November 16, 2025

 Getting ready for a busy Sunday. It takes me 90 minutes to get all my morning stuff out of the way. That means two daily readings, picking a word from my god box, doing a video post at the mens group in Hawaii and then sharing my word with about 70 people. I do that every morning.

We go to church this morning and then hang around for coffee hour. When I get home, I'll start supper. Roast beef in the slow cooker.

I have the district GSR meeting at two.

Come home and finish making supper. I have one sponsorship session at six and then the Living Sober group at eight.

November 15, 2025

 28 years ago today, I boarded a train to begin my journey to Wyoming to meet a girl I had met on the internet. What I was really heading for was my next relapse. It was actually the relapse that precipitated me arriving at the bottom that led to my current 28 years of sobriety. Sobriety that I achieved  with the help of my higher power and the fellowship of AA.

November is always a month of reflection for me, but even more so this year because the days of the week this year are on the same dates that they were in 1997.

My word from my god box today was Selfishness. As I mentioned in another blog post, it is okay to be a little selfish sometimes. For example, a friend of mine is feeling under the weather so she opted to stay in bed this morning. That's not really selfish. It's more self-care.

November 14, 2025

 It's Friday. I noticed as I was doing a polo at my mens group that this year, the dates are on the same days of the week as they were in the year I sobered up. The weather is slightly different. It snowed five cm that day in 1997.

Looks like an easy day for me today. I only had one session this afternoon and he had to re-schedule. Its okay with me.

I volunteered to take the AA cell phone this weekend. I don't usually get that many calls. But, if I can help just one person then my responsibility will be met.

Serenity Corner is tonight. Serenity Corner, for those who don't know is a big book meeting we do on zoom and in my home. We been doing it on and off for twenty some years. Its become a part of who we are.

November 13, 2025

 I slept in a bit today. I had things to do but my thursday morning session canceled last night, so that freed up my morning. I still meet with someone this afternoon.

I was hoping to take care of some banking for the district but it doesn't seem to be in the cards.

We will be going to the meeting at the church tonight. I might make cookies. Who knows.

November 12, 2025

 It's almost mid-November and we had a dusting of snow last night. Nothing to shovel, it was just flurries. I remember 28 years ago, in 1997, it snowed a couple of centimeters on Friday November 14th. I only recall that because the next day I was on a train bound for Wyoming. Well, that train was not going to Wyoming, that train was going to London, Ontario. In London, I took a train to Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago, I took a train to Denver, Colorado. In Denver, I transferred to a bus that went as far as Cheyenne, Wyoming and the person I was going to visit drove me from Cheyenne to Worland, Wyoming.

I didn't know it when the station in Halifax, but this would be the start of the relapse that would precipitate my bottom. The bottom that would lead to me being sober for the past 28 years. One day at a time. 

November 11, 2025

 Good morning. Happy Remembrance Day. Which is a conundrum of sorts. How can  a day when you remember people who have died be a happy event. I suppose you could find gratitude in why they have died, serving their country and the people in it.

I do not plan to attend any of the official ceremonies today. We had a remembrance service at church this past Sunday. That's enough for me. So, it will be a typical Tuesday here. I meet with a sponcee at 11. I'll bake some cookies later because my home group meets tonight. I might go dig something out of the shead, now that all the heavy rain has ended.

As I say, a typical tuesday.

November 10, 2025

 Today seems better. The weather is a bit crappy, but at least I'm getting things done on time. Not much on the docket today. I neet with someone I sponsor and I'm supposed to record my podcast sometime today. If there are no problems with it, then it only takes about an hour.

I have to go out to the shed and get something. Hopefully, the rain will let up long enough so I can do that. And if it doesn't, there's always tomorrow.

November 9, 2015

 I was late getting started today and I had some problems sharing my word of the day with all the folk on my list. I had to play catch up when I got home from church and since I had some other mundane things to do like prepare vegetables for supper, it slipped my mind about updating my blogs. But, I remembered.

I managed to get all my paperwork prepared for the district meeting one week from today and I managed to get my podcast ready to be recorded tomorrow. So, the day wasn't a total loss. And in fact, even though not all my days are priceless, not one of them is ever worthless, anymore.

November 8, 2025

 It's the second Saturday in November. Because it is the second saturday of the month, we go to a little church up the street and put on a knitting group for some seniors. we make blankets which we then give to people less fortunate than us. It's one of the ways I try to give something back to the community I took so much from when I was drinking.

We usually go to an al-anon meeting in the afternoon. Then, I meet up with a guy I sponsor. I think we'll be looking at Concept Four.

Then, it's looking like a zoom meeting in Hawaii.

We might watch a movie. I have enough of them.

Reminds me. I'm making corned beef and cabbage tomorrow so I need to take the brisket out of the freezer today so that I can soak it in water overnight.

November 7, 2025

 The sun is shining roday. This time of year, I'll take sunshine. Today is Friday so I meet with a man that I sponsor in the afternoon and then I host a big book study this evening on zoom. It's actually hybrid so I might even get to see a person or two at the in person part of the meeting. We're on the 12th step tonight. Ironic that the word I picked from my god box today is Help Others.

Not sure what's on the menu today. It might be fish. I have a box of breaded scallops. we could have those and maybe a tossed salad.

We are going to a knitting group tomorrow and I always bake cookies for that, but I have enough cookies left from the meeting last night, that I won't need to do that.

November 6, 2025

 Weatherman had forecast some white stuff intermingled with the wet stuff we are getting today. Old Man Winter is just around the corner. Hopefully it won't be too bad this year. In Nova Scotia, one can never be too sure. One year, about ten years ago, it did not start snowing until the end of January. We almost thought we would escape winter unscathed. Then, it snowed at least once a week for four months, and not just little dustings. These were heavy, blinding, freezing ice storms and blizzards. It taught me to be grateful for each day.

We'll see what this day brings.

