daily quota: He Would Never Drink

"If ever anyone had a hellacious childhood it was Chuck. His parents were smart, likeable people when they were sober; but they were verbally abusive and neglectful when they weren't. And they weren't sober most of the time. Chuck loved them, protected them, and parented them as much as he could, and strangely enough he never complained about them...

One thing I knew about Chuck, and I knew a lot about him, was that he would never drink. And he didn't. All through high school, all through college, I don't think he ever took a single drink. I could certainly understand why. Alcohol had ruined his parents' lives and it surely wasn't going to ruin his...

After college Chuck became wildly successful as well he should have. He was a brilliant man and was at the top of his field. He had a wife, two children, and more money than he had ever expected to have. It was a perfect world, maybe too perfect. I don't think Chuck knew how to live in a perfect world. He would call me often and talk about how he just didn't think it would last...

After he had been married several years and after his two children had been born, I was visiting Chuck and he offered me a drink. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I was stunned and told him so. He laughed and said it was okay because he could handle it. And he did handle the effects of it. I don't think I ever saw him drunk; but man oh man did I see him drink...

He died in his mid-fifties. I don't know what the actual cause of death was determined to be but it was evident that alcohol played a prominent role. He left behind a widow, two children and a grandchild. He also left a friend who misses him to this day."

- Jackie K Cooper 'Benicia News'

quipping post: Family Guy

After Drinking All Night
From the animated TV series, 'Family Guy'
the link launches a 1-minute clip in your media player:
Family Guy After

links added today: Step; Recovery

Step Eleven
What a fabulous idea! This new site is all about Step 11: "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge for His will for us and the power to carry that out":
Step Eleven



Celtbreeze's Recovery Page
"Since I came into the program, I have seen a lot of marvelous things happen to folks. The people and program of NA have given me the tools to get my life on track..." Click on the Angel on the main page to enter:
Celtbreeze

resources: We Cannot; Lets Ask; Multimedia

We Cannot Believe In A Higher Power for You
"... not one of us can ever believe in God for another person any more than getting sobriety for someone else":
Recovery Times



Lets ask Bill W
Dear Bill, "What about the alcoholic who says that he cannot possibly believe in God?"
To read Bill W's answer, see here:
Silkworth.net



Multimedia: Illumination
This Flash presentation "offers a powerful look at how inspiration, growth, truth, hope, faith, and love bless the path of illumination":
Journey With Spirit



note: dryblog is updated every Monday thru Friday


to bookmark dryblog: click here

daily quota: Individual Responsibility

"As the failure of Prohibition demonstrated, not even amending the U.S. Constitution, let alone passing a mere state law, will keep people from drinking alcohol if they chose to do so. There remains, however... individual responsibility."
- Ed Quillen, 'The Denver Post'

quipping post: Born To Be An Alcoholic

"I was probably born to be an alcoholic. It just took me a long time to admit it."
- Paul Gascoigne, 'Telegraph.co.uk'

links added today: Hope; American; Canadian

SoberDykes Hope Page
Women In Recovery: "We are young women, mature women, addicts, alcoholics, tall women, short women, lesbian, straight and bi. We are from around the world":
SoberDykes Hope Page



American Society of Addiction Medicine
ASAM



Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine
CSAM

resources: Think; Appraisal

Multimedia: Think Again
"So your parents do drugs or drink too much? It's not your fault..."
Whether you have alcoholic/addict parents, are a parent yourself or not, this short Flash presentation (featuring music by Allanis Morissette) would touch anyone's heart:
FreeVibe.com



An A.A. Appraisal by an Appreciative Insider
"There have been lots of drifts, trends, and changes in Alcoholics Anonymous since Bill and Dr. Bob founded the society on June 10, 1935." The latest from :
Sponsor to Sponsor

daily quota: Sick Person Getting Well

"... the disorders that people in 12-step recovery are recovering from -- alcoholism, addictions to drugs or sex or gambling or food -- tend to be stigmatized as sins by organized religions. Twelve-step programs, following the medical model of alcoholism, view them as diseases. 'You're not a bad person getting better; you're a sick person getting well,' as an A.A. slogan puts it. Twelve-step programs hold out the balm of understanding and the promise of lack of judgment from others who have 'been there'..."
- Gregg Easterbrook, 'Beliefnet.com'

quipping post: As That Old Saying Goes

A fellow was complaining to an oldtimer after a meeting, "I heard that speaker twice before and I'm sick of listening to his blah, blah, blah! It's always the same -- how he left the alcohol part of alcoholism behind, but now works on his daily reprieve from the disease or ism part. Sorry if I find that boring but as that old saying goes, I just call 'em as I see 'em!" The oldtimer disagreed: "It sounds more like you call 'em as you ism."

