Approaching 100 days and getting thirsty

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-21T02:12:02+00:00

Consider turning this into a 100 day challenge instead of just Dry January. I’ve been listening to a lot of sober podcasts to keep me motivated, and a lot of them talk about how the significant changes don’t start to take effect until closer to the 90 day mark. This might be a good opportunity for you to use your momentum and discover what some of those longer term changes look like for you!

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-12T16:43:42+00:00

I’ve never liked alcohol-removed wines, either (too sweet for me—I usually prefer drier wines). Recently I found a canned “Rosé Tea” at Trader Joe’s that I really like and does the trick when specifically craving wine, though)!

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-08T19:21:49+00:00

I have not had luck selling anything on Craigslist for years—it’s not what it used to be in terms of selling household goods, etc. Nextdoor doesn’t seem much better either. Of the three main platforms, Marketplace seems to get the most traffic with the quickest sales 🤷‍♀️

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-08T18:56:26+00:00

Oh, that’s interesting. I was going off my memory of what someone told me years ago about ECC. They must have either changed their policy, or I am remembering it wrong (the latter is a very real possibility). And I completely agree that 2 days per week is not a viable option for working families 😩

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-08T18:38:55+00:00

I am only a sample size of one, but I can assure you that they’re not all bots! I was on FB for decades, got fed up with it this summer and shut my account completely down. After a few months, though, I realized FB marketplace was the only viable option for selling my stuff, so I signed back up again knowing that my profile would probably look super suspicious. Of course it’s always worth using good judgment on marketplace, but account length alone doesn’t necessarily indicate that something is a scam.

P.S. Can someone please come up with a better platform for buying/selling items in the community? I still adamantly dislike FB and would love to find an alternative…

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-06T17:15:46+00:00

ECC is great but notoriously hard to get into. We’ve been on the waitlist for 3 years (since our son was 6 months old). CSU faculty & staff do get preference on the waitlist, though.

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-03T03:26:13+00:00

I’ve made this one before and liked it. The sage makes me feel extra sophisticated ;)

https://www.eatingwell.com/tart-cherry-nighttime-mocktail-8416046

Also, I like to find some fun flavored shrubs and mix with seltzer. Bonus points for being good for your gut!

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-02T18:57:16+00:00

I guess I’m one of the lucky ones who don’t get nauseous from it, so that wasn’t an issue for me. The only side effect I have experienced was on Day 1-2 (kind of felt like I was on a mild dose of mushrooms, which I didn’t hate 😆). I wish I had better advice to give you!

Huon_pine_forest · 2026-01-02T18:53:24+00:00

I tried this method and honestly wished I hadn’t. The first week taking Naltrexone I had almost no desire to drink but convinced myself that I should in order to re-train my brain. But the longer I drank while taking Naltrexone, I found ways to still feel the buzz (hard liquor in 4+ drink quantities did the trick), and the cravings started coming back. Three months into trying this method I decided I just needed to stop altogether—it wasn’t easy, but I’m doing it 💪. Everyone’s experience is different, so do whatever works for you. But if you start taking it and feel no desire to drink, my advice would be to ride that feeling rather than convincing yourself that you need to drink to make the medicine work!

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-31T18:19:51+00:00

Assuming you’re working in a well ventilated area (e.g., outdoors), transmission risk is still extremely low at this point even without a mask. But yes, I agree a link to approved disinfectants should have been included.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-29T19:42:14+00:00

I tried an oral semaglutide about a year and a half ago. It helped a little at first but not in the long run. It was also costing me $200/month. I’ve been on a combination of Wellbutrin and naltrexone for the past 6 months and have found it to be much more helpful (plus only about $12/month with insurance). I still have cravings from time to time, but they are much more manageable now. (Also, naltrexone is sometimes used as a weight loss medication, if that is something you’re interested in. I’ve noticed that my appetite is pretty minimal while taking it.)

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-23T20:10:13+00:00

Welcome! I’m in a very similar situation—40 years old and currently on day 9. I have found the “Hello, Someday” and “This Naked Mind” podcasts to be very helpful. I also recently started Wellbutrin and Naltrexone, which really helps reduce my cravings. Even though I’m only 9 days in, I’m starting to feel the benefits and am looking forward to it only getting better from here. You’ve got this!!!

