The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Kicking The Wine Witch Into Touch!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome to the Bus. We're a group of posters who have been on a journey to here, there and everywhere when it comes to alcohol and the abusing of it.

Some of us drink, some of us don't at all and some of us are trying to get there, really trying to just stop the cycle, break the habit and calm everything down. Some of us are desperate to not be 'that' person anymore.

One Day At A Time or ODAAT.

So what have you got to lose? Weight? Saggy, puffy eyes each morning? False friends? The risk of cancers and other fatal illnesses......... why not join us?

We have a resident MonsterCat, Wolf called Seth and Squid called Barry (best not to ask about Barry! )

And, if you want to see where we've been so far, the links below will show you. The first ever thread is the best by far, because the OP is just like you. And me.

FIRST EVER THREAD

PREVIOUS THREAD

[Mouseface]

NEW THREAD

[determinedma]

clutter bursitis is some kind of fluid sac over the joint, as I understand it. I have if in my left hip and after periods of being stationary, it really hurts when I move. Can't do nothing though, so will have to live with it, mouse and other Babes have it much worse so I daren't complain.
grey good to see you again. Have been in the sidecar a fair amount myself recently.

[ohcluttergotme]

mouse I love your advice...you always, always know the right thing to say, thank you. I wish there was someway we could all help you as you help us so much (( ))
grey so sorry that things are so tough, wine is my demon. I wish so much that i didn't like it. It is pure evil...well to me but still I go back? My friend I'm sure gave up smoking using the Allan Carr and raved and raved about it, I've been meaning to have a look too, I've heard quite a few good things, sorry that's probably not that much help is it
oooh thread is almost up!

[PurpleWolfe]

Hi Grey. I understand what you mean about only drinking wine but wondering if you would gravitate to something else. Strangely, years ago when I wasn't so 'bad' I did, sometimes, drink the 'horrible cheap cider in the big blue plastic bottle' but, since then, I seem to have become allergic to it and come out in enormous (un-hideable) red patches all over my face and body!!?? Wine is my drug of choice but, if I've already been drinking wine, almost anything is fair game after that. I can't/don't/won't start on spirits but........

Someone on here suggested that wine is 'naice', acceptable and a bit sophisticated (not the way I do it, it ain't!!!) but really, if we can't control it, it's all evil.

Hugs. xxx

Mouse Have my fingers crossed for you for a good night and hoping that Ma's bursitis subsides. Hi to everyone. Thanks Clutter and Joey Sorry to not NC everyone. Still struggling with 'stuff'. xxxx

[Greyhound]

Thanks Mouse. I am finding it hard at the moment. It occurred to me today that the stress I have about my drinking by far outweighs the temporary and illusory 'relief' drinking provides me with.

Bloody wine. It's the only drink I like. I suppose if it didn't exist, I would drink something else. I sometimes wonder how desperate I would have to be to buy that horrible cheap cider in the big blue plastic bottle...

[Mouseface]

Thanks TheArt - and yes, I have what I call 'not the real me' days too! Oh, the more I read up and talk to you, the more I think that I'm in early menopause. I was 38 in January, I share my Birthday with a very special Babe

Ma - I'm far too cold to go out in the garden, my plan was to get Nemo out whilst DH painted, with the wolf just to get some fresh air at the very least! Oh well, there's always bath-time fun after Toy Story 2 .

Well done on the garden, sounds as if there are some lovely things that you've freed for Spring. And, by being hidden, you've most likely saved them from frost and snow damage?

Clutter - yep, weight loss, tick, in a good way? Untick. Shall we worry about Wednesday on Tuesday night? I promise that if you try your best to forget about it best you can until then, you'll get through it better.

I used to have to 'prep' candidates for interviews all of the time, guys who had been in the same job all of their lives, or been out of work for a long time. It's hard, not a breeze and you might not get the job but THAT is the worst that can happen okay?

Big deep breathes in the meantime lovely, you can do this if you take the pressure off yourself xx

Greyhound - Hello again, I'm so sorry to see that you're down sweetheart, a bottle a night habit is concerning. I've no personal experience of Alan Carr but I know that a few of the Babes on here have used the book, successfully or not, I couldn't say. Sorry.

