Our Comeback Episode, Season 2 Ep.1

What an amazing kick off to Season 2!!
Catch up with us in Ep. 1 as we discuss the interesting alcohol related situations we ran into over the break and how we dealt with them. Through this conversation we discovered some very interesting facts through some new stats released about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption. We also highlight some of the amazing guests and topics we have to look forward to this season. We are so excited to be back and can’t wait to share an incredible Season 2 with our listeners!

Be a guest on our show https://forms.gle/GE9YJdq4J5Zb6NVC6

Music provided by Premium Beats: https://www.premiumbeat.com
Song: Rise and Thrive
Artist: Young Presidents

Book & Podcast Mentions:
Andrew Huberman Podcast https://hubermanlab.com
Quit Like a Women-Holly Whitaker https://www.hollywhitaker.com
How are you Really? Jenna Kutcherhttps://jennakutcher.com/book
Dopamine Nation-Anna Lembke https://www.annalembke.com/dopamine-nation
Pivot to Purpose-Kristen Boss https://kristenboss.com/pivot-to-purpose

**Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are not professional or medical opinions. If you are struggling with an addiction please contact a medical professional for help.

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Be a guest on our show: https://forms.gle/GE9YJdq4J5Zb6NVC6
Email us: laflifepodcast@gmail.com

Connect with your podcasters. We'd love to hear from you!
Tracey: https://www.instagram.com/tnd1274/
Kelly: https://www.instagram.com/pamperedkel/
Lindsey: https://www.instagram.com/hariklindsey/

**Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are not professional or medical opinions. If you are struggling with an addiction please contact a medical professional for help.

Music provided by Premium Beats: https://www.premiumbeat.com
Song: Rise and Thrive
Artist: Young Presidents

Resources:
Wellness Togethe...

Transcript

Our Comeback Episode Season 2 Ep.1

Intro

[00:00:00] 

Kelly: Welcome to the LAF life podcast, a lifestyle podcast based on living alcohol free and a booze-soaked world. My name is Kelly Evans and together with my friends, Tracey Djordjevic, Mike Sutton, and Lindsay Harik. We share uncensored. Unscripted real conversations about what our lives have been like since we ditched alcohol and how we got here by sharing our individual stories.

We'll show you that there isn't just one way to do this, no matter where you are on your journey from sober, curious to years in recovery and everyone in between, you are welcome here, no judgment and a ton of support.

Tracey: Hello, everyone. Welcome to season two of the laugh life podcast. Tonight, is our first episode and we will be discussing what we've been up to over the break. We have taken a long break from the podcast and are so excited to be back and connecting with our [00:01:00] listeners. We're just gonna. What all my co-hosts have been up to on their break. Some of the situations we've come across over the summer with alcohol and how we dealt with them. And then also we're gonna highlight a few exciting things we have coming up for this season. Hello, my co-host. How are you? 

Kelly: Hello?

Mike: Hello? 

Lindsey: It feels like forever, right? No, 

Kelly: it's really good to be here, 

Lindsey: but I think the break was really, it was needed. 

Tracey: Absolutely. For sure. Yeah. We did a long haul there with no breaks. 

Lindsey: Yeah, we did. 

Tracey: So yeah, we did. I think we started off the break, very silent. We were really on break.

Lindsey: Yeah. Yeah. 

Tracey: Then we uh, slowly kind of got into the swing of things adding some content onto our page and engaging a little more with our audience while we were away, throwing out a couple. Specials, our girls only episode. And 

Kelly: that was a good one. 

Tracey: [00:02:00] Bloopers. That was a good one. Yeah, that was fun. So here we are all ramped up and ready to go. How was your guys' summer? What did you get up to. 

Lindsey: Good. I'm so excited. I'm doing something called belly burn right now. I've always wanted to revaluate my eating because since quitting drinking alcohol, this December is gonna be three years for me. I've lost a ton of weight it's taken a few years. But, consistently working out, not consuming alcohol. And the last piece is getting my nutrition looking at what I'm eating. I'm super excited. It's a month long. It's a program that offered by my gym and I am just really into like the whole health and wellness. Thing right now. So, I'm really excited about that. And it's gonna happen for the whole month of September, a little bit into October. So yeah, that's what I've been up to 

Tracey: that's awesome Lind’s and speaking of that, the [00:03:00] transformation that you've been through that post you made with that previous picture of yourself when you were drinking. Oh my gosh. That's like a totally different person. 

Lindsey: Listen, I was like, how the fuck did my nose lose weight? Like for real, when you look at that picture and my sister was like, well, lens, your face was so puffy. I can't believe it. You see yourself every day. And I didn't really notice the changes. And I look back at certain pictures and I I'm like. Oh my 

God. No. And then you put them side by side. Ridiculous. 

Kelly: It's crazy. It's crazy. 

Lindsey: So crazy. 

Kelly: So good. I love that comparison. 

Tracey: I like you aged backwards. 

Lindsey: Yeah. And Kelly's 

Tracey: I know Kelly's too. 

Lindsey: You should see Kelly's 

Tracey: yeah. I have seen Kel’s. I notice hers too. Yeah. It's a huge difference. 

Kelly: It's hard to look at though. Did you find that hard to look at Lindsay? 

