The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Off On A Journey Far & Wide, Full Of Support, With No Reasons To Hide.

[Mouseface]

Hey, I'm Mouse, one of the Brave Babes on this Bus. :)

We're heading to sobriety, in various different ways, in our own different ways, some of us are there, some not quite yet.

We're a group of non judgemental, mothers, wives, partners, sisters, daughters, girlfriends, and of course all of the male equivalents that run alongside those 'tags', but most of all, we are, or we have been, just like YOU. :) Real people with real concerns about how much we are drinking all of the time.

Our relationships with alcohol are varied, and you'll find most of us are wanting to do something about it..... desperate to stop the cycle of drinking, stopping, drinking, stopping, drinking more, stopping for shorter periods of time and then the reverse, doing ever so well and then 'something' happens and you're back to square one, a place that sometimes gets a little crowded, one little square filled with lots of people who all want out.

Sound familiar?

You're never alone here. Ever.

Come and take a seat, post or lurk. We won't bite but we WILL look after you, SUPPORT you, if you want us to. :)

And for those want to know how we've ended up where we are today, about three years on from THIS THREAD RIGHT HERE

To our last thread JUST HERE

It will be lovely to meet you so why not take a seat and have a gossip about all things booze related but also, DCs, husbands, wives, in-laws, out-laws, and everything in between.

There's always a seat for YOU xxx

edin I'm sending you a virtual cappacinno and croissant to sort you out, I'm sitting beside you on the bus if that's ok?? bam let us know your news, fingers crossed x x

Oooh thanks baby - and for sitting next to me despite my sweatiness. If we doze off we can dribble on each others shoulders!

edin at least we can still see the funny side, hope your day gets better, I'm making soup and guzzling water, cleansing body and soul, may be some time x x x c

Hi Babes - Just checking in. Well, after a sober week last week, I did have a boozy weekend. It wasn't out of control though and I managed to go out and have fun with my friends without making a complete prat of myself.

I did notice that I drank faster than my friends and that I was more into the booze than they were. They were up for a boozy night but they seemed tame compared to me.

I will have a drink tonight because it's my wedding anniversary but plan an AF week after that.

Welcome to all newbies and best wishes to all those who are struggling and all those who are winning the battle.

Hi paw sounds like your reallly making progress, understanding your own drinking patterns and those around you must be a good thing. Have a lovely evening and happy anniversary x x

Thanks Babyjane and all you lovely babes.

I am slipping, I'm afraid. I need to be AF for the rest of the week but am struggling.

My anniversary tonight - just an excuse to drink.

Ugh. I am such an idiot.

I'm like that Paw, one excuse and then I end up drinking every night 'slipping' as you say.

Could you have a different treat? Choccie or ice cream? X

Ps you are not an idiot and you are doing great!

Thanks, Pink I have put the bottle down now. Thanks so much for support.

Well done Paw - you are doing great !!!
Drinkng lime and coconut today :)
9 more days and have made it to 100 days !

Morning all. Feeling a lot more boingy today (think it was baby's croissant that fixed me) so will no doubt soon be back to my irritatingly smug self. Ionnika - bloody hell, that's awesome. You are such an inspiration! Paw* - you sound so sad but I hope you had a nice anniversary. Can you line up a different treat for tonight?

Morning babes, edin glad your boingy today, lon you rock girl!!, paw today is a new day and pink your very supportive to all us babes, your a star. My crohn's has flared up so I'm feeling a bit sore and my mood is low but I sure ain't gonna be drinking x x x

Morning babes

Thanks Babyjane, I fully credit the bus with the fact I am now day 37 AF so it is nice to think I am giving a little something back.

Well done Paw - and Edin, hope you feel better today than you did yesterday, I am sure you do. I have been in those shoes SO many times.

Lonnika you have done so so well. Nearly 100 days is incredible. You re a star.

Feeling quite fed up this morning, DH has been really grumpy yesterday and this morning I have been spoken to as if I am a 5 year old. Very unlike him actually. Last night, if there had been any alcohol in the house, I would have been very 'fuck it' and gone off with a large glass of wine and a book. However this time I am dealing with it sober, which is better i know but it is still annoying.

Anyone read Drinking A Love Story by Caroline Knapp? There is a line in it from a woman at her AA meeting - "my husband is being a jerk, I have to remind myself that the solution is not 'go and get a new husband'"

Have a good day all

Pink X

Afternoon babes, hope everyone is ok? Had a drink at the weekend but didn't overdo it thankfully. Weighed myself on Sunday and have shocked myself into seriously shifting excess flab. Diet was good yesterday and even managed a walk in the evening ... onwards and downwards hopefully:)

obrigada I too am determined to shift some flab so it's good to know I'm not alone. X

Afternoon, tis me, Mouse

Sorry I've not been around to support you all as much as I'd like, RL has been rather busy!

We've just got back from a wonderful night away in a lovely old hotel near to Fairbourne. Nemo slept through the night which is utterly unheard of! It must have been the little train ride through to Barmouth and the fresh, forest air that the hotel was nestled in.

