Catching up on posts... welcome Severian! Great to have you in the group.
Crystal, nice job in riding out those cravings. That sounds very familiar. I had a similar experience on Monday night and it was kind of tough. But I think we get stronger each time we get through an experience like that.
Shalisan, I loved your story about being at the bank and noticing the happy people. Once I started building up sober time (not just this time, but in past attempts) I was amazed at the whole world being chipper and happy in the mornings. It seemed like such a foreign concept to me. On days when I was hungover, all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed and curl up in a fetal position until it was over with. Ah, lovely alcohol.
I really wasn't tempted to drink at all tonight! And I went out. I went to my Bunco group -- a group of women playing this silly dice game. There is always food and drink, always wine (my DOC) and I always used to drink it. Tonight I did not. There were plenty of non-alcoholic drinks, so I had some Italian lemonade and then some decaff coffee. It was fine! Some of the women were drinking Lite beer from cans, which did not tempt me at all. One was having red wine, and that didn't even bother me. She knows me as a wine drinker, so she said to me, "Oh, I just opened this bottle of red." I told her I wasn't drinking because I had to drive, which is true (never stopped me before she could have said, but she graciously did not.) Many others were not drinking alcohol at all, so I did not stand out as odd one out. Maybe slowly but surely I can start to establish myself as a non-drinker in these circles and people will come to expect that of me.
I will be away this weekend... so keep going everyone! I'm going on a yoga retreat and I'm very excited. Organic foods, lots of yoga, hiking, swimming, sunning --- no alcohol. I'm so glad I'm going into this with 10+ days sober (will be 11 tomorrow). It will make the experience all the better.
Later... and have a good weekend everyone!
p.s. Hi RGO!!