The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Here's To STAYING On A Sober Holiday!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

I have an abusive and volatile relationship with alcohol.

This is the Brave Babes Bus, it's filled with sober, drinking and somewhere in between Babes who are all here for the journey ahead, whatever that may entail.

EVERYONE is welcome on this Bus. No-one will judge what you are going through, what you drink, what you don't or what you do.

Come take a seat.

Take a peek at the journeys so far (including the thread by JWN that started this whole journey off) HERE

I haven't been posting much lately (RL has taken over) but have been following the thread. Best of luck wantto. I suspect (and I think you know) that for your DP your actions are going to speak louder than words, and it will probably take him some time to trust that you will in practice take the steps that you plan to take. I think it's worth expressly acknowledging that to him.

Stay strong - and keep on posting.

(quick wave to everyone else - last week of the holidays down here, so having to switch into organisational mode. not looking forward to resuming the school run (actually a school bike ride)).

Sounds like a great plan MissG. And well done on not opening another bottle when you got home, that can be the most difficult thing.

wantto good for you on hauling yourself up onto your feet again, what you have done in the laast couple of days is fantastic. Those of us who have been there and who are watching you go through this know and can see what you have done, what an effort that has taken you and how much better you sound. As others have said, please make sure that you have some plans ready in case things don't go quite as you want.

I don't know any of your back story, but if you've been drinking for a while, your dp may have heard you before make (half-hearted) promises to stop, and to get things sorted, and he may be a bit wary about whether this time really is different. But can show him, that you are different, that you are commited to getting the support you need. It may take a little time. So enjoy your time with your precious daughter, try to stay calm and rational. It's OK to be sad if things don't work out as you expect, but it's not OK to let that sadness defeat you, or to drive you into having a drink.

X-posted. isindie you're sounding great . And I'm joining you and msgee in working, working, working, being busy, not procrastinating, tackling the report that I've been ignoring.

isindie my to do list is in RED to signify just how important and urgent it is . Big cheer for day 7!!

venus I am in awe of your soup recipe and may well try it this afternoon. Am wondering if I could do it so that DD is totally unaware that there is any veg in it?

Morning all

Well having not posted for a really long time, realising that wantto was practically on my doorstep brought me out of hiding.

I had realised that my Dsis was using this thread as a way of checking up on my and was not terribly impressed, so I decided to stop posting as much. But I do still follow all your progress on a regular basis.

Life here is still plodding forward, have had a seriously stressful couple of weeks, and have felt kinda low the last couple of days, but I also know, that not one thing in my life cannot be made worse by drinking!! I also take so much comfort that although I have some challenges in my life right now, I am still one hundred times happier than I was when I was drinking!!

I have my children and I have my health, and although somedays it feels like it is failing me - I have my sense of humour!!

Hope you are all keeping it in the day.
SOrry not to namecheck everyone. Will try not to be such a silent member of the bus.

But could I have a bacon roll please

Love to all
Bafana

Morning all, bafana how horrible that your sister uses this thread to "check up on you", if she wants to know what's happening with you she should just ask you.
Which reminds me Zany, are you still around, hope the fact that you suspect your ex checks up on you here hasn't deterred you from posting.

I have been invited to my friend's house for tea this evening, so taking MsGees lead, I hope to finish today by being home in bed by 11, drinking no more than 2 glasses of wine, and not only remember ringing taxi home but remember what I talked about in taxi!

Hi obrigada, yeah, sense would dictate that she would ask about how things were going with me rather than reading my postings, but, hey, it's what has happened.

We had words a wee while back, and she see's life in a very black and white way, and she gave me her opinion on what I should be doing with mine. So I stopped telling her things about my life, just kept to the very bland and unimportant things. Chose the people that I confide it to be the people who would not judge me!

It's wierd how I really thought that not drinking, really would be just not physically drinking anymore, but I have really changed so much as a person in the last 9 months. I am not as argumentative, or feel I have to give my opinion on things.

My DD said to me yesterday that I was angry all the time in the later end of last year, and whereas I still have days where things don't go my way, I am far more at peace with them.

wantto - glad that we have spoken, looking forward to seeing you tonight!!

Hope everyone else is acheiving more at work today than I am!!

