Briansy,
Hey friend. So glad your doggie friend is OK and you were able to connect.
About your relationship with your lady friend, I have had many friends on the lady side of that equation, but I have never really heard the guy side, so interesting to me. Sounds to me like the two of you were not really hearing each other because the actions and the words did not align. If things were not going to change, a clean break was probably best especially for her.
I guess what I would think about if I were you is whether in the long run you should look at yourself and why you are setting such a high bar for a romantic relationship (you cut this gal off based on age alone before you met her.) I suspect you would say that the heart/body knows what it wants, but I don't completely buy that. I have a friend in his 60s who has the same issue and he is in his handsome, nice, financially secure, and alone but with dozens of woman friends. Because the women he was attracted to were always above his pay grade and the many who were interested in him were below his. Sad to me.
But we digress... for now, staying stopped with drinking is the thing, and the rest is secondary.
You got this, one step in front of the other, just don't get distracted.
Keepa go.
.