Abstain and maintain.Stepping forward never back.

Hey Duncs

I've not been using the site too much lately. Not because I don't need it but because gambling really is a distant thought for me and everything related to it. It's been 8 1/2 months now since I chose to follow another more rewarding path in my life. The path of abstinence. I have a tough few years ahead of me to be debt free but I face the next 3 years with a steely determination never to need gambling in my life again.

Just wanted to drop in and say best wishes to you and the family. I hope life is treating you well. Top man!

G

Hope the poorly hand is on the mend Duncs...owch !

Those pesky screwdrivers ..lol ..least you didn't use a bread knife which I confess I sometimes have ..

Onwards my friend ....inspiration as always ...8 legs coming up next week again...nope ,,,not a spider ...greyhound is coming back for another holiday!

R and D xx

Morning Diary.

No log on yesterday as the phone would not let me log on for some reason.

Anyhooo I went for a lovely walk with my Sarah and the dogs, we took them for there first outing to the beach, buckets spades and sand castles all round lol, they had a blast, running to catch the waves then running away !! This morning they got up with me early as I wanted to water the plants and tidy the garden before the heat kicks in and before I turned round they had sloped back off to join Sarah for a lay in lol.

So the cricket starts again today to which I am hoping to enjoy a competitive test, don't mind who wins as long as there is some action.

Off to get some paint for the front room shortly, we did a shop around found some wallpaper for the feature wall on sale for a few quid a roll and the paint from a local shop is by far and away the cheapest, so we will paint the front room and the stairs and landing along with one papered wall for circa fifty quid!! Happy days I got some ceiling paint from a contractor at work who had surplus from the job and as Sarah is off for six weeks it will make a great project for the summer.

The reward of abstinence.

You take out what you put in.

duncs stepping forward never back.

the palm has healed nicely good old butterfly stitches!!

Hi Duncs,

The gift that keeps giving, Abstience !. Sounds like you have a bit of project on your hands im sure it will be worth all the effort again a bit like abstience.

Keep on painting, I feel a masterpeice coming on.

take care

best wishes to sarah

blondie

Hey Duncs

o*g ! with DF as a native and me as a 3 yr tourist of Oz I am torn on the cricket !!!!

Think Headingly and my home town of Leeds may just swing it ..bit I can't resist an Ozzie batsman with zinc oxide sunblock on his nose!!!!

Xxxx

Hi Duncs,

Wow sounds like you are not wasting a minute of your spare time. It's great to spend time with your loved ones. I'm very pleased for you.

A little project at home ey? fantastic, i'm sure it's going to look wonderful after you finish it all.

Take care and day at a time:)

Sandra x

evening diary

Last night I had an amazing night, Our Joe had a fellow poet around for supper, so for the price of a pie and mash supper Sarah and i were treated to listening to some amazing spoken word. Wow it was good, two young people doing what they love to do. a gift and one neither waste. they are performing at a festival soon one with an expected 70000 audience, gladly we will be amongst them.

Busy day today but one which i bounced through.

I found a gift, it's free.

the one thing that can make a compulsive gambler truly happy,forefilled . Abstinence.

My gambling brain still tries it on, today in the shop i saw a few fellas i know who were all off to goodwood today, good thing is they all know about my gambling, so no awkward questions as to why i wasn't heading that way.

But for a spell afterwards my gambling brain went into overdrive, to see if it could find a cr#ack to squeeze through well i stared it down and shared a joke.

How do you make a compulsive gambler a millionaire??

Start him a billionaire!!!!!

I made my choice.

No bet today.

Sanding woodwork early tomorrow to prep for the painting.

I hope you all have weekends full of happiness.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hey Duncs

I love how you laugh In the face of those urges and see them for what they are and nothing pulls you off your path...

Sadly my urges got the better of me and I conspired to set myself up yesterday ...I know what I should avoid and what I should stay the hell away from yet I could not stop myself and became toxic ...

Going to try and make the best of today ...very tired so my defences are down.

R and D xx

Morning diary.

Rach today I do laugh at those urges because they are ridiculous, the outcome of me feeding my addictions desire would be devastating. The influence of other folk and there gambling good or bad will not derail this train, I refuse to return to a life founded on lies and deciept, as that is the life of a compulsive gambler, with each episode the lies grow and worst of all is the person you lie to most is yourself.

Life today is measured and about choice.

Because abstinence gifts us the ability to have a choice.

To feed our addiction we steal this from ourselves.

I did win because I did stop.

A good way to start and end your day if gambling f****d your life for as long as it did mine.

My resolve once again topped up, my glass half full.

Sanding calls lol.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Thanks Duncs

The honesty in your posting is inspiring and a great lesson for me in yesterday's post.

Keep up the fab work Duncs- you are doing amazingly well!

Take care

Irene

x

Yo,

Thank you for your messages of support over the last couple of weeks .

There are a few good guys in this world and you Duncs are one of them, your support to others is outstanding .

Right enough of that , have a great evening .

Shiny xxxxx

Hey Duncs

guess who's lying on my couch..? yep! .a greyhound all snugged up.....oh yeah....and a sulking jack Russell little girl giving me dirty looks......lol

Xx

Hey Duncs,

Your honesty is big inspiration to me. While gambling i forgot everything this life is about.

I enjoy finding something new each day. It's like opening your eyes, or making your first steps in new future. I appreciate every sensation, good or bad, there is always a lesson to be learned.

Biggest respect to you my friend, you doing amazing, and helping us all to get further away from this desrtuctive desease.

Take care, and keep doing what you doing

Day at a time

Sandra x

Morning diary.

Thanks for the kind words truly i feel humbled by them.

So the kitchen at home got painted, it is now raspberry blush, amazing how much light it brings, Sarah is doing the skirting and door today and that's room one done. Lol it was the smallest one as there are many tiles and cupboards but a good start, at the same time i deep cleaned the oven with some chemical from work. So a satisfying start.

Sarah taught me a good lesson this weekend about pacing yourself. I would put on the second coat before the first one dried, the old gung ho Duncs!! But painted is surely like recovery. You have to strip back the old paint first, sand out the rough bits and clean off all the sh#it.

Then you can start to paint.

You find a colour that suits you, then apply layers.

Then you finish the edges to box it off.

You always keep the left over paint to do repairs as they arise.

And to end you have a product that can always be redecorated to suit your needs and most of all something to enjoy.

Today i set my stall out.

To make a choice to better my tomorrow.

No bet today.

Duncs stepping forward never back.

Hello Duncs, making sense yet again. Decoration is like recovery, its all in the preparation.

Failure to prepare!

Prepare to fail!

Has the same rhythm to ' Abstain and Maintain '

Anyway, im harping on now and you were right about thanking my fat f**k of a pm, thinking about his slothery, drowned out any thoughts to a crafty punt.

As always Duncs a massive Strength and Honor to you and your clan