A Stifling Afternoon

 A Stifling Afternoon

The sun is shining, the temperature is high, and the air hangs heavy with humidity. I managed to get my prescription picked up this morning before the storms are supposed to roll in. If I go into Ann Arbor earlier in the day, it isn't hard to find two-hour free parking. And no, I won't pay $1.50 an hour to leave the car parked on the street or in a structure.

I also filled the car with gasoline on the way into town. The price is hanging steady at $3.29 and nine tenths a gallon, so it cost $38.24 to fill the tank. What I didn't do was buy any beer or other intoxicant. I am serious about being done with those substances. My arm has stopped twitching this afternoon, and I am finally getting my head straight about addictions.

I am not having a hard time going without beer. In fact, I have a pot of beans hot soaking on the stove to boil up later, and had a liver sausage and onion sandwich for lunch. I have a cup of Earl Grey tea steeping now on my desk, and am not having any cravings, just an occasional thought. I'm not going to spend another dime on beer, hopefully forever.

I like the idea of posting my sobriety journal online. Even if nobody reads this blog, it is there for me to document my progress and keep me honest about this struggle. It has been over two months now since I smoked any cannabis, so that is one milestone reached. I'm working on the beer addiction one day at a time. Had to listen to a few advertisements for alcoholic beverages this morning on the radio, and of course, the mock TV news always seems to promote drinking alcohol. There's money in them bottles.

This morning, before I started working on this journal, I decided to dress the part of the white collar worker and put on a short sleeved dress shirt. It put me into the mindset of a clerical worker, which is what a writer is. If you look more professional, it makes it seem like you have an actual paying job, which is where I hope to go with this gig.

There seem to be a lot of YouTube channels dedicated to addiction recovery. These people charge hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for personal sobriety coaching. To me, that's taking advantage of persons who are already being used by the intoxicant industry. People don't need a coach to show them how to stay sober. The kick in the pants I got yesterday from all the beers I downed was quite sufficient to teach me that I really don't need this substance in my life. My eyes are still not focusing correctly, and my ears are ringing a little, but it is nothing that bothers me and will soon pass.

If you have a problem with addiction, I suggest you just stop buying the shit. I was even hooked on cigarettes as long as three years ago now, which I quit with the help of nicotine lozenges. Only went through four or five lozenges from that single purchase, and the hit of pharmaceutical grade nicotine had the kick of a mule to it, so I only sucked on the lozenge until the cravings passed and I got a bit of a rush, then spit the thing out and wrapped it in foil for another use. The whole process took maybe a week on the calendar, and quitting oral nicotine was no thing. My lungs are still recovering from my cannabis use, but there is a vast improvement in my health without that substance.

That's about all I have to share for this midday report. It's good that I am working on a useful project, like learning to live without emotional crutches. Take care, reader, and may your journey on planet earth be long and rewarding.

Friday, 6/27/2025, 1:18 PM.