links added today: Press; Out

The Anonymous Press
"Alcoholics Anonymous Books, Software, Phone Numbers & AA Big Book Index":
Anonymous Press



Stepping Inside Out
"I was led to recovery in 1987 and have since choose not to use - No Matter What! Recovery is an ongoing process for us all - Taking risks, growing together and having Faith." See this NA-related site here:
Stepping Inside Out

resources: Letter; Being; Multimedia

Letter from Bill W. to NA
"All of you concerned in this work surely have my warmest appreciation":
I Want Recovery



Being Whole: The Nature of Spirituality
"Now, it is time to realize that we are continuously creating our own reality instead of walking into one created for us by others or by default...":
Recovery Times



Multimedia: Road to Recovery
All of the 2004 season webcasts, February to September, are available for viewing online. Clicking on the title of your choice takes you to that presentation's page, where you can watch/hear the whole 1-hour, or just a 1-minute trailer (bottom of each page):
Recovery Month




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 dingle-dangling below


to bookmark dryblog: click here

daily quota: At Its Worst

"At its worst, it (drinking) meant ending up with my knickers around my head in a bed I didn't recognise, surrounded by vomit and having not the faintest idea where I was..."
- Anne Robinson, 'BBC News, UK'

link added: One Day

One Day at a Time
"This website has been created in hopes that somehow it will help someone out there who is struggling with the problem of alcoholism or addiction":
One Day at a Time

resources: Joe and Charlie

Online Recovery: Joe and Charlie
There's much more on this interactive site, but they also feature: "Joe and Charlie bring the Big Book Alive." You can listen to the first of 35 installments here:
Online Recovery

daily quota: One Drunk Taking Care Of Another

"... And there was a gentleman. He was outside washing windows and I went up and said, 'is Pastor Jo around?' and mumbled something and he grabbed me by the scruff of my coat and brought me in, brought me up to Jo, and Jo puts me on his couch in his office to pass out. He didn't call the cops, he didn't call detox, he's just one drunk taking care of another drunk..."
- Karen, 'Minnesota Public Radio'

quipping post: A New Sponsor

Two fellows were talking after an AA meeting. "Did I tell you that I got a new sponsor? He said that I can call him whenever I need to, and he meant it! The other day we must have talked for a whole hour. I'm lucky to have someone who would take so much time out of his busy day just to help me!" The other fellow replied, "I guess that since he retired his schedule is pretty open." That came as a surprise, "I didn't know he's retired! And he only talked to me for one hour?...If he's going to be that cheap with his time, maybe I should get another sponsor."

links added today: AA; NA

AA Meetings List .org
Alcoholics Anonymous resources on the web, with "Frequently updated meetings lists from around the globe":
AA Meetings List .org



Edmonton Area Narcotics Anonymous
Coming to your computer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:
Edmonton Area NA



other links added this week:

-- Recovery Room -- Sober Transitions

-- Mark's Recovery in AA -- Mark's Recovery, Gospel & Games

-- NA-History.Org -- White Bison -- Elder's Meditation

resources: Circle; Strangers; Friend; Radio

Circle of Prayer
Prayer & spirituality page with two articles and prayers for Native American; Buddha; Catholic; Celtic -- something here for everyone:
Wolf running



Strangers No More, Drunks No More
"The following is an email conversation between two strangers.... I haven't written you back, as you probably can guess; it is because I've been drinking again..." You can read it here:
Recovery Times



You're My Friend
To see this cute Flash animation, click the link on the April's forum page:
Sweet Sobriety



Health and Recovery Radio
Live online recovery broadcast every Saturday night. Anne Kelly hosts a radio talk show on Cable Radio Networks broadcast around the globe:
From 9 to 10 pm Pacific; 10 to11 pm Mountain;
11 pm to 12 am Central; 12 to 1 am East Coast:
Speaker Anne Kelly

daily quota: Truth; God

"I searched through rebellion, drugs, diet, mysticism, religion, intellectualism, and much more -- only to find that truth is basically simple and feels good, clear and right."
- Chick Corea


"When the solution is simple, God is answering."
- Albert Einstein

quipping post: Less Harmful Ways

"With alcohol what is there to like? The vomiting? The dizziness?.. A headache the next morning? Do you think your beer belly is attractive? ... If you are an alcoholic you must be a masochist... Perhaps you often wake up, vomit covered in the gutter with a headache and say to yourself, 'I must quit.' If you have truly decided you want to torture yourself less or prevent your skin from turning yellow from your diseased liver try this: Find a healthier way to torture yourself. Go to a gym and volunteer as punching bag... Take a daily swim in the local sewage treatment plant. There are a million less harmful ways than getting soused to torture yourself."
- Brian Friedkin, 'Self Help for Dummies'



The above is just a humor piece, but if you or someone you know is still suffering there is nothing funny about that. See here:

Alcoholics Anonymous: Letter to Anyone New to A.A.

