The Brave Babes Battle Bus - The Wheels On This Bus Go Around And Around, In Search Of Sobriety.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

This is the brave babes bus, Gerald. He travels far and wide, to wherever he's needed to offer non judgemental support, advice and Opal Fruits!!

We can tell you about the kind of places that can help, your GP can be the first and easiest place to start, or you can look up you local community addiction centre, or even just come onto the thread and let it all out.

There are posters here who have been on the Bus from the start and those who have just joined us

It doesn't matter how long you've been here, the fact that you have taken that first amazing step in acknowledging that maybe, just maybe, things aren't quite right with your drinking is truly MASSIVE!!

This is a safe place for you to just be and to be as honest as you like, or just to talk.

We'll listen

And if you'd like to see our last thread, you can JUST HERE

Plus if you'd like to see where these threads all began, you can read all about that YOU CAN READ THIS VERY EMOTIONAL AND MOVING THREAD

See you soon,

Mouse xxx

Yoo hoo

Why is everyone wearing fitness gear? Ah it's the healthy bus. Do we get a weekly weigh in too?

Think I had better pull my socks up.

I've been missing for a few days, feeling quite strange (missed from this thread not missing in real life ), I think I'm pre menstrual and I always struggle at this time of month.

Anyway don't want to dwell just wanted to say hi and good night. Mwah

Ma, it's good when they find their 'thing', sounds like parents evening was a real tonic (wish I could say the same about ours on Tuesday, .)

Small I'm still trying to work out why it's sticking for me, so far. I am enjoying being about to read and watch complicated stories, Baby, but in my big comfy chair rather than in the bath!

I'm turning in now, so time to do heat pads for Bun and Puss, sleep tight all.

Haha Small your kale smoothie that can't taste of kale made me laugh . As do your multiple dolphins. Which are a lovely visual representation of endorphins too! The rest of your post was simply inspiring. I want to be like you and Sweet in 57 days time! Not sure I will make it at this moment in time, but I love hearing the success stories here. Your post reminds me of Sober is the New Black. Have you read it? It has a then and now structure comparing various life events in her drinking days and sober days. It really made me think, what the hell is alcohol giving me these days?

Ma, so glad your boy is feeling better. He sounds so lovely. If he ever wants a holiday he can come to stay here do you think he might bake for me too? ahem, errr sorry, but he sounds like a dream son. All mine does is trail mud into the house and grunt when I ask him why he never seems to have any homework

Though I did get back from a day in London today to find the kids had bought me a little gift on the way home from school !

In bed now drinking Yogi Ginger Orange tea. It is lovely...

Am joining you on diet and fitness craze tomorrow (roots around in overhead bus lockers and unearths dusty gym bag ready to attempt a Jillian Michaels dvd in the morning)

Hi all, I've nothing to say, I'm just checking in. I'm still here, still sober, still ok. Glad to read everyone's stories. Great news from the parents' evening, ma!

I had a nice evening tonight - DH was out playing sport, and an empty house has always been a huge drinking trigger for me, so I planned nice things (scoffing nothing but delicious garlic roast chicken thighs for dinner, sitting in bed with peach tea and the last two episodes of Wolf Hall on my tablet) and it's been great. DH now back and snoring beside me, and I'm about to join him, and maybe snuggle up to his back a bit.

Fingers crossed I wore DS1 out enough today that he won't arrive between us, with his freezing cold feet, before 7am like he did today...

Morning All.

I actually had a lie-in this morning, I slept until 7am!

Hope, I've not read the book, but I have read bits of the Sober is the New Black Blog, and agree the then and now structure is really revealing. I haven't yet found a ginger tea that I like yet (and I love ginger in every other form), but ginger and orange sounds interesting. You can do it. It really is just putting one day after another. That makes it sound easy, it's not, I OBSESSED about not drinking for all of January, and it took all of my energy. But it is worth it. I've come to realise that not drinking is about really valuing myself, my time, my health. Give it a go, Hope, you are worth it.

Sober, sounds like a lovely evening, hope you got a lie-in too.

I need to go and get dressed, my gate arrives this morning, and I don't want to open the door in my pyjamas ("Sweet why is there a door in your pyjamas?" - I know!).

Have a good day all, swing by and say hello, even if that's all you've got to say. See you later, Babes.

Hello baby, Ruby. Missed you both last night x How many days for you now baby? You sound great! Feeling panicked today but getting up and carrying on.... Off to drag ds out of his pit before he makes dd late for school and causes a row. Again! (shades of Groundhog Day here). Morning to you sober, and well done x

I just made a very serious commitment to staying AF - by ordering 150 Peppermint TeaPigs and 100 Superfruit! I actually started to get twitchy that I might run out - and though I can get them locally, they are only small (more expensive) boxes. It is also having a positive effect on DH who is drinking them rather than glasses of milk.

