Activities to keep me busy? Well, I stay physically active, nurture old hobbies that I've always loved but used to push aside to drink instead. Think back Lorax - what *did* make you happy before booze entered the picture?
A word of caution though - keeping busy just to mask the alcohol obsession will only work for so long. What will you do during your down time? Will you be tempted to drink out of boredom? You may need a more permanent solution than simply distracting yourself.
As for friends....yeah, I've had a few drop off the face of the planet since I've gotten sober. But they certainly weren't great friends to begin with, and I don't overly mourn their loss.