28 days of complete sobriety. If you would have told me in December I was not going to have a single drink in February, I might have believed you. I don't ever doubt that I can or can't do something...but I would have considered it quite unlikely. I feel fine...no different from when I was drinking. I do have a headache, but that's because I haven't eaten. After going a month without it, do I think I drink too much? No. Do I think I drank too much in December and January? Definitely...but I will chalk that up to location and situation. Now...the big questions...

Do I think I will drink tonight? Not really...I've only truly missed not drinking one time. While driving from Bandera to Austin, in the middle of a driving rainstorm, I wanted Scottish Ale from Lovejoy's. I don't really want a drink now. So I may stay on the wagon...or on the drinker's "injured reserve."

In my work, I travel quite a bit and have the occasion to meet many diverse people. Because the specifics of my job are hard to explain, I sometimes let people infer what my profession is...and I don't correct them - whether they are right or not. Last night, I was a writer.

It's not a complete deception...I do write this, on or about the same frequency as other professional journalists (i.e. that comment is a rationalization as to why I didn't correct them last night and tell them the truth). My belief is, people want to be excited...sometimes they want to find energy and excitement in strangers and forget about boring things. I let them create the excitement in their heads; answer questions that are true and enjoy the evening.

A late-40's couple their drunken friend in his 50's and another stranger (late-30's) called me over and were noting I was studying an essay I had printed. The older man asked me "How does it feel to be a writer?" My answer, " I like to write. I don't make any money at it, but I enjoy the prose, I enjoy free-form stream of consciousness writing and I meet excellent people." Deceptive? Perhaps...but I never said "I'm a writer for the Times - it's bully!" I told them my feelings about writing this blog and I was honest...about my feelings about writing this blog - and I do meet interesting people. The group took my response and we began a long night's discussion about multiple topics and issues - Nebraska politics, paying NCAA players, airplanes, petroleum by-products…all the usual conversation. At the end of the evening, the couple leaves and it's the three of us men. The older man says, "You know...that guy and I have been friends for a long time, but his wife and I have had a thing going on for 5 years."

Guess who's not playing honest in the game of deception anymore...