Lindsey: You know what that one picture, if you guys haven't seen it go to our Instagram account, LAF life podcast. When I look at that [00:04:00] picture, that picture, I remember it being taken and it actually makes me so. Sad. Like I get emotional looking at it because when I look at my eyes, I'm smiling in it, but you can just see it. I am so broken. I am so sad, and it makes me really emotional. When I look at that picture, you know, you get that feeling in your chest, in your throat, in your stomach. I just get this emotion. And I'm like, oh man. I feel like I just wanna give that girl in the picture, a big hug and just be like, you're gonna change your life. Everything's gonna be okay. Cuz it's like you go to work every day. You put a smile on your face. You're in rush hour traffic. You're literally from point a to point B, you're moving through life, but you come home Friday night, you binge drink. You're hungover all weekend. You are dealing with anxiety, all the crap you said. And did. Yeah, I was just, I was a really sad, I was stuck. I was really stuck, and I see that when I look at that picture, just like dead, like [00:05:00] sad. I can see that I'm not happy even though I'm smiling. I don't know if that makes sense.

Kelly: Totally. Yeah. I feel the exact same way. When I look at my old pictures. 

Tracey: My partner, at one point when we first started the podcast brought out this picture that he thought was really funny of what I looked like. I was drunk in the picture. I don't know if I was and neither did he but he sent it to me and he's like, oh, look at you. When you were drinking. You're. Drunk. And I was so mortified. I was like, oh man, delete that picture. I was crying. I wasn't ready for it. I was like, no, I don't want to remember that version of myself. 

Lindsey: I know. 

Tracey: Don't, don't do that. Get rid of that picture. I know what you're saying. I can imagine. 

Lindsey: But it's a good reminder of how far, the transformation, I don't see it. You know, people are starting to comment. You look different. I mean, mind you it's been years, but I'm like, you are damn right. I better, I've been doing so much work on myself, but it's. [00:06:00] Honestly like the inside, what you can't see, do you think I'm looking different on the outside? And I'm still a work in progress, but it's, I'm just like, wow. Those things really make you think. 

Kelly: When you're working on the inside, I think it does show on the outside, especially in the eyes.

Lindsey: Well, that's so good.

Kelly: Like you can tell when somebody's not happy, the eyes you were just describing, I call them dead eyes. but when I look at old pictures of myself, that's what I think. But that's 

Lindsey: what was that story? You had a story too, somebody said you talked about it last season, but maybe say the story again, where somebody. Was it a picture or you in person, somebody said to you, I didn't realize that you were that still. 

Kelly: Oh, in person. Yeah. She was with me when I was drunk and she just thought to herself, I didn't know that Kelly was that sad. And meanwhile, I thought I was the life of the party. Oh. I was saying that to somebody the other day, about the amount of alcohol that I drank. I thought that everybody was drinking that much. until now I'm on the outside looking in. So being in situations where [00:07:00] there are drunk people, they're not all wasted. Do you know what I'm saying? 

Lindsey: Interesting. 

Kelly: Like I thought everybody was wasted with me. Right, right. Because I was so out of it, but no, I was the drunk girl.

Lindsey: I hear you. 

Tracey: So did you guys come across any social situations throughout the summer where there was a lot of alcohol. 

Lindsey: I tend to avoid those 

Tracey: well at a wedding. 

Lindsey: Tell us about that. 

Tracey: The interesting part about it was, the fact that I wasn't drinking didn't bother me. It was just more so the fact that, so at the end of the night, my partner and I both don't drink. We were the designated DDS for the drunk people. We wanna make sure people get home safe. So that, wasn't the part that bothered me. That dictated our evening then. Right. And we had to stay till the bitter end because that's when the drunk people wanna stay till, so it was like one 30 in the morning before we're home because we're driving them home and then also taking their car. 

Lindsey: Oh wow. 

Tracey: I don't mind helping people, but I just came to the [00:08:00] realization that in that situation really shouldn't we be dictating when the night ends. Like goes the other way around, right? Yeah. 

Kelly: Will you do it again? 

Tracey: well, maybe under different circumstances. Right. because again, at the end of the night, you're just left with all the drunk people and you're not drunk, so

Kelly: I wouldn't sound fun. 

Lindsey: No, I would feel so irritated.

Tracey: Well, by that time, you're just like, I have been ready to go home. It might have been different if I knew more people because there might have been people there. I would've been interacting with mm-hmm. But because I didn't know a lot of people that was probably the other downfall to it.

Lindsey: I would definitely not wanna be driving a bunch of drunk people home. 

Tracey: Well's funny. You, you get in the car and they're all passed out. so 

Lindsey: I've been the passed out one in the car. 

Kelly: Yeah, I was just gonna say that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's well good for you guys. You guys are good people. I probably wouldn't volunteer to do [00:09:00] that.

Tracey: Yeah. So I think that's the only real situation that stands out to me. And of course, a typical one, because it was a wedding. I don't think I've been to a wedding since I've been sober. So that was my first sober wedding. I talked about in last season, that gala event that was kind of like a wedding and how interesting that was, but yeah, 

Lindsey: I used to feel like I needed to drink to get up on the dance floor. How did you feel at the wedding? Did you, did you guys dance? 

Tracey: Well, I think I talked about this when I went to the gala I still love to dance. I love to dance, but I wouldn't say I was the first one on the dance floor, sober. It takes a little longer to shake off the cob. But that could be kind of an age thing too, because it's not like at this point in my life, I'm going out dancing on a regular basis. yeah. It might be different when I was younger and I was like going to nightclubs all the time and for sure, dancing it off, but not so much these days, 

Kelly: the tequila willies.

Tracey: Yeah. Yeah. Those days. [00:10:00] 

Lindsey: Is that a local bar where you guys prep? 

It's not, it's not there anymore though. Oh, no. , 

Tracey: but what was cool was Kelly came to visit just a couple weeks ago. 

