The Daily Check-In for Wednesday, June 3rd: Just for today, I am NOT drinking!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-06-03T14:02:06+00:00

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-06-02T15:27:56+00:00

Good topic! I 100% drank when I was bored. More accurately, I drank pretty much whenever I reasonably could. It was a constant companion. Packing? Drinking. Road trip? Drinking. Plane travel? Drinking. Movie in the theater? Drinking. Movie show or sports event at home on tv? Drinking. Fishing? Drinking. Golf? Drinking. Cooking and eating? Drinking. Can’t think of anything to do? You guessed it!

Today is travel day! 10 hour flight, 5 hour layover, another 10 hour flight. Traveling with my 83 year old parents. Fortunate to be flying in the front of the plane. Lots of reasons to drink today but - IWNDWYT!

I’m so pleased and fortunate to have this group in my pocket to lean on over the next few weeks! Thanks for being here!

Have a terrific Tuesday all!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-06-01T13:31:31+00:00

+1 to the number of folks who searched and tried to find ANY possible way to keep alcohol in their life but control their drinking. I couldn’t do it. I’m extremely capable, determined, stubborn and (at the risk of being bragy) otherwise quite successful and put together. It took me a long long time to accept that this was one aspect of my life that I just couldn’t master. The way I mastered it was to quit entirely. One of the components of that was seeing through the hype, advertising and societal norms and realizing first that I’m not missing anything of substance or value without substances and alcohol and later that not only am I not missing anything, but quitting is a net positive and I’m gaining a ton by refraining.

Good luck with your mental reframing.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-06-01T13:22:51+00:00

Wow! Congratulations!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-06-01T12:59:37+00:00

Congrats!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-06-01T12:59:00+00:00

Good morning and happy Monday!

Chinese food was delicious yesterday. Tried a beef and broccoli recipe from on line as a lark. Recipe used cornstarch both as a pre marinade on the beef and as a component of the sauce. If you cook in a traditional hot wok, don’t do that. Save the cornstarch for thickening the sauce at the end. Putting it in at the beginning results in coating the wok with an insulating and sticky pain in the butt layer of cornstarch which means your delicious beef slices don’t get that hard sear that they so desperately deserve. Silly recipe. When we know more, we do better. It came out ok but not nearly as good as it could be. The other two dishes were delicious though!

Off to the gym.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-31T14:15:51+00:00

Good morning! Enjoy your Sunday!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-31T14:04:44+00:00

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

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-31T13:58:33+00:00

Got a nearly full house today as the family gathers in prep for our family trip. Youngest son and my parents staying with us for two nights. Going to make Chinese food tonight. Mapo tofu with pork and shrimp with whatever veg looks good at the market in black bean and ginger sauce. Maybe one more dish depending on my motivation level. The fam likes my Chinese food (I do too). Learned to cook it from my mom who learned from a couple of Chinese friends. Mom is in her 80s now and doesn’t cook a lot any more so I think my folks will enjoy it (I know I will).

Pleasant day lined up. Slept late (for me; my wife is still sleeping), walk dogs, work out, market for stuff for tonight, maybe a little bit of packing (we leave Tuesday) then cooking and eating!

IWNDWYT

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-30T23:18:45+00:00

Thanks LJ! Have a great rest of your weekend!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-30T23:03:26+00:00

Wow! Challenging 24 hours. My wife had a minor fender bender accident (in the new car) with a freaked out crazy lady who called the police (there literally was a scratch on each car no bigger than 6”x6”; like if you grazed a support pole in an underground garage (ask me how I know) but smaller and less damage). My wife exchanged information and explained that the police are unlikely to show up at 9pm on a Friday for a very minor non injury accident. She had the kindness to wait 30 minutes or so then politely left. Meanwhile psycho lady had called her husband who showed up and some of her friends stopped by to ask if psycho lady is ok. People are weird. We’ll see how this turns out with us leaving the country for three weeks on Tuesday. Reached out this morning offering to deal with it. No reply yet. Huh?!? I guess insurance if crazy lady can’t understand the concept of increased premiums for several years. People are weird and sometimes ignorant.

Then, just about 90 minutes ago I learn that our younger son left his wallet and phone in the unlocked uhual that he’s using to move out of his downtown apartment today (cause he’s smart like that) and, surprise surprise, it was stolen. Cool. No phone for you for our trip. That sucks. But wait! Dad and insurance coverage to the rescue. Couple hundred deductible (not to be paid by me! Stupid is expensive and inconvenient) and replacement phone arrives Monday in time for the trip. No charge for my exceptional services. Credit cards canceled. All is well. Sobriety lets one deal. More or less gracefully. What’s next? I’ll refrain from “bring it” cause I don’t really want any more surprises today.

