I run a lot of business ads on Craigslist, Ebay and a few other directories on the internet.  They don't cost anything, and keep my business out there for people to see.  I actually get about 70% of my work this way.  Pressure Washing and Painting is not something homeowners do very often.  Pressure Washing; bi annually at best.  Painting'; every 5-15 years.  So, repeat customers take up only a very small base of the work done month to month.  Now, you might be asking what does this have to do with sobriety?  Well, its about utilizing my creativity to be productive during any down time.  It keeps me occupied, keeps my mind from wondering off into things that have no bearing on my quality of life, because I am being productive.  And real important to me is this; I can be a broke, unemployed sober alcoholic, (which really sucks and I speak from personal experience here) or I can be a productive member of society that is proactive in his life.  As many of you know I founded and run the Miracles in Progress Aftercare Recovery Homes here in Wilmington, NC, ( they literally cost more than they generate in money each month) I stay on top of this site regularly, try to meet woman and date, hopefully getting laid from time to time, deal with family stuff, have 3 dogs that require a lot of attention, etc, etc etc... but if I don't make a living I am simply living the same quality of life sober as I did as a drunk.  Broke, homeless and destitute.  Sorry folks, but I just can't feel too much "Happy, Joyous and Free" under those conditions.  So... I take what little down time I have to create advertising for my business.  This is an example of one I made a few nights ago, waiting on word if my older sister was going to pull through a brain aneurysm and the left side of her heart not beating.  They had her in emergency open heart surgery and I sat here, worrying, thinking, remembering..... and I decided I needed to do something with myself, so I created this ad.

I am sober today, I am living life fully today... and I am grateful today that my HP allows me to be creative and proactive in my own life, when I can't do anything about any one else's besides pray.

John