I’m wondering if I actually need to set up an LLC if I want to get into selling wooden goods. Here’s the gist of it. I’d buy finished wood products, add some value by treating or finishing them myself, and then flip them for a profit. Could I just run that as a sole proprietorship? One thing though—I’m not a carpenter or a retail specialist by trade; my background is actually in economics. I guess you have to wonder if that’s going to be an issue.
So, my cousin showed up at my place yesterday absolutely wasted—like, totally hammered. Apparently, his coworkers had to practically carry him in. To make matters worse, his wife and both kids are packing up and leaving him. They're getting a divorce.
So, a few sober months actually went by. We basically "forgot" all about the drinking problem. It’s not like we were actively dodging the subject, we just... didn't talk about it much. My cousin was making regular trips to Washington, D.C. for his check-ups—I think it was once a month. Everything was fine. All five tests came back clean. Then today, he rolls back into the house absolutely wasted 😢 😢 Just another miserable Christmas
Look, VHS is dead and buried, I get it. But honestly, I’m not some tech fanatic who needs to own every single gadget the second it hits the shelves. Once external hard drives drop down to something reasonable—like maybe $110—then I might actually consider picking one up. Right now, I’d rather just grab a video for $167 and a decent 4-hour VHS tape for a few bucks and just burn it all. By the way, are Rewritable DVDs even still a thing? Or am I stuck making constant trips to Target just to grab more blank discs every time I want to record something? offtopic: Hard drives are definitely the future, though. My apartment is already a total mess of old hard drives, MP4 files, Netflix downloads, and DVDs—I can't keep track of anything. I’m constantly losing discs and stuff... yeah, I guess that's just the struggle for most people.
Maybe there’s some overpriced gadget out there designed specifically for filming, but honestly, video is just the cheapest little recording assistant you can get. Or maybe I just completely misread the instructions in the DVD manual. 🙂
So, about eighteen months ago, I picked up a solid DVD setup—speakers, everything, the whole nine yards. Then my old VCR bit the dust, so I went out and grabbed a brand-new DVR. But honestly? I’m already looking at having to head back to Best Buy to swap it out. The thing is, I can't actually record what I want directly from the TV—you know, like if I want to catch a specific series, or maybe just pause a movie because I have to run an errand... this new tech just doesn't seem to allow that kind of flexibility.😢 I guess you could say that's a massive downside to these modern DVD players. Is anyone else struggling to let go of a perfectly good old-school VCR?
Honestly, I’m just not feeling it—it feels way too slow for me. In that specific category, I’m sitting there listening to Norah Jones, just waiting for things to actually kick off and get wild, but nothing happens. Replacing Peaches with Google😁
Some good news to share. My cousin got discharged from the hospital about three weeks ago, and honestly, everything seems to be looking up. It used to be that he’d be reaching for a drink almost immediately after leaving—but this time, things are different. It’s like he’s finally shifted into a higher gear; he’s talking faster, cracking jokes, actually laughing again. He’s heading back to work this Monday. He’s also been hitting his AA meetings several times a week without fail. It’s all great, really, but I just hope he realizes how thin the line is. One beer, one single drink, and he could be right back at the edge of the abyss. Alcohol is everywhere in this country—it’s just so damn accessible and constant. I really hope he can handle those temptations when they come knocking. I’m trying to stay optimistic.
Man, what a fantastic movie.OOOOO How can you even ask if you should watch it? I mean, you’ve definitely heard of the film and the director—I’m pretty sure you don't usually spend this much time overanalyzing every single thing you watch. Sorry, my defense of Lynch is probably a bit aggressive. If you can, grab the soundtrack. It’s incredible, just like so many of his other films. Honestly, I can’t decide if I like the one from Blue Velvet or the one from Lost Highway better. Pay close attention to that Roy Orbison track—"In Dreams"—it'll give you literal chills. And of course, like everything else he makes, there aren't many ordinary people to be found; it's just a whole cast of freaks and weirdos.
Before he headed off to rehab in Washington, D.C., there were some pretty heavy moments when he’d swing by a relative's place for coffee. Some were just sad, others were honestly kind of ridiculous. We’d sit there acting like everything was perfectly fine, even though he barely said a word—and on the rare occasion he actually did speak, it took him five minutes just to get one sentence out. Then, out of nowhere, he’d vanish for five minutes. And, well, we all knew exactly where he went. Once he started feeling a little better, he’d get this idea that he’d somehow tricked us, thinking we all believed he was just heading to the restroom or stepping outside for a smoke.
Kudos to Jamie Clark74 for being so brutally honest about how you personally tackle this whole mess. But honestly, it feels like my uncle was one of those guys who didn't quite make it out of the 1865 miles lifestyle—he unfortunately checked out way too early because of being an alcoholic. From what I can tell, you actually had the willpower to quit. Sure, you maybe stumbled a few times when things got tough, but you found the strength and finally pulled it off. I guess the most important thing—really the only thing that matters—is just having the awareness that it’s destroying you and actually wanting to stop. Did you ever hit up any AA meetings during your sober stretches? And does having that support from people who have walked the same path actually help? A cousin of mine used to go about two years ago, but I guess he just wasn't feeling it. I think that part is huge—being there when you're in a crisis, and also realizing that you can be the one reaching out to help someone else, rather than always being the one needing a hand to stay sober.
