LESS Alcohol ~ APRIL 2025 ~ One Day at A Time
Replies
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6 AF
4 LA
2 A
4 -
Less (1 glass) rather than zero today, which is good. Everything else is according to plan. It was a great day and I opted to listen to music during my walk vs my book. I could then focus on nature and the signs of spring.
@SurferGirl1982 ~ Yes, I have reduced my hours to 20, which equates to working two days a week for the most part. I'm not really a "day" drinker unless I'm on vacation or going out to lunch for a celebration of sorts. It's the wind down (or wine down) in the evenings when I reach for that glass of wine or more.
Unless it's a really bad day, I've seemed to overcome the desire to overindulge, which I attribute to the lessons here in LA and the accountability. I used to open the bottle as soon as I got home and started to prepare dinner. I made changes and didn't pour wine until I sat down to dinner. Now, I have water with dinner and have a glass of wine as my dessert. Sometimes that leads to two, but if I time it right, I'm good with one. Progress not Perfection.
Today was a good day. Tomorrow will be better.
Stats thru 4/12
A = 8
LA = 3
AF = 17 -
Hi @itladyee Yes, it sounds like you have a healthy routine.
It's funny…I actually prefer to drink in the afternoon. That started many years ago. I guess I wasn't even old enough to legally drink yet. But, my friends and I would hang out and we would drink a beer or two just to quench our thirst. It was during and right after high school. It was in the late 70's. You see, we were also smoking. But it wasn't tobacco. And, we would get cotton mouth. I haven't done that in many years even though it's legal here. It wasn't very strong back then and I was always home by dinner time.
More recently, I enjoyed drinking while I worked in the backyard. In the summertime, I would be out working on landscaping and irrigation projects until it was almost dark. Again, I was more just quenching my thirst during short breaks.
But, it's now become more of a habit than fun.
I'm glad you're doing well! Have a nice night!
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@Womona There definitely is no cure for autoimmune diseases, and my daughter will be on biologic infusions every 4-8 weeks for the rest of her life. My sister-in-law has Crohn’s and has been an incredible and absolutely accurate source of information throughout this process. I literally feel like I’m speaking to the doctors when I speak to her. Some of the things she’s told us about testing, medications, the future have been all most verbatim what the doctors have said. So, I feel well informed and that my daughter is getting the best medical care.
Things are looking so positive at this point that she could be discharged today or tomorrow at this rate. I’m hoping for tomorrow just so she has a full day today of the steroid, protonix, and lovenox; so the doctor’s office has a little more time to battle our insurance for the biologic infusions before she is on an oral steroids for too long. But, we’ll see what happens today after the doctors’ rounds.
7 -
@NonnieDoiron ~ Thank you for the update on your daughter. I'm so glad that you have a close, reliable source to help you navigate these unknown waters. I am praying for her health and the best outcome for you all.
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@NonnieDoiron Sorry to hear about your daughter but glad you're close to a diagnosis and she has you to advocate for her treatment!
@itladyee I haven't gotten up at 4:30 yet. That's just the plan starting tomorrow maybe. We'll see.
@SurferGirl1982 I do not have vision problems from drinking. I'm also curious if anyone else does.
@globalhiker Thank you for the interesting reading.
I had too many glasses of wine last night again and I think I've figured out that I'm pretty sure I'm having acute pancreatitis attacks 😬I woke up last night feeling very ill and not so great today just like on Wednesday night when I drank and all day Thursday and Friday along with few other symptoms on both occasions. I don't do emergency rooms unless I'm dying since I don't have insurance, so I'm going to fast for today and then add in softer foods and protein shakes for a couple days until I feel better. Then, I guess I'm going to have to learn to navigate this life without wine because this sucks 😪 It also sucks that I'm not doing for myself. It feels like it's being taken away from me even if it is for the better.
I know I've had gall stones for awhile, too, but as long as I eat ok, I don't tend to have a gall bladder attack, but the top 2 causes of acute pancreatitis is gall stones and alcohol abuse. That's a tough pill to swallow knowing I've done this to my body by choice.
Anyway. Here's to a new journey of AF.
