30 years sober today.

[paul cottingham]

As is my tradition, I am sharing this just because.
That is all.

[Jim Rimmer]

Congratulations. I am at 129 days without smoking on my way to the rest of a smoke-free life.

[George Bokros]

Congrats. You are awesome.

[paul cottingham]

Congratulations. I am at 129 days without smoking on my way to the rest of a smoke-free life.
Good stuff, Jim, stick with it. I am smoke free about 15 years now.

[Shane Copps]

Congratulations, I myself will make 1 year sober on Friday! Thank you for being an inspiration.

[paul cottingham]

Congratulations, I myself will make 1 year sober on Friday! Thank you for being an inspiration.
That's good stuff!
It's a cliche, but I still live one day at a time. Makes for poor financial planning, but it works.

[Jerry Thompson]

Great ain't it? I hit 30 last month. I quit smoking in '72 while I was drinking. I have no idea how that happened. Congratulations.

[Dave Sheldrake]

48 years for me :) (I don't drink), good stuff Paul go to see it's going well.

cheers

Dave

[Michael Mahan]

Congratulations, I myself will make 1 year sober on Friday! Thank you for being an inspiration.

It gets easy after each day that passes , I'm 10 years sober

drinking is distant memory
I don't miss making myself stupid :)

[Dave Sheldrake]

Is alcohol a common problem in the United Sates? I'm not being facetious, it's an honest enquiry.

cheers

Dave

[James Tibbetts]

That's good stuff!
It's a cliche, but I still live one day at a time. Makes for poor financial planning, but it works.

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One day; sometimes one minute! Whatever works, just keep stackin' 'em up!!
23 years for me so far.

[Shane Copps]

I have a question for you guys that have been sober for years+. When I was doing wood working (a couple of years ago- then moved and had NO place for a shop- now getting a house with a dedicated shop) I would use a "drink break" to slow myself down. I am a push push push to get it done type person. That would cause me to miss steps or hurry past some of the important steps, like sanding something to a nice finish. When I stopped to "break" I would take time to look at or think about what I am doing and slow down.

I am very nervous about 2 things. Wanting to drink while I am in the shop, and slowing myself down and taking time to do things right. Do any of you fight with these issues and what do you do about them?

Thank you
Shane

[Andrew Joiner]

Happy birthday to all. I got clean and sober March 21st 1975,and I still do it one day at a time.

[paul cottingham]

It gets easy after each day that passes , I'm 10 years sober

drinking is distant memory
I don't miss making myself stupid :)
Trust me, I still do stupid stuff. :-)

[paul cottingham]

I have a question for you guys that have been sober for years+. When I was doing wood working (a couple of years ago- then moved and had NO place for a shop- now getting a house with a dedicated shop) I would use a "drink break" to slow myself down. I am a push push push to get it done type person. That would cause me to miss steps or hurry past some of the important steps, like sanding something to a nice finish. When I stopped to "break" I would take time to look at or think about what I am doing and slow down.

I am very nervous about 2 things. Wanting to drink while I am in the shop, and slowing myself down and taking time to do things right. Do any of you fight with these issues and what do you do about them?

Thank you
Shane
Seriously, I have a terrible coffee addiction. Trading an addiction is not uncommon at all. I always take coffee breaks to make and drink coffee while I work.

[paul cottingham]

Happy birthday to all. I got clean and sober March 21st 1975,and I still do it one day at a time.
Holy cow, that's inspirational indeed. I was 13 (!) when you got sober.

[Andrew Joiner]

I have a question for you guys that have been sober for years+. When I was doing wood working (a couple of years ago- then moved and had NO place for a shop- now getting a house with a dedicated shop) I would use a "drink break" to slow myself down. I am a push push push to get it done type person. That would cause me to miss steps or hurry past some of the important steps, like sanding something to a nice finish. When I stopped to "break" I would take time to look at or think about what I am doing and slow down.

I am very nervous about 2 things. Wanting to drink while I am in the shop, and slowing myself down and taking time to do things right. Do any of you fight with these issues and what do you do about them?

