Friday nights do seem to be my trickiest times. Is this the case for everyone? It’s usually such a nice evening, starting to wind down from the busy week and looking forward to the weekend. Sober, I’m not so sure how much I can sustain that ‘Friday feeling’. New treats need to be sought out and enjoyed. This evening, I’m going to a dinner, but I’ve offered to drive and am taking another lady – she was delighted when I suggested it. ‘I’d never turn down the opportunity to have a glass of wine!’ she said, and that’s what I would have usually said/thought.
I had lunch in London today with my husband, something I only do once or twice a year. Sweetly, when I arrived, he had asked the waiter if they had any AF wine. Apparently, the waiter looked completely nonplussed. But I was touched by how my husband had tried to get something special for me to drink. In the end, we both had fizzy water, and it was fine, and we chatted away as if we were enjoying champagne.
Thank you again for all the helpful comments. I’m still teetering on the edge of success or failure, and I wish I could send you stronger messages. But the only message I can really send today is that I’m still sober, Day 27, and am hoping to reach Day 28 with my sobriety intact.
A Dappled Path 
Friday night’s were the toughest nut to crack for me too so you are not alone Annie. It does get easier I promise! What a lovely thing for your husband to do and 27 days is great!! 🙂 xx
On day 13 here and Friday night is looming. I’m actually off tomorrow…which would have given me the green light to have a few cocktails…. Hoping my resolve and the support I see here gets me through. All I can say (like you) is that I am sober for this moment
Oh yes, Friday nights were hard. This feeling did go away eventually, and I recall feeling it more at the beginning of the night. Saturday mornings, on the other hand, felt brilliant 🙂 You’re doing great!
I found Friday nights pretty tough for a while, but don’t often think about it now … it does get easier, and just sort of … more normal somehow. It’s the wind down from the week that counts. You can still do that. And it sounds like you’re doing really well… how lovely to get a special lunch with your husband. Have a good weekend 🙂 xx
I found a rented movie (or two) and lots of popcorn got me through the early Friday nights.
Terrific that your husband is so understanding and supportive. In the early days my Dad would always ask the waiter before I had a chance if they had any N.A. beer and I appreciated his support.
You’ve got this.
Friday nights are scary because you think you are going to miss something. Driving to your dinner is good. Although, my honest advice is to try to skip some of these events, or at the very least have an out. Sometimes it does get to be too much to watch your friends prattle on with their drinks while you obsess over it. Protect yourself first, even if it means you need to claim illness at any time during the night. Staying sober is the most important thing now.
Think of other ways to change your weekends. Try something new. Have dessert.
Go to movies (they are way better sober, you will remember them). Friday night yoga can be an amazing time.
We are all behind you.
Friday nights are still the hardest for me Annie. And then Saturday night is second hardest. Sunday comes in third. Weekends are still so hard. But it is so nice every Monday morning when I realize that I have made it through the weekend. I really do not miss those Saturday and Sunday mornings when I awoke with regret or fear of who I offended or what I said or did. It is so nice NOT to wake up thinking, “Boy did you make a fool of yourself last night thinking you were totally fine and making so much sense when you were rambling away to [(fill in the blank) – school principal at a school fundraiser once, an elected official the same night, my best childhood friends in an email where I was trying to explain how my feelings had been hurt another night].” Luckily, that email sounded somewhat coherent and there were no lasting consequences but I wish I had never sent it still and I was so scared to read it the next day. And I have not seen the elected official in person since. I am sure he has no memory of it! The school principal probably just thinks I had a bit too much wine on a rare occasion. She knows me as a mom and frequent volunteer but I am still embarrassed about that night! There are many other examples too and frankly it was starting to happen too much for my conscious and self-respect to bear. These sorts of specific anecdotes are what I think of in my toughest moments on weekends to reinforce my decision. To put a more positive spin on it, I am not shy socially and I am probably much more fun to be around not drinking actually! You too I bet! I know you will make it to Day 28, 29 and 30! I know it! I hope you continue after! Above is the kind of thinking that has helped me continue so I wanted to share. I really love that I have no embarrassing moments (from drinking at least – have still embarrassed myself on occasion of course) since May!
*I meant I bet you are not shy socially like me.* I am learning I don’t need to drink to be fun and have fun. I am sure you are always fun to be around 🙂 You and I have communicated about embarrassing moments before 🙂
And you motivated me to post today in my blog 🙂