A=2/A=11 as of yesterday.
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@chicbuc You really should go to the ER if you suspect pancreatitis. Most hospitals (at least where I have lived) have programs that will excuse your debt if you are unable to pay. There is a story that I've been meaning to tell, but I don't believe I have. We were in line at the grocery store one day and the man (younger than me) was being checked out and he was talking to the checker. For some reason, he turned and looked at the others in the line. He said that he had quit drinking some time ago…that drinking had almost killed him. He said that he had pancreatitis. It's very serious and nothing to mess around with.
Another story that I will tell is back in January of 2021, I had actually tapered off of alcohol. I was on Day 10 AF. I had been vomiting for days. I even had barf bags, like they have at hospitals, all around the house because I was vomiting so much. I assumed that it was from detoxing. But not after 10 days. I was stupid. What I had was a hernia. And, since I left it untreated, I became septic. I don't remember anything. But the EMT's came. The doctor told my husband that I may not live and if I did that I may never walk or talk again. I was actually intubated. When my husband got to the hospital, he said that when he saw the tube in my mouth, he didn't think that I would be coming home. You know how they give your loved ones your clothes in a plastic bag? Well, when he left the hospital, he threw them in the trash can. It was that bad!
Miraculously, the next day, I made a complete turn around. The doctors from the night before both came to see me and kept saying that they had never seen anyone recover so quickly. I got lucky. But I should have known that vomiting continually like that deserved a trip to the ER or urgent care.
Please have it checked out! Don't be stupid like me!
BTW…I don't mention it. I think most of the people in our group are the type that just have a glass or two of wine a day. But I know that if I don't quit that I probably won't be on this earth for much longer. Please take care of yourself!
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@SurferGirl1982 I haven't heard of vision loss being associated with alcohol but it makes sense. When nutrient absorption is wrecked in the liver and intestine thanks to alcohol, any cell in the body can suffer.
On another note, and I am speaking from my experience as well as what I read in psychology, the reason why some of us have a terrible battle with quitting is because alcohol has altered our brain chemistry. The brain has been hijacked. Mine was. I read it can take a year AF to get the dopamine system in the brain back to "normal".
Anyway, if one's brain is blocking your goals or progress, one plan idea that worked well for me was 1) at your typical drinking hour, start with the first drink being 12 ounces or more of water or soda. 2), create a count down sheet, post it on the fridge, and list out the ounces in advance, only have that amount avail each day, and keep the little measuring glass out. Every day one ounce less. If that is too much, then drop an ounce every 2 or 3 days. At least there is a plan to reduce even if it feels slow, it's measurable, it's doable, and one is gradually reducing the harm. Only buy what you will have that day, pour the ounces not on the plan down the drain. Instead of the typical last drink, have a piece of fruit or a glass of cranberry juice on ice. Remove yourself from the place where drinking typically happens. I would literally go to bed some days at 7:30pm to go read a book. This countdown process can go slowly but after 3 or 4 weeks of some progress, strength starts to build up and it will make it easier to quit cold turkey.
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@chicbuc I second what @SurferGirl1982 said; even if you don't think it's that serious, it takes minutes these days to speak to a doctor on a phone or online, get the medical advice from a pro and who knows maybe they can prescribe something to dissolve the stones if that is the problem and they can also advise where you can go for a low cost scan. Good luck and take care of yourself please.
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@globalhiker I agree with you whole-heartedly about the brain connection. It's kind of silly. But, my husband and I watch reruns of Dr Phil in the morning while we're drinking our coffee. Many times he has guests on the show that have drug or alcohol problems. And, they actually do brain scans and put them right on the screen. Many times the brain shrinks. Other times, the scans show different colors showing how the neurotransmitters are basically out of whack. So, I know it can take some time.
