I agree! Thanks Toots for an awesome post!
And this really is fabulous... “Sobriety doesn't make life better. But it does give you the chance to do that for yourself.”

I went and got my hair done as a treat then I went out for Friday lunch with some normie friends (I don’t have many, most are alcoholics whom I’ve been avoiding lately...). Anyway, they were hopping right into the champagne and kept offering me some and I kept declining. So I got through that unscathed.

But on my way home the warped part of my brain (the AV) was very smug and very insistent “See, you’re doing soooo well! You’ve totally got this drinking business under control now, let’s stop at the bottle shop on the way home and pick up some wine for tonight “ WT??? Despite the urgency and intensity of my cravings at that point I didn’t stop to pick up wine. Later on we went over to a friend’s place on the spur of the moment to say merry Christmas last night. The others proceeded to zip through about 10 or 12 (or more) beers each (the blokes, including my partner) and more than a bottle of wine each (the girls). Luckily I had a bottle of grape juice in the fridge (my emergency stash) that I took with me.

And tonight is the work Christmas party at a fully licensed restaurant (all food and alcohol included) so I’m going to eat. Probably quite a lot. And probably have seconds for dessert
But I’m pledging right now, NO alcohol....