Another positive (do you get that the sun might be shining here?) is that next Tuesday is glass collection day and our box is only 1/3 full, and most of that is cordial bottles.

Well, this week is ending on a good note.

Gate is in - I can shut up about it now and just use it! I got a call to say my green house arrives on March 11th (cue DH groaning at the prospect of having to put it up). The sun is shining and I went to the garden centre and bought new plants and manure (you would not believe quite how bloody ecstatic that makes me - and it was half price!).

Wish I could come and wave a magic wand for all the babes who are having a tough time.

Hi babes,

looking did you try the dr bachs rescue remedy??? If not please do, it's really helpful with the panic thing. As I said before my friend suffers neurological migraines and it triggers numbness and slurry speech with bright lights and loud noise so she gets very anxious when we go out together. She tried mine and said it really helped her with that horrible edgy feeling she gets so I think it will help you, make that your Friday carry out!!!! Good luck lovely lady...xxx

I'm doing great, only downside is SW is upsetting my crohn's so I've been running to the loo here, there and everywhere. Normally I become housebound and scared to go out Incase I don't make it but after all I've been through with my fight against depression and the booze, I'm not giving In and hope the change of diet will settle soon, it's so frustrating, I love fruit, veg, soups etc but they don't love me and cos my bowel to spasm and lots of bottom bleeding and piles that are so vast they need there own bloody postcode (sorry TMI). Anyway the sun is shining and I will not be drinking this weekend so on the whole life is good (15 days sober). Xxxxx

Hello my darling Babes!

TGIfF!!!

Fox my dd2 said the same thing about dolphins when she was little and to this day, that is what we call endorphins!!

baby Thank you! I am starting to see improvements but of course at the same time what still needs to change short of dominates! DD2 said I'm turning into a Butt-bank Motivation!

Sweet I imagine you as one of those ladies in wellies; gardening gloves; hat and pottering about!

Things are ok-ish here. Had a proper meltdown this week. Did I tell you guys already? Sorry to repeat if yes.
Anyway. Lovely friend mothered me and fed me and that made all the difference.

I had another haha moment, this week.

I love the women in my life (including you Babes, of course) so much that I cannot bear to disappoint you all.
I realised I didn't walk away from builder only because of my morals. I honestly feel it would kill me if the woman in my life would drop me.

Getting together with friends tonight. I'll be driving home so no chance of drinking. That said, I did have a glass on Tuesday night when I had a meltdown and last night when I got home at 9pm.

No binging yet.

'see' you Babes tomorrow!

xxx

Baby at piles with their own postcode! You sound so positive in spite of everything, and at 15 days you must be really feeling the benefits.

Mama, is that you Khalisi? Did I miss a name change? I don't think you did tell us about your melt down - but I was a bit away with the fairies this week, so I may have missed it. You're ok now?

I hate to disappoint your image of the genteel lady gardener though. I never wear gloves - I need to feel the soil and most of it is under my nails right now! As I speak, I have just come in from lugging bags of horse shit out of the car, so I am particularly grubby - and wellies are of the strictly functional green variety . But I have had a great day in the sunshine, re-potting last years oriental lily bulbs, so I will have glorious, highly scented flowers in June.

OMG!!!
I totally missed the name change!
No, I'm back.
boo hoo!

Khalisi.

Back from my shower nice and clean now. I would rather be staying home tonight, but we are out for the evening. I know it will be fun once we're there, but the effort of going out is so tiring.

Sweet I hear you. I need to go to the gym tonight, having not been for a week due to AA meetings and rotten cold, and I do. Not. Want. To. So. There. But I'll drag myself out, I expect, and feel better for it later.

Sober you'll be glad you did (says the woman who hasn't been to the gym in six months!)

Thank you hope .he's a strange child, a square peg in a round hole but very loving. He can be a right wee toerag at times though!

I went to the gym. It sucked. I have been away from it for a week, during which time I have apparently become utterly incapable of running. Had to retreat in shame to the cross trainer, then the bike.

I mean I still did my hour's workout and everything like I planned, but I'm disappointed. I needed a nice, head clearing run and it was NOT forthcoming. I am GRUMPY therefore.

Feeling quite sad in general. Feeling rather exhausted, and fed up of feeling that everything in life is a fight atm. Actually had a really good day with the DC, and had more fun with them than I sometimes do, but still couldn't wait for their bedtime.

I don't feel at risk of drinking atm, I'm just fed up, but I do feel as if the one thing I'd like to do right now is put alcohol out of my mind and never think about it ever again
Finding it hard to imagine ever being able to do that, though, and it would be dangerous. If I ignore the WW she'll just get cross and redouble her efforts to get me back, surely? I can't let my guard down. Not yet anyway.

