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 Got gavel working. Yeah, I'm going to gavel

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 Hi everybody i'm dennis i'm an alcoholic

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 Can you hear me now? Uh, let's see

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 I'm going to share my experience strength and hope with you and I will get sober and then i'll tell you how I did it

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 It was like

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 So, uh, I grew up in the valley. Um, I was like right on the borderline between east valley and west valley

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 You know when I was a little white bread kid and my mom was uh happily divorced from my dad who was an angry

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 German and they always drank at the cocktail hour at five o'clock and but uh, you know

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 if something went wrong potatoes and mashed potatoes and peas went flying forks were in the wall and uh,

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 and we called that home life, you know, and um, some of my first memories was my

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 Myself pushing a push lawnmower and they had driveways

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 they had incinerators in the back where they burned trash and in driveways where there was

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 Like stones up the middle and grass growing but uh, but we ended up getting uh, mom and mom and uh, dad got divorced

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 it wasn't a happy life and uh,

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 We ended up in a kind of a little ghetto apartment off of burbank and uh chandler, you know, and um, it's all drab

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 I think it's condos now

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 and uh

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 My mom worked for pac bell for a lot of years and went to san fernando valley state college for 12 years

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 And became a social worker so but my mom she gave good phone, you know, uh, so, you know

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 She couldn't be in the middle of screaming at us telling us to quit crying choking us out and when the phone rang

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 She'd pick it up and go hello. So, uh, you know, I was just missed

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 Uh, I was the baby and uh, you know, I got abused by my brother and sister because I deserved it

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 I remember I was not adjusted

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 I was waving a knife in front of my brother's face

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 I level and he told me to stop and he knocked me out and I couldn't tell if it was a right or left

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 But I woke up on the ground and I just struggled. Uh, my mom was uh,

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 Beautiful woman and had boyfriends all over the place and I don't tell this too much

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 but I would think that it had something to do with that I had a lot of nightmares and

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 My mom thought it was best when she went to go do her booty call that she took me

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 And she left me in the car in the driveway, you know, and of course I woke up and knocked on the door

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 And so I had issues I had mom issues and uh, I mean there was always like some some guys

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 Because she talked to everybody on the phone like they were like their new best friend and they'd come like knocking on their back door

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 you know barbara and uh, she'd go out with a guy that was like

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 Some kind of magnet for frozen food. I don't know if you promise frozen food

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 But she always my brother was telling me today. I don't know my brother my sister-in-law

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 She always had a dime up underneath her heels in case she needed to run for it

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 And make a phone call, but there was a drag drag driver. Tommy. Ivo and his sidekick was uh,

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 Robert recreary and she's running from this guy down

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 Sepulveda trying to take her to motel and then she'd up dating the guy he saved her life and a white charger

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 I think that's the true story part. So so that's the setup for for my life. And then my mom became a social worker

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 She was a very diverse person. She had a lot of friends

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 so I I I sat and hung out with some of her friends and poquima flats in the projects or

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 Or uh drink it. Yeah, I think the first thing I ever had was

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 Scotch and that was like just drinking medicine, you know, and somebody like gave that to me and uh, you know

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 There's no possible reason why I was going to be an alcoholic after drinking scotch, you know

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 But um, you know, I I made it through I made it through to high school

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 I went to monroe high school over here when it was a good school vikings of the valley and uh

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 Walked both ways and with the wind blowing, you know

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 And uh, it never got a car my sister got was the first one to get a car

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 it's my oldest sister and she wrecked it twice and

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 I didn't get to drive until I graduated high school and bought my own car and uh as a senior in high school

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 I found my first love I found marijuana and I could share about marijuana here because I didn't have a problem with it

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 The only thing it did was it made me thirsty when I had a really good buzz

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 So then I drank I got a little cotton and then what happened was I wanted to drink it for a lot longer

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 I found some things where you know

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 I could go for a few days in a row and there were shadow people involved and uh, and they were real, you know

