The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Turning Over Autumn Leaves In Search For Our Own Personal Sobriety

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm mouse and my best friend used to be vodka. We were inseparable at the time, such fun! Wild nights out, wild nights in..... danger, excitement, strangers, not knowing where I was when I woke up, oh it was all so fantastic.....

Not the case for the last couple of years or so, since I found this Bus.

Now, we are practically strangers. Don't get me wrong, I still abuse alcohol and use it to self-medicate which completely defeats all of the work I've put in, trying to see my life through sober eyes but that's just how I do things......

Anyway, that's enough about me so why not come say hello to the others on the Bus, we're all at different stages of drinking, not drinking or complete abstinence (of the drinking kind!)

No-one on the Bus wears judgy pants, nylon bloomers, leopard skin thongs? Maybe...... I wouldn't like to ask to be honest! But we are all here for the very same reason, we can't (or don't want to) control our drinking like 'normal' people do.

If you'd like to see how this all started, why not have a look HERE and read about one of the most inspirational ladies you'll ever 'know'.

You can also follow the threads, one by one, by clicking on the links on each thread towards the end, leading to the next etc......

See you soon x

Alias, not having a go at you. It's just I remember "knowing better" from when I had just stopped drinking. "Sure, they SAY one day at a time, but they can't know what a big deal next week/month/year is." And what was even better was I was training to be a teacher! "My JOB's planning!" I said triumphantly. "How can you ask me not to plan?" So someone took pity on me and said, "listen, it's fine to plan. just don't plan the outcome." And it's so true. For example, imagine I'm going on holiday. How will I cope? So, I plan. I will refuse drinks and (because I personally use AA) I will find a local meeting in a language I understand.

And that's it. Whereas waht I used to do was continue, planning the outcomes - "Yeah, I'll refuse drinks - but someone's bound to offer me one, and what if EVERYONE's drinking except me? And what if someone decides they don't like me being sober and spikes me? And I'll look for a meeting, but I bet it's miles away and there won't be any buses and the wife will get annoyed because I'm going out to a meeting while I'm on holiday." Answer - wait and see. Don't worry about the things you can't change. Deal with those bits when - AND IF - they arise.

Any use?

saf how old are your chickens? If they are sold 'at point of lay' that doesn't necessarily mean they're already in full lay. If you don't know then you need to look at their combs. If the combs are large and bright bright red then they're probably at POL. If not they might just be youngsters.

Were you told what food they were on? They should really be fine with pellets. Some chooks full up with grass and other vegetation when they first get access to it instead of eating their food. That can affect laying. Mine free range most days, so they are shut in the coop with the food for the first hour or so of the day so that they fill up on that and get enough protein before they are allowed out. They have a worm-based treat before bed.

Also are you feeding them oyster shell mixed in with their food? It's very important for egg quality.

Other than that, I guess they could be disturbed by the move, yes! Plus they don't like winter so naturally lay less as the weather turns.

Hth!!

Btw we're a 2 child, 3 cat, 2 Guinea pig and 3 chicken family. Technically there's 2 parents but DH is more like an additional child

eliie they're exbats so probably around 15months old and can be egged out by all the intensive farming so i hope it isn't that. they do have oyster shell in a pot and they are taking some. trying not to panic as they've only been here a few days and yy to filling up on grass and all due to novelty. the soaked food has gone down much better. from now on i will only let them into enclosed run bit in the morning with the soaked food so they fill up on that first and i can see they've eaten. have taken them out a second bowl now and hoping they fill up on it well before dark. took them out a treat of a small handful of puppy food soaked in warm water earlier and they were very keen on that. they don't seem to be interested in fruit and veg but i have some dried mealworms coming in my grocery shop when it turns up and i'm sure they'll like those.

sorry for the temporary chicken keeper takeover babes!

saf my question was more... a puppy?! with real live moving toys chickens?!

