This week, my wife had a bit of a family emergency (grandma is hospitalized) and had to rush out of town with our kid. Thus, I've been suddenly faced with the prospect of a weekend all alone.

In the old days, a weekend alone without my wife or kid would immediately and without thought mean that I was going to drink the whole time. No question. The second her car drove away or the second I got to my hotel room for a work trip, out would come the booze.

This time was different. I was well into my evening before the thought of booze even fleetingly crossed my mind. I'm surprised. I'm still very new in my sobriety, and my old drinking habits still try to rear their head when the setting is right (wrong?). The fact that I didn't even passingly consider drinking, didn't even have a mild urge the moment she walked out the door feels like an amazing victory.

Now, I know I still have a ways to go. The thought did cross my mind, and it did on the very first night. But even then it was more of a ghost of an impulse, like a muscle-twitch reaction that I discounted immediately. Not really sure why I wanted to share this, guess I just felt proud.