Life or Misery; that's the choice

Hey Mixer.

I know you're past the mark by now but just wanted to say congraulations on the 50 days my friend. I see we're both still maintaining our route to GURU and very glad to see so many others have joined in with the challenge also.

Hope this finds you well pal, here's to the next 50.

Hi Dholla - and thank you for your kind words. Great to hear your keeping on the GF 'straight and narrow' - we will be GURUs, in good time, but we can, and will, get there!

And congrats on your Diamond Jubilee toting up a regal 60 days yesterday!

Hi Mixer thankyou for posting on my diary. Like you so rightly point out, it's a beautiful world if we look in the right places. The wonderful opportunities presented to me are everywhere within my ***. I need to respect my freedom more and appreciate all that I have been blessed with.

Chirping up a bit now, I had a black cloud following me around earlier. Went to the doctors and told him nobody noticed me, he looked right past me and said ' Next ' I was a bit annoyed and told him I kept dreaming i was a pair of curtains, 'Pull yourself together ' he replied.

Hi Abstainer, really pleased to hear you're feeling chipper again 🙂

Long may it be so.

I'm on Britvik 55. Or, more contemporously, J2O 55. Utterly resolved to being GF tomorrow and planning for it now, ready for my vow tomorrow morning.

Up early today. Got a long trip up north for my sins! But have made my daily vow: "Today, I will not make a bet."

I'm travelling up, by train, with only £20 in my pocket, so that will certainly focus my mind.

But if there's an emergency I can always ask one of my staff to sub me a couple of quid!

But the point is I am ready to face, and embrace, the day, Gambling Free. Day 56.

And doing it the way that suits me best, always looking for other ways, but, at the moment, with blocks in place, counselling, support from my lived ones and friends - including here on Gamcare - it will do for me!

Whatever works - and each to one's own. Respect and tolerance aren't bad attributes in my book!

Day 56. Wow, you're making great progress man. Glad you're taking charge of the situation still. How was the train journey?

Yes Thanks Adam; and the (return) trip was fine - back from the great city of Newcastle!

Morning Mixer . Wishing you a great weekend. Well done on brightening up the diaries ....stephen

Glint - thank you for my haiku a few days back for my 50th (days GF) and "Omedetou gozaimasu", for which I can only reply: "arigatou gozaimasu"! Very much!

Stephen - likewise my friend. Hope you're having a good weekend.

All the best Glint!

Mixer thankyou for the post on my diary. I have just enjoyed reading the Sunday Rollcall on the Guru Challenge thread. Well done on that ....stephen

Hi mixer regular reader of the guru challenge so thought I’d pop this way and share some thoughts on your diary if you don’t mind ? I think I’ve mentioned this before maybe but I’ve been following the fobt debate for some time now. I remember a time those things weren’t even called the fobt yet trialled in the slot houses. Me the Guinea pig. They were 2 pound a spin back then and still as deadly as the ones we see today. You just lost over a longer period ultimately you lost. Moving on I don’t think we will see the reduction to 2 pound reason being it’s not the gc who’s leading the review it’s the government. The actual organisation who will lose the most cash. Ie revenue so I believe they will go for middle ground somewhere around 20. Which as we know is still a lot of money?

I think labour have the right idea that being a straight up tax that forces them to put money into addiction treatment at the moment it’s not mandatory it’s more hush hush money if you catch my drift? So Jezza and his pals are onto something there. You also mentioned a fine a well known company had. That was voluntary sought of a here’s some money we made a mistake. The actual figure is as you can imagine a lot worse.

For me I’d like to see an actual self exclusion scheme that works sense does it well so why can’t they follow the same structure and bring in a form of identification check? That and more money plowed into addiction rehabilitation would be sufficient in my eyes.

Hi Mixer thanks for posting on my diary. Saddened to see Alan is leaving us but we're always here if he wishes to come back.

Congratulations on your 60 Days GF which is less than an hour away. Achieved in your inimitable style with great finesse .

Enjoyed listening to Bastille - Pompeii , great song.

Hi Mixer hope your having a good week. Respect for your Guru Challenge which is proving very popular. Achievable goals presented in a light hearted way which are fun and also motivational. I've got my eye set on Guru status and nothing's going to stop me. Wishing you well in your own recovery, a contented future, free from that awful addiction ...stephen

Day 61 and resolved as ever!

Thank you for your post Wentworth; a thoughtful one to which I'll reply shortly.

And lovely posts as ever Stephen... have responded on your thread 🙂

Hi Mixer thanks for the post on my diary. Great job with the Guru Challenge, I feel it is a great motivational tool and you make it interesting and a lot of fun.

Big congratulations on 66 Days GF ....stephen