LOL at mealworms coming in your grocery shop

kotinka yes am feeling very twitchy. I have been quite short-tempered lately - tempted to blame that on the new anti-depressants, but the benefits have so far been good, so if it is that I just have to put up with it.

Work has been getting me down - all the bloody paperwork! I don't honestly think it would be any better to quit the rat race and have my own bookshop/cafe in a wee village somewhere- I bet there would still be red tape from the council, and a book supplier who tried to deliver at 8am and left the stuff on the doorstep in the rain, and the problem with sharing a basement with the fishmonger next door....

and now DD - its all bloody tantrums and tiaras with her - apparently fallen out with her no-longer-best-friend at school - and the friend has threatened to get her dad to phone me later!! With lies about doors slammed in the face and elbows-jogged-at-the-dinner-table etc

Surely no parent would bother getting involved, but all the same I'm anxious every time the phone rings...

aww thank you koti I have to admit the stuff about 'don't run and hide' - this is probably a new sober way of looking at life... and finding out that sometimes you can't fix things

I do feel edgy, but the change from seroxat to mirtazapine has been amazing for my tiredness and insomnia, so... swings and roundabouts

And no I have never seriously considered setting up my own business - with my anxiety levels?! I'd have a nervous breakdown! The only reason I mentioned it was because if you say you're unhappy at work, people often reply can you change jobs etc. and I was pondering whether there is paperwork and redtape wherever you go...

how's life with you anyway?

Today has been a good day.

Onwards and upwards for tomorrow - and to everyone else.

I fecking hate trying to stop drinking. slams onto bus moodily, craving a glass of wine

Evening ma nice to see you

Not drinking, woo!

Anyone seen the excessive alcohol consumption thread in AIBU? It's thought-provoking...

Hi Ellie
I want to stop drinking but I hate not drinking. Can't win

evening babes

Thank you fairie - i know you are right. I do need to get myself further along with this.I'm thinking hard.

Ma how are you doing? Are you through the cravings now? hope so- keep going.
I'm going to have a quick look at the aibu now.I've managed ok this evening and feel much more cheerful.
Onwards & upwards is right Lrd

Being bored.just sitting here waiting for bedtime, and then not being able to sleep cos my mind is racing.thinking about drinking until about 9pm when it starts to fade.being like this.

Well done gugg, glad you are feeling good.

ma - can you put yourself to bed? Or go have a hot bath? That's distracting and will take up your time a bit.

Sitting there thinking about it and wishing the time away is horrible.

ma know how you feel. It's like whats the point in dragging yourself through the evening without something to look forward to? I've tried to give myself other treats (it helps a little) can you do that?

Sometimes I buy pain au chocolats for breakfast on the understanding that I have to get through the night before to be allowed them.

Enjoy, kot! Sounds like bliss.

Btw, I thoroughly recommend Homeland if you can be distracted by a good adrenaline-y TV show.

But good luck getting through it.

Night night all.

Hello everybody.

Just checking in to say thank you for all your kind words the other night, you made me feel less alone.

Day 2 completed which has been easy due to a sickness bug, tomorrow will be a different story I'm sure as day 3 and 4 have always been the killer!

DH brought home a bottle of wine for some unknown reason as he doesn't drink at home, am not tempted at the moment.

Must remain strong.

You are all such an inspiration, I hope some of your strength can rub off on me.

Hooves koti ?

And saf has chickens?

This Bus is becoming very farmyardy. Actually I like it when the thread is derailed by chickens

1. its a nice distraction
2. it reminds me that everyone on the Bus is REAL. (because sometimes I think, oh you're all anonymous posters, maybe you're not even really there, maybe you're actually a teenage boy who gets his kicks off pretending to be drunk middle-aged women...) But even the most bored teenager couldn't come up with mealworms-delivered-with-the-ocado-shopping
3. I feel like I know and understand you, and can take on board the tips, advice, support offered by people who've Actually Been There

So - feel free to discuss chickens and any other farm animals.