Gal on the Prowl - The one about Happy AF Holidays

hungrycatmedia
Nov 19, 2025
4 min read

Hi my FURRocious friends,

THi my FURRocious friends,

This month, we're focusing on the holidays, Alcohol Free! ICYMI, I'm sober. November 23rd is my 4-year soberversary, PTL! This is a huge part of my journey, and I want you to know, if you struggle, there is hope. If I can get free from alcohol abuse, you can too! If you're new to my clowder, you haven't seen the worst. If you've known me for decades, you probably saw lots of laughing pics posted on socials of 'friends' and travels, restaurants, and exclusive parties where the cool cats hang out. Social media can be a lie, and when you're going through it, you aren't ready to face the truth, so you curate a perception that your life is actually great! It's great...

Before I share my backstory, let's talk more about the role of alcohol in society. It's everywhere! Breakfast, champagne with a splash of OJ (if done correctly), lunch? It's 5 o'clock somewhere. Dinner? Obvi, start with Martini(s), split a bottle of wine, and get an after-dinner drink (or 2) with dessert. Networking? Wine or Beer, give a good pour, please. Sports? BYOT (bring your own tequila) or some version of that. There is literally nowhere you can go without alcohol being suggested or served.

If you quit drinking, people look at you like your eyebrows are upside down when you say 'it's club soda' after they inquire as to your beverage of choice. Thank GOD sobriety has gotten trendier in recent years, and even has its own title on social media, as 'sober curious' is becoming a movement. It's a delicate subject, and everyone has some version of a relationship or experience with it. For me, I've used alcohol my entire adult life as a way to avoid feeling things. I never learned how to cope with trauma in a healthy way and have a long history of choosing (not-so) 'blissful' ignorance instead of working through the deep pain or regret or whatever it is I want to escape...let's just say I escaped into the bottle(s) instead.

The beginning of the end? I dated a guy who became a stalker. In a short story, the detective told me I needed to move somewhere safe, so I called Mom and Dad and moved in with my parents when my lease ended in January 2020. We all know what came next. COVID, I lost my clients (aka income), was still being stalked, & was now living with my parents.

During Thanksgiving week 2021, my parents went to visit the extended family in California, leaving me alone with the dogs and my cat. At that time, I was driving for Uber Eats because a friend claimed she could pay all her bills with it (I later found out her boyfriend was paying her rent, so I'm not sure it was an accurate depiction of the 'financial opportunity' it was presented as). So...I'm alone, lonely, discouraged, & struggling financially. Thankfully, I have my kids' book, The Christmas Kitten, so I go to 'The Christmas Capitol of Texas' to sell copies so I can pay my bills. Welp, I sold FIVE. Completely defeated, I decided to go drinking (alone) at Hotel Vin. I did tequila shots with strangers and woke up thinking I had been kidnapped (clearly and logically, the stalker had finally escalated to that point), screaming and banging on the door to let me out.

Cliffhanger...watch the podcast!

Watch the PAWdcast!

This Month’s Featured Guests are Brian Cuban and Julie Robinson!

On this episode, we talk about not just surviving but thriving when others are toasting and how to show up for your sober self and your guests. We also unpack making the mocktail feel as festive as the glass in hand, and how to build inclusion in spaces still built around booze.

Our special guests are Brian Cuban, who has nearly two decades of sobriety, and Julie Robinson, who runs a bar (Beyond the Bar) where you don’t need alcohol to have the kind of celebration you remember. Enjoy the show as we unpack practical tools, mindset shifts, and even a mocktail recipe you can pull out this season!

Brian delves into the trauma of childhood bullying and his battle with shame, bulimia, alcohol, and eventually cocaine. If you need proof that there is a comeback for every rock bottom, this is IT!

This episode is special and close to my heart. The guests are candid and kind, sharing a message of hope. You can get through this!