I also agree with your plan with cutting back. That's what I did before. What I did was I had my husband assist me. He was not enabling me. He knew what I was doing and he was part of the plan. At the time, with the insurance that I had, I could not get help closer than 60 miles away. My provider (a nurse practitioner) and a social worker were involved. I would get a fifth (750 ml) at 9 am and pour out only 25 ml. The next day, I started at 9:30 and again only poured out an additional 25 ml. When I reached starting at 11 am, I started pouring out an additional 50 ml. After that I waited an extra hour to begin each day and poured out an additional 50 ml. And, I always poured anything left over when I went to bed. I was messaging my nurse practitioner almost daily (she told me it was OK). And, her medical assistant recommended drinks for hydration, etc. And, it did work.
My problem right now is that I don't want to take that much time. I will have to do labs probably in about a month. So I will see how I feel in the morning. I want to be able to function properly again.
You are doing so well. I hope to join you soon. Drinking really can be miserable. But it gets a hold on you…it is the brain thing!
Thank you for your advice!
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Yesterday was a celebration day, son got his certificate for the course he's been taking so we treated him to dinner at a great Thai place. Wife and DIL got their food mild, son and I went in for more heat. I had pad kee mao, "Thai spicy." I don't think the waiter expected me to eat it. Of course, the best pairing for brutal heat is a crisp beer - Red Stripe with jerk, Kingfisher with vindaloo, Chang with pad kee mao…
Working on putting together the next phase of our business, it's gonna be WORK and it's gonna take tightening our belts while we get it all in place, but I think it's gonna fly. We're getting into the supplement game. First samples from suppliers showed up, so I crunched the numbers and made a test batch of our collagen blend today. It came out better than expected, we're REALLY pleased. The goal is to build a set of products that go above and beyond what grocery store brands are offering, with enhanced bioavailability and formulations designed to leverage synergistic blends. We're starting small, selling to our existing clientele, but the end goal is to reach a level where we can go national.
Tonight is DarkWave, sipping a can of Real Ale Black Quad.
6 LA
4 AF
3 A
-m2 -
8 AF
4 LA
2 A
4 -
Happy Monday…
One of the "perks" of more time with grandchildren….more time to spread germs. Sat for my 5 mo old grandchild on Friday. I knew he had a cold of sorts but hoped I could take enough precautions not to get it…. wrong. I'm not bad, just a cough and occassional sneeze…..No complaints though, I love the time spent.
@chicbuc ~ 4:30 wake up??? Did you make it! :) I hope you're feeling better. I agree with @SurferGirl1982 and @globalhiker to get checked out.
@mfowler883 ~ good luck with your next phase. I don't mind WORK if I enjoy what I'm doing. I love my field but my particular job isn't challenging anymore so it was a great time to explore semi retirement. I am not one to idle well and I've been keep busy with organizational tasks, unpacking, game playing…but it would be nice to find "something" fun and interesting to still bring in additional $$.
Stats thru 4/13
A = 8
LA = 3
AF = 26 -
Spent the weekend laying low at home — much needed. Tagged along to a wine tasting with family but stayed alcohol-free (still holding out until Stagecoach next weekend!).
Loved the slow pace, comfy clothes, and quiet time. Ready to swap it all for boots, sun, and country music real soon.
AF = 13
A = 0
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Yeah, I got dragged into IT kicking and screaming when a friend called me on a favor I owed him, made me help him pull cat5 and install NICs. That turned into a full time gig and I guess it was okay for a while. By the time I got out nearly 20 years later, I hated it. I'd started to realize that nobody calls IT because they're happy, they call because something's broken, it's your fault, it needs to be fixed yesterday and they're always angry and taking it out on you. Middle management never remembers what it's like on the front line if they've ever even been there to start with. Upper management is usually altogether clueless. You're always at risk of downsizing, outsourcing, redundancy or being replaced by a shell script. Probably preaching to the choir, right?
Anyway, now I'm nearly a decade out, my last job in the field we had one user with a Windows 8 laptop and one client who was just starting to transition to Office 365. If I had to go back in, I'd be so lost it wouldn't be funny…that's okay, because I doubt I'd even get to an interview. So….burn the ships, I'm all in on the entrepreneurship game now with no way out, sink or swim. I'm cool with it, nobody complains about my shoes, tells me I wear too much black, demands I get a haircut or shave, no policies about visible piercings or tattoos. I can be me, my clients don't give a rip and frankly, if they do, I don't need them. For any one who might walk because of my appearance, I have fifty more lined up to take their place, but the reality is my customer service speaks for itself and our clients love us.