For Family and Friends: What is Al-Anon?

link added today: Sober

Sober Transitions
Pages with the basics of 12 step recovery and "a Sobriety Birthday list of AA members and others interested in the AA program of recovery":
Sober Transitions

resources: Living; Controversy; Ask

Living in Recovery
See the list of seven tips on this page:
NA AA Recovery Zone



Can Controversy Be Positive in 12 Step Fellowships?
"This last weekend I was blessed by attending yet another service conference... Two of the panel presentations were, (are you ready for this?) Sex in AA and Christianity in AA. Wow, what a pot of fire. What kind of controversy was this going to cause?..." Read the rest here:
Sponsor to Sponsor



Lets Ask Bill W
Dear Bill, "Have the Traditions been widely accepted?"
Read Bill W's answer here:
Silkworth.net



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 available below


to bookmark dryblog: click here

daily quota: No Immunity

"There's no social group that's immune to binge drinking... we recently had a 90-year-old who drank five pints and fell down as he tried to leave his local pub. It's very common to have head injuries -- dental injuries, facial injuries. I've had people who've inhaled their teeth into their lungs... what it brings out in us isn't always good."
- Dr Paul Atkinson, 'New York Times'

quipping post: What's The Difference?

Twelve Ways
How To Tell The Difference Between Your Sponsor And Your Therapist:
Sober City

links added today: My Recovery; Homepage

My Recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous Page
"This page is about how I found Alcoholics Anonymous. I have been sober and homeless for the past five years. All my pages were made from public access computers at libraries. This in itself I consider a miracle." (recovery pop up message as it loads, and when you leave):
Mark's Recovery in AA


His homepage is here:
Mark's Recovery, Gospel & Games

resources: Help; Interview

How to Help an Alcoholic
What can I do to help someone with a drink problem? See here:
Molly's AA in the UK



Crosby, Stills & Nash
An interview with David Crosby, clean and sober:
Sponsor to Sponsor

daily quota: The Spiritual Aspect

"They would bring A.A. meetings in five night a week... One night, this guy came in and started sharing about the spiritual aspect of this program. I had never seen the spiritual aspect -- I had thought I’d get physically well, then mentally well, and then I’d be all right. But the next night, after hearing this guy speak, I got down on my knees, and I said, 'God, please remove this obsession.'
The next day, I got off the bus, suitcase still in hand, stopped at the liquor store and got half a pint of vodka, went around the corner and got a $10 bag of cocaine, then went into my basement and drank the pint in two swallows and did all the cocaine. Nothing happened. Being the intellect that I am, I said it was because I was tired. The next day I got another half-pint and drank it straight down. Nothing happened. Right then and there I decided that the party was over. The day I had gotten on my knees and asked God to remove the obsession, He had done just that."
- name listed only as 'Q', Beliefnet.com

quipping post: Odd Sight

Two drunks were staggering home after last call when they came across an odd sight. In the middle of a big empty parking lot were two young fellows in a boat, one of them passed out and the other one was fishing. One drunk recognized the fisherman, "Hey, that guy lives in the apartment above mine. He's a junkie and the other one must be his drug buddy. Now I know why we stick to booze! It beats me where they got a boat, but I don't think he'll ever catch any fish in a parking lot!" The other one took pity, " Maybe we should go tell him!" The first drunk replied: "You idiot, how can we? We don't have a boat."

links added today: Bison; History

White Bison
"White Bison is a proud facilitator of the Wellbriety Movement. Wellbriety means to be sober and well... The 'Well' part of Wellbriety is the inspiration to go on beyond sobriety and recovery, committing to a life of wellness and healing everyday":
White Bison


Also added a link in dryblog 'daily readings' to their meditation page:
Native Elder's


NA-History.Org
"Celebration of NA History -- "Our intent is to make available the fellowship archives to any member or History committee...Quite simply...We are a group of addicts who have gathered together to help carry our message." Lots to explore:
NA-History.Org

resources: Down; Positively

Down and Out by 19
"I was pregnant, homeless and strung out on Heroin. I had no idea how I had ended up there..."
Recovery Times



Positively Negative
"We drank because the job called for it and lost the job.
We drank for relaxation and got the shakes." -- see the whole list here:
Transitions Daily




To bookmark dryblog click here

daily quota: Responsibility

"It didn't do me any good to say that my mom and dad were responsible for my drinking... That didn't get me anywhere. To say that I was a poor Indian kid from the wrong side of town and my parents didn't want me is true, but that didn't do me any good. I finally had to realize that I had the key and that I may not have been fully responsible for all that had happened, but I was fully responsible for myself."
- Matt, 'Missoulian.com'

link added today: Room

The Recovery Room
"On the other side of nothing is everything":
Recovery Room

resources: Steps; Attitude; Broadcast

Where Did The 12 Steps Come From? By Bill W
"In the last analysis, perhaps nobody knows. Yet some of the events which led to their formulation are as clear to me as though they took place yesterday...":
Serenity Found



