The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Off To Find The Summer Sun and Sobriety!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to the Bus, take a seat and enjoy the ride. We're a Bus full of drinkers, non-drinkers, those who are trying to give up for life, those who are giving up for a few hours because that's all that they can manage (which is fine!) or quitting just for today......

We don't wear Judgey Pants (they're far too last year darhling ) but we have hugs a plenty and tough love when it's needed. Which isn't often!

So, what have you got to lose? If you're reading this, you're thinking that you are no longer happy with the way you drink, which tells me that this is the Bus for you. :)

If you'd like to see where we've been so far and what we've been up to, take a peek HERE

And if you want to knnow why we're here in the first place, take a look at THIS THREAD RIGHT HERE :)

See you soon x

Hi babes,
Can't name check you all and I haven't always kept up with the thread but I've always known its here. I first posted nearly 2 years ago as want to die and I did. I was being kept sober in my dads house against my will and facing losing my beautiful baby having fucked up royally and relapsing after an alcohol free pregnancy and a few blissful months with a newborn. I made contact with another babe on here and we went to a meeting together. It wasn't my first aa meeting by a long shot but I had finally reached my absolute rock bottom. I had a failed marriage behind me and 2 children resident with my ex. My career had gone and my new relationship and baby were gone too. Except I stopped drinking. A day at a time and with aa support I have changed. I'm not that empty suicidal shell of a woman. I have my partner back and my lovely girl. I have as much access to my older children as I can get and we are closer than ever. I have a job. My life is good. In fact it's beyond my wildest dreams. I don't obsess over alcohol. I don't lie and hide and steal. I don't piss the bed and vomit when I clean my teeth. I don't have the runs. I don't spend my time decanting drink in public toilets. I don't act in appropriately and fall into bed with arseholes. I don't frantically crunch mints and I can hold my head up high. I have a new life a day at a time. Please go back and search for my first posts. Please look for the similarities not the differences. Please please seek help and don't underestimate the power of this thread. ( waves to Venus and bafana) please try aa. Choose to live

strawberry what an honest and inspiring post, thank you so much for sharing that, I'm humbled and touched and above all so very happy for you x x x

Hey strawberry I remember chatting with you when you were holed up in your dad's house. Thank you so much for coming back to let us know how you're getting on. Well done - you have come so far. You sound like a different person

Great post strawberry

I don't have much to say at the moment, just reading everyone's posts and taking it all in...

guggen I cry at most things. I cried for an hour last week because my favourite picnic blanket shrunk in the washing machine. I cried today because my husband didn't email me back INSTANTLY and I'll probably cry tomorrow when I realise I don't have any Cheerios left. I'm hoping it'll even out eventually.

strawberry well bloody done and thank you so much for sharing your story with us newbies. i hope you can look in the mirror and feel strong and proud and happy that you have finally found your good life. Like you, I'm taking it one (tear stained) day at a time. I'm giving you a virtual high five from my sofa.

strawberry just done a quick flick through of your old posts, you are proof there is always hope, lonika koala you guys rock x x x

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

The worlds biggest spider has just run through the bedroom. I screamed & dh came to the rescue. The bastard thing would only just fit under a glass. arrrrggh!

I was feeling really sorry for myself and all self indulgent, now I'm just bloody grateful it didn't eat anyone!

strawberry - wow, what an amazing recovery story. I'll look at your posts tomorrow (when the zombie spiders can't get me) You really do have everything to live for and can enjoy it now.well done.

chippit I was a non cryer before I got sober, now,sod it, I nearly cried at the spider.It was enormous though.

Just popping in to say hello to any New Babes we've picked up since I last posted. I'm away until Sunday so will catch up then.....

Glad - A little birdy told me you were back. Massive hugs to you sweetheart and to the birdy for letting me know.

We're celebrating DH's Mom's 70th Birthday in Kenn, North Bristol and are going to watch the balloon fiesta tomorrow night and them, thank Jeff! Will explain more when not on my phone.

Anyway, long day tomorrow but I'm hoping for a good one weather wise!

