The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Blowing Away The Booze In The Autumn Breeze.

[Mouseface]

Hello.

Welcome to The Brave Babes Battle Bus.

I'm mouse and I have an abusive relationship with alcohol. I can't have just the one drink, ever.

I'm not alone here, there are Babes who are sober and have been for some time, Babes who are still drinking and trying their best to stop or cut down and then there are Babes who aren't ready to stop drinking. Yet.

So, why not come and say hi?

No judgy pants allowed on here I'm afraid, cakes and cheeses are!

And for those who want to know a bit more about the Bus, HERE is our journey so far.

welcome thinice and well done you on recognising the problem and being dry for 20 days. Bloody hell. That seems impossible to me. What are your trigger points and how have you avoided them?

Thinine - welcome. I assume the 9/11 has a relevance to your drinking?

Well done on 20 days, that's great!

Saf - yep, I'm sore. No need for a told you so dance, I know

Well done on not drinking, I know how hard that will have been at your folk's house. And limiting your food. I had mostly beef and veg, only 2 spuds. But I do have hot chocolate fudge cake and extra thick cream to eat and my Jeff, will I!

Off to watch X Factor with DD soon and then an early night for us all. I bought a book from the Castle (I've lived here for 3 years and never known just how much there is at that place!), Life After Death. I know it may seem a bit morbid, or a lot, but I rather like the history behind death and various cultures.

How people of differing times prepared, or rather didn't, for the after life.

I know, weird

you should read the tibetan book of living and dying. in fact i'll dig it out and lend it to you next time i see you.

thinice welcome! Well done for hopping on board and joining us and huge congrats on reaching day 20! have you got any tips you can share with us, or have you been following the Brave babes regime in recognising the HALT signds and planning your non-drinking?
Ma you are not an old bird at all - if you've got it, flaunt it, is my advice. Oh and I think you will find that not drinking will help with the weight loss, unless like me you compensate with family bags of crisps and huge chocolate bars
You really can do it - just aim for that date and THAT dress and go for it!

Evening, welcome thinice and well done on getting to 20 days.

ma dress is amazing.

horridbabydoll now on floor next to DD bed, drying out and looking slightly cleaner. I assume she is at least less germ infested.

mouse join saf and I focusing on end oct then all being well I'll stick it out with you till mid nov. Part of me wants to keep going till Xmas but one goal at a time.

hi thinice - well done so far and welcome

msgee part of me just wants to keep going forever! i'm thinking maybe winter would be a lot easier and less exhausting and potentially depressing without alcohol in the mix. but yes, one goal at a time.

Ma my trigger points are since stopping a colleague I could easily punch, if I was that way inclined. I also had a distressed call from child 1 on Friday and drove home thinking ok past Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys ? A thought that kept me driving was if child can deal soberly with an upsetting shit at school so can I. Drunken ranting mother would not be the asset I needed to be. I also try to visualise myself as an ice woman super hero going POW ZAP FUCK OFF when I feel a melt in the ice coming. But the habit for unplugging myself into oblivion is so ingrained and I will never be able to take my focus off. It scares me but I have to regain control. I am obviously suffering some bizarre mental illness. I check my fire alarms, but most nights would have remained in a stupor if they had ever gone off. And worse, a detached mad part of me would not have cared of my own demise.

Mouse, happily for me 9/11 has no personal significance, I just remember watching TV while on maternity leave and going to buy a bottle of cider which went very quickly and that was it.
You have all given me hope that I can overcome. Focus. But it is so fragile.

Welcome thinice

You sound really sorted- you may not think it, but going one day at time, recognising your trigger points and what you have to be grateful for will stand you in great stead.

Keep posting!

Helpmenow, thank you, I don't think it! I have never posted anything in my life.
I would like to have posted a sceptical face when revealing my self image as ice woman zapping out ice reinforcements but can't work out how to do it. Mouse, I didn't thank you for your caring assumption. Sorry. Will now go and read bedtime story and celebrate the fact I can. ( Try to push shame of the many nights I couldn't aside and think of today I can. Bugger Bollocks )

Together we can all help you carry on to day 21, 22, 23, 24......... for as long as you want us to. We can all do this together. One. Day. At. A. Time.

Strength in numbers Brave Babe xx

MsGee - yep, you're on. I'll stick with you and Saf re the end of October and beyond! You both have my number and will have to kick my arse if I don't post! I will try to post everyday unless something takes me elsewhere and will let you know if that's the case but yep, let's do it!!

This Bus is amazing. It really is a life line, real support and a real place to let it all out.

Each and every poster makes it what it is today, tomorrow and the day after that. xx

ma I think that you will look fantastic in that dress, and I bet that you could lose that weight. I think that you have a very strong and determined streak.

thinice welcome. I understand what you say about having to be constantly vigilant, but as time goes on there will also be moments when you feel able to pirouette across the ice leaping and jumping, knowing that just for a while you do feel on safer ground

Hey venus nice phrase - the pirouette.

Well Babes, I'm off to snuggle with my boys.

Be back tomorrow, sleep well. xxxx

night mouse x

today felt a bit like pirouetting - i had zero desire to drink the wine - i felt no temptation at all and felt safe and happy about it. obviously mustn't get complacent but it was nice.

Night night all-

I'm loving this weather, feels lovely and tropical to be dark and warm.

We had our first barbeque of the summer this evening!

Morning all

Well bloody typically - the sun has come out here , after raining for 95% of the weekend!!
Have been out for a run, and am ready to face the challenges of the week.

Hope everyone has got up this Monday with the willpower to face every challenge that is flung at them.

Catch you all later!

Bafana
xx

Morning all,

Hello Dubs and Thinice, and any other new babes I have missed.

Very strange first weekend on our own, kept very busy, too busy in fact.

I'm glad it's Monday, back to reality (but not, oops there goes sanity! I hope!)

have good days everyone.
xx

Morning everyone. I drank the house empty last night and woke before 6 feeling anxious, so not feeling too clever today. I'm glad I have the day off so no work.

Morning Onemorning!

I don't know your story- was that a one off?

Do you have a plan for today...and tonight?

Keep posting!

Hi helpme it's not a one off, it's something that's been happening most weekends and some week days. Am seeing friends later which will be good.

thurso - whenever i think/say back to reality i have that next line play out. ds wonders what i'm on about but ends up parroting me - there are all sorts of song lines and obscure references that have slipped into his vocab.

onemorning - can you leave the house free of alcohol now that you've drunk it all?

morning all

day 10 here.

We've got some cooking sherry left, I'm going to pour that away later. I'd be happy to have a house free of booze, but am worried that DH (who also drinks to excess) will want to buy some.