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

[Mouseface]

Hello, tis me, Mouse

Welcome to the Brave Babes Battle Bus, it's a place of solace, support and sanctuary, but also it's also a Bus full of chatterboxes, waffling on about all sorts!

Our aim this year is to kick the WineWitch or WW into touch and get sober!

Some of the Babes on board are doing Dry January, some drink in moderation, some just drink. Some of us are sober, some of us are trying so very, very hard to be.

Some of us have been dry for days, weeks, months and some of us years...... some of us are just starting out and are scared of what stopping drinking means. It's not forever, it's just for today if that's what you want.

We have a saying on the Bus One Day At A Time. Or ODAAT

Take each moment, each day and each blip as it comes.

Although some Babes have been here a while and kind of 'know' each other, we all have different lives, different roles to play, different places to sit on the Bus, but we ALL have or have had abusive relationships with alcohol and we're here because we want that to change; for the better.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE so don't be afraid to just jump right in and say hello. Post as much or as little as you like! It's all up to you.

For those who want to catch up - here is the PREVIOUS THREAD

And the first ever thread, with links to the others over the last almost 3 years! FIRST THREAD

*buy a bus

ooh yes!

I weighed myself at the gym tonight as well, and haven't actually lost any yet :( - that'll be the Snickers I am using to replace the alcohol , However, over 8 years, I've put on 12 pounds which I'm fairly chuffed with as I had a baby in this time so not doing too badly!

koti buy a bus and have a real Battle Bus! we could tour the country, I love that idea!

ma please don't beat yourself up, one mistake is not the end of the world. you should be so proud of yourself for achieving more than you ever have before, and now you know it can be done.

also each time you get back on the Bus it gets easier.

Thank you joey.

Ma {hug}, just saying

{{{{{{{Mia}}}}}}} of course no-one minds, it's really interesting to hear how everyone's getting on and what strategies are being used. You're cutting down and feeling more positive, that's the main thing.

Just had a cup of tea with Bproud* (one of the BB success stories who's been sober for TWO YEARS) who popped in to visit. So nice to catch up and she was full of great advice about coping with the demon cravings. The great news is, they do go away if you don't give into them :)

Right back at'cha, Soma my lovely x

Well I drank about half a bottle of red and a small glass of port with a naughty pudding (apple pie. Mmmmm...!) then I drank lots of water with milk thistle tincture in, took some vitamins and I'm now tucked up in bed with the ipad. That's ok I reckon. I thin I've sabotaged my weigh-in though.

Ma you are my hero for 2013 so far, so stop beating yourself up for fuck's sake. Just keep on keeping on.

Night Brave Babes xx

Evening, tis me, Mouse

Dinner wasn't great, I couldn't eat much, I had like a hypo kind of 'attack'. I got hot, clammy and shaky, I couldn't face food but because I'd gone too far past eating IYSWIM? I felt so bad on DH for making such a lovely effort and taking us all out. Especially in heavy snow on tiny country roads!!

It was a gorgeous hotel in a little village..... oh well, he was totally cool about it and I sat there nibbling, sipping ice water.

Sorry to read that some are struggling tonight. The trouble with drink is that it's just too fucking easy. It really is everywhere. At petrol stations, most shops, the pubs open earlier and earlier, close later..... you can buy cheap wine for under £4 in most places, it's vile and tastes acrid but it does the job. It softens the blow.....

You can go into Savers, Home Bargains, B&M (places like that where you think you're safe because it's supposed to be home furnishings or household goods) and buy cheap booze, as much as you like, with no limits.

How easy is it to just scrape together £3/4? Or worse still, raid the children's money box? I've done that.... 'borrowed' money from DD in the past to get alcohol.

Help - how is the face pain? All gone and better now?

Ma xx (tomorrow is your Birthday and I want you to promise me that you'll smile at least once, knowing that your Birthday twin is waving at you from the snow covered fields, singing Happy Birthday to you with Nemo)

Koala - we don't seem to talk much but I wanted to say that you are a real inspiration to this Bus, to me, to all of us who want to be in control as much as you are.

I think you're amazing to have gone from where you have to where you are now. Truly amazing xx

Soma - BProud is another great success story and lovely too. It's great when she pops in here so it must be nice to see her in RL. How are things with you and DD?

Mia - please document your drinking here. It will help you and so many other Babes. We all share the same demon. We all share the same fears about what the future holds if we don't stop the way we drink now..... that includes me. Of course it does and I should imagine those who are 100% sober.

My washing machine has died. I had to wash DD's uniform bent over the bath, unable to spin it and I am now taking a double dose of morphine (emergency dose) and going to bed so I bid you all a safe and warm goodnight lovely Babes

Thank you to those who read my epic post, commented and have been able to take something from it...... that's all I wanted even though it was a very selfish it's all about me, me, me post.

Night all. xx

Wow, you Babes don't hang about, do you? Gerald is speeding along.

mouse - shurrup about 'selfish', you daft woman! It's the opposite of selfish, what you do. And thank you again for sharing.

mia thank you so much for the pm. It means a lot
mouse please thank the fish boy for his lovely card and tell him what a big clever boy he is writing his own name like that! Do you know I really though this name was nemo for ages on this thread?
I've been drinking so dry January is a bust but will try again tomorrow.
Just watched "The Polar bear family and me" again. Am I the only person on here with a crush on Gordon Buchanan?