Lindsey: Yeah. And you guys all looked so good in that picture. 

Tracey: I know we missed you Lind’s 

Lindsey: I know. Yeah. So what did you guys do? Where'd you go tell, 

Tracey: we went to a local pub.

Yeah. Right. And we did eat, but I think it's a good example of the three of us were all out together at a pub and not drinking and still had an awesome time. 

Lindsey: That's amazing. 

Tracey: You don't need alcohol to have fun, especially if you're in good company. 

Lindsey: For sure. 

Kelly: That's right. 

Lindsey: Yep. No hangover the next day.

Tracey: So that's good.

Kelly: Yeah, that's right. Yeah. And that place has been around for a long time and I I'm like 99.9%. Sure. That's the first time I've ever been there. Sober. 

Wow. 

Tracey: you and me? Both Kel yeah, that would've been my first-time guys. You guys’ probably Mike's as well. I don't know. 

Mike: I don't know. Maybe. Been there many times. [00:11:00] So I don't know. 

Tracey: I know Mike, you had some situations because I think you were talking to us about them.

Mike: Yeah. 

Tracey: And you have a couple gatherings through the summer. 

Mike: I went to a few parties. The most common event for me that involves alcohol is golf. Every guy I golf. They all drink and most of them bring their own beers. By the time they're away from the clubhouse, they're cracking beers, even if it's 10 in the morning, which whatever you mean, what these, these guys have got to make their own decisions in life. And they still, when are you gonna drink? When are you gonna drink? I laugh at them. They know, you’re not gonna get me to change and it's not like they're doing it to get me to change. It's entertaining to them. So, I think what they like is they're waiting to see what one liner I'm gonna throw back at them to make them, you know, feel like an idiot for trying to suggest I should start drinking.

But I went to a party, a good party, I think everybody was drunk or getting drunk. It was a big birthday. It was interesting to sit in an observation that's for sure. Shots and yeah, and I thought, I, I won't lie. I, I was [00:12:00] there. I'm going, I wonder what would happen if I did have a shot or I did have a drink. I never had one in my hand. Mind you, but yeah, I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind where that thought started coming. So, to your guys' point, Not putting yourselves in those situations. It's probably the easiest thing, obviously to do mm-hmm, if you are going through a scenario where you want to test yourself, you could easily, yeah. With all these people, I've always had fun with. Drinking's been. Part of that past experiences with them and, oh, what's one beer and then you're back in it or what's one drink and it's not to say, if you do that, you can't start over again. I'm not gonna sit here and try to chastise somebody or make someone feel bad about their decision. It's ultimately your decision, but yeah, certainly it's challenging for sure. For sure. 

Tracey: I don't find, I really have that. I don't really find that I'm tempted to drink in those situations. I just find my tolerance for drunk people is less so I wanna kind of exit sooner than maybe I would've when I was drinking. Right. 

Mike: Yeah. Yeah. I think to be [00:13:00] fair, like the well, I mean, there's drugs there too, not hard drugs, weed, and you know, these guys are, and I that was, my lifestyle was weed and alcohol. So, kind of was like rekindling old. Oh my God, this would be a great night if I was, and it was a good night, honestly, it was a good night. I even walked there. And then I walked home, and it was great. I stayed for five hours at least. And I just drank water and then I had an experience where I went, I can't remember exactly where I was, but we ended up at this small gathering and all the guys were just like busting a gut laughing and cracking jokes and, I was laughing too at them and they because some of them were drunk and the comments they were making, I can still make those types of comments sober and be myself. Cause that was my biggest fear. Was I still gonna be the funny guy that people gravitate towards and maybe I'm not, I don't know, but it's okay. I'm cool with it. The best thing is, is that I'm noticing more and more people. They ask me about it, or I see people that I never would've thought. They're like, yeah, I'm, taking a [00:14:00] break. I played hockey with this one guy, and I thought he quit drinking before I did. And he still hasn't had a drink. And I thought there is no bloody way in the world that this guy will ever not like Thursday night hockey was his drinking night. He is five years later and he's, you know, it's amazing. 

Tracey: I did have one other little funny situation that we were at a birthday party just a couple weeks ago. It was a barbecue, and it was one of my partner's best friends and when we got there, I had like a travel mug with me. Right. And he's like, oh, trace, you got a traveler, you got that full of wine. And I was like, I was like, you know, I don't drink. And he's like, oh yeah, shit. Cuz, he knows he follows us on social media. He knows about our podcast that I don't drink. He just totally forgot. I'm like, listen a past version of me. Mm-hmm for sure. But not the new Tracey. 

Kelly: That's cool.

Mike: I got day. I went away this past weekend for somebody's birthday and me and another guy golfed. And we got joined up with [00:15:00] an older couple and as we're playing around my buddy got a birdie.

For those at home? I don't know what a birdie is. 

Lindsey: I was just gonna be like, Mike, help me. How many below part one below part one. Okay. 

Mike: So, we get to the next tee block I swear they're probably like 75 is my guest 70 at least. Okay. Mm-hmm the lady comes up and she's got under her arm. She's got a pink flask with shock glasses, and she comes up and she. To my buddy. And to me, she's like birdie juice. And I was like, what the fuck? Birdie juice? I was like, oh my God. Celebrate. Yeah. Like celebrating the birdies. But that's what that culture and generation did. I know it. Right. Yeah. And I go, sorry, I don't drink. She's like, oh, okay. Teach the own or whatever. And buddies start laughing. He thought it's hilarious. These old people are. And so, he takes the drink and. We were playing for a little bit of money, nothing crazy. And I looked at him and I go, that's gonna be your downfall drinking that birdy juice and I shit, you not, he never won one more hole. [00:16:00] 

I was laughing to myself. 

