Wankerbastards and autumn weather, crunchy leaves, browning heather. We want crisp, cool days and crisp, cool wine, or beer or gin. But only a couple, as we smash moderatin'.

[Frouby]

Thread 8 for Tryers to be Dryers.

Join in for help and support and lots of laughs to reduce alcohol. Whatever you want to achieve with your alcohol intake, whether it's alcoholidays, dry days, less booze in general we are all in the same boat.

More threads floating around but I can't do clicky links. Just look for Wankerbastards and you will find us.

Morning everyone, day 12 af and the day of the mil arriving. So mad clean and tidy up today. Must get a move on. Cooking a roast for 10! And I'm already wanting wine!! But I will be strong and just clean and cook. I'm hoping to be done by the time the snooker starts so I can sit and knit for a while.
Hope everyone has a good day!!

Afternoon all,
night out was fun, we got home at 3am but the party was still far from finished when we left. Only one glass of wine and I was up at 8 to let the hens out, feed the guinea pigs, cats, etc. Ran 12kms with the dog, everything is saturated, fields, footpaths, ditches overflowing etc.
Going back for the 'return' now (guests eat together at Sunday lunchtime, although we won't be eating, I just can't eat a lot now. Delicious as it is, even a typical roast dinner is too much.

You have so much energy Madame, I wish I had as much! Party sounds fun, though I would absolutely be eating a sunday lunch after!

Am making sunday lunch later, nice rotisserie chicken and all the trimmings. Feel a bit bleurgh this morning, didn't sleep well after beer and half a bottle of wine. Will definitely be dry today, and a good stint in the week as well. Have drifted back to those couple of cans and it's showing on my tummy and holiday in 5 weeks! I might try for dry school nights until 13th December if anyone wants to keep me company, I can't and don't want to do andry month but a dry working week would probably be achievable.

Have just done a massive pile of ironing and am considering a little nan nap.

Frouby hop onto me and Water's wagon during the week. It's a hop on hop off service...

Very tempted today. DS1 is driving me insane. He's actually 'left home' today because his behaviour was so bad I said he could spend the week at his dads. I'm not too concerned as leaving home seems to have consisted of going to his girlfriend's house so far, so I'll let him blow off some steam. But I'm furious with him.

I've lit the fire and am actually warm for the first time since I left my bed. Might have a takeaway tonight as CBA to cook when I don't know who's going to be here.

Hope everyone's Sundays are better!

It is indeed a hop on hop off bus! Once I’ve done the month I want to move to that, AF in the week and only wine on Friday and Saturday nights. Nc4, well done for not giving in. Sympathy on stroppy kids, I’ve had one today too. DD furious with me because I objected to a vid of her and her friend on Tiktok where friend’s school name was visible. Friend is 14 fgs. IABU according to dd.

Frouby I think your roasts are fab and on reflection the reason I find them hard to eat is because you f all the almonds and cashews I eat whilst preparing 😐 if I only ate the roast or would be fine.
Water NC4 I hope your offspring are better behaved tonight.
DD is at her BF and DS in bed. We did the return today and ended up eating, it was more fun than last night as there were fewer people. Everything in France is organized around food, the alcohol is present but not the main thing in parties.

nc consider me hopped on. Worked out why feeling bluergh, bastarding period turned back up I think. About a week and a half early and after an unusually long, but light effort. Hmphhhh. I suspect that I am perimenopausal. I keep getting briefs spells of hotness as well, and odd dizzy spells that go as soon as they arrive.

So that's nice. Think I may start investigating supplements and vitamins. Or self medicate with wine and gin and beer.

Am in bed, have just finished reading The Handmaid's Tale. It's been on my list for a while but wanted to be in the right mood for it. Am not sure how I feel about it if I am honest, it's very dark.

Ahh thanks guys. I've just had to drive to Liverpool to pick DS2 up because their dad's car broke down.
It's lucky in a way as has kept me dry again.
Still no sign of DS1, but I've checked in with his girlfriend and he's still there. He reckon's he's staying at a mate's flat tonight - this lad is 16 with his own place, but I'm not sure he will or what I can do.
I suspect (hope) he'll slope in with his tail between his legs once time comes to leave his gf's house.

Frouby I really enjoyed Handmaid's Tale, if that's the right word. It is dark, but it's thought provoking and quite deep. It's probably 10 years since I read it so it's faded a fair bit in my memory but I remember it was a powerful read. I just bought my mum the next one (and hope she'll pass it on to me when she's finished).

I think I might go and watch TV in bed. I don't know what to do re DS1. At the moment I know he's safe but I can't be sure he will be all night. I can't physically drag him home.

Hugs all round. You're still all doing amazingly with AF though! I am AF today and resisted lunchtime pint when dsis and dcousin were indulging over a pub lunch. Have been watch His Dark Materials but will save 7 worlds... for tomorrow i think as ready for bed. Think i am getting a cold, boo. Kids have an inset day tomorrow. We may go to the zoo, but i want to get dd2 checked out as think she may have a uti.

I was going to start watching that Longest but thought I might save it to watch with DS2. He was given the audio book a couple of years ago and found it too scary but do you think the TB version would be ok for a fairly robust nearly 14 year old to watch?

Yes, i was thinking of watching it with dd1! I haven't though, as probably too complicated and scary, but i don't think she is too far off. Is supposed to be for children (but i love it!)

