The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Driving Through A Sober Winter Wonderland.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome to the Bus, he's called Gerald.... he takes us up and down and this wondrous land, searching high and low for Babes in need of some support, a warm place to sit and chat, and to have someone to listen to them.

So, grab a seat as we swing by your way. There's lots of hot drinks, food and fleeces, places to just be and places to sit around and chat if that's what you want.

We don't judge, because we've all be in your shoes, be they stilettos, wellies or crocs!...

We're just us, we're just honest and we just do what we can to help, if we can, when we can. Let's try and have a Merry Christmas without getting off our faces this year.

Here is the very first, emotional thread if you would like to see where this all started

And the last thread if you want to keep up!

Hope it goes as well as it can today hope. At least by this evening it will be over and that is one hurdle faced. Whatever happens, come and let us know. You don't want to start the week looking at the bottom of a bottle do you? Will be thinking of you today, my lovely. What time is your interview?

x

Hope everything goes ok for you today Looking xx

I have managed my first AF weekend in ages, it was long and boring but hey ho a hangover wouldn't have helped.

good luck hope

indie read this today and thought of you:

"I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded: not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, patching up, and slipping away into unannounced in the middle of the night."

I like that ma.

Obrigada the first week is the slowest, once the days mount up, they go so much faster. I think it's because, after a while, you stop thinking about it.

I remember the first time I got to the end of the day and realised I hadn't thought about having a drink all day. Cheered me up no end

Well, interview over with. Should know this week. Not going to think about it again until then.

(discards interview suit, dons pyjamas and goes back to nailing Xmas wreaths around the bus and icing mInce pies)

Well done hope.

Oops, MINCE pie!!

Mice pie? Errr... Is that a Bus specialty?

looking glad it's over - good idea not to think about it any more!

My anxiety is getting silly now. I want to revert to old habits. Drink tonight, dulls the worries; and a hangover / lack of sleep would be a good excuse to call in sick to work tomorrow.

But I've reached 8 weeks and not going to quit now. I feel sick though.

isinde thanks for your kind words and for posting in the midst of your own troubles. It sounds really hard with your sister, hope you manage to work something out

isinde I'm so sorry to hear about your dm, it's a bloody awful and unfair disease. I spoke to my boys last week about my best friend dying of cancer, they had known for a long time she was poorly though so it gave us some base to have the talk from. I found Winston's wish and Macmillan helpful in how to word things if that helps any. The resounding advice I found was to be as honest as is age appropriate, don't flower anything as they don't understand euphemisms. It's really bloody hard however you word it, my thoughts are with you.

Hey, don't do yourself down, a few weeks ago I wouldn't have told a soul (even under an assumed username on t'internet) about my drinking so each one of you here sharing your story is a success story to me.

Hello:)have read your threads,never posted before but this last week I have drunk far too much:( I tend to do so when I am on my own, I live with family and they been away-so off I went and bought lots of my favourite wine. I always feel rubbish the next morning, I can go for weeks without but once I start that's it for a week or so. Going to stop today - the pennies just aren't there, thank you for listening:) will keep reading thread :)

:) I am hoping to stop altogether at some point, simply cause I just won't be able to afford it once I am living on my own. I think the triggers are loneliness, I have three dcs and although living with family I left my husband last year - long marriage, he was a bully and ea, I relied a lot on alcohol during the really bad times. Having a glass(bottle) of wine is something for me once the children have gone to bed, if that makes any sense. Will keep reading and posting, thank you:)

Welcome eeyore and well done for being brave and posting!

isinde thanks for last night, I hope you're okay this morning?

I can't stop worrying about work, despite industrial levels of Kalms/seroxat/rescue remedy. I have a meeting this morning, and know my boss is going to bring up again that I haven't finished my jobs. DH asked me why I haven't done the work, and there is no reason except I'm slow, lazy, careful, over cautious...

welcome eeyore - my favourite WtP character.
You will find unconditional support and lots of love on this bus. Lots of silliness too as its how we cope with hard times and alcohol abuse but post away any time you like.
popcorn how ya doin?
joey you rock sista!
beaches spanna obrigada - how are you all?
rural you ok? Still with the wankbadger? ooh, and how are you hope, speaking of wankbadgers.

indie my poor hurting indie...a bus load of nutters has your back, doll!

