The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Waving Goodbye To Summer Nights, Sipping Mocktails.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse Welcome to the Bus. :)

Well, it would appear that Autumn is on it's way I have the heating on and can't wait to use the log burner.... shhh!

So, who are we? We're just like you. Married, single, divorced, lots of children or no children, working or a SAHM, it doesn't matter, we all breathe the same air.....

We're just trying to live our lives on the Bus, like you do each day. Well, except for one thing...

I know don't start my day with a swig, or seven, from a litre bottle of vodka (choose your poison) any longer.

And that's what has kept me here, for years now. And no doubt many more to come. Reading the stories of others struggles, wanting to say "I feel like that" or "I do that too!" but being to ashamed to be the first to put your hand up.

Well, let me reassure you here and now, there's not much that we haven't read about on here or done ourselves over the years.

We've laughed at stories of haphazard nights out, we've cried at the loss of loved ones and we've shared the pain that only an alcoholic knows when all that they want is to STOP!

Push the pause button, get off the ride, shut the door, bury yourself under the duvet for days. We've all felt that sickening feeling in our gut that makes us want to curl up and hide forever. And we've shared it all on here.

You see I don't know you and you don't know me, so we're just words on a screen to each other. Eventually, you'll get to know me more and I you, and the other fantastic Babes too, some will stay, some leave us, then some come back.

One thing I can PROMISE - here you are safe, here you won't be judged, turned away (unless you're not genuine) and we even have a huge stock of Opal Fruits but that's all down to Ma.

So, if you think we're you're kind of lovely bunch of people to help you stop drinking, slow down, hold your hand while you decide what to do, then come find a seat!

OUR MOST RECENT THREAD

AND A VERY SOBERING READ, THAT LEAD TO THE BIRTH OF THE THREADS THAT FOLLOWED

Oh lovely mouse a thousand hugs and get well soon my dear brave friend xxx

Dd1 made these salted caramel cupcakes for dd2's birthday....

ma those look scrumptious

Not sure what is wrong but i feel incredibly depressed, probably because i drank a bottle of wine and now I feel crapp. Why do we do it

joey we do it because we are depressed and it makes us more depressed and so we do it some more. Feeling pretty shit myself this morning and not actually through drinking for a change as I only had one glass last night then went to bed. Am a right fecking misery at the moment. Hope you don't feel too rough today

Anyone around? faire ,Venus,hope, Indie, thurso
Any chance of wry making another return?

Hello ma great bolding by the way

You are so right about alcohol being a depressant- i was okay this morning but felt very miserable last night! Actually I was bored and tired, but Every Fecking Time I drink too much I end up not going to bed.

No idea why, maybe it's just a habit I've got into. 2am and playing a crappy game on my iPad, resenting life for not being more fun and exciting. Wishing I had a midget obama sailor. Wishing my life away...

Onwards! Day 1 (again) are you joining in?

Yeah, the bolding was a bit pants! I wish I had a midget Obama sailor too .
Nor day 1 here but not necking it....

Ok, if I spot a midget obama sailor, we can share him?

I think we've lost wry so sad, as she was such a delight to have around, and her writing was always so funny. Also for me, disappointing as she was from my home town. Once she wrote a long piece about a day out in Aberdeen (mostly revolving around food) and it was so hauntingly descriptive it made me cry with nostalgia.

If any babes are lurking, don't be shy, there's always room on the Bus!

Good morning babes,

joey how are you today? I too miss lovely wry, if she's lurking I want her to know I'm back in the saddle and every time I smell saddle soap and feel the freedom of my ride (ooh err) I think of her fondly.

Also joey I know what you mean about wishing life was more exciting, exhilarating, I know I'm stuck in my own rut but I'm trying to focus on the small stuff, weight, sleep, lots of water and I hope as my self image and esteem improves I may have the guts to try and spread my wings a Little and learn a new skill or hobby. I once read that good part of drinking wine (when there was a good part) is like sprinkling magic fairy dust on a boring life and i totally get that, maybe it's time I learned to make my own magic happen.

Has anyone been watching "this is England"???? It's amazing, harrowing and funny and the music takes me right back to youth!!!!

It's a sunny chilly day in Scottyland so I'm gonna blast Happy Monday's "hallelujah" on my iPod and try not to dance as my little village thinks I'm as mad as a brush on a good day!!!

Look up on you tube and enjoy the ride xxxxx

Keep on keeping on xxxxx

Morning baby, love your posts, you always seem to sum up how I am feeling xx

Aw shucks obrigada, that means a lot to me, sometimes with my manic moods I'm not sure I always make any bloody sense.

I've been "on a diet" for 25 years, if I could go back I would tell that 20 year old pretty, intelligent, slim girl at 5ft 8 that a size 10 is perfect, "why do you want to be an 8", then at 30 id say "a 12 is fine, stop striving for a 10, at 40 you've guessed it just enjoy being a 14 not always trying to be a 12.

It's kinda sad that we wish our lives away, drink to feel "confident" or happy. I wish I knew how to find this illusive "inner" happiness, the glow which can be achieved synthetically with wine, BUT I do know one thing with a sober and clear head, I WANT to be happy, I want to look back on my life and smile, and I've tried boxes and boxes and bottles and bottles of wine and never found the golden ticket in any of them so I'm trying to look "outside the bottle"

Hugs for all xxx

Totally agree, baby. The first step to happiness is to accept yourself, as you are right now and be ok with that. Then start weeding out the things you want to ditch/change.

I'm not on any particular 'diet' I'm just eating sensible meals, not snacking or drinking, having the occasional treat. This is something I want to do for life. Over the last 3 weeks I've lost 5lbs. Just concentrating on keeping it off for now, then I'll work on the next pound

joey what happened to your voice recognition posts, they were so funny fullstop

Hello Brave Babes

Tis a bit quiet on this 'ere bus, how is everyone? Did anyone see the red/pink moon early hours on Monday morning?

