Starting off with a bang...

Well this new year is starting out with a bang! This is a recap.

Wednesday I woke up early, got the kids all feed, took the dog out, and had to chase the cat down (it's very cold here). Got myself cleaned up, hubby was up banging around the house, and then we started to jump into preparation for taxes.

Hubby's taxes are a breeze, mine however are a nightmare to do, as I run a small business out of the house. The cool thing is I only have to file these once a year not quarterly, under my personal taxes. So, being the somewhat organized girl I've become, trust me this definitely wasn't so 4 years ago, I've learned to separate all of my expenses into categories. It also helps using a software designed to keep track of my expenditures over the whole year.

This isn't a lot of fun, but it is interesting, as I see how much we spend on different things from year to year, what has increased, what could be outta control and so on... and this is just a time consuming process, adding everything up, double checking figures, all this before I even start to file - WHEW!!! Bet your exhausted just listening to this dribble.

So onward and upward. Finally in the afternoon I ran out to take care of a few errands, called a couple of the girls to see who was coming to the 14th Annual N.U.T.S. Study Group, stopped to pickup dinner, ran home ate (inhaled more likely) dinner, talked to the girls some more to coordinate who's meeting when and where, worked on the tax prep some more, cleaned up and was ready to walk out the door when "D" called.

"D" is one of my sponsees and she was going to meet at my house then up north to the meeting we would go. However she calls and says "Kimmie I can't get to your street the cops have the entrance blocked." Huh?! Cops have our street blocked? "Yeah, I'm at yadda yadda, I'll see if they'll let me through." OK. How about I walk to the top of the street and just meet you there? "D" replies "That would work."

So I get of the phone and tell hubby cops have the street blocked off, and I'm gonna walk up and meet "D". He says "COPS, cool maybe there's a dead body, a decapitated head (he is joking) - wait I'll drive you up!" Yes, I love him but he's still a very, very sick man, and acts like a 4 year old at heart. So we hop in the car, "D" is waiting, I kiss hubby and are on our way. The main street outside of my neighborhood is blocked off traveling north, but I can't see what's the matter.

"D" and I head out for the meeting and we get to do one of my favorite things on a road trip. The meeting before the meeting, and the meeting after the meeting. We had a very good conversation, with lots of experience, strength and hope passed back and forth (can't say more it was sponsor/sponsee stuff).

The meeting was excellent. N.U.T.S. - Not Using The Steps, was started 14 years ago by a man named Harmon V. His sponsor had taken him to hear Charlie (from Joe & Charlie tapes) at a seminar. Harmon was so moved, and wanted to keep learning he talked to Charlie about it. Charlie told him, "You have a responsibility." So, Harmon with the help of others started N.U.T.S. We received a wealth of information last night, and I know it didn't all stick, that's why I'm a repeater. Though I'm not alone, almost the entire original starting members still attend every year, Harmon calls us the really sick ones.

Last night he briefly explained to us exactly what the Big Book is to us, and what it is not, and that he will cover this more in depth as we move along. He will displace a lot of the myths and false knowledge that has sprung up in the fellowship. He says he is not a teacher, but a student and is passing on what he has learned. He had some statistics, and facts, and I am going to need a tape recorder because I just can't write that fast. I've known Harmon for a short time, and the first thing I remember about him was that he talked as fast as my brain worked, which is pretty scary on so many different levels, but I really get him.

He then turned the floor over to Gail, who works with Archives, and she gave us a brief summary on the history of "Alcoholics Anonymous". If any of you ever visit from another country, please make sure to stop at the Archives Office in Akron, OH. There, they have every single Big Book printed in the language of that particular country with the country's flag on it. And these visitors are asked to sign the book from their country. I thought this was very cool, we have reached across so far, to so many, and spread light and joy where there was only darkness.

The meeting lasted about an hour and half and will meet every Wednesday from January to May. We will cover the first 164 pages in great detail again, I brought in tow some of the girls because we wanted to share this experience with others, and they are looking forward to more they really enjoyed last night.

I included this link and I hope you enjoy: http://www.akronaaarchives.org/mtWords.htm

Lastly, when we got home the power was out. He said someone took out not one, but two power poles, and that's all he knew. The stretch of road it happened on is a big curve, and with the snow it was most likely slick. Hopefully no one was hurt, so please say a quick prayer for them.

Hubby said it went off shortly after we left, he was concerned, but not panicked. I say this because the parrots need to stay warm, they shouldn't be exposed to long term temps under 68 degrees. The house was around 66 when I got home, so we lit some more candles, pulled all the comforters we had, put two of them in their cages and covered them to keep'em warm. We got ready for bed, and my baby Tretoe got to sleep with me. He used to do this all the time, but the dander from his feathers really makes my allergies bad. So I have had to stop doing this, but last night I needed to keep him warm so off we went.

This is what happens, I snuggle into bed, with a pillow against my body, he sits on top of the pillow and curls right against my neck. He then chortles, gurgles, makes dripping sounds for about two minutes, snuggles in even closer, nibbles my ear, and then finally falls asleep. It's very cute, and he is the most thankful animal I have ever met, and we fell back into this routine last night like we had never quit - ha ha! He makes me smile just thinking about his cute, feathered butt! Well, we both were just on the verge of unconsciousness when - *POP* the lights came back on. So I got back up, turned everything off, and then we went through our routine again, where we both finally drifted off to sleep.

This morning they all decided to make noise at 8 am, we didn't get to bed till real late (after 2 am), so I was up and moving, got them all feed, watered, and out on poop patrol. Here I sit and write real quick, I've got severe sleepy face and am nursing this cup of coffee - thank God for java! I have some cleaning to do around the house. Then I have the privilege of lead ing tonight for a friend, and for another friend on Sunday afternoon.

I will leave you with this one last item I heard last night. There are a lot of "we, they, our" in the Big Book, I found one page (36 B.B.) that goes overboard with "I", but there is a reason for that - you can read it for yourself. Generally at meetings we open with the "Serenity Prayer", this is how our group conscious has chosen to say it:

God,
grant us the serenity,
to accept the things we cannot change,
the courage to change the things we can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen

Have a great day!

Love,
Kimberly