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

'Hangover' Doh!

Hello... can I join?

I should give some detail, eh? I drink about half a bottle of wine a night... but every night. I think it's a couple of months since I had a night off of it. I'd like to get to a place where I could have a couple of glasses on the weekend and that would be it... it's never seemed like a huge thing as I'm never legless, but I don't want to drink like this, I'm getting high blood pressure and it's not helping... I need to switch out of this way of being so hopefully being on here will be a way of making me take it seriously and not kid myself that it's not a problem.

Hello, Toomuch, welcome to the bus. If it's feeling like a problem for you then, one glass or one bottle, it's all the same. Do you have a routine that includes the wine? A glass when you get home, another whilst making dinner kind of thing? It often helps to start by changing that around a bit, at least to start with. And to make plans for alternative drinks - something really special, or something ordinary, but presented in a special way - ice, straws, cocktail brollies .

Iv bn off it for a couple of days but had a bottle of wine as soon as I dropped the kids off at school as I had phone calls and emails I had to do today. Dealt with that and am now hoping I sober up enough for when I collect the kids.

Hello babes, can I hop back on? Been ridiculously, manically busy with new job. Beginning to think I have bitten off more than I can chew, but as technically self-employed now, am just ploughing on. Am enjoying the role and like (most of) the people I meet, but there is a lot of travelling and the downside is that I've been rather neglecting friends, both in RL and here on the bus. So forgive me, am trying to achieve a work-life balance, not there yet though...

Not read back properly but enough to see that lots of old friends still here. Hugs to Isinde, Ma, Faire, Venus, Baby, Guggs, Popstar, Beaches, Khalisi, Obrigada, Hands and anyone else I've missed, and nice to meet the new names here too. Hopefully I will manage to stick around a bit and get to know you...

Been away with WB for a long weekend in Rome - first ever without the kids (so that's almost 16 years). We got on OK (which surprised me and will surprise, nay, amaze, those of you who know me on this thread) and I could tell he was making a huge effort. Though now back at home the old stresses are piling up once more. If it's a huge effort it's not really sustainable is it? But still, nice weekend, somewhere I've never been and have always wanted to visit. I know I'm lucky to be able to see it.

Not been drinking much at all (though had quite a bit of wine this weekend on holiday) but before you rush in to congratulate me let me add that it's because I am TOO BUSY with 6.00am starts and late homes and trips to London and doing my books and taxi-ing the kids etc. DS applying to colleges this year and done the rounds of tours as well as sporting stuff and social stuff (kids, not me) and just remembering to buy toothpaste, wash uniforms and change the bloody lightbulbs. Only way I could drink is if I wired myself up to a drip that I could drag behind me on a pulley.

And now have to get back to work - rare working from home day and promised myself I'd pay bills and check old friends are still around, and to borrow a phrase from Isinde get my head out of my arse for five minutes. So this is it. Will try to pop back more frequently and be a better babe

Luffs you all (sheepishly throws family pack of Opal Fruits down the bus in hope of forgiveness and scurries back to work)

hope good to see you back , my friend, and glad the trip went well. We head off tomorrow.....

since Sunday I have had about 1.5 bottles, which is a good reduction. Normally would have had about 4. Most of that is down to feeling crap with bastarding urine infections though.

Hey indie its crap isn't it? Or rather, its pish, and lots of it.
I wish wry would come back...
Looking forward to the trip to Krakow apart from the fact dh is going . Am going to eat and drink tons then will have two weeks to lose all the weight before a posh do I have to go to for some soldier ogling. Life is tough.

Morning All.

Hope, things sound so much more positive for you, Rome is lovely.

Ma Krakow looks lovely, and fascinating, any particular reason for choosing it?

Isinde all very groovy here this morning.

Woke up to a happy sight this morning - for me at least. I went to bed before DH last night and left him to put Pup in his crate for the night. When I got up this morning, (later than usual because Puss wasn't demanding breakfast), I went to open the crate, Pup curled up, sleepily wagging tail, Puss sat next to him, giving me evils because she's been in there all night!!

Right, need to get on with the weekend, it's looking dull and grey, but dogs must be walked and washing must be done.

sweet I really like Poland and have been a couple of times before. History, architecture, cheap amber jewellery (oh yes!) and being able to afford to eat out due to ridiculously low prices.
You can have a 3 course meal for about a tenner, which suits my budget.

Sounds fantastic, food, jewellery and history, why have I not been?

Hope you're well enough to make the most of it.

Afternoon, tis me, Mouse, coming at you live from my bed, surrounded by giant pillows, a huge, fluffy duvet and a Duplo robot!

