The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Kicking The Wicked Wine Witch Where It Hurts! Mwahahahahahahaha!

[Mouseface]

Hey, I'm Mouse, welcome to the Bus (aka Gerald!)

We're a mixed bunch of folk, some have been here for a while, and of course we have some new additions too. It matters not one jot how long you travel with us, as long as you get something from it.

No matter your story, your needs, your fears and hopes, you CAN come on here and talk. You can cry, scream, rant, let it all out and not be judged for anything. Ever.

We've all been so very low, some have hit the very bottom of the rock, rubbed the bruising better and picked ourselves back up again but sometimes, you need a helping hand or someone to listen too.....which is why we're here, sharing our experiences, or just reading each other's and nodding as we click along.....

The support here is unconditional. :)

There are two banners down each side of Gerald, our super duper Bus saying -

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

We have lots of food on board, but mainly Opal fruits!!! They tend to be anything other than green, as they get snapped up vair fast indeed!

If you would like to know a bit more about how we got to where we are today, you can read these threads.

THE PREVIOUS THREAD

THE START OF THE JOURNEY

Hope to see you soon :) x

Boo! just helping you cure your phobias with a bit of aversion therapy - I love spiders! (grabs some opal fruits and hides under seat to avoid the stampede )

Hi obrigada! How are you lovey?

faith the sideys. The lovely sideys. Those eyes. Those sinewy arms. But he is a bit twelve year oldy. I'm not that sure he'd be right comfy in the company of a middle-aged, slightly slavering and mildly desperate woman. Grand pair o lungs, yep, been described that way on occasion

ma. Emails you say? Declarations you say? have you been a bit distracted today, perchance? Glad your Richard has such a positive message of hope for us all. Flamin amazing, and an inspiration. We must never give up. Have that WW! Go and sit in the lovely community garden he made and have a good long think about what you've done.

guggs I hope the Hallowe'en sweetie packet helps you. Persevere through the early days and you will come smiling through the other side, xx

A man has just won Best In Show. With a tarantula. Not a Labrador.

And a scientist just fucking lied. He said spiders don't crawl on your face or body in the night because they know what you are. Well that's shit mr scientist. I personally have woken up with a spider on my face and one bit my foot in the bed.

Your pants are on fire mr man.

I have been a lot better with spiders since reading Aaaaaargh Spider, hope.

I am aware it is a book for small children, but it should be on prescription for arachnophobes everywhere.

Oh dear god, now it's spider wars. Whoulda thought the daddy long leg spider would be the hard man of the spider world. it's just taken on a massive house spider.

joey they don't look as satisfyingly greasy as Aitkens but I'm sure they'll be damn fine! What an ace shop! Are there tears being crocheted into your cushion covers? I would offer to help but I can only do really thin, slightly uneven scarves on big needles. Loveloveloved your how to cope post, and I totally get the 'feart of failing' thing. Me too. xx

hope tell all about the hair and the car,

I am on a roll. I'm going to watch The Swarm after this. Bzzzz.

I am not cured. I am still scared.

They put the spiders back apparently. There'll be eggs all over that house. Hatching.

needs to know where the Spider House lives so I don't buy it with my Lottery win one day

crabby. I found a bouncer for my door should he come knocking.

He's saying "Oi. No!" or something else suitably one fingered.

Fully aware I'm posting A Lot but it's been a rough day and I am trying very hard not to succumb to the wee bottle of wine earmarked for tomorrow's mushrooms on toast.

Hello BigJim how are you? Are you settling in nicely? I just wanted to say how much I loved your post, you must come back! We are in the same boat/on same bus as it were. No judging, just support. On the good days, and the not so good days and also on the oh god did I really just do that? days. Bloody comfy this bus. xx

I'm fine thanks joey

Soc how goes it down under?

Wry posting is a great way to stave off the ww. You are very brave to watch spider house. Not for me, I can't even face that picture - no more please babes, that's enough aversion therapy for now x

Faire, sorry for bleating on. Bad day today, one of my favourite colleagues handed in her notice today, it was a real blow, I think she just burnt herself out.

Sorry for the posts. I used to internalise everything, now I seem to share my misery..

And the final drawing pin in today's balloon for me was a delay in my menopause management appointment. I have waited so long for it, and it's just been delayed for another 3 months. Due to staff shortages. We need more support, more funding, more staff. And definitely some more support. I am not managing my menopause very well at the moment. mainly because my body keeps changing it's mind. My hormones are in a state of flux. My mooncup was almost retired. I was almost there.

I can understand why people inject their ass fat into their faces. My cheeks have fallen down and my skin has lost it's dewy glow. A bit of cellulite would perk my face right up. I've never had dimples. I would quite like dimples. Even ass ones.

Little had the time of her life today. Playing with an empty croissant packet. The crinkling noise sent her into a frenzy of wagging and pouncing. Dr Roger Mugford - you can keep your Kongs and Wubbas and Dog Mazes. Tesco Finest croissant packets. Kept mine active and entertained for an hour and a half.

Wry what a fabulous picture! I hope that that crab's gesture is exactly the one you are aiming at the twatwanker's departing back! Sorry you're struggling today. Have a big CrabbyCwtch from me.

Thank you for the greetings 70, Guggs and Joey. Joey good analysis of triggers there. Anxiety is a huge one for me too. It's so exhausting keeping a lid on it that by the end of the day I just want to be able to unclench and let go - always associated with a glass or three of wine in my head.

