Rick great to hea from you, I hope your health news is nothing you can't deal with. You sound great, as if you are really enjoying life. I am happy for you. My exH became like your friend, lost what mattered because booze mattered more, and then had nothing but booze left. It wasn't a good friend it saw him into an early grave. But he had choices, he made the wrong ones, or rather he made the ones that suited him best. I know he had regrets. The difference between an active alcoholic and an alcoholic working at recovery, is that the drinker sees only their past, the one in recovery is looking to their future and learning to enjoy the present.