dear tribe family as most of you know who come around here my wife and i just got back from a 17 day visit to Alaska. i got to see my kids, my 2 year old granddaughter. went to a lot of meetings. took over 630 pictures which when i have them posted on my website if you would like to see them i will let you know. it will take a will to label whay they all are. i went to a meeting in the town where i first got clean and my friend brian who i brought into NA 13 and a half years ago gave me my 20 year coin about 4 hrs and 20 minutes early but he was not going to pass up the chance of handing that coin to me. it was a meeting i started almost 20 years ago. the next day i went to an AA meeting and the same guy who handed me my 6 year coin gave me my 20th so that was totally cool.

i got to do a talk show on the station i used to work at for 15 years so that was really cool. i had left this town 12 years ago and my wife cheryl could not believe all the people who recognized me and remembered me from all my days on the radio there. all in all it was a great trip and truly made cheryl and i think do we really want to stay in the desert for another 12 years before she retires. so we will look around and see. the main thing is i made it to 20 years in recovery and yes for me and to me that is a freaking milestone. 2 more years and i will equal the years i used.

i hope for you new to the program you are truly giving it your best effort because i would not trade my worst day clean for my best day loaded. i live just for today and truly take the gift God has given me and cherish the "gift" 24/7. remember that recovery is a journey not a destination and use the rest stops God provides along the way.

in Recovery for life,

JJ