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.

Forgot to say Happy Birthday Madame.

Ah look what popped up on my newsfeed. Is not just my street then!
www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/21/a-50p-cuppa-and-a-2m-flat-how-one-london-street-captures-the-divisions-of-brexit

Just watching BBC question time with the leaders debate bollocks. Missed JC but have just watched Jo Swinson, she's very disappointing isn't she. BoJo is such a knobber. I really do despair 🙈

😂😂Frouby I don't envy you on your choice of who to vote for. I hate wasting a vote but with the choice you have in the UK I wouldn't know what to do. I agree JS is too much primary school teacher trying too hard to impress.
As I'm over 15 years expatriated I don't get a vote.

I really don't want to waste my vote, but I don't know who I can vote for. Fml. Realistically it's an easy seat here for labour. So if I want to protest vote its BoJo ftw. But I don't think I can do it. Labour is better to me morally but JC is also a knobber.

Many Knobbers, 1 vote. Politics A/W 2019 Uk Style.

Jo swinson was one of my ministers back in the day. Agree she's a bit meh. Corbyn's constituency is just across the road so he's often hanging about - i think i could warm to him but he just won't listen to advice, drives me nuts. Our local labour mp is ok so think i am going to hold my nose and vote for labour

We are just catching up with question time. Not impressed with any of them.
The Drs went well, I've been urgently referred to the knee clinic. I'm seeing the Dr again on Tuesday. It's horrible feeling this way. I just wanted to walk away earlier. Just doing the fake it until you make it.
The Dr also signed me off for 3 months. We have just been moved over to universal credits so will have to update them. (We a few years ago were running our own taxi business with a few drivers. Then we got made homeless and was made to move from Surrey to Feltham to tempary accommodation. We then decided to move to devon to make a new life, it's amazing how quickly you can lose everything!).
Still AF just dh and I were debating about the wine but decided against it.
Hope everyone has a good evening

Hugs and a snuggle under the cloak for Badger. I'm glad you went to the GP. I hope they have managed to help a bit. I know what it's like to fall into a depression hole - I call it the clouds of doom. Hoping they start to lift for you soon, or that you at least manage to have some nice time with DH and a rest while he's home

Friday night and dry as a bone here. Feeling quietly smug, if I'm honest. It was a close call when I went to the shop for some logs earlier.
And I'm no mind reader, but I'm pretty sure the lady at the counter was thinking, 'what, no wine?' as I paid for them. Their takings must be right down this month.

I did treat myself to jumbo sausage, chips and gravy from the chippy though. It's the first night the boys have both been away for about six weeks and after the stress of DS1 it's been lovely having a nice fire, a tray of chips and the remote control to myself.

I'm just writing a preview piece for the Christmas lights switch on tomorrow for the website I edit. There's a right line up of 90s boyband members on there. I've had to Google who they all are!

Thanks for the comments about my gym mood Madame. You're totally right. When the clouds gather, ace PT always reminds me, 'you'll leave here feeling better than when you arrived.' He's right too.

Hope you're all enjoying your Friday nights

Badger, sorry you’re feeling sad. Well done on being AF.

Longest, a moonlight swim sounds lovely

Frouby, what are you cooking for your dinner party? I love having people over but it’s been a tricky year so I’ve avoided it since April, more or less.

NC4 I wouldn’t have any idea on 90s boybands either, I hardly know anyone the young people consider famous these days. Chips and remote sounds like a good evening. 😂 at shop woman thinking wot no wine, I bet she wasn’t though

Flossie, that sounds like moderating to me 🙂

Voting, omg, IKR? As the kids probably don’t say any more. I’m sick of politicians tbh.

I’m a bit more cheerful (about bloody time, I hear you say!) probably coinciding with my period starting. I need a plan for the menopause, maybe I can pick your brains Madame? It’s surely going to knock on my door any minute now...

And today is day 20 AF so I’m pleased with myself.

