The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Spicing Up The Winter Nights With Rich Hot Chocolate And Thermal Tights!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

I'm one of the Brave Babes travelling on this fantabulous Bus, on it's journey to the wonderful world of sobriety.

The great thing is, that the people on here are a real mixed bunch. Some are drinking regularly, some aren't. Some are sober and have been for any number of days, some weeks, months and yep, some even for years.

There's no judging pants allowed, no savoury flans either , just lots of unconditional support from many varied sources. Yes, some of us have been here from the start but please don't let that stop you posting, this thread is for EVERYONE and it always has been

If you'd like to have a look back, here are some links. One to the previous thread and one to the very first, and the reason we are all still here.

See you soon,

Mouse xx

PREVIOUS THREAD

FIRST EVER THREAD

Soba - well done on the essay - a pass is a pass and youre definately more then a trier - youre a success 9 days on the bus and no wind chill in the sidecar is brilliant.

guggs toffee sundae and a large bar of chocolate, yum! don't know about tomorrow, but that's another day.

I'm irritated by the amount of other booze DH has stockpiled 'for Christmas' I don't know if it's just habit, advertising etc. I hate wasting money on alcohol that's just going to sit around for months, I can't just have one glass of port, sherry... is this making sense to anyone?!

Alias I can ignore spirits (usually) but anything that I fancy I would prefer not to have about.
Tonight is alcohol free as there is no wine in the house - I checked .
I like the weight watcher tip - Don't invite temptation to dinner.
Would you give the bottle to one of the food banks? - even if it means buying a bottle the next day. Then you would have to decide to drink IYKWIM rather than slipping into it.

Well done Koala , you are inspiring others.

I have now counted the stockpile: 2 x bottles of dessert wine, 1x bottle of red; mulled wine, port, sherry, grand Marnier, several of those beers with the silly names (Fusty Fanjo etc) and 2 bottles of whisky.

to me it just seems such a waste, knowing we're going to give most of it away to people who won't even drink it, DH feels we have to take loads to in-laws because they have gone to the trouble of hosting Christmas. I'm being a bit Scottish and miserly!

I guess it's frustrating because for the first time ever I will be making a conscious effort not to drink too much. I was going to stick to wine only. none of my favourite sherry, or port and Stilton, or even a buck's fizz on Xmas morning.

Guggenheim and LRD I've been thinking about your post re Marian Keyes - she does write alot about women and alcohol in her books doesn't she!

Anyway got me thinking about other high profile recovering alcoholics or problem drinkers that I admire for their courage in making it to sobriety :

Anne Robinson - been sober for years now
Eric Clapton - even through the tragic death of son Conor
Russel Brand - still funny and v successful once sober
George Bush II - cant stand the man but wouldnt have made president drunk
Zoe Ball - from Ladette to Lady and then conceived much wanted 2nd child

Can't think of any more at the moment ... but it made me wonder what we all could achieve with sobriety - and the wasted chances lost in the past though drinking.

Morning all! Boinginess winging your way.
When I was first sober I noticed Jonathan Ross seemed to have lots of sober guests. AA is anonymous, so I feel grubby naming names, but I found it immensely reaffirming to see so many glamorous and fluent people talking about my problem and how they'd solved it on a Friday night when I'd normally be asleep or red faced and slurring!

Not to say the names in Koala's thread wouldn't be v happy to be named on a thread like this- more that once you're in recovery and know the lingo you realise there are lots of famous people in the same boat, using language you only hear in recovery!

anyone heard from mouse lately?

morning lovelies,

I didn't know that Anne Robinson and Zoe Ball had spent time with the wine witch. Very interesting and heartening to know. I 'know' ('cos I read trash magazines when I get my hair cut) that Sadie Frost went through a stage when she drank too often. I get the impression that it's still much harder for women to be open about alcoholism than men.
help I listen very carefully to how people talk about booze now. Good point. Boing right back at you

joey step away from the crimbo booze! This will be my first christmas on the bus, I have no idea how it will go since christmas is a celebration of all things boozy. In the past, the christmas meal out with work has ALWAYS been my downfall. So v. pleased to have bypassed that one this year. I think everyone stockpiles alcohol at christmas- why? Quite often it's stuff that no one drinks at any other time. Daft, isn't it?

koala how did you get on yesterday? Hope it was ok.

