[neva]

Cat, I looked for your August pact and didn’t see it.  July was a disaster for me and I’m praying August is better.  Hope you had a serene relaxing time at your cabin. It’s good to hear you are doing the right things instead of wrongly wasting days in front of a slot machine. Sherry

[neva]

Stan, take whatever help you can find whether it’s in a group or addiction counseling or doctor’s help.  You have your whole life to live the way you should.  I recommend handling all your finances, pay and any money over to someone you trust or to an accountant.  Not being able to get money to gamble is a huge help.  Do everything you can to protect yourself and never give up on a better life. Sherry

[neva]

Hi Carole, I haven’t been logging on to GT for a while and it sounds like your life is going great!  Lots of changes and new friends!  I’m so happy for you.  Hope you and Liz have another wonderful visit.  Sherry

[neva]

Thanks Running Girl, p, Carole and Stan for posting on my thread.  I’ve been MIA…and the a stands for ‘action’ as in gambling.  I gambled a few ***** in July and each time I lost progressively more.  Mom has finally made a choice, along with me, to stop wasting our money at a casino.  We’ve promised each other that we won’t gamble until the new casino is built next year…that’s all we can work on for now.  Instead of depositing his share of our bills into our joint house account, my husband came home with cash.  I asked him to please not give me cash anymore but he handed me cash anyway saying he didn’t have a deposit slip.  He doesn’t need a deposit slip!  So, I have cash this weekend and am pretty sure I won’t gamble but don’t like the temptation. The past month’s gambling cost too much money that could have been used for so much good but I greedily blew it like money was no object…and it wasn’t while I was in the throes of gambling.  The only value money had was getting more so I could keep playing.
I got up and cleaned house from top to bottom, did all the laundry and went to Home Depot and got some more landscaping supplies and went to work outside.  Now I’m done and tired and the thoughts of gambling are here…but the day is winding down and I should relax and enjoy my clean house.  The dogs aren’t happy though since I won’t let them in.
I can’t do much more outside because the cement work isn’t done and won’t be done until September. That’s more money to come up with but it’s money well spent.  I’ve spent a good part of my adult life regretting that I gambled, wishing I had the money back and promising to never gamble again.  Here I am starting over again…I’m not complaining because life is so much more comfortable when I don’t gamble–even if it’s just for today. I’m just thankful that there is always support here when it’s our first day back…again and again.

[neva]

Hi Kathryn, I was thinking of you getting healthy and losing weight as I logged into myfitnesspal.com and wondered if I could stick with it.  I’ve been 100% eating right for 6 days…I know it’s just a start but hearing about your healthy life and riding bicycles with your friend, made me want that too.  I thought about doing Weight Watchers, like you did, but I didn’t want to put any money out…yet again and not stick to it. You are proof that we can change our habits and change our life and it’s motivated me.

[neva]

Happy Anniversary!  It’s hard to make it 21 years in this day and age…but you did it!  How exciting about the new car too.  Lots of wonderful things in your life…and you deserve every one of them!

[neva]

I love a good buy too and half price is an amazing savings.  An Alaskan Cruise sounds like fun.  We’ve talked about it and just might do a cruise some day.  You’ll be able to show off your cute clothes that you saved a ton of money on. Win win for you!

[neva]

I set myself up this weekend and it could have been a disaster but I got through the weekend without gambling.  I’m thankful, relieved and feeling stronger in my recovery.

[neva]

That’s a really low price.  Was it trashed inside?  I keep hearing the economy and house sales are picking up but it doesn’t sound like it is in your area.   Too bad we couldn’t see the future because we’d all make some changes.

[neva]

Good for you in getting that cash to the Bank, your line of credit paid and plans to visit Scotland!!!  Sounds wonderful.  So many rewards/blessings possible because your not gambling.  I’m very happy for you!
I know what you mean about getting things done.  I’ve gotten a ton done with the new house (I’m even surprised) but I can’t seem to get going on the little house.  Someone is interested in it but I told them I won’t show them until I have it ready.  Even if it means losing the sale, I don’t have the energy and don’t want to be forced to hurry it up. I have so many closets and cupboards and room in the new house that I hope I never have clutter or junk to deal with…of course it’s up to me to make sure that doesn’t happen. Anyway, I don’t blame you for putting it off. Keep planning and looking forward to that trip to see your family.  You deserve it.

[neva]

I am happy to say that June is still a g-free month.  No gambling today either.

[neva]

Got the table done and moved into the house. The French doors sure made it easier to get it in the house.  It’s okay but I don’t love it…but I don’t want to buy a new one right now so it will do.
This weekend was a 100% choice to not gamble.  I have $500 cash (saving cash to pay the guys that do our patio), picked mom up to spend some time with her and knew the casino topic would come up.  So, I made sure not to take any cash with me, mom wanted to go by the casino to get a free lunch for both of us and her $10 cash reward.  I told her I wasn’t going to gamble and she says ‘Heavens no, I don’t want to gamble either".  We went through the dark dingy building, past all the sad souls losing money, past the tables of bingo players and into the restaurant.  I felt sick and told mom that she could order but I didn’t want anything to eat from here.  On the way out, mom found the machine she lost hundreds of dollars on last Thursday but someone was playing it so she quickly sat next to it and put in a twenty.  She was staying up past her twenty, got up to $60 and handed me twenty to play the machine next to her.  Well I know that playing even one bet would turn me into a crazy lady and I’d be running home, taking money out of the safe and hating myself.  I said ‘NO, once I start I can’t stop’. Mom looked surprised but kept playing. We were there less than an hour (a record for us), mom cashed out $120 a head, we went to Subway for lunch, Home Depot to shop, my house to look at the new baby and Dairy ***** for an ice cream cone on the way to take her back home. It was a very good day…mainly because I made the choice not to gamble. I’m feeling extremely thankful today.  I think watching RG’s you tube video that morning made a difference. The chance to gamble keeps popping up but I know as long as I don’t make that first bet then there will be no chance to make the second and third and on and on until hundreds of dollars are gone.
Better get something done today.  Actually I’m surprised how much I have been getting done on most days. As I’ve said before, I feel like I’m finally living life.
 

[neva]

Thanks RG and Cat for your posts!  My husband had to moves some cows early this morning and he asked me if I’d feed the bottle calves so I **** myself out of bed fairly early and walked down the hill. I spotted a little one in the field with the horses…a small black baby trying to nurse off of a horse.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Bud, the smallest calf, would try that but the horse wasn’t getting irritated. So I got closer and realized it was a brand new baby foal. Black with a white star on it’s forehead, long legs and just newly born. My husband hadn’t mentioned that she was bred so I was very surprised.
It’s already noon but I have the bathrooms cleaned, floors vacuumed and shining, laundry done (of course it’s pretty easy to do all this in a new house) and the table hosed off.  I’m planning to have the table top refinished this weekend.  It’s drying in the sun.  I need to pick up some stain and varnish this afternoon.  If the table and chairs don’t look as good as I’m hoping, I’ll have to look for a new set.  I’ve spent too much money lately and don’t want to buy another dining room set.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful gamble-free weekend.
 

[neva]

What a wonderful day to not gamble.  I’m making the most of this weekend and choose to not gamble…but also having blocks in place to make that choice even easier.

[neva]

Today was another day lived with no gambling anywhere in it.  Everyday we don’t gamble is accepting a gift from God of the life he has meant for all of us.  That might sound preachy but it’s what I know to be true.

[Author]

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