The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Sipping Super Summer Mocktails Whilst Soaking Up Some Sun.

[Mouseface]

Hello, tis me, Mouse

I'm what some would call a 'controlled' drinker these day, but I wasn't always and I'm not alone on this wonderful bus, Gerald, when I say that.

We have drinkers who drink each day, those who abstain completely and those who are not sure what it is that they actually want just yet....

We won't judge you for drinking, no matter what your reason is, we've all been in your shoes somewhere along the way!! And we have ALL used every excuse under the sun too!

We have some Babes who ride on the Roof-Rack, (clinging on for dear life ) and then we have an expandable Side-Car, which some Babes use, but the bus, well, the bus, our wonderful Gerald, who takes us here and there, to pick up people in need of an unbiased and much needed ear to listen to. :)

There are lots of ears on this bus, and not a single one will turn you away and not listen!

Two things that we do believe here are -

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

If you are lurking and reading this thread, there is a reason for it, isn't there?

Stay lurking or come and say hello! We don't always bite.

And for those who'd like a bit of history, HERE'S THE LAST THREAD

And of course, THIS IS WHY WE ARE ALL HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, A VERY AWE INSPIRING READ

See you soon x

Good morning ma I also have limited experience but joey hit it on the head (the nail obvioudly) with her very apt little rhyme.

Day 15 and I'm thrilled to be on week 3, this is now my life and it's nowhere the sacrifice I thought it would be. To those of you who have just stopped, it gets so much easier and you fill your life with better and more fulfilling pastimes.

I think it's very important to keep your "wine" money, I'm putting £5 per day in my own little bank (my daughters toy auto bank) which to be honest is nowhere near my actual spend, however it gives me £35 per week to spend without guilt. So far I've had a Swedish back massage and a riding lesson, tomorrow is a new hairstyle and colour. Now this is proof of the pudfing, I'm often asked if my toddler is my grand daughter on account of the fact I walked around with no make up, hair scraped back, dressed like a tramp and skin like crepe paper,

In the last 2 weeks I've upped my game and been making an effort and all I've heard is how cute my DAUGHTER is. Goodbye granny look, hello yummy mummy (well on my at least)

Now that's progress!!!!

Haha sweet...I had to laugh at your DH...My sometimes not so DearH has a tendency to try and tell me how to drive when I sober drive him...um NO!

I love that "amused distance" - very appropriate!

Baby - I totally agree regarding the wine money - I am putting my beer stash aside for a trip to Rarotonga next year....I absolutely can't wait, and is making me motivated.

You chicks rock, thanks for your support and chat ...I am off to bed..sober, house clean, cats fed, doors locked and tea prepped for tomorrow...feels great

Baby how wonderful and positive you sound. I think I will follow your example and actually put the notes in a money box rather than leaving them in the bank.

Scarily, one of my excuses was that I was a sophisticated wine buff, putting away up to one and a half bottles a night, just because I had to compare the Hungarian Viognier with the South African. I bought my wine by the case from a well known merchant at an average of £10 per bottle, so that is a lot of pampering, but I'm not quite convinced I deserve it yet .

Sleep well nz

mouse welcome home, you were very much missed and I'm glad your painful and hard work brought some rewards, your bravery and optimism humbles me xx

guri and sweet the reward system just keeps me motivated, I'm a SAHM because of my health and I resent my Crohn's disease for stopping me keeping my identity and while I don't want to run the country, I've always been a worker and thrive being around people. Sorry I digress, my weekly treat is my own pat on the back (let's face it no one else pats it) and I get to meet people and be just ME, not mum, daughter, partner or friend and it's reminding me that I'm a person in my own right, it's nice to go out into the real world.

sweet you deserve it lady, even 1 day buys a lipstick or a nail polish, every day's a victory.

I've bought a bar that connects my bike to my dd's (bloody
Ingenious) we're off for a lovely long cycle, granny my ass!!!

