Well my grades came in and all my hard work and half-assed sifting has finally paid off.  I achieved both my goals of an A and the top grade in the class.  I scored a 100.4% on my final after the curve which means the final was curved beyond what I scored.  I'm glad I worked so hard on this class.  I wish I had the ability to go to school full time, but with Gen going to nursing school I will be the main bread winner for at least another year.  I'll continue to do 1 or 2 classes each semester until she's out.  Then it's her turn to support me while I go full-bore into school...if I don't piss her off too much in the mean time.

Oh and I want you all to know that while I achieved my goals, my drinking never subsided.  You can be an alcoholic and a success.