Take good care Babes, Strawberry I remember your story and am in awe of you. Keep going Babes, I miss you!

Lots of love & huggles from me & Nemo :) xxx

strawberry I remember you and your story. So very happy things have worked out and well done you.
guggs eek, I feel your pain. I DREAD autumn for the huge hairy house spiders which galumph about the house causing us all to have the heebie geebies.

Thanks to all for kind comments re dd. She is getting good reviews so very happy

Good morning babes,

Hope that whatever you have planned for the weekend makes you smile.

Feeling a bit 'meh' this morning. Too many thoughts and the full reality of my situation is starting to hit (the 'i can do this...bring it on' high has somewhat faded). Not withstanding I have a bad case of conjunctivitis and look like a red-eyed baddy from a James Bond film.

But I'm a-okay...and I hope you all are too. Planning to spend the day with DH and DD at a safari park with a picnic - so hopefully a monkey's bum will make me laugh.

Hugs.

Morning :)

I've got back from my holiday and did not drink last night. Dh was wanting to go to the supermarket on the way home but i said no. I knew it would lead to buying a bottle of wine that I did not want to buy. So today is day 2, odd that I keep starting my AF days on a friday, I wonder if I'm deliberately setting myself up for failure....

Pink I drank every day I was away as well :( Less than I normally would on holiday but I don't know why I bothered. I didn't get drunk, which I'm glad about, but really what was the point of it? I know on the first day I was stressed out and disappointed by our 'resort' but I did not drink in that instant. It was hours later when I'd calmed down.

Funny though dh put a post on facebook about how shit the place was and everyone commented 'go find a pub and get drunk' Like in a bad situation you can't make the best of it in any other way. I think since I first started lurking on this bus I've noticed alot more how ingrained it is seek comfort/entertainment/etc in a bottle of wine.

Hope you enjoy your day at the safari park chippit :) You've done so well - I've read all your posts from my phone - that I think it's probably normal to start feeling a bit blah. I don't know if it will help but I'm trying to fill my days with enough stuff that there won't be any time to really drink. Or that hopefully I will be more focused on other things and drinking will go on the back burner....well that's the plan!

Morning,

Hi there ma and mouse and annie and chippit

I too could do with a monkey's bum to look at,I'm feeling down. I KNOW what's wrong, it's just a normal part of recovery to feel low and think about sad things. Also I've had flu and I get maudlin after being ill. There isn't really a problem but I'm blue.

Anyhow... that fucking spider- I could have put a lead on him! If he hadn't been escorted from the premises than I might have had to make an application for a school place for him,bloody huuuuge he was!

strawberry so pleased that you're doing so well now. You must be so proud.

chippit monkeys bums always make me laugh - just watch out for the bonobos! I found the "meh" feeling passed fairly soon and was replaced with a general feeling of calm - hope it does for you too.

annie I know what you mean re alcohol being the solution everyone suggests. I've decided to try and alter my way of thinking though and say that it's my decision to not drink, just as it's other people's decision to drink and we're simply making different decisions that day. Sounds a bit wanky but it seems to be working for me.

gugg big squeeze from me. I hate spiders with a passion! I'd have killed the bugger with one of DH's shoes (not mine obviously!) and then sat whimpering in a corner all night.

Morning to everyone else - hope you all have something nice lined up today x

Guggs I feel your pain - we get spiders that come over from the fields into the house. They are so heeyuuge, I can hear them careering about upstairs and laughing at me. The worst time was when I went to pick up one of my crocs (so stylish, me) and I could see legs pointing out of the holes in the top of one of them. It occupied the whole of the toe area!

Well, did my four days this week, so not so bad.

Ma Your link was deleted when I came back, would you pm me the youtube clip with your daughter singing? I would love to see it.

mouse Have a lovely time.

all babes have a nice weekend and be kind to yourselves.

Hi babes, also feeling blaahhh, didn't drink last night and slept pretty well but can't help the feeling that I'm missing out on something, I ate a Chinese instead but that's not really the answer, going swimming today and not drinking tonight again, when will I stop feeling that someone has taken my favourite toy away??? Love to all x x x

ladame think I need more therapy.I think i might have to leave home and the shoe behind.
is it still boiling hot over there?

