Wankerbastards and summer sunshine will make us want the bloody wine. But tryers to be dryers won't give up, and ice cold becks blue we will sup.

[Frouby]

Thread 7 for the tryers.

Join us for tips and support for encouraging a more healthy relationship with alcohol. Whether you want to drink less, or not at all, stay in your units or just cut down this is the thread for friendship, support, tips and ideas.

Absolutely no judgements here, but there will possibly be swearing.

Other threads are dotted around but I have yet to master a clicky link.

Dion and Mr Courgette . Lol at wholesome. Dd2 is lying on the sofa watching some whiny thing on YouTube. Dd1 and dh are playing some Pokémon game on the DS together. I am messing on my phone. Wholesomeness itself!

Ugh FML again. Dd2 is still poorly. At least she slept through the night and I am not working today but still FML. Bored of it now. I guess I might as well get on top of the house and maybe even tackle the bramble covered garden. Had a nice day planned though involving cool science thing, playing in fountains and tea out. At least we are not on our proper hols I guess.

Same Dion. I was such a lovely mum when mine were little. Luckily DS2 is on holiday with my mum this week, so he is being enriched.
Urgh, Longest illness. I am not a natural nurse. It’s not so bad when they are really poorly, but that bit when they start getting better but are still not right is the worst. I’m the same when I’m ill, to be fair.
Frouby hope today pans out a bit better than yesterday!
Flossie are you still on your hols?
Wave to everyone else 👋🏼

Guys don't be so hard in yourselves. Your kids' needs change as they get older. If you were jollying them along like some kind of redcoat at Butlins you would not be thanked I am sure.

Frouby I've never thought of courgette cakes before, thanks for the recipe! I make a lot of ratatouille, both the DC love it.
I use them a lot in savoury tarts, this evening it is smoked salmon (the cheap offcuts), courgette and goats cheese.

Dion NC4 I haven't been spending much time with my DC either, DD is working in the holidays now she can drive and DS is much better occupied at the local leisure place as he has lots of friends there and they do lots of different activities and visits, this week climbing and a visit to a zoo.

Longest I hope DD2 gets better soon.

Not AF last night, some old friends from the UK who have a holiday home near me are out for 2 weeks so we had a few drinks last night. AF good intentions completely out of the window. But it is the holidays, even though I'm still working and the weather is crap this week.

I only do wholesome outdoorsy things with ds because he is fucking feral indoors and makes too much mess, otherwise I would happily plug him into devices. Dd more or less just needs driving around, doesn't really do allotment or ponies or nature reserves or farms anymore. She's enjoying dragon boating but that just involves dropping her off and cousin brings her home for me.

Think ds will always be outdoorsy though, he loves nature and animals and making things and growing things. Even when she was little dd wasn't really into stuff like that. Funny how 2 dcs brought up the same way can be so different.

Going to get AA out to car, can't get hold of our mechanic and AA can at least tell me what's wrong. In theory anyway. I suspect they will come out and say it needs a new battery because they sell them. I know it's not battery. Will then phone dh who will say have new battery, will charge a fortune, it will temporarily work and then break down again. Fml.

I have given dd1 the choice of roller skating in the park with her friend or writing thank you letters or the sewing project she fancied trying. She has huffed at me and thinks I am an ogre for saying no more screens. See also: refusing to let her eat crisps because she spurned her toast at breakfast.

Reading your stories of entertaining dc sounds hellish!! Makes me dread coming home from hols on Friday!! No idea what I’ll do with mine as their needs are so different!! Dd1 is manic and needs constant activity whereas dd2 isn’t as able. That added to trying to detox my liver sounds something to hide from!!

Frouby - your courgette cake sounds lush!!

Thanks, Longest. You are of course right. The weird thing about DD is that she doesn't want to be seen in public with me, until the one minute she wants me to do something with her "because that's what proper mums do". The weird thing about DS is that he's happy to keep me company doing very boring stuff like going to Tesco. I have always found that the prospect of thank-you letters gives my DC a sudden impetus to do anything else other than write them.

I'm a bad nurse, too. I hope your DD bounces back quickly.

Good luck with the AA, Frouby. And you're quite right about how DC can be so different. DS loves outdoors stuff, and DD doesn't. The thing that's tricky with them is that DS on the whole likes the things that I like, so I have to try to find ways to show an interest in DD's interests (even if they involve make-up).

MadameF, at least if you're not going to be AF, it's nice to be not-AF with good friends.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday, Flossie!!