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 And uh, you know, I did that and uh, I went in the military and uh, I thought that was a good idea

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 I I did three years. I did two and a half in germany

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 I learned how to drive a truck there truly. They put me in a jeep that had a

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 standard transmission which is a clutch and I didn't know what that was the first time I got in it and

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 They were laughing at me when they died at a stop sign

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 uh, I got a career out of it, but I was in germany for two and a half years and uh,

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 There was some there was a lot of hash and a lot of drinking. I really learned how to drink there. Um

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 New year's eve

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 Jaegermeister long before I even made it here

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 I said, yeah, you're my shit putting somebody down tonight and I was the one that went down

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 I was passed out in the hallway long before midnight and they drank ouzo a greek drink and you know

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 They cheer us, you know the germans and uh, but but getting there, uh, a buddy of mine

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 there was heroin there and a buddy of mine overdosed and died of black tar heroin and

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 I was doing that too and uh slamming it and uh, he died. I never did it again that really hurt my soul

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 And then I somehow at the very end. I got an honorable discharge by my seconds and minutes

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 Yeah, I I beat the drug testing and I came back here and you know

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 It's like the party is on uh, van ice boulevard was cruising and I hung out on van ice boulevard

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 I hung out at firestone across from the union bank and uh, we just had a good time

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 Drinking was good. I went to bourbon square. Oh, that was my home bar

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 So many other bars red onion tennessee gin and cod and you you know, I hit the circuit, you know

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 And I felt like when I drank I could dance and uh, you know what the worst thing they could say was no

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 I got a lot of nose

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 But I always had good dope

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 and uh, and I always drank because I was always thirsty and um, and we were like getting some really good pot and and and

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 i'm going to get this and and i'm driving down sepulveda boulevard right about rasco and uh,

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 And I have 68 mustang and the tires were just a little bald and it

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 It gave just that little bit of rain and it and so i'm jamming down

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 Sepulveda boulevard and I knew that I needed tires and I hit my brakes and I don't know if you ever seen something like this

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 But I did a 180 and I hit the car that was in front of me

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 I hit him head on and my best thinking was I better get out of here and I drove through the gas station

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 I went by gallop and ford. I drove down a side street. I hit the brakes. I had a parked car

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 Then I got home. I went back to my house and I go damn. I need new tires

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 Not once did I think there was a problem with it and I drinking and driving was my favorite outdoor sport because I was mobile

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 When stuff was going on, you know, I was drinking I was thirsty

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 and um and that worked a lot, you know, we got a lot of good dope and uh,

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 My main thing was that we drink

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 Birmingham square I drank a lot. I danced a lot. I was witty and uh, and the good times was on and uh,

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 You know more than once I you know

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 There was like some random signs like I pulled over to talk to somebody

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 Uh after the bar closed and let's park underneath the freeway. I don't know if you know, but that's against the law

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 So chp rolls around and made us walk the line and I passed summer, you know

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 And uh, and then another time eight years before I ended up in a a I uh was driving down

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 After a game at pierce. I went to valley college. I dropped out. That was one of my claims to fame

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 um, and uh, my buddy goes that's a police car let's wait till he goes by and

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 He didn't go by and he followed me and I had pot in the car and the law at that time was 0.10

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 And I had 0.08. So I got away with it got away with it

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 So, you know, I kept going down that road, you know

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 And and when I came back here, I found the future ex-wife at birmingham square

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 and I married her and and we had the house, um, really not too far from here off sherman way the next neighborhood over

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 Sherman way and hantola and then we had a picket fence and we knocked it down because it was falling apart

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 um had a stepson he was already four and then I had

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 three girls and um the last time we had twins and and the separate gave birth to puppies and you know,

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 We're always drinking and uh, so we moved there and then I got a new neighbor. I want some but now this is like about well about the

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 november of uh

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 1993

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 She was done with me. She was going out karaoke in and uh, she moved out