November 5, 2025

 Another eventful day in progress. Woke up. Did my morning readings and all the other things that go along with that. Uploaded the weekly podcast, did a bit of blogging. Met with two of the guys I sponsor. Had a chat with my brother. He might come to my birthday celebration at my home group the end of the month. Heading out to the passage tonight for a meeting. I won't even need to bring cookies because I have enough left over from last night.

Looking like chicken something something for supper.

November 4, 2025

 It's Tuesday morning, not to be confused with tuesday afternoon (Moody Blues), I have a few things to take care of today. I meet with a sponcee to go over a step. This afternoon I meet with another sponcee to go over a tradition. Early evening, I have a meeting with central service to go over some reports I have to give because of two committees that I serve on.

Hopefully, I'll get out of there in time to get to my home group.

Haven't figured out what's for supper yet. Maybe chicken.

November 3, 2025

 It's Monday again. The weeks just zip by. I don't have a lot to do, but enough to keep me from falling asleep.One of the men I sponsor is coming by this evening. We'll do a bit of work, then head down to the speaker meeting.

I have a god box to deliver to the lady I spoke for last Monday. I'm not her sponsor. I do sponsor some women but I do not sponsor her.

Tomorrow night I will be attending Central Service to update them on the progress of the midwinter roundup. But, that's tomorrow.

Later today we will have roast beef sandwiches with gravy and french fries.

November 2, 2025

 Today is the day. November 2nd. Sunday, also. We'll be starting the day with church. Well, first things will be to make sure all the clocks in here that do not automatically reset themselves when the time changes, get reset so that they are all telling the same time. Church is at ten and its just up the street. I'll have just enough time after its over to come home and start a roast in the slow cooker, then we have a committee meeting downtown for next year's midwinter roundup. I'm a bit anxious about that meeting but I try to remember that I put the outcome of that meeting in Gods hands.

November 1, 2025

 Welcome to the First of November.November is my gratitude month. It is the month I put the plug in the jug. Sobered up, I mean. I went to my first AA meeting in May of 1994, but I didn't stop drinking then. I wanted to but I wasn't ready yet. I wasn't at my bottom yet. But, I eventually got to my bottom. A bottom is different for everybody. For some people it's death. But we do not all have to take the garbage truck all the way to the dump. Some of us get off somewhere along the way. 

For me, it was December 4, 1997, when I was in a little church in Meductic, New Brunswick. In that church, I surrendered, truly surrendered to a power greater than Bernie and asked for help with this obsession of mine. I was separated from alcohol on the 30th of November and a few days later I asked the god of my understanding for some help with this.  I have not had to take a drink since then. And I have not wanted to take a drink since then. That, alone, is a miracle for me. The voice that always talked to me is silent.

For these things, I am grateful.

October 31, 2025

 Happy Halloween. I don't know how happy it will be for the little ones who go trick or treating tonight. We are in the midst of Hurricane Melissa. Heavy rain and high winds. All the more candy for me, I say.

I'm not overly impressed with things right now and not just the weather. I have pest control folk who come around and I pay them 40 bucks a month for their services. I missed a few payments so to catch up I was paying them double payments. the last check I mailed them got held up with the postal strike so I sent them an etransfer and told them to disregard the check. They took both my etransfer and the check, so now they owe me money. Some people just have shit for brains.

there's supposed to be a meeting here tonight at seven. Luckily, it's a hybrid meeting meaning it's also on zoom so as long as the power holds on, then we'll just have the meeting on line.

October 30, 2025

 October is almost an an end. Haloween is tomorrow. We also have a meeting here tomorrow so that might be fun with me going back and forth to give the trick or treaters some goodies.

My thursday sessions have both canceled at different times for different reasons. It's okay. I need a day off. I go to a meeting tonight anyway so that will be okay.

October 29, 2025

Another cheque day is here. It's usually a busy day because we buy groceries and anything else that we need to do, we will do today. I intend to pick up that external hard drive to help me with my back-up project .

I have a lot to do thats for sure so I better get to it.

October 28, 2025

 It's a rainy Tuesday morning as October gets ready to leave us. It's birthday night at my home group so I made a cherry cheesecake.

There is a situation that has developed with the midwinter roundup committee. I have spoken with the Area committee about it and today I will send an email to GSO to get their guidance. In fact, I just sent that email.

My usual sessions both canceled for today. that's okay. I need a break anyway.

October 27, 2025

 Monday, Monday. Looks like a quiet one. My usual monday morning is currently travelling and had to cancel. Oh well. I like days off. I have a bit of paperwork to take care of and I should probably bake cookies for the birthday meeting tonight.

I'm the guest speaker tonight. It's not my first rodeo, however I am mindful of a reading I did today that encourages love and service mingled with humility. So, I ought to be humble while sharing my story. I can probably do that.

There is another issue I need to deal with today. I don't want to get into the particulars of it here. Let's just say it will involve humility and diplomacy and I'm going to approach it after I've had several cups of coffee.

October 26, 2025

 I overslept this morning. I usually go to church on Sunday morning and after the church service, they have a coffee hour to which I bring cookies. I wasn't able to bring cookies today but the have a live streaming service so at least I am able to attend church virtually.

It actually worked out good. I watch the service through my laptop and on my desktop PC I am able to send my word of the day around to all the people I maintain contact with.

I don't have any committee meetings or workshops today, although there is an Area Officers meeting for the DCMs. we have them four times a year and this is the time for that. It's at the same time as one of my sponsorship sessions but luckily he agreed to meet at a different time. I have two of those sessions on Sundays and then I host a meeting on zoom at eight pm. Hopefully it all goes well.

October 25, 2025

 Nancy is away at a spiritual retreat so I'm home cranking the liver music. Nancy doesn't like heavy metal music. I'm not crazy about liver. So, if I play too much heavy metal while she is around, she cooks liver and onions. So, It has come to be known as liver music.

I'm going for a walk this motrning. My doctor encourages me to get in 30 minutes of exercise each day. I'm not the type to go to the gym and bench press a few hundred pounds, but a walk sounds nice.

Couple of us guys are going to the womens group tonight and then over to the Halloween Dance.

See how that goes.