Lindsey: Ye your superpower. Yeah, 

Kelly: it is. 

Mike: That was the thing with him. Was birdy juice, birdy juice. 

Lindsey: That's funny. I've never heard that. 

Mike: oh, I wish it was on video, cuz I was like, you've done this before. Oh, like. You had a pink FLA with pink shot glasses. Like you've done this before. So anyway, 

Tracey: that's awesome.

Lindsey: I don't know if you guys saw this. I don't know if this is based in like Winnipeg, CTV news. And Kelly, I don't know if you saw this, but there was another, I don't watch the news, so, no. Okay. I don't either, but I was just Googling, to prep for our upcoming season. I wanted to know what's new in alcohol literature or, what's trending. Right? So, this article was published by CTV news, August 30th, this year. And this is what it says. There are, I didn't know, this newly proposed guidelines for alcohol consumption say Canadian should stick to a [00:17:00] maximum of two drinks per week in order to reduce the risk of negative health consequences. But listen, it goes on to say, oh fuck Canadian center on substance. And addiction followed two years of research and a review of more than 5,000 peer reviewed studies and says alcohol, even in small quantities is harmful. So, my point in sharing this is I've never seen some news. Channel or a news publication sort of now saying, oh, wait a second guys. Because the current health Canada guidelines created in 2011, say men should limit their alcohol to no more than three drinks a day. Geez. And that means 15 drinks per week for men, while women should stick to a maximum of 10 drinks per week. But now they're saying one drink. Three to six drinks a week increase the risk of developing cancer, breast cancer, [00:18:00] colon cancer, and more than seven drinks per week can increase the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Any amount of alcohol is harmful, 

Kelly: right? They're giving a maximum amount. 

Lindsey: Yes, they're lowering it.

Kelly: So, are we gonna get to zero? Are we going to get, 

Lindsey: that's my point in bringing this up? Let's talk about it. 

Kelly: Yeah. Like I've always said, I honestly do believe and I'm hopeful that it will be like cigarettes 

Tracey: mm-hmm 

Kelly: and it will be like, you don't, you don't want cancer. Don't smoke cigarettes. If you don't want cancer, don't drink alcohol.

Tracey: I think I sent you guys a while back a stat that was on a counseling form. I was filling out that was like staggering to me. What they were saying was acceptable for amount of. Usage per week. And it was along the lines of the first stat. You said their lens from 20 11, 

Lindsey: 20 11.

Tracey: Yeah. Also, I'm gonna grab it. I have something on my phone. I was gonna post it on our page. It was oh, [00:19:00] perfect. It was a picture I took of the news as well. Another stat on alcohol so I'm gonna grab it and I'll share it. But in saying that, that is like that podcast episode I sent you guys. That is from Andrew Huberman. I love that guy. He's awesome to listen to he's a neuroscientist and he just dumbs everything down for the regular humans, which is awesome. And he does stuff on an abundance of topics, but he did one specific on alcohol usage and how it affects the body and brain. And that was the one I sent you guys.

Lindsey: Yeah. 

Tracey: And that blew my mind. He was talking about how even a small quantity of alcohol per week affects the gray matter in your brain. For sure. So, it doesn't take much, you don't have to be a regular drinker or a heavy drinker for it to affect you. 

Lindsey: The article continues here and says for many years, the commonly held belief that drinking, and moderation offered protection against heart disease. And that [00:20:00] was widely publicized. But research in the last decade, is showing that drinking a little alcohol it doesn't increase or decrease your heart health. And then it's saying alcohol use is a risk factor now in cardiovascular diseases and causes, at least seven different types of cancer. Heart disease is the second leading cause of death. And the CCSA says research over the last decade has shown alcohol causes, heart problems. So, I think we're on the right track, but Kel like you said, it's not zero yet, but 

Kelly: yeah.

It's winged from moving that way. That's good. Moving that 

Lindsey: way. You know, cuz I often thought this is my experience. I often hear people say wine is good for your heart 

Kelly: old. 

Tracey: Why 

Lindsey: you're like hashtag fake news. 

Yeah. Yeah, 

Kelly: not true. 

Tracey: This stat said across the news channel that I took a picture of, so I could share it on our page at one point.

Kelly: [00:21:00] Perfect. 

Tracey: But I haven't yet it says one drink a day means higher risk of heart disease, stroke cancer report. So, it's probably maybe the same report that you're referring to Linds that you came across. Yeah. But that was actually on. TV news. That's that? I got that from 

Kelly: good. That's good. I do think, over the summer I was in some social situations and, talked to people that I didn't even know were listening to the podcast and they're listening and. Questioning their relationship with alcohol. And I think that's what this information being out there does is it gets people, questioning their relationship with alcohol doesn't mean you're addicted, or you have a problem or whatever, it's just, do you need this thing in your life?

Tracey: Yeah. I had a couple people reach out to me over the summer, too. Mm-hmm and ask me some questions about, how did I feel when I stopped drinking? I had people reach out that have had fallbacks and you know, 

Kelly: oh yeah. I saw something about that today on This naked mind. [00:22:00] So that book, I think we've talked about that book on this podcast before. Yeah, she's also got a great Instagram account. It's called this naked mind. Mm-hmm and today she posted it takes the average person eight to 13 tries to quit alcohol before they do it successfully.

Lindsey: Wow. 