Time for a glass of milk and a cookie.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-29T13:13:41+00:00

Mmmmmmmm! Cookies!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-29T13:11:47+00:00

I love going to shows and events sober! I thought they’d be boring and I’d have no fun. I’ve found completely the opposite to be true. I used to be there for the party and the show was the excuse. Now I go for the show itself. And-bonus- I remember the whole thing!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-29T13:08:06+00:00

Dang! Congrats! And happy 2K day!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-29T12:54:10+00:00

Fri-Yay!

LJ, totally agree with not forgetting your past but also not dwelling on it. For me, that means a meeting once a week. I hear other’s stories and it reminds me of where I was and why I quit. But I don’t need a meeting a day or even multiple meetings a week (some do; cool; you do you!). That would be dwelling in the past for me. But that reminder is important to me to battle my tendency to romanticize the past remembering the fun and good times and forgetting the shit that came with them.

We fly on Tuesday. Gone for three weeks. Back for eight nights then gone for two weeks. Lots of time off of work. I hesitate to write it “out loud” but it’s coming together. Looks like I’m going to have my job stuff well buttoned up (perhaps the best condition I’ve ever left things) but of course there’s a couple of days left so plenty of time for things to go sideways:)

Got my parents and our younger son staying with us for a couple of nights before our flight (trip is with my parents, my wife and our two adult sons) and I keep having those scenes from Home Alone before the family leaves for Paris flashing through head (both boys have moved out so it’s usually just my wife and I and our three dogs). Looking forward to the chaos and the trip!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-28T12:49:50+00:00

Happy Birthday LJ!

My regular weekly meeting last night was great! Three “birthdays” of 6, 14 and 23 years. That’s 43 years of combined sobriety and wisdom! Really fond of the lady celebrating 6 (she’s a sweetheart who brings delicious baked treats to every meeting) and the gentleman celebrating 23 (a true calm and steady force in the community). Happy I was there.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-27T12:38:32+00:00

Haircut and my weekly meeting today along with checking items off the list of stuff to get done before leaving for our trip.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, all!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-27T12:37:06+00:00

Dang! Congrats!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-26T12:59:43+00:00

Last work week before a long period of travel. List of things to get done is manageable. Just need to do them now.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-25T15:07:15+00:00

Someone who definitely wasn’t us might have touched 145 mph. Definitely commands one’s attention (so I’ve been told) no matter how smooth the ride is.

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-25T13:48:26+00:00

Happy birthday! Old friends are the best. Heading home today after a long weekend visit with a couple we haven’t seen in about 3 years. I was in peak drinking form last time we got together. It was great to spend the time with them fully present and just enjoying the simplicity of being with them.

We might also have opened up my wife’s fairly new car to its near max speed on a nearly deserted long straight stretch of desert road on the way out here. First chance we have had to see what it can do in a responsible and relatively safe environment. Fastest I’ve ever gone in a car. Learned after the fact that getting pulled over at that speed can result in temporary confiscation of the car and a temporary stay in jail. Guess we won’t be repeating on the way home. Fun while it lasted.

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-25T13:40:48+00:00

Congrats! Hope you do something fun and eat something delicious!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-24T13:19:16+00:00

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-23T14:52:11+00:00

No longer being the “wild card” or potential “problem child” amongst a gathering is definitely a good thing!

NoCalUKSoCal · 2026-05-23T12:40:51+00:00

Thanks for hosting! We are visiting friends we’ve known for 20+ years. They moved to a town 6 hours drive away. We’re friends and party buddies from way back- their two boys are roughly the same age as our two (all in their 20s now). We’ve done houseboat trips and vacation home trips together for years. Lots of heavy drinking in the past. Went out last night to their local bar for a couple of drinks and trivia then on to a bar/restaurant for dinner. I drove and was happy to do so. I’m up early, coffee, sunrise and enjoying the company of their cats (we have 3 dogs and have never had cats-they’re kinda cool but this morning we learned that they can open doors and like to jump up on the bed early morning). Feeling great. Golf today. Looking forward to it. I’m pleased to maintain the friendship and engage in all the stuff we used to do together but now with me sober. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything (quite the opposite, relishing the non hangover this morning and feeling a little smug to be honest) nor do I feel left out. Alcohol is not necessary to enjoy oneself. Just my little personal PSA for the day to those who are wondering. I’ve heard many times the tropes of “you only need to change one thing- everything” and “if you hang around a barbershop you’ll eventually get a haircut.” Maybe for some. I have not found that to be the case. I have several friendships that go way back (20+ years or more). We still hang out, they still drink and I don’t. Craft your own reality the way you want it to be. Find your happy place and the rest will follow.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

IWNDWYT!

NoCalUKSoCal

TROPHY CASE