The Brave Babes Battle Bus - On Their Way To............... Amarillo?

[Mouseface]

.............. sorry, ran out of ideas tonight!

Hello, tis me, Mouse and I have a very abusive relationship with alcohol, vodka in particular.

Welcome to the Battle Bus, full of totally Brave Babes all on their own personal journey to sobriety. Some are there, some are still on their way and some aren't quite ready yet but stay on the Bus for a good old natter

Wherever you are in your quest to get back control of your drinking, we've all been there too so you're not alone, not by a long shot.

Come take a seat and say hello.

If you'd like to know the history behind this amazing journey, you can follow the links back HERE

See you soon x

soma I can't remember how much time off I took (only a couple of weeks probably) to be honest it was a bit of madness to get a poodle - and a puppy as well! - when I work, but I wanted to ensure we had a non-shedding breed because of allergies.

To make up for the lack of company during the day, he's allowed to sleep on our bed at night

mouse - i think a little bit of sunbed now and again is ok - i think i suffer a little bit from SAD, i felt really down the last few weeks, all this bloody rain, no sun etc etc, i have bought myself a tanning course, just 5 mins a week for 8 weeks, i find the light and heat lift my mood enormously, tbh, its such a short course that my colour isnt changing much, just my mood!

Hey Mouse:), hard to believe but Mammy has been in the home just over a year now, I still have no contact with my two sisters and honestly can't see that changing, although at the weekend my niece asked my daughter to be her chief bridesmaid at her wedding in January and my niece insists we are all coming to the wedding

Thanks Mouse, cross-posted with you earlier. Yes it was a good moment last night looking sober into DD's eyes that late in the evening. Just wish I felt better for it!

Soma Sergei looks absolutely stunning. My friend's lurcher is a saluki cross and they're so elegant.

JWN you lucky thing - the bag sounds great!

Hello! We're back from the church play event; Praise and Play I was a little terrified of spontaneously bursting into flames as I crossed the threshold of the church but nope, Jeff must have been on a coffee break!

It was really nice actually, a few songs/hymns and then Happy Birthday to Nemo which made his day, and I signed it so all the mums were trying it too, I love when people ask my to help them sign to him

Slot - A year???? Wow!!! That has flown really quickly. As for your sisters, not a bad thing is it really? It's great to see you back on the Bus, how's life in general? xx

DH is frantically painting the kitchen in the vein hope that it will be ready before the ILs arrive on Thursday.

DD has done so well at school that she has been awarded for it by having lunch with the Head Teacher. She is refusing to go currently saying that there's just no way she's going

Next job is the weekly food shop. Lots of no/low carb foods for me........ oh, wait, that would be cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese then! Yum!

Bye for now xxx

Haha Mouse now I see why you chose to do the low carb diet

I'm having fishcakes later but before that I have a pilates class. I had fun at the weekend, I bought a hula hoop and skipping rope to try and get a bit more exercise at home

I am not surprised your dd does not want lunch with the Head, what a daft reward, not cool (I bet she is secretly really chuffed though)

My dd was awarded a book voucher for having the most commendations in her year. Looks like we have bred a couple of swots

Mia don't forget alcohol will interfere with ADs so maybe that's why you're feeling a little down? Hope you feel better soon x

I fell off the bus! :(

I've been running to catch up I hope there is a seat for me?

Hello lovely, want to talk about it?

angel there is a seat for everyone, if there are too many people they lay on a second bus with venus or fairenuff driving, I think.

well, I am NOT going to the supermarket to stock up on wine. Ocado is delivering later, last week they didn't deliver my wine and I was twitching for days. Following that, I would normally be down Tescos getting mine in in case DH/Ocado mess it up again tonight.

Not today, oh no. I'm cool about it. If they deliver, fine. If not - that's okay too. That's what normal people do, right? I'm laid back about it, relaxed, practically horizontal. [gritting teeth and with a facial tic]

and when it arrives, I won't go scrabbling through the bags, desperatley checking to see if they forgot it. I shall unpack and put away properly, perhaps even cleaning out the fridge as I go... maybe not

Thank You. I'm feeling rather sorry for myself today, I'm in pain off drinking too much and I think this is what I have needed to make me realise what I'm doing to myself. I have a bottle of Wine unopened and I have no intentions of drinking it tonight but I know I cant say the same thing about tomorrow. I feel like I'm wasting my life. I run my own business and I know it is suffering due to me not putting in 100% due to my alcohol habits, I am unfit and unhealthy, I have put 2 stone on in the last 3 yrs and I dont particularly like myself anymore. I just want to say 'right thats it no more drink' I'm hoping if I manage tonight then tomorrow will be a bit easier but i'm sure it going to get worse. Can anyone tell me what to expect over the first few days/week of stopping alcohol?

Angel you need to prepare for it.

What's that saying 'Fail to prepare = prepare to fail' or something like that.

So first, get rid of the wine. Get someone to hide it well, give it away, or pour it down the sink.

Next get lots of lovely alternative drinks. I like lime & soda with ice, fennel & peppermint tea, coffee. Others have ginger beer, elderflow, hot chocolate. Venus has just discovered M&S raspberry & soda, there are loads of lovely non alcoholic drinks out there.

Also stock up on sweet treats, something you would like to nibble on, malteasers are popular on this bus

Then plan your evening. Make sure you have plenty to do. If you start to think about drinking, bat that thought right out of your head and go and do something else - go for a run or a swim or a long walk, read a book in the bath, do some beauty treatments, a jigsaw puzzle, knitting, yoga, chat with a friend, post on here, whatever.

I have found that making the decision first thing in the mornin works really well for me. Don't think about the next day or even the next hour just, make that decision that you are not going to drink 'right now'. And keep reminding yourself of that.

