It's 10.30pm on a Sunday now here.
A couple of years ago I would probably have had a few drinks (or more) after my Saturday binge. I would now be sitting here feeling fed-up as I hated my job and didn't want to go to it the next day. I'd have probably had ready meals at home, or maybe gone out for lunch and got drunk if I could find friends to go out with. I'd also be thinking about why I was in a relationship that I knew wasn't working but couldn't leave (this was a rinse/repeat situation).
Now, I've got a sore throat but I offered to cook for my landlady and someone who is staying. I tried a new recipe, chatted, now I'm in bed chilling out ahead of going to work (and I'm single, but contemplating getting into new relationships that could be healthy and I have a wide network of friends who care about me and vice versa, without us having to get drunk). I still don't really like my job but I appreciate the fact that I have one, and I'm going to work on changing things. Sobriety gave me the chance to make these changes and to start to choose.
Thank you for this thread, it put everything in perspective.