What else do you have in mind to help you stop or cut down?

[ohcluttergotme]

Hi MA poor you with Bursitis flaring up....what is this exactly? Well done for getting out in your garden, sounds so cool for your ds to be part of building and lighting the bonfire, my ds would have been overcome with excitement at that, sometimes worry about his fascination with fires
faire sounds amazing getting out for big walks, think I'd be like you too completely out of breath at the top! We have lot's of nice walks around us but I am so lazy and unmotivated but going to try and get out for walks soon
Aw mouse you sound like you are struggling with diet atm but must say very impressed buy your dh's culinary skills, the most exciting thing my dh can make is pasta bake (not very exciting!) This may help with your weight loss/toning up but maybe not in the way you were hoping? I have been feeling brighter today, not had anything to drink this weekend and think my mood is definitely lifting. Crapping my pants for interview on Wednesday but have to try to stay calm and like you say what will be will be.
TheArt I am so the same, will have a big binge and cause I don't drink all the time the hangovers are horrendous and then it passes and I start to think I could have a couple of drinks but I am slowly realising that I can't
I did dry January bar one spectacular fall off the bus and now trying for dry lent, I'm thinking if I can keep going I can change my mindset. Glad your feeling better and hope you can find something to focus on to help you to change

[Greyhound]

Hi All - not been here for ages as been in sidecar every night :( Dh said he is worried about my bottle-of-wine-a-night-habit :(

Have downloaded the Allen Carr book onto my iPhone. It looks quite good. Will give it a go, anyway. Has anyone had any success with this book?

[determinedma]

Did three hours in the jungle and it still looks as if nothing has been done. That's what I get for totally neglecting it last year I suppose. Lots of green shoots under all the crap though, so hope that spring is on its way. DS got to light a bonfire so was in 7th heaven and full of instructions on why we had to do it a certain way because that's the way Bear bloody Grills does it.Saint Bear is he who must be obeyed at all times in DS eyes. Ds is now in the bath as he smells like an Arbroath Smokie

[theartofloving]

mouse sorry about the night of itching and sweating, it's a PITA isn't it? I wake in the night sometimes, with my chest and the back of my neck drenched in cold sweat (nice!). I'm 41, going between 21 and 70+ days between periods. Taking a bit of getting used to after all these years of regular-as-clockwork 28 days. I know what you mean about feeling one is on the way tho.

Something else I've started getting, which I'm finding very hard to explain, is that for a couple of days around the itchy bit, I 'don't feel like myself' and I don't mean 'a bit out of sorts' I mean I literally don't feel as if I am me, I feel physically and mentally unlike I have ever felt before and it doesn't feel like me feeling a bit off, it feels like I've been taken over by somebody else! Unsurprisingly, I don't like those days... Thankfully they soon pass.

So, it's been a week since my binge. Having been to hell and back with a 2-3 day hangover completely with volcanic tummy and feeling weak in every way, I'm already feeling much better altogether and haven't had a drink for a week. Today I'm already talking myself into believing that it wasn't all that bad and in a dim recess of my mind starting to wander when the next drink will be. The controlled drinking is just very hard work and another binge would be horrible. I need to somehow get it into my head that it would be better if there was no next drink. I need to grow a pair and deal with the changes going on in my life without hitting the escape button.

Well done for the six days clutter . I hope everybody has enjoyed the sun today

[Mouseface]

Morning, tis me, Mouse

DH is sat in the kitchen eating a cooked breakfast, I can't face it. I couldn't face the sausage bap/roll/barmcake (depending on where you live yesterday or the bacon toastie the day before. He cooked curry from scratch last night, made garlic and coriander naan bread from scratch too, nope, not that either.

All of my usual guilty pleasures have been a massive bleurgh! Home made pizza on the menu for later..... fingers crossed. Even soup is a struggle., toast, fruit and veg... food in general atm?

theheartof - another night of itching and feeling totally unsettled. I went to sleep fine, but woke with a huge sweat on, feeling totally unhappy with how my body felt if that makes sense? I can go anywhere from 45 - 110+ days between periods but still get all of the feelings that one is on it's way IYSWIM?