I'm making the most of the fact that I had such little sleep last night, that I can now drift off if I want to because Nemo is in here with me playing, whilst DD does her homework and DH is in the garden doing garden things.

Sorry I've not been around to give any support.

Ma - I adore amber jewellery, especially when it's set in silver. I think the 'whiteness' of the silver really makes the different layers and depths of the amber pop out. I'm not at all jealous. Nope, not one bit......

Sweet - we have Seth, an Alaskan Malamute who grew to three times the size the breeder said he would but he's as daft as a brush and ever so lovely with Nemo. It's as if he knows that Nemo has SN/LD etc :)

DH said that when I was in hospital recently, Seth was really sad and moped about, ears down and a really sad look on his face. as soon as I came home, he went back to his normal, bouncy, made as cheese self!

We also have Mabel our cat. We had her from a rescue centre and he used to be so dreadfully skittish, jumping at her own shadow, hiding for days and not coming back etc...... then when we moved from suburbia to country ville, she soon got her madam on! Especially now with Seth! It's hilarious!

Come feeding time, she'd be miles from him as he'd lolop from one side of the courtyard to the other, then, over time, she got braver and started to wait a the other side of the gate to be fed after him.

Now she just struts right up to him and waits to be fed too! If he's not quick enough, she'll start on his food! It's like having two additional teenagers in the house!

Anyway, I hope you're doing okay, I found weekends an excuse to drink even more when I first joined the Bus.... now today is just the same as any other day, especially as we don't go out at night. Not once since Nemo has been born have we, DH and I, had a night out. It's not until you think about it, until you realise. That said, I'd stay in for the rest of my days as long as it meant we had our gorgeous boy in our lives.

Back soon, feed time for said boy has come to an end so I need to go and unhook his tubes.

Take care out there,

Mouse xxx

Mouse, enjoy your squishy, duplo, duvet day, it's lovely when everyone in the house is occupied as they want to be . I love the idea of the cat 'getting her madam on'. We've just been out to the field to do some training, but Pup is feeling fluffy brained this evening, so it was only Puss coming to the whistle! DS would have loved a malamute, dogs do just know don't they?

Greetings from Krakow! Been out for a nice meal on a dark rainy night. Had one beer and one tiny lethal vodka and am ready for bed.......

Morning All.

Hope the vodka didn't cause any pain this morning, Ma

I didn't make it last night, had two glasses of wine. It's pathetic, but it was Saturday, Strictly was on, and we are living in somewhat trying circumstances with the building work .

Oh well, day one again.

Afternoon all

I've got the house to myself (again). Dh has gone swimming/biking and ds is at work until 5pm. Even the cat has taken herself off across the fields. I could get used to this.

Ma glad to hear you're having a cracking time in Krakow. Not having to fend dh off though are you?

See you later babes x

Faire' what bliss

Think I'm going to switch from wine to vodka. These are vair nice! HIC

Ma - I find that my poison has always been Vodka and it's many accompliaments, but wine makes me sick as a anything these days.

I could drink Vodka all night long and not feel a bit squiffy, but wine makes my reflux and diverticulum go into overdrive!

• make sure you drink water or have some soda in it too, a splash of lime, crushed ice and that way the 43% voddy will not wreck your liver as much!

IsinDe - day 2 is great but the pits, as your cravings go bananas. I hope that you can get to day 3 sweetie.

There's lots going on with our wee fish boy.... the school are failing him BUT we have a review in November with all of his community team and carers.... watch out for a giant mushroom cloud aloft the glorious Shropshire hills mid November!!

YOU (the taxpayer) are paying for a woman to look after Nemo for 30 hours a week, full time, one to one... and that's not happening so DH and I are slowly building a case.......

Anyway, I'm shattered after doing lots of admin, and spending too much money on bras but poor DD and I are cursed with large breasts so we have to pay that bit more for decent support in the form of JCB buckets!!

Be back tomorrow you lovely lot. :) xxx

Take good care Babes xxx

Morning.

I'm with you on the cost of decently engineered bras, Mouse. Hope Nemo gets what he needs.

It is very, very quiet around here at the moment, come and say "hello", everyone, every if you don't have time for a proper post.

Hello again from Krakow! Gorgeous weather. Staying Air B nB so just about to transfer to another apartment. Can't really argue with £23 a night - that's for us both! Haven't had any wine here but am making up for it with cake and vodka. I will need two seats on the plane back for my arse!

I did not do at all well last week, only one day off. Feeling pretty rubbish this morning, back to day one but determined to do better this week.

Ma!

Hi there Work, I'm having a tough time stringing more than a day or two together at the moment, and I know how rubbish it makes me feel, but know what, drinking just makes me feel rubbish in different, and worse ways. Let's do today together?