Hugs
Bafana

Well you industrious lot I am impressed by all the steely determination and 'to do' lists getting done this morning

Day 1 of the diet for me. Have had a lovely ham roll with a ton of salad and I will definately NOT be drinking today. No way, no how.

Don't want to see any of you here until all the report writing is done

obrigada are you going to start with a soft drink tonight, or dilute the wine with soda. A good idea is to completely fill the glass with ice and then you don't need so much wine to fill it and as it melts, the water dilutes your alcohol. Also makes it really cold and refreshing. Have a lovely time .

MsGee a tea party in the bath? How fabulous! Your DD is lucky to have such a silly mummy

Now I am going to really spoil myself and am off out to stock up on' back to school' stationery. Aaaaahh I can almost smell the new paper already . . .

Bafana, same story with my sister, everything is black or white with no grey in between, Faire, I drink red wine so ice not really an option, although maybe I could put in some 7-Up to dilute it?

Have you tried it chilled? It's quite a different drink. You could dilute it with anything you like. I think it was Saf who said she added orange juice and tonic water to make it a long drink. It becomes a bit more like sangria, or punch. Just don't treat it like an alcopop and slug it though, sort of defeats the object .

Or, if you prefer, you could alternate wine with soft drinks. I would be interested to know how this turns out for you as I have been in the same situation with mixed results. Sometimes I stick to the 2 glasses, sometimes it sends me over the edge and I have lots more. Does your friend drink heavily, or know that you don't want to have a lot? Not being nosey (what, me nosey) just curious.

oh saf x post

Hi everyone

Not posted for a while but trying to catch up.

Thanks Venus for your post on friday, you are right I am independent and stubborn strong willed and I need someone who doesn't just agree with me all the time but has their own opinions, my XH was just like that.

Had a lovely weekend and couple of days off work. Went to Monkey World which was brilliant as the monkeys walk around you and aren't in cages. Seen xP who I lived with for a couple of years and he seems so different these days, considerate etc and I have really really enjoyed spending time with him but still hanging on just being friends as I need time on my own. Leopards can't change their spots that quickly so I'm seeing if it lasts

p.s. I won't be name changing, he has made it clear he doesn't want to keep in contact and be friends so if he sneaks on here to see what I'm up to then I think thats quite sad but hey ho

Hi all!
You are such a lovely bunch, you really are. Been hanging out on this thread for MONTHS now
My drinking has been getting me down a bit lately. I'm not out of control and don't drink every day. In fact, I usually don't drink in the week at all but tend to make up for it a bit at weekends! I've been waking up at weekends with a fuzzy and sore head, and a very mild hungover feeling. Still quite functional, but not quite fit to do some of the things I had planned to do, like go running. I'm wondering why I'm so good at laying off booze in the week, so I'm alert and perky at work and not letting anyone down, but drinking too much at weekends, and letting myself down by not doing what I had planned to do. Hmmmm...

Anyway, I haven't had a drink for 4 days and am not lusting after it either! Have a friend coming round tomorrow night for dinner, she's not a big drinker and will be driving so will only have 1 glass of wine. I'm planning to wait and see - will only have a drink if I really honestly fancy one, not out of habit. If I do drink, I'm stopping after 2 glasses. I like the ideas of diluting wine with ice, or tonic/orange juice
Anyway, hope everyone is feeling good today

Hi Josie It sounds like you have a good plan. Can i ask why you chose today to post - are you thinking about tmrw night and how you will manage things?

wasindie work finished here.... I have to work tonight but so far most of my clients will be happy (oops, just forgot one). big application finished, small guidance notes finished and I am all set to write my training pack tonight (unless you want to do that for me? any tips on writing distance learning training packs? Its a course I normally do face to face.)

I have to agree on the wine thing - saf in your recent posts about drinking I get so distracted by how disgusting red wine, OJ and tonic sounds that I forget everything else!!

Right off to pick up DD for silly day (Faire your post made me well chuffed).

hope everyone else has had a productive morning

C xx

Thanks MsGee yes I guess I am thinking of tomorrow. I thought of posting earlier in the week but didn't for some reason. Usually by this point in the week I am getting DESPERATE for lots of wine on Friday but today I feel that I'm not too bothered about it. It's a bank holiday weekend too which means an extra day of (possible) drinking so I'm even more determined not to go overboard if I do decide to drink.