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  • Spiral Gypsy
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    Life
    Hello People, Good to see some life here on this group. I can relate to many of the posts. I have been sober 12 years. I had a strange journey to getting sober and had other periods of recovery as well. I had the good luck and fortune to attend a Wharf Rat meeting at a Dead show in the late 90's. It was very empowering. I attended all my shows sober. I am sure it would have been fun to be high at a show but my drinking & using reached a point where it was no longer "fun". I could relate to one poster talking about life changing. I am a father now with a 15 year old son. My son appreciates the Dead even though he is young in years. I taught him to be patient when listening to a live Dead show because sometimes you have to sit through some noodling before the magic happens. My life is very regimented now. After all the years I have a good job and a career. For most of my life I struggled financially. I spent much of my life with heavy debt and behind the eight ball so to speak. Things are good now from a material standpoint. I'd like to have more time for concerts and sitting in a room with a candle listening to the Dead. Right now sometimes a half hour late at night is the only free time I get. I enjoy listening to concerts while I drive. I do have a few friends of mine who appreciate the Dead. I reached a point of acceptance that I am just at a busy stage of life. Right now I have four days off. Free time is precious to me - especially as I get older. I turn 47 in a few days... That's a trip. Sobriety is far from perfect. I don't think it is natural to not be able to escape your problems. I have found escapes besides drugs though. Long walks with the Ipod, reading, meditation, staring at the stars - these are some of the ways I escape the stress of life. Being sober keeps me in the game and keeps me from getting dysfunctional. My first year of sobriety sucked. Things didn't get better until year 3. In my first year of sobriety I got divorced, lost a house, and filed bankruptcy. It was a traumatic year. I got real hard. I worked out like crazy. I got away from my Deadhead roots. Sobriety has been a journey. I had to cultivate my spirituality to make it bearable. I have grown to believe in the existence of a higher power. It is hard for me to believe something like a bird's wing just occurred through random mutations. A feather is a marvel of engineering - remarkably strong and yet light. My new wife isn't a Deadhead but she is a good life partner. I don't have any magic answers for those struggling. My experience has been that it gets better. Sometimes I have to do foot work or take risks. My higher power doesn't read the want ads for me for jobs and he doesn't pay my bills. He helps though and those trippy coincidences happen sometimes. I have to stay teachable. Even though I have my musical sub-culture I still need to operate in the world at large with people who see things differently than me. I am going to go back to the concert I am listening too and enjoy a great version of "Fire on the Mountain". Good night.
  • bohdihippy
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    newbie
    Hey guys in new to the site, looking for connections in Indiana, Lafayette area. Anyone around there gimme a holler
  • TearThisOldBui…
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    23 Days Clean and Sober
    I knew about this group during my drinking and drugging days, and I respected it's purpose, though I didn't believe I would ever be interested in considering myself a WharfRat. So far, AA is working for me, but I'm Grateful that there's a sober group that I can relate to on more than one level.
  • SeattleZelda
    Joined:
    2-11-14
    Well, I have a new clean date. Really struggling to stay clean. I've had problems in the past with staying on track but now it just seems that my lack of community is killing me. I go to meetings but there are few people that I truly relate to or trust. Growing up on the streets of Seattle and San Fransisco really took their toll and while I have done a lot to heal those periods in my life I find myself trying to periodically return to the familiar. The Haight is still the Haight with me there or not. I joined this group with the hopes that someone would recognize me or my name and I could find out how some of the kids I grew up with are doing. "Normal" people have high school forums they can participate in but since my High Schools were Larkin Street Youth Center and the Orion Center in Seattle... I don't have many places to get to meet people I can really relate to. I currently work in the legal field as a paralegal. Kind of unbelievable really. My son is almost eighteen and ready to move out. He's the polar opposite of me in so many ways. I pray for that he survives his adolescence and young adulthood better than I did but it's not looking promising. All that being said, I am on my second step. I'm grateful for so many things, my car, my apartment... on and on. I always told myself that there were so many things I was going to try and do when I grew up but it only seems that I'm caught in the grind of trying to provide for my son and provide for my needs or superfluous wants. I want to step back into the Dead community but I don't want to get loaded. Being away has changed me... some things I'm proud of... others, not so much. I am writing my story one line at a time... my life that is. I had a different profile name but I am deactivating that account. There was someone from my past that was stalking my posts and making comments about schizophrenia. Such a serious illness and super not cool to use against someone. Very childish, immature, hurtful... But using addicts are often just that... Zelda
  • Dudeist Tom
    Joined:
    New to this...