Sorry for being all self centred and moany. I needed to vent, wise and noble Babes. Thanks for letting me.

Morning All,

Sober, I'm sorry you didn't get the gym session you wanted, but you're still recovering, and the first one back is always tough. Being AF dies get easier, I promise, WW will get quieter, I wasn't convinced it would happen, and it may take a few goes, but the sober life is not as difficult or weird as it seems at the moment.

Ma at primary school, I was always being called in to be told DS was an unhappy little boy, he didn't fit, and it would be a problem for him as he grew up (, seriously, they were practically telling me my son would grow up to be the quiet psychopath next door). When he left that school, we discovered most of the 'problems' were the school not him. Since then he has also moved secondary school after one year, and all of the rest of his issues have gradually melted away. I don't see that he has changed, he has just found his place in a good group of friends. He can also be a 'wee toe rag', but he is just about the right side of eccentric, and though his teachers would like him to work harder, they all agree that they like him, and appreciate him. They find their place eventually (but it doesn't stop us worrying!).

So DH and I went out last night, and I am having to reassess how unwell I really am. The band were great, really really much better than what we paid to see them. But, I found the social situation too much for me. Part of it was that there were lots of new people I was being introduced to, and that got more difficult as they got more pissed and I couldn't relax into the silliness. I did have a 'bop' - by reminding myself that however daft I looked, they would not remember in the morning. But I mostly felt shy and awkward and clamped a smile onto my face so hard that this morning I still have a headache from clenching my teeth.

Anyway, hope everyone has a good Saturday, see you later.

Thanks Sweet. I'm sure it's just a question of hanging on in there, but sometimes I just don't WANT to!

Your night out sounds like hell on earth well done for making the best of it,and sticking it out all evening. I'd have hated it too.

Good morning, Babes!

Sober What counts is that you went to the gym. Your body is still detoxing. I know alcohol is supposed to be out of the system after three days. But the effects of alcohol on the body, especially such high quantities in a short time do to longer take to get over.
Don't be discouraged that you went. Nothing wrong with the bicycle. As a runner I know very well how your disappointment feels but really, babe, main thing is you got out there.

Sweet Gosh, your night out sounds like hard work. I fucking hate nights like those. Actually, I've realised that I am more often than not avoiding the huge drunk crowds. Just too easy for me to get pissed.

I had a lovely time last night. It was a belated birthday dinner and it was delicious! One friend cooked and the other baked me a cake!
And the present is a very generous gift voucher I can use to buy new running things!
But the bestest thing about it was that no alcohol served! My friend who was in hospital a while back also came and since I had to drive, it was easy to just not even have that first glass. Then no one drank (and I know it was in silent support of our friend) but it was of course great for me too!

Checking in. Hardly worthy of even being in the sidecar these days so well done to all the sober exercisers. Bought sparkly shoes for the big do. Don't do heels and girly stuff so will probably fall flat on my arse. Dh and I back to pretending everything is fine. I didn't have the balls to see it through. Sorry.

Ma you don't have to apologise to us, we are here to support you in whatever you decide to do. It's enough for now that you know what you want and are starting to look into it for some future time. We never know what lies around the corner, anything could change and you have so much to deal with right now. If staying put takes away one less stress for now, then so be it. (Don't feel you have to sleep with him though, just tell him you don't want to. End of. If he doesn't like, tough shit, what is he going to do, leave?)

I've got a big bash to go to next week so am off out in a minute to buy some 'suck it all in and hold it all in' underwear. The poor woman's liposuction

Faire!!!
OMG! I've never tried them because I'm so scared they'd tear and my bits would literally be all over the place!!!

Ma Please don't apologise. Rome wasn't built in a day. As Faire says, we are not here to judge.
I'm kind of girly. Growing up my best friend was a transvestite. This meant heels, heels, heels!!! And many pretty dresses!
So, as a secret transie (as my friend used to call me), my advice is practice, practice, practice!
Even if you feel silly waltzing around the house in your new darlings (yes, I have a shoe tick too!).
So, put dem on, suck the tummy in, throw the shoulders back, push the chin and tits out and 'float'!
Wish I could come over and play dress up with you!

khalisi I just can't do heels. I look like a very ugly tranvestite lol. The shoes are pretty though. Sparkly and strappy and a bargain price in the Debenhams sale! Would be happier in trainers though. Just have to practice staggering about

Oh my! Just seen a fabulous hunk of manhood called Carlo del Fava, currently commentating on BBC Sport Scotland v Italy.
Oh boy, he is HOT!