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 I mean, I would have killed her but uh, I wasn't good at that either

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 and then uh, we had a little thing that happened in february of 94 a pretty big earthquake and um,

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 So she was she moved out. I went and got all her stuff. It was insured on my insurance

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 I put it there. I got fema money. I got insurance money. It was a good time. Um, it was a good time

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 I'm hanging out with a guy that was with smoke crack down by the river eating government cheese

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 and me and him with a smoke crack and we're drinking and and uh,

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 um, and i'm a school bus driver for la unified at this time and and I go special ed so, uh, you know,

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 And i'm gonna honestly say that I never drank in a school bus, but i've smoked pot in the school bus

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 I mean, you know, you just leave all the doors open freeway sweep and you know

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 catch a little buzz and uh you get there and you pick them up and

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 You do your job and then the day before school started in 1994. It was september 11th and uh,

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 September 10th. I went to uh, see the raiders play they played seattle. They got their ass kicked

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 I mean, what's nothing's new lost 38 to 9 and we're not drinking. Uh, greyhounds in the parking lot and uh,

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 Made it back to the valley and my future ex-wife is at a party and i'm just like bouncing off the wall

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 They go. Oh, we were gonna take your keys. Well, they weren't fast enough. So, um, I dove in the pool

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 And then i'm now i'm a really wet drink

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 But it was september 11th really hot night and uh, then I went home and I I took my daughter home

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 I just put it home

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 I hung out with my brand new neighbor that saw a side of me that he never wanted to see

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 And uh, and then I decided to go back down to the party

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 So, uh, I'm over there sherman west sherman way and uh, the leaves and i'm jamming down

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 And i'm gonna make a left right where the 7-11 is on the corner and uh, it's 155

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 Remember looking at the uh, at the speedometer and I made a left and you know

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 I don't know about in reverse cambers

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 But the road dips down in a way and hit the brakes and then I hit that pole head on at the corner

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 right across the streets of paramedics and um

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 If I don't hit the pole, it's just it's right through 7-11 l.a.pds inside

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 They're getting slurpees for the night because it's a hot september 11th night and I I had my seat belt on a lot of times

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 I went without seat belts and I broke the windshield with the top of my head

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 And uh, I was picking class out of my head for a month

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 They gave me a little piece of paper called an admin per se which meant I had my license for 30 more days

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 And then and then my license went away and this was the day before school started for la unified

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 So this is not a good thing for my career. I was six years as a school bus driver

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 I used to work for calling in water before that as a truck driver

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 So, uh time came and went they go. We're not going to let you renew your license and

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 By my birthday of october 27

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 I didn't have a job and I went through the court system and the judge I thought I had a problem the judge concurred

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 He sentenced me to six meetings of aa and um, and and i'm a military guy

151
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 And I came into my purse and I was on I was on uh community service at the golf course

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 Um in balboa in cino golf course, and I don't know if anybody golfs here

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 But if you ever fire a ball or two and one of the workers on the course

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 It had that happen. That was real and I had a hard hat

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 but they never got me but uh

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 I had to go do 160 hours of community service and then I was in the uh, drunk driving class

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 If it was class, I could have taught it and um, and my mom's helping me out. I'm living alone. I don't have a job

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 She's paying my uh, my mortgage and she's like I started going to the drunk driving class and and uh,

159
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 She's like would take me because my car was totaled. My license was gone. My job was done

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 I thought I had a few problems, you know, I was on the uh, it was like a slow speed bronco chase

161
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 You know, I mean things were not I was not on a winning streak. It was definite losing streak and uh,

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 I walked in the first meeting at uh, sherman away and louise. It was a four o'clock meeting

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 And um, it was called a sober wheels meeting used to be a general motors meeting

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 And uh, there was another group that happened to be there for many more of the years that I attended that that meeting

165
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 I think they were called life's in session

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 and uh, I knew a lot of the guys at that time and you know, I never claimed that I was a member of that but