October 24, 2025

Another sunshiney day. In 2 months it will be christmas eve and the temperature is still in the double digits. I'm sure it will be winter shortly. It's looking like a day of loud music. Nancy goes on her annual spiritual retreat so it will just be me and the music today. Sure, I have other commitments. I do every day. Thankfully, I have a pause button. 

October 23, 2025

 My word today was sponsorship. I wrote a paragraph on that at the god box so I'll try not to repeat myself. It's an integral part of my recovery. About 28 years ago, a member of AA took some time out of his day to carry the message to me and I, in turn, carry the message to others. I do it in different ways. When I wake up I read a few readings, pick a word from my god box and then share that word with some folk on here. that's one way. then, I go to a mens group in Hawaii called The Braddahood and do a reading there. that's another way. And of course I physically meet with other members to go over the steps traditions and concepts. that's another way.

I've been asked to speak at a person's one year anniversary. that's another way to carry the message. Whenever I speak, I try to explain how I established a relationship with God. That is, in a nutshell, how I managed to put the plug in the jug.

October 22, 2025

 Starting to get into the habit of updating this blog in the morning. It is shaping into a good day. I only had one session for today and she canceled, so I can decide what to do today without worrying about it interfering with anything.

The word for today is DENIAL. 

October 21, 2025

 I was slow getting started today. I went to bed before midnight but I slept until ten. I was supposed to meet with someone at eleven so I only had an hour to get all my readings done, pick a word and then share that word with 55 people. So. I was a bit rushed and it was funny because the word was Easy Does It...But Do It. I managed to get through. By coincidence, my 11 oclock was late and my 2 oclock canceled so I actually had plenty of time.

I had to go out and get something for someone. that's done.

I have a group business meeting tonight so making cookies was needed. Those are done.

Working on supper now. Baked chicken thighs with something something for sides.

Got a few hours to kill now so I think I will take it easy.

October 20, 2025 - Monday Monday

 Monday monday. I used to shudder at the thought that Monday was here already and I had to start another work week. I'm retired now so every day is Friday. This morning, I'm meeting with someone at ten oclock. And then later in the day I have to re-record my podcast. Going to a meeting this evening but the rest of my day looks free and clear.

October 19, 2025

 I was awakened during the night and had trouble getting back to sleep. I did a bit of work on my podcast. I had recorded it yesterday but there were a few problems with it. I corrected those problems. I did not re-record it because it was late. I'll do that later today or tomorrow, maybe.

We go to church today. I also have a district GSR meeting. I meet with a couple of sponcees later and host an online meeting. That's the plan anyway. Somewhere in all of my plan, is a roast beef dinner. My word of the day is Selfishness, so I need to be careful that even though I have a lot of things I'm doing today, I should be careful that these things are not all about me.

October 18, 2025

 The day is starting off well. Did my morning readings, picked a good word from my god box. Gossip. Then, I did a post at the Braddahood. Shared my word with all the usual folk. I have a few things lined up today. Meeting with someone I sponsor, that's at eleven. Might do the al-anon meeting at one, although I'm also scheduled to meet someone at two and there is always the big book meeting in Hawaii at seven so maybe that's how I'll approach the day. No good trying to do too much. 

Tomorrow will be busy enough. Of course, that's tomorrow and it's probably best if I just try to get through today first.

October 17, 2025

 It's Friday. Some of the people on my social media accounts seem excited that it is, that the work week is over for a day or two. I remember feeling that way once. But, I'm retired now and every day is Friyay. I mentioned in a post at the Braddahood, a men's group in hawaii that I go to that I had slept in this morning. I woke up at 830 instead of 8:00. I'm retired. I can do that now because I don't have any work commitments anymore. I suppose I still have commitments, things that I have set for myself to do each morning. My daily readings, picking my god box word, sharing that word with everyone I share it with, and then doing my god box blog and then this blog. 

October 16, 2025

 I go to the Men's Lunch today. I baked cookies for that. White chocolate chip with cranberries. I don't use dried cranberries. I use whole fresh cranberries. Well, I store them in the freezer so they last longer, but I call them fresh because they are not like raisins.

I don't think I have any sponsorship sessions lined up for today. I will be going to an AA meeting tonight. My word from my god box today is anonymity. The way I practice that is that I won't tell anyone else if I see you in an AA meeting, but I wouldn't care at all if you told anyone that I'm in AA. I never gave much thought to who saw me staggering home drunk from a bar, so why should I care who knows that I'm sober now.

And maybe you might plant a seed in someone when they hear of all the wonderful things being sober has done for me. It might encourage them to go to a meeting. That is actually how I heard about AA, through a co-worker friend whom I thought had a serious drinking problem. I'm glad she told me that she was going to AA.

October 15, 2025

 I tried sticky notes, calendar reminders, and a bunch of other things but I keep forgetting that I'm supposed to update this blog every day. And yet, here I am. I recently rejoined a men's group based in Hawaii. It's called The Braddahood (Big Island Men In Recovery). It uses the marco polo phone app and consists of video chat posts. It's an interesting way to start my day. And then, I thought, hey let's update the blog right after we do all the morning stuff. So, here we are.

October 12, 2025 - More Gratitude

 I try to always begin my day with a little gratitude, even if that's not the word I pick from my god box. Today, it was a slogan Easy Does It....But Do It. I did notice yesterday I had some shortness of breath while engaging in physical activity, so perhaps I need to slow down a little and not take on too much. As much as I don't like to admit it, I'm not twenty years old anymore.

Today is Thanksgiving and honestly, every day is thanksgiving to us. We are grateful that we are still here and still together and still able to enjoy life. We'll be starting the daty with a church service. A lot of folks we talked to yesterday said they would be playing hookey from church today, I guess they'll be home cooking their meal. We are eating our turkey dinner tomorrow because we knew we'd be busy today.

And, of course, we go to the coffee hour they have after the church service. I made some cookies for that.

I am hosting a workshop this afternoon at club 24. It's on tradition five which is about carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. it's thanksgiving so there probably won't be many people there, there never are, but at least I will be fufilling my responsibility. I can't do your responsibility for you. 

