I will echo Cathy's comments. I have to say that if you want to quit drinking then why in the world are you lying to your friends and more importantly yourself; "saying stuff like I don't feel well today or I'm hung over from last night etc."
Getting and staying sober isn't a hobby that you take up when you feel like it and then put down when you just want to be "one of the guys." If you can afford to be that casual about it, you must not really have much of a problem with alcohol. I hope that is true and if it is, get back out there and enjoy your drinking!
Where in the hell did you get the idea that you are so powerful that if you don't drink the rest of the world can't? I quote you, "it's not fair for me to ask them to stop just because I am an alcoholic, so what is the alternative?" What do their drinking and your alcohol problem have to do with each other? I date women all the time that drink at dinner while we are out, my kids come over to the house and have a beer or glass of wine without me having to drink. I have been doing this for several years now. I AM THE ALCOHOLIC, not the rest of the world.
I decided that I have a problem; I needed to resolve it and therefore I use a higher power and AA. There are other ways I hear and I will assume that they work for those who use them. That is not my concern. My sobriety is MY RESPOSIBILITY! End of story, if you don't want to make the effort I will assure you won't get the results.
THINGS COST WHAT WE GIVE UP TO GET THEM. This is an economic law as regards the cost of an item. If you want to be one of the kids and drink and hang and jam, by all means do it, just don't waste time wondering why you aren't sober. IF YOU HANG AROUND A BARBER SHOP LONG ENOUGH YOU WILL GET A HAIRCUT!
I am speaking plainly because I really hate to see people tip toe around the facts and then others hold their head and pat them and say “there there, it will be fine.” This is life and death for those of us who are real alcoholics and death is damn inconvenient!
Jon