Oh well, hopefully, the doc will be able to shed some light on it all tomorrow.

Nemo has earache AGAIN!! Poor mite. He's just snuggled into me and rubbing his ears, and he's grumpy too.

DH is due to finish painting the bathroom today...... not sure what we're going to do. I need to Nemo doing something to tire him out that doesn't involved me moving too much, any ideas very welcome! I'm thinking ducks at the castle and maybe the park? If I get enough morphine on board, I should be invisible!!

Ma - agree with Faire that today might not be the best day for a jog if your hip is sore..... 'twill only make it much worse.

Clutter - you sound very bright today, I too can't wait until Spring arrives and we're out of the Winter greys and blues. 5 days is great btw, keep going!!

Joey - well done on resisting! Even though you got reflux, hot and felt tense, you didn't hide behind the WW and let her deal with your MIL so bloody well done you! xx

Right, dressed and more washing to be done. I'm swapping the boy back to his own bed, he's been in our bed for weeks although this morning, I got stuck again and he had a coughing fit, asking me for his little bowl to retch into and I couldn't get to it in time, my back went into spasm, so he got cross....... so, him being back in his own bed should be fun, not!

Anyway, enough of my continuous moaning, I'm hoping that the mild sunshine we have peaking through the grey sky now, will stick around. I miss pegging my washing on the line, listening to the birds singing, the bees humming, the garden waking up as spring arrives.

We have snowdrops and crocuses...... and we've had such a hard winter here, so much snow and so cold, that apparently means we're in for a fab summer according to the weather boffs!?

I'll believe it when I see it I think!

Back in a bit.



PS - I started this post at 10.30am!

[Fairenuff]

Morning all

It's a beautiful, sunny one here so I'll probably try and get out for a walk today. Went for a really long walk up a steep hill yesterday and felt so good for it - once I got my breath back

Ma hope the bursitis settles down, maybe not the best time to start jogging?

Have a good day babes x

[determinedma]

Morning clutter .still in bed here with Ollie the cat and mning on my tablet. Luxury. Short walk yesterday was enough for bursitis in hip to flare up so not sure how attempt at jogging will go. Looks like the sun is shining in this part of Scotland so really should face up to the dreaded jungle and start trying to clear the garden a bit. Checking hate gardening unless something easy and instant like planting a tub of pansies

[ohcluttergotme]

Morning Brave Babes We are almost out of our Winter blues thread and nearly going into our spring with a boing...so looking forward to that, everything seems brighter, more possible when spring appears...must remember I'm in Scotland so be realistic here

Alias well done on beating off the WW with the MIL there, that is always a trigger for me. In the past I've downed a huge glass of vino just before she arrives just to take the edge of my anxiety....still not sure why she evokes such anxiety in me, it's like I feel less, not good enough! Get what you mean about not having instant good feeling but know it's more not the negative feeling later. That's really whats keeping me going at the moment, as I am missing the fuzzy feeling of a few glasses but know I'm not missing the feeling of feeling like shit the next day!

JWN I would love to throw myself on the floor of a public place when ds decides to show me his worst, they can make you feel like you are almost going into meltdown yourself.....I would love to see his face

Purple how's things with you, you sound like you have so much to be contending with at the moment. This government is bleeding us all dry. It sucks I hope you find a wee bit at the end of the tunnel and get a bit of your boing (( ))

MA couch to 5k that sounds awesome, the most I'm doing at the moment is couch to kitchen May have to look into this Glad your db seems to be doing a little better. With reference to blowing the whistle to your mum I would be inclined to speak to her about what you saw. But then I am a little sister so in my nature to snitch on my older brother

Jango how are you doing? I watched the film with your name on friday but the one with the silent 'D' It never ceases to amaze me what a hugely vivid, creative and completely crazy imagination Quentin Tarrentino must have!

