The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Soaking Up The Warm Sunshine, Instead Of The Warm White Wine!

[Mouseface]

Hi, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to The Brave Babes Battle Bus.

A place for pouring out your heart without being judged, mostly because a lot of us have been exactly where you are right now, or somewhere similar.

We've been around for a while, so there's not much that we've not seen..... or heard.... or been through ourselves.

Some of the Babes are newer to the Bus, some of the Babes have been here on dear old "Gerald" (The name this Bus was given by one of the Babes, I forget who now!I suspect IsinDe or Silver) for a little while longer!

EVERYONE is welcome here. Drinkers, those who are complete non drinkers, and those who are somewhere in the middle of all of the above. :)

Some Babes are in control of their drinking, some not so much. It's dreadfully hard some days, days when there is nothing going around your head except thinking that you MUST have a drink and you sit there trying to work out when, what time you can have that first mouthful of ice cold poison.

Whatever your goal here, or why you're here, we'll all help you along the way, YOUR WAY.

There will be one of us on here that can relate to your life story as if it were a mirror they were looking at, someone to hold your hand if you want it, catch you if you fall, which you may or may not. Positive thinking, just One Day At A Time.

No one Babe is better than any other, we've all been addicts. We've all suffered, yes some more than others but it's not a competition (and no-one gets turned away) but if you rack up shed loads of sober days, you will be a winner on the thread!!

So, if you want somewhere safe to sit and enjoy the warming summer sun, come find a seat, have a chat or just sit and listen to the rest of us yakking on!!

Nice to meet you :) all.

Also, here is the latest thread -

THE LATEST THREAD WE'VE SHARED OUR STORIES AND EXPERIENCES ON

And this is the very first thread -

AND THIS THREAD, THIS THREAD IS EXTREMELY SPECIAL BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE JOURNEY STARTED, AND HAS SINCE EVOLVED OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS

Hope to chat soon, Mousey x

Evening all! Day 1 done. I've eaten enough food to feed a small army but have drunk no wine.

Thank you for my welcomes...it's getting nicely boisterous on board now! I think part of my shyness in this area comes from the fact that when I say I am worried by my drinking people tend to laugh, because I don't slosh gin on my cornflakes. But it's the WHY I drink that makes me anxious. To make things interesting. To put me on a parr with other fabulous people leading fabulous lives. Sooo silly but so useful to write it down like this!

Ooh no drinks here either though!

Well done duck!

Well done duck and nomore
Day 1 yet again for me! When will I ever learn????

Good morning babes,

wry god I've missed you girl!!!!

Infact I've missed all of you, it's been a bumpy few weeks but utterly relieved to be home and back on our wonderful bus.

Love and hugs to all xxxx

Hi baby, got any plans for the day? I'm going to clear out the study, something I should have done a long time ago but can't put off any more.

duck keep mulling it over here, it does help. Sometimes we never work out why, we just work out what we have to do to put ourselves in a happier place. It's different for everyone.

Hey baby good to see you again.
Putting out a call for that nutter indie......

Good morning lovely Babes. has anyone got a recipe for sautéed mog? our youngest decided to defend the flat from imaginary monsters from about 2 this morning
She curled up & went to sleep with a very smug look on her face, just as I was about to head out for work. Harrumph.
Onwards & upwards though.... I'm reading an autobiography of Rob Lowe which is really engaging, making me actually want to read rather that get stooshied.
Have a great day Babes, whatever you are up to x

Hey starburst. Love moggies but they can be a total pain at times!
I am feeling virtuous as have been swimming and managed 20 lengths, fnar, fnar...Took me nearly all bloody morning but got there in the end.

