The Brave Babes Battle Bus - A New Year, A New YOU!

[Mouseface]

New Year Resolutions Anyone?

Welcome one and all, I'm Mouse, nice to meet YOU. :)

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, it's all up to you.

You know your limits, you know what is required, it's in YOUR hands.

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

There will be talk of drinking quite often and those who fall off the Bus will post about it, so if that is going to jeopardise your chances of complete sobriety, then maybe the DRY threads would suit you better, as they are complete abstainers, but EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE :)

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 rather like here -

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

For those of you who'd like some history, here is the very first thread and the reason that we're all here now. FIRST THREAD

And here is the lastest thread, which you can scroll back through to see the other JOURNEYS SO FAR

The Bus may be 'mythical', but the support is real, it is honest and it 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

Nothing quite like a good nights sleep, This Is, hope the headaches ease soon .

spanna I'm well proud of your AF days your doing great honey, keep up the good work DJB's

Spent the night worrying wish Monday would hurry up x

Apart from the worrying, Im, have you managed to do anything nice with DC this weekend?

Morning all and big hugs

Spanna - Gerald is looking spick and span x
Imdoingthis - hope you get the help you deserve. Much love and hand holding. Wish I could add more, but you're doing brilliant, and already have had sound advice on here xxxxx
Sweet - well done on day 10, double figures yay ! Day 7 and a half for me x

I'm waiting for a full good nights sleep to happen, but keep waking up at stupid o'clock in the morning and not dropping back off properly. Grrr. I know some of it is work related, but was hoping by now to look a little less tired As said in previous thread, AF wine is the work of the devil. Tastewise, that is, not what its intended for.

It sounds like you lack of sleep is very much anxiety related, Its - but at least the sleep you get will be better than the alcohol induced 'coma' of a week ago. It helps me if I am having those times at work, to go to sleep with Radio Four on, - apparently some sleep experts recommend it because overnight it becomes the World Service, and their words per minute is slower and therefore more relaxing. I find that even if I do wake up it distracts me from the anxious thoughts and I can get back to sleep quicker.

Sweet - sounds a great idea, will dig out headphones later
All suggestions appreciated

Friday is my birthday. Dh has given me strict instructions to relax and enjoy myself on the day. He wants to make up for the rotten birthday I had last year (his words) as he was recovering from an op to remove a cancerous tumour, and I spent the day looking after him.

I didn't mind, in sickness and in health, but somehow I don't think I'll get away with being AF on that day. So I am going to go with the flow on that day/weekend, enjoy my birthday, and start again Sunday. I will carry on being AF up to then, don't want to spoil the hard work

only don't think too much about drinking on your birthday, normal drinkers would have a few wines on their birthday then leave it a while til the next occasion which your going to be doing so celebrate your success enjoy your birthday and come what may just start again the next day, your doing amazingly. im please please please be assured that you are the victim here every bitt as much as the children, you will not be punished, you are afraid and abused, this is not a reason to take your children but to applaud your continuing ability to love and care for them despite your own physical pain and fear. I can't believe they have let you suffer and kept you in danger this long. You are a victim, my heart goes out to you and a big squishy scottish hug from me. My love to all you special wonderful friends, I can NC as my screen is completely shattered but you guys rock snd inspire me every day xcc

faire thanks for the reminder about late-night munchies. Yes I do always end up scoffing cheese and crackers if I've been drinking.

Jumps nimbly onto bus with newfound vigour and elegance.

< wakes up from dream and hauls lardy arse onto bus >

Does anyone regret not drinking last night? No? Didn't think so. Remember that when the ww comes a-calling later.

Soc great to have you driving the night bus for us. I don't envy you, I hate the heat. I love the cold and frosty winters where I can bundle up and stride slog across the fields.

Log fires and hot chocolate, starry nights and bonfires, good books and cosy blankets. Ah, it's not all bad. It's just the rain I'm not keen on.

Im can you get out today with the dcs for lots of exercise? Swimming and/or walking? The fresh air might help you sleep.

Whatever happens tomorrow, worrying about it today won't change that. I know it's easier said than done but a reasonable sleep will help you cope with whatever the outcome.

If you wake in the night could you do a Scarlett O'Hara and say 'I won't think about that right now, I'll think about it tomorrow'?

joey I'm trying to cut back on salt too and I always used to want salty food when I drank wine - peanuts, crisps, cheese. Not good for the old blood pressure.

Some great posts here on our brand new bus.

Isinde how did your weekend go? And, yes, where is that Ma. Has she started running and just kept going, like Forest Gump, do you think?

Ma, come back ma...

Hi to everyone

Well, I can safely say that the rain will be with us in the South for a while - my nose has stopped running - it's at least as reliable as the Met Office.

Achievements for the morning, two loads of washing; shower; eyebrows tamed; new design for ds's bottle rocket launch pad (we have progressed from cardboard boxes - they get soggy - to modified plant pot); washing up done; personal trainer sessions booked for the next six weeks; dared to weigh myself and only put on 3lbs over Christmas. And no drinking!

