The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Springing Into Spring Like Super Spingy Springs On A Springy Day!

[Mouseface]

Hello everyone, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to the Bus, Gerald. Of course it's an imaginary Bus, and we're all aware of that, but we've been on this Bus for a bloomin' long time now so this place kinda feels like home.

See, the thing is, we're a mix of drinkers, non drinkers, total abstainers, and also posters that are or have been, somewhere in between, around the block and back again!

There are no hard and fast rules here, just No judging, No bitching about others and most certainly No expectations of YOURSELF.

No-one can say what will or will not happen whilst you're posting here. You just have to take the ride, One Day At A Time.

There are two sayings that we have painted down either side of the Bus :-

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

You've started to read this thread for a reason, and you'll either carry on and maybe Name Change (or not) and post, walk away, or realise that this is all about YOU, cry for a bit, and then come and take a seat :)

For those who would like a bit of our almost 4 year history, have a read of THIS TRULY INSPIRING THREAD

- AND THIS IS OUR PREVIOUS THREAD TO THIS ONE

We're not a quiche or a clicky group, four years is a long time and longer when you're pissed for some of it, so whilst the threads may look 'clicky', I can promise you, it's just that we all 'know' one another because we've been here for a bit but you'll soon get to know us all, who loves what (CHEEEEEEEESE), but we were all 'new posters' at one time, weren't we? :)

Guggen it's funny but what got me drinking isn't why I drink now. I hardly drank in my twenties, only in social situations, as it gave me more confidence. Now I hardly go out, drink at home, and use any old excuse. Good day, bad day, kitchen's untidy...I think if I wasn't with h I'd barely drink, the stress he creates is a definite reason and I think I really don't much like him. That's horrible to say but the other day we were talking with a friend and I was grinding my teeth listening to him.

Anyway last week my drinking crept back up so I will not be drinking today. I'm getting in a cycle of good week, bad week, I do this with food as well, struggle to just keep it on an even keel. So moderate Monday for me :)

Hi Annie and Guggs I've been reading what you say and thought I'd tell you why I drink. Mostly it's because my husband comes home every night from work and has a few beers before tea. This has always been 'our' time. So if I don't join him, I'm sort of opting out of 'our' time iyswim. I'm not talking loads, but a big three glasses most nights unless I absolutely keep out of the kitchen before tea - which is tricky because I'm usually the one cooking it . So, I've tried having soft drinks, but my willpower isn't that strong and as we usually are talking about work which is stressful for both of us at the moment, I usually get caught by the WW. I try and have two nights off (just managing that barely by the skin of my teeth at the mo). The problem is it becomes a habit and then I start waiting for him to come home so that I can have a glass of wine (sigh). I'm on a treadmill that I don't have the strength to get off. 'If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got' resounds in my head all the time and every single week (after my Sunday night off) I think I can muster up some willpower and it will be different, but is it? - No.

I'm forever in and out of the sidecar - although I must say I have only ever been offered ONE opal fruit and that was a GREEN one (looks balefully at Ma)

I will keep trying, we can all just keep on trying, but it's good to know that we can all share our stories and nod along to other babes' posts and not feel alone with this struggle. x

Checking in on the new thread.
Welcome jupiter and silver and well done both of you
Nice to see you back ladame Nodding at the "I'm on a treadmill that I don't have the strength to get off" thats just how I feel.
Love to all other babes. So busy here and back on day 1
Catch you laterxx

hi babe x

Hey babes

interesting posts! Annie that is really sad- do you have an escape plan? Sorry if you have already answered that but I've not had much mental space lately. Poor you. Like the idea of moderate monday

ladame yup,totally get that one! It's just a matter of keeping on and keeping on- those two nights are doing you good,especially in the long term. babysteps and all that.

As for the green opal fruits- someone round here must have them...

rural good to hear from you- how's the lambing going?

Ladame that description could be us! When we get together in the evening, doing the cooking, feeding the kids, talking about things (often stressful) that have happened or that are going to happen...the wine bottles just came out and before you know it whoops (laugh laugh there's a hole in this bottle!) there's the next one opened...and the next...

I have been doing everything exactly the same way now but drinking other things, increasingly odd and esoteric juices etc. It's not the same but it helps.
6th day no alcohol.

I have spent a small fortune in the last few days on interesting juices, "detox" foods etc. I know that the only thing that actually matters is not drinking, but I feel more committed and obliged to stick to it somehow now I have invested in the new routine! What a waste if I spend half the day drinking crazily expensive spinach juice etc and then just grab the wine again in the evening...

I was not even waiting for him to come home before I started...if I got home first I just started the first bottle myself...

