I don't think it's a bit. I know two guys who are probably Mike's age, both drink a ton, and they function relatively normally. Drunks like Mike have set schedules that allow them to function. For instance they get up at a certain time, do a certain thing, start drinking at an exact time, and then they pace themselves the same way every day until nap time. The two guys I know wake up around 3am or 4am, and do what most people do in the afternoon. Then around 9am they start drinking, either at home or at the bar. Then around 1pm or 2pm they go take a nap. They then wake up and start drinking again. The point is, they aren't like normal people who binge drink throughout the day or during the week and are completely dysfunctional during those times. Mike is definitely a real dude and he sounds a heck of a lot nicer than the two old geezers I know. The other thing is, Mike probably has some money which has allowed him to live this type of lifestyle.