167
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 I would show up to the uh to the barn, you know with where there was no sponsors

168
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 And I was a soda guy. I don't know if anybody's had the soda commitment

169
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 So I had a soda coming in and then I didn't have enough hand

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 So I put my big book in this on top of the sodas and by the time came the following week

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 Obviously, I didn't look in there. I couldn't find my big book

172
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 So, uh, I I took it and I opened it and it fell in the water and it was like the chia pet big book

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 I mean, it was a really big book. So, um, I had to get another one

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 and so I was I was doing that and uh, you know, I think I let it I looked like like, uh, either angus from

175
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 Dirty deez done dirt cheap, but I I wore shorts

176
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 It was so hot in that freaking barn and I wore a tie, you know

177
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 a little bow tie and you know trying to try to be part of and uh,

178
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 I did other meetings beside license session and I really I really enjoyed the uh,

179
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 watch parties and um, that was like

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 It was I really thought that the uh, the the camaraderie the fellowship it was above and beyond

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 So so I that my first meeting was december 7th of 1994

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 And as I walked in there, uh, they told me that I never had to drink again if I didn't want to or if I wanted to

183
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 And that was news to me and I heard in the reading if you want we have and are willing to go to any link

184
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 To get it and I didn't know what anybody had. I did not want what I had anymore

185
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 It wasn't working and I read it a higher power of my own making not my own understanding

186
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 So I was a little befogged and uh, I smoked pot, you know, I was in the dope smokers union and uh, but

187
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 Somebody got promoted that day at the golf course and that was the summer seven and we went to uh, the el torito

188
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 It was no longer there on ventura boulevard and uh had a couple margaritas

189
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 I went home smoked a few bong loads and walked to that meeting. They said well how many days you had?

190
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 I go what community service they meant sobriety not a clue and um, I haven't had a drink since that day

191
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 They I said i'll give it a chance and I smoked that bag up

192
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 In the union, I you know, i'm not giving it away. I'll smoke you up. I'm not

193
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 Flushing it. Yeah, I wasn't gonna do that. So, uh the bag

194
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 We ran out and uh, and I was a few years off a few days off on my sobriety

195
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 I thought it was 12 12 and then two years then I did the math and my last my sobriety date

196
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 Surgery 12 10 it became 12 12 of 1994. So I just celebrated 30 years sobriety one day at a time

197
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:38,400
 That's the only thing i've done right. It's not take a drink not do a drug. I'm in a no matter what club and uh,

198
00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:44,400
 They said to get a sponsor and I was also I was also going to that sober wheels meeting on that wednesday at four o'clock

199
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:50,320
 And um, I got somebody in uh, you know, the guy never called me number one. I didn't like that

200
00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:56,480
 That's a joke, but it's true. And then um, and then I was supposed to meet up with him and do some step work and uh,

201
00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,480
 There was always a problem

202
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:03,280
 So I ended up with another guy that he reached out and and made me feel part of something

203
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:10,960
 I got involved in alcoholics anonymous and we did we did a lot of step work and we um, we even did like the third legacy

204
00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,940
 You know, it kind of talks about where you're from, you know, henry tebow sister ignatia

205
00:16:15,940 --> 00:16:21,200
 You know, and it's all this all this stuff about where he came from

206
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:28,560
 You know, I mean just some deep deep pull on where alcoholics anonymous came from and I became part of something because it

207
00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:34,480
 It says you're a member of alcoholics anonymous when you say you're a member and I can remember looking in my mirror, you know

208
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,600
 And not everything was going great, but I stood there and something

209
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,240
 Hey, you know and uh, but I wanted I wanted to have fun

210
00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,320
 And if I wasn't gonna have fun like the fun that I was having before

211
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:51,760
 And so, uh, I got involved with inner group and I knew where because I always had to find it. Where's the dances?

