Meet the Groves

My Addiction

2010-10-02T20:44:00.004-06:00

I wanted to blog about my addiction to Diet Coke in hope of helping others come forward about their addictions. Initially, I thought it would be something I would attempt to give up, then “relapse” so that I could continue to drink it again. Unfortunately, following the first week of class, I met with my physician and he informed me that my blood pressure was extremely high and I had drunk my last Diet Coke. The news was devastating. I knew there was no way that I could relapse.

Thinking about how much Diet Coke I consumed in a day was rather frightening. Over the last year, my peaked use was two 44-ounce beverages and a 32-ounce beverage each day. I would guzzle my first Diet Coke around 8 am and savor each and every sip, all while quenching my thirst. I can still remember the way the bubbles felt against my teeth and the way they would move quickly down my throat. Around noon, it would be time for lunch at which I would consume my 32-ounce daily dose of heaven. As the clock approached 3 pm, I could tell it was time for another drink. I would start feeling tired and irritated and I knew only a Diet Coke could settle me. Before I realized it, I was hooked and headed down the road to addiction.

To me, the first week of abstinence was almost the easiest. Initially, I experienced a period of withdrawal symptoms. I was easily irritated and battled severe headaches for several days. I noticed that I started substituting coffee for Diet Coke. Realizing that I had replaced one addiction for a potentially new one, I cut my coffee drinking to two cups in the morning rather than several cups throughout the day. One reason that week one was easiest was because I knew there was no way of going back on Diet Coke. I kept thinking that my heath was at stake and no amount of craving or physical withdrawal would make me take a potentially fatal risk.

I found that Diet Coke consumed my thoughts. I thought about the smell, the color, the texture, and the bubbles. There were several days I thought about ways I could sneak a drink without letting anyone know that I was using again. If my doctor didn’t know that I had a drink, was there really any harm done? Then there were times that I recognized feeling guilty for wanting to give in to my temptations.
I engaged in some rather interesting behaviors while on my road to abstinence. I think I reached my lowest when I went to 7-11 to smell the Diet Coke from the fountain. I casually walked over to the machine and pressed the magical silver button dispensing the liquid gold into the drain. I stuck my face close to the running stream and deeply inhaled the intoxicating scent. I found a way to be close to my drink without jeopardizing my health.

Another strange behavior I exhibited involved hopping on one foot. I thought that the hopping motion would take my mind off my cravings and help me to focus on something else. The hopping helped temporarily, but did not satisfy the urges like the inhalation episodes.

During week four of my abstinence, I thought I had participated in enough sobriety and I was ready for my relapse. I sauntered over to 7-11 and purchased a Diet Coke. At last, I held the ice cold drink in my hand and carefully carried it across the parking lot to my office. I didn’t want anyone to see me, so I skulked in through the back entrance and jetted up the stairs. The funny part is that I didn’t immediately suck down my luscious drink. My Diet Coke rested on my desk until 6 pm when I finally poured it into my plant. I felt proud that I did not cave and I fought hard against my urges and cravings.

I think the hardest part of my abstinence program stemmed from peer interactions. My office is right next door to 7-11, which in itself is a huge temptation for me. For the last four years, when the girls in the office feel like getting away quickly we walk next door and get refreshments. What was difficult for me was while everyone else from the office was filling their plastic cups with Diet Coke, I was checking out the section of the cooler housing the bottles of water. These are the same friends I used to drink with and they are a constant reminder to me of the enjoyment I experienced while drinking Diet Coke. Even though my friends/co workers were aware of my ongoing efforts to remain Diet Coke free, it seemed as though they secretly wanted me to fall off the wagon. They made temptations seem tougher.

Having a clear understanding of my addiction and learning ways to cope with the cravings, I believe I have more empathy for clients suffering from addiction. I can relate to the idea of withdrawal and the fight to remain sober. I understand the temptation a client would feel when they continue to associate with their “drinking buddies.” With the knowledge I have personally gained from my abstinence experiment, I believe I can be a more effective counselor to someone battling addiction.

Now that I have been Diet Coke free for five weeks, I feel I have learned to cope with my cravings and have learned that I can a Diet Coke recovery lifestyle. I have an understanding that I’ll never really be cured from my Diet Coke addiction, but I can remain Diet Coke free if I take it one day at a time.

Scentsy

2009-06-13T21:16:00.005-06:00

After long contemplation, I have decided to join the Scentsy team and become an independent consultant. I talked with Shane about my decision and he was totally on board!! With me leaving DCFS in January, this will be a nice fall back for us. Selling Scentsy and being a nail tech should help pay the bills ;)

If anyone wants anything, let me know!!

