An adventure, a milestone, and a ticket
Haven't posted in awhile:
So on kind of a whim my wife wanted to go visit family in Florida, and she thought it would be "fun" to drive. So we did. I wasn't dead set against it because I haven't seen our nation first hand in 20+ years. We saw 2 fatal accidents, crazy drivers, lots of stadiums and traffic is still a nightmare in Chicago and Atlanta. We stayed in a pretty sketchy motel in Paduca Tennessee and our beloved golden retriever truly is an angel (he travels well). Coming home I got a well deserved speeding ticket in Iowa....no biggie.
Lastly, and most importantly this was my second holiday season with two major changes. One, I avoided my family and have no regrets. Two, it was alcohol free, and wonderful. It was nice driving hangover free. The folks we visited have young children, they cry a lot and it didn't really bother me because I was not licking any wounds from previous nights drinking sessions. I busied myself with trips to the gym, walking the dogs, going to lunch with my wife, and cooking for everyone (this place had a beautiful outdoor kitchen no one used, so I did!).
I can't say that I'm proud of myself, because I wasn't resisting any urges. Instead its just different, and by different I mean better. We got home yesterday evening and it was nice to sleep in my own bed again. Hope everyone had a great holiday season. Time to get back to work.