    I've been smoking (not tobacco) for about the past 25 years, and have been clean and sober for 1 week. I REALLY need some support right now, this is much more difficult than I thought it would be, and right now I just want to smoke. I realize that if I do, my job is gone, but right now the desire to get high is almost overwhelming. I have appointments scheduled next week, but that's not helping me now. What can I do?
  • HaightStWreckingcrew
    Joined:
    Stickers
    If you find any would you PLEASE let me know?? Thank You Shea R. Santa Cruz Ca. 831 335 8470 or shealrich@gmail.com
  • ncassady76
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    Joined:
    Danger at your door.
    Hey now Mike T! I'm glad you have shared your story with all of us.I hope that your pain shared is now pain lessened. I know this is of little consequence in your current situation, but stories like yours are what helped me to see that there was hope for my recovery a little more than two yrs ago. Initially coming in the doors of a program I was convinced that everyone in the room was undoubtedly full of shit. I mean really anyone can go into a meeting and share how good life has become, sing kum-ba-ya and do trust falls. But for me it was the old timers who, when the chips were down, were still committed to staying clean in spite of their troubles that made a believer outta me!Here were addicts/alcoholics who despite some tremendous adversity, were not only continuing to live a principled life substance free...but were actually seeking ways to grow more and learn from their own and other's experience. So thank you for having shared because it's stories like yours that bring real hope to the table for the rest of us! Love & Light to You! Aaron
  • Tommytunz
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    WharfRat Meetings In NYC for ABB Beacon Shows!
    This is a little premature but are there any WharfRat Meetings In NYC or will there be some sort of booth at the run of ABB shows at the Beacon theater in March! Need some Family Love in NYC! Thanks in advance and keep Smile Smile Smilin'! Tommy
  • Mike T.
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    Joined:
    Yeah. Thanks. Didn't mean
    Yeah. Thanks. Didn't mean to bum anyone out. Just needed to get it out, and I think there are a total of 7 heads within a hundred miles. Peace.
  • marye
    Joined:
    yeesh mike
    so sorry for the completely excessive load of trouble on your plate these days. Welcome to these parts, anyway; there are good folks here.
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17 years 5 months
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Welcome, Wharf-Rats.
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16 years 11 months
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but i`ve been free of the ciggaretes and the pot for little over two months now . I`ll smoke cheep cigars but it not as much as the cig`s were ( a pack or two a day). also suffer from cronick pain and have cut my med intake in half within the past month . hopefully i can get myself completley clean and "FREE " eventually . what a process (more like a battle), may explain the strange vivid dreams i`ve been having , hopefully those will stop soon .. Peace .. Stu ..
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that last bit about the dreams struck a chord with me too, having nothing to do with the Wharf Rats. I learned a few years ago that some subset of the population, like 10%, has a well-documented issue of getting horrific nightmares from opiates and opioids. I learned this during a spell of frequent sprained ankles; the nightmares were bad enough that I was literally afraid to sleep and preferred the pain. They thought I was really weird at Kaiser when I put my good foot down and said NO OPIATES. NO OPIOIDS on the last sprained ankle, because of course they usually have the opposite problem.
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17 years 4 months
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hey all. just an observation here. lately it seems that if i miss out on some meetings, things start to go a little south for me. as soon as i start back, good things come round-job interviews, jobs, and good news all around. sounds a bit superstitious maybe and it could be that my spiritual level gets a little drained without a meeting. it's kinda cosmic to me, but i was wonderin if anyone else has noticed anything similar. nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile
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16 years 9 months
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the vivid.lifelike dreams are surely comin from yer medication.know that thing only too good....
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17 years 4 months
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It was great to see so many of you at the break meeting in Mt. View. Thanks for being there! I also really enjoyed looking around during the show and spotting the yellow stickers on so many of you. I truly enjoyed seeing the show clean and sober. It gave me a lot of encouragement to see so many others committed to having a good time without the drugs. You don't need dope to dance!
