The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Walking In A Winter Sober Land!

[Mouseface]

Hello Brave Babes, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to the 'Bus Of Fun' (now you've come of age!)

This is a thread for those who want to give up drink completely, or are maybe thinking about doing controlled drinking, or cutting down slowly, with a view to quitting or not... it's up to you.

You know your limits, you know what is required, it's in your hands. And only you can make it happen.

Whatever your goal, you'll find support here. Always.

There will be talk of drinking and those who fall off the Bus (arse over tit) will post about it, so if that is going to jeopardise your chances of complete sobriety, then maybe the DRY thread would suit you better, as they are complete abstainers. :)

That said, this Bus is happy to have you no matter what, as long as you can cope with chat of drinking, nights out/in, failures, cyclical drinkers, etc......

Everyone has always been welcome here and shall remain to be.

No-one is ever turned away. EVER.

There are no hard and fast rules, other than the support here is unconditional, it may be in the form of tough love at times, but it's always meant with the very best of intentions.

There are two sayings that we like here -

1. • The Vulnerable Need Our Support, Not Our Judgement
2. • Alcohol Fosters Inertia

The rest kind of happens as the posts appear.

I hope that's okay with you all.

You'll find the last thread HERE, THAT WILL LEAD TO THREADS BEFORE IT, SOME HISTORY

And the original and real, truly heartfelt reason that we are here in the first place is HERE. A VERY SOBERING READ

The Bus may be 'mythical', but the support is real, honest and will help you to achieve what it is that you seek, as long as you are honest with us, but mostly, YOURSELF

See you soon. x

Thank you I was reading last night but didn't post x

spanna honey I could of written that myself about you and your dd birthday, that's always me at the end of one of my dc's birthday I do understand (hugs) today's a new day lovely x

I'm thank you lovely

I'm far away but I'm always trying to follow you all. Roll on January and then springtime. ....

Hello all, I was pointed in this direction by demented Have had a quick nose around and I think the time is right for me to take the initiative and join
I think I want to try for dry January and then see how it goes from there. I really don't want to give up completely but as a couple DH and I drink daily and it's hard to know how to cut down enough to make a difference and without binging when I do drink (something which I'm not prone to ATM)
We have tickets for NYE at our local and I think I will make that my last hoorah. Actually I am almost excited about it in a weird way
Hopefully a dry month will give me some clarity to decide how to continue

Morning (just)

Thanks for the book recommendations, I will look into them. Hello and welcome to Millie and Bob. I get the feeling that the bus is going to get very busy over the next few days and weeks. We could have our own NYE party, on the bus, non-alcoholic fizz and mocktails.

Then we can all get fitter/healthier/wealthier in the new year, just by taking it one day at a time. A lovely brand spanking new 2014. I wonder what it will hold for us and where we will be this time next year.

I wonder what changes we could make?

Morning babes and welcome to Millie and Bob

I am feeling half human again today, thanks to a (very rare) day in bed. A luxury indeed - to be ill and not have to carry on. Dh was great, took the boys swimming, sorted food and brought me cups of tea. He enjoyed being needed and it did me good to let go of control. Thanks for the sick bowl faire, glad to say not needed. Thanks too, isinde for the kind wishes.

Spanna 30 children at a party wow! I am sure memories of such a good party will supersede any memories of lack of presents. Those with Christmas birthdays do seem to get a bit short changed, the temptation for everyone to 'double up'. Oh, and Xp sounds like a first class twat.

A lovely brand spanking new 2014 faire, I like this. It's like the first page of a new diary, all crisp, clean and blemish free

Hi Im and all other lovely babes xxx

Hi babes, faire on the book front I loved "a thousand splendid suns" my favourite book of all time. Victoria hyslop is good, I also like Tony parsons, marian Keyes and Maeve Binchy. Jodi picoult is great, unusual but very very good. I'm really excited about January, I'm letting all the negative things that have transpired go and I'm starting the year with a shiny new A, I award every babe here the same grade!!! Let's make this our year kiddos xxx

Afternoon everyone.
It's day 2 and all is right with the world. Feeling very positive about the new year :)

Hi sorry not to have been about . Dealing with the fall out which my toxic mother creates every Christmas........hoped that this year might be different
She doesnt really drink but good God the hurt and chaos which she can cause sober is quite something.
Will be back in the NY.

mrF you sound fab u lus today, what a difference a day makes, well done and sober I hope you get through the next few days without too much stress, will keep you a seat xx

Thank you for the welcome :)
I'm going to tackle today first of all- I poured the remainder (not that much) of a bottle of wine away this morning and I'm planning on being AF tonight. Tomorrow, there'll be a few drinks, but I'm not going mental, not drinking at midnight, as I need to drive the next morning

I just need to learn to sip (wine) and not gulp it!