212
00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:53,120
 went

213
00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,120
 just going to the dances and

214
00:16:55,120 --> 00:17:00,000
 And i'm staying sober one day at a time. It's really not that difficult. You know, i'm doing the work

215
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:05,920
 I'm reading i'm reading, you know, and and then you know, I mean, you know if you're a newcomer, you know, uh,

216
00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:11,280
 You tend to whine a little bit anybody ever wanted when they were new. Okay. Yeah, i'm anybody honest here

217
00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:16,320
 And uh, and uh, I remember that uh, one guy he connected with me he goes, you know

218
00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,160
 You wouldn't be complaining you're just explaining so, you know, he wanted to listen, you know

219
00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:25,680
 And uh, and I was grateful for that and that was the sunday night meeting that was there and that was uh,

220
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:32,080
 Expect a miracle and I don't know we tended to have potlucks and you know, somebody called expect a meal at one point

221
00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,380
 But uh, but you know, I stayed sober, you know, and I worked with my sponsor

222
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,440
 And and there's really no no bad news there, you know

223
00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:41,760
 I've never had a problem where I thought that I could drink again

224
00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,040
 And that's all that is is a a good idea that I could drink again

225
00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:49,440
 And I became a grateful member of aa and then I got involved with the inner group

226
00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:54,660
 So I went to inner group for a lot of years. I was the inner group representative. I brought back the information

227
00:17:54,660 --> 00:18:01,440
 Um, and when I was about two years in I got involved with the san fernando valley aa convention

228
00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,680
 Somebody had me go over there. I got on that committee and then when I had about three years

229
00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:08,400
 I started going up to happy campers at lake pyro

230
00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:15,200
 It's a campfire meeting under the stars third Saturday of the month from march to october and we're currently doing that

231
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,760
 And i've been the coffee guy for about the last six years

232
00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:23,440
 There's no spirit of rotation there and I handled the money and there's a reason why and it's just a great time

233
00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:30,400
 You know, we had 120 people there last time and we barbecued everybody ate bring your favorite side dish. It's a good time

234
00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:36,400
 you know, it's a little cold in the beginning gets a little warm in the middle and then cold at the end as far as

235
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,560
 as the year goes so

236
00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:43,120
 i'm grateful member of that and uh some of my first miracles in aa

237
00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:49,360
 Because when I got here I the first person that I met is still a friend of mine and her husband

238
00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:52,320
 bernard b

239
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,840
 He he they ended up getting married and I was the best man at their wedding

240
00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:03,600
 And that was a miracle that I could perform that duty and and you know be polite even do my job and not be yeah

241
00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,920
 Because I I failed that assignment on more than one occasion and um, you know

242
00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:13,360
 you make lifelong friends here and and i've got a lot of gratitude for that and and we're still all friends and

243
00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:19,760
 We all have more than 30 years sobriety and uh, I never saw that comment. I didn't come here for that

244
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:25,120
 All I wanted was serenity when I got here and I would try to grab onto it, you know

245
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,000
 sands of the

246
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:33,280
 I got happily divorced. It's one of the first things that happened because you know

247
00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,400
 I hadn't married that future ex-wife that I met at bourbon square

248
00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:43,520
 And that's all she pretty much was and I had those kids and and I was a I was an absentee father inside the home

249
00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:48,640
 I laid on the couch and just did a shitty job and and then when I left there

250
00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:55,600
 The ex-wife she got another guy that was worse than me and and laid right on the same spot that I did and

251
00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,720
 Um, i'm glad you know, I in the beginning

252
00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:03,280
 I couldn't figure out why my mom had an ulcer when I was in the military. I tell her mom everybody's doing her

253
00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,240
 I kind of figured

254
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:11,120
 And then uh, just the the ex-wife and you know everything that she went through with

255
00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:14,320
 With the next I think he was worse than me, you know, I mean

256
00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:19,200
 But you know my kids got bored of the brunt of that and i've been given an opportunity