I only drank one of the two beers I bought for yesterday, the other is in the fridge but I think I'll leave it there and shoot for an AF day today.
-m5 -
@mfowler883 ~ You got me over here cracking up!!! I first started this field as a programmer and it was the best. I didn't need anyone to tell me how well I was doing because either it worked (success) or it didn't (keep working until it works). People were happy with the product delivered, rinse and repeat. I left my first programming job because my boss started delivering items at 75% completion and expected us to fix it along the way. I saw clients lose money because of it and I couldn't stand behind it. A similar event happened in another job, but it was the client who demanded delivery. I said no, but everyone else was on board. I let them know that they were about to have a terrible experience ….and they did.
Then I moved on somewhat reluctantly to the world that you describe, where no one calls unless there's a problem. I said that in a meeting once and about two weeks later, one of my controllers sent me an email that said…nothings wrong, I just want to say thank you! It made my day. When IT is running smoothly, every one thinks you're sitting around doing nothing and have no clue of the work behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly.
Today - no one in my company has a clue about IT and its workings, so I basically can do what I want. We don't have any major projects due to budget, so it's basically, keep the lights on.
Kudos to you running your own show!
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@mfowler883 and @itladyee I hear what you're saying about customers that blame you for everything and are rude. But, I have to say if I had been you're customer you would have had a very nice experience. Weather, I'm speaking with an IT tech at a computer company, a customer service tech with an appliance company, the scheduling person with the medical office or other, I'm always polite. It makes their day better, my day better and my Mom always taught me that, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar" 🙂
BTW…I once took a job with a major telecommunications company (cell service, television, etc) making cold sales calls. That's not really my thing. But, I was in a real bind financially and living in a motel. My next door neighbor worked there and got me in. I went through two weeks of training and on my very first call, the man started yelling at me. My supervisor asked me to call him back. But I pushed my chair away from the computer and I refused (major panic!). So she called him back and, of course, he was as nice as could be. I quit right then. It was a bit depressing. I really needed the job and it had good pay and benefits. But I'm not cut out for that type of work.
I've started the tapering thing today. I'm writing everything down and have a schedule. I wish I could just dump it out right now. But, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. I guess you got to do what you got to do!
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@chicbuc I hope you're feeling better today. Like others have mentioned…I hope you have considered checking it out. I've had some fairly major medical emergencies due to alcohol. Screw the insurance…your family needs you!
One thing in your last post, I didn't quite understand. You said, "Then, I guess I'm going to have to learn to navigate this life without wine because this sucks 😪 It also sucks that I'm not doing for myself. It feels like it's being taken away from me even if it is for the better".
I hope I'm not getting too personal, but what did you mean when you said, "It also sucks that I'm not doing for myself"? Did you mean that your doing it for your family?
The last two days I have been drinking in the morning and then taking naps in the afternoon. And, since I've been napping, I've been up all night. My husband has had dinner ready to grill for two nights now. But, just waking up, I didn't feel like eating. Tomorrow, we are going to eat our main meal for lunch instead.
I planned on tapering off of the alcohol. But, I'm done! I have alcohol in the house, just in case, I wake up at 2 o'clock in the morning again. But, then I'm going to cold-turkey it. I know you and most everyone else in this thread don't have as much of a serious problem as I do. But, I don't want to wait. I have things to do. I do have some meds that will help, coconut water with electrolytes, and plenty of healthy food in the house. So, that's what I plan to do.
I hope all is well with you. Hugs!
6 -
9 AF
4 LA
2 A
3 -
@mfowler883 and @itlaydee, oh boy do I understand the plight of worker who only gets called when there is a problem. My first job out of college was customer service for a health insurance company. I found your stories entertaining with a true gallows humor.
@chicbuc what does acute pancreatitis even feel like? I would never be able to identify it. Hope you were at least able to connect with your doctor . Take care of yourself.