'Lo there pervy and baby. i love swimming baby it does kind of help replace the booze,much healthier too.

I'm feeling a lot more stable, I had a massive headache so that was one reason for feeling blue. Feeling calmer all round.

babyjane that is exactly how I feel about not drinking, like losing my favourite toy. For the life of me I don't know why. Logically I can see wine adds nothing to my life, it probably adds to my stresses and ability to deal with things, yet I can't help feeling like I'm missing out if I don't have a drink

Typically on an evening I will sit at the pc with a glass of wine. Why I can't do that with a soft drink I don't know - or I can but I feel deprived. It's not like I'm out in a pub/club surrounded by people drinking and temptation, my daily drinking is all down to me x

Guggs TBH the spiders don't bother me as much as these

Here

They are truly evil f**kers, they jump off the wall and sting you. My dd calls them ginger monsters. You have to be very careful reaching for the light switch in the dead of night ....

Not too hot here at the mo, about 25ish degrees and at least we call all sleep !!

will do ladame
last night of the show tonight so a serious after show piss up on the cards I suspect. she got a personal mention in one of the reviews which commented on her "huge voice". I'm going to stop boasting now

Boast away Ma, if you can't be her biggest fan then who can?!

Evening Babes

chippit, oh, I see, THAT kind of dinner! Sounds like the counselling session was a very positive experience.

fairenuff, thank you for explaining that the 'voice' has a name, you described her/him/it perfectly.

I've told a few people I'm not drinking, but haven't explained why. I'm still reeling from reaching what I now realise was 'rock bottom' a few weeks ago.

I used to be a 'happy' drunk, then I became a suicidal drunk. It's over 2 months ago now that I decided (drunkenly) that the world would be a better place without me. Cutting a long story short ... I was brought home by the police in the early hours.

What was the first thing I did when I got home (after checking the DCs were alright)????
I poured myself a drink and for the next couple of weeks I drank daily so that I didn't have to 'feel' anything, or think about what could have happened.

Then I stopped, my DCs deserve better. I started reading these threads & it's helping me stay stopped (one day at a time)

Thank you strawberry for your update, very inspiring.

Hope everyone has a good weekend

xx

Random post

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baclofen

the magic pill we've all been waiting for .....

ginger do we know anything about this tablet, anyone out there tried it, I'm desparate for help with this bloody problem, had wine last night and woke up craving wine this morning, not had any obviously but very worried its in my head at this time!!! Need help, I'm scared I'm on a slippery slope x x x

Radio thanks for sharing your story. You've come a long way in short time - you must be so proud of yourself. Well done and big hugs x

Good morning lovely babes,

Radio I totally know what you mean about 'rock bottom'. I was there last Sunday (when I got home at 6am still drunk and able to spend the day with my DD). It shocked me into action and I am now on Day 7. I still don't feel like drinking, but I've been here before and I know that I need to push on through because the urge will tap me on the shoulder again. I know it.

I also know what you mean about being a 'happy drunk' and changing into something much darker. I think the key word here is 'drunk'. Perhaps we should be striving never to be drunk again? Whether or not we get happy or sad? Drunk equals out of control and I know that this is the bit I like best. Not feeling or caring or worrying. Sounds like you're a bit similar.

Keep busy and keep your chin up. If I can do it, so can you. We can do it together. .

baby Don't think of it as a slippery slope. Think of it the other way around. A mountain that you're trying to climb. So you're CLIMBING UP rather than SLIPPING DOWN. Keep busy. I just cleaned my place from top to bottom and now I'm about to have french toast and then take myself out for a walk and a coffee (would normally have been a lunchtime vino - yes - i quite often go out for solo drinks - thinking I look sophisticated because I have a book, drinking my malbec - fool).

Think of today as a 'no wine' day and just try to focus on hour by hour.

Big hugs to all today. The sun is shining where I am and this is my first AF weekend in a long, long time. I would be lying if I didn't say I missed it, especially last night. But it's day by day. Step by step. Thank you for helping me. XXXXX