I might have a beer or two sometime soon – possibly tonight, more probably tomorrow. It has been well over three months since I last drank an alcoholic drink, and I feel a hell of a lot better for it. Part of me still craves a tasty real ale of an evening, though, so as long as I keep it under control I suppose it’s okay. My break allowed me to establish one important thing, however: I noticed no difference in the severity or frequency of my absences compared with when I was drinking; they happened just as regularly – and in roughly the same patterns – irrespective of whether I’d had a beer recently or not. I just wanted that noted. Mind you, perhaps more importantly this period has taught me that I can leave alcohol alone if I want to, and that I feel a lot better when I do. A beer or two can be fun, but it can quickly turn into a problem, so the second I start getting silly again, it stops for another three months. One can lead to two, two to three, and before you know it I’m repeating the mistakes of the past, so I’ve asked Lyn to tell me if she thinks I’m starting to slip back in to old habits. For now, though, I’m looking forward to good real ale quite soon.