PMSL at Mrs Courgette 🤣🤣

Yes, I sometimes wonder how the same set of ingredients can yield such different results. My boys are basically the opposite of each other. Weird.

It’s just taken me two hours to get home, and I have a meeting in another two hours, albeit in a pub. Dryness tonight will be a challenge.

Both DC are finally out, so I have taken the opportunity to watch Homes Under The Hammer do something useful. In fact, I feel shockingly, bone-crushingly tired and can barely move. It would be nice to be dry tonight. I hope you manage it, NC4.

Mrs Courgette 😂😂😂
Speaking of which I'm eating them for dinner, aforementioned quiche. Plus a homemade cream caramel, I have a lot of eggs to use up even though one of my hens is still broody after 2 months

Hello all you lovely people

I need to be AF so badly :(

Hope you're all doing better than me.

Senseless, hello (I am Dion, btw, in case you haven't had chance to read the most recents).

I have been doing very badly. Trying to be AF tonight. I've just listened to a hypo recording, so am hoping it might help.

Quiche, MadameF. That's what I would like. I have nothing to eat at all, as I knew I wouldn't have to cater for the picky eaters. However, I forgot that I might need to eat something. 😂

Evening all

Just back from kayaking, am cold, wet and muddy. And sipping a coors light because dh is annoyingly drunk. Fml.

It's funny, but on this thread, even without names, I would be able too tell who is posting by the style of writing.

Bone crushingly tired is me too, Mrs Courgette. And yet ironically, I’m unable to sleep. What’s that all about?

Not dry tonight, but not as wet as I would have been left to my own devices. Tuesday is the worst day of the week without fail.

Good to see you back Senseless. It’s impossible for you to be doing any worse than me this week. I will turn it round, but I promise you aren’t alone...

There’s some cracking drum n bass emanating from the loft tonight though. I love how DS discovers things I was into at his age without me introducing him. He’s sat up there in his Adidas Originals, belting out Roni Size, like its 1998 😂

I don’t have to go to Manchester tomorrow THANK FUCK. I’m ready for a bit of annual leave, but my bank account isn’t keen.

Madame I’d never get away with putting courgette in quiche. Maybe tomorrow will be the day Mr Courgette learns his fate....

Snap, NC4. Despite the complete exhaustion yesterday, I had a rotten night. So much for an AF night meaning better sleep! 😂 at your DS and Roni Size. I'm a bit worried about my DH's fate, though.

MadameF, I thought the same!

Cold, wet, muddy and AF, Frouby? Very impressive.

How are you, Senseless?

Waves to everyone else.

Wasn't AF MrsC, was 2 little bottles of coors light which aren't AF unfortunately. But I feel I deserved them after nearly 3 hours getting wet in the rain, covered in mud and sludge and getting ds in and out of his bloody wetsuit. Plus dh was pissed as a fart and very annoying.

Dd went off playing kayak polo with her new dragon boat buddies. Absolutely loved it and talking about doing tournaments for that as well ffs. Can see myself trawling up and down the county over winter visiting various watersports centres supporting dd. She also did her first capsize training session and did very well. Nice to see the £100s of pounds worth of swimming lessons is finally coming in useful.

Now she wants to do polo training on Saturday mornings so will be 5 days a week on the lake. Dragon boating season finishes at the end of September though apparently but polo is a winter sport so she won't be doing both for too long.

Not sure what we are up to today. Ponies at some point, ds has his swimming lesson and my mum is off work today so probably call and see her at some point.

Ds been asking what we doing since 7.15am ffs. He didn't get home until 8.30pm yesterday. And had been to his mates for 2 hours, then his mate came here for an hour so it's not like he was bored all day. Weather looks horrendous on Friday so that will be a fun day stuck in.

Hahahaha at Mrs Courgette. Congratulations!

Sympathies all round for the bone crushing tiredness. And lack of sleep. Perhaps it's like with kids and you get a shot of adrenaline when you're overtired that keeps you awake.

Dd2 bounced back thank goodness and is DH's responsibility today. Dd1 has her new bike from DM and is delighted.

Had a glass of wine with dm at tea time but no more so happy enough. Open minded about tonight. Tomorrow I have been invited to work drinks but not sure I can go due to childcare logistics. A shame really because it was to celebrate hideous work thing being over but liver may thank me.

Dfriend's interview was published in the Times. Feel proud of him rather than jealous now, though he would be the first to admit he's benefited from privilege. He's the guy I mentioned a while ago that gave up alcohol after a hideous health issue because drs said something had to give. He is one of my favourite people. We lived together at uni and he is married to another of my best mates. No idea if his business is a good idea but I thought his original business sounded ridiculous so what do I know?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/would-you-use-helloself-the-digital-therapy-service-k08nw05bx

Well have worked out why I have been a moany arse bitch feeling sorry for myself for the last 2 days, period turned up. Obvs. Felt much better this morning than I have done then boom.