I am tired through lack of sleep and worried sick about my job. But on we go. DD1 home tonight from Spain so belated birthday celebrations(it was yesterday) and smiley faces firmly stuck in place.

sorry for my last, whining post. Meeting over - not as bad as I feared (still not nice but I got through it without drinking bursting into tears)

Thanks ma yeah 8 weeks is amazing and I feel like I want to quit forever. But. I do want to have some now and then. I like the idea of it, the image of a Bucks Fizz on Christmas morning or my brother-in-law pouring one of his special G&Ts. but I know I can't stick to 'just one'

PS. can't believe I admitted last night that I used to deliberately give myself a hangover/bad night so that I could call in sick to work!

any more information about your job ma ? and any more emails...?

Morning babes, Day 10 here

Isinde sorry to hear about your mother xx

Waves to all the babes and wish you all strength needed to get through today xx

Hey Babes. Working from home today and about to nip out on lunch to send care packages of crisps and mars bars and Xmas puddings to overseas pals, so thought I'd look in on you lot and drop off a load of Stollen and gingerbread (from Lidl, but sooo good!)

Isinde - I understand your disbelief. My lovely mum had pancreatic cancer, her decline was rapid after diagnosis. DS was five at the time and very close to her (dd was not quite two so doesn't remember her). I was honest without doing 'detail' and he cried but then got over it quickly, kids are very resilient. Actually I had to hide my hurt that he got over her so fast, knowing how much she loved him but at the same time of course knowing that it was far better that he wasn't upset as could not wish that on him, plus I couldn't have coped, my response was a bit childish tbh. Its just how kids are and he is a very pragmatic sort, but he still has toys she gave him when he was little that he won't throw out because they were from her.They process it in their own way. You concentrate on taking care of YOU, lovely babe. And take all the help you can. We are always here for you (though you may get caught in the middle of a food fight or get tangled in silly string)

Also bless you for the offer of advice on the job situation, even in the midst of your own troubles you can find it in you to be kind and thoughtful. (I may take you up on it later when I know what's happening as our HR department are awful, but you can always tell me to bugger off if it is a bad time)

Eeyore - welcome. It's nice to have you here. Please feel free to share, not share, vent or just sit and listen. Please have some Stollen and Mince Pies! You sound like you have been very brave coming out of a tough marriage and coping as a single mum. Stick with us!

Ma sorry about your job woes. When will you know something?? (by the way you never replied when I asked if Distracted Chap was Barack Obama?? If he is, then perhaps he can pull a few strings for you?)

Joey - Anxiety is awful, I am on Citalopram for it, which helps. Don't want to be glib and suggest a 'gimmick' but there is a phone app called 'Destressify' which is free (on Android, not sure about windows or i-phone) which I find quite useful to read when I feel that sick feeling in my stomach and need to DO something so I don't reach for a drink.

Hope you are feeling better today though babe, now your meeting is out of the way. Eight weeks is totally amazing, and I hereby hand you the Smock of Smug ( brushes mince pie crumbs off the smock and hands it over)

Popcorn, Obrigada, Faire - hello lovely ladies. And sorry to anyone I have missed

Beaches, Mouse, Soc, Spanna, Rural, Baby, Anne and co - if you are lurking please come out and say hello

Right, off out in the rain now !!! See you later

alias and hope - nope, not Barack Obama!
emails you ask? What, like "Remember a small person thousands of miles away is thinking of you" or somesuch? Actually, it doesn't help, just makes it worse

job wise have just pressed send on the funding application....feeling pretty shit but it doesn't help I'm not sleeping because of these bastard hot flushes all night.

Thanks looking