Hi y'a'll... heading for a northern city where i plan to roll out some ACA stuff. 

I have an Alanon meeting pegged in for Monday coming. Alanon is thin on the ground in NZ- and ACA thinner.

So Alanon groups are great standbys for us- with the alcoholic or addiction in the family...

One time I thought I would leave Alanon behind- but not so. I have SMR in one hand and Hope for Today in t'other.

I feel certain that it will always belike this!  ...

I am just so used to people letting me down. In our neck of the woods we had this talk "pub talk". 

Where great plans and dream would eventuate- all to be forgotten the following morning.

The tough rough stuff followed the same pattern! I think we all know about both.

Our national treatment centre has been closed now for 20 years. Sadly, I went there twice. People who did well there were eternally grateful,

and still are. But the pass-out rate was meagre, overall.

My own humble view was that the use of The Steps there was a breach of tradition 8.

Most of the successful recovery folk- who went to meetings afterwards- saw the treatment model as a way of doing the steps- and it stuck.

The most wretched and irrelevant akronym i ever heard was N.U.T.S. Not using the steps. This is personal, not Alanon policy- because this acronym was slung at me once.

The P-p-p-panic bit in my heading- I was having serious panic attacks only 18 months ago.

Like screaming sweating feelings of not coping. Abandonment. 

My first flight was cancelled this morning because of the fog. My SO is am essential worker- and th street top the hospital park we use was closed off.

I allowed enough time- and the cancellation extended it. 

My SO tends to panic a bit too- and she was no the end of the phone screaming pout instructions...

...well, so far as texting will do that!

But I have made it so far. Managed to reschedule the second leg of my trip- ON MY OWN!

Not bad for an old cowboy who used to kick around the valley on a horse!

I am lining up voluntary work- with Alanon, ACA, NA, AA, SLAA, OA, or whoever.

I believe that we should work together to find solutions... pick back other's brains; swap notes...

lots of us have different affiliations, anyway!  ...

In October I am going to a trauma two-day workshop. Have been doing this for two or three years.

I always put myself down as a volunteer, and cite ACA and/or Alanon.

I always sit up near the front- and get the best of attention from the tutor.

Lots sit up near the back. The cynic in me thinks they are just filling in their resumes...  ...

I call this "the trauma trail".

Remember that the 12 Step founder was born in a room behind a bar in East Dorset, Vermont.

I always, but always regard Lois as our co-founder. 

So i am sharing here from an airport. The fog is clearing...

gr8!