Anyway. Have had a day mostly at home. Ds spent the day in pants alternating between minecraft and YouTube videos about minecraft. Currently having his swimming lesson though so at least he's done something.

I have been fannyarseing around rearranging and decluttering kitchen cupboards mostly. Binned a load of out of date stuff, wiped shelves and rearranged stuff. Also tackled my washine machine drawer. Why the fuck do they get so vile when the only thing that goes in them is cleaning stuff?

So that's the sum of my excitement. Off to garden centre tomorrow with school mum mate who is turning into quite a good mate which has surprised me. Am not usually arsed about making new friends (am pretty antisocial generally) but the boys play well together and we have a similar outlook on life.

Won't be AF tonight. Looking forward to a couple of beers if I am honest.

Bloody hormones. I have no idea when my period is due. I was in sync with you at one point Frouby but I suspect not any more. According to my app I have 10 days left.

Ive been wondering the same about the washing machine drawer. I don't even put detergent in mine. It just mings of its own accord.

Longest The Times!! Proper journalism that. I used to do odd bits for them but their northern reporter has gone to work for the Telegraph and they don't seem to have replaced her yet, so I'm off the radar. If I had an ounce of enthusiasm I'd try and make contact with their newsdesk, but at the moment I'm just muddling round doing what I'm asked reactively, and dreaming of a long lie in.

I'm in the pub. I like to come here to work from time to time. It's a bit naughty but its nice to be where the people are. I've just gulp texted my BF.... Hard hat on...

Oh good luck NC4, what kind of text did you send?

Have been following another thread about ambition which has turned a bit bonkers but it did make me reflect on whether I have my personal balance right. I think I do at the moment, I can't be bothered adding extra stress to my life for little reward, but I guess I do feel a bit mid life crisisy surrounded by high flying types. I applied to be a part time judge last year and didn't get it but did get through the early stages. Thought I would try again one day but my enthusiasm has waned somehow on the meantime. Partly that's because my own job has got more satisfying though so I think I'll just muddle along for a bit. It would be nice to have a bit of a pay rise at some point though. A decade of pay freezes has not been particularly kind, and DH's health has put a bit of a spanner in our collective finances. Don't really want any more stuff, and am not that bothered about lavish holidays now I am fretting about the climate, but would like to be able to pay someone to keep on top of the house maintenance without worrying. I need your handy Dave, NC4. The only handy person I can get to actually respond is £££.

DH appears to have some form of dd2's bug, which is not great combined with his other issues. Dd2 is much better but utterly knackered and shrieky and sprang a random nose bleed.

Dd1 did not moan as much about holiday club as I thought she would, particularly as DH was not able to fetch her early as promised. They went on some kind of trip but she's mostly been reading The Silver Sword and I am a bit worried she may have bad dreams though she claims to be fine.

Going to have wine. Was hanging in the balance but afraid dd2 shrieking at me has tipped me over the edge.

Ds has been very shrieky this evening too NC. Am still not sure he isnt slightly ill, coughed a few times today, been happy on his tablet and didn't really want to go swimming.

I know what you mean about being happy with work life balance. Dh has asked me today if I would be interested in working for the company we are subcontracting to, managing their admin. So invoicing, dealing with payroll, going through timesheets etc. Basically what I do now (probably not as technical as they have an accountant for HMRC stuff) but on a bigger scale. Apparently they have asked dh as the invoices I submit are the most professional they get, and in the odd email interaction I have with them, I am the most clued up. Apparently I ask questions they don't understand and have to ask their accountant. And have copied my template for submitting their own invoices. Wondered why they asked me to confirm some calculations last month 😂😂.

Said I was happy with my matched betting as although it can be zero to hero, it earns decent money for per hour worked and I can do it whe suits me. He pushed me a bit (he's a solver and wants to please people so going back and saying I will would make him happy) so I thought about it and said for £40 per hour, max of 20 hours a week because I know it's far too expensive. Just because I don't want to have a proper job with fixed hours. But for £40 per hour it would almost be tempting.

Just watching this shop well for less bollocks on bbc 1. Obscene the amount this couple spend on shite. Absolutely obscene. Am all for buy cheap, buy twice and quality over quantity but this couple spend a fortune on throwaway fashion and toiletries.