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

Morning Babes.

Cat, I have a slightly temperamental coffee machine, that once in a while produces a crap cup of coffee, so I feel your pain

hope everyone got some good sleep last night. I need to go and wake DS - I bought him an alarm clock, but he hasn't manage to hear it - EVER .

Back soon.

OK, so the cheery, glad to be back at school, boy was an aberration. Back to grumpy, not wanting to get up, snappy boy.

Morning all!

hope, I hope your ankle isn't too sore. I always feel hard done by if I fall sober - and that I constantly need to assure everyone that I was sober when I did it (when it wouldn't have occured to anyone that I wasnt!)

ma, I really hope someone in your house makes a teeny bit of an effort today.

Day 6 today. How did that happen?!? Had a lovely massage yesterday and it occured to me that I could probably afford things like that more often without booze.

Have a good day lovely babes!

So.... Birthday going with a bang. dD2 up at 3am and puking every 30 mins thereafter until 8am. Had to negotiate working from home and cancel a meeting with a tricky customer who turned out to be very lovely about it. Small mercy. Now sitting in dressing gown feeling insanely tired wondering how on earth to go out to birthday comedy night where friends will be waiting. With booze. dD 2 has at least stopped puking although still very hot. Thankfully DD2 toddled off to first day of year 1 with her dad after slight wobble that sister not going in too! Life eh? Keeps on coming at you.

And ma ... I bloody hope you get some help today and good luck with day 1

Afternoon, tis me, Mouse :)

I see that there are lots of new faces here which is fantastic! Although that means that you don't really know me....

I'm a 'controlled drinker', if we're doing labels, I used to neck up to 90 units a week, my poison of choice being vodka, neat, with a mixer, on the rocks or however it came.

The thing is, that I couldn't find what I needed at the bottom of any of the bottles I tried, I just felt the same after each bottle - disapointed.

I wasn't sure what I was looking for, when I drank, some sort of social acceptance when out, somethinng to numb the real me that was hidden behind the confident, smiling women that was talking to everyone.......

Truth be told, I'd drink before a big meeting or even before going to see people who would make me feel belittled. I feel that's pathetic now but at the time, that was how I coped with not knowing who I was or what I wanted from life.

This was all after leaving a very bad, abusive, awfully abusive in every way 'relalationship.'

Anyway, that's not me anymore. My nickname may be Mouse but these days I ROAR!! I am stronger, taller, louder, braver, I never judge others and I know exactly how most of those of you who are drinking feel, because at some point in your life, I can bet you I've done it too but it's too personal to put on the thread.

Life doesn't come with a hand book a sert of rules and regs. There are no secrets to success.

If you want it badly enough, to stop drinking or using drugs the way that you do, or abuse your meds, then only YOU can do that.

One Day At A Time.

Mouse xxx

Thanks for such a warm, honest and open welcome Mouse. What does controlled drinker mean To you exactly? I think I'd like to be one of those! Should we introduce ourselves a bit more perhaps, the issues that we are dealing with ? I'm happy to do that but perhaps in a day or so. Kids about at the mo and i have a counselling session with dp tomorrow which I'm dreading. It's kind of dominating my thoughts at the moment.

Thanks Mouse. Nice to ' meet ' you. I'm off out to drink shortly even though making it to day 4 has been amazing. I'll reconvene at the weekend and set out my stall a bit more. I'd like to be a controlled drinker but have not managed it yet. But I feel a buzz and motivation from you babes that I haven't felt before. I'll be back. Good luck to all and all you are facing over the next few days

Well, that's day 3 nearly done, and quite honestly, I'm surprised I've not got in the sidecar. Job got rather more stressful than I would have liked, and I didn't get home till rather later than I would have liked. Which wouldn't normally be a problem, except DP rather absentmindedly left a door shut which prevented one of our cats getting to her litter tray, food & water. Poor thing had her legs crossed and was so hungry, she scoffed her food too fast, and puked beef pate all over the bedroom .
I don't really want a drink, although I did sort of think that a beer would have been nice after 3 hours of solid spreadsheeting - I had to make a concious decision not to go to M&S to get some posh tea bags on the way home, though, as I had an inkling that I would end up eyeing up the G&T's and posh lager.
Hope all the Babes are having a chilled evening - I think I'm going to be having to stop our younger cat from getting up to too much mischief - she's full of beans this evening.

Day 4.

Hello mouse hope you're okay

How many cats have you got catl1tter? Sounds like they keep you on your toes!

Well done cat
hope sorry, but that made me laugh.
Am knackered. Conference call overran so didn't get home until 7 so missed yoga. Nice to come home to a house smelling of food,even if I did prepare it myself at 7am! Nice to have dd2 home - she brings energy and laughter into the house.
Dh is under serious orders to get the shopping tomorrow...