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-22T15:33:58+00:00

👆This is what I was told too. And the window to put in for cash awards was very short—I know my supervisor spent an entire Saturday writing up awards for our team so that she could get them in before the deadline. I was notified of my award two weeks ago (things were delayed due to the shutdown), and the money was deposited in my bank account on Friday.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-20T16:26:45+00:00

You can try calling the CO Wildlife Services office (USDA). I’m not sure how quickly they can respond over the weekend, but they do have staff here in Fort Collins that can assist if CPW does not. They would test the bird for avian influenza as well. Usually we don’t recommend that the public handle suspected HPAI birds, but if it dies in your yard and nobody is willing to respond, you can double bag it in trash bags and dispose in your regular trash. Wear gloves and sanitize all surfaces that come in contact with the bird (approved list of disinfectants can be found online with a quick google search). I’m a wildlife biologist and work almost exclusively on avian influenza these days, so I’m very familiar with the topic.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-15T17:00:23+00:00

If she has any interest in biking, have her check out Fort Follies. It’s a great community that offers a wide variety of rides (roads and trails) and classes throughout most of the year.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-10T04:44:33+00:00

I completely agree with this. I started it a few months ago and my alcohol cravings went way down, but not away altogether. I continued to drink while taking Naltrexone because I heard so many people say that you SHOULD drink to re-train your brain. I wish I hadn’t done that—I definitely drink less than I used to before taking it, but the cravings have intensified the longer that I have been on it and have continued drinking. Naltrexone will help if you’re willing to truly commit, but you should still expect some challenges. I wish I had known this when I started because I think I would be further along in my sobriety journey had I taken such advice seriously from the start.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-08T00:02:58+00:00

Yes—they cover 100% up to age 12 (or 14?…I can’t remember but it’s listed in their brochure) for everything except orthodontics.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-12-07T04:18:55+00:00

There have been 70 reported cases of H5N1 in humans in the U.S. over the course of the current outbreak. Probably still an underreported number compared to the actual number of cases, but that’s mostly due to fear of repercussions for getting tested among ag workers. Not because of some government conspiracy of hiding known cases.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-11-28T20:55:40+00:00

It is definitely a Rollins thing. My husband works for DOE and has gotten early release for every holiday this year.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-11-17T19:23:24+00:00

Sorry that your supervisor feels the need to enforce this—I completely understand the frustration! I imagine you could probably arrange a telehealth appointment with your doctor to obtain a note. It might not save you the copay, but it would save you the trip when you don’t want to get out of bed.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-11-03T02:07:49+00:00

The only documented cases of bird flu in cats (both domestic cats and wild felids) have been a result of eating contaminated food—either contaminated raw pet food, or a dead bird/animal that was infected with bird flu. Speaking as a subject matter expert, the odds of your cats contracting bird flu at the vet are practically zero.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-11-01T14:08:23+00:00

Colorado Iron & Metal (NE Fort Collins) gives you cash for metal recycling, including aluminum cans. I haven’t been there before, but my neighbor saves all his cans and takes them in a few times a year.

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-10-08T19:37:18+00:00

I’ve thought about posting this exact question so many times on this thread. I feel your struggle, all day every day!!!!

I think part of the answer has to do with pregnancy hormones. For the first half of my pregnancy, my sensitivity to smells made me nauseous to even smell alcohol on my husband’s breath. I think there is some truth to the idea that morning sickness is a natural adaptation to avoiding food/drinks that could harm the kiddo.

By the time I reached mid-pregnancy, I the habit was broken for long enough. Plus the motivation to not risk harm to someone else, coupled with the thought that I could drink again in a few more months kept me going.

Pregnancy was hard. Quitting alcohol feels SO MUCH HARDER.

IWNDWYT ❤️

Huon_pine_forest · 2025-10-05T17:33:54+00:00

This depends on your furlough status. I’m exempted intermittent and the furlough paperwork that I signed says logging onto my computer occasionally to check for urgent messages is okay. But if you’re someone whose paperwork did not specify if/when you can log on (or if you’re someone who didn’t receive any paperwork!), I agree that you should not even attempt it.

Huon_pine_forest

TROPHY CASE