Mooooooornnnnnninngggg !!!!! Day 18 - whoop whoop !
Joey. I personally found daysx11-16 really hard - stick with it - I think this is a tough time of year to go AF
Wry. You are funny - well done for posting to bat the WW away - good strategy. - Thosecspiders though - gah !!!!!
Faire. You always have lovely relevant words - good to see you.
Ma fab news about your brother xxxx
looking I have an aversion to josh holloway - please post lots of pictures for my aversion therapy ;)
Crabby. Good morning - glad you still posting. hope your out there BigJim jump on board !!!
To everyone else Mouse, soc, Isinde etc. Hope all good and peaceful in your lives.
Wry. I didn't play yesterday - I just watched - I too am über competitive - hopefully using that Niw to be as AF for the longest - feel I have some way to go to beat Faire and. Venus.
Going yo get up now and weigh myself - 18 days no wine - surely I have list some weight ??????

Morning babes, still here, still sober, have been reading but so mad busy doing mum stuff haven't posted much. I'll be back so catch up later, luffs you all and wry your doing great xxx

morning

day 3,feeling a little happier

70 that is wonderful : )
baby how many days? YAY!

No,no I WILL not watch spiderhouse. NEVER. and they don't go on faces no,no noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

And do NOT start on the FRENCH spiders,as if the blighty variety weren't bad enough. Gulp!

hope!!!
if you do a spidery thing like that again I will set Barrie on you. I nearly screamed, which seeing as I am in work with only lovely boss in the office would scared the living daylights out of him.

drink wise, I am not even fit to be in the sidecar at the mo...

Hello Babes ! I think I have the Boing!

Boing Boing Boing!!

wry Aitkens don't deliver it doesn't seem worth me driving all the way just to stuff my face with rowies

babyj good to hear from you

'Lo there joey, good to see you boinging!

Wry post away, my lovely. Ramble, vent, talk to us, talk to yourself, whatever. We are here for you, always. It's better than talking to the bottom of a bottle x

Hi new and drink too much white wine, think about it all day in fact til am drinking it.., ok, realise I need help, been using it to escape life pressures

Hello Babes - good to see people just keeping on keeping on.

I have to correct 70hours post in 2 ways. First to be entirely honest and say that I am not completely alcohol free. My stock phrase is "I don't really drink much these days", which is correct, both in terms of the number of times I drink (very rarely) and the amount I drink (tiny amounts). However I will on occasion have a drink. And I tell you it is never good. The first sip is horrid and sour and makes my face screw up. The second sip is intoxicating. Just as it was when I was a young teenager. And every time, the intoxicating witch grabs me and whispers 'more, more'. I pretty much whack her in the face and tell her to piss off, but after any event like that I still hear the echo for several days.... just a little one Venus, one small glass would be ok, Venus.... oh venus, wouldn't you like that little lightheaded feeling? just for a moment? most people do

And the second correction is that one day at a time means that each day is judged on each day, and whoever got up earliest this morning is the one who wins the prize for being sober the longest - so you don't have to beat me, or JWN (and how the hell is she doing??), or faire, you just have to set your alarm and get up early. Simples.

Of course that's not to deny the amazing feat that it is to put a day, and another day, and another day together, r maybe even a week and another week..... but rather to emphasise that whatever YOU do that is good, is good.

Hi wardrobe glad you found this thread :). - I am 18 days sober :) - but was/am like you - you have done the best thing by posting - I don't know if I am great with advice and there are much better posters on here than me. however general advice is one day at a time - :).

thanks Venus. - can you advise wardrobe

wry sorry I boinged right over you in my excitement. Sorry you've had such a rough day - how are you doing? Do you have any coping strategies?

Re. Menopause, I have tried Sage and it really seemed to help. (Although it might have been a coincidence, as the symptoms come and go...) might be worth a try?

Can you get htr or do you need to get tests first?

Thanks 70, well done to you too! So, any tips?

Get yourself some alternative drinks - loads of lovely things to eat and things to do in the evening (reading a book, watching netflix a etc). I googled liver disease and scared myself sober -
Keep on mind the benefits - weight loss, better skin, better sleep, no hangovers, no feeling like crap in the morning. Go and read the very first thread on here - really useful in the first few days and really motivating. The Alan Carr book - Easyway to control alcohol also very good to read when starting to get sober -

Morning babes

Sorry I'v been absent. I'm still AF. Not sure of the number of days though. But around 5.5 months. Day to day I barely think about it, but every now and then it creeps up on me and WW still whispers in my ear about all the fun I'm missing out on and why don't I try controlled drinking etc. It's a bad time of the year. Everyone is having fun and in my hyper viligent state it all seems to revolve around wine. But then when I watch carefully, normal drinkers only have 2-3 glasses of wine. I've never, ever done that. So I'm not really missing out on much. I have to keep this clarity in my head. I have to also remember what my life was like and it really wasn't that great. In fact it was quite bad. Sometimes I force myself to remember those awful moments and that keeps me determined never to go back. So although I still have pangs of wanting to have wine, it's totally and utterly misguided. It really is the addiction talking to me and not what I want or need.

So all fine. I have this thought in my head of just making it sober through to the 1st january and then it will get easier. It will be, because it's always a manic lead up to Christmas with end of year lunches and drinks and everyone enjoying the warm weather again.

I'm still 100% happier and stronger without wine. Those first awful days and weeks of wondering how to get through 1 day and then OMG a Friday without alcohol are well and truly a thing of the past. I am mostly just cruising through life not thinking about wine. It just pops up and of course this forum is about that so I write about that.

My kids are sooooooo much happier and my relationship with them has improved tenfold. That's a pretty big thing.

Anyway, love to you all and welcome to new babes. Sorry to not NC.
Soc xx