Thank you
Shane
Hi Shane,
I don't want to drink in my shop today. I do know it's possible to slow down and take a break without a drink. Try it, and think about all the sober woodworkers on here while your taking your break.
I used to tell myself " I can't socialize without being high" then I tried it sober and found out I could,it was hard, but it got easier.

[Jay Jolliffe]

Congrats to everyone who has put down one addiction or another. They come in all forms. I've been clean & sober for 26 yrs & don't miss it.....

[glenn bradley]

Happy Birthday!

[paul cottingham]

Congrats to everyone who has put down one addiction or another. They come in all forms. I've been clean & sober for 26 yrs & don't miss it.....
It's funny, I still miss it, but that has helped me be extra vigilant. I just had brain surgery with very little in the way of painkillers in the aftermath, as I dread the warm buzz narcotics give me.

[Frederick Skelly]

Congratulations Paul. Thats tremendous!
Fred

[Keith Westfall]

Congratulations to al who have overcome... Always considered myself lucky that I never started to smoke - Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister all did - me, guess I was lucky. 1997 I joined a Church of my choice and gave up drinking.

It's been a good run and one I grateful for.

It can be done and prayers for anyone trying.

Keith

[Brian Kent]

Congratulations Paul and all the rest. That is the best news ever.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Paul, seriously good news! Hoping for another 30 for you!!!!!! Patrick

[Brian W Smith]

Congrats!!!!

[Andrew Joiner]

Holy cow, that's inspirational indeed. I was 13 (!) when you got sober.

Thanks Paul. Your story is inspirational as well. I got sober when I was 24. It's truly a miracle.

The age thing is funny. 5 years ago I was visiting my neighbor Bill. He was 90 years old and 50 years sober. I was 57 at the time. Bill was an incredible craftsman and ahead of his time design wise. He was giving me a tour of the mid-century modern house he designed and built. We were looking at his long indoor concrete stairway. Bill said he poured and finished it all by himself. He described in detail every move of the pour that took him till midnight to finish. I was amazed,one man (who's now 90) did all this in a day and remembered every detail. I said "how long ago did you pour this?" Bill promptly said "July of 1951". I said "that's the year I was born". He just smiled. I was totally humbled.

[Jim Rimmer]

I have a question for you guys that have been sober for years+. When I was doing wood working (a couple of years ago- then moved and had NO place for a shop- now getting a house with a dedicated shop) I would use a "drink break" to slow myself down. I am a push push push to get it done type person. That would cause me to miss steps or hurry past some of the important steps, like sanding something to a nice finish. When I stopped to "break" I would take time to look at or think about what I am doing and slow down.

I am very nervous about 2 things. Wanting to drink while I am in the shop, and slowing myself down and taking time to do things right. Do any of you fight with these issues and what do you do about them?

Thank you
Shane

I don't drink in the shop but quitting smoking has been hard in relation to the shop. That's when I would "break" and smoke. I would rest, figure out the next step, puzzle out a problem, etc. I didn't smoke in the house so I would go to the shop to smoke and many times just sit, smoke and look at the project and figure things out. I still miss that.

[paul cottingham]

Thanks Paul. Your story is inspirational as well. I got sober when I was 24. It's truly a miracle.

The age thing is funny. 5 years ago I was visiting my neighbor Bill. He was 90 years old and 50 years sober. I was 57 at the time. Bill was an incredible craftsman and ahead of his time design wise. He was giving me a tour of the mid-century modern house he designed and built. We were looking at his long indoor concrete stairway. Bill said he poured and finished it all by himself. He described in detail every move of the pour that took him till midnight to finish. I was amazed,one man (who's now 90) did all this in a day and remembered every detail. I said "how long ago did you pour this?" Bill promptly said "July of 1951". I said "that's the year I was born". He just smiled. I was totally humbled.

I was 22 when I got sober.
My dad was able to humble me the same way, right up to the day he died. The stuff he accomplished in his 50's and 60's through sheer good natured determination and hard work were amazing. He drank very little, but his dad was a drunk, his brother was a drunk, and his sister married two or three of them.

