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Youtube is an interesting thing. Here’s Bill W talking about the 12 traditions of AA. Thanks to user Billgwilson for posting them

Part1

Part2

See the other 5 parts in the Video Section

sunnaa2mod, originally uploaded by ukjohnd.

3000 Days off the Booze and any mind altering substances……..

Bloody Fantastic………

Hard work at times but the rewards are immeasurable. Instead of an early miserable lonely death, I’ve got fantastic friends, a relationship with my family a gorgeous girlfriend and a “just add water” young family. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be possible to have the life I have today when I landed in AA frightened and scared.

Still haven’t gotten over counting the days and hope I never do.

Last weekend went over to the English Southern National Convention at Brean Sands for the second year running. Never really been a convention person but my good lady keeps getting asked to share at them and loves getting involved in them.

Had a very different experience this year as was looking after the girls for most of it, went swimming for the first time in 16 years (even did it twice in two days) Defiantly getting over any body image issues I may have once had, does help being a darn sight fitter than I ever was and not the emaciated weakling I once was.

Saturday night was the dance and had a fantastic time dancing with my good lady and the youngest of the girls sporting the campest of sparkly Cowboy hats. Everyone we were with had a great time including my 1st sponsee both that evening and also earlier in the day at the fun fair on roller coasters, bumper cars and various other rides.

Doing my Daddy Daycare bit meant I didn’t do too many of the meetings but attended the Spiritual Meeting on the Sunday morning with the girls, there was barley a dry eye in the room of around a thousand as the meeting was dedicated to the memory of Malcolm O who passed away recently and who did a huge amount of Service work for this fellowship and the Southern National Convention. His widow Sheila spoke of his service to AA and how in even the darkest times towards the end was still committed to AA service and this program and also the support that the family of AA gave them.

Malcolm was the warmest and gentlest of men and will be well remembered by the many people his life touched, I will always remember the singing at the spiritual meeting of Josh Grobans “You raise me up” which was also played at Malcolm’s funeral.

Been a busy old summer so far, got a new job within my company which will finally give me something to get my teeth into, this alcoholic gets bored running the same old projects year after year, and their letting me loose running projects in the US get a break for a while from international side.

Just got back from a wonderful week away with my fantastic girlfriend, while we missed the kids while they were staying with their grandmother it was great to get a whole week for just the two of us.

We landed a Belfast and had a little luxury at the MalMaison Belfast and were very impressed with the redevelopment of the city centre, and got to have dinner with an old friend who stuck with me throughout the worst of my drinking and her son.

We then drove down the coastal route to Dublin, I visited there 6 months sober seeing it 8 years sober was a very different experience, re-doing things a little while a part in sobriety gives me a great comparison of how much I’ve changed in sobriety.
Got to make a small amend to my late Irish Grandmother who never saw me sober by lighting a candle and saying a prayer for her in St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Dublin is an amazing city and we’ll certainly be going back, even managed to make a meeting there.

We toured over to Donegal, travelled through the mountains along to the Giants Causeway, staying in a hostel (discovered our days or staying in hostels are over, communal living with hippies and scary German Lesbians not fun), visited the village of “Muff” because we could and got a snap of me pretending to “Dive” by the sign, had a romantic Fish and Chips in Portrush under blankies, then drove along the Antrim coast back to Belfast. Tried unsuccessfully hunting for a meeting on the Falls Road, ended up with a tour of the other side of Belfast with the murals and Flags, a little scary as we did rather out of place driving up and down hunting for the place.

Few of the snaps below and more in the Gallery as ever without the people in keeping with Tradition 11

Weeks away in beautiful places with the lady you love and having a bloody good laugh as we did it, is what this Alcoholics Recovery is for, I wouldn’t have gone through all the crap in the early days if their weren’t rewards like this.

I had the most wonderful day on Thursday 19th, celebrating Eight years of recovery.

Cards, text messages, presents and treats.

I got given a day out being pampered at a relaxation centre in my home town, with Spa, Sauna and a full body massage by my wonderful girlfriend, and then taken out for a great dinner at an Italian Restaurant, great food and a vibrant atmosphere generated by the highly excitable owner and staff.

My girlfriends girls made me cards and I now have the campest pink nodding poodle in the back of my car. I was given every 8 year old boys dream a scaletrix, a space hopper, two lava lamps and a Bagpuss video.

I never thought I’d make 8 days out of rehab let alone 8 years, its been one hell of a roller-coaster ride at times and taken me to places I’d never even have dreamed of when i landed in AA just wanting the crap to stop. I have the most F*cking fantastic life today thanks to AA which I would never have got to see if I hadn’t been willing enough to keep coming back and not pick up a drink a day at a time.