Some of the folk that i sponsor are taking the day off to spend it with their families because they forgot how they got reunited with their families. Oh well, I'm supposed to be taking it easy right. 

October 11, 2025 - Gratitude

 I have been forgetting to post here daily. The word I pulled from my god box today was gratitude which teaches me to look for gratitude in negative situations. Yesterday, there was a DCM meeting at an assembly being held in Newfoundland. I was not attending the Assembly. My alternate was going in my place. She wasn't able to attend the DCM meeting. Luckily, the assembly was hybrid meaning in person and on zoom. So, I registered for the online version (40 dollars) and planned to attend the DCM meeting. When I got logged in, I was not at the DCM meeting; I was at a service workshop instead. After a few emails, I learned that the DCM meeting wasn't included in the hybrid part of the assembly so I had wasted my time AND my money.

In order to attend this, I had to miss a zoom meeting that we have every Friday night. But, because of the mix up I was able to attend that meeting which coincidentally is called Serenity Corner and serenity was what I truly needed after that turn of events.

October 8, 2025 - Giving Thanks

 People are telling me this weekend is thanksgiving and they hope I have a good thanksgiving weekend. Friday, in the morning, I'll be spending time with one of the people that I sponsor, giving her a little guidance. Friday evening, I'll be attending the Area Officers meeting at the Fall assembly. the Assembly itself is in Cornerbrook, so I'll just be zooming in. 

Saturday morning, Nancy and I do the Blankets of Hope over at the little church up the street. Helping the seniors knit blankets for Margaret's House.

Sunday morning, we'll be at church and Sunday afternoon I host a workshop at Club 24 that probably no one will attend because it is thanksgiving day, but maybe they'll be like us and have their turkey dinner on Monday.

I think I got the giving thanks part of the weekend figured out.

October 7, 2025

 Working my way through the letter A in my music backups. The single entries are easy to do as are the ones that are dated later than 2010 because most of those are already done. I do have to check them so that I don't miss any. Folders with multiple entries, such as a discography of someone (Aerosmith, Anthrax, Atlantic Starr), they are a little harder to do. What I usually do is drag and drop the file into its respective folder. Then, I can use the copy and paste function for the artist name, makes it a bit easier.

And, I'm all for the easier softer way.

October 6, 2025

 The dvds for these last three years are actuallly Staples brand DVDs and not Maxell like I was using. Staples brand are not as good I'm finding out and the file transfers are slowing down. I get more error messages and some files just do not transfer.

When that happens, I go to the master files and transfer the ones that were giving me grief. So, I thought, I am going to have to start doing that anyway once I finish these last few years so why not just do it that way now.

It sounded good on paper but it's a lot of work and there are approximately 700 CDs left on the remaining discs so I think I'll take my chances with those.

October 5, 2025 - Daily Inventory

 Sunday is always a busy day for me. We start with church which is always good for me. After church, we do a coffee hour with the congregation. I bring cookies to that.

Once we got home, I had about an hour to myself before we left here to attend a committee meeting for the 2026 midwinter roundup. that went relatively well, not much stress at that.

We came home and I finished cooking supper which I had started in that hour I previously had at home.

I met with a guy I sponsor at 6 pm. Another one at 7 pm. Then, we host a zoom meeting at 8 pm. 

Checking my email, I see that my day isn't over just yet.

October 4, 2025 - The Backup

 I had a few false starts with those backups I was doing. At first I started with that thumb drive. That didn't work out. So, then I found some space on one of my external drives and combined with some other space on another external drive it seemed that would work. Then, I remembered I had a blank drive that had about a terrabyte of free space on it so I tried that. It is way too slow with file transfers. I did a bit more digging and I did locate a 2 terrabyte drive that is about half empty so that would provide me with one terrabyte of storage space. A terrabyte is a thousand gigabytes and trust me, that's a fair amount of storage space. I should be able to get the completed backups on that drive.

I noticed a few things while doing this. The music foles are currently stored so that there is no band name in the file title so when I move each file to its respective year folder, I'm having to rename each one so that I will know which band it is. That is time consuming, but there is also a plus to storing these backups on a hard drive. 

When I made the original dvd backup, most of the discs were writable but not re-writable, so its not possible to add data to them. But, with putting them on a hard drive, I can very easily add data to the folders. Since the probability exists that I will have acquired music for each year after I had made each backup, then I will have extra data to store in each year. So, I'm happy with that.

I'm just taking the files I recently started and storing them all on the terrabyte drive. Taking a bit of time but not too much.

October 3, 2025 - There is always one more.

 I started a new side project. I came up with the idea by setting out to do something else. Every new year, in January, I make dvd backups of all the new music I acquired in the previous year. The years end will soon be upon us so I thought I'd pick up a spindle of blank DVDs. On my way to Staples, the thought occurred that I could just use an external drive to back them up on. I found a cheap thumb drive, less than 20 bucks so I decided to try that out. I have found that you get what you pay for. It was on sale for a reason. Frustrated, I checked the hard drives I have here and i did find one with about 350 gigs of free space on it, so I decided to store all the music backups I have on that one drive. The ones that I do have date back to 2010 and I should be able to get all those on there. I'll pick up a newer drive later and transfer them all to that.

Then, I had a lightbulb moment. I found another drive where I could temporarily store a large amount of files. On that drive, I created a folder called Backups. Inside that folder I created sub folders for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Then, I went to my master drive and started going through each folder looking for albums released in those years. The theory is that I will in this way create backups as far back as 2000. Once I get the new drive, which I presume will be a terrabyte or two, I'll transfer all the backups to that one and then create backups of the 1990s and then the 1980s and then the 1970s and so on. It should take me about a year. Or longer. 

October 2, 2025 - the Tenth Step Journal

 Someone remarked that doing a blog like this can be considered a tenth step journal. I write about my day and run off on little tangents and may quite possibly learn things about myself in the process. Today had its ups and downs. My word today was expectations. I wrote about that in my god box blog and afterward I tried not to have expectations about a couple things I had planned for the day. Both of those things involved meeting with people I sponsor. Long story short, both of them canceled. One canceled about an hour prior to us meeting and the other one canceled almost two hours after our planned meeting. Needless to say, I was not impressed.