Happy Happy Happy Birthday Ma and Nemo!! xxx

Morning, tis me, Mouse

Ma - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!! I'm so pleased that you liked the card, his colouring is getting much better and he really concentrates to hold the pen. I have to 'guide' him but he can do it when he's in the mood! Big mwahs lovely xxx xxx

Purple - thank you so much but it's not Nemo's Birthday, erm, it's mine .

Ma - re the drinking last night, I hate to say it my friend but reading your posts leading up to it, it was bound to happen. I could see that your 'Fuck It' monster had gotten a really tight hold on you last night and the WW was sat there just waiting for you to look the other way, for just that one moment.

Don't let it destroy the hard work that you've put in so far this month. Start again when you're ready. Maybe not today?

EEEEEEK! Sorry, distracted by this soddin' course! Happy birthday dearest Mouse!! xxxxx

You got almost halfway there ma. If you can do another couple of weeks you will be on your way to 'controlled drinking'. Once a fortnight is a good start. I all depends where your head is really.

Anyway, enjoy your birthday, try to make the day about you, you deserve it x

Happy Birthday Mouse, glad you managed to appreciate your evening out, even if you couldn't eat much. Have a good day x

Thanks Faire xx

Purple - does it start today then? Oh how I wish you didn't have to jump through those hoops. They should be tailoring these things around the individual, not around the bloody government guidelines!

They should take all of your qualities, skills and experience from the work place to date, as well as your invaluable life experience and work from that.

I feel for you lovely xx

Clutter - have you heard from that job interview yet? Did I miss it?

Right, today is Nemo's first full day at school, technically 'without me'. Should be fun.......

Be back later and let you all know how we are getting on. xxxx

Happy Birthday ma and mouse We have Snow. Ds has been checking his phone since 5.30 to see if his school is closed !! It isn;t but looks like we are in for some serious stuff this afternoon. I'm lucky that I can cycle in but a bit worried about two of my staff (get me!!) who are coming from the villages, I will be a kind boss and let them go home early . At work, so this is just a drop in, will come back later. Have a great day everyone

Happy Birthday, ma and *mouse!

Hope you both have a good and sober day - and ma, don't beat yourself up!

Morning babes, have been very busy all weekend and just reading when I can - too many posts to namecheck but some really positive and inspiring stuff, particularly from new babes who are doing so well :)

Big Happy Birthday to Ma and Mouse hope you have some ME time today.

Mouse thank you for your epic post - If you can turn things round in the face of such adversity so can we all, but we have to really WANT it - I think that is the fundamental thing.

purple Oh that's crap about the course - did anyone watch League of Gentleman? - the sKetch with Pauline and her pens at the job centre club comes to mind - I hope it's not as bad as that!

Well Ma I slid off the path this weekend, entertaining friends which I am a bit sad about as feel a wuss I can't do a month and have reneged on something I promised myself, but I'm okay, I had four glasses of wine (small) over 5 hours with lots of soft drinks and went to bed pretty sober and no hangover - the same could not be said for my DH and friends who arose at 11am feeling dreadful. I went for sunday lunch with friends yesterday and didn't want to drink at all, had a lovely afternoon. - Got home and had half a bottle of wine though :( It was in the house from Saturday - that's all I can say. So clearing the fridge again later and starting again today - also diet and 30 day shred starts here, have eased myself into January enough now. Ma if you want to join hands again tomorrow I'll be waiting on the path for you x

Ooh and go Nemo hope he has a brilliant day Mouse

Happy Birthday to mouse and ma !

In honour of the occasion I have composed a limerick.

There was a young lady called Ma
Who could easily sink a whole jar
(or two)
Then one day she hailed
A Bus as it sailed
And now she?s our biggest bright star

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA & MOUSE!!

Right babes, it's Remotivate Ourselves Monday! Any slips that occurred this weekend are in the past, let's focus on the rest of the month (and year!) now. I'm sure I read somenwhere that this weekend was the prime time for people to break their NY's resolutions - the novelty's worn off and temptation is high.

Well I've just weighed myself and I've put on 2lbs. I suppose that will be the fish and chips followed by mashed potato in the evening on Saturday, and having eaten chorizo on Friday. Plus a couple of glasses of wine per night this weekend. Still, I've been resisting loads of stuff I'd normally eat so I'm a bit disappointed tbh.

Anyway I'm going to refocus on my eating for this week and make a meal plan. No wine now until Friday, which I feel fine about. I'm also going to devise myself a little exercise plan too. We had a nice long walk with the dogs (mine and friend's dog who we walk on a sunday) yesterday so I feel vaguely virtuous.

Now where's Ma... We need our bootcamp sergeant major. I meant every word of the pm, lovely, and if you doubt me then just look back at when I started posting regularly again - it was when you opened the bootcamp. Everyone identifies with different people on the bus, I'm sure, and I take a lot of inspiration from you. When I was drinking quite a lot but didn't want to cut down, I was still reading everything here and found comfort in you still drinking but still posting, and keeping on trying to cut down. You've been on fire these first couple of weeks of January, and you can be again.

Mouse is the name at the top
She helps as we all want to stop
Or just to cut down
This rhyme lacks a noun
This limerick-writing?s a flop