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15 years 9 months
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Heart felt thanks to all of my Wharf Rat brothers and sisters, especially Jimmy B. from Santa Cruz for your support before during and after the shows, and to my new friend Kym from Az who will be joining me for Ratdog in September. First night @ Shoreline I was celebrating 18 months sober! Awesome stuff. We sang Black Peter in the circle at the end of the meeting. Gave me chills. Second night the serenity prayer. Really don't need dope to dance. My neighbors in my aisle had to clear out around me during China>Rider on the second night. Can't wait for the fall/winter. I know the band had a great time on this tour and they'll need to do it again real soon. Until then.... :-) :-) :-)
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15 years 8 months
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peace and love to you all
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15 years 8 months
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this spring was my first sober shows, except when i was too burned out on a long tour to use on a particular night. i actually remember most of what i experienced. DC and C-Ville were all i could ask for with favorites played in..dark star, st.stephen, foolish heart, passenger, pride of cuc., mason's... and so on. wish i had found the wharf rats long ago, but, "everything leads up to this day" any wharf rats around the winchester, va area? contact me, please...Peace
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15 years 4 months
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I'd love to know if any Rats from Ohio are going to Rothbury? I've been a WR since 1987 and had to miss this latest tour due to getting a new job and moving to Ohio. Now I'm ready for a long weekend of excellent music at a new venue (Roo just played itself out.) Looks like I'm going to drive in solo; I know once I get there, I won't be alone. But wanted to pitch my tent near likeminded souls... Always looking for my old Tour rats 1989-1984. Anyone out there? Thanks to all who've taken on the tables in this century and welcome to the family to those who are new. You know it's going to get stranger, so let's get on with the show! much gratitude, Jerry Girl new to Ohio
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17 years
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We will have a booth at Rothbury,I am part of the team. Also check the map for camping and look for the yellow balloon.There will be camp traction available. send me PM if you want.Peace, Love and Recovery, lefty
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17 years 2 months
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Thanks for all the fellowship at Camp traction, th etables, & the meetings at set break at Rothbury. You guyz & galz made my trip the most memorable festie I have possibly ever been two. Look forward to seeing me family down the road... Peace Franko "No matter where you go, there you are..." Buckaroo Bonzai
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15 years 9 months
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Shoreline 5/10/09 was Magical!!! Every time I go to a show, whether it is Phil & Friends or The Dead, I enjoy the Spiritual Nature of the Wharf Rat Meetings at intermission. It is such a joy to get to hang out and meet the other Wharf Rats at the table with the yellow balloons. As the years roll by, it has become a family get together. We are family. You are my brothers and sisters. I am extremely Grateful I got to experience the 2009 Dead Tour, and even more Grateful I got to enjoy it clean. One Show at a Time!!!
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17 years
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Thank you..... for a real good time! It was great meeting you and the other family there. I want to thank Miko for coordinating the booth and the rest of our team ,Benji,Bob E, Schlamie and Frankie. Special thanks to John and Camp Traction.Most thanks to all that came by the booth and attended the set break meetings.....without you, there's no us! And all thanks to HP who makes it all possible.You all helped me stay clean for one more show.....incident....festie.Peace, Love and Recovery, lefty
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16 years 1 month
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it works for lots like that. i think it keeps u focused on the next thing that has to be done. keep going! more will be revealed.
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15 years 5 months
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Hey wharfrats could use some positive mojo for a brother in a bad way in jail beam some of that good clean energy to my friend, Robert in CoCo County Jail he,s got 10 years and i got 9 yrs 10 months,love ya all
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17 years 4 months
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it can only get better nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile
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15 years 2 months
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Hey folks! My friend Stanley and I have resurected the Seattle meeting that used to gather a few years back. We are meeting at the Fremont Baptist Church on Thursday nights at 7:00 PM. These are open meetings of course and we would love to connect with other wharf rats in the Seattle area. Send us an email (seattlewharfrats at gmail) if you would like to get on our mailing list and find out more about our meeting in Seattle. We have been meeting for about two months now and we are still very small. Probably always will be small but I want to let it be known that we are doing this meeting for any folks that are interested. Still working on it! We decided to organize this meeting beacuse when I first got sober I looked up the Wharf Rats and discovered that sadly, there was no local group in Seattle. That's when the light bulb went on and I said to myself, that's because we are not doing it! This has been significant for me and has absolutely been a postive influence in my life. My parents named me August, after the man in the song, and my middle name was given as Dupree, after that guy in the other song about diamond blues. And man oh man have I got the diamond blues now!!! Hit me up. I could really use some support and am always happy to give back. Nothing left to do but :), :), :)
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17 years 4 months
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Good to see you starting up that meeting again, I will be arriving in Seattle next Thusday around 9:30 PM so I will miis the meeting, but any of yall going to see Ratdog? Like to hook up witth yall!! North Carolina wharfrat!! Heading for the promised land!!
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15 years 2 months
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I am going to try to make the show. The Wharf Rats will have a table operating at the show. Welcome to Seattle! Nothing left to do but :), :), :)
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17 years 4 months
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Hope to see you there!!!
