The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Kicking The Devilish Demon Drink Into Touch This Hallowe'en!. Mwahahahaha!

[Mwahahahahahahahouseface]

Hello

I'm Mouse, well normally! [hgrin]

Welcome to the Bus. We are a mixed bunch of Babes, some of us drink, some of us don't and some of us are trying to find out the best way to cut down or stop completely.

There is plenty of room on the Bus for everyone so, come say hi. [hsmile]

And, if you'd like to see what brought us all here, you can read all of the past threads, including the original one by JWN RIGHT HERE

Evening Babes

I'm meeting myself coming backwards tonight.

Bafana - WOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!! YOU ARE SUPER AMAZING MY LOVELY FRIEND, YOU REALLY ARE!!! ONE WHOLE YEAR!!! WELL DONE TO YOU

I'm so very proud of you, you did it, a whole year, you did it! Fab fab you! xx

Theala - I bet you're a doll xx

Thank you all for the nice comments. I'm away this weekend but have been doing a bit of unpaind (cheeky bugger) work for DH as well as sorting hospital appts out.

Tomorrow we have genetics, and SALT in Manchester at the Children's Hospital. Then we're off to see friends for the weekend. I need the break, only a week after spending time with my bestest friend! One week and I'm done in!

So, off to do the new thread, and then saying g'night.

noteven - Thinking of you and hoping you are okay my love. xx

Thurso - you okay tonight?

Legal - well done you!!! You are a super star for hanging on to your sobriety. xx

HERE Is the new thread.

Please fill this one up before going to the other so we don't miss anyone in need xx

Bafana CONGRATULATIONS!
A fabulous acheivement my friend!

oh venus thank you, what a lovely thing to say.
well the upshot is that they still want a Chief Exec but only on a short-term contract while we bid for a huge contract on which all of our jobs depend. they want someone with experience of tendering at this level - fair enough. However, I have been promoted to senior manager which means more money and if they don't appoint a new CEO before the old ones leaves then I am in charge in the absence of a chief Exec. I will get either a 5 or 10% pay rise - hope its 10, but in this day and age anything will do!

Well done bafana! And on keeping up the running too! Am so impressed with those who manage the 100% sobriety thing.

Dementedma well done on the promotion. Sounds as though you have some busy times ahead?

Have virtuously retired to bed with fennel tea and a book entitled "why we lie" which promises to be quite interesting.

Just a quick one. Couldn't read without saying a massive CONGRATULATIONS to Bafana! Wow, a year? How?! That's bloody brilliant. Well done you. Not many people could do that. I hope you are feeling very proud

Ma, sounds like congratulations are in order for you too!

Mouse, have a lovely weekend away.

Hope everyone else is OK. I wonder how Theala is doing? Sending positive Diet-Coke-is-ace-like vibes...

Happy Birthday Bafana! - many congratulations on that first year, it's been amazing to listen to you and see the work that you've put in and the situations you've been through.

legalalien was thinking of you the other day and it's good to "see" you back here

I'm ok thanks Mouse - shattered, off to sleep now. Night everyone.

Banfana that is FANTASIC, you should be very pleased for what you have achieved, and if you doubt it, just go and look in the mirror and see your bright eyes shining back at you, and put your hand on your tummy and feel your liver saying a big "Thank you"

Ma good to hear about the decisions (and the money). You may also find that you learn some different things from working with a new CE - you could work alongside him/her to develop your own experience of tendering (and then next time the post is vacant, you can apply....)

Morning all

Happy one month before Christmas!!!

Congratulations Bafana, what a fantastic anniversary , and today, into your second year!

Mouse I'm so sad to hear that you have so much trouble with your pain management. Hopefully they are really on your case now, and will get things done quickly.

Love to everyone
xxxxx

Oops, meant to say Ma well done on the promotion, you should treat yourself this weekend, if only to a little something, just for you. You deserve it! xxxxx

Way to go Ma!

oops sorry, I think I have been spending too much time with the yanks on myfitnesspal

What I mean is well done, you are obviously one impressive person.

congratulations ma

was it someone on here who mentioned the caroline knapp book, "drinking: a love story"? i ordered it and it arrived yesterday. i'm also still reading rachel's holiday which amongst the humour has some interesting stuff about addiction and the personality type stuff that drinkers/addicts etc share and especially the levels of denial people have to get into.

anyway - good morning everyone and happy friday. today is day one for me.

Don't these Friday come around quickly sometimes? Don't know where the week went but here it is again. I absolutely must not drink tonight because I know I don't want to, but Fridays are tough for me.

I am writing a message to myself to read back later if I'm tempted - Fairenuff you do NOT want to drink today! (2lb to go, remember).

It is getting easier though, dare I say, because I am creating new habits to replace the old. My house is a lot tidier these days for example .

Bafana you little star! How on earth did you get through your first Christmas? I suppose making the decision and sticking to it means that you are prepared to meet what comes your way, but wow that must have taken some resolve. Well done. You should feel proud of yourself .

Ma you are fab! Congratulations on the promotion, sounds like you deserve it. How about saving the extra money you make to buy yourself big little treats now and again.

Right, see y'all later x

Arrghhh thurso why did you have to remind me? I have done nothing, not one single thing about Christmas. I haven't bought cards, thought about presents - hell, I haven't even made a list of all the things that I want yet

mouse hope you have a good weekend, spoil yourself and be nice to yourself and be healthy to yourself. And let other people also do the same for you x

I've got several busy work things to do this morning (more than I can get done in the time that is left ) then I'm going to a meeting with a colleague who is also a good friend. We are also supposed to be going out this evening together, but I may try to re-negotiate that one. My willpower does not feel very strong.

