The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Are Going To Need A Bigger Bus!

[Mouseface]

Which is FANTASTIC!

Welcome to the Brave Babes Battle Bus, I'm Mouse and I'm addicted to cheese, but have a pretty nasty relationship with alcohol too, mainly vodka.

This Bus is for anyone and everyone. Drinking or sober, or somewhere in between or just not sure if you're drinking too much........... this is the place to ask and maybe have a chat too.

No pressure, no judging, no cliquey savoury flans (although I'm rather partial to a cheese slice ), we're all on The Bus for the same reason; alcohol.

Even if it's not you, and you'd like to talk about someone you know, come and say hi. We won't bite, well, not unless you ask very nicely!

And, if you'd like to see our journey so far, follow THIS LINK and read back through the previous links there.

See you soon xx

today - it doesn't sound very "comfortable" at all frankly - think you may need to address that delusion! what would happen if you had a bad night's sleep? seriously - the fear of not sleeping keeps you drinking your life into a train wreck? does that sound rational? don't mean to sound harsh just being a bit.... real? do you think you need medical help to stop? it sounds like your consumption is high enough to merit getting some medical assistance with coming off the booze. would you talk to your doctor?

thanks soba and glad to hear it's going well for you too and all just from not drinking.

mouse i hope the christening went well and you got some sleep last night and there isn't too much clearing up to do.

ds has gone to school - walked there in the pouring rain - come back sunshine!!!!

i've been being quite efficient - have swapped rooms with ds and ordered a huge wardrobe with sliding doors to go in my new bedroom which i'm determined will see the end of the clothes mountains hell that i am besieged by. i've ordered small chests of drawers that will go in the wardrobe and i want to get everything in there. there is no way i need more clothes than fit in there! i've been gradually getting on top of the laundry and getting on with the decorating and mowing lawns and all manner of simple things that normal people do all the time without feeling like they deserve a medal i think it is safe to say i am more productive without alcohol in my life.

i think i've found a therapist and have negotiated a really good student rate with her by being a bit more assertive than i normally would be and next i need to contact the women's rape and incest centre that i would like to do my placement with. i've formally accepted my place on the course and should start buying some books to get ahead on reading i guess.

did anyone else find they got so much more done when they got sober? everything was such an uphill climb before. i'm hardly miss super productive now (don't think that is in my nature) but i manage the general day to day stuff so much better.

right too long a post. happy monday everyone x

Hello to the new/returning babes. Shake what an inspiring story.

Soma I've got everything crossed for you!

Saf great to hear you sounding so positive.

Mouse hope yesterday went well.

Joey hope you're feeling better this morning. Onwards and upwards!

I'm feeling cheerful this morning, despite the weather. Mondays were almost the shittiest day of the day of the week - four days of trying not to drink/feeling guilty about drinking before I could drink with abandon again on Friday. Now I'm finding my 2 AFDs are routine and fine, and the week isn't seeming to stretch ahead unpleasantly.

It's lovely to have DD back. We've been sitting in bed since 9.30 with her pouncing on a book a friend lent me about science experiments. We chose one to do this afternoon and that led us on to a discussion about electrons and electrical charge. We spent quite a while looking at books and the ipad about that and when her eyes started to glaze over I told her to have a break. She's now up in the loft playing music and strumming her guitar!

Happy Monday everyone.

today sorry things have been bad :( I agree with the others re. not sleeping - booze won't help at all.

I've drank more than I intended last night - over a bottle of white :( I feel ok today. Actually, I don't feel ok. I've had a tummy pain for a few days - think I'm 'bunged up' (Sorry TMI).

It sounds like what we could all do with is an alcohol free day. Just the one mind

Once you get one day under your belt, just one day, you begin to realise that you can do it. We can stick together this evening and support each other.

Lets see how many of us can not drink today. Just for today.

So come and sign up if you're in.

1. Me

2. me

Fairenuff and Joey sitting in a tree
Along came [insert name of next poster]
And then there were three!

Faire and Joey sitting in a tree
Along came Mia
And then there were three!

Afternoon, tis me, Mouse

Thank you all ever so much for the lovely well wishes. Yesterday was wonderful and so very enjoyable because all of the people who we wanted to share Nemo's special day where there to do so.

There was only 20 or so guests, a small but intimate gathering of his dearest family and our closest friends. There was only a small amount of drama, nothing major at all but Nemo really struggled to accept the number of people in his space yesterday morning, he's used to it just being us so it took a while for him to adjust.

The weather was so lovely and we were very lucky it was sunny and dry for most of the day.

