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

Lots of tasks done this morning - but still got report to write, so I'm indulging in a little procrastination before I tackle it

obrigada I hope you have a great evening with your friend. I have found in the past the 'hoping' not to drink has gone spectacularly wrong, partly because I in fact was looking for any excuse to let myself go. I find that what works best for me is to be resolved from the beginning. Start with a non-alcoholic drink, something long so it takes a while to drink it and you're full of liquid. Repeat for your second drink, and then move onto wine. You will find that you really won't drink as quickly, and that you will stop earlier. Try it as an experiment and see if it works for you.

bafana lovely to see you posting again, you've done so well.

I'm meeting up with a friend tonight for dinner. She's not much of a drinker, a small glass of wine at the most. Previously I used to try and meet her at lunchtime rather than in the evening, or I would count an evening out with her as one of my 'non-drinking' nights, even though she'd have had one very small glass and I'd have had 2 very large glasses (and maybe a nightcap when I got home because I'd hardly had anything to drink ). Tonight I'm just looking forward to a good old chinwag, a bit of a gossip, and a lot of laughter.

Back to work now.

And I realise that "I in fact was" is not the correct word order

You wouldn't think that people pay me to write things for them

Afternoon Babes

wantto - you're i my thoughts xx

SAF - well done on such a productive morning. I'm loving the idea of yo finding a drink that 'works' for you. I've stopped wine and spirits all together now. I just have shandy or fruit cider. Although, I'm not really bothered at the moment about either......

Rosie - nice to see you

MsGee - bloomin good job leaving the booze in the boozer! Go you xx

Well, Nemo and I went to stay and play this morning and he was a different little boy. So grown up and happy to play with the other children, waving hello and goodbye as others came and went. He's such a dude!

Then I went off to the gym for my induction. I have a BMI of 24 which is the highest I've ever had apart from when I was pg. I was really down after she weighed me then I realised that actually, this is a new day. A new challenge. This is the start of the new me.

I did an hour in the gym, very very slowly and watched by my trainer and then 200 meters in the pool, just very gentle breaststroke.

I can't tell you how amazing it feels to be me again. Just a timy little bit or normal back in my life. Just to feel free in the water and in the gym, gently moving with the support of the machines. Nothing too heavy.

Ahhhhhhhh. Lush.

Has anyone heard from missy10??

Hello to you too legal

I'm glad you're feeling better, mouseface, and doing things just for you. I've been out with the girls and the dogs picking blackberries. Yum. It's been quite a boozy summer, and things are changing. This week I went to my first alcohol councelling session. It wasn't much fun talking about my life, AGAIN, but talk I did, and I have been given some pointers. Over the hols, I have really noticed that I drink too much when I am anxious. I had never noticed anxiety before, so perhaps that's a change. The alcohol people are going to help me deal better with that, so hopefully I will feel much less need to block myself out. Even really good things can be a source of massive anxiety. So... I am going to spend some time out working on how to keep myself calm, and recognising my fear for what it is.

HOpe everyone is doing ok. Keep breathing all!

Mouse, great to hear you sounding so bright, hello new you

Silent, I too drink when I am feeling anxious, happy, sad etc...

Hi babes

I am back from the shops with my lovely new, shiny, hardbacked note book. I am going to use it as a 'diet diary' to help keep me on track. 4 o'clock in the afternoon is when I start to feel a little peckish usually, and also when I start to think about a glass of wine. So I have had a cup of weightwatchers soup to put me on til dinnertime whilst stick thin DD is cheerfully scoffing Galaxy minstrels.

Mouse a bmi of 24 is within the normal range isn't it? Mine is 33 and in the obese range. Eeeeek !! Still got to start somewhere

Hi Isinde you have been doing really fabulously recently. You know you have had a few struggles recently and have warded them off so your strategies are working.

Going out with DP? Does it have to be alcohol related? What about the cinema and pick up a takeaway to bring home. Could you offer to drive?

hi all sorry i didnt get back on yesterday but my internet decided to play silly gits fingers crossed its better now
yesterday evening i had 2 glasses of wine and packed my dd case for tomorrow takeled my ironing mountain and packed most of our bag for our holiday next week .
I am currenty sitting here shitting it about tomorrow ( and yes i have just poured a glass of wine ) but i only have enough for 2 glases

Oh IsinDe.