257
00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:25,600
 They're all grown adults now with their own families and uh, I was able to come back and uh, make

258
00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:31,440
 living a mess and it's funny my daughter she just turned 40 and she's got her own kids and

259
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,360
 I'd always told her that my kids were always going to love me and remember me

260
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:41,600
 If only in therapy and uh, and she had been in a lot of therapy so she cried she cried over that

261
00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,320
 So recently she's in another thing

262
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,600
 And um, she I was getting good grades for me

263
00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:54,480
 And and i'm grateful for that because she knows what she's going through as a parent and uh, so i'm grateful for my kids

264
00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:56,480
 and uh

265
00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:03,440
 My uh, my dad he ended up dying about 24 years ago. Oh, yeah yesterday another another day

266
00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:08,240
 It was d-day. I mean you guys know what that means 81 years ago. We invaded normandy and

267
00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:13,440
 you know all the names of the peaches and uh, you know started the drive to end the

268
00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:17,200
 World war ii and uh and recently i'm a veteran

269
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:24,000
 So, uh, and I I don't have a pedal campaign that I was involved in I was in the war on drugs. I'm selling alex

270
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:29,760
 He's got way more time. I did three years and two and a half was in germany and and I survived it, you know

271
00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:34,720
 But there's no war it was right after vietnam and and so my buddy he's sober

272
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,920
 He plays at the bfw's everyone last night and uh, um

273
00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:43,280
 And I want to be a member of vfw and I have to like do some footwork and make sure you treat your dd2

274
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,360
 214 like uh

275
00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:48,240
 I don't know where mine is in a mine is in a box somewhere

276
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,240
 So i'm working on it and i'm trying to be of service to any vet that might need it

277
00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:58,720
 And my dad was a korean war veteran that never said a word about it and uh, there's a book and he's in there

278
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:03,920
 And it was like a vignette. He was a squad leader and he was never afraid

279
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:10,880
 His he was there every day as a platoon leader and uh, i'm sad that I never got to talk to him about it

280
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,140
 But my stepmother's still around 89

281
00:22:13,140 --> 00:22:17,040
 She was always my other mother my regular mother my real mother

282
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:22,240
 She passed away about eight years ago or came up on that she got alzheimer's and uh, I was never going to be able to

283
00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:27,920
 Help her and she died of a heart attack. God had a plan. So that's all in sobriety. That's all in sobriety and uh,

284
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:28,960
 You know what?

285
00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:33,280
 There was never any idea that I needed to drink again, uh that I needed to uh,

286
00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,960
 Have an adult beverage and I don't know if anybody's gone across any things

287
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:43,280
 Where you felt like you needed a drink and uh, you know talk to somebody if you come up with something like that

288
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,520
 You know because because we've learned that we never have to do anything alone here

289
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:54,080
 In an army as we talk about being a family of understanding. I mean like you guys should should know that being quality of life

290
00:22:54,080 --> 00:23:00,160
 you know and then it's just you know, you go through stuff and you've got people that know what you're going through and uh,

291
00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:05,120
 It's not going to bring us about some of the people we lost and you know throwing names out here

292
00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:10,480
 I probably heard 20 years and but I was a friend to be a member and I don't know I got away with it

293
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:16,560
 You know, I got to enjoy uh, the the fellowship that you guys had and not be a real true member of us

294
00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,840
 But I was a member of aa so I I got him where I fit in

295
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:25,680
 That's the kind of sobriety that I have and uh, i'm a grateful member of aa and what do we got going on now?

