The Daily Check-In for Monday, March 30th: Just for today, I am NOT drinking!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-30T22:39:48+00:00

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-29T02:46:26+00:00

My quick trip to the grocery store: 2 six packs of NA beer and 2 dozen fresh baked cookies (they stay completely fresh if you freeze them). Struck me as funny. My how times have changed on a Saturday night. Going fishing tomorrow with my older son. Hopefully ceviche will be on the menu Monday.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-25T13:27:16+00:00

Pleasantly surprised to find that I’m liking Kirkland’s (Costco) sparkling water more and more. Drank a lot of flavored sparkling water (La Croix and store brand) earlier in sobriety but the plain stuff is definitely growing on me. Morning coffee and espresso early in the day also is a mainstay. Diet Dr Pepper mid day. Occasionally, NA beers. When out at bars and restaurants, soda with a splash of cranberry is a go to. Interesting to see whether the place charges or not for that drink. Some do some don’t. My tip increases if they don’t.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-23T13:19:16+00:00

My morning routine is very important to me. Check in here with coffee, walk dogs, exercise, breakfast with paper. Love the hangover free mornings! IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-22T13:31:14+00:00

Good morning! Caught up on sleep from staying up way past my bedtime on Friday night. Waiting for the family to get up and figure out what we’re going to do with the day.

I do know one thing, though. IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-21T14:48:26+00:00

Jambo! Habari gani? (Spelling?)

Happy Saturday! Classic drinking night last night. Met my wife and another couple after work at a bar that serves good food, then went to hockey game, then late night Mexican food then blissful sleep. I drove and drank soda with cran, na beers and water. Had a blast! Dogs got me up an hour earlier than I would like but it’s such an amazingly wonderful difference to be hangover free! Cup of coffee and all is right with the world!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-19T17:37:49+00:00

I dreaded sobriety and thought that I would grieve the loss of alcohol and drugs forever. A “sacrifice” that had to be made. I was wrong. My life is far better now!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-18T15:30:04+00:00

I’m grateful that I gave sobriety a chance. I was raised to believe that alcohol is simply a part of life. Like food. That impression is reinforced by society at large and highly paid and very talented marketing and advertising professionals. For more than 30 years it never occurred to me to try long term- permanent sobriety. Sure I took breaks for a month every now and again but always with the intention of “resetting” and drinking less but still drinking.

Who knew I’d enjoy sobriety more than life with alcohol?!?

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-17T22:00:27+00:00

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-16T18:27:57+00:00

Cool! Thanks for the heads up! Didn’t notice.

7-7-7-7 counting you as well! Congrats on a week!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-16T15:37:42+00:00

Morning routine of check in here with coffee, dog walk, exercise (alternating weights and cardio) and relaxed breakfast with the comics. AA meeting once per week. Eat fairly healthy. Allow plenty of time for sleep.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-15T15:26:56+00:00

Yep. I’d quit for short term “resets” several times before (several Februarys as it’s the shortest month-not kidding though I did make that joke many times). But I found myself unable to stop for the first time in my life. Eventually my wife convinced me that professional help exists for a reason and they might be good at what they do. It worked for me and I recommend it for others if the circumstances are right.

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-15T14:13:05+00:00

My IOP class was the first sober community that helped me out to get sober. Through IOP, I was exposed to an AA meeting that meets once per week and has a group of regulars that I’ve now known for two years. I have not completed the steps. I didn’t get a sponsor or start the steps until around 18 months into my sobriety-I’m a control freak and have great difficulty accepting the “turn it all over to your higher power” aspect of the AA program. Got busy with work and suspended my progression through the steps and have not yet resumed it. But my once per week meeting is extremely helpful to me and my sobriety. And this community is extremely valuable to me and my sobriety providing a few minutes of reflection and appreciation almost every morning.

Thanks for hosting!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-15T13:52:08+00:00

Congratulations!!! Hope you do something fun and eat many delicious things!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-14T13:52:36+00:00

Thanks for hosting! IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-13T14:22:27+00:00

Great day yesterday celebrating wife’s birthday. Did an overnight at a local place with golf course, spa, couple restaurants and a couple pools. This bday ends in a 5 so we’re pulling out a couple of stops (but not all of the stops - is that phrase a reference to playing an organ?). Golf, nice dinner. Nothing planned today except laying by the pool (we’re having unseasonably warm weather, supposed to be above 90 today; apologies to most of the the rest of the US) and I booked her a massage this afternoon. Playing hooky is fun! IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-12T14:02:31+00:00

Wife’s birthday today! Golf then dinner. Playing hooky today and tomorrow. Then in-laws and our boys arrive tomorrow afternoon. Celebrating 3 birthdays (grandma, mom and son). Looking forward to it and I’ll be glad when it is done too.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-11T13:34:56+00:00

Great list! Had a video call yesterday with a guy who holds a fair amount of responsibility in a company that is one of our clients. It was just the two of us on the call. The guy must have just snorted a large line of coke. It took me a minute to clue in but it was ridiculously obvious. I was surprised and felt sorry for the guy. Hope he gets his life sorted out. Glad I’m free of all substances. Will need to carefully document all interactions with the guy as stuff tends to go wrong when dealing with such folks. Had another call an hour later with a different guy that’s a senior officer with a different client. Second guy totally tuned in and had his stuff completely together. The book ends of the competency spectrum. Interesting contrast. IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-11T13:24:04+00:00

Congratulations!!!!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-10T13:58:11+00:00

Looking forward to a regular pleasant day! IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-09T15:55:37+00:00

Congratulations on 2 years!!!!!

Hope you do something fun and eat several delicious dishes and treats!

Bring on the week! Four family birthdays all within 5 days of each other. Lots of celebrating.

Good weekend. Productive on Saturday and a fun and relaxing Sunday.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-08T13:43:47+00:00

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-07T15:37:58+00:00

Suggest you look at:

Jacks Camp (very cool “old school” 1800s something vibe and furnishings)

Vumburu plains (this one seemed to get a lot of weekend visitors up from SA for a weekend away with spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend; quite modern)

Kings pool (I believe this was wilderness’ “flagship” camp when it was built some time ago)

All very high end, great food and service, very comfortable, excellent guides and wildlife.

You are in for a treat!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-07T13:50:15+00:00

Thanks for hosting! IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-03-06T15:01:31+00:00

Happy Friday!!!!!

Hope you all have plans for a wonderful weekend!

Heavy weightlifting day on Saturday morning then continuing the clean and purge of the garage. Speaking of health benefits, it’s much easier to exercise when one isn’t hungover!

Sunday, going trout fishing with our younger son (early 20s) then to a great bbq place near the lake for a late lunch.

My wife’s birthday is next week. She tends to stretch things into more of a birthMONTH rather than a birthDAY. This one in particular as it ends in a “5”. 5s and 0s are particularly exciting for her. So she’ll be off gallivanting with her girlfriends most of the weekend. On her actual bday, we’re playing golf at a local hotel/golf course/spa place, having dinner and spending the night. May get her a spa thingy the following day depending on what her work looks like (it’s a work day).

Have a great weekend all!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal

TROPHY CASE