Have a splendid Monday xxxx

Morning babes, haven't had a chance to read back but it looks like the bus was busy over the weekend, just want to say that today is Day 9 for me

Well done obragada your going brill xx

Wanted to say I'm sorry if I'm posting too much and hijacking the thread, just helps putting my thoughts down and having my lovely babes to confide in xx

Day 1
1.5 litres of water down so far..... peeing like a waterfall!

I'm begining to hate alcohol. Maybe I should just quit completely.

I would never have written that post last night [with the rhyme] if I'd been sober! Although there wasn't anything wrong with it, and I hope mas friend is reassured, but still... it's like I change to a different person.

Well Done Obrigada

Baby, hope your NOT Granny ass had a nice sunny cycle!

In the spirit of rewarding myself AND re-engaging with hobbies, I dragged DH round garden centres this morning to look at green houses. Bless him, he is so hung-over he even asked me to drive - he never does that, and has now gone back to bed.

Joey, chez Sweet we have a response for playground rhymes - "Just because it rhymes, doesn't make it true", you know the ones "S/He who smelt it, dealt it" etc, but I'm going to make an exception in your case!!!

Keep up the good work, Ma

OK, so, because of an Inset day, DS has been at his dad's for a long weekend. ExP moved away, but still complains about the journey, so doesn't see DS now apart from holidays and long weekends, maybe a couple of days every two - three months.

DS is just beginning to recognise how incompetent his father is, but this weekend takes the biscuit. Because of a mis-understanding on Friday, I gave DS his kindle charger, and thought he had picked up his phone charger. He hadn't. I insist he has the phone because ExP NEVER has credit on his. Last time DS was there, he was taken to casualty with suspected meningitis which turned out to be cluster headaches, but EX had to use DS's phone to contact me, and let his 12-year-old go in an ambulance on his own and in frightening pain so he could drive and avoid a taxi fare home (it is a VERY small town, £5 would get you across and back again!). It is a 120 mile journey, and he drives an old car.

Anyway, I have just had to go and get cash to give ExP for buying DS a charging lead - it was that or buy ExP credit. The lead cost half of the maintenance he pays each month - because he pays a pittance not because its a gold plated lead. (Not that I would ever say any of this to DS)

And because I am trying not to drink, I got fuming and went and bought two dresses in the Boden sale (yes, it's my guilty little secret, but actually, as work dresses . . . ).

My head is a weird place at the moment.

joey it's very funny- don't worry!

Agree with all the comments about money. I'm brassic right now so I haven't been able to treat myself but the money in my account (2p) stays there rather than mysteriously vanishing...

mouse glad to hear from you x

I should say, in my own defense, that I work on the assumption that ANY fashion choice can be redeemed with a pair of red Doc Martins with tartan laces.

Inspite of stupid ExP, today I did not drink, - just a bit hormonal, and ranty!

Good day done.low carbs, lots of water,walk/run and no booze!
Here's hoping I can keep at it and see a difference this time!

My lovely, (not as hung-over as he was) DH has spent the evening putting my DPs winter holiday snaps on DVD to music. I am so blessed - but then he thinks he is blessed because his in-laws live abroad!

Where is everyone thins evening? Ma, how you doing - feeling virtuous, and fabulous?

Jumped into 1.5 vinos because I met up with mummy friends who didn't know my DM had died.

Felt so sad tonight and DH was having a well deserved night out with work

On the plus side, only 1.5 glasses rather than 1 bottle +

Small victories.

Oh and I only poured it at 9pm and I'm in bed, not sober enough to drive but sober enough to do everything else.

I will be trying even harder tomorrow.

Night all.

I wish you a non alcohol related great night's kip.

Hold on to those small victories, Trooper, sweet dreams to you.