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16 years 4 months
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First sober show last May - my thanks to all the Whafrats that supported me, before, during and in the days after the show, especially Randy. Ratdog now looms - headed out for SLO with support of The Other One 2, maybe Jimmy C and a few others to meet up with. And perhaps a but "Further" if it is in the universal plan. Looking forward to the Wharfrat table and group yet to meet (and maybe some new bumperstickers that will hold up in the Arizonz sun and heat!! Love, peace & tickets as needed!
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17 years 2 months
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I finally strung together 90 days in a row. I'm stoked. Doing it 12 step, or rather one step at a time... Life has been going good. Still looking for work.Zelda
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17 years
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90 DAYS IS HUGE! actually 1 day is . We are here for you. 12 steps work best with a sponsor and meetings, a homegroup where you connect. I hope these are suggestions you already do or at least are willing to try.I am happy for you.peace,love and recovery lefty
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17 years 2 months
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Well I have been in recovery for 9 months..I never thought I would ever be sober this long and actually enjoy it. I checked into a long term rehab a while back. I got sick of being a slave to booze and drugs;plus watching my kids die around me. I will be going to my first shows (dso) soon since being clean. I am a little nervous about it. I don't know how my fam is going to react or how I will handle it. I was a ghetto tour kid. If you know what I am talking about you can understand the big change for me. I quit doing tour about 4 or 5 years ago and just starting catching shows. I landed a career as a sound engineer/stage hand. Dream come true. I have worked with Donna, Phil and Bobby. I mostly mix at festies around the north east though. I haven't got back into work yet either. I am waiting for the spring so my head will me better. Anyways it is hard for me to relate to people sometimes at meetings and I was wondering if there are any heads in Northeastern PA that are sober and might want to talk, kick it or go to shows together. I need a sober support base in the lifestyle. I am in Scranton PA...If there are any Wharf Rats around NEPA or anyone with good advice hit me back.... ~one~
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17 years 4 months
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so glad you made it! keep up the good work bro. your post said you were at 9 months and that was just over a month ago. now you are in double figures with 10 months, strive on dude and get a year. i hope you have a single sobriety date, it worked and still does for me. personal message me anytime bro. i had a srv jam out today, ahhh! peace, shack
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16 years
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havent posted in a looooong while-life on lifes terms i guess-hope you are all well.....life is so great-sobriety is awesome...anyone goin to the further shows in december????
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16 years 4 months
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Most excellent news on NYE shows today - hoping for another trip out from the desert to the city and another chance to say Hi to the Wharf Rats! Sobriety Rocks!
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17 years 4 months
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are you still lurking around here? drop me a message to let me know nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile
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16 years
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Hey friends-are any of you goin to Sat Dec. 12 in Asbury? I have tickets for Sun Dec. 13 and just found out I have to go to a conference on Monday so I need to see if I can find someone KIND enough to trade with me.....I wanna go so bad but duty calls I guess...lol....if anyone knows anything hit me up-peace love n sobriety-hippiechickmom
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16 years 5 months
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I just saw this forum and about S*&^ on myself too kind my sobriety dat is 04-19-07I remeber seeing the warf rats on tour and would mock and ridicule them out of spite. Once sober and able to regain my composer and clarity its funny how you see the world through different eyes. The song itself really gets to me Ill get back on my feet again the good lord willing! What a inspiration. To think I was the Captain of the Titantic and was going down with my ship and there aint a damn thing you can do about it. Any other Southest people out there Id love to catch a meeting -PM me Peace,Rich
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17 years 2 months
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Hey all, If the universe is willing, on the first of December I'll have 6 months. Just thought I'd give everyone a little update. Still truckin'. Zelda
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17 years 4 months
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I'll be at the Hammerstien shows and New Years Eve shows!! Dont need dope to dance!!!
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17 years
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Thanks for the update, keep doin' what your doin' and 12/1 will be here before you know it! Congrats on about 5 and1/2 months.ONE DAY AT A TIME............peace, love and recovery, lefty
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15 years 9 months
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kevin c im going up to vermont for a couple dso shows dec 1st and 2nd just wondering if the wharf rats will be there.ive been sober since july 11th 2008 and have seen dso 3 times and 2 dead shows last spring and i still have as much fun if not more fun than i did seeing the dead 100 plus times since 1987 always waisted.im flying solo to these 2 vermont dso shows and hope to see some of you there.
