Hi everyone, my name is Marc and I'm new to the forum and online AA. I've been sober since 86, and if I make it past midnight tonight that tradition will continue. I got sober in downtown DC at the Metropolis club, which was on top of a liquor store lol. I was a low bottom drunk amongst other things at the ripe old age of 22, I had nothing, do dignity, no pride, not a damn thing except an Honest desire to stop drinking. I've gotten away from meetings a bit, I have a difficult time dealing with the softer side of recovery, we didn't have that when I came in lol, and I don't think my sponsor would have embraced it anyways. I really enjoyed reading some of the threads so far and if you don't mind I'd like to stick around a bit and hang out.
MD
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"Never make someone a priority who makes you an option"
Hey Marc, welcome to the board. Chances are good that we sat in some meeting together at the Metropolis club. I used to see a rather infamous former Redskins player in meetings there. I got sober in Arlington, attended the Unity Club, Independence club, Midtown meeting. Came back in in '87 (first meetings were in '76-'78), got sober in '89.
That is my home town. I got sober in florida though. I certainly drunk it up in DC though. Born and raised in Montgomery County MD. I lived in DC, and all around the beltway at different times.
Welcome!
Mark
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Interesting...I see a pattern here...I too grew up and started my drinking career in Nothern Va./D.C. area and ended it in Florida....It's almost like drunks flying south for the winter. And sad as it may be right now....I will always be a Skins fan.
Stepchild, I've been here in FL since '92 and still root for the skins, in fact still have season tickets (section 136 row 16). I attend the Dallas game every year and fire chief in Fredericksburg uses the rest of my tickets. What part of NoVa did you live in? Did you go to school there? I probably know people that you went to school with, if you were in Arlington, Falls Church or Mclean.
If you were in that area in '72 you probably remember hurricane agnes ripping the roof off of the Safeway across the street. I believe it damaged Woodson also. Did you spend any time at the Fairfax ice rink as a teenager? My brother live right behind Woodson (off picket on pickstone dr.)
I used to get drunk and stoned behind that ice rink...Yeah I was there for Agnes...Took some of the roof off the school. Do you remember there was a Christian school bus parked in that parking lot where Safeway was (It was a Sunday and the lot was empty) and the wind blew it across the lot and right into the liquor store...I should have taken that as a sign.....Moved from there in'76.
I used to get drunk and stoned behind that ice rink...Yeah I was there for Agnes...Took some of the roof off the school. Do you remember there was a Christian school bus parked in that parking lot where Safeway was (It was a Sunday and the lot was empty) and the wind blew it across the lot and right into the liquor store...I should have taken that as a sign.....Moved from there in'76.
I was the same age and drinking/smoking pot regularly also. I only saw the pictures of the safeway and the school on the news, but I remember it like was yesterday. I lived about a 1/2 mile from the potomac river (chain bridge area). We spent a lot of time down by the river and on the "toe path" to G-town. The river crested to about 6" below chain bridge (rose 40' above normal and 3 times it's normal width taking over the toe path and everything in between.
I spent a lot of friday nights at the Fairfax Ice rink. We brought our rock records there and the DJ would play them. I rember bringing a Johnny Winter record and the DJ asked "what song" and I said play the whole LP and he did lol. Later I played men's hockey in a firefighter's league. It was awesome, we rented the rink out from 11pm till 3am. Drink play hockey, bleed a little lol.
TAC, I've done about 300 wreck dives (scuba) in Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties. Still diving, the wife and I have a timeshare in Key Largo and drag the boat down there for a week or two every year. I might start diving regularly in Pompano (Hillsboro intlet) again, like once a month. Do you dive?
No Dean, I've never dove but my wife has, she enjoyed it. Sounds like some classes may be in order if you're gonna be coming round this way. I do fish and golf though, play a little guitar too. Anyone in Fla golf?
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Hurricane Agnes: I am 39 years old. What year does that make me born in? 1972. Yes, I was born during that hurricane at Sibley Hospital and that is also my grandmother's name. Agnes.
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Hurricane Agnes: I am 39 years old. What year does that make me born in? 1972. Yes, I was born during that hurricane at Sibley Hospital and that is also my grandmother's name. Agnes.