DD stayed at her friends house. Once Nemo was asleep, DH and I sat up playing Scrabble and drinking wine, which was fine. I felt in control, not that I had to get as much in me as possible but the best thing was that the hotel has it's own spring water source, so I had 3 very large bottles of that over the course of the evening in between the wine and lots to eat so I feel fantastic today!

Not like previous nights away when I've not been able to face breakfast the next day, I actually ate the lot! :)

Just buy planning how much (2 bottles - one wine and fizz between us) over the course of the early evening/evening and then lots of water, poached eggs on a slice of wholemeal toast and fresh orange juice this morning.

My low carb diet is back on track as of tomorrow as I'm still on holiday today! Minus the drinking. :)

I'll try to read back in a while but Nemo is going to play on my laptop for a while. He really does struggle with change but did well, all things considered. He just gets used to something and then it's time to come home

Back in a bit, hope you are all okay?

Mouse xxx

PS - Paw - Did I wish you a Happy Anniversary on Monday? Anyway, snap and Happy Anniversary :) xxx

Glad you had a nice time Mouse :)

Afternoon babes and fellow flab fighters. Good to see all the positivity on here at the mo.

Well operation fabulous at 40 is struggling this week. Doing everything right but no weight loss this week. I am struggling with my injury but still getting the fitness in. I am discovering muscles I never knew I had and they hurt - all of them! Rest day today thank goodness. Weigh in and measure tomorrow - hope there is some difference. I'm loving not drinking - look so much better in the face.

Love and luck to all xx

Afternoon babes .... vent alert

Just discovered at lunchtime that my sister robbed my daughter's savings for Australia (?800), she has been saving in a tin which we kept on the fireplace in the kitchen, I was away for the weekend the week before last. My sister was in and out of my house because her washing machine was broken and she was using mine. On the Monday after my weekend away my daughter asked if I had been at her savings box, between myself and my youngest daughter we concluded that my sister must have been at it as it had obviously been tampered with at the top but notes still seemed to be in it. Then at lunchtime today my daughter asked me where her savings box was, I said on the fireplace, she said it seems very light. And boy oh boy but it was light, because (a) it was a brand new one with no tampered top and (b) there were two ?5 notes in it.

This is not the first time my sister has "done" me out of money, she doesn't know that it is my daughters money, she thinks it's mine. But this is the lowest of the low. She is currently in a hotel for a couple of nights with two of her children.

I need to confront her but obviously can't in person as she is away. Can you help me word a text, to say basically that "my daughter checked her savings and they are gone, do you know anything/"

Obrigada that's shocking! I really hope you get your money back

obrigada that's totally totally shocking, I'm horrified, tell her your daughter is devastated, she must be using that money in the hotel, what a bitch !!! X x x

My daughter text her and she replied saying her 6 year old daughter must have taken it by accident and replaced it with the new one she had just conveniently bought her on route to my house.

Obrigada - you have 2/3 options.

1. • Jeremy Kyle lie detector or
2. • Call the police and report the theft or
3. • Tell her that you want to call the police as it's actually theft, your DD saving's for Oz, and that you are both mortified. I am so so so cross for you and your DD

My daughter text her and she replied saying her 6 year old daughter must have taken it by accident and replaced it with the new one she had just conveniently bought her on route to my house.

BOLLOCKS X 1,000,000. - WHAT A FUCKING BITCH! She's living the life of riley in a fucking hotel, after taking money from your child (thinking it was yours makes no difference btw) she has stolen it, stealing is a crime, you should so play the police card!

You are incredibly calm, I'd be asking where she is and getting in the bloody car! After calling the police to tell them that they could expect to find a body in room X at a certain hotel! (no really, well........ [wink[] ) The cheek of her! And it's not the first time? She's taken money

She's vile. Utterly vile.

Massive hugs to you and your DD xxx

Obrigada - that's shocking, I'm so sorry for you and you dd. If necessary have you any way of proving how much money was in the tin?

obrigada
I just checked in after a fraught couple of weeks, but wanted to send my love.
I also have a "tin" and would be devastated to think that anyone would go into it. I hate confrontation, but, if it's your daughter's money, then I think you need to do it, 6 year old buying an exact replica??

I hope it all pans out ok.
love T xx

Hi thurso, you ok?

Here all is busy, busy, busy with work. But to those of you who don't really know me, I have to tell you that in all my heavy drinking years I thought I was 'functioning'. I thought I was doing OK. In reality looking back through sober spectacles I was perilously close to fucking up big time. Accounts not done. HMRC on my tail. Insurance late (so periods when I wasn't covered for professional indemnity etc). So many excuses for work projects handed in way past the deadlines. Personal/professional reputation on the line.

And I honestly thought I was doing fine. Because by the skin of my teeth I always managed to pull it out of the bag. But I was so close to the edge, and juggling with many things right at the edge. Several of which could have lost me all work, destroyed my business and could have seen me facing bankruptcy.

I look back on it now and shiver.

The next glass of wine was never worth all that.