Wow, a great thread at just the right time! Thanks all for the insights as I was also sure needing them. This morning I would have said that you could put a gun to my head and not be able to force me to drink--then as I was putting away the groceries and watching the evening weather, the forecaster began describing the big windy storm coming in tonight and BAMM what a trigger!
I realized that I often use bad weather as an excuse to drink since I will not be able to get out and ride my bike tomorrow, so who cares about a hangover--anyway the cravings were some of the strongest I've had in my 20 days. I tried talking to my AV to no avail, so I finally pulled out my secret weapon--Oreo cookies.
I know you think I must be joking, but I'm serious--I use Oreo's, brownies, chocolate almonds, or even ice cream to placate my AV--so my rational voice can take back control. It feels like I'm bribing a little kid inside me to shut up! But so far it's been working--I just need a better long term plan in case my chocolate fix quits working.