Mom's Birthday

2009-05-13T18:40:00.003-06:00

It was my mom's birthday on Friday and she loves Spongebob Squarepants. I decided I would test my domestic skills and so I baked a cake.

Sophia

2009-05-13T18:10:00.003-06:00

We decided to add another member to our little family. We went to the Super Pet Adoption at PetSmart and started the hunt. Shane and I entered the first tent and Shane headed toward the second row of kennels. We found three small dogs jumping and playing in the tiny kennel. The little black and white Chihuahua came running over to the fence and started jumping around. Both Shane and I knew this was our dog. Her name was Sophia. We took Sophia out of the kennel and took her for a walk. We both fell in love with her and decided to adopt her!

Sophia came home and met her big sister Sadie. The two of them are working on building a relationship. Sadie still has a hard time allowing Sophia into her house and letting her play with her toys and cuddle with her friends, but she's trying.

Our New Truck

2009-04-08T18:39:00.001-06:00

It was Friday night and Shane was driving home from work. He passed the string of Quality dealerships in Tooele and was awestruck by a black Ford F-150 FX4. He immediately phoned me and said that he was absolutely in love. I was out shopping with my Friday Afternoon Ladies Club when I received the call. He decided to go to Quality to take a closer look. When I arrived back at the house, Shane had taken several test drives and had already started talking numbers with the salesman. We took a short drive to Quality so that I could further assess the situation. After much hassle with the staff at Quality, we parted company and brought our new truck home.

Painting

2009-02-18T19:51:00.004-07:00

Shane and I moved into our new home over Superbowl Weekend. We were moving into the house during the game and had to catch updates in between trips to the U-Haul.

First project of the house was to pain the back room, AKA my office. Prior to painting, the walls were tan and red with bright gold trim in the middle of the wall. One wall was baby blue. I knew this paint had to go, and had to go in a hurry.

I decided to paint my new walls gray. Shane initially thought the color was too dark and beleived it would lead to sadness and despair. Contrary to his belief, I knew the colors would be ultra fabulous and would add a little somethin' somethin'.

Here's the finished walls:

Closing

2009-01-28T19:05:00.002-07:00

Shane and I closed on our house today!! Hooray!! We're homebuyers now!!

The plan is to start moving in tomorrow once the keys are passed on to us.

More to come.....stay tuned!

Sadie

2009-01-21T19:54:00.006-07:00

I realized I had several photos saved on my digital camera that I did not ever have printed. The pictures were of Sadie when she was a puppy. It was nice to see her when she was cute and precious, rather than evil and feisty. I wanted to share with the world the adorable side of Sader Pa-Tater!

Sleeping with Daddy

Spending time with Grandpa

At Halloween
(She's a ghost hunter)

Crawling on Aunt Mel

Update

2009-01-21T19:46:00.002-07:00

It was brought to my attention that I have not updated our blog since November. While sitting through Seminar to Mental Health Counseling, I decided that now would be a good time to update.

Break down:
December: Shane and I decided building a home would not be the best move for us. We decided to start the house hunting process again and actually found something that was fabulous! We put in an offer and were accepted on New Years Eve.

January: Shane and I received our deposit from Fieldstone. After many harrassing phone calls, and much aggravation, our deposit was finally returned!! Hooray!! We should be closing on our new house in the next couple of days and should start moving in shortly after.

My Toothless Husband

2008-11-26T19:08:00.002-07:00

Shane had some wisdom teeth out last week. Unfortunately, Shane doesn't have much wisdom he can afford to lose. (Kidding sweetheart) Several years ago, Shane was playing hockey without a mouth guard and ended up shattering several of his teeth. He couldn't stand the pain any longer and needed to have four teeth removed. He's been recovering and seems to be doing better.

The Sickness

2008-11-19T19:35:00.002-07:00

I'm sick. Cough cough. I started feeling crappy on Friday and stayed in bed all day Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I lived on Theraflu and Jolly Ranchers.

I forced myself out of bed yesterday to visit the doctor. He provided me with Codeine cough syrup!! Liquid GOLD!!

So I stayed in bed and caught up on my Disney trivia. Watching the Jungle Book and Robin Hood while chugging cough syrup is rather entertaining.

Unfortunatly, both the parents and Shane are sick as well. Everyone at the Cramer/Groves house is facing death.