NC4, how is ds? It’s good that you and I have both dealt with tricky boy issues this month AND stayed AF! 🌟 🌟 🌟 for us 🙂

He's not great tbh Water. He just seems to be sinking into a hole. And in his youth and inexperience he doesn't really see the damage in that. Thing is, once you're in that hole, it's very hard to climb out - especially when you've no employment history.

Definitely 🌟🌟🌟 for us. Day 21 FFS!! It's insane.

I think I've decided on a moderate December then a dry January. In a weird way, I've quite enjoyed being AF. I hadn't realised just how much my drinking habits were depriving me of.

💐 NC4 - mine too. We can only do what we can do...

I’m in for dry January too, I did it last year as well.

Have you discovered 'the joy' they talk about in the sobriety books? I think a little bit of it is starting to creep into my life. Who knew, eh?

NC4 not joy, no, especially with all the ds stuff going on. But I’m calmer, less anxious (not that I’m generally anxious other than when I get The Fear) and I’m sleeping well, for 8+ hours most nights. I really liked going for that interview knowing I was sharp, even if I didn’t get it. So I think I’m noticing being less fuzzy around the edges IYKWIM? But I’ve also been using the Calm app every day, saying no to anything I don’t feel like doing and doing quite a lot of things that make me happy plus I’m not working so my life is fairly calm and organised atm, fingers crossed it lasts!

NC4 - I am finding that I’m happy or not based on what’s going on though and I could almost imagine life without alcohol at all 😯 because I’m managing fine without it.

Longing to catch up but no chance ATM (am away, with sporadic access to internet). Very definitely not AF, and no prospect for the next week or so due to social stuff...

Seriously impressive stuff guys. I didn't really discover joy when i did dry jan. I was decidedly grumpy about it. But am quite enjoying being more fit and active the past month or so. I did the park run again and went trampolining with the girls. Then we went to lantern making workshop in the pub. Had to have a beer to see me through but was ok after that, and then we walked home via new fish shop and dd2 beat us all at trivial pursuit somehow. Shattered now.

Well I have established that I can't moderate. I feel shit. Went round to my brother's last night. He'd expressed disappointment that I wouldn't be drinking so thought I'd have a glass of wine 'to be social'. Four bottles of wine between the three of us, and we opened a fifth. I got a taxi home, realised I'd left my keys there so got a taxi back and slept in their spare room.
Feel like absolute shite now. I've been doing the Alcohol Experiment, and it's fair to say that was a learning experience. I don't feel good. Not at all.
I may have to become totally AF. It brings nothing good into my life other than conforming to social conditioning. FML.

Ooof NC bet you have a stonking hangover. I love wine but even 2 glasses makes me feel shit the next day.

I have had a fairly moderate weekend. 1 gin Thursday, 3 cans and 1 gin friday and 4 cans of lager last night. That's me done now until probably Thursday.

Took the dcs for tree decorations yesterday and we have put the tree up. Mainly because dd is busy next weekend and said she wanted to help but she didn't bother in the end. Me and da had fun though. We added to our bizarre tree decorations with a canoe paddled by Rudolf, a Christmas sloth and a Christmas pig 😂😂. We all chose a new one each year, my tree is a bit eccentric now. But looks pretty and is interesting anyway.

Been to a makers fayre this morning to see cousins stall. Was debating making a roast for dinner but say some huge baking spuds so we are having those with a selection of olives, some feta and spinach rolls and dh bought a selection of pork pies. So will be an easy but carby dinner.

Going to do some ironing, change our bedding and have a chilled out afternoon.

I do Frouby. I'm not sure I even like wine that much. I've just convinced myself I do. There are nicer drinks out there.