I did have conversations on social media with other persons whom I do not sponsor and those talks seemed to be helpful to the persons involved, so that was a bonus. Because of the free time I had, I was able to record next week's podcast so that was another plus.

Nancy was out with the girls so I made us a nice meal for when she got home. then, we went to a meeting. One of the other guys that I sponsor drove us there. As it turned out the meeting was just what I needed. I often say that I don't need to go to a meeting every day. I probably only need one meeting a week, but I never know which one it is. So, I go to seven a week and by the end of the week I have it figured out.

October 1, 2025 - One Day At a Time.

 First of October already. It's been a good day so far. I uploaded my weekly podcast and spent some time working on next week's episode.

Nancy picked up a pre-cooked barbecue chicken from the superstore. I made a tossed salad from iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber and sliced mushroom so thats supper. I also have some pumpernickel bread to go with it.

We're going to tallahassee tonight. I have cookies that I baked yesterday while I was doing the Sunrise stuff and I also have leftover chocolate cake from that, so that's all good.

My wednesday afternoon just canceled. Can't say I'm surprised, but it is what it is. I might be able to meet with someone else if she hasn't committed to anything else. Really, it's about priorities.

September 30, 2025 - Service

 I just read a quote from the Grapevine about doing a tenth step journal of my day and I thought that is kinda what I use this blog for lately. Unfortunately, the tenth step is something I do every day and this blog is not updated every day. Maybe that is one of the things I should be working on.

Today was pretty straighforward. I woke up, did the things that I do every morning. That includes two daily readings, one from AA and one from Al-Anon, then I pick my word of the day. Today, it was forgiveness. Then, I share that word with about 50 people on social media. Then, I write a short blog entry at one of my blogs called quite appropriately The God Box. Once I had completed the morning ritual today, I made a cherry cheesecake for a birthday meeting I'm going to this evening and readied myself for a meeting with someone I sponsor.

The sponsorship meeting went well. It was on part of Step Four, the categories of Fear and Sex Conduct. we listened to one of the Dumb Guy CDs; he explains it well.

Then, I baked some cookies for the birthday meeting, cranberry with white chocolate chip. The cranberries I used were whole fresh cranberries. Just as I was finishing up with those, I met with someone to whom I am a service sponsor. We had a look at Tradition One. we use the Traditions Checklist. Lots of thought provoking questions there.

I was asked if I could be the chair for the birthday meeting tonight. Without hesitation, I agreed. I have been sober myself since November of 1997 and I have been doing service of some kind or another since November of 1997. I think the two are related.

September 28, 2025

 Another sunshiney day. My word of the day was service and although I did some, it wasn't a lot. Of course, we started with church and after church, they have a fellowship hour. I made a few cranberry with white chocolate chip cookies for that. Then, we came home because I was making a meal for us of corned beef and cabbage and that takes a few hours. I chatted with a few people on social media whom I do not sponsor but to whom I may act as if I was their sponsor, trying to point them in a direction where they might eventually run into God and I hope they lnow how to to recognize Him or Her. I do have some service work on the schedule today. I meet with two of the men I sponsor to go over some stuff. Of course, I meet them each at a different time. And, finally, I host a beginner meeting at 8. Every Sunday evening is basically like that.

September 27, 2025

 Oops, missed a day. Life happens. I could say I was busy yesterday, but I was busy today as well and here I am. I knew I was going to a birthday celebration this evening so I spent my morning baking cookies and making a cheesecake. I also met with a few of the people I sponsor and a fellow that I used to sponsor years ago came over and installed a ceiling fan in the dining room. I offered to pay him for his service but he turned me down. I was also able to get to the fabric store and pick up some yarn for some scarves that I'm working on and at the end of the day we did make it to the birthday meeting, so that was good. I managed to present one of the ladies with her own god box. Life for me these days is about helping people, especially new people. That is probably the biggest change for me from the old me. In my other life, I cared only for one person...me. Now, I try to be of maximum usefulness to God and to those around me. It's because of a deal I made with the God of my understanding about 28 years ago. I asked him to take away my difficulties and in return I promised to help as many of my fellows as I am able to. Most good ideas are simple.

September 25, 2025

 Its been a hectic day but a good day. it was payday so we always have a lot of shopping to do and we have to go to more than one store to do it, but we got it done. I spent a few hundred getting everything we needed, but really my three month supply of medication came to zero dollars so that was a bonus. Earlier this month, the ceiling fan in the dining room went on the fritz so we bought a new one today. Less than two hundred so that wasn't too difficult. I have a friend who is good with electrical stuff so he has agreed to install it for us, another savings. I might slip him a few bucks for his trouble anyway. I just noticed that the coffee pot is not working so that's something else I need to fix. Got to have the old morning coffee. Wish getting a new younger body was as easy as that. Oh well.

September 24, 2025 - Cheap Date or CheapSkate

 Nancy was always saying she'd like to spend our anniversary in Hawaii, so one time, in 2021, during the pandemic, I brought her to a meeting on zoom that was based in hawaii so she got what she wanted and I didn't have to pay for air fare. So, I'm either a cheap date or a cheapskate. Nancy liked the meeting so much she joined it and was a member for about 2 years. She celebrates there tonight. 28 years. So, naturally I invited everyone and their dog.

September 23, 2025 - Squirrels

 I slept in a little bit today, not too long. I didn't miss any appointments I had and I didn't need to scramble around to get everything done. I managed to get my morning ritual of the god box word done on time and I did meet with someone to go over some step work. Later in the day, I got some service work done. I had needed to go to the bank for the district committee and that's taken care of. I also found out that I will be chairing my group tonight. I don't mind. It won't be my first rodeo. A few squirrels came at me during the day and I got sidetracked a few times, but the interesting thing about those type of squirrels, is they can get you back on track just as easily.

September 22, 2025 - Little Things

 A few things I have noticed.

Know it alls don't really know it ALL.