@globalhiker great advice on tapering down!@itlaydee I love “wine down.” Great description of that after work habit. I am most successful when my first glass is club soda and a splash of cranberry in my wine glass while dinner is cooking. Looks like a sparkling rosé. That said, my nerves we very jangly yesterday and I made it a point to pour a glass of wine the second I came home, goals be damned. But today is a new day. If I have any, it will only be one glass-which at this point counts as LA. I am trying to get to the point where having AF days is my LA!
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@SurferGirl1982 @itladyee @Womona Thank you all for your thoughts and concern. It turns out I am NOT Dr. Google 😂 So, the last 2 times I drank wine, I woke up in the middle of the night with abdominal pain and vomiting followed by just general malaise the next day along with some abdominal "aching." I took it upon myself to order blood tests to test for pancreatitis which will show elevated enzymes in your blood (I use a service called Ulta Labs). I have completely normal enzymes and that was only a day after the second attack so the enzymes would have still been at the very least slightly elevated. Mine were in the low/normal range, soo…. Now I'm thinking maybe it's my gallbladder being a brat which I probably need to start looking into having removed.
I'm definitely going to continue to abstain for a bit. If it happens again or if I have a gallbladder attack, I'll get into the doctor and see what can be done. I know when you don't have insurance, they don't take your pain as seriously as if you do have insurance, so I'm hesitant to go to the ER. Sad but true.
@SurferGirl1982 What I meant by that statement is that I was disappointed in myself that I was not quitting of my own free will because it's the right thing to do instead of being forced into quitting because I was destroying my health. I think it's part of that weird addictive mentality. Also, good luck meeting your goal of today being AF!!
Anyway. All is well here at the moment. Happy Tuesday, everyone!
A=2/AF=12
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AF - 14
A - 1So, going ahead and counting today a AF since we’re still in the hospital.
My daughter will have her second biologic infusion today. She had an iron infusion yesterday. Her WBC is through the roof while her RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit are low. Her protein and albumin are also very low. The doctor is trying to get those back up as much as possible before he releases her. So, we’re here for a couple more days I think. It’s all really kind of up in the air.
I’m tired and still trying to work while paying attention to doctors and nurses. I’m also trying to teach my daughter to do for herself. I made her order her own breakfast. She’s having to log her own symptoms and bathroom events. The doctor said he wants her walking around, so she goes with me to the cafeteria. But, mostly she entertains herself by making animated TikTok videos of us.😂
I can’t wait to get back to my own bed. I can’t wait to get back to my walks. I can only imagine how trashed my street is right now. I want to get back to the rest of my family. But, I know if she doesn’t get to a decent point no matter how long it takes, she could end up back here. That’s not what we want. So, we’re staying as long as it takes.
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@chicbuc I also don't know much about pancreatitis. Several years ago, my cat wasn't acting normal. She was sleeping in a computer chair in our office for a day or two. I went in to check on her and placed my hand on her head and she was burning up. We called the vet and we brought her in. They did labs and I guess she had pancreatitis. They gave her IV fluids. They wanted to keep her overnight. But, being in a rural area, there would not be attendant there overnight. So we brought her home with the intention to bring her back in the morning if her condition didn't improve. Somehow, she recovered and hasn't had any problems since.
I like the idea of being able to order your own labs. If I could check my own labs, I probably wouldn't be so stressed about going to the doctor. I'm curious if the enzymes that they checked are the liver enzymes.
I don't consult with Dr Google much anymore. The last time I did, I found out that I had an enlarged prostrate 😱
I have done some stupid things though trying to diagnose myself. Several years back, I had some pain and a lump in my belly area. It would hurt when I was doing dishes and lean against the sink. Being a drinker, I assumed it was ascites. I went to the ER. To make a long story short, I went through triage, EKG stickers, IV, but it was a busy night. So, I ended up leaving AMA. It turned out being a hernia (no ascites, no enlarged liver). So, I guess the moral of the story is…don't try to diagnose yourself!
I know what you mean about an addictive mentality. My longest streak was four months. And, it really does feel good! It's really not punishment…but joy!