Your tea sounds good. I'm all about the carbs today. I've just had a butter pie - it's a local delicacy of basically potatoes and butter, in a pie. Some mad heads people put it on a barm for additional carbiness. I don't think I can muster up the energy to do anything more, so I've rented The Lion King and snuggled up with Toby. He seems to be enjoying watching the big cats on the telly 😂

My Christmas tree is eclectic too. XH and I had a tradition of buying a Christmas decoration whenever we went away. We have Henry the eighth from the Tower of London, a yellow submarine from a weekend in Liverpool, the Eiffel Tower and a load of other stuff. It makes me happy-sad. I like a tree with a bit of history!

Dh also come back with some piggies in blankets as well and wants those putting in too 🙈. I do love a sunday roast but it's an all afternoon job and I just CBA today. Feeling a bit PMTy, hoping I don't come on again. Though according to tracker app, if the period I had before the mystery one from hell was the real period, I would be due another. Fml.

Just ordered a new TV for the living room. Some 43in smart tv bollocks. Dh a happy boy. The one in our bedroom is a bit pants and he wants a bigger one down here than the 32in we already have so that's going in our room and new one coming here, old bedroom one will be recycled up to my mums, someone will have a use for it as a spare room tv or something.

I can't complain really, current tv is about 11 years old and was a free gift as part of a mobile phone contract. Current bedroom tv was a freebie from my aunt years ago. I don't see the point in upgrading tvs every few years, DH has wanted one for ages. So that's coming Wednesday. Have also ordered ds his Nintendo switch for Christmas. He won't be getting much of anything else but think he will get more use out of that than a load of toys. Dd has done me a list, and I need to start on that. We go away 3 weeks today ffs.

Picture of tree just because I am now feeling Christmassy.

Lovely tree! We usually have an argument about when to get the tree. Dh would leave it until Christmas eve, I’m always arguing for about 10th December so we usually end up getting it on about the 15th EYE ROLL

Day 21 AF here. Our boiler has packed up so that’s nice but local plumber says he’ll try to get here tomorrow. We have 2 real fires and one shower that’s electric so it’s bearable. My car is in having the dent removed from the young lad going into the back of me. So I have no car for a few days. Never mind, I’ll get loads of Christmas things done I think. Poor him, his car was a write off.

Dionysa enjoy your social engagements.

Considering going out with dh on Friday night which would be not AF and would mean I’d end my month on 25 days AF. We are away on Saturday so definitely drinking then. But will go back to AF next week. We haven’t been out together in a month and we could really do with it. We are leaving at 10am on Saturday though so hmm, maybe not. Depends, if I can do moderate drinking on Friday then maybe.

Nice tree Frouby! I've started to feel Christmassy looking at the photo. Haven't even thought about doing mine yet, though.
Longest well done on attempting the park run again, that's brilliant! Do you hurt less than last time?

NC4 I hope you feel better today, a day in with a good film and a lovely cat sounds very nice.

Water I hope your boiler is fixed soon, even with 2 open fires it must be chilly and what about the hot water?

Dion I hope you are having a nice time away despite (or perhaps because of!) the lack of internet. Its nice to be unconneced sometimes.

I moderated last night, because I was driving - night out with the tennis club, resto then bowling, got back at 1.30am, then up at 7am to do my first proper race of the year. I was first woman, last woman as well as no others wanted to run the 19kms on the very wet and muddy trail. But my time was better than that for the same race last year, and at nearly 12 km per hour so I can't complain and am happy that the thyroid and anemia issues are now resolved.
So overall quite a moderate week alcohol wise, not sportswise, 2 pool sessions of 1700m, one cycling 40kms and 116kms of running.

Love your free frouby!!.
I will catch up soon, just had a very busy weekend. Hope everyone is okay .
I'm feeling slightly better, just faking it until I make it.
Dh knows about me knee and back yet has sat on the sofa all day when I have been running round after everyone, even the older dcs haven't helped. I am completely knackered and in a lot of pain.
Still AF. Dh brought a bottle of wine and I was very tempted but stayed away.
Luckily the younger ones are in bed and the older ones are watching tv or on their phones.
Hope everyone is having a better weekend than I am.