296
00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:33,280
 If you guys you know, uh, there's there's plenty of service opportunities if you want to do something above the meeting level and uh,

297
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,440
 You know, there's intergroup

298
00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:41,360
 You know and you bring back the information, uh from uh from central office from actually from new york

299
00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:45,760
 Um, there's a convention planning meeting. We just got started up again

300
00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:50,960
 Anybody ever been to our convention out in san fernando valley, you know, there's there's stuff to do there

301
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:56,480
 I mean, it's low low maintenance kind of stuff and you meet other people and um, and you know

302
00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,280
 You're growing sobriety and i've definitely grown in sobriety

303
00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:04,000
 so this is the only coat that fits anymore and uh, I uh, I was uh, I got

304
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:10,480
 I became uh, I lost the bus driver gig and I ended up going back to culligan water and uh,

305
00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:17,440
 I I did that for 29 more years and uh, 30 years sobriety and and uh, and actually that week that uh,

306
00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:21,280
 My I had a worker's comp case that it came through. I had my birthday

307
00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:26,720
 and it was all came together one time and the my whole thing was I didn't make it all the way till my

308
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:31,520
 30th anniversary, but uh, you know i've stayed sober I hit that mark and um,

309
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:37,200
 You know, uh, it's a journey. It's not a destination if you're new here if you're old here

310
00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:42,400
 Um, I look at my life and I and I look at all the miles that my body has traveled

311
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,080
 Not the time, um, you know

312
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:50,080
 My body has moved across this planet for 30 plus years and I was a truck driver and I thought it was some big stuff

313
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:54,820
 But you know, I was local for culligan water and I you know, I told somebody down in mexico

314
00:24:54,820 --> 00:24:59,360
 Because I would go on vacation down there and I was like one of the only ones that didn't drink

315
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:04,560
 So I was an individual but I told some over the road trucker, you know, so my driver I go

316
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:11,440
 Yeah, i've driven a million miles and then he goes two and I go I got rice, you know, it wasn't something that uh

317
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:16,880
 that I needed to uh, um be that proud of you know, so i'm just a proud member of

318
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:24,160
 I call it synonymous and uh, you know, I so big I kind of got involved with this veterans group that they have up in this

319
00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,640
 Up in santa carita and uh, um, I don't have my dv2 14

320
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:35,920
 So, uh, I got somebody like helped me immediately and called like a number above the president and they called me the next day

321
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:41,600
 And they said i'm eligible and let's i'm the gatekeeper or you know, i'm the keymaster. I don't know

322
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,840
 It's like uh, you know, and i've got like a caseworker and I really have no needs, you know

323
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:47,840
 They first they want to go right to mental health and I go

324
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:53,600
 I mean when you start talking like the insurance companies go well, you know, we can deliver meds

325
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,400
 No, uh, we can have somebody come into your home

326
00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,720
 No, I said, you know, I live alone, but i'm not lonely. I've got thousands of friends

327
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:07,280
 That's what I see it being a member of alcoholics anonymous and um, and they are like people are intrigued by that

328
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:11,760
 But I got to stand up and tell people where I was at 370 danger battalion

329
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:20,000
 Uh, 75 76 to 78 total 75 78 and uh, and then I I took a leap of faith because maybe I could help somebody

330
00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,280
 I have my own anonymity, but I chose to to give it away. So

331
00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:28,720
 Um, I told him and i'm sober 30 years in alcoholics anonymous and if I wasn't I wouldn't be here today

332
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,960
 So I hope to be able to help some people out

333
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,240
 I mean they're you know, and I don't really want to go to the va

334
00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,640
 They got a bad rap, but uh, I think they're doing a lot better and they're trying to do better. So

335
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,560
 Um, I have some people that are advocating and I just want to be helpful

336
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,780
 And uh, and I want to be a member of vfw

337
00:26:45,780 --> 00:26:49,920
 Because I would be probably the only guy that doesn't drink there. That's all

338
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:56,480
 Uh, but my buddy's band plays there. He just played at the granada hills one and I live up in santa carita

339
00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:01,760
 So, uh, I just think I could be of help. I got retired in december and uh,

340
00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:09,840
 If anything i've ramped up my meetings, you know, I say yes all the time, you know, uh to nate i'm doing i'm doing a meeting on

341
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,320
 monday night at the uh