Whenever something seems too good to be true, it's because it is.

Everything is connected. the trick is finding the dots.

and last but not least, when my ship finally comes in, chances are I'll be at the airport.

September 21, 2025 - Change Isn't Always A Bad Thing

I was supposed to have a busy day, but a few little things changed and freed up a few hours of my time, so I was able to attend to a few other things. Like, the podcast I do once a week. There are a few steps involved in getting it online and I usually don't have the time to get it done until the last few hours. But, I'm a little ahead of the game now. So, change isn't always a bad thing. 

September 20, 2025

It's Saturday. Ordinarily, we would go to the zoom meeting in Hawaii. we started that tradition on Saturday night a few years ago. nancy had aways joked that she would like to go to hawaii for our wedding anniversary which is on new year's eve. So, in 2021, during the pandemic, I brought her to an AA meeting in hawaii through the zoom platform. So, she got her wish and it didnt cost me anything. So, either I'm a cheap date or a cheap skate.

Today, we went to an AA day event in Sackville. A few meetings, a barbecue, lots of fellowship and old friends and making new friends. We're home now, knitting and/or crocheting various projects that we have.

September 19, 2025

My word of the day was Humility, so in theory I'm not supposed to be thinking of myself more than I'm thinking of others. But, I don't like to gossip about others at my personal blog, so I guess I can talk a little about myself or at least how I perceive things. I slept in a little today, just an hour and not even an hour to be honest. I had no pressing need to get up exactly when the alarm went off, so I snoozed a little. Tomorrow will be different. we are going to an event in Sackville. I have someone coming by at ten to drive us there, so getting up at 8 am sounds like a plan. I'm not sure how long we'll stay at the thing tomorrow. I do like to stay until its almost over. Sunday is also a busy day for me. Church in the morning plus a committee meeting in the afternoon. I usually bake cookies for those things and sometimes I gets wiser as I gets older, so I baked the cookies today.

September 18, 2025

 It almost slipped my mind again. I can't use the excuse that I was too busy because I wasn't. I had a few things to do today, but nothing too complicated and that was a good thing because my word for the day was the slogan Keep It Simple.That's always a good reminder for me not to over-complicate things. I have a tendency to do that. But, as I say, today was not too complicated. I went to a church thing, a men's lunch. An opportunity for us to share a meal and some conversation, get to know each other a bit. I always chuckle when I think that I do that sort of thing in my other fellowship quite a bit, and the people in each of the fellowships are quite different and the conversations, although similar in topic, are also different. I said this before, yesterday I think. It is good for me to get out and do things with my peers. I might even try to do that more. I find it easier to do in the other fellowship. In fact, on Saturday I'm going to a day long event

September 17, 2025 - Anti- Comfort Zone

 There is a men's lunch tomorrow at church. Good way for the men to get to know each other better. We have soup and sandwiches. I bring cookies, so does one of the other guys. It's good for me to get out and do something. I have a tendency to do things that don't require that I leave the house. Playing video games is one of my favorite past times, but I do other things that are good things to do. I write or blog, like I'm doing now. I sponsor people using the zoom platform. And, as I said, I can do all those things without leaving the house. Because I'm doing things with others, I don't see it as a form of isolating, but it is isolating. So, it's good for me to get out and do things to break out of my comfort zone.

September 16, 2025 Not So Sweet Dreams

 I had a dream last night. Like many dreams, it was a bit weird. I was out somewhere, at the bank I think. I had stopped there, on my way to somewhere else. As I was leaving, I noticed I had left my cell phone at home, so i wouldn't be able to call a cab. Actually, I have the taxi app on my phone so I just book a cab, but this was a weird dream right. I didn't want to ask the bank teller to call me a taxi so I decided to use the pay phone. It would have cost me fifty cents, but luckily I had the change. I picked up the phone receiver to call the taxi copany, but there was someone already on the line. He seemed to be having a conversation with whomever had been using the phone last. I got the impression that this person was in a prison and was trying to get help contacting someone on the outside. I interrupted him and told him I needed to use the phone so could he please hang up. Well, the fellow flew into a tirade of obscenities about how I was a rascist no good for nothing prick, I didn't even know the guy. I hung up my end of the call and as I was contemplating what to do, I saw a familiar taxi driver and he gave me a ride back home. Then, I woke up. As I was scratching my head over the dream, I noticed the TV set was on. We usually put it on a timer. the guy on the sitcom was berating someone on the phone, calling him a rascist prick. Dilemma solved.

I was talking to a guy I sponsor and he was telling me how he always had drinking dreams. Those were dreams that he had relapsed and was drinking again. I told him that I had a dream once that I could fly, but that hasn't happened yet. So, maybe it was just a dream.

September 15, 2025 - A Good Day

 Fall is definitely here. The sun is shining, but as Nancy put it, it's not a day for sun tanning. There's a bit of a breeze. Still, it seemed like a good day for a barbecue. It's a charcoal smoker so every time I want to use it, I have to clean the ashes out from the last time I used it. Reminds me of working in Swiss Chalet which I did about 40 years ago. Before you could cook the day's chicken, you would first have to dump the grease bucket. Smelled gross after sitting there all night. Greatest cure for a hangover. If that didn't make you puke, nothing would.

Cleaning my barbecue is much easier. While I was doing that, I noticed that I hadn't cut the grass in a while. I haven't been cutting it very often this year because it hasn't been growing because of the lack of water. So, I mowed it. And trimmed the edges with the whippersnipper. I had a bag of dirt that I bought for something, can't remember what; I used it to fill in a few holes the rodents had made so they could tunnel under the skirting. Filling those in with dirt won't do any good, but it was entertaining thinking that it might.

While all this was going on, I made a few friends on social media. Well, honestly, I was already friends with both of them. One guy I was just re-connecting with, and the other person I sort of know already and I'm just getting to know her better.

I recorded my weekly podcast today. I don't upload it until Wednesday but I like to have it ready to go and now it is.

So, it's been a good day. 