Kelly: So, I think that's something really important for people to hear, if it doesn't work, try again, you know, and I know lots of people that are, they're there they'll have a couple weeks or a couple months and then go back to it. Well, that's okay. Like just try again, keep trying, 

Tracey: I think it it's all about timing, right?

Kelly: Mm-hmm 

Tracey: it's got to be the right time for you. 

Kelly: Mm-hmm 

Tracey: so sometimes we may. And we have a setback. But when you make the decision finally, and you know, it's right for you, you'll stick to it. Like anything else, but yeah, it's got to be kind of your time. I mean, we've all talked about how many times we said we'd quit drinking or. Thought about quitting drinking. I mean, gosh, I know I said it for probably two years leading up to not [00:23:00] drinking, so that's what I keep encouraging. My friend that's reached out. When it's your time, you'll do it. Don't beat yourself up over it. Yeah. Just keep trying and eventually you'll get to a point where that's what you want for yourself, and you'll figure it out.

Kelly: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was in a few situations this summer, nothing where I was tempted to drink or anything like that. That's normal for me to be around alcohol, but one was, we have a Nordic spa here called thema. 

Lindsey: Yeah. 

Kelly: You guys have one there up north, but it's very serene and you go there for the day and it's relaxing. You walk around in your robe, and you go on all the different pools and saunas and steam rooms and stuff like that. But majority of the people were drinking alcohol, cuz you can. I was just not judging, but just like, ugh, why does alcohol have to be part of. Experience, like you could be completely present and healthy and enjoy the whole day and not have [00:24:00] this thing. And people are with their close friends or their husband or wives or partners or whatever. And then you're putting this thing in between you this alcohol. So, I noticed that the other day, the other was well, the reason why. Was able to see Tracey and Mike was my son and I were there for a couple of concerts. Hmm. And so, we went to see two Pearl jam concert. So, I'm sure you can imagine the age group is our age group. I would say 75 to 80% men, so I was like, Ooh, okay. Beginning of the concert, my sister's also single. So, we're like, Hey. Yeah. But at the end of the concert, like they're all wasted. They're not attractive anymore. So, any men that are listening that are still drinking, 

Tracey: keep that in mind. 

Kelly: It's just kept that in mind. But that was me, and there was one guy like, oh, I don't even wanna tell a story. I won't tell the whole story but like outside the stadium in [00:25:00] Hamilton and he's just barfing all over the place like this, like 45, 50-year-old man. And. To somebody that we were with, he goes, he goes, yeah, he's probably gonna go and tell his friends. It was the best night of his life, but he is not gonna remember half of it. And that was certainly me. There are complete concerts that I don't remember being at at all. Definitely awful things, but I love being present in those situations. I love that. I remember everything. Enjoy it. Dance, have fun and just. Soak it all in and be completely present and never cared about having beer built on my shoes before. But now I do, I guess, so that was the only thing 

Tracey: now you realize how annoying it is. 

Kelly: Yeah, exactly. But yeah, those types of things, I really, really appreciate being all me all there. For sure. 

Lindsey: And you didn't barf on the sidewalk 

Kelly: that's right? Nope. I did not.

Lindsey: I love this thing, Kelly, that you [00:26:00] shared, cuz I had to reshare it on my Instagram stories today. 

Kelly: Mm. 

Lindsey: And I'm gonna read it, 

Kelly: but yes, I love that. 

Lindsey: I loved this so many questions to ask yourself. Instead of am I an alcoholic, is drinking, adding more negatives or positives to my life? How do I feel after drinking? How does alcohol impact my self esteem, mental health, relationships, and productivity. Are my drinking habits in alignment with the life I want to create? That was like, wow. 

Kelly: That last one was, that was me. That was my end of everything. Like, I know I want more outta life and I know I'm not gonna be able to do it hungover all the time.

Lindsey: Nope. 

Tracey: Yeah. That resonates with me. Totally. 

Kelly: Mm-hmm 

Tracey: especially as a mom. 

Kelly: Yeah, 

Tracey: like for me, it's like, no, this is not the mom or role model I wanna be or leave for my daughter. 

Kelly: Right. 

Tracey: So, yeah, that really resonated with me 

Lindsey: just a different way of looking [00:27:00] at it. Right. 

Tracey: Absolutely. Cause you're right. A lot of people are get too caught up in the, do I have a drinking problem? You know, 

Kelly: they need to define it for something 

mm-hmm yeah. 

Tracey: Mm-hmm yeah. Yeah. That's why I like to say, I just got to a point where alcohol wasn't serving me anymore. Wasn't serving me well, for me, I really kind of define it as my relationship with it. That was unhealthy because the amount I was drinking, and I wasn't blacking out and I wasn't getting drunk every night. Some people wouldn't consider that excessive or would even consider normal, but. You know, in my mind, it was just the fact that I knew my relationship with it. Wasn't healthy. Regardless of what anybody else thought was normal; it wasn't healthy for me because it wasn't serving me well. 

Lindsey: Oh, that's so good. Yeah. I love that. 

Kelly: I had a fear. I'm sure I've talked about this on here, but I had a fear that I was hiding it so well that if I quit, nobody was gonna [00:28:00] believe me. Like nobody was gonna be like, well, you weren't that bad. 

Lindsey: I actually got a few comments, like. 

Kelly: Yeah. So, did I, and I did get those comments, like really? Yeah. Like really, you're not, but some people, it depends on the person. Some people are like, oh, thank God, this thing, but depends on where they saw me in what situation? Very, yeah. Yeah. It's funny how much I don't care about stuff like that now. But at the time I was like, Ooh, they like, what are they gonna think? Mm-hmm. People don't, it doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. Like Tracy said, all that matters is that, you know, what's best for you for you. Yeah. You decide. 