Sad days.

Back Home

2008-11-05T18:33:00.001-07:00

Shane and I moved into my parent’s house last week in order to save money for the down payment on our new house. So far, I’ve bought several Scenty systems, a couple rugs, some DVD’s, Guitar Hero, and a comforter. Not much saving going on.

When we were looking to get a house several months ago, the plan was to find something cheap and move from the rental to our new home. We found our home in September and knew it would be perfect for us. In order to qualify for the home, we knew we would need to pay off my Acura and save enough for the down payment. In speaking with my parents, we figured that if we lived with them, we would be able to reach our goal. The move was on.

Things have gone well. Shane and I have created a nice, cozy space for us in the basement. Our belongings are packed in boxes, which are stacked in the garage. Sadie sleeps in the laundry room and runs amok in the yard during the day. Unfortunately, Sadie has also developed a taste for shag and has eaten a hole in my mom’s rug. My rug-eating devil dog!

It’s nice to be back home. Things are different now, but still the same. It’s good to come home and see my mom and dad there with dinner waiting. I like talking with my mom in the mornings before we both go to work. The part I really like is that Shane is even more becoming part of the family. The four of us spend time together watching TV and talking. We can all laugh and joke and make fun of Shane’s “special” helmet.

I love my family and they have been a big part of my life. I’ve missed not being as close to them this last year as I have been in the past. I’m thankful that we can spend time together and rebuild our relationship. I miss my family when I’m not with them.

Being out on my own and then returning to the nest makes me realize that there really is no place like home.

Poor Poor Shane

2008-10-15T18:35:00.003-06:00

It was Monday night and I was working late. I had a home visit in Stockton at 6:30 and knew I would get home around 8. I had notified Shane that I would be coming home late and would be bringing KFC home. I phoned Shane's cell around 7:30 when I left the family's home to let him know I was on my way. There was no answer. I phoned his work cell, relizing that he may not be home yet and would have his work cell with him. No answer. I phoned the house. No answer. I could feel that I was starting to get angry. I had not heard from Shane since earlier that day. Now it was late in the evening and he wasn't answering the phone. I knew that Sadie was home alone, in the dark.
I started the ritual again. Phoned his cell, his work cell, and the house. No answer. I'm getting really angry.

I arrived at KFC, ordered chicken, and played the game again. Yet again, no answer.
I pulled into our neighborhood and noticed that Shane's car was in the driveway and the garage door was open. He was home, but still not answering the phone. I was even angrier.

I got into the house and it was pitch black. Poor Sadie was sitting in the dark all alone. Shane got as far as the garage door and was gone.

I paced the house and found his cell phone on the counter. Not happy.

After 45 minutes of being home, Shane came through the back door. He was with the neighbor. He had been talking with the neighbor about going out this weekend. Uh oh. I felt bad that I had been angry and he was not doing anything wrong. He wasn't even drinking.

I can come to grips that I may have reacted like a psycho-stalker. Shane understands now that he needs to carry his phone. He is also aware that he should at least come home and turn a light on for Sadie. The last thing he learned is that consideration goes a long way.

Sunday with the Steelers

2008-10-05T19:13:00.007-06:00

It's Sunday. The Steelers are playing the Jaguars. At halftime the score is 20-14 Pittsburgh.

Sunday plans revolve around football games.

I first started dating Shane right before the Superbowl. Little did I know how football would soon come to dominate my Sundays, and occasionally, Monday nights. In the last year and a half, I have learned names, numbers, and trivia of each Steeler. We own Steelers jerseys, blankets, and footballs. A small shrine to his favorite team.

Our First Blog

2008-10-01T19:35:00.001-06:00

It's Wednesday night and I'm in school. Shane is home, holding down the fort, and caring for Sadie. Nothing interesting for our first post.

I decided that since we have family and friends scattered across the country, the best way for others to keep track of us is through a blog.

Here's what's new with the Groves:
Shane and I are buying a new home. We have been house hunting for the last several months and finally found something within our budget. Construction for the new house will start as soon as the building permit is approved by Tooele City. During the building process, we'll be residing in my parent's basement. Nothing like moving back home!! More to come as details arise.

Sadie had her birthday and is now a year old. She's still a total terror!! She's still chewing and biting. Her favorite toys are Shane's socks. She also loves to get his underwear out of the laundry basket and carry them through the house.

I'm hanging out in class. Individual Counseling. It's brutal. The information is interesting, despite the slightly confused students making stupid comments. Whatddya do?!