I went to catholic school a few blocks from Sibley hospital (Our lady of brutality) . A well known AA speaker "Sandy Beach" had a Sunday meeting at that hospital like forever. My mother (36 years sober this month) attended it regularly . Sandy moved to Tampa about 10 years ago.
This is getting wierd! I've seen sandy speak as too. Last time I saw him was at Sessions about ten years ago.
Are we talking Sessions by the sea, Ocean City, MD? Made that trip a couple of times (with my sponsor) by motorcycle in '90 and '91. I've got a pretty cool box set of Sandy Beach going throught the 12 steps, vintage '86 I believe. My sober buddy in Tampa, who is also a deck builder, is a good friend of Sandy's. I've to get over there and see Sandy. Maybe this weekend is a good time. I'd like invite you and Stepchild, and Pinkchip up to St. Pete/Tampa, as the 4 of us could go see Sandy and shoot the bull about growing in the Nation's Capital. What do you say? Up for a road trip? I've got room and we could make the trip to Tampa in my boat lol.
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Friday 9th of December 2011 05:21:59 AM
First off, I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome, it reminds me of the small rooms I enjoyed so much. Dean, yes it was Sessions by the sea, I used to love going there for a few days of miracles, it was inspiring. I'll pay you for a copy of those Sandy cd's lol, I've never heard those before. I can't really do anything as far as travel in that capacity til the holidays are over, I have so much shit going on right now I can't even think straight. I will however take a raincheck, my wife likes going to Tampa and she can go have a massage or shop while we visit Sandy. She's not in the program lol, she's one of them.
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"Never make someone a priority who makes you an option"
You're more than welcome. They are cassettes (CD's were a brand new and very expensive machine in '86 lol) I'll work on that. I also have one those "she's one of them" for a wife. Nice lady, what she saw in me, I'm not sure. I'm just lucky that her dad was/is and alky hence the attraction. I'm here most of the winter. Come spring I'm back and forth to Boone, NC working on my mountain home. there's pics in here if you search for them.
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Friday 9th of December 2011 05:56:53 AM
Haha, I love those mountains! I go to the Smokies about 4 or 5 times a year depending, just so I can get my flyfishing fix. I'll be going to Gatlinburg in March for a Troutfest.
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"Never make someone a priority who makes you an option"
You can find a lot of Sandy B.'s stuff on XAspeakers...Good stuff. One day we should do something like that. Bad time for me right now too...If we do it....I'll bring my 12 & 12 Dean.
My sponsor has given me a ton of Sandy B. CD's. I like them a lot. My parents went to Ocean City MD with us every year and when I was in 7th grade they bought a condo on 35th street there. OC has been like a second home for a while. Of course now I am in Ft. Lauderdale and my mom still insists that Ocean City is a better beach. I mean...I like OC and all...but come on...
I do miss the cheezy boardwalk, the putt-putt miniature golf, and the funnel cakes lol. That is not a Ft. Lauderdale beach thing.
Stepchild - Wasn't Woodson the HS in "Remember the Titans?" I went to Springbrook HS in Silver Spring. They were a large athletic powerhouse also.
Mark
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
PC the beaches in FT. L are a little lame lol. They never make the "The best beaches" lists like that west coast beaches do. We have several in Pinellas county that make those list just about every year. Ft. DeSoto park, Honeymoon Island, and about 15 miles south of St. Pete - Siesta Beach rated #1 again this year!
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Sunday 11th of December 2011 09:00:41 AM
. A well known AA speaker "Sandy Beach" had a Sunday meeting at that hospital like forever. My mother (36 years sober this month) attended it regularly . Sandy moved to Tampa about 10 years ago.
Made that trip a couple of times (with my sponsor) by motorcycle in '90 and '91. I've got a pretty cool box set of Sandy Beach going throught the 12 steps, vintage '86 I believe. My sober buddy in Tampa, who is also a deck builder, is a good friend of Sandy's. I've to get over there and see Sandy. Maybe this weekend is a good time. I'd like invite you and Stepchild, and Pinkchip up to St. Pete/Tampa, as the 4 of us could go see Sandy and shoot the bull about growing in the Nation's Capital. What do you say? Up for a road trip? I've got room and we could make the trip to Tampa in my boat lol. 
I'm here most of the winter. Come spring I'm back and forth to Boone, NC working on my mountain home. there's pics in here if you search for them.