Hello lovely lovely Brave Babes! Currently in Spain flying back today, had to check out @ 11am but flight not until 00.45 not a lot of sun today so our plan of 'beaching it' all day is totally out the window! Much hanging around to do I'm counting to 10 a lot and breathe!
Anyhooo! Just worked out my login so thought I'd post! (And worked out how to connect to tinter web for free)
Fox so glad you're back honey! Missed you loads! Wry darling so so so good to have you back lady. Pup sounds gorge
I have managed to stay AF to date. Never ever done a holiday AF quite proud although been highly tempted on many days but resisted with AF beer (Damm being my fave must look for it when I get home) I love this bus & everyone that rides on him! Ma great swim this morning, well done babe, who cares how long it takes, you did it I'm going to post this now for fear of losing it Mwah to every one of you xxxxx back in a bit

Promise I will be back later for a proper natter. Thought I'd get a few mins just now but just had an extra added so I'm off to make them comfy, oh man, it's great to be back on the sidecar bus!
There's no place like home. Click. Click. Click. (No ruby slippers, just me toffelns)

Nuff amazing results for Dd, you must be so proud I'm chuffed for you
Wry you are twinkle toes whatever you're wearing on your tootsies
Welcome lovely new babes (sorry I'm on me phone & if I scroll back I tend to lose everything
Currently guzzling Damm AF larger so yummy!!! Mind you makes me burp like a pig. Anyone read any Nora Roberts? Picked up the Chase omg can't put it down and it's scaring me shitless
Joey I hope your heads feeling better lovely x enjoy your break x
I'm looking forward to getting back to my own bed I've been sharing with Dd2 for a week, she sleeps like a starfish and I woke to her having fits of giggles in her sleep last night, bless her!
Baby good to see you honey, how was your break in Italia?
Right back to me harrowing book because now I've started I have to know what happens....
Hope everyone's having a good day so far xxxx

Hi there! Is there room for a little one? i just stumbled across these threads and they are amazing! Reading all this is helping me to admit to myself what i've put off admitting for about 4 years now - i drink too much all the time, i drink every evening usually from about 6pm steadily until bed time - its controlled, steady and out in the open but i reckon its a bottle a night easily and it worries me. I feel anxious and really fancy it all day waiting for 6pm to come around. I feel like because no-one's said anything about it to me i must be ok and maybe its not really a problem ....This is complicated further by my dads premature death in February from you guessed it... alcoholism :( the stupid thing is sometimes a drink is the only thing that makes you feel better and its become a bigger crutch in my grief

A warm welcome Hermit I'm sorry to hear about your dad you've come to the right place, you'll get loads of support here. Ok are you planning to drink tonight? Could u make this an AF evening? Get some yummy treats just for you, sweet loveliness to eat & some yummy fizzy AF drinks to slurp on. Go out on a spree just for you. Can u cook yourself your favourite meal as a special treat. Some ideas to start. Distraction is your best option. Go out for a walk at witching hour, force yourself if u have to. Do u have a good book to get your nose into. Good luck and keep posting

Hi spanna thanks for your welcome and kind words!
well the wine is currently chilling in the fridge but now i've started this i'm gonna try make this my first AF evening since i don't know when! we have family coming over tonight for dinner so not an ideal start but i'm gonna try!
:)

Hermit why not start with a large glass of something non alcohol and see how u go. Are your family big drinkers mine are it's always hard when u associate people with drinking. I've had to re-train my brain especially with my besties who I've tended to have mass piss ups with. In time u can start to tell people that you're 'knocking it on the head for a bit' u can use giving your liver a break, u could target yourself a month with no booze etc. whatever u do just take one tiny step at a time. Have a lovely evening and above all be kind to yourself

WRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Sooooo happy to have you back, I have missed you so much! Dying to hear all about what you've been up to and about Lifebelt Lab. Any chance of a wee doggie picture? Pleaaaase? (Ma that's not Dogging, stop sniggering at the back there)

I will just about forgive you for staying away dear friend. Funny isn't it, I sometimes feel I should stay away if I drink (letting the bus down) or if I am sober (boring on with my chatter, while people are dealing with their drink issues and feeling like a fraud). When really it doesn't matter - drunk, sober, moderating, hanging on for dear life or coasting - we are all Brave Babes, and everyone is welcome always!

