Day 11 evening

Congarich reminded me I'm in double digits.  I hadn't even thought about it until then.  That's something more to celebrate.  
I made it through today.  So tired in the afternoon.  The tiredness really is wearing.  It will pass.  I need to be patient.  I came home walked the dogs, ate dinner, watched a little tv and then took a nice hot bath.  I'm going to write here and then maybe bike for 25 mintues....or I may not...I may rest instead.  Exercising though can give me a little energy maybe.  I'll play it by ear.
Challenge today was at lunch time.  I went to a restaurant near my work forgetting that their liquor serving area is right next to where you wait for your to go order.  I must have eyeballed those liquor bottles for a good minute.  I just couldn't pull my eyes away.  Finally I did and let my thoughts go to other things.  It just in that moment hooked me.  I was not expecting it.  Such is life.  It probably won't be the only time it happens.
So I have an app stop drinking app.  It counts the days but that really isn't the part I like.  I like the day counter on this site.  What it does do when you double tap the screen is give you a anon quote or a famous teetotaler....there's unlimited amounts of quotes.  At lunch time I read my journal to remind myself of what I want and then when I get home at night, I'll read a few quotes from this app.
One of the quotes tonight said you must work to be sober.  It is a full-time job requiring full effort.  It said to remind yourself throughout your day of your goals and what you want.  I do that, but it also said to have gratitude for each day you remain sober.  I haven't done that.  I have to think on that.  Maybe I'm not to that point yet.  It all still seems a struggle.  Something to think on...having gratitude...there could be a freedom in that at some point....could there be freedom in that now?  I don't know.
I don't drink.  I have a goal of making a life change.  My life can be more than racing to the liquor store before it closes.  My life can be more than a bottle.  My life can be more than deciding to forego the first two liquor stores only to stop at the third or to pass up all 5 and then drive out of my way to stop at the 6th.  The days I would forego all of them and get up and drive immediately to the one that opened at 9 the next morning.  I don't want that.  That is not the life I want.  It is not the life I choose.  At the lunch today, I was the tree, not the leaves.  Maybe if I write I am grateful for that, I'll become grateful.  I am grateful I did not drink today.