You can do it. Lots of us were in your position and we are all making progress, you can too x

Keep coming back here Angel. The Babes are amazing.

With the support of the Babes here I saw my GP nearly 2 weeks ago, and asked for help. I've had 1 glass of wine in nearly 2 weeks, compared to countless bottles.

Sunny you are doing so well

Evening, all babes old, recent and new!

Angel, I have been here for 12 days on this bus. Like you, I felt unhealthy, unfit and that awful disappointment with myself was always there in the back of my mind, tainting my life, my job, my relationships - infact, everything.

I haven't touched a drop in that time. If only I could bottle the way I feel now, and hand it out to you, (to drink instead of the wine!)

The freedom being sober has given me just to get on with a normal life is indescribable. And with each day, the drinking/life swingometer has swung further in favour of life. I can finally see a future free of this self-destruct button I felt compelled to press. And I'm actually starting to like myself!

In no way am I being complacent that this is the end of my woes - it's early days (and I've been here before - but without the Bus)

I hope this doesn't sound smug or preachy; part of the reason for writing it all down is for me - so that I can look back here in the future (good or bad) and see it here in black and white.

You can do it!

My favourite new soft drink: Bottlegreen ginger and lemongrass cordial with ice cold sparkling water. Let it settle after pouring, or it will blow your head off :o

Evening all!

Faire your pep talk this morning was just what I needed! I think that one of the reasons I'm so glad to have hopped on the bus is that finally other people are posting what I'm thinking/hoping to achieve and I'm not agonising anymore about whether or not this drink or that is a problem. I can just say, 'Yes it is a bit of an issue really' start to act on that and move on.

And venus your line "waking up everyday hoping it would be different" really struck a chord as well. It's nice to be amongst company who know!

Grey the reduction of alcohol you've already achieved is brilliant! Just think, would you have previously poured any away? Even a little bit? How many times have we got really pissed off if we spilled any (let alone a whole glass or dropped a bottle! ). You'll get there, set yourself realistic achievements - is it possible for you to decide that a given day is alcohol free?

alias your dog is adorable! I'm a bit scared about getting a dog as I know what a responsibility they are and my 2 dcs are still so small for hauling out for walks everyday at all hours. Still I'm going to speak to the rescue people at the weekend (not hungover this time!) and see what they say.

Mouse I hope Nemo has a better night. Poor little thing. I feel really guilty about the amount of times I've probably def had too much to drink when I should be responsible parent. I've never been that bad since I've been single but my aim is to always, without fail, be in a position to drive them to hospital in the middle of the night if needs be.

mia - sorry you're feeling crap.

JWN - thanks for the welcome, nice to meet you too! And very re your new bag.

Soma - you really are sounding loads more positive at the moment - fantastic! (and get a dog, you know you want to!)

I can tell this thread is going to take some keeping up with! A good day for me, staffing issues means that work is complicated and busy so I will be making the most of early nights. Got the dcs back tonight (and only now got them to bed) and they were full of tales of daddy's new 'cleaner' who had to have a sleepover as she couldn't, for reasons unspecified, return to her own house. Now, I know his girlfriend is supposed to be away..... they just don't change do they?

Off to mix something elderflowery. Catch up later!

Lovely post Carrie, I was only thinking earlier how much more liberated I feel (even though I slipped up at the weekend). Alcohol was stifling me, I felt diminished and ashamed. I really don't want to go back to feeling like that and all because the desire for the temporary buzz alcohol gives me seemed uncontainable.

I have to find things to take its place and it's going to be hard. But I've done over a week without getting the wine in at home and drinking a bottle in the blink of an eye. Angel I hope you get as much inspiration and support from this bus as I am. And I know even if I fall off, no-one's going to judge, they'll just do all they can to get me back on again.

I'm off to get my CSI fix. But will be back tomorrow.

Stay safe, strong and true to who you want to be, not who you think you should be.

My very best friend in the whole wide world told me that, before she knew that she was terminally ill.

What do YOU want? What makes that happen?

Support, solidarity and sobriety. All here, all for YOU if that's what you want.

Incidentally, she died very soon after we'd had a boozy lunch and she had said that to me. She died a drinker. She died too young

Night Babes, sorry to be glib but it happens. And it happens to people we know and to people we love.

Massive hugs to you Mouse. Lots of love. xxx

Anniversaries are horrible.

Hi babes thanks so much for all your support and I send my best wishes to all of you. Well, I drank only a couple of glasses of wine tonight, mainly thanks to your amazing support. So, thank you so much. I really can't tell you how much you have helped

Take care Mouse.

Iris Murdoch made an observation in one of her novels that (and I parpahrase) 'Each year we pass the anniversary of our death'.

Sobering indeed.

Welcome Angel. You're in the right place

Grey, wow! What progress, fantastic! Before you know it you'll be going days without having a drink. I'm really pleased for you

Sunny, you are doing brilliantly. You sound so calm and happy too. Fantastic

Mouse, have a hug from me too. I bet you were a great friend to her. Take it easy x

Just checking in. Stupidly busy and can't see how I can get on the computer (with any privacy) until Thursday . You're bound to get some ridiculously long posts from me then! . On phone now and my thumbs appear to have put on weight...grrr.

Stay strong Babes.

Hi all. Just reading your thread with interest and would like to join. Ive realised my binge drinking is getting worse. Made a tit of myself with a man I totally fancied and then the following night made a muppet of myself again - but this time with my best friend. A total ban is on the cards as I cannot keep upsetting my closest to me with wine. Its just not worth it . Its good to have somewhere where others are going through the same thing.

Welcome Seaside, climb on board