September 14, 2025

 I overheard a conversation today on a topic about which I disagree. I was tempted to insinuate myself into the discussion so that I could make my opinion known. But, then I realized that not every one wants to know my thoughts on certain subjects, so I did something out of character and kept my mouth that.

I did make comments to the people I was with about the same subject. It concerned a book that was recently written on a subject that is familiar to me. The original book was written in 1939 and this recent book was the Plain language version of that book. It's true that the language used in the old book was often outdated and not in common usage these days, and the language in the new book used terms that most everyone these days understands. I concede that point. However, the message in the new book is a watered down version of the message in the original book.

Back in the day, I used the dictionary a lot to look up words that I was unfamiliar with. The theory is that if you read a sentence and there is a word in that sentence that you do not understand, you might not understand the sentence. If you do not understand the sentence, you might not understand the paragraph. Nowadays, you can just google words like that, but we didn't have Google back then.

My thoughts are you don't need a plain language version of a book. You just need the original book and either a dictionary or a cell phone. Maybe it's because I'm from a different time zone.

September 13, 2025 - Distorted Perceptions

 I made a post on social media that tavern food is good, just so long as I don't have to go to the tavern to get it. We're having chicken fingers on a bun so chicken burgers right and I thought french fries would be a good side. I know people claim that french fries cooked in an air fryer are healthier, but really folks, they are gross. The reason they call them french fries is because you fry them, in deep fat. The best method, according to most chefs, is to blanch them first, then deep fy them a second time.

Some people just have distorted perceptions of reality. It's like Harm Reduction. What's up with that anyway. I'm a recovered alcoholic. I no longer drink. I did not recover from alcoholism by reducing the harm it did to me and the people in my life; I recovered by completely eliminating the harm it does to me and the people in my life. And I do not believe in the marijuana maintenance program. Substituting one addiction for another is like switching seats on the Titanic. The ship is still sinking and you're still on it.

September 12, 2025 - Love Is Also A Verb

 I recently made a commitment to spend more time updating my blogs. I update The God Box every morning, and I had made a decision to update this one each night before bedtime. Last night it slipped my mind and about 11:45 pm I was scrambling to get it done. So, I have revised my original plan to Update The God Box in the morning and update Mulgrave Lane later in the day or evening. So, currently it is 430 pm and I have a bit of time on my hands so here we are.

Today has been a good day here. I was awake at 8 am, did the morning ritual which consists of asking God as I understand Him for a little help to get through the day, then I do a couple of readings, one from an AA book and one from an Al-Anon book, then I pull a word from my god box. I share that word with 50 or so people that I'm connected to on a daily basis and then I write a little blurb at my other blog, The God Box. It's a carryover from the days when I used to journal. Now, I blog.

The word today was Love. Thinking back, this morning's blog entry was good but as the day progresses I amost always find other things to say about my word, as I relate it to the day's goings on. Love is one of the words that is just as powerful as a verb as it is as a noun. I baked cookies today. We're going to a meeting tonight and we're also going to a program at the church tomorrow morning called Blankets of Hope. Me and Nancy and about a dozen other ladies knit blankets to give to those less fortunate than us. It's a way to spread around love. The cookies I bake are also a way to do that.

After my morning coffee, I spent about an hour with a person that I sponsor, just talking and giving her some hope and guidance. That's another way that I express love. Someone once asked me what was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I replied that it is the look in an alcoholic or addict's eyes  once they realized they did not have to live the way they had been living.

As I said, we're going to the speaker meeting tonight. I'm not the person speaking, but someone mentioned to me that she'd like to go if she had a drive. We're getting a drive there and there's an extra seat in the car. That didn't take much thinking. Doing a favor for someone with no thought of getting anything for it is another way for me to express love. having said that, by doing for others, I do get something in return. I get to keep the gift that God has given me, the gift of Sobriety. But, that is something I am always aware of and it doesn't really come up during that moment when I agree to be unselfish. If that makes sense.

September 11, 2025

 My word this morning was Trust. I figured I'd bring it up as a topic this evening, but I turned the one word into a slogan we are familiar with - Trust God Clean House Help Others. Helping others is a good way to do service work and it feels good to carry a bit of hope to others especially new people. But, it's hard to carry a message to others until my own affairs are in order, so I should get my shit together first. I should, as they say, clean my house first. And, before I start working on myself, which can be a tough thing to do, the first thing I should do is place my trust in God or a higher power if the word God is difficult for you.

I carry the message a lot, through sponsorship. Not all the people I sponsor actually get sober. I have to frequently remind myself that because I ought not to take the credit for getting them sober, I also ought not blame myself if they don't get sober. I simply encourage them to find a higher power and help them to establish a relationship with that higher power and then whether or not they continue the steps is really between them and their God. It has very little to do with me.

Primary Doesn't Mean Important

 As I have mentioned, this is my primary blog. I don't think that means it is my most important blog, because it does not get updated as frequently as some of my other blogs. I think subconsciously it means my First Blog and even that is not completely accurate, because I had blogs prior to this one. To say it is my first blog at Blogger would be more to the pont. I could check to be sure but I'd say it's about 15 years old. I did actually save what I had written so far and then checked the date of the earliest saved post. that one dates back to 2015, so that's ten years. If memory serves me correctly, that post is not the first post. I'd say 2010 would be a better starting point, but if that's the case, where are all the posts from 2010 to 2015?

So Many Blogs, So Little Time

 A friend of mine was having difficulty with something and i made a reference to something I had written in one of my blogs and he said Oh I didn't know you had a blog and of course I said Yeah I have a few of those. I actually have quite a few. I'm an addict. My whole philosophy of life is based on the premise that if one works this good, just think what ten would do. 

Mulgrave Lane is supposed to be my primary blog. I remember how it got started. They renamed all the streets in the trailer park. They are all named after ships that were lost in the Battle of the Atlantic. My part of the street is on the corner of Trentonian Lane and Mulgrave Lane. My access door is on Mulgrave lane and I like that better than Trentonian. It's easier to say and easier to spell. So, I contacted the city and asked if my civic address could be changed to Mulgrave Lane. After a few weeks they responded to me and said that a 911 driver would need to drive all the way to the end of Mulgrave Lane to get to my trailer, so they denied my request. A 911 driver would have to travel all the way to the end of Trentonian Lane to get to my trailer anyway but that idea didn't seem to have anything to do with anything, so my address is 38 Trentonian.