Mouse hope you got some sleep/rest/respite from your pain and have a little bit of your boing today, you are dealing with so much, huge hugs (( ))

Emin how are you doing, sounds like things have been hard but well done on pushing through and making yourself do things for you, hope things ok

All other babes BabyJ Thurso Guggs TheArt 2GoodReasons NeedsAChange Hope your all doing ok

Day 6 of Dry Lent, I won't be drinking today xx

[aliasjoey]

JWN is in and out tonight, and purple is flagellating...? This Bus is a den of vice

I did not have a drink this evening and it feels good! It's hard to explain because it's not really a positive feeling, it's more like the absence of a negative feeling??? No arguments with MIL, hot and tired, thirsty, reflux... just normal in fact! I hope that makes sense to somebody.

PS clutter well done on 5 days!

[Mouseface]

Clutter - snap!! DD is 14, Nemo is almost 4! Night sweets, hope you get some sleep.

theartof - Hello, you are EXACTLY RIGHT in that feeling and I'm getting another set of bloods on Monday for my hormone levels, I'm 38 and experiencing all the signs of the menopause, it's good to know I'm not alone!! You are right in every word. Thank you so much, I may start a thread in Menopause at this rate..... see what Monday morning brings.

Welcome to the Bus by the way. xx

I'm off to bed now, feeling funny again and I need some sleep before Nemo wakes.

Night night gorgeous Babes - see you in the morning xx

[theartofloving]

mouse when you say 'itchy almost, I hated being in my own skin', I get a feeling which I would describe in exactly the same way. Well, I'm finding it hard to explain to people, but you've put it well how I feel sometimes. It's not a physical itch that needs scratching, it's like your entire skin is itching from the inside and your body wants to escape! It's a feeling I get for a couple of days now and again. I'm in the early stages of the menopause (early meno) and I'm putting that feeling down to the hormones. My mum said she felt the same when she was in the menopause. It's a weird feeling, I wish I knew more about it, whether other people experience it and what causes it.

Probably what I'm describing is nothing like what you meant, but you never know?

[determinedma]

Well done on five days clutter

[ohcluttergotme]

Aw it helps to know I'm not alone with the hoisting the toddler under my arm like a rugby boy & marching out. Don't ever remember my dd being like this but then it was 10 years ago & I now remember her toddler years with her as being an angel with her own halo!
Hope everyone doing ok either in bus, side car or up on the roof rack tonight!
I'm shattered & off to bed, always so blooming tired. End of day 5 of dry lent. Night night babes xx

[jesuswhatnext]

evening! just a quick in and out, dh needs to me help him fix something on his bike this is a new hobby and one that may not go too well, atm said bike is in my fucking dining room as he 'needs light' oh well......

sorry to see some babes are struggling with life in general i know it makes everything seem so bloody grim, but really, keep on keeping on and most things come right in the end! even toddler tantrums! i used to really like that advert when the woman rolled on the floor and screamed as just her toddler was about to go into meltdown, wished i had thought of doing it when dd was little!

[Mouseface]

NEW THREAD IS HERE

Fill this up first you norty lot!! xx

[Mouseface]

Just doing new thread and sorting Nemo - slow down Be here asap!! xx

[PurpleWolfe]

Yep, Ma they tried that one too! You just have to have this air of determination, belligerently stare down any onlookers and then burst into tears once you get the little sods darlings strapped into their car seat! My friend's son caught onto the idea of shouting "She's not my Mummy/Daddy!" (I blame the internet/TV culture myself!) . Caused one or two problems! xx

[determinedma]

Ooh purps I used to do that too. Ds counteracted me by yelling " No, Don't hit me, don't hurt me!" and looking beseechingly at passers by. Little bugger.

[PurpleWolfe]

Touched by your kindness Jango. xxx My youngest is now 6 but I clearly remember the 'tantrums in the aisles' bit! I used to do 'what I like to call' carpet carrying! Would scoop said belligerent toddler up under one arm and march out of where ever in a 'I know what I'm doing' sort of way with the toddler kicking and screaming in my grip!! Probably not in the popular child psychology books but, when you have one or two other children in tow - effective! xxxx