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Finally got to have a chill out weekend without driving places or rushing around, stayed in the village I grew up in and also where my AA home group is. Great to get the chance to escape from City life with my Girlfriend and her kids, even got to have my grandmother over for Sunday lunch. The sun even appeared for us and there was a little respite from the torrential rain.

Life doesn’t get much better than this………

Took a ton of pics but my favorites without people in were just from around the garden.

Got my car troubles sorted finally with the help of a friend in the fellowship who kindly came to look at cars with me as I’m clueless with that kinda thing.

Poor old “Dirty Bill” my battered old Mondeo got written off by a rather thoughtless lady in a BMW. Fortunately and most importantly no one was seriously hurt but the pain in the ass was a bump to the head, shock, being late for my first dinner with my girlfriends mother, dealing with the useless insurers, car hire company and finding a new car.

Got to be grateful I wasn’t pissed behind the wheel at the time, I have a shiny clean driving licence, I was insured, I have a car and the freedom to travel where I like when I like and life is just about manageable enough to be able to sort out the life stuff.

Dead Dirty Bill

Shiny new Max

I’m an Uncle!!!! and I don’t have to be the embarrassing “drunken uncle” slumped in the corner.

Congratulations to by brother and his wife on the birth of their first baby daughter, might be a little while till I get to meet her unfortunately as they live in Ghana.

My mathematical obsession continues, 250 million seconds since I landed with a bump into my new sober life at the tender age of 24.

I survived the millennium eve celebrations sober, participated in first Christmas sober, first Birthday sober, first wedding invite, first of many things have happened and so long as I don’t have a “duvet day” and go out and participate in my own life then there are lots more firsts to be experienced.

Had my first school concert last night and was fantastic to see my girlfriends youngest 6 year old daughter having a great time on stage singing and dancing.

Slightly blurs Tradition 11 although I’m barely recognisable from this snap of me about 5 years in, on Brooklyn Bridge, so hot that holiday I shaved my head.

Turn’s out I’m a big old softy at heart, my girlfriends kids made yesterday “John’s Day” and “Mummy’s boyfriend day” as a substitute to Fathers day. They’d made me cards with lovely messages and spent ages making me presents, took all I could not to blub there and then when they gave them too me.

After that we all went down to play on Southsea beach and eat ice cream. The evening was my girlfriend and I going out for a very nice dinner with my folks at Edwinns in Fareham.

Great days like this were not even dreamed of when I was drinking and took a while to start happening in recovery but I’m bloody glad I stuck with it and got the opportunity to live a life full of The AA Promises.

Southsea beach
Image by villageidiot under CC licence.