# Holy Schnoikies. 4 Years Sober!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 20, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153 "2008-03-20T23:36:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/1 "2008-03-20T23:36:40Z")
I woke up early this morning. The garage door opener installer came to put in the new openers I bought for my new house. I then ran over and picked up a new car stereo, someone broke into my car last year and broke mine so I finally got a new one.
I got home and had lunch with my girlfriend then cleaned the garage so we can actually park in it.
I then sat down to read the 'Dope and realized that today is my four year anniversary. Today I have been clean and sober for four years.
I’ve posted before about getting sober. Alas, I can’t search for those threads to re-read (to remind myself where I was back then) or to link to in this post.
Short recap for those who don’t know. I am a recovering alkie. I did all the dumb stuff alkies usually do, alienate family and friends, get DUIs, lost jobs. All that crap. I turned my life into hell because I couldn’t stop drinking.
Finally, I realized that alcohol won. I wasn’t going to get sober by myself (and man did I try). So I ended up in a halfway house. The idea of the halfway house scared the crap out of me at first. I thought I was better than having to live in a halfway house. Obviously I wasn’t, otherwise I would have never ended up having to go to one. So I went to the halfway house. I listened to what they said, did most of it (I can be sort of stubborn sometimes), went to A.A meetings and relearned how to live without drinking.
I went into the halfway house two or three weeks into a new job that I hated. (Note, I blew a really good job due to drinking. Twice). After a couple months I got a new job, the one I am in presently. I like my job, pays ok and the work is interesting. A few months later I got a new car. A Hyundai. I love it.
I moved out of the halfway house 6 months later. I moved into a condo with another recovering alkie. That went well.
Then I started dating. That was a bit rough at first. But I finally met a great woman. We now live together with her 10 y.o. daughter.
I just closed on my house in January. Things are almost all done at the house. There are a few more things to unpack or fix but it’ll be done soon. I got a steal on the house. It rocks.
I’ve been on numerous trips: St Thomas twice and a few small trips to the lake or the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
I’m working (slowly) on my degree in CS. It’ll get done.
I have a recording studio setup. Sadly I haven’t been able to play much recently (trip to St Thomas and moving) but things are slowing down again and I can get back to my first love, playing guitar.
When I first went into the halfway house and started in A.A. I’d hear people say things like ‘The miracle will happen if you just do it one day at a time’. I heard a lot of things in A.A meetings that I didn’t believe at first 'cause I can be kind of stubborn sometimes and I want to do things my way. My way is always better, don’t ya know. But I finally snapped and decided to do things the way the people in A.A suggested. And Holy Shit! It worked.
So today I have four years sober.
Life is good.
I live with a woman I love and her daughter who rocks.
I have a new house.
I have a good job.
I have plenty of guitar gear (though I can always use more).
My relationships with my family are all back to being great.
I have a life I actually love living.
The miracle did happen.
Slee,
Four years sober.
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/2 "2008-03-20T23:42:28Z")
I’m happy for you. It sounds like you’re doing really good.
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### Author:  [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/3 "2008-03-21T00:06:08Z")
Congrats! Keep pluggin’ away, and don’t get complacent. I believe you’ve proven to yourself that it’s worth the work!
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### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/4 "2008-03-21T00:10:58Z")
Right on! Congratulations! 17 years here, so far…
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### Author:  [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/5 "2008-03-21T00:15:42Z")
Yay! Congratulations to you.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/6 "2008-03-21T00:18:34Z")
Yay you!
I’ve been following your story (not in some creepy stalker sort of way – in an another friend of Bill’s way). I esp. remember when you first met your gf. Glad that’s all working out.
The promises are true!
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### Author:  [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/7 "2008-03-21T00:27:26Z")
One day at a time. Nearly twelve years for me.
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/8 "2008-03-21T00:29:56Z")
Very well done!
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### Author:  [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/9 "2008-03-21T02:23:47Z")
Congratulations! You should be really proud. _hugs tight_
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/10 "2008-03-21T04:02:19Z")
The 12 promises come true, don’t they? And isn’t it glorious…
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### Author:  [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-schnoikies-4-years-sober/442153/11 "2008-03-21T04:03:24Z")
I watched my brother go through exactly what you’ve gone through. I got drunk with him, got pissed at him when all he’d do is get drunk, refused to get drunk with him, held his hand when he got drunk at noon, prayed to God that he wouldn’t die of alcohol poisoning, hugged my mother when he didn’t die, hugged him when he finally woke up and took solid food, and celebrated with key lime pie and coffee with him when he reached his first year of sobriety. He’s been sober 12 years now and it’s good to have him back.
You deserve congratulations and many, many hugs. And have a piece of key lime pie.