Tracey: No, my own partner said that to me. Mind you, he doesn't drink. So, I'm not sure he would really know, but. Just based on the fact that he knows most of the people he knows, do drink mm-hmm and do enjoy a cocktail after work or whatever. He said to me because again, I wasn't drunk all the time. I had a really good tolerance, so a lot of [00:29:00] times I could be drinking, and people wouldn't even probably know I had a drink. So, I don't know, Kelly, if you call that a way of being able to hide it. 

Kelly: Yeah. 

Tracey: I probably did hide it from a consumption point of view, because I probably consumed a lot more than people realized just based on the fact that I had a tolerance for it, and I could and get away with it.

Kelly: Right. 

Tracey: So because he wasn't seeing me drunk all the time. He was like, like what's a big deal. You enjoyed it, you know? 

Kelly: okay. So, did you hide from him? How much you drank? 

Tracey: No.

Kelly: No. Okay. No. Did you hide the amount that you drank from anybody? 

Tracey: No, I mean, I wouldn't openly talk about it, but any one of my neighbors could have looked in my recycling bin and seen how I know was I, 

Kelly: no, I have a, I have a memory of like, and my ex-husband he drank with me, but then I've mentioned it before. I also drank by myself when he was working nights and towards the end of my drinking career, I remember, and [00:30:00] I never had to hide drinking from him. Like he knew I drank when he was at work or. But one night I drank two bottles of wine. I think instead. One and I went outside and put one bottle in the recycling bin, cuz I didn't want 'em to know. I like, so my, consumption was increasing. I was drinking that more and more. I was on that path. Yeah. But like that's when you know, I started to hide how much I was drinking and that's, that's scary. That scared me. The fact that I did that. 

Tracey: Sorry. I was just gonna say, I think that Mike could say the same, because he has mentioned he never drank at home even.

Kelly: Right. 

Tracey: I'm sure Mike people have had that perception of you that really did you have a problem because you more drank socially, right? 

Mike: I'm not sure to be honest, I don't know that I've ever encountered the question. 

Tracey: No nobody's ever said to you, oh, you didn't have a problem. Why'd you stop drinking?

Mike: No. What, what I think is is that I think it's harder for men to [00:31:00] I don't know. I shouldn't say it's harder for men to quit than women. That's just ridiculous. But I think this whole stigma of, when men work, they drink, most blue collared dudes drink, and I'm sure women do too. Not that you know, we're gonna discredit women in their drinking habits, but yeah, guys don't necessarily like, they'll say beer, like there's a cooler here, beer and it's like, no.

Okay. Next guy, like it's not even, what do you mean? Or. Like, why you don't have a drinking problem like that? Never. I never had that. No, but what I did have would be like, okay, let's go back to your house after the bar and I'd say, yeah, sure. But I don't have anything to drink. Mm-hmm who the fuck doesn't have any alcohol at their house? They're like, well, I don't cuz I don't drink at home by myself, and I don't know why I ever did that. I just never really did. Even when I was, even when I was married, I don't think we really kept, like a plethora alcohol in the house. I don't know what it was. It was always built around socializing the social aspects of it. So, I think the difference would [00:32:00] be that now when I go to a bar, like if I go to, to went to Gator TEDS a few times to watch a game or catch up with some guys and the waitress would come and go. What do you want? And it's like, I'll have an ice water with lemon and a menu. Oh, all right.

 I mean, you tip five bucks on a $20 bill or something just. Like make 'em feel like, and plus COVID and all that. I feel like the bar industry's taken a hit because people, I don't know if this is a good, this is maybe the next thing to talk about. Is it a good thing that, people learn, or they could save money and drink at home during a pandemic, as opposed to going out to a bar? I mean, I wonder what the numbers are in regard to People's consumption levels. Did they go up? I think for sure it went up and a few people I know for sure. 

Lindsey: Oh, I think so. 

Kelly: Oh yes. 

Mike: Like for sure, 

Kelly: absolutely. 

Lindsey: Oh yeah. 

Mike: And they're even more functioning drinkers than ever before. 

Kelly: Yep. 

Mike: And, you know, professionals and, and whatnot, have good jobs and yeah. I speak my mind. I won't lie. Sometimes I [00:33:00] should shut up, but whatever. Yeah, I found that I'm not afraid to speak my mind, especially on those topics when I'm challenged. I just call like it is, and they just kind of just sit there and go, okay, well, whatever. So, I don't know if that answers your question Trace but. Yeah. 

Tracey: Sorry. I was just thinking about another topic that got brought up when the three of us were together about how much our waitress hated us. 

Kelly: I know, I was just thinking about 

Tracey: we weren't drinking. Like she, she treated us, like we're second-class citizen.

Kelly: He just over us. 

Tracey: Ordering drinks. 

Kelly: Well, and it wasn't just the three of us, so there were other people coming and going and, and nobody was drinking 

Tracey: yeah. Yeah. 

Kelly: And I was a server for a long time, so I get it like, yeah. you're not getting tipped on a bill with zero alcohol. And when you get a table of six or seven, you're like, Ooh. And then when you realize that nobody's [00:34:00] spending any money, you're like, ah, shit. But the, the restaurant was not busy. We were on the patio. It was not busy. So, we weren't taking up a table that somebody who was spending more money could be sitting at, but I tip her.

