What expectations do you have of the holidays? Are they usually met or usually dashed?

Welcome to episode 229 of the recovery show. This episode is brought to you by Debbie, Mary Ann, Eric, Danielle, Pat, and anonymous.

They used the donation button on our website.

Thank you, Debbie, Mary Ann, Eric, Daniel Pat, and anonymous for your generous contributions. This episode is for you.

We are friends and family members of alcoholics and addicts who have found a path to serenity

and happiness. We who live or have lived with a seemingly hopeless problem of addiction

understand as perhaps a few others can. So much depends on our own attitudes and we believe that changed

attitudes can aid recovery.

Before we begin, we would like to state that though we at the recovery show may be in a 12-step program

we represent ourselves rather than the program.

During this show, we will share our own experiences.

Take what you like and leave the rest.

My name is Spencer and I am your host today.

If I sound maybe a little horse, it's been a trying day.

I was heading up the stairs this afternoon to record the podcast and I heard

my dog Jake starting up the stairs behind me. And then I heard him sliding down the stairs and I heard him yelping and whining at the bottom in distress.

And it didn't stop like it often does when he misses his step on the stairs.

And I went down and he was lying there. when he misses his step on the stairs.

And I went down and he was lying there and he wasn't able to get up.

And to make a very long story short, we had to say goodbye to him today. He had injured himself in a way that really was not

repairable and or would have required extensive surgery and a long convalescence and I don't think that

where he would have been fair to him he would not have understood what was

...