The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Boinging Into Spring, With A Dance And A Sing!

[Mouseface]

Hello, tis me, Mouse and I'm one of the regular travellers on this Bus!

This is a Bus for drinkers, the completely sober, those fighting to stay sober and everyone in between! No matter what, you're welcome here if you feel you don't like the way you drink anymore, or you're worried for someone else.

Take a seat.

You'll be listened to, looked after and maybe (if you're lucky), slapped with our resident Squid, Barry whom I'm sure you'll meet in time!

So, what have you got to lose by posting? What have you got to lose by coming to say hello and telling us why you don't like the way you drink anymore?

And, if you'd like to see where we've been so far HERE IS THE LAST THREAD

And the reason we're ALL here in the first place, the first ever thread is ALL HERE

See you soon xx

Morning Babes

I am a very occasional poster on these threads, and a friend of Mouse's. Hope you don't mind me dropping in.

I am five years sober, thanks to AA and the support of some very, very good friends. I never thought I would get this far

Just wanted to say to PurpleWolfe, well done for making the call and I hope it works out for you. Much better, I think, to be taken to a meeting than to go on your own. And I would avoid Big Book meetings at the start - they vary but are quite focused on the book (the 'AA manual', for want of a better description) rather than more general sharing of experiences. A newcomers' meeting would be ideal if you can find one.

Do feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Or put them on here if everyone's happy with that.

Morning, got through weekend with no alcohol, was reading another thread the other day about a woman who felt her husband was drinking too much, and someone asked why he was "checking out" by using alcohol, it really struck a chord with me... reckon I have been doing that for years!
Also I think it was "Purple" who said she was an "ad break cleaner" and I realised that describes me to a tee. Housework is definitely not my strong point!

morning all.
got a CD for mother's day from dd1 which I wanted - by Laura Mvula. Actually not sure if I like some of the tracks, but this one came on in the car this morning as I was playing it through. Its called "That's Alright" and some of the lyrics are :

"I will never be what you want and that's alright
I'll play my own damn tune
Shine like the moon
And very soon, I'll fly over you
And whatch gonna do, when I fly over you?

Tell me, who made you the centre of the universe?
who made you judge and jury over me?
who made you the centre of the universe?
Now leave me be."

Morning All!

Day 4(ish) I had a couple of glasses yesterday at my brother's while at a family gathering - does this count? No? No, I thought not....

ma are you on the Abusive Relationships thread on this board? If not, you might want to take a look. Also, have you thought about starting your own thread? [Sincerely hope I'm not teaching my grandmother to such eggs or putting the cart before the horse here....] My thoughts are also with you and willing you to get in touch with Women's Aid/other place you can get some good advice from.....

Hugs for everyone else. I'm sorry, but I'm not much good to anyone at the moment, I have w-a-y too much going on. Not least, my job on not-so-firm ground......

Will check in with your lovely ladies later.

Thank you heaps CJ for posting. Have PM'd you. x

Curry You are having such a struggle just now. Jobwise - is it possible to look for something else? You are in a strong position, already having a job. How is the job market where you are? As for people/men's attitude to you - can you find some sort of middle ground between being 'vicious tongued' and being viewed as someone who doesn't warrant respect (sorry if I got that wrong but I felt that's what you were describing). The guy in the bar was a complete dickhead! These people do need to be told - but there are ways to do it that don't make YOU feel that you've overdone it. Just a thought, where was DP/DH when this was going on? Hugs Lovely.

Yup, Obrigada, 'twas I who penned the phrase 'ad break cleaner'. And this is when I'm going half good! I make deals with myself. It's my verbal compromise between myself and I and, despite the fact that, to me, it's not what 'normal' people do, it does mean that 'stuff' does get done. My goal is to be organised, which, for me, equals peaceful. I long for peace.

I know exactly what you mean Purple, I too long for peace ..

Hugs Obridada. (( ))

Sorry Lemony that your job is iffy. I hope it's alright.

Feeling so angry and shakey today.

Just sick of being pushed about.

got:
Called over for a group discussion about something relevant to me, then just kept standing there like a lemon while they got into a detailed conversation about something that is nothing to do with me

invited last minute to a meeting that I should have been on at the start (after being asked in a slightly snippy tone "are you attending?" erm no one fucking told me it was happening)

boss still hasn't replied to meetings I pitched at her request weeks ago. I have reminded her. She is too important to tell me whether she is showing up or not.

boss making everything I do all about her but not getting back to me on anything. ARGH

boss interrupting and talking over me because it would be a sign of WEAKNESS ever to let anyone else finish a sentence

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Oh Curry, sounds like you are having a really shit day:(

Oh, curry. I'm so sorry, I've just seen your post about the gropey fuckers and now about work. What a rotten time you're having.

Your boss sounds a nightmare.

It's not that bad - I am feeling all ruffled and angry about being "disrespected" (like a teenager) - but the important people respect me. I had the most completely spoilt day yesterday and my dcs tell me they love me all the time. So - onwards and upwards.

I am working on techniques to not be interrupted, which can be amusingly distracting if nothing else.

I don't think it's teenagery - it sounds incredibly annoying and stressful, actually. But lovely to hear your DC have your back.