Tracey: No, we also were gonna tip her. Yeah. It's not like you're not gonna tip her cuz you're not drinking. 

Kelly: Well, exactly. 

Tracey: I don't know, but to me, it's like, we're making you do less work. Chicky. We're not making you run back and forth every five minutes for drinks, cuz trust me, if we're drinking, you be working a lot harder.

Kelly: yeah. Yeah. And I still like all this time after I like to go out, did I like to go to restaurants and stuff like that? Every time I get my bill, I'm like, that's it.,

Lindsey: that's amazing. I'm hard. 

Kelly: Cause it to be so expensive. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. 

Tracey: Yeah. I keep reminding Randy, how much of a cheap date I am now?

Kelly: That's right. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. Mm-hmm 

Tracey: well, you think two glasses of wine? There's 24 bucks. You've saved right there. 

Kelly: Mm-hmm. 

Tracey: It's crazy. 

Kelly: Did [00:35:00] I tell you guys this on the podcast that we used to go to the cottage, like our family, a family of five mm-hmm would go to the cottage for four days with tons of food and snacks and everything, but our booze cost more than all the food always.

Oh, wow. Yeah. So, I'm not proud of that. What's that Mike said, 

Mike: you'd rather your children not eat, except you got to drink. No, they ate. I 

Kelly: know I'm teasing. We had lots of food, 

Mike: but teasing, 

Tracey: even more boos 

Kelly: that's even more boo than, unfortunately what I'm saying 

Mike: is it could eat more food or ate like Kings as opposed to what they got. I'm sure they're fine, Kelly. I'm just, 

Lindsey: there is nothing wrong with hot dogs. Okay.

Mike: is that what they said at the gym course Linds there's nothing wrong with hot dogs, 

Kelly: hot dogs also cause cancer. Okay. 

Lindsey: They do really do. 

Kelly: We're not gonna start talking about hot dogs. [00:36:00] 

Lindsey: We have a new podcast idea.

Mike: And this may be the cue to check out me. 

Tracey: That is a bad idea. I'm 

Mike: took five minutes for you girls to get on the topic, 

Kelly: living hot dog. What is it? Living? Living hot dog free.

Tracey: Is it a spinoff? 

Kelly: I'm gonna start my own. I'll have you guys on as guest, 

Tracey: you know, living hot dog freak, be taken a whole way. 

Kelly: Oh my God. No, I'm not doing that

always. Why do we always come back to this? 

Tracey: I know, I know 

you were 

Mike: you're the bad ones. 

Kelly: It was Tracey. 

Mike: Tracy said hot.

Tracey: Hey, I didn't bring up hots. Lindsay brought that up. 

Lindsey: I did. 

Kelly: I was insinuated that. Okay. Oh man. This is not good. 

Lindsey: not sure where to go from. 

Tracey: [00:37:00] Heres, do I need to edit this out? 

Lindsey: No, I think it's funny. Fine. I think we keep it; you know? Yeah. 

Kelly: I own it. Yeah. 

Tracey: Okay. It's all right. It's out. It's out there now. Kel 

Lindsey: the shit I used to eat while drunk, though, we tell 

Kelly: you, oh my God, we just shovel it in girl. Same. Chips nacho like, oh my gosh. A wheel of Bree

Lindsey: a wheel of breeds for sure. At three in the morning.

Kelly: Fuck. Why'd I gain 40 pounds. I don't know 

Lindsey: a box of craft dinner, like 

Tracey: Kelly you're fancy Bree and baguette 

Kelly: oh yeah. Well, yeah. I know 

Tracey: I'd be like peanut butter and soda crackers. 

Kelly: if I was by myself, it was usually just like a bag of chips or maybe some chips and salsa, but 

Lindsey: mm-hmm 

Tracey: no, then there's always the good late-night haunts after the bar at two o'clock in the morning. Some, some great fast food. 

Lindsey: Oh, 

Kelly: I was Happy to see we [00:38:00] drove by when I was there at Montford. That was a place we used to go when we were drunk. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or get takeout. 

Tracey: Mm-hmm they were open to like, oh God, I think three or four in the morning. 

Kelly: Yep. Yeah. 

Tracey: That and charcoal pit. 

Kelly: Oh yes. Is that still there?

Tracey: It's still there too. Oh man. Yeah. 

Kelly: Burger. 

Tracey: I'm not sure any of them are open that late anymore. Cuz nothing. Oh, really me and my girlfriend were out the other night. We couldn't get a coffee past eight o'clock. Oh, really? Starbucks was closed at eight. Second cup was closed at eight. I was like,

Kelly: oh, that's crazy.

Tracey: What's going on here? Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

So, what about content? Did you guys take any good, taken any good content over the summer? I've been reading some books and definitely tuning in to some podcasts. I would mention the. Andrew Huberman one. And I read Quit like a woman, which I love. 

Kelly: Oh, I love that book.

Tracey: I know you girls had already read it, but I hadn't. And I really, [00:39:00] really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed that. It came from a female perspective. Yes. I actually have recommended it to a few people. Now my mom mm-hmm, just read it too. And I'm in the process of reading Dopamine nation. Ooh. Which is also very interesting. Hmm. 

Kelly: Yeah. Quit like a woman. Did you do audiobook or did you? 

Tracey: I did audiobook. Yeah, I've been doing, 

Kelly: I like it. I like her, like she's gets so fired up. Like I really like, I like her a lot. Yeah. 

Tracey: I've been doing a lot of audio books actually, because I just find, I can consume them. easier, quicker, better that way. I've been in a bad habit of buying books and then just having them sit around so, yeah, as much as I like the old-fashioned book, I'm still trying to finish Untamed and I've been reading that book for like, Five months. Probably 

Lindsey: that's a good one. 

