This thread makes me so very sad. No, we rarely go anywhere and when we do I drive. I have made it a point to stay out of situations where he will be drinking, family gatherings, etc. and I appear to be anti-social because of this, and maybe I have become that way. It's dicey to even grocery shop with someone who is 'impaired' as it always winds up in a fight about something or another.
I used to love spending time with him, before the booze got out of control. We used to go out, we'd both have a couple of beers, it didn't seem to be an issue then. It took me years to accept that he had a problem stopping.
He would look at couples having dinner who wouldn't even speak to one another and comment how sad that was, and how we would never be that way and now, here we are, if we do go out, more often than not, he's got his buzz on and our conversation at dinner will be stilted at best, since one never knows what will set him off and for some reason, dinner time is the time he chooses to start up with me.
I am envious of those happy looking couples, because it used to be US, and I'd bet people used to look at us, at how happy we seemed and be envious of US, back then.