Onwards and upwards, yes!

first, thanks purple for posting the article from Russell Brand. I particularly liked this bit:

Don't pick up a drink or drug, one day at a time. It sounds so simple. It actually is simple but it isn't easy: it requires incredible support and fastidious structuring.

Spot on.

curry sorry you're having a hard day at work. Re. the Respect, there may always be certain kinds of people who will not respect others - that is their problem not yours. Maybe you don't care for their opinion, or want their respect anyway. It sounds like you keep trying to 'win' their respect, but actually they are not worth paying your precious time or attention to.

well stuck at home, my car won't start - been waiting for the AA to turn up for 4 HOURS ! and stress about having to call in to work to say I wouldn't be in...

I really need a new car anyway, maybe that's next. In the meantime, still shattered, not sleeping.

Yesterday, had the in-laws over lunch. There was a bottle of rose (which I will drink at a push) and a bottle of red (which I don't drink) no white wine.

Very smug that I didn't have ANY during the day, and in the evening I just had 2 glasses of the rose. There was still some left in the bottle, and I poured it away prior to finishing my glass (because I know that temptation is so much harder to resist after already having some)

Generally feeling a lot more in control of the alcohol-situation - although I'm aware I mustn't become complacent. It's something that creeps back up when you're not watching...

Thanks Joey Lovely! I'm so taken aback by his honesty. I strive for such honesty. His comment about 'support' has made me phone AA today. It's the bit of the jigsaw that is missing for me, 24hr support, someone there 24 hrs a day. His comment about phoning someone at 4am in the morning, and they actually pick up, is reflationary to me.

After my call to AA, I've been contacted by a lady who's been in (and still is) AA. She's more than happy to meet me tomorrow night before a meeting and go in with me. We spent over an hour on the phone - tears and everything! It's a small group, and not as local as is convenient but then, how much money/effort would I have squandered on alcohol. I want to go, I hope I go, I intend to go. Who the fuck knows if I have the 'balls' to actually turn up. I need something more than my own resolve. xx

Well done Purps, lovely to read this, i'm sure you'll go. What's to lose? an hour of your time is all, if you don't like it you don't have to go back. You are a brave babe, you've had to do far harder things than walk into that meeting. Just put one foot infront of the other and uou'll be through the door. You can do it xx

You think I can do it Green? I hope so. Thank you for your support Sweetpea. xx

Hi people

PurpleWolf - well done on calling AA. IME a big book meeting runs like this: they will read a passage from the book then the speaker will talk a bit about how this is relative to their life past and present, when they're done it will open to the floor (or go round the circle perhaps) and people will talk about their own experience as it relates to the passage. These meetings don't focus on the steps much (IME) but it doesn't really matter. At this stage the most important thing is to get yourself into a meeting and see that there's nothing to be scared of. Once you've been to one meeting it will be less daunting to go to another and when you're comfortable with it all you can focus on which kinds you like and if AA is for you in the long term.

I liked step meetings mostly to begin with, each week it focussed on a single step, the main share would talk about how they approached the step and the effect it has had on them, then it would open to the floor.

24 days sober today! Go me!

purple I'm made up for you

Just go and listen, if you want to say something then do but no one will expect you to. I'd be sat on the sofa with an open bottle (well,empty bottle) if I didn't go to aa a couple of times a week.

Don't give too much thought to the big book or sponsors yet, just go along for a bit. It's all very discrete too, the rooms tend to be in unobtrusive places. I don't often say anything, even though i'm getting to know people. Enjoy your meeting, you'll just receive help and support, same as the bus really!

purple pm me if you want to, though I suspect that cj is a better bet !

purple I've saved* over 180 quid already this year because I haven't spent it on booze.

*it's a virtual 180 quid because I'm really skint and anything I have goes on bills, so not as great as it sounds.

'kinnell, drinking does nothing for my mood. I am pissed off.
Take a lesson from this Curry.

have just been on a call that I got dragged into at the last minute because they forgot to invite me again, although the whole basis of the project is a bunch of notes I wrote that then got sent around IN SOMEONE ELSE'S NAME

What is it about me that is so fucking ignorable?

I am a bit sad about how I can be 41 and have achieved so little.
People that know me really well at work seem to think I am good at what I do.
But it seems to be so easy to disregard me, push me aside.
At the moment the whole modus operandi of the dept is a really crass sort of self-seeking, shouty behaviour. It's new and I know where it comes from and I don't like it. One of the things I don't like about it is that unless you compete (ie become part of the problem) you lose out in the jockeying. I have seen it happen and been a victim of it before.

I don't know how to be or what to do.

curry you sound so sad. I was going to namecheck you earlier but I hadn't eaten much today and was really light headed, hence only being able to keep one thought in mind.

Jobs: I don't think it's a reflection on you at all that you're being taken for granted. Some managers praise / reward on a random basis and overlook other members of staff who are working hard in a quiet way. I've seen very talented people who moved to a new area at work and finally got the recognition they deserved. The managers were crap,not them. Sit down tonight and look at your cv, you don't have to make any changes just remind yourself that you can take your talents elsewhere so fuck them

Gropey bloke- yuk! Sorry it happened. I always found a sharp elbow worked well. And as for being 40 and not knowing where you are- watch out,40 is when lots of women start making BIG changes in their lives!

apologies for not name checking everyone. Big wave, hope you are all well and safe on this cold,cold night.