Speaking of which, welcome Hermit. Good to have you join us and sorry about your dad. I must admit my drinking really spiralled out of control when I lost my mum. I got no support from WB and the family and just couldn't cope with the grief in any other way. But then of course it just surfaces later if you don't process it. So feel free to chat away here about anything that bothers you. We are not psychologists (well, some of us might be, have no idea but I'm not!) or counsellors, but there is always a sympathetic ear and a packet of Opal Fruits, and nothing shocks us. Good luck with your AF evening tonight - let us know how you get on.

Welcome also to Duck and NoMore. Hope you are settling in. How's today been?

Baby welcome back! How are you my lovely? What you been up to?

Faire - is your study sparkling yet? I hate tidying, I'm really bad at it. I just move stuff from one place to another. Recently bought a book called The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up but didn't get past the first chapter as it all seemed such a faff.... and you have to throw stuff away and I am a bit of a hoarder. Yeah, like I will really fit into those size 8 jeans again

Starburst respect to your cat. You may be suffering sleep deprivation but at least you are free of imaginary monsters

Spanna - am in awe of the AF holiday. I drank a lot of beer on mine, and suffering now as put on a lot of weight. Been AF since returning from holiday but have been eating rather a lot of chocolate so it's not shifting... Anyway, good to have you back too. This bus has been like the Marie Celeste...

After a promising start to the week have not exercised today or yesterday and am off to make a sausage casserole now. Had a very healthy lunch though! (well done on the swim Ma, feeling guilty now! And again, sausage is a perfectly normal word, stop it! I saw that smirk. Honestly, it's like being in primary school.)

However I have big news... today I set up my own Limited Company (with thanks to Venus for the advice.) Bit shocked at the accountants monthly fees, but just more incentive to earn enough to justify them. Wish me luck babes, I'm on my way, flying solo into self-employment.

Ooh, with that I need a little lie down, feeling a bit scared and faint now....

Hope my darling, firstly congrats on finally getting your VR thank Gawd for that. And a huge huge congrats on setting up your Ltd company, it all makes it very real, doesn't it? You will fly my lovely. I have no doubt at all. You are a strong determined lady and you will rock it baby. I'm so excited for you. Enjoy your sausage I'm glad to be back on the bus. Only 4 more hours until the coach picks us up. Dinner's served in a bit so we will be making it last for 3 hours. I love half board buffets I think I was a pig in my last life

Welcome hermit your drinking pattern sounds much like mine!
hope you set up your own company???? You ROCK! And, if the accountants fees are high, use another one. They really shouldn't be for a start up business. ( don't want to out what I do for a living but check out what business support if available for start ups. Pm me)
spanna awesome on the AF holiday!
duck and nomore how are you?
Well, this having a day off malarkey is good stuff. Been swimming, visited dad,caught up with stuff, cooked a nice dinner and......don't feel the need to drink!! Interesting.am relaxed and not even craving it.
Tomorrow I am soldier ogling again with lunch in the mess....its bloody tough

Hi ladies, wondering if you all would mind if I joined in?

After a massive binge at the weekend I've finally accepted that I can't keep doing this. So far there haven't been any major repercussions of my drinking but I'm majorly playing with fire and I have so much to lose.

So hi

Welcome cat. We already have a mouse on the bus so she better watch out.

Thanks Ma, I'm relatively well trained so I'll try and keep my claws to myself!
Ogling soldiers?! Pretty jealous.

Yeah cat. Soldier ogling is part of my job at the moment. It's seriously tough at times.....

I'm not sure how you cope Ma but I'm sure graphic descriptions on here wouldn't hurt...

Keep getting horrid flashes of anxiety tonight, hate that this is my fault for being an idiot. How many times have I sat and said the same thing though? Where do you all get the strength to not drink again? Or how do you learn how to moderate? Sorry that's a lot self pitying nonsense.