@globalhiker posted a link about alcohol and brain chemistry. With my eyesight, I haven't read it all. But, I did bookmark it. Alcohol does change our brain chemistry. It changes the way we think about alcohol. You may want to take a look at that. If you can't find her post with the link, I can repost it.
Overall, it sounds like your doing great with your AF days. Take care of yourself and have a great day!
2 -
Two additional AF days but tonight was bookclub so dinner and 2 glasses of wine. All good. Tomorrow, back to it!
@SurferGirl1982 ~ thank you for being nice to IT people!
@Womona ~ We will all get there! Immediately filling my glass with something else is Key!
@chicbuc ~ take care of yourself. I'm quite fond of you! :)
@NonnieDoiron ~ You're in good hands at the hospital, so don't rush it. We want her to be stable before release. I know it's hard on you as well…so thinking and praying for you and your family.
Stats thru 4/15
A = 9
LA = 3
AF = 34 -
@chicbuc I hope your gall bladder stops being a brat! That’s a funny way to put it. Glad you were able to rule out pancreatitis!
@NonnieDoiron you’re such a good mom. We just want to make our kid’s pain just go away. Glad the infusions are there for her, and hope her levels get to where they need to be.I had two glasses of wine last night, again. Sigh, but in the moment it’s so good! Today is another day. My goal for the next three days is to limit to only one glass.
I am blowing off exercise today to proofread a big document for work, so had better get to it! Have a great day everyone!
3 -
April:
AF=5
A=104 -
@itladyee I agree…I'm quite fond of @chicbuc myself. Even though most of us have never met. I'm still a pretty good judge of character and chicbuc seems like a wonderful, caring person. @chicbuc I hope you're feeling better.
@NonnieDoiron I hope your daughter gets well soon. My husband has also had some autoimmune disorders in the past. He said it tends to run in his family. He also had those infusions. All I know is they really helped. In his case, he's only had one episode in about 10 years. I believe they're starting to use them for many other disorders also.
Well, off for now. Have a nice day everyone!
4 -
10 AF
4 LA
2 A
4 -
I'm not doing that great with the drinking. I'm not sure what to do. I've been napping during the day and then waking up in the middle of the night. And, I haven't been eating normally. But, I will get through this.
@itladyee Yes, I am very polite to IT and customer service people. But, if I ever ask you to go out for lunch, you may want to say that you're busy that day 🙂 I grew up in Southern California. I believe you lived there at one time also. They have the best Mexican food (sorry Mexico). And, they have the best Chinese food (sorry China).
Anyways, I really am usually polite. But, I'm surprised that I haven't been 86'd from every restaurant in Oregon. The last incident was just a few weeks ago. We have a Mexican restaurant right behind my house. I ordered a wet burrito of some sort. The menu said that it was topped with guacamole. What I got was a burrito topped with what tasted like plain tomato sauce and sliced avocado. So, the waiter came over to ask how everything was. We live in a very small town. So, he kind of knew us and visa-versa. Anyways, I said, "What's this? That is not guacamole and your sauce tastes like canned tomato sauce (there was no heat at all). He said that people around here don't like heat. Well, if you don't like heat, don't go to a Mexican restaurant! Duh! And, in most places, there would be guacamole and sour cream on top. Anyways, we're still welcome. But, I've noticed that my husband doesn't ask me out for lunch very much lately 🤔
And, don't get me going on the Chinese restaurants. What I grew up with, was when you had breaded fried shrimp, it was served with cocktail sauce and hot mustard. Here they have something called "pink sauce"? Very weird!
Oh, well! I guess I should just get off of my rear end because I make some pretty mean carne asada tacos! Pretty easy, too!
3 -
AF - 13
A - 3Great news! She was discharged after the infusion yesterday. I promptly popped a cork in relief and celebration to be home. I only drank 2 glasses, so I will have the rest tonight.
It felt so great to sleep in my own bed last night.
My son (has autism) came home from work, and said, “Mom! You’re home!” I gave him a hug and said, “yeah! I missed you.” To which he replied, “I missed you too because I had to eat leftovers.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That’s my boy! Keeping it real!
6
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