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17 years 4 months
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hey you! that is an awesome turning point at six months. the slope is downhill to another pinacle point at one year. days turn into weeks into months and a life without getting wasted and stupid now appears. that was me, stupid, the center of attention, and etc. go slow and don't let anybody put bs in your thinking. i am 4y in feb and my brain is still pickled enuf in my thinking. for me a parallel line exists now with my love for jer and the fellas ... just that things fit together very nicely now. message me or stay into this, ya got friends. have a grateful holiday! peace, shack
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17 years
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IT'S 12/1 so that must mean you made it 6 months clean! Congrads and keep on I just just made 20 years 11/21, a day at a time,a show at a time.If I can do it so can you especially if we all do it together!peace, love and recovery, lefty
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14 years 10 months
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Hey Wharf Rats, My name is Dennis, long over do for this site. Lazy I guess. I'm very involved with the Save Your Face Wharf Rat group on Long Island. Just wanted to give a shout out and say hi.Peace, Dennis
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15 years 9 months
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Just listening to last nights show. Awesome stuff!! Cant wait for NYE. See ya all @ the break.♪♪♪♪♪♪
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16 years 4 months
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Counting down the hours until NYE shows - heading out from the desert and looking forward to seeing you guys out there again! Will be looking for you, Jimmy C - time to meet! And will see you very soon, TheOtherOne2!
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16 years 7 months
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We should all gather before the show........Celebrate recovery and the New Year......I'll be the guy wearing a tye-dye......hehe.......Or.....PM me for cell# Once in awhile you can get shown the light. In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
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15 years 5 months
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I had 8 years clean and sober but been whacked for the past year, only time i ever enjoyed being loaded was at a dead show or listening to the DEAD or thereabouts. Sure did enjoy the forum show and Bobby at the greek, (I love that place *the 1 in LA) NICE PLACE to see a show, and all those years my friend and i snuck down the back side of the observatory to see free shows....oMG Im rambling Rose again....lol wish me luck gonna try 45 days of outpatient been going to outpatient the past 4 motnhs but they basically let u get loaded for 3 months if you want then make a decision....(my kind of Place) No pressure there....wish me luck my fellow wharf rats.....GDTRFB atm.....
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17 years
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Got my flight, looks like I'M GOING TO THE BAY!!!!!!!!!!! Hope to see you all there. If not, maybe say Hello at DSO in Columbus or Cleveland Peace Love and Recovery lefty
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16 years
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thats so exciting Lefty!!! We r going to Cornell for Valentines day....that should rock!Miss ya
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17 years 5 months
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Didn't know that existed! Somehow I doubt that in today's economy they're going to get 56K for it though.
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15 years 8 months
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Recently moved to Winchester...Northwestern Virginia W.R.'s please respond...is there a regular meeting or hows about we coordinate one.
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17 years 2 months
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Zelda here. Still truckin with the recovery thing. I'll have nine months on the 1st of March. I still struggle though. Recently I went over to a family member's house and they were smoking ganja, I nearly couldn't resist. I'm feeling good about my recovery otherwise. Working on my fourth step, seems like it is taking forever. A little side note. I recently posted a listing in Seattle on Craigslist. I was looking for a band to play with. I am a harmonica player. I was on the movie tiedyed. But that doesn't mean much, a lot of people were, LOL. Anyway, I was the harmonica player featured that they kept going back to throughout the movie. I was only seventeen then and at my first Dead show. Anyway, someone got back with me. Cee Cee James from the Cee Cee James band. I had two auditions with her. She liked my stuff so she said she wanted to work with me. However, a couple days later there was a serious family emergency and she decided she needed to be dedicated to that. What a bummer. They were perfect. Her band had just got back from the Memphis blue competition they were invited to. They were real good. Check em out at www.ceeceejames.com. Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board. I've listed another posting and hope that someone gets in touch with me. I was looking into joining the American Federation of Musicians Union in Seattle. Looks like they might be able to help me get in touch with other musicians and mayber some representation. Peace, Zelda
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14 years 8 months
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Well... since I used to jam with my 12er on the Haight & Fisherman's Wharf back in the 90s, I'll leave this link here. It's a freebie HQ mp3 first release that is kind of tricky to get at by way of the usual hurdles: http://sio.midco.net/m3zh3p/modada/track_01.mp3 http://sio.midco.net/m3zh3p/modada/track_02.mp3 (Welcome to my perception of Shakedown Street... lol) http://sio.midco.net/m3zh3p/modada/track_03.mp3 Love you all. You're my real life family and will always be. C* aka Spider (from Haight Street)