My solution? I created a blog called Mulgrave Lane. And it's not my only blog. I have a recipe blog and a dessert blog that I do not update on a regular basis. Those would be So Good To Come To and Stressed Spelled Backward. Go ahead, spell it backward.

One day, when I was working as a security guard, the guy who worked the night shift, who was supposed to relieve me the evening, was snowed in and we had to shovel him out so he could go home sleep and then come back to work. A backhoe plow was driving by and the good samaritan in him decided to help plow my buddy out. So I blogged about that at a blog I created called Sometimes God Drives A Snow Plow. that blog doesn't get updated very often.

I have one called The God Box which is little blurbs about the words I pick from my God Box every day. I've been updating that one regularly every day for at least a month or so.

And this little rant has served to update Mulgrave Lane.

March 18, 2025

 I thought I'd write a late night post but I see that by the time I finish the post, it will be early morning on the 18th. I was sidetracked from doing my morning posts. Friend of mine passed away and admittedly, it launched me into a bit of a funk, took me a few days to shake that off, which brought me to the weekend and I had only planned to do those posts during the week, so hey that justified me for not writing for a few more days. I had a few more reports to write so that took 2 more days, etc etc

I wonder if my friend had procrastinated about anything that he never got a chance to do because he died before he was able to complete the task. An idea was forming there but it slipped off the precipice before I was able to grab onto it.

We recently started going to church again. As a child, I went (I almost said religiously when what I meant to say was regularly) to sunday school. When I joined a street gang in the late sixties, I noticed that the other members of the gang didn't go to sunday school so I stopped going. It would be 50+ years before I returned. I'm not much for the organization of religion, but the Reverend is a cool guy and the service isn't too far-fetched. They have a coffee hour after the service and I bake cookies for that. I also help the ladies knit blankets for less fortunate others, a hobby I picked up when I was with Last House on the Block Society, so that's fulfilling work for my soul.

Life could be worse than what it is. My sponsor always says, if you have gratitude, it's hard to be unhappy.

March 6, 2025

 Yesterday, I decided that after I did my morning ritual that I would spend at least an hour writing, to get back into the habit of writing each day.

Yesterday, I wrote a post which served as my writing for the day. I have other projects in the works and I don't think I was subconsciously avoiding doing the work on those. This morning, I got back into those. I have a book of poetry entitled Layman's Guide to Screaming and my plan was to write volume two of that. I had about 6 entries for that, so I wanted to do a couple more at least. I managed to finish one poem that I had already started and looks like I may have completed another one.

Yesterday, I also wrote a report that I needed to have completed for a service commitment I have. I often comment that when I said I wanted to be a writer, paperwork wasn't what I had in mind. But, reports need to be written.

Another flimsy excuse.

 It's Tuesday, March 4, 2025. I was just at my author page on facebook and noticed that I haven't been there in 2 months. I could use the excuse that I've been busy with other things because it's true, I have been busy with other things. Recently, I became involved with my church. They have an outreach program called Blankets of Hope where a group of knitters get together once a month and knit squares for afghan blankets which when completed are donated to Margarets House downtown and the staff there try to find persons less fortunate than us to give them to. We used to be involved with a similar project (Santa Under The Bridge) but we shut that project down in January of this year. So, big coincidence that we would find this project to become involved with. It could be a coincidence, or as a friend of mine likes to say, a Godcidence. Because, as I say, coincidence is how God protects his anonymity.

I have also been involved with the midwinter roundup, an AA event that is held every February. I was co-chair of the committee planning the event and I also managed to get myself volunteering as the Al-anon speaker at the Welcome Meeting on Friday night, last Friday night to be precise. 

I know from experience that when you are the speaker at one of these things there are three stories you tell. The first is the one you tell yourself while you're sitting there waiting to speak. "I should tell them that story." Another one is the story you tell yourself after you sit back down...."Oh shit, I should have told them that one." And , the third one is the story you actually tell while you're up there.

So, I took some notes which I don't usually do. At first, I thought I'll just make a few bullet points to jog my memory. Of course, being long-winded I ended up with four pages of prose which did come in handy and which, with a bit of tweaking, will make a good piece to submit to The Forum, the Al-anon version of The Grapevine. I have had 6 or 7 pieces printed in Grapevine over the years, so who knows. 

Words Have Power

I start every day the same way. I read from 2 books, an AA book and an Al-anon book. Then, I say a little prayer and I pick a word or a slogan from my god box. Then, I share that word with a couple dozen people. Some are people I sponsor. Some are just people I know. Little conversations sometimes result from that. Some of them have their own words they share, some just comment on mine. The whole process takes about an hour and it grounds me enough to go through the day. Today, the slogan was First Things First. Buddy of mine often says the days that I pray almost always turn out better than the days I don't. I can recall way back in the days before I sobered up, God-talk as I called it, made me uncomfortable, sometimes so much that I extricated myself from the conversation. Back then, I didn't believe in those things and I didn't want to believe in those things and I didn't care if you believed as long as you did your believing someplace else. If you're one of those people who doesn't like all that God-talk, here let me get the door for you.

Coincidence or Godcidence.

Someone remarked to me today that something that happened to her was either a Coincidence or a Godcidence. It reminded me of a saying I sometimes use that Coincidence is how God protects His anonymity. And, speaking of anonymity. I have this ritual I do every morning. I read from some daily readers, I say a small peayer, something to the effect of God, show me what to do today, and then I pick a word from my God box. This morning, the word was Anonymity. By Coincidence, I was writing a story last night for the Forum, the monthly journal for Al-Anon. In order to make my point in the story, I would need to break my own anonymity and mention that I am also in AA. So, here I was reminded of the importance of not doing that. 

Was it a coincidence or a godcidence as my friend alluded to?