I decided not to drink at the venue after (I'd been unable to keep anything down from Saturday night) and was amazed at how many people thought that something was 'wrong' because I wasn't nursing a bottle of cider/wine/vodka. Funny isn't it how not drinking is more of a social issue than having a drink.

venus - the Rector read out the passages (is that the correct word?) during the service and the Godparents read out the lines that you sent for them, as did DH and I. She commented on what a lovely friend you must be to send something so personal to Nemo and how nice it was to have something so meaningful added to the service. xx

Saf - re getting more done when sober, YES! My evenings used to be filled with fitting as much alcohol in to it as possible. Now it's filled with doing everything I couldn't get through in the day.

Or going to bed and reading one of my many books. Or just catching up with friends, watching the TV I've recorded, spending time with DD...... it's rather scary to think just how much of my life I've lost to drinking.

And I too think that you sound so very upbeat, your posts are filled with s xx

Today - I agree with others about the sleep. I used sleeping tablets when I stopped drinking (I'm not tee-total btw) as I found 'switching' my head off far too difficult and falling asleep too hard without something to numb the day.......

Maybe go and see your GP?

Greyhound - yep, alcohol can play havoc with your tummy and bowels...... lots of water and fresh foods.

IsinDe - thank you, any idea on flowers yet lovely? How long is it before the big day? xx

Ma - thank you for your kind words. xx

Right, Nemo's respite is here so I'm going to make the most of my time and go to the gym for a bit of core strength building. Food shopping later and then another early night for me, well, unless I decide to get a zombie fix with The Walking Dead.

Sorry not to name everyone, lots of love, keep going and stay safe,

Mouse xx

And here's the NEW THREAD just so it's not missed. xx

Mouse xx

me, but DH being a twunt so can't guarantee it!

mouse glad to hear your day went well

ma I love the word twunt I am looking for someone to apply it to now (myself?!)

Mouse so glad you had a lovely day x

Ma you're supposed to make a proper commitment, not a half-arsed one < sigh >

But you can still be in the tree and we'll all help to fend of your dh

Talking of commitments, I'm going back on the diet tomorrow. Was supposed to be today but I've got an inset day so am still in slob mode. Will get back on it first thing.

Right, really must get on with some jobs, will be back later to tally up the non-drinking gang for this evening x

Pain. Various bits hurt due to arthritis, some that have been fixed ( which seems unfair) and some on waiting lists. Prolapsed disc in neck a couple of weeks ago causing pain, numbness ( but painful numbness!) and pins and needles down arm and in fingers is the worst right now. I use alcohol to add the the painkillers in the evening :(. Codiene did not touch this morning so have gone for the tramadol while at work.

I can't tell gp (have professional relationship as well as patient one with him and he is new so I don't know him very well). I think I do have a physical addiction but I think the psychological is harder to break. I am the child of an alcoholic and a depressive and the alcoholic one coped better with life until he died from his drinking. I have used alcohol as a crutch for ever. I am also depressed but do not wish to return to ssri use; especially as I know that stopping drinking would help the depression. If fitter I would self medicate with exercise but not an option at present.

I would like to not drink tonight. I am scared of failing again though if I say this. Life contains a lot of failure right now and confidence is very low.

Sorry for staccato response to all your kind thoughts. Am on phone at work.

today I am so sorry you are suffering. Pain is awful and awful pain is the worst. Have a hug ((())) x

I really think you need to change your gp if you can't see the one you've got due to personal/professional relationship. Don't let that stop you getting the help you need.

I really hope you can stay with us today on the bus (drinking or not), I think you need some comfort and compassion, you poor little beeny x

Sorry to hear about your pain today agree with faire that you should change GPs if possible.

Am in a weird state today. Maybe its these new ADs. I feel kind of spaced-out - but still anxious. And a bit depressed too. And paranoid.

today that sounds like a lot to deal with :(

So glad you had a lovely time yesterday mouse

I am on the not-drinking bus with you tonight ladies. I am going to eat some Dime Bars and watch some episodes of Silk (it passed me by last year so I have series 1 on iTunes now :)) I feel a bit of a fraud joining you as is quite easy for me to have days or even weeks at a time without booze. The problems arise at social functions (which are frequent for me and the OH in Spring/summer) when I very rarely just have one or two.

Something related to abstinence which I hadn't necessarily expected is already making itself apparent: a sudden interest/concern and, dare I say, judginess re the drinking habits of my friends and acquaintances. I am realising how much other people drink and/or binge, how much people talk about it and how normal it all seems. I find myself thinking: 'well that's what I've been doing...how come they don't think they are a problem drinker?' am telling myself that they might have a problem and they might not but it is irrelevant to the facts which are that I have a problem with binge drinking.

today another one who thinks you clearly need to change gp.

mouse - glad it went well.

faire - add me to the list

off to get ds from school after a very productive day. amazing how much you can get done in short spurts.

Faire, you can count me in too :)

Time to fill this thread up.......

I'll see you all over on the new one......

It's just over HERE

Come on, kettle is on, cakes are out......

And I promise not to drop crumbs everywhere......

Or maybe just a few as it is cheese cake .............