Update on the space program, DS has recruited snails and is sending them skywards

sweet what a productive day, you go girlfriend , your awesome xxx

You too, Baby

How are you making those rockets sweet? It sounds like the sort of thing that would keep me DS amused for hours :o
He had a hockey match at 9am this morning 25 miles away. I was up, showered, had a bacon sandwich and was even early at the pitch side. It was so unbelievably cold I cannot imagine how I ever endured it with a hangover
Hope the rest of you are doing ok. We may pop to the pub this afternoon. I somehow can't muster the same enthusiasm for sober pub visits as I can for drinking pub visits

Just checking in on the new thread.
Congrats to all those babes who socked it to spaniel ears yesterday
If you didn,t make today the day you do
Im not long until monday now please keep busy and sober. Sending you strength and positive vibes.
See you later babes.

Hats off to you, Crotch for the early start. Though perhaps it should be hats on given the temp!

We got the instructions for the rockets on you tube, but it helps that we have cupboards full of bits and pieces that might come in useful one day (for which, read "crap"). A rubber bung with a hole in it, could drill a hole in a cork, but we all know that's not going to happen without consequences! A valve eg from an old bike pump, and a foot pump. Il see if I can find the link after lunch.

This is the one we followed, Crotch:

The little girl's voice is a little annoying, and we tried various bottle sizes because we didn't have room to go with the 2 litre until we worked out the likely trajectory (oh, yes, very educational), I.5 lire worked best, and the bottomless flower pot kept it straight - have fun!

Fantastic, thank you sweet :)
Our current fascination is an app I read about on another thread that allows you to talent series of photos and turn them into a short film. We have a partner app which means the iPhone is the remote camera, controlled by the iPad. A £1 packet of plasticine and we have remained amused all weekend :o

Sounds great, crotch, though probably more me than DS! But, actually the most fun he had with a Nintendo 3ds was the time lapse function, and some of my mums garden ornaments! He also set it to automatically take a photo every 10 seconds or so and got the sun going down, which was fun.

Did you go to the pub? How was it? I'm off to find some plastics to play with!

I am in the pub now with my ginger beer
It's not that bad and at least I'm out not the same as having a drink though

Hi everyone! Just clocking on. Am now on Day 5 of not drinking. DD is with her Dad this weekend. Had a really nice massage yesterday, got quite emotional - my massage therapist was very kind and understanding. I think when I had to relax and not hold on anymore all the emotions just poured out of me. I don't think I realised how much pain I have actually been in until I had a chance to just let go. Had a fantastic night's sleep last night (woke up at 12.30pm!), so feel a lot better now. Still feel quite raw but a lot less tense than I had been. Even though giving up the fags and the booze is hard, I feel it is definitely going to be worth it. I feel like I'm on some sort of healing journey

Hi babes just checking in on day 12, nearly at the two week mark! I'm bracing myself for tonight as I expect H will get a bottle of wine on the way home from work. I need to keep reminding myself how much better I will feel tomorrow if I don't have a drink. I plan/hope to drink occasionally after DJ but I really want to do this. I sort of think if I can't go for four weeks without drinking then I probably shouldn't be drinking at all

here you all are! how very dare you set up a new thread and drive off without me. is it because..ahem, confession time, I have fallen off the dry january wagon after enjoying my pre-birthday party last night with some fizz??

so, made it to day 10, will wait until after actual birthday and more fizz on 14th and then try and do the rest of the month dry again.
sorry babes.retreats into sidecar.

Birthday celebration are a special kind of hard Ma . Hope you enjoyed your pre-party party!

Dancer glad you have had a chance to 'let go' and get some quality rest. You are doing so well, fags and booze in one go, really awesome. Xx

Anne look at all those days lining up - I bet on day 1 it was pretty hard to imagine day 12. I know it was for me but we are doing it! (Mini whoop!)

Sweet and Crotch love the sound of all the creativity going on in your weekends.

Im how has your day been? Right old night owl last night I see!

Spanna hope you are having a good Sunday babe x

Had a good day here, took advantage of the plus temperatures and went on our first geocaching trip. Can't believe we haven't done it before, it is great fun, we only found 2 actual boxes but loads of fresh air, mud and chatting. Will definitely be doing more of that.

Hi to all you other lovely babes

Hello brave babes

Thankyou so much baby I just feel I haven't been protecting my dc, that's how they will see it, not long to find out now.

I have just read back the end of the last thread
mouse thanks honey
And beaches for your support

I have been offerd hostel and a refuge that was far away but I'm still here, wa wanted to send a taxi one night said they would get the pice to get us out the house, they are fostering my rabbits for me soon.
I hope to hear if we can re housed from the housing officer soon, I didn't feel I'd coap with my kids in a refuge things are hard ATM.
I'm sober today.

Keep up ma lovely... glad you found us x