I stopped buying beef at the store, it is too expensive and not good for the environment. I was buying it at a local grocery store then started buying grass fed beef and roasts which is very expensive from whole foods. But have stopped buying beef altogether over the past 2 months.
I did have a grass fed ribeye from a health food store and cafe that was delicious and well marinated. My friends used to eat at this health food store every day until we finally decided that they over cooked the organic veggies so that they have lost all nutritional value and now we eat off the hot food bar at whole foods.
These are good people and have become friends of mine. How ever, there they have a bar. yeah a bar at whole foods. Only in louisiana! We play trivia there on friday nights. The regular bartender Donna and I have an agreement to cut me off after 2 pints of beer. This keeps me out of trouble. Only once did I ask her to give me a third and she respectfully said no and I thanked her for that.
I love cheese and eat it quite often. We enjoy organic valley white cheddar sharp cheese. It is delicious.
I wish I only had 3 pounds to lose too...alas this weight came on...my own fault. I am 5'7 and 155 this am.
terrible shape and lazy.
Led a sedentary lifestyle which needs to improve. I used to wear a fit bit and got so depressed that I was only walking 1500 steps a day.
anyway, herer I am...today is day 3 AF. And I want to remain AF(alcohol free) until easter. I was going to give up alcohol for lent but only made it one day. I am not religious at all but have mostly catholics down here and I work with the elderly.
My bipolar was out off whack and it is more in control so that is why I have been able to be AF. So I am very happy about that. Thank good ness for meds.
I feel more sane than I have felt in 2 months.

My cousin, Raju is a flight attendant. He has free travel so he trys to take advantage of that and fly around to family and friends all over the country.
He flies stand by so it is not guaranteed that he will be there when he says he will be there.
I say all of this because he is coming to see us friday/tomorrow night. And we are going to take him to spend the night in new orleans. He has never been there before. We will pick him up at the airport at 5 and grab dinner and head to NOLA, 2 1/2 hours east of us. Check in and hit bourbon street, hoping to get a hurricane at pat obriens.
So I decided to make reservations for one night at the wyndham hotel in the french quarter. It is expensive but we have not been in for ever so even if Raju can't make it Jeff and I will have fun, maybe spend saturday night there as well.
His flight will then leave NOLA at 6 pm so we will need to get him to the airport by 5.
This is all contingent upon whether his flights work out...one way or the other Jeff and I are going to be in the french quarter in less than 24 hours!
bizi

24 hours of New Orleans was too much fun!

Arrived yesterday around 4 pm and hit the streets after checking into our very nice room at the wyndom hotel. We browsed thru art galleries and amazing antique stores along royal street. So much fun.
Had a couple of craft beers at a pub, loved the porter that I drank.
Had dinner at a southern style food restaurant, very casual. Meat loaf and very good mac and cheese! spicy greens and corn bread. and sampled different kinds of praulines(which are pecan chocolate candies) YUMMY!
As it got dark we went to bourbon street and made our way thru the crowds of people, all of them partying heartily. We made our way over to the frenchmans street just out of the quarter to listen to some good music.
Made our way back to quarter to go to Pat O'briens for their famous hurricanes which is a rum punch. We were lucky to get seats in the dueling pianos bar and to find Emily (Jeffs old student)playing. At her break one hour on, one off, She came and gave us a hug and chit chatted meeting her boy friend.
After pat obriens we stumbled upon the vampire bar"the dungeon"..it was kind of creepy! I am glad Jeff was there taking care of me. HE was good at finding our way back to the hotel.
It took the entire morning to recover from last night. At noon, they let us check our bags so we could enjoy more of the quarter before having to get our car out by 4 pm.
Both days the weather was perfect. The quarter was bustling full of people and music by street musicians. There were men doing acrobatics and even a gold guy on the corner of jackson square.
Today, we ate lunch at the famous Mothers restaurant. We devoured our ham and roast beef (with drippings no less) po boys sandwich. It was delicious!
Did not make it to Cafe De Monde, there was a huge waiting line and we had waited in line for mothers so that was not an option. We easily found iced coffee elsewhere. There were interesting artists all along st. louis cathedrals gate.
My legs are sore from walking so much yesterday.
I feel old!
What a fun get away!
bizi

Bizi, great to read that you and Jeff had such a good time .

I have been reading a book about harm reduction.
It is a group called HAMS,
an on line support thru facebook and forums discussion group....
I just got back from the gym, planet fitness. Walked for 45 minutes 2.5 miles.
I had been there last 11-27-15 that was 107 days ago.
Since 11-1-15 I have gained 20 pounds.
This has me very depressed.
The medication changes made last year proved to do more harm than good.
The trazadone made me manic.
The decreased in geodon did nothing to improve my memory it only lowered my thresh hold for hypo mania and uncontrolled drinking. Yet somehow I did have a period in january that I was AF for 21 days.
March 22nd was my first AF day in 5 weeks. I was AF for 5 days straight. I felt like my sanity had returned and I was able to control myself again. I had a planned intoxication day this past friday night in new orleans. and had 4 drinks over 6 hours on easter sunday at friends house, using alcohol in social situations where everyone was drinking.
Back to AF tonight and I plan to be AF during the week and moderate drinking on the weekends. That is my harm reduction goal.
My risk reduction goal is to not drink and drive again. PERIOD.
At least for now this is what my goals are.
Will see if I can make it to the gym more often. need to be able to walk long distances if we are going to take a trip somewhere for our 20th wedding anniversary trip this summer.
I can do this.
bizi

Yes you will! Go Bizi!

Carol

Bizi, I really like your goals .

One thing which has helped me (with aid from my psychologist) in goal-setting is the SMART acronym in goal-setting.

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T= Timely

This has helped me and I hope that it will help you as well.

Thanks carol and kiwi!
Smart recovery has a chat room for people who are trying to abstain. I frequent it sometimes when I am bored.

To be honest I have never been much of a goal setter.
I kind of live day to day.
now I am trying to look at a week at a time.
I can do 4 days AF and then drink for friday night trivia.

I do think that I will be on the computer more though which is another problem of mine.
off to go get some more chicken on sale!
bizi

Happy to report that I have been meeting my goals for the past 2 weeks and have already lost 2 pounds.
It is a start!
bizi

Well done, that's the spirit, just keep on keeping on, with one day at a time