Meraviglioso

I drank today, yet again back in the cycle.
It happened like that. I had been doing well and feeling good about being alcohol free for a small period of time. I changed up my habits, took a new route home avoiding driving by my favorite watering hole, filled up empty blocks of time with healthy and helpful activities, rid my house of all alcohol and all alcohol related items (took out the recycling to not even have empties around, threw out my wine opener).
Today I stopped by the house of a woman I didn't know to take pictures of her home to send to the producer of an English language television show. They had contacted me as a native English speaker living in Italy and I sourced some potential ideas for them. The woman was (understandably ) excited about the idea of being on tv and getting paid and was very friendly and welcoming to me. And then it came, the unwanted invitation: "would you like a glass of white wine, I have some open" and just like that I accepted. It was a tiny glass, typical Italian afternoon sip. Literally 3 or 4 sips and the glass was empty. But just those few tiny sips was all that was needed to crack open the door. The first thing I did when I left the house was drive straight to the nearest bar and order a glass of wine. I then took a beer to go and drank it at home. I then did some work and had to go look at another house, afterwards stopping at a market to "pick up some vegetables" … and a bottle of wine. And here I am again.
I'll need to look at my toolbox to see what I can do to better prepare myself for those unexpected invitations. But I hope my terrible mistake will serve as a reminder that not even a sip is safe for us (we?) alcoholics. I was doing fine and actually feeling pretty steady not drinking. I was maybe a bit grumpy but not fighting terrible cravings. But just a sip or two knocked down every last defense I had and the floodgates opened. One sip will lead to a million more.
I'm not sure what to do here. I'm starting to think seriously about inpatient rehab to get a solid amount of time under my belt, with real, thorough care before entering the treacherous waters of the real world. I have no idea how I'll manage it with my kids and with my work. But I feel like it is my best bet and something important to consider.
I feel like such a loser posting. But I had to. For me and hopefully to serve as a reminder to others. No sip is a safe sip. It all leads down the same path. Off to bed, relatively clear headed but severely defeated.