Sorry that you are struggling with this...... Does DP want you to go out to a pub/bar? I think that's a little unfair of her if I'm being honest. She knows how important this is to you.....

Maybe as faire says, you could go elsewhere......

I think you should ask her to go where they'll be no booze. It's too soon for you. I can almost feel your skin itching with the thought of getting a drink.

Otherwise, fill yourself up and make sure you drive. Get some chewing gum, sweets whatever......

I know that you don't want to let her down or yourself and 7/8 days of sobriety for you is bloody fantastic. If you drink tonight you run the risk of returning to your cycle don't you?

I wish I was there to nip into your pocket and be the little voice on your should for the night.

You can do this but I don't think you want to not drink if you're out. Not if you are really honest. I think you like the idea of going out and being able to have a drink.

You're not though are you? You're not allowed........ DP would be so upset. And so would you.

Sorry that is a bit jumbled and mean sounding, I'm just trying to think out loud. xxxx

missy10

HELLO!!!

Glad to see you back here. I'm glad that you already know how much wine you have for the night, planning what you do drink is as important as planning what you're not going to drink.

Make sure you eat and have lots of water too, try and stave off any hangovers.......

I'll be here in the morning with sausage or/and bacon sandwiches. It's FFF (Fat Free Friday, so you're free to eat as much fat as you like ) on the Bus tomorrow and I shall make sure there's enough for you all. I heart FFF!

Tuna in spring onion, soy sauce and worcester sauce for dinner and I really don't want that. I want a ploughman's...... I really want cheese and bread and stodge.

Mind you, according to the scales this morning, I should be eating dust!

Oh, and the fuckwits from Wickes have called me after my second shitty e-mail. They are sending their top idiot out on Tuesday too inspect the mess the toilet has made of the house. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I shall be billing them for all of the damaged caused, and for my builder's time.

I am mouse, hear me ROAR!!!

Silver - are you around sweets? Not seen you in ages.....

thurso - you too? Are you out there?

Hehe I can just see you sticking your tongue out Saf - so there

Mouse I have started using the Food Focus site you recommended and am loving filling out all the details and reading the charts and graphs. I'm treating my inner geek.

Welcome to Josie and good to hear back from you again Missy.

Excellent news faire , I've just filled today in and only had 987 cals!! I think I best break open the chocolate biscuits

Lovely Mwah there saf, thank you. I love the sound of your drink, I bet it's just like Sangria.

Right, I'm off to find something sweet. Just a little nibble. I'll be back in the morning with trays of grilled pork and huge mugs of hot, steaming tea and coffee.

Night Babes, stay Brave xx

night mouse i dont know if i will be on here tomorrow as my dd is having her op 2morrow xx

ty start will be keeping every thing crossed that they like your proposal :) omg i have had a very strange conversation with the man i was going out with before my ex dp he has just told me he still loves me after over 2 years of us being apart

yes it is start and 2 be honest i still love him as well ( but i dont know if that is because of the split in the past few weeks of me and my ex )

i know what you mean start im not going there at the moment but it is so nice 2 know that he stil cares xx

how was your evening isindie? You are allowed to feel cross and resentful, we don't have to be sober little rays of sunshine all the time. I was stomping around a couple of weeks ago, pissed off with the world because everyone else in the house was enjoying a glass of wine. The next morning I was laughing at myself because I knew that normally I would have been stomping around in a mood because other people were there drinking my wine, and preventing me from having very much. Maybe that day I just needed to stomp about something.

Hi All

Just home from meeting wantto and she is really lovely, although scared and anxious and all the other things that I certainly felt when I boarded the BB Bus.

Hope everyone sleeps well.
Am looking forward to a safe and sober weekend, and have once again been reminded today, how truly blessed I am, for everything and everyone I have in my life. The freedom that I get from not drinking is truly a wonderful thing.

XX
Bafana