Hey Colt! Wow, I do recognize a lot of that rationalizing talk. That kind of inner dialogue is what kept me drunk for so long.
Bottom line? It's going to suck. There's no easy way to break the habit. It's pretty uncomfortable and it will p!$$ you off to have to live inside your own head at first. You have to do it anyway.
I don't do AA either, although I'm more neutral when it comes to judging- it works for a lot of people, you know? You have to do whatever works best for you. For me, I have to plan my evenings like I'm running a really important event (it IS really important) I plan stuff I like to do, stuff I like to eat, fun non-challenging stuff that I can just enjoy. If I let myself start needing something emotionally or physically during my vulnerable times (evenings, especially weekdays) I am weaker when my cravings hit.
Urges to drink will come, and the best you can do is get ready for them. Analyze your weak moments and use that knowledge to help you win the fight. Don't let yourself get anywhere near feeling like you're going to fail. Once it is a possibility in your mind, you have opened the door to a relapse.
Once drinking was no longer an option, I stopped drinking.