342
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:18,800
 Stepping stones and then I come to my regular meeting on monday night on rinaldi and I did a three o'clock zoom meeting

343
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:23,440
 I'm doing a zoom meeting in ireland and i'm the one with the accent and they'll say they'll say shit like

344
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:30,900
 And then they'll go, uh, you know, it's like a commercial it's like and then they go, uh awareness without action is bullshit

345
00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:34,640
 You know, it's like and they got people that kind of just took a 50-year cake, you know

346
00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:40,240
 And chuck c came out there with and did a talk a new pair of glasses and that was like like, you know

347
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:46,560
 A hundred years ago. So, uh, they got some damn good sobriety and people that are really doing the deal and

348
00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:53,120
 So that's an important part. We started that in the pandemic and uh, i'm still doing like a thursday pandemic meeting

349
00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:58,160
 You know because other people don't want to get out their ass and and i've been I don't mind sitting on my ass every now

350
00:27:58,160 --> 00:27:59,600
 and then it's like

351
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:00,880
 being being uh

352
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,920
 I went to the dodger game on thursday and uh, you know

353
00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:08,960
 Got a ticket and parking for 50 bucks apiece and just just trying to do stuff and uh, you know

354
00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:13,440
 And I didn't have a drink, you know and laughed at everybody that did you know, what's this shit with mitchell?

355
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:21,200
 Hey, i'm building it all but you know, I've become a grateful member of aa and my stepmother's still alive and i've been in service

356
00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,920
 To her and I called her the day before. Uh,

357
00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:29,280
 The day before mother's day and I go yeah, I didn't get your card. Yeah, there's not gonna be any flowers

358
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:35,360
 You know, she wasn't happy. So I mean I had a plan and so I showed up on mo on sunday

359
00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:42,080
 And then she got that book where it talked about my dad's service in the military and just talked about stuff and she's not remembered

360
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,680
 Stuff at 89, but i'm a member and I got to go hang out my brother my my favorite brother

361
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:52,340
 I call him because he's my only brother and I have one sister that's older and my favorite sister-in-law

362
00:28:52,340 --> 00:28:56,560
 And they invited me to uh, the orpheum and it's almost 100 years old

363
00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:58,640
 We saw a silent movie in the world

364
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:04,080
 All the music that they play in a silent movie and so it was a good time and i'm the only thing I got

365
00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:07,840
 Enough time to do this. So, uh, it makes me a grateful member of alcoholic synonymous

366
00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:12,560
 I'm glad you're all here tonight and being part of my sobriety and i'm sure you'll see me

367
00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:17,360
 You'll probably hear me because i'm a guy that has a face for radio in a voice for radio

368
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:22,720
 And you'll probably hear me before you see me. So, uh, i'm really glad to be here tonight. And uh,

369
00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,280
 thank you nate for having me out and uh,

370
00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:30,080
 He called me in a and invited me and I really didn't know who it was. I didn't have him in my phone

371
00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,440
 He's in my phone now and I go yeah, i'll do it. Uh, let's talk later

372
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:40,080
 And then I said who exactly is this, you know, you say no, you know, it's like, uh, you know, I love nate's a great guy

373
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:44,640
 So, uh, I just wish you guys all the best one day at a time. Hopefully you're doing the deal

374
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:49,600
 Hopefully you uh have a big book about college synonymous. I can go steady on you and do it in one breath

375
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:55,120
 No, I can't and uh, just do the deal and uh, you know work with a sponsor and uh, you know

376
00:29:55,120 --> 00:30:00,400
 Don't use your big book as a coaster if you got a coaster ring on there. You're doing something wrong

377
00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:05,120
 So get a different coaster get a classroom. So, uh, i'm gonna stay sober one day at a time

378
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:10,000
 If I keep doing what i'm doing and thinking the way i'm thinking i'll never drink it again at least till midnight

379
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,960
 So y'all keep coming back. Thank you so much for having me out great group. Love you guys