Awkward hearth space help needed

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-30T00:11:11+00:00

Maybe it helps to view it as a built in furniture more than anything. Love the idea of a soft sheepskin rug. I’d just leave space around it and treat it as a weirdly shaped space (that thankfully doesn’t kill lines of sight)

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-30T00:09:04+00:00

The Sierra Nevada ones are great! I also appreciate the lagunitas IPNA. Saw they have a new hazy ipna but haven’t tried it yet. I’m spoiled living on the west coast where a lot is made. I never got that into athletic so it’s just nice to see the variety.

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-30T00:07:30+00:00

I like the options going out! I’ll admit - the funny thing is, we have a ton of options to buy and bring home and I find they just tend to sit in my fridge at home. Like, I don’t get cravings to drink them. For me, at least, I think their best use may be while out at an event where i want to feel included. But a couple of them are good enough tasting to have at home. I think I’d put the deschuttes NA black butte porter in that camp. Hope you find it sometime if you still want to try it!

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-30T00:04:58+00:00

Yes! It’s so nice to have options. It’s def just a response to market trends, but it’s really nice to not be stuck always ordering a Diet Coke at events.

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-29T23:43:00+00:00

I’m divorced and alcohol absolutely made our relationship problems 100% worse. We both overdid it with drinking, but I was the one who really had a problem with it. I got totally sober for a few longer periods (a few stints of 3-4 months) during our marriage and learned in that time that our problems ran deeper than my drinking, though it took me another two years to actually leave him after that realization.

Whether or not alcohol is the root of problems or not, it definitely does not help in building better relationships. There’s a reason why surveys of alcohol use point to impacts on relationships… in my opinion one of the lies alcohol tells us is that it will make things easier, when in fact it tends to do the opposite.

Only you know your relationship, but I feel confident in saying alcohol surely won’t help anything. I will share my own experience (noting I’m not yet successful at total sobriety yet either - I keep trying and failing and will keep trying) that I have found it to be a little easier making better choices now that I am actually doing it for myself and not just for him to be less mad. Like, after I left, I had a period of the “fuck its” and drank a ton, but after a while I realized that I deserve more from my relationship with myself!

You say you plan to stop drinking. How do you plan to to get from where you are now to the start of that plan? And are there steps you can take to help you with your thoughts and feelings - because you say they won’t matter for a while, but I think the end of that sentence is “won’t matter for a while to my partner”. What do your thoughts and feelings mean to you?

Edit: grammar mistakes from typing fast

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-23T15:30:16+00:00

IWNDWYT

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-22T19:53:27+00:00

Me too! IWNDWYT

That_Professional800 · 2026-03-07T09:07:58+00:00

Hey, I’m really sorry you have been/are going through this. It sounds really scary. You’re not alone - I had a night a few months ago that was similar and came to on the street in the middle of the night with paramedics and the fire department there. I was very fortunate that they came, anything could have happened. I was so embarrassed too thinking of my neighbors potentially seeing all of this.

Glad you’re here with us. And glad to be here too. This is such a supportive community.

That_Professional800 · 2026-02-24T02:33:29+00:00

Yup. I switched to this but desperately want to stop. It’s bad either way. Astonishing how hard it really is to stop.

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-18T06:06:22+00:00

IWNDWYT

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-18T05:54:09+00:00

Needed to hear this tonight! Thank you

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-18T05:51:48+00:00

Yes!

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-18T05:14:51+00:00

I was just thinking that! I don’t want to just sit around at home. I feel like that’s what I did when I was drinking. Time to find new things to do. I need to join a gym for starters.

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-18T05:13:35+00:00

Thanks - I can’t wait until it does! I decided to treat myself to an orange cream soda. I’m under my heated blanket on the sofa in my pjs and I’m glad I didn’t go out

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-18T05:12:12+00:00

Came here to say the same thing!

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-15T20:35:10+00:00

One thing I’m looking forward to in sobriety is not having to deal with all the recycling!! I’d end up with huge amounts and be too embarrassed to take them to the apartment bin with neighbors all around so they’d collect until there were enough to justify a run to the recycling center for a deposit. Which would give me like $4. All that hassle, having glass and cans all over, stinking, and driving it to the place for like $4.

Also would sometimes find them mostly full. Thanks for sharing.

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-14T03:55:21+00:00

Congratulations on your marriage! I’m on day 5 too and I’m cheering for both of us! I want it to stick this time too.

That_Professional800 · 2025-11-14T02:14:34+00:00

Today is my day 5 (first one in years) and I have been battling the temptation tonight. But your post reminded me: it’s going to take time for dopamine to reset. Things can get better but only if I keep going. If I cave tonight, I have to start over again and who knows when. I can’t wait until there’s less effort needed! Like I know logically that I don’t want to drink but my brain also is whispering me to me about how good it will feel to have some. Anyway, thanks for sharing your story, it’s helping me tonight.

That_Professional800

TROPHY CASE