Beaches thank you for your lovely message cheered me up no end. How are you flower? Bracing yourself for the snow?

Mouse wishing you a speedy recovery babe

Ma DDs cupcakes look delicious - salted caramel is just so yum I hope your weeks been going ok?

Baby how you doing honey? did DD2 start school in Sept? how's she getting on? Keep going babe, as we say 'keep on keeping on'

April did you say you'd moved house hon? I seem to remember reading that but was it you? How's it going? did you hide that case of wine in the garage

Fox darling it's nearly October, do you fancy joining me with a Dry month? I can snap at your tail and egg you on babe. You can do this, remember how well you did in the first half of the year? I'll hold your hand and help you get the momentum going. Come back on this lovely bus. I miss you

Sweet where are you babe? I hope you're ok darling, missing your early morning posts x

Nuff hoping your DD is settling into student life x

Hope sending you loads of positive vibes, hope business is booming and there's lots of work coming in x

Joey hello, hope you're week's been ok so far

Sending love and hugs to you all. The last time that the moon did what it's just done was in 1982, I was 15, that bought back some interesting memories! What were you doing in 1982?

Anyhow have a good day everyone. Smile and the world will smile back at you, even though it might be pissing down with rain, the dark evenings are creeping in, the heating's being switched on, at least we're all still here to tell our tale

Not got my heating on yet but I did contemplate it this morning. Had a large mug of tea and put on a jumper instead.

Have a good day all, see you later.

What a lovely post spanna

I did indeed move house, but to a first floor flat with no garage so the wine is at the back of the pantry. 3 bottles gone (DH consumed half of that so pretty restrained by my old standards!). I think it's wise venus
who talks about every slip being an experiment we can learn from? That was definitely the case here. On no occasion did I have more than half a bottle in one night. Yet every morning I felt shockingly hungover. I think it just doesn't agree with me anymore. It wasn't worth it. So I'm back to being AF but it doesn't feel like a sacrifice at the moment, more a positive choice.

mouse hope you're out of hospital and on the mend

And in 1982, I was 6!

Spanna hey twinkle, always a pleasure to see you. How are things going? Still getting down to the beach for some early walks? We stayed up for the blood moon, it was easier here though - a manageable 11 pm I am not ready for snow AT ALL, we had enough last year so really hope it doesn't come too early. Still mostly flip flops here

In 1982 I was recording the top 40 on my tape cassette and writing a diary (full of crucial information like what I had for tea!). I was 11.

I am on day 6 today and grasping onto that little bit of sober momentum.

obrigada, Joey, Ma, April, Mouse, Small, Sweet, baby and faire hello!

Love to all xx

Hello

Well I was 13 in 1982 and just a twist away from discovering the world of booze and substances!

I've been busy up north getting my dad out of hospital and cloning myself to look after kids and job. All more settled on the dad front now - at home and on the mend. Fingers crossed no more setbacks.
Got plastered on Sunday with my sister ending up with a 7pm hangover on a crowded train. Gross. Am on day 3 now and feeling much more level headed apart from the peri menopausal period from hell.
Lovely to ' see' you all again. mouse get well soon sweetheart and out of that hospital!

Hey, I've just realised that today is the last day of September

That's it, dry September done. It went so fast!

So, who's up for Sober October? I fancy losing another 5lbs

Spanna, feeling a bit hapless and hopeless, sloped on here for a quick surreptitious sniff around and you made me cry, lovely one. Seeing my name and seeing your belief in me - yeah, ok, I'm up for it. Day one tomorrow, eh? Thanks, from the bottom of my heart - I needed that xx

Eek, need to read back properly before getting all self-indulgent - Mouse SO sorry, how are you? Poor, poor you - thinking of you and sending love.

Sweet? Where is Sweet? For me, this board is never really right without you. I've not been on here properly for a while so it may well just be that I have missed you, but if you are lurking like I have been, know that you are missed and that I am thinking of you.

Hey all. Good to see beaches and spanna and small checking in. Missed the bit about 1982 and the relevance, but it was the year I left High School and went off to Belgium to be an au pair.....

Evening All

Fox I have utmost faith in you You spurred me on so much in the early part of the year if it wasn't for you I would have easily slipped back into my guzzling self So Day 1 tomorrow, one day at a time, or second, or minute. As we know the first week is the hardest to crack. Drink water before bed and I look forward to going for a Dry October, let's at least try and crack that nasty, whispering WW. Think about how good you'll feel, better sleep, waking up without a hangover, no regrets, no anxiety about what you may have said (me), how much you shouted (that's me) the list is endless. You can do this, you can do this.

Beaches glad the flip flops are still on your feet Right my little sunflower, Day 7 tomorrow, one week, do you fancy joining us for Dry October, you're over the hardest bit, I will give you momentum flower What do reckon? Oh yes I'd forgotten about our tape recorder, we had a micro phone that plugged into it and used to record our own radio show

April I'm impressed with your restraint babe, half a bottle is really good so glad you got your move done, must be a relief. Are you going to join us for Dry October? Shall we do this all together? Fancy a go?

Pop so glad your Dad's back home and on the mend that is good news late afternoon hangovers are the pits reminds me of the tea time hangovers after the school run wine o'clock

Hope everyone is having a good evening x

I did mean Sober October

Ma 1982 was the last time all this moon business last happened. How you doing?

Beaches t'was so early I'd forgotten it was called a blood moon
I've spent most of today not being able to speak properly, getting my words all the wrong way round I hope I'm back to normal tomorrow as I've got to go to work!

Night all x