[Garth Sheane]

Sincere congrats Paul. I came close at one point in my life to becoming an alcoholic, but thankfully some good things happened that distracted me from the booze. Now, if I could only kick the nicotine ... I smoke a pipe only in the workshop, but that is bad enough. I think the government is going to convince me to quit eventually. A package of pipe tobacco that costs $8 in the US is $30 up here, more than a bottle of rye, and most of the cost is taxes.

[paul cottingham]

Sincere congrats Paul. I came close at one point in my life to becoming an alcoholic, but thankfully some good things happened that distracted me from the booze. Now, if I could only kick the nicotine ... I smoke a pipe only in the workshop, but that is bad enough. I think the government is going to convince me to quit eventually. A package of pipe tobacco that costs $8 in the US is $30 up here, more than a bottle of rye, and most of the cost is taxes.
Yeah, they really tax the crap out of tobacco up here. When I quit 15 or so years ago, a pack of smokes was around 5 bucks. I think they are more than double that now.

[Jason Roehl]

Is alcohol a common problem in the United Sates? I'm not being facetious, it's an honest enquiry.

cheers

Dave

Common? Hard to say. There are plenty at all points on the spectrum. There are hard-core, sloppy drunks who can't do a thing, there are those who are "functional drunks"--they get drunk all the time, but manage to hold a job and family, there are casual drinkers, there are binge drinkers, there are recovering alcoholics, and there are teetotalers. I like to have a beer here and there, and sometimes several, and I hate getting drunk. But, it seems more and more that the people around me are largely either recovering (and I don't want to tempt them) or teetotalers who would be offended if I had one in their presence, so I don't.

Congrats, Paul, on taming your demon for 30 years.

[paul cottingham]

But, it seems more and more that the people around me are largely either recovering (and I don't want to tempt them) or teetotalers who would be offended if I had one in their presence, so I don't.

Congrats, Paul, on taming your demon for 30 years.

You are a fine friend to those good folks. But for the record, if they are tempted cause you are having a beer around them, they should not be there, not the other way around. The only person I have ever asked not to drink around me is my wife, and only in very stressful times.

[Paul McGaha]

I don't drink in the shop but quitting smoking has been hard in relation to the shop. That's when I would "break" and smoke. I would rest, figure out the next step, puzzle out a problem, etc. I didn't smoke in the house so I would go to the shop to smoke and many times just sit, smoke and look at the project and figure things out. I still miss that.

I know exactly what you mean Jim. I'm trying to quit smoking myself and I'm finding the hardest places to not smoke are at work and in the shop.

Congratulation Paul, You're doing great.

PHM

[Dave Sheldrake]

Thanks Jason, it's a difficult thing to visualise for me as of all the people I know personally outside of the internet I think I've only ever known 1 who has had a battle with the bottled deamon. Over here an alcohol problem tends to be viewed as *needing* a drink rather than *wanting* one.

cheers

Dave

[Jim Sevey]

Dave- Alcohol causes a lot of problems. Can't put a % on it- over 10,000 annually dead in drunk car crashes and probably 10 times that in non-fatality injuries. My problem- my Dad was an alcoholic and never came to a baseball or football game I played in. Died too young to enjoy his grandkids. Can't put a price on the missed time, family fights, etc. Hats off to those of you having a birthday. I was very fortunate to have learned from my Dad to avoid it. Congartulations to all!

[Dave Sheldrake]

It does here as well Jim, antisocial behaviour and DUI's but there don't seem to be too many fall over drinkers in the area I'm in.
My parents never drank so I never really had any desire to or interest in it, the usual stuff when I was 18 to 20 but since then I just don't get anything from it. I'm not in any way anti alcohol, I just don't particularly like the taste of the stuff.

Coffee and the occasional cigarette but past that I have a pretty boring life I guess.

I admire anybody that can fight and beat an addiction, drugs were the issue in my younger years and lost a few mates to them but never got involved with it myself.

cheers

Dave

[Rod Sheridan]

Excellent news Paul, keep up the hard work............Regards, Rod.

[Brent Ring]

Congrats to everyone who has put down one addiction or another. They come in all forms. I've been clean & sober for 26 yrs & don't miss it.....

It is true - congrats to everyone who has broken any form of addictive behaviors!