5 Things, Several Times

Phil tagged me, then Andy tagged me with the same meme. So here goes...

10 Years Ago Today: I was living in West Hollywood having been sent there to keep watch over the manager of the LA showroom. Feeling desperately lonely, missing Houston and starting to drink heavily. Angry with myself for giving in when asked asked to move there. Feeling lost. Was headed for a serious mental and/or nervous breakdown. Los Angeles is the most soul-less place I have ever lived.

5 Years Ago Today: Getting over a weekend binge, detox Sunday. Drinking daily at home. Black outs. Total despair. Living within walking distance of 13 bars and never entering one of them. Messed up equilbrium. Total hell.

1 Year Ago: 269 days of sobriety. Not working. Just enjoying being sober. Working the steps. Here is my gratitude list from that day:
08.14.04
For 269 days of getting more than I expected
For my new gratitude list recipient, Norris L. Hi Norris!!!(now known as Queen Noor)
For Chris’ shares
To, day after day, sit with those whose greatest wish is that we all succeed
That everyone who comes into the rooms makes us stronger
That hope, given enough respect, becomes a comfortable reality
To improve on not judging by appearance
For those stronger than me who let me hold their hand
That when I am not thinking of God I need not worry because God is always thinking of me
For growing pains

Tomorrow: Work at home. Noon meeting. Dinner and TV with Randall and Jim.

Snacks I Enjoy:
1. Cheetos
2. Ice cream
3. Jalapeno pimento cheese on crackers
4. Green olives
5. Asiago cheese

Bands That I Know the Lyrics to Most of Their Songs:
1. Pet Shop Boys
2. David Bowie
3. Nina Hagen
4. B-52s
5. Moby

Things I Would Do with $100,000,000:
1. Hire a trustworthy lawyer. I know, but there has to be one out there. Maybe B from CA.
2. Build THE house with studio, hire the best tailor and cobbler, new car, new essentials, someone to force me to lose weight(!!!)
3. Decide what I need to live on and keep the rest at arm's length (trusted lawyer) because I would be afraid it would jeopardize my sobriety
4. Pay off my and my loved ones debts where possible
5. Extreme philanthropy

Bad Habits I Have:
1. Not trusting my Higher Power enough
2. Taking other's inventories
3. Fear
4. Sloth
5. Gluttony

Things I Like Doing:
1. Attending AA meetings, especially the 12:15 Monday - Friday
2. Blogging and other computer playgrounds
3. Snuggling with Chester
4. Dinner and TV nightly with Randall and Jim
5. Feeling happy

Things I Would Not Wear: (I hesitate to use the word never, because in the past what I said I would never do, I did)
1. Toupee or hair piece
2. One of those awful blue striped dress shirts with the long cuffs and the up-turned collar
3. Facial piercings
4. Gold jewelry, especially a neck chain (I get headaches from necklaces) I wear silver instead
5. Spray on tan

TV Shows I Like(d):
1. Green Acres
2. X Files
3. 1950s version of What's My Line?
4. Perry Mason (my hero)
5. Max Headroom

Movies I Like:
1. West Side Story
2. Amelie
3. Young Frankenstein
4. Norman Lear's HBO production of Greater Tuna
5. The Matrix

Famous People I Would Like to Meet:
1. Swami Muktananda
2. Bhagawan Nityananda
3. Jesus
4. Mohammed
5. The Buddha
Others would be Martha Stewart, Madonna, Sharon Osborne, Graham Norton, Augusten Burrows, the Mahatma Gandhi, David Bowie, Nina Hagen, Pierre and Gilles, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Andy Warhol, Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali, Georgia O'Keefe, Tamara de Lempika, James van Praagh and on and on

Biggest Joys at the Moment:
1. My sobriety
2. Being a non-smoker
3. The 11th and 12th Steps
4. The freedom of working at home
5. Hearing another alcoholic's story

Favorite Toys:
1. My eMachine computer
2. Cellphone
3. Fuji digital camera
4. Flat bed scanner
5. 13" Sharp color TV that sits right next to the computer


People to Tag:
You can tag yourself if you want.