I’ve never seen any signs of aggression coming from my cousin. One time, his dad actually caught him buying booze and bringing it back home—which, I mean, how do you even "catch" a forty-year-old man doing that? He just looked at him and said that it was his Easter!! too.
And he doesn't even want to quit. He actually claims his whole life only makes sense when he's wasted.
There isn't much you can do about it. 🙂 but that's just how it is... [/B]
How are you supposed to wrap your head around something that heavy? How do you even live like that? Does this poor soul in your family have anyone looking out for him, maybe some kids?
boldeagle3 said:So he’s been going to therapy and counseling sessions for ten years? 😲 Then the issue is clearly just that he refuses to quit drinking.
God, boldeagle3, you just don't get it, do you? He hasn't been seeing a professional counselor for ten years; he’s been seeing a psychiatrist who actually specializes in alcohol addiction for maybe a month or two, ever since things really went south. BUT the "counseling" and talks within the family? That’s been going on for ten years. OK?
copperridge912 said:[B Honestly, this whole alcoholism thing is just a nightmare. I have nothing but massive respect for anyone who actually manages to pull themselves out of that hole. Seriously, hats off to them. Unfortunately, most of the time, people like that just end up wrecking their entire family.
I should probably add a bit more to this. He spent about a year at a rehab facility out in rural Montana, and honestly, it looks like he’s finally on the mend. He’s put some weight back on, which is a good sign, and he’s even switched over to non-alcoholic beer. He actually checked himself into that facility because things had gotten pretty bad—he’d completely lost control of himself. He started talking nonsense, just rambling incoherently, and there was even a point where he didn't even recognize his own family. So, I asked him if he’d settle for a non-alcoholic beer, and he just gives me this look. He says it isn't the same thing—that it's just not a "real" beer. I guess he's right, though. Honestly, he shouldn't even be starting anyway; he knows if he gets a taste, he'll probably end up blowing his entire paycheck on brews.
Depression plays such a massive role in all of this. I remember how everyone used to just tear him apart constantly, but honestly? I always felt bad for him. I mean, I know firsthand that he was struggling with depression the whole time. It wasn't easy for him, not even close. I guess today was just a weak showing from Slabic. Maybe.
My experience in Slića? Honestly, it was a bit of a mess. People there seem to have this weirdly slow way of speaking, and there’s just this general sense of being totally lost—both when it comes to getting anything done and actually trying to talk to anyone. It felt like a total lack of awareness about what they were even doing. Just constant confusion and zero clue. Maybe that's just how things work there, I guess. People who have never actually dealt with alcoholism... I don't know, they just can't wrap their heads around it. They honestly can't even begin to imagine how alcohol slowly, surely, just tears families apart piece by piece.😢
boldeagle3 said:When I said months and months, I was talking about all the endless discussions and counseling sessions. There’s a massive distinction between chatting with someone about their issues for 20 hours versus going through 200 hours of it. BIG DIFFERENCE!
We’re talking about counseling and talks spanning at least a decade here. At first, he fought against going to the hospital. Then, mostly because of family pressure—but mainly because he was terrified of getting fired—he finally caved and went on medical leave for treatment. As for communes—I don't think there's any coercion involved in those; it’s entirely voluntary. People have to make their own choice to go there and commit to spending a few years living that way.
boldeagle3 said:Hours and hours? Maybe try saying "months and months" next time. 😁 Do you honestly think someone just kicks an addiction overnight?
If he hasn't said anything, then... well, forget about it until he actually speaks up. Or if he ever does. But if he’s checking into rehab—and let's be real, most people run from that like the plague—then who knows. Maybe he actually wants to get better instead of just letting his pride drag him down to rock bottom. 🙄
How does "years and years" sound to you instead of "hours and hours"? The guy's been drinking for 20 years. Has the booze really scrambled his brain that badly that there's zero hope left? I mean, he lost all his dignity the moment his son had to carry his dead weight into the ER while he was wasted. Can he even sink any lower than that? And what about AA?
We’ve lost countless hours to counseling sessions and endless talks. Seriously, just hours upon hours of it. The thing is, he still hasn't actually said the words, "I'm done drinking—not even once."
He's 41. Anyway, they basically tell you to just walk out of the hospital if you want—nobody’s actually stopping you, and if you don't feel like staying, you can just leave.😕 I guess they give them way too much freedom, maybe. He was on an IV drip for the first few days, presumably to help his body detox from the physical dependency, but now everything is back in his hands. It's all up to him to decide how to move forward, and honestly? I know things will just go right back to how they were, and I'm terrified.