# Today I'm celebrating...

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 22, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785 "2005-12-22T12:24:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/21 "2005-12-22T17:10:16Z")

</div>

Woohoo! _snogs_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/22 "2005-12-22T17:29:53Z")

</div>

Good for you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/23 "2005-12-22T17:49:53Z")

</div>

Yay You is a gross understatement. Congrats.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/24 "2005-12-22T19:13:31Z")

</div>

Congratulations, **twickster**!  
That’s great.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/25 "2005-12-22T20:05:16Z")

</div>

Ooooh, she’s a **twicky** one, she is! 😃

I helped my best friend get outta the alcoholic hole he had dug for himself back in 1987, and stood by him after he got out of rehab. A year and a half from now will be twenty (!) for him as well.

Hard to believe so much time has gone by, isn’t it?

Celebrate, you’ve earned it! Go pour yourself a nice, tall, cool glass of milk to go with your holiday treats!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/26 "2005-12-22T20:11:16Z")

</div>

Go Twickster! Go Twickster! It’s Your Birfday! Go Twickster!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/27 "2005-12-22T20:21:01Z")

</div>

That’s wonderful, **twickster**! You have every cause to be proud of yourself.

My grandmother ruined her life with alcoholism, and made the lives of her children a misery. She was a person of enormous talent and intelligence and she pissed it all away. Very sad. I can’t tell you how I wish she had had your strength and determination.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Cranky\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cranky\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cranky_Hermit)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/28 "2005-12-22T21:32:31Z")

</div>

**twickster** Congratulations to you! You deserve a parade!! And cake! YAY!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/29 "2005-12-22T22:14:19Z")

</div>

I presume this is about alcohol. As someone who enjoys mildly alcoholic drinks - anything stronger than port just isn’t my tipple - I’ll never be able to truly _grok_ alcoholism, but I can appreciate - and applaud you for - your resistance to temptation.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/30 "2005-12-22T22:18:29Z")

</div>

> [@Quartz](#):
>
> … As someone who enjoys mildly alcoholic drinks - anything stronger than port just isn’t my tipple - I’ll never be able to truly _grok_ alcoholism…

That’s cool – I’ll never be able to grok people who can take it or leave it. 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/31 "2005-12-22T22:27:33Z")

</div>

Congratulations! This is just one more reason why you’re worth stalking… 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/32 "2005-12-22T22:50:09Z")

</div>

> [@Dante](#):
>
> Good for you **twickster**! Quit right before Christmas and New Years, eh?

And her birthday (December 31)!

By the way, **twicks** , there’s no definite date (as the timing of the potential trip is predicated on the health of my sweetie’s father), but I’ll likely be in your neck of the woods some time in the next few months. I’ll let you know if/when I’m heading to Philadelphia, so we can meet for some non-alcoholic refreshment. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/33 "2005-12-23T01:18:07Z")

</div>

🆒🆒🆒🆒🆒🆒🆒🆒  
Congratulations!  
I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that required a tenth as much willpower as what you’ve done.  
::big hug::

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/34 "2005-12-23T01:47:35Z")

</div>

Again – thanks, all, for your good wishes. I had a truly PITA day at work today and it was nice to pop in here periodically and read your posts.

For those who are curious as to the timing – 20 years ago I was teaching at the college level. Some seriously bad stuff happened (the suicide of my best friend/favorite drinking-and-drugging pal) during fall semester, and I saw a counselor who got me to take a look at some of my using behaviors. I admitted my alcoholism, but chose to finish the semester (and keep drinking and drugging for a couple of months, heh). Finished the semester, got my grades in, and checked into rehab, Dec. 22, 1985, where I stayed all through winter break.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/35 "2005-12-23T01:53:40Z")

</div>

> [@twickster](#):
>
> Again – thanks, all, for your good wishes. I had a truly PITA day at work today and it was nice to pop in here periodically and read your posts.
> 
> For those who are curious as to the timing – 20 years ago I was teaching at the college level. Some seriously bad stuff happened (the suicide of my best friend/favorite drinking-and-drugging pal) during fall semester, and I saw a counselor who got me to take a look at some of my using behaviors. I admitted my alcoholism, but chose to finish the semester (and keep drinking and drugging for a couple of months, heh). Finished the semester, got my grades in, and checked into rehab, Dec. 22, 1985, where I stayed all through winter break.

Ohhh boooo hisss!!!

We want photographical documentation of you livin’ it up in the 80’s: The bad hair; lousy styles; the _eye liner._

Cause 20 years of not dressing like that is something to be really proud of! it is ok to still listen to that music, ain’t it?

YAY you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/36 "2005-12-23T02:00:01Z")

</div>

Oops – didn’t mean to hit submit.

**RSSchen** – nope, no tokens for me. Though I continue to live by the steps, I’m no longer active in AA, so I gotta brag on my beloved Dope to get some strokes today. I had my two-year coin in my wallet for years, though I seem to have lost it – sigh. I do still have my one-year keychain from NA, though after 19 years I’m the only one who could possibly have any idea what it signifies – the print has long since worn off.

Re: the memories – it seems like a long time ago, because, yikes, at this point, it _is_ a long time ago. I retain enough memories to know I don’t want to go back, and that’s good enough. And, hell, I still do enough dumb stuff that it’s not like I’ve become totally perfect and boring! 😉

Re: socializing with people who drink – at this point it just doesn’t bother me that much. I can’t be around people who are getting drunk, but people having a couple of beers or some wine with dinner – not a biggie. And at a big party – I avoid the people who are getting blasted and talk to other – who tend to be in the majority. And, of course, if the main purpose of the evening is drinking, I just don’t go.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/37 "2005-12-23T02:04:27Z")

</div>

> [@Shirley Ujest](#):
>
> We want photographical documentation of you livin’ it up in the 80’s: The bad hair; lousy styles; the _eye liner._

Oh good lord, I’d totally forgotten about that goddamned perm. Thanks a _million_, Shirley.

(No eyeliner, though – I’ve really never worn makeup.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/38 "2005-12-23T12:23:55Z")

</div>

Most impressive!

I can’t imagine being an alcoholic, but nor can I imagine drinking no booze for even a year, yet alone twenty. Props to you sir.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/39 "2005-12-23T15:27:57Z")

</div>

> [@Nancarrow](#):
>
> Props to you sir.

Um, “ma’am.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785/40 "2005-12-23T15:50:34Z")

</div>

Perm??? :eek:

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785.md?page=1)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-im-celebrating/336785.md?page=3)