Welcome Millie and Bob and well done mrF
This bus expands as it is needed. Some people ride in the sidecar (of shame) from time to time, some ride high on the roof rack (of regulated drinking) but all are welcome and no-one bit no-one is judged. We cover all walks of life - single,married,divorced,gay,straight, not sure, rich, poor,any co!our, any creed. We all have issues with alcohol. Some of us are clean and sober, some of us battling daily, some of us clinging on in despair. We also have a pet squid- Barrie - for slapping people round the chops with from time to time, and a goggle wearing dog called Spirit who rides in the sidecar.
In the words of the luscious Aragorn on seeing the army of Elven archers..."You are MOST welcome!"

Welcome millie and bob :)

I'm going to try and have an af day tonight, however a bottle of wine is already breathing so not holding out much hope for success. It's funny but i managed 17 af days with h drinking around me and now I'm struggling to have one :( last night I got to after ten then decided I should finish an open bottle...I can't really blame Xmas as it's all at home drinking. I went for a pub lunch today and it didn't even occur to me to drink

How are you spanna ? Let us know how you doing lovely x

Evening, tis me, Mouse

Just checking in to see how you're all getting on :)

Welcome to MrF, Millie and Bob - I hope you can cope with the tinsel for another day or seven?

PIL were here yesterday and my BIL and his lovely partner, it was the first time that I'd seen them all (except FIL) since mum died last month. I knew that I would but as soon as MIL gave me a much needed hug, we both started to cry.

I asked if she would mind 'adopting' me as such, she said that she already had when DH and I had met :)

I asked if it was okay to call her now and again, like I did with my own mum, just for a chat and to see how she is etc..... she has an aneurysm on her brain so I always worry about her, every day.

It was so nice to have a 'mum' hug, those of you with non toxic mothers or mothers who are no longer with you will know exactly how that feels...

Tomorrow PIL are coming back to celebrate NY with us, they're staying over, we're having fireworks and fizz in the garden, we're also putting a box of all the things that have caused us pain, we've disliked, suffered with or from in 2013 onto a bonfire.

I intend to start 2014 a fresh with only the fondest memories of my mum in my mind, they're starting to come to the front now and the harder things that she said to me, or that I remember are fading. At last.

Anywho - enough of my waffling on....

I'm still in touch with Purps, she's doing a smashing job of holding my hand every day via text :) Bless her.

I hope those who are struggling for whatever reason, can see even a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel....

I'm - Everyone deserves to be safe. Including you. You seem very up and down just now, be Brave!

I've put some new pics on, some wouldn't load so I put the ones that would on!

Take care out there Babes xxx

Thanks for the low down ma, I hadn't realised the roof rack was for regulated drinkers, thought it was just for the thrill seekers! I also note you didn't mention the dressing up box or the opal fruits....keeping some treats in reserve??!

anne, it is the home drinking for me too. Whether you have or you haven't tonight, you know you can get back into it (if you do lots of those exercise dvd's, you can do anything!). Are you doing the dry Jan?

Well done MrF and hi to baby, I'm, sober, Spanna, millie

X post with you mouse. The bonfire and letting go of all the rubbish stuff sounds very cleansing. Glad some of the softer memories of your mum are taking precedence for you. Take care and a happy new year to you xx

Hi Mouse. I am sorry you have been through a hard time but your MIL sounds lovely and the bonfire idea is a brilliant one x

Hello babes. Been AWOL for a while but am hauling my sorry arse back on the bus lugging a huge bag of green opals with me. Let's crank Gerald up and get stuck into dry January. I can't wait. Have had a torrid time but I'm so back on board.
Hope everyone is ok. On my phone so can't nc. Have a fab last day of 2013 (it Tuesday morning here). Im looking forward to 2014 being my year of sobriety. Xx

Nice words soc about the new year I may join in somewhere somehow x

mouse that is the cutest Wise Man I ever did see! I could squidge him until he pops.

soc good to see you again. not long until dry January and we will need those Opal Fruits to keep our gobs busy.

Beaches glad you're feeling better.

Mouse your MIL sounds lovely

I'm thanks for asking babe. A really good friends partner (65) has had a stroke today. She found him on the floor unable to move. Blue light and into the hospital quickly. He's got an irregular heart beat which they have managed to control. He's paralysed down one side, face etc. My friend is with him and will stay overnight in hospital. I'm on cat feeding duty and worried sick Life is so fragile. I've looked up strokes and the hospital said it's a clot not a bleed (which is better ) I just hope that he's going to be ok and recover. I'm asking the universe and keeping positive thoughts going through my head.

Soc good to have you back

Have a good evening (or morning) all Brave Babes x

Beaches forgot to say 'yes' XP is a twunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

spanna thanks for posting sending you hugs lovely