohol & Drug Abuse

---> Slugger's Path

---> Steppin' Out Radio

---> Sublime Recovery

---> Welcome To My World

resources: Meditations; Mad; Psalm; Flash; Broadcast

Anonymous One Daily Meditations
This page changes with every visit:
Meditations


* also see the new dryblog 'daily recovery resources' category for similar pages; it's near the top of the links list on the right --->


I Was Mad...
"We do recover as long as we do the work."
Recovery Times



The 23rd-1/2 Psalm
"The Lord is my sponsor! I shall not want..."
Sweet Sobriety



'God, Creation, and Tools for Life'
WisdomFlash multi-media animation: "Where am I in the big picture of the universe?"
Tools for Life

daily quota: The Past

"Wherever we go, we bring along with us our past. It is something that we can never avoid doing because we are our past. You are the sum total of all your past experiences. If I want to truly understand you, I must know your past. The more I know about it, the better will be my understanding of you. For example, if you have a serious drinking problem, I will have to search into your past to understand where it all came from. It surely did not drop out of the sky. Perhaps the clues are obvious. Like when you were a kid and your alcoholic father would let you drink with him. Then you went with your teen friends who were heavy drinkers. But there are things that are less obvious... I also think of death a number of times every day. It’s been like that all my life, even as a child. Reason: my mother died when I was five and I was sent to an orphanage for one miserable year. I could never forget the pain that death caused me. But all this was not obvious to me then. It was only years later that I understood what was happening to me and why it happened."
- Bob Garon, 'ABS CBN News'

quipping post: Dating

"Just because I counsel drug addicts and alcoholics doesn’t mean I want to date them..."
- Anonymous, 'Houston Voice'

links added today: Radio; Path

Steppin' Out!
The 12-Step Radio Show Online: "Ever wonder what happens at those 12-step meetings?":
Steppin' Out Radio



Slugger's Path
Sobriety simplified. "A snapshot of recovery that you will remember and use":
Slugger's Path

resources: Higher Power; Friends; Gentleman

My Higher Power The Light Bulb
By Clarence Snyder (The Home Brewmeister):
There Is A Solution



Friends
"Those of us who struggle every day to live life on life's terms, to be loyal, trustworthy, and committed to each other through the hurtful times as well as the joyful times..."
Sponsor To Sponsor



"A Gentleman Drunk"
To read the first 7 chapters of this new book on-line, just click any 'Chapter' button on the linked page:
Gentleman Drunk




dryblog is updated with new quotes, quips, resources and links every Monday thru Friday; news stories are posted every Moday, Wednesday and Friday...