The friends I have made outside of work are for the most part non-smokers. A lot of the friends I have made at work are smokers. Generally, a lot of people at work are smokers. A standard work day is 9-5 with people staying late as needed. A standard smoke break usually starts at 10:00 a.m., mere 60-minutes after arriving. Then the smoke breaks continue to happen on the hour, every hour till the end of the day. They last for 5-10 minutes each time. If I saved up all the breaks I could be taking if I were a smoker, I think I could retire early.

I don’t really look forward to going to work functions, happy hours, goodbye parties, birthday celebrations, etc., because again, every 20 minutes (it’s more frequent during these events) my work friends will go outside or onto the patio to take a smoke break. This leaves me standing inside the bar holding the same, empty and lonesome bottle of beer I’ve been holding all night long. This empty bottle is basically a decoy since I need to drive home and a little goes a long way for me. So instead of having to answer questions about whether or not I drink, if they can get me something, or if I want to take a shot with them, I hold up my decoy bottle to let everyone know that yes, I am a drinker; no thanks, I’m currently working on a drink; and sorry, I don’t mix.

Again, before you think I’m some fuddy-duddy, I have to stress that a little goes a long way for me. If I’m with someone who can safely take me home, or if I can walk home, then I’ll enjoy a couple of cocktails. But since I don’t trust myself to drive home after even just two beers, I carry around an empty beer bottle. This doesn’t mean that I pretend to be drunk. No way. I’ve been in the company of a fake drunkie and it was very annoying. I couldn’t do that to someone, or subject myself to that sort of embarrassment.

Speaking of embarrassments, I’ve definitely cut down (although compared to many, I didn’t have a lot to cut down from) since Halloween of 2006. That night will forever haunt my life.