Sorry what is WW? Well my evangelical high didn't last long. Really feeling the pull today! Grr.
I am visualising a blotchy red face dry mouth. . not satisfying glugging sounds and warmth starting in my shoulder blades

WW is the 'wine witch' Jupiter - our mortal enemy and foe.

She plots to engage us in battle, sending out psychological vibes. as one wise unlady babe MIFLAW once said, don't get in the ring with her, it's a fight you can't win.

Don't we all know that one

Hey all. Thought I better check in as big holiday starts tomorrow evening.
I did drink at bbq on Saturday, but I didn't get drunk ( so both weekend nights I went to bed of my own accord and remembered doing so, big deal for me!) I really busied myself being the hostess, fetching drinks, cooking and cleaning up. My kids definitely noticed and pitched in which was great.
We have less than a bottle of wine in the house which we will share tonight (well, it will be off by time we get back from holiday) but that will be all even though I'm gasping now and want to buy another
Hope you're all well, back to packing and cleaning for me!

Hi guggen, no escape plans as such. The dds are too young - I work irregular hours that I can't get child care for so I'm stuck. I'm vaguely looking for another job I've not seen anything better, and I'd probably lack the confidence to even apply. And then sometimes things are sort of ok, watching a dvd sharing a bottle of wine, and I think I can put up with it, but then something happens to remind me how dysfunctional h is.

Well so far im resisting the ww. H wanted to get a bottle as tonight is the last night I can drink till Friday but I said no. It's like faire said, wine will always be there, so surely it shouldn't be a hardship to wait till Friday? I've been exercising more and I'm sabotaging my efforts to get fitter with drinking. I've promised to take the dds to a film in the morning so that should keep me sober. Kids movie with a hangover would be hellish!!!

anneis hope you didn't mind me asking- it will come good when the time is right
Yeah- just kids and a hangover is a vile combination.

Evening all- hope the ww has left everyone alone. If you had to choose now,which would it be: wine or good quality sleep?

Anyone actually enjoy waking up throughout the night feeling sweaty and worried,with a blinding thirst? That wonderful sense of 'oh fuck the birds are loud little bastards,i've had no sleep and it's 30 mins till i have to get up' not good!

Not at all guggen, I wouldn't mention it myself if I did. I think it would be kind of pointless to post dishonestly, like how would I ever get to the bottom of my disordered drinking if I did?

Ww is avoiding me so far, think I'll be having an early night. I bought a couple of books today instead of wine with the intention of having a few early nights reading. I love reading and I can't if I drink, it's one of the things I've got back since joining the bus :)

Tv and reading. . I am enjoying those

Me too, love reading. Worked till 8.00pm tonight, after working most of Sunday at home. Evil boss rang up and had a go cos some tedious report was late which I was too busy to do, hence late night. Eaten and had 30 mins with Dd. Putting her to bed now and off to read my book. Nice brew! Sleep tight babes...

Ps Anne your post really struck a chord -- are you sure you're not me?

Morning babes

anneis i agree that honesty is the only way to ahead both in dealing with alcohol and in general. Very easy to underestimate how much and how often we all drink and that sort of spills out to other parts of our lives.

Any good book recommendations?
looking Were you tempted to tell evil boss to fuck off? sorry,that's really childish!
isinde that coping strategy is hard to break. Alcohol offers such an immediate switch off.
How are the detox juices going silvering?
Morning juipter

Guggs heading to London now and will see evil boss. Will let you know if I manage to keep a lid on my swearing, odds against at the moment! Good book recommendations very subjective but at the moment am reading How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamed which is great. What's everyone else reading?

Well I don't know if the juices themselves are doing anything (I have come over all Gwyneth Paltrow and am eating seeds and so on too) but all I can say is this is my 7th day without a drink!
Not easy though, and this morning feeling snappy with my son and generally annoyed with the difficulties of life.
But I will keep going....

looking try visualising him as Darth Varder and flicking v signs under the table.
I've just read The Shock of the fall- great and Whitechapel by Melenie Clegg- loved it.
I'm sort of between books at the moment, I have some terribly worthy History with a capital letter, to read but it's not really what I want. Will look up your book suggestion.

dude I will see you as Gwynnie from now on. Yes that snapping phase happens because you are starting to deal with lovely,lovely reality rather than marvellous,booze fog reality.Massive congratulations on getting to 1 week,you have given your body and mind a huge break form booze. What ever decisions you make in the future,you now know that you can do af if you choose to. Well done.

Whoops forgot my name change there. Well, I have not done anything wrong, so not really trying to hide, but I will stay as silverring on this thread I think, different bits of my life and all that!

Reality can be a b but getting on with it....

silverring Don't worry! Far from doing anything wrong you're doing a grand job in tackling an unhealthy relationship with booze.

Have solved my book dilema,obviously I need yet another recovery book!