April - only the 2, but they are both attention monsters, and we have to keep them apart from each other, as one's got dementia and keeps forgetting the other is there, and thinks she's an intruder, and the other is really strong, so if they got into a fight, the very old one would not stand a chance.

Ma - I'm liking the instructions, lady - put your foot down with a firm hand

Happy Birthday Pop

Squeeze for you Beaches always good to see you babe x

Love to all x

Hi all, quick check in, forgot my new password so had to reset, what a gaff!
Been away for a few days and drank - not as much as it would have been a few months ago, but still more than I would have liked. Last night at home I was really craving a drink, even after I'd beaten the off licence deadline I was arguing with myself about opening the whisky. What was that about - I don't even like the stuff!
Took myself off to bed instead.
WW hasn't been calling as strongly tonight, thank goodness.
Thank you all for your posts, they give more support than you could imagine
X

Spanna been looking out for you twinkle, I wanted to say how fantastic your achievements are - so many days and so many milestones. You are truly awesome babe and a treasure to the bus (and me!) xx

I didn't get to day 3, despite the clean sheets, so am back in the sidecar. Dh asked me to pick up some wine on the way home for him - well that was all the excuse I needed

Love to all and happy birthday to Pop

Morning all, I had a very odd dream which involved nearly swigging out of an open, warm white wine bottle in front of DP who knows I'm off the sauce - I was so ashamed! Pleased to report that it was the milk rather than the tea bags that were the cause of my dreadful cuppa, and DP remedied this on the way home last night.

I'm glad I've got my wits about me this morning, I think I'm going to need them for some mental gymnastics involving the urgent work I was doing yesterday once again preventing me from doing my actual job

Best get on, tea to be drunk, and cats to be fed.

Have a great day, all, whatever day you are on - I know it's Friday, which can be a bit of a triggery day, so if you're in the sidecar, make sure you've got plenty of blankets - the weather really seems to have changed.

Morning Babes.

Fell asleep again at 8.30pm. I think that because I am filling my days with activity, without the demotivating alcoholic fug, I go at things a little too hard!

Cat, your cats sound great - Puss absolutely refuses to sit on laps, much to DH and DS's disgust, but she has a cardboard box on the coffee table (yes, I know, but she's the boss), and they have discovered that if she's in that, she will tolerate the whole box being lifted onto a lap!

Welcome back, Anne.

Beaches, just climb back aboard and try again. Even if you have slips, the AF days will add up. Have you talked to DH about how difficult it is for you?

Forgot to say Happy Birthday yesterday, Pop. Hope you had a good one. Back on the bus today?

It's a good idea for some of the longer standing Babes to revisit a bit of their story.

Whether it's day 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . have a good one, and make today a day we do not drink.

Didn't make day 3 here either. Or another day 1.
Am tired.

Aw Ma, nearly the weekend. Try to get some time for yourself, or chill with a DVD afternoon with the dds if they are up for it. Me and dd go to bed and watch Glee on the laptop when it all gets too much, though gutted now as it is being taken off Amazon Prime on Monday.

April ankle still bad but know what you mean about the sober fall. Was hobbling painfully around the third of my many hotdesk locations yesterday, in agony but relieved I didn't have to lie about the circumstances of my fall. Mind you, the real situation is embarrassing enough

Pop how was the birthday?

Sweet, Anne, Spanna, Beaches, Cat, Joey and gang ... Wishing you all a lovely Friday. I have seen sense and decided to work from home today rather than hobbling around in public like Mrs Overall without the trolley, so shall avoid Friday temptation as cannot get the car out to buy booze and I drank everything already in the house last weekend Hope you all find less painful ways to avoid the WW xxx

Ps Snowball, forgot to add, I hope your counselling session goes well today xxx

croaked Mrs Overall

Sweet my dh has very similar habits to my own and while he has listened to my own concerns he also plans not to drink sometimes and then does an about turn by the evening. We use each other as an excuse, but also as a support when we are focused. Bottom line is I need to be responsible for my own plans whatever he is doing. Thanks for the encouragement.

Have a good day babes xxx

I want this new IT student interface platform-thingy to FUCK the FUCK OFF! I want WINE.

I'm drinking hot chocolate.

Birthday drinking was not the controlled option I was hoping for. Hungover as a mutha f - er. had ot make 10am meeting and speak for half an hour. Thought migth faint. Yeuchhhh. Feeling sad and ashamed and trying to remember that those feelings are also caused by the alcohol. Started an djust could not stop. Got to bed at 2am. DP is taking me out for dinner tonight. Will have another go at controlled intake. Feel so shit it might just work.
Thanks for birthday wishes everyone.
Ma - hope you are ok.

Pop, you have to ask yourself, "Is it worth it?" We are so conditioned to the idea that fun and celebration = alcohol. Wouldn't it be nice to go out with DH and remember, and be present for, every single moment?