Morning all, thanks koala for asking after me. I had a big slip last night, had an awful day yesterday, my 2 year old push me to the limits of my sanity then last night at my older dd's Christmas concert, my wee one escaped, stormed the nativity setting and caused carnage, (sounds funny but it so was not) So I ended up in the shop buying the good old high volume wine and promptly came home and downed a very large glass, then another!!! I'm sharing this with you because I did not feel relieved and relaxed i felt unsteady and sick, then tearful and disappointed then went to bed at half past eight. So if your tempted to seek solace in a bottle if you have a hard day. Nothing good comes of it, I have a sore head this morning and had awful nightmares last night. I now realise that I need to find a better way to deal with stress, I was in a bad mood and used wine to make things fuzzy and warm, infact being sober is much fuzzier and warmer, trust me, my throbbing temples are pounding in agreement xxxxx

Poor babyj. Thanks for the reminder - been there done that.
I am not drinking today. That is all.

Also can't stop eating rubbish to fill the "something to look forward to" void. Essentially being a stay at home mum is a 90% lonely, boring and thankless job and without wine or food it's a big long Groundhog Day. I need to find another way to justify my existence other than a modern day slave, wine was my escape, do where do I escape to now (except Calorieville"?????!!!

Poor baby! Can you through your pounding head see how your HALT triggers were, er, triggered.
Without getting too AA or technical- the first thing to remember is that a drink won't make anything better, but also and crucially- step back See that you can't control everything. It was embarrassing at the time, but 99% of the world would see a random toddler rampaging through the nativity and think, bless! or yep, mine did that.

Re food- forget about it. Unless you're going to get dangerously fat in the next few months, enjoy the food and address that later.

Mouse are you around? Hope all is ok with you?

Morning Babes - bit groggy this morning but only because I slept pretty much uninterupted for wait for it 9 hours!! Sweats are getting less and haven't had the palpitations, my liver is not hurting this morning and my mouth is getting better - ho's that for progress in 4 days. I'm not bragging or anything just recording it for anyone lurking who might be wondering what detoxing might be like - of course its not the same for everyone, but I was a 3 bottle a day wine drinker for the last 2 years - and have pretty much drunk since I was 15 - amounts gradually increasing.

BabyJ - sorry to hear that you wobbled last night, today is another day put it behind you and see if you can do something nice you and the kids - being a mum doesn't necessarily mean being 'stay at home' - with any luck you'll exhaust them after a good day out and be able to have a calm evening.

I'll check in later as have to bathe - still stinky toxins being released ugh.

oh forgot to say - I WILL NOT BE DRINKING TODAY.

Thanks help and penelope for your always positive spin. I have been thinking a lot lately and I think I am essentially I'm unhappy with my life and wine was sufficient distraction to avoid that reality. I am an only child and was always an achiever and had a glamourous career and apparent marriage but my Crohn's ended both of these so not only I'm iaSAHM but a reluctant one which is even worse. Anyway enough me me me, have just left the doctors and they have increased my venlaflaxine (any one else on this)? And I'm off for a swim/sauna to rid myself of that pesky wine xxxxx

oh dear babyj poor you, that must have been so embarrassing! not surprised you headed for the wine - it's like a default setting isn't it? I am still trying to find a way of handling my mother without resorting to drink.

I understand where you are with the crohns, I had UC and although have had surgery to 'cure' it I still have a toilet schedule. if my boss demands I go to a meeting on another site I do get stressed and also a bit angry (not sure whether at myself or her for not being more understanding)

and also eating to fill the void! you seem similar to me. someone very wise on here said we should tackle our issues in the order in which they will kill us. chocolate comes way down on the list!

koala well done! Very glad to see that you are getting better. 4 days is ace

baby being a sAHM with a toddler is MUCH harder than a day at work and it's worse in the winter when it's dark. Do you have any childcare? Could you take up a part time job / go back to work/ study? If you could wave a magic wand what would you like to do?
You have my sympathy, I have a very,very,very active toddler. Bet your toddler is gorgeous though, I'd laugh if I saw a toddler do that.

Thank you everyone for your support/ sympathy. I feel much more positive now and will spend today tidying house and making homemade soup.guggen I would like to study again but I want to devote my spare time at the moment to getting fit, getting my house ship shape and kicking the wine witch into touch. I can categorically say today I will not drink !!!!! koala how's the hair?? Hugs to all , you guys keep me sane x x x

Swam 50 lengths today but just ate a crunchie AND a caramel Aaaaaaaaaarghhhh, how early can a grown up go bed???? Worried I'll eat the kids!!!! Xxxxx

50 lengths is AWESOME baby - am impressed.
and koala you are just amazing. seriously.
these new babes are showing us all up. where are the old soaks regulars?
mouse you ok?
Thurso, indie ?

Hey Ma:)

50 lengths, wow!

ma I'm a regular, and quite old, although not venerable like you! I wonder where mouse is - hope nemo is okay...

greyhound silver ? and saf hasn't been back since starting her new job, hopefully she's too busy being all important at work.