Hey Mark,
Fellow friend of Bill W as well. Vodka was also my spirit of choice.Congratulations on such a long term. I fell off the wagon a time or two over my 30 years, but retired from my career about three years ago and found that in doing so I had also lost my motivation to imbibe. I've been clear for those three years, but I still purchase the spirits when the wife and I entertain. I also like to cook, so I may try the vodka pie crust trick. My feeling like you described came a few years before I quite drinking, but after I had put down a 3 pack a day smoking habit. I felt like I had dodged a bullet when I could visit with friends at a bar and have drinks, but not relapse on the smoking.

 

Well done guys! That is something to hang your hat on! John

 

29 yrs this month- how big a differnce does it really make in a pie crust?
You don't go to a whore house to listen to the piano player.

 

in the pie crust the difference is amazing to me. I never thought something so simple would make such a difference. On the plus side I never considered drinking any of it, it was just the realization the this was the first time I purchased liquor in such a long time.
If I say I'm pretty secure in my recovery I better get to a meeting, you know the adages about being too comfortable.

 

You are using it as a spice, so to speak. And unlike some kids today that snort cinnamon, you felt no urge to 'fall in that hole' for the thrill. You are a credit to the cause. God bless you all, one day at a time. We all have our demons, and like the rest of life, it is not the cards we were dealt, but how we deal with them. I am thankful today for all my fellow friends, some I've never met, from this site, that have supported me when I'm down ...AC

 

Congratulation to y'all for resisting temptation. I don't think I would have gone to the liquor store and risked throwing away 26 years of being sober. I quit smoking 32 years ago and hardly think about it anymore but would be foolish to smoke a cigarette to see what I miss. Again I applaud y'all for being strong and let's all give thanks for our blessing's no matter how big or small. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

 

I am also a friend of Bill W.
6 years.
I am thankful for the amazing life I have today.
God bless and happy Thanksgiving.

 

After being on the receiving end of spirits bottles for 40+ years, I finally came to realize this is not how I want to spend the last years of my life. It's taking me a while to clean out remaining bottles in the house, been over a year now and I too have lost the desire for drink.
I salute all of you that have many years of sobriety to your credit.

 

Will be 26 years next Jan. for me. Best 26 years of my life!!

 

You might if the girls there kept giving you the clap but you really liked the band. Many sober alcoholics I know spend a lot of time in bars. They are still alcoholics, just sober, and like many of the traits of alcoholics. When they meet one who needs the help they once needed, you are there for them. Jesus walked among the sinners. AC

 

I have not had a drink in over 3 years.Due to heart problems. The doctors had my wife making my funeral arrangements back in 2007 at 48 years of age,I never considered my self a alcoholic, I should have quit earlier.Smoking and drinking would trigger my irregular heart beat.I have gone this long with out it why would I want to spoil it now?

 

A very grateful friend of Bill W here as well. If I make it - one day at a time - to this coming February 10th I will have been alcohol free for 25 years. We have plenty of alcohol products in our home for those that choose to drink it and I've bought it many times over the years but once I made that commitment to myself I never once wavered. .. But it wasn't always easy. .. Sober cheers to all!

 

Good for you, Mr.Dig!

FWIW using vodka for the liquid in pie crust allows the indredients to mix quickly and easily but "cheats" in the amount of water used. Over handling or over mixing the dough activates the gluten and makes the crust tough. Too much water will make it too dense. When the alcohol cooks off, it is as if the dough were mixed using only about 60% of the water. The result is a tender and flakey crust. Vodka contributes nothing to the taste of the crust, it only improves the texture. It is not a "spice".

 

I have been a friend of B. W,coming up 32 years,it has been the saving grace since I finally gave up the idea I was a social drinker. I have been hunting for over 60 years and doing so sober for nearly 32, have seen and harvested more,had a lot more fun,and learned not to take life to damn serious,you all have a great day. Jack. (Cut Block.

 

Bill W. saved my life. thank you all. AC

 

brother, good for you for staying sober. A close family member is an alcoholic and she did fall off the wagon twice, and it was pretty bad. She is now sober about 15 years. My experience is that without becoming sober you end up dead or in jail. There is pretty much no other result. One day at a time and good for you!

 

Mark, I guess different things work for different people. Several years ago, I was in a home brewing and winemaking supply store, and the lady there offered me a sample wine she had made. It was excellent, and I told her so. She said "so I've heard." I asked her what she meant, and she told me she hadn't had a drop to drink since 1962.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, I guess.

 

God bless to all of you. I quit in 84 with the help of friends and colleagues and the One above.

 

I've known Bill & Dr Bob for quite some time now, 26 years in November.
Great guys.
GH1

 

Thanks Bill & Bob. 33yrs. this October I was a social drinker also I would drink with anybody or by myself :biggrin: When someone says they had a slip means they wanted to drink :beer: More than staying sober. And everyone knows a slip is something a woman wears. Cheers :tee:

 

Thanks to all of you! Will be 31 years come the 8th of November. My oldest child turned 31 last May and was the "big Push" for me to quit. Any whiskey, bourbon, Scotch, Irish, Canadian, didn't matter. It was all too good! Then I bought two liquor stores and became my own best customer. Haven't been sick in 31 years....

Jeff

 

Thirty years ago this coming Superbowl, I got hammered watching the game and took a leak in the closet. Haven't had a drink since. Only went to three AA meetings, as it just wasn't for me. Money I saved paid for a real nice Colt HBAR Match, which I subsequently traded for two very well-bred Arabian horses. Finally quit smoking last year. Hoping I make it past the 2016 election. I really want to see what happens. If, after stopping smoking, I don't die of obesity first. Man, those no-smoking pounds just LEAPT upon me...I was pretty svelte and slim before.

 

This is great! I'll have 28 years in November. I'm about ready to shower & head to my Friday meeting. This thread is the best long term sobriety message I've gotten in a long time. I would just as soon eat things that didn't require alcohol, but cooking is special to some folks. My sponsor used to clean his smoking pipes with grain alcohol. I saw him going into the liquor store one day, and followed him in to "save his life", that is when he told me about his pipes. I fretted about it for awhile, but that is 20 years ago, so I guess it is OK. Thanks for sharing.

 

I have had some substance abuse problems as well.Those who knew me back then are surprised I'm still here.I've blacked out and overdosed more times than I can remember.
I think it's more about changing yourself ,rather than avoiding a substance.I'm not afraid to be around certain people ,places or things ,because they do not appeal to the person I am today.But,we're all different.Only you know your own shortcomings and limitations.Just make sure that you are not fooling yourself.

 

I used alcohol to clean my pipes also - quit smoking 19 years ago - made the pipes taste like my "good stuff" when they were clean. Just one of the many things I learned in the Army...


Jeff