Kelly: Yeah. Such a good one. Mm-hmm yeah. Yeah. I don't know I've been writing a lot myself, so I guess I've been coming up with my own content. I don't think I read anything [00:40:00] new. Yeah. I don't think I came across anything new. 

Tracey: That's good. That's really good. 

Lindsey: What am I doing? I'm reading. What is it called? How are you really? Jenna Kucher and so far. It's I think it's super good. And what did I read over the summer? Oh, pivot to purpose. Kristin boss. That's a super good book. Just about life in general, not necessarily sobriety or anything to really do with alcohol, but it's a really great mindset book.

Kelly: Mm-hmm

Tracey: so that's good. That's all like, kind of just encouraging yeah. Healthier habits, right? 

Lindsey: Yeah, for sure. 

Tracey: And self care, which we always talk about is part of the recovery journey. Mm-hmm 

mm-hmm

Mike? 

Mike: Yo 

Tracey: How you feeling over there? 

Lindsey: he's like, no, 

Kelly: Mike has a man cold. He's like sink, he's sinking, deeper and deeper into that couch of his

Mike: I'm online. You're not wrong. No don't I don't really, I don't read books. [00:41:00] I read articles, but I don't have anything that pops off my head. I just worked in my golf game. That was it and work. 

Lindsey: And you're making Tik Toks 

Mike: my well I'm learning how to make Tik Toks 

Tracey: we all need to learn how to make Tik Toks 

Mike: did learn something that I was like, why can't I make a TikTok a certain way? Mm-hmm took my friend's wife, who is a big tick toker mm-hmm she has like quarter million viewers. Or wow.

Yeah. She's 

Tracey: why what's what does she do? What's her thing? 

Mike: She does like, more like comedy, like skiddy type stuff. She has a couple of products that she gets small kickbacks for like one 

Lindsey: affiliates. 

Mike: Yeah. That's what cool and stuff. But yeah, I asked her and she's like, she goes, well, give your phone. And I look, I came to my phone and she's. What's this. And I like, it's my phone. She's like, how old is this phone? An [00:42:00] iPhone? What the hell? She's like, you can't work with this. And then she, I said the fuck. So no, no content to share other than just readings. And I'll share when my time is to contribute. That's what I. I got at this point, 

Tracey: it's funny about the Tik Tok because it's like my daughter's the expert. If I want some advice on how to do a talk, I just ask her. Cause she's on and all this, 

Mike: there's a big, there's a huge community out there., there's anybody out there that is listening. Yeah. I'm sure that they're aware of hashtag sober talk. Mm-hmm mm-hmm. the other ones and heck we had a guest from TikTok, right. So, yeah. 

Tracey: Yeah. I go, I try to go on there and, check through the sober community there and I add people to our page because I think it's great to follow them and yeah. Its kind of [00:43:00] builds our community there too. We just have to put some content on there. 

Mike: There's there's a lot of people out there that you'd be shocked. I watch these. There's a, there's a certain golf thing I watch. And it's these guys, they're younger guys, but they do these like different competitions and stuff like that related to golf. And I shit, you know, last thing when I was watching one, the guy stopped. One of the guys stopped and he's one of the, he's probably the worst golfer, but he was the happiest one there. And he goes, do you know what today is? and I think it was the recording was like July 23rd or something. And then the guy goes, it's July 23rd.

He goes, it's my five-year soul anniversary. I'm so grateful. And he just gave a little speech, and I was like, you know what, good for him to use his platform to kind of just take a segue and then get back to it. And I thought if he hits like, and they've got massive viewership, one person, one person gets the inkling. This guy can do it for five years. So, there's lots of people out there. We may not be the right people for you, but there's lots of people [00:44:00] out there and yeah. 

Kelly: Yeah. I love that more people are sharing and 

Mike: yeah. They're being vulnerable, right? 

Kelly: Vulnerability. Yeah. Yeah. That's just, that's a superpower right there. Vulnerability. 

Tracey: Hundred percent. So, we do have a lot of exciting things coming up this season. We have some really cool guests that I'm really looking forward to. We have a couple authors. We have a gentleman who spent 17 years in jail for DUI. 

Lindsey: Oh, that one I cannot not wait. 

Tracey: I know he will be a fascinating story. I'm sure for sure. We have. Psychiatrist that just reached out to us that specializes in addiction. She will be very interesting as well, and probably be able to provide our listeners with some really good information. So, it's a going to be a really exciting season. I'm really looking forward to it. We'll dive into some. Juicy topics, the four of us. That will be fun. Anyways, I think we [00:45:00] can wrap this one up. We're all caught up with what we've been doing and how we've been spending our time. I just wanna thank our listeners. Like I said, at the beginning, we are so excited to be reconnecting with you.

Thank you for listening, and you can find us over on social media. On Instagram at LAF life podcast and in our Facebook community at LAF life. You can also reach out to us individually. We'll have our Instagram and a way to contact Mike in our show notes. I hope you guys have a great evening. Keep laughing until next. Bye. 

Kelly: Bye 

Lindsey: bye. 

Kelly: Thank you, 

Mike: Audios

Closing

Kelly: Thank you for listening. Please give us a five-star rating like and subscribe, share on social media, and tell your friends. We love getting your feedback and ideas of what you'd like to hear on upcoming episodes of the laugh life podcast. If you yourself are living alcohol free and want to share [00:46:00] your story here, please reach out.