Attitude Is Everything
"... He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!' ..." You can read this charming short piece here:
Sunlight of the Spirit

daily quota: I Thought I Was Cute

"I was keeping jobs down. I had good jobs, and I lost them over alcohol. I was never sacked, I always left. Before they found out, before they could get a chance to sack me, I was gone. I thought I was cute. I’d never settle in the one place, and I’d always go to try and run away from my problem. But the problem was always there before I was. It was always with me...
I was on a woeful binge of drink all that summer. I remember being at a friend’s mother’s funeral, and this guy came up to me. I was in a bad state with the after effects, the shakes and the DTs. This guy said to me 'you're one of the best, but you really want to get something done with yourself. You’re in big trouble, but it’s nothing that can’t be sorted'. I knew he was telling the truth...
...my worst days of sobriety are far better than my best times when I was drinking."
- Barry Gaffney, 'Mayo News' Ireland

quipping post: Big Ears

One woman was showing another a picture of her family. "What darling children you have! And this must be your husband. Oh my, but he has such big ears, I've never seen anything like it! They're absolutely huge....I'm sorry, that's rude of me." The comment was forgiven, "No problem. He's not sensitive about it so why should I be? In fact, when he's with his drinking buddies he even does these stupid elephant impersonations." It was time to change the conversation, "I remember you mentioned before that he had a drinking problem. Has he tried getting help?" The drunk's wife replied, "I told him he should, but even with those big ears of his he still won't listen."

links added today: United; Recovery

Sober Bikers United
"... a family oriented group of clean and sober bikers whose primary goal is to have fun and share the clean and sober biker lifestyle":
Sober Bikers United



Recovery Nukkad
('Nukkad' is Hindi for 'Corner') "We are recovering addicts, grateful to the fellowship and program of Narcotics Anonymous for showing us the way... based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India":
Recovery Nukkad




Other links added this week:

--- 12 Step Soul Food Group --- 12 Step Soul Food Mailing

--- Servanon Online Support --- Recovery Hub

--- One Moment at a Time --- Freevibe.com

--- Network 12 Shopping Mall (US only)

Also in the new dryblog 'recovery shops' list:

--- Possibilities Unlimited (Canada & US)

--- The Recovery Emporium (Global / Everywhere)

resources: Words; Step 1; Life; Ask; Radio; Animation

Wise Words
"Sayings, Slogans, and 'Catch Phrases' have been part of 12 step programs from the beginning. Here are a few that we know." See this page here:
12 Step Cyber Cafe



Step 1 for me happened like this..
"Nothing would change until I admitted and accepted this fact of my life. Then I could begin the process called recovery":
Sweet Sobriety



Life 101
"I loved my hippie days. I loved every trapping that went with being a hippie. I loved the freedom, I believed I had. The freedom to be right. The freedom to create the type of God I wanted to follow. I loved the freedom and I pitied those that believed differently...":
Yo' Joe!



Ask Your Sponsor: Joan is Back
"... for this recovered alcoholic-addict, it is Thisday. It is always Thisday":
Recovery Times



Health and Recovery Radio
Live online every Saturday night, Anne Kelly hosts a radio talk show on Cable Radio Networks broadcast around the globe:
From 9 to 10 pm Pacific; 10 to11 pm Mountain;
11 pm to 12 am Central; 12 to 1 am East Coast:
Speaker Anne Kelly



Live Your Passion -- Multimedia Animation
This WisdomFlash by Wayne Dyer is about love, releasing fears, and living your dreams:
Live Your Passion

memorial: Jim K

Peace Be With Him and His Family
The Founder and Minister of the Church of God Anonymous, James Louis Koledo (Jim K.) has past away peacefully in his home in Greenville, Michigan at the age of 74. The Church of God Anonymous website will remain online till October 1st, 2004. After October, the Church of God Anonymous site will be remove from the online community. Please feel free to save files, pictures, and web-pages before the site is removed. The entire online church site will be backup on CD and given to his beloved wife, Dona Pipes Dalstra Koledo to preserve his message.
Sincerely,
The Webmaster of Church of God Anonymous


Prayers and condolences for family and friends who have lost a light in their lives...
I linked to this site just over one month ago on August 10th of this year and placed it in the 'spirituality & religion' section. As a memorial, I re-posted it below, with the link where you can tour the site and read Jim K's obituary:

The Church of God Anonymous
"We have no reason to wish to convert real believers of any other religion. We simply wish to bring the spiritual program and living lessons of Alcoholics Anonymous to all who seek serenity and real meaning in their lives":
Church of God Anonymous