jdooner

I never rotated just walked out with 3L of vodka (the nice bottles with the images Belve and Grey Goose) on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Sometimes I would add a case of wine and some other liquor to the list plus the smokes too. I must have been spending $1500-2000 per month all at the same store. YEs, I often thought they must know I have a problem.

jat14

I used to rotate between 5 or 6 stores. I remember being so hungover and sick one morning (called in sick to work) and had to wait until 9:30 for the store to open at the closest one to my place. I was of course the first person in the store on a weekday morning and looked like I died and came back. So I'm up at the checkout counter and the guy ringing thru my medicine gives me the most pitiful look and shakes his head. I felt like a piece of sh**t walking through the parking lot to my car. I don't think he misses me.

joshlyman

Never rotated liquor stores but I did rotate bars. I was in a constant paranoia about what the bartenders thought of me and how big of a fool I made of myself. I'd usually rotate the 3 bars-one a week, since I'd be so ashamed to go back to the bar I had been at the weekend prior.

BuddinK

Jose Cuervo sent me a get well card!

john44

You know, this really made me think. I was one of those guys at the liquor store in the morning before they opened, shaking and looking terrible. I'd buy my bottle of whatever and take a few swigs right in the car to feel better. I'm sure the clerks knew the deal. I remember seeing others there doing exactly what I was doing. It's pretty obvious in hindsight.

Now that I'm sober, I don't see this. I don't go to liquor stores. Booze isn't sold in gas stations or grocery stores here (thank god).

I wonder if those clerks who knew me as a shaking mess have ever wondered what happened to me? I intend to never find out.

liberated

BuddinK- LOL! I appreciated that one! Get "well" indeed!

Ncognito13

Within one mile of my house there are...
- 2 7-11's
- 2 ABC stores
- Kroger
- Martins
- Whole Foods
- A local grocery store
- 2 gas stations
- CVS
- Walkgreens
- A specialty beer/wine shop
- Around 10-12 bars

I recently quit, and yesterday went to 7-11 to buy coffee. The woman at the counter looked at me and asked "no beer today?". It's funny, despite all these places, and my best effort to rotate where I got booze from (because you're not an alcoholic if you stop by every other day), this cashier couldn't understand why I'm not buying a 12 pack. It's kinda sad to think that I was that predictable.

caboblanco

wow that's really crazy. Only worse about where i live is there is 24 hr bars and package goods till 3 am. It's hard to find a time where booze wasn't available.

BuddinK

Key West is only 8 square miles and I believe there are over 350 liquor licenses here.

KristyCat

The last 5 years I became a binge drinker, with periods of sobriety about a month, sometimes 2 apart, then one night of binging, etc. So I didn't have the problem of going to stores too often, BUT I did go to this one gas station a lot for food and got to know one of the clerks a little bit. At the time my bf and I were sober together and we were open about being alcoholics in recovery, and the clerk knew. Apparently he's a recovering Alki too!

I am sad to say when I did have a binge-episode, I would always avoid that gas station! I would never want that clerk to see me buying beer...he might have stopped me! lol I would love to see him sometime though and tell him I'm doing well, and hopefully he is too.

Croissant

The recycling! I just moved house and there were still empty bottles in the bowels of some of my cupboards.

I'd always try not to crash them loudly in the bin, or it would sound like there had been a party at my house. Which clearly there hadn't been since I rarely had visitors (they mess with your drinking time).

Skye2

I thought about this thread when I was in my local shop. There are a few but this is the one I used to get the wine/vodka in and hadn't been in for a while.
Picked up some fruit and coffee and went to pay and he said 'Anything else'? I said 'No' and he said 'ARE YOU SURE??'

Was SOOOOOOOO angry, but just said 'Quite sure thanks' and forced myself to smile.
He can shove his fruit and coffee where the sun don't shine from now on - i'll starve before I go back in there.