NC it's very, very dark. I didn't enjoy it, I don't think it's quite the right word either. But found it very gripping. Am going to have a bit of light relief with a thriller, then read the second one when I have done with that. Will let you know what I think.

Am missing going to ponies this morning, house is flithy and it's getting me down, plus I have loads of work to do. Already stripped the beds, got a load of washing in, tidied upstairs ready for hoovering and just having a quick coffee before I start properly. Got a banging headache though and feel pretty grotty.

Determined to have a dry week up to Friday. Need to shed a few kgs before holiday, and have a billionty things to get done this month. Got ds birthday, holiday and Christmas. So everything needs to be done, bought, wrapped, cleaned, and work finished by the 12th December. Fml.

Madame, France sounds so civilised in that way

Frouby, boo hiss at peri menopausal, you’re early forties IIRC so may not be but hope you're feeling a bit better anyway.

NC4, how is ds? Did he come home? Well done on staying dry.

Longest, well done for resisting the pint. I hope dd is ok and you get it sorted today.

Badger, how was it with MIL? You are day 13 today IIRC, wow!

Today is day 8 AF and I’ve ticked off my teacup on my app, taken dh to the station and now under a cat with a pile of magazines 🙂

Feel a million times better than I did this time last week so that’s good. Dd apologised to me in the end!! And we had a lovely evening discussing Shakespeare as she did her homework next to me on the sofa. So I’m feeling pretty happy today. Have some boring chores to do but not many so will do them this afternoon.

That sounds lovely Water. I wish I could discuss Shakespeare with mine. They have no interest though.

Still no sign of DS1. He left his girlfriend's at 9pm and hasn't been seen since. I'm going to have to report him missing at some point soon but it will start an absolute shit storm. I'm in the process of messaging his friends and thinking about damage limitation vs his safety.

Oh shit NC4, how old is he? What a worry, I hope he turns up pronto.

Oh no NC4, what a worry. I hope he turns up soon. Is his phone on?

Meant to be going to zoo but at dr with dd2 and they are already 50 mins late. Dull l. Still, is nice autumn sunshine if we finally manage to get out before it's dark.

He's 17. He's just texted to see if I'm in because he wants to get some stuff. Says he stayed with someone called Jamie, 'in town'. Student accommodation apparently.
I've never heard of this lad before.

At least he’s ok and has contacted you NC4. Good luck with getting to the bottom of what’s wrong (if something is wrong). Teenagers can be so tricksy can’t they? They’re nearly grown ups, technically, but often just little kids inside still. Speaking for mine, anyway! Even ds, who is in his twenties, wants his mum sometimes and reverts to behaving like a toddler. I want to hug him and roll my eyes at the same time! 💐💐

NC4 Glad that DS1 turned up safe and sound. Teenagers can be very thoughtless at times. I hope you make him realise that as long as he still lives in your house he needs to let you know a little more about his movements, it is general respect, especially when you prepare meals etc.

Water I'm so pleased you are feeling the benefits of your 8 days AF, that's brilliant!

Longest I hope you have now seen the doctor and that DD2 is OK.

Frouby sorry you are having to miss the ponies. I hope they aren't too put out by the weather. The horses and cows around here look very sorry for themselves with all the torrential rain and no shelter.

Bank holiday here today. I drank last night, but overall the number of units was much lower than in previous weeks due to 2 AF nights and one very moderate. Went for a 20km run this morning in the cold showers and working this afternoon (gite stuff). Need to join you on the bus NC4! and Frouby, I'd be very happy to be dry until Friday.

I know exactly what's wrong Water. It's my zero tolerance drugs policy. I'm sick of the smell of weed, and I've done everything possible to cut off his supply. I told him if he couldn't respect my rules he could go to his dad's for a week. He didn't want to do that and thinks I'm being unreasonable so he did a runner. He has form for running away.

I was going to report him missing if he couldn't give me any more information about where he was and who he was with because with no money, I was worried he'd get himself into even more trouble. As it is, I've just walked through the door to make the call and his shoes and coat are here in the hall. I think he's asleep so I'm going to leave him to it for now and let him come to me.

I'm furious though.

NC4, I’m glad he’s home. You must be relieved.

Ds has dabbled with weed too, it seems very common. I don’t allow smoking in my house but am pretty sure there’s been smoking in the garden (I didn’t give permission but I’m not stupid, it’s probably happened). He rarely smokes now as he eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn’t making him very happy. No shit Sherlock, I said.

I would be less concerned if he was doing something productive but as he seems to be on the brink of dropping out of college it's a stupid lifestyle choice he's making.
He's always dabbled, and I've always objected on the grounds that it's illegal and I see the bad effects of that aspect every day at work, but also as someone whose mental health isn't the best, and who is disadvantaged educationally he is doing himself no favours.
The stuff they smoke these days is insane. It sends them loopy. It's not like the stuff in the 90s. And the criminality does worry me as he's quite easily led.
I might feel differently if he was at university, I don't know, but he's not. He's at risk of being a stoner bum.

Ikwym about the strength of it these days, much sympathy NC4. I hope things improve 💐💐 (virtual flowers seem inadequate but hey!)

Glad your ds is back!.
Just escaped to the garden to have a cigarette!! Believe it or not I'm still AF!!!, it hadn't been that bad, I'm just out of my comfort zone, I haven't seen her for over 2 years due to various things and she isn't that bad a mil. Just cooking dcs dinner. I must admit I've got a lot more knitting done.
Hope everyone had a good day and has a good evening xx