Have just re-thought that last sentance and I have decided that I will go out tonight, and that I will also take the car. Three things will be achieved: I will not be drinking; I will be warm and dry rather than battling against the wind and the rain; I will be able to give my lovely friend a lift home. Now doesn't that sound better

Much better, venus. Go for it. We can be sociable whilst not drinking together! But apart. Anyway. :o

Thanks for the vibes, SSM, but my Diet-Coke drinking shall be tonight, not last night. Firm decision now made - I am going to go, and I am not going to drink.

Saf, I'm reading the Knapp book as well - about half-way through it now. Let us know what you think of it. I'm finding it quite absorbing - it's making me think a lot.

Ma, congrats on the promotion! That's fantastic news. :)

hello to everyone Grrrr thurso xmas!!!! I'm with venu have not even started to think about it yet.
Back to square 1 again did manage to get to 7 by working and making dinner ( which I never ate) DP had already finished his first bottle of wine by then. Wish I could be stronger. Faire you are quite right to make your observations they are actually valid, just feel my attempts are being thwarted not sure what is best.

blossom, I'm not surprised you're feeling that you're being thwarted. Your DH is being very unfair.

Is there any way you can avoid your DH in the evenings for a while? Maybe if he's monopolizing the living room, you can take yourself off to bed with a good book and cup of tea or something?

Theala I could choose not to go and sit with him but more than often times I don't . Do you know drinking is as actually really beginning to bore me . I felt so much better yesterday after a couple of days off. Sorry I sound so self indulgent this morning, feel like a good cry.

Ha! I've felt the same recently. Drinking (like I've been doing - getting pissed at home on wine) is actually really really boring. And not only that, but I usually feel too dreadful the next day to actually do any of the more interesting things I want to do as well. So you get into a spiral of drinking boredom which is just fucking DULL. As well as being unhealthy, destructive etc etc also, obviously.

Theala I could have written that oh and don't forget the financial implications. Don't know why I feel so emotional this morning (possible still pissed)

The financial implications that see me worrying about how I'm going to pay all my bills this month, whilst simultaneously spending at least 15 quid on wine for the night? Those sort of financial implications?

I think it's obvious why you're feeling so emotional, blossom. It's an emotional time, trying to fight this thing. Have a big hug from me, and have a little cry if you want to.

faire's idea was love ma - to save the extra money you earn for a big treat or little treats that you'd really enjoy or to paying off a specific debt or something. you could use it to help with the drinking goals too as in,

a. not drinking the extra money

b. any drinking you don't do and therefore save money from you could add to the money saved from the raise and get to your goal a bit faster.

i think i need to have a goal. when i did those 3 weeks it was because i had a goal. i think the goal might have to be weight for me too faire and well done for being so near your target and for staying off the booze

i'm facing the fact that my fluctuating weight has only been fluctuating up this year where normally a change in eating and more exercise would make a dent does mean that the alcohol is playing a part in driving that - oh and the simple reality that even if you eat really healthily it's not going to work if i still have beer for example.

it's frustrating and i never quite believe it (yay denial ) because it never used to be like that before when i was not in my mid thirties for some reason. in my head i'm too young for middle age spread and should still have the miraculous metabolism i had in my early 20's.

bafana you really have to share all your tips because you've done it - for a whole 12 months hope you're really pleased with yourself.

venus you're right that really does sound better i really love it when people share their positives off not drinking. when you're struggling or drinking it's so easy to forget the positives of not drinking - i love hearing them and remembering as it gives me a little kick start and desire to get back to some alcohol free times. so you are inspiring. thank god you don't all up sticks and bugger off once you've stopped drinking for a long time and leave those of us who bounce in and out of sobriety to it.

yay for firm decision theala - i really think that is the key moment when you find that resolve and switch over into no, i won't be drinking, i can and will do this mode.

someone kick me up the bum please.

mouse i am thinking of you today and how things are going - everything crossed for things going smoothly and being manageable today so you don't feel too stressed/exhausted/in pain to enjoy your weekend away x

sorry for the epic, epic post but i finally got a proper night's sleep last night and can post more than mumble mumble moan i'm tired. apologies for lots of moany negative posts recently!

to everyone i have missed.

Apart from being dehydrated and feeling a bit shaky and craving salts and sugars, alcohol also prevents the absorption of Vitamin B. This is the group of vitamins that are essential for proper nerve functioning, cell growth and repair. Without them, you are likely to feel tired, and emotional, and maybe depressed.

It is as if you are slowly poisoning your body, and to be honest, your body doesn't need it. It doesn't make it happy, it doesn't make it well. But still your body is an amazing thing. A couple of days off the booze and you will feel brighter and better.

Go on, give it another try today

x posted i took so long

recognising it as 'fucking DULL' is a great motivator and that it is beginning to bore you is a good sign you're ready to tackle it i reckon - i'm so glad you wrote that.

drinking just isn't exciting or a sign you're out enjoying yourself or a celebration of life much of the time often times i think we drink a lot or get into habit of drinking away empty time as a sign of boredom and YES it creates boredom as much as it eases it - it becomes a vicious cycle.

i drink in cycles rather than having a drink problem that is all the time - for me it's in relationship with other stuff rather than that particular substance is problematic for me. i'm pretty sure i could recreate the same relationship with food/drugs/sex etc.

blossom your situation sounds really difficult. yes he's sabotaging/not being fair etc but you must also be beginnning to really worry about him that he's willing to do all of this as in whether he has that much of a drink problem himself that it is coming ahead of you, fairness, money etc etc. hard stuff.

theala good point on money! worry about the cost of everything else and how to cope but have a complete blind spot with alcohol - that's a worrying thing isn't it?