Hello lovely folk! Your posts have kept me going today. I honestly garner so much strength from here, you keep me shiny.

mouse how are you lovey?

sweet you deserve your new frocks, and yy to the dms!

baby I love your posts, hearing about your day is a treat, I tell ye!

obrigada haud gaun, quine, day 9! Double figures tomorrow!

joey you made me smile with your rhyme, so big bosie to you! Sometimes it's a sair fecht, and folk like you help to make it a little easier.

ma what did your friend say about our useful input? Is he chuffed?

gurl

Today I have not been drinking. Gotta say, I bloody well felt like it from about lunchtime on. Went for a walk with Little instead. I should loan her out, she is the best tonic. She nudges her nose into my hand as we're walking along, simple gesture but it's like a wee come on mam, we can do it. And we can.

I might do the save my wine wonga thing. I know just the thing to save for. I am off to the horse trials in August, 4 days of horse, dog, chippy van chips with gravy and fresh air.

but step away from the Prosecco tent, Wry

Bliss.

I get a big kick out of the ridden Clydesdale class, just standing ringside as they canter by, feeling the ground tremble, love it!

Trooper you are just that. Not a small victory, quite a big one, I'd say. Night night lovey, sweet dreams

Hey gurl! check you oot, Miss Thing! Hope you had a lovely sleep!

Sounds fab Wry, and you deserve it.

Wrote a post lastnight but its disappeared....?

Oh the money...don't get me started on the wasted money...

Lastnight was hard. Having a bottle of wine in the fridge is like having pandoras box and eve's apple tempting me every time I open up to grab the milk or marg!

But I did it. Day 2.

Maybe one day I will have a fully stocked drinks cabinet that I can leave for weeks on end, maybe even with a dusty bottle of something special which lurks at the back for years (ok, getting ahead of myself now, one day at a time!).

Morning All.

Brilliant Alison, you made it. Is the wine in the fridge for a reason? If you can't bring yourself to give or throw it away, could it live somewhere more out of sight?

Day three for me and today I am determined I will not drink. I have lost 1lb, but need to get rid of a few more before I feel comfortable for our holiday in August; I need to take a leaf out of Ma's book.

Bloody cross this morning. No particular reason, just grumpy and fed up, and twitchy (and no sign of my mindfulness book).

Think I am going to need some extra strength today.

obtigada day 10 girlfriend, it's a landmark, as our lovely wry would say gon yersel (you go girl)

alias I loved your rhyme, made me laugh and laughter is an AF gift to ourselves so thank you,

sweet dresses last way longer than wine so you pissed the wine witch right off by showing her who's boss. I'm so sorry about DM and how sad you felt, you did ever so well considering how upset you felt, you did so well and your lovely to say your blessed, appreciating what you have In this life is a gift, being grateful feels way better than ungrateful and resentful so keep that wonderful strength my lovely friend.

guggs you have been so wonderful to me and played a pivotal part of my sobriety, and soon as money goes back in your account I demand you book a facial, your a lovely lovely lady,

ma this downing st do has fair put wind in your sails, your gonna look stunning and it's a huge honour and yo think we actually know you!!! You keep going with the water and walking and you'll have a teeny wee figure and those splendid norks, perfecto xx

wry I love love love your posts, do you ride horses too, I'm taking lessons after 25 years absence and my thighs have fell oot wae me but my head thanks me for the peace among the chaos, when your on horseback you think of nothing but you and your horse and it's very liberating. I'm thinking of taking my 2 cocker spaniels to the beach, your right animals are therapy, as my late gran would say "whatever gets you through the night"

allison give someone nice the wine in a nice bag, make someone's day and get the temptation out of your way, I could never have a bottle in my fridge, not yet anyway so well done but it's a loaded gun, don't shoot.

Phew hope I didn't forget anyone, day 16 and the more time that passes my connection with wine diminishes. It's like the holiday romance, you ache for them when you return home and pledge to see them again but as time goes by the feelings fade, and something better comes along.

Anyway you are all the something better and I can feel the tension in my loved ones lessen everyday, never thought I'd strive to be normal and ordinary but that'll do for me TOMMY,

I luffs you all, enjoy your day xxxc

Baby, you have cocker spaniels ? That's what I want as soon as we move house. Are they working or show types?