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

wasted and howlong I haven't said a proper hello yet. Well done for joining and getting it all out. It's a brilliant bus. Babes come and go but lots are lurking whilst managing busy lives and battling the booze witch In one form or another. I myself should completely give up as I can't control it. I can have one to four nights off if I really really knuckle down and concentrate but it's hard. I then get into that headspace of thinking that I can reward myself with drink and lots of it. Then the AF days get fewer and the feeling of being pickled every morning , dull headache , grumpy with the family , sad, bad moods . Then I'll build up to an almighty blow out, wake up feeling wretched and wracked with guilt , rediscover my resolve and start the cycle all my heart over again. So really I should just stop. But I'm afraid that life will be boring. And I will be boring. It's a trap and that's for sure.

Looks like horrid baby doll has cleared the bus.
pop it is a cycle isn't it, an endless one. But we'll done on some AF days each week. I rarely manage that.

Evening all! Saturday night and I've just emerged from a marathon cooking session kitchen - I've got a nephew and a sister and 2 other relatives coming for lunch tomorrow. A big Arabian feast is on the menu so I've been doing all the prep. A glass pomegranate and soda has been keeping me company - it is sweet and sour and bitter and fizzy - and tastes much nicer than champagne ever did

Morning All.

Been lurking in the sidecar. I'm letting myself use the kitchen work as an excuse, which I know is wrong, but I can't even console myself with food at the moment because we have no where to store anything. That means at least one trip to food shop every day, at least one opportunity to buy wine. The end is in sight, work surfaces go in on Tuesday, so we should have a hob by then and I can clean the cupboards and start filling then up.

Need to get ready to take DS trampolining, and Pup is hassling for a tummy tickle, so I'll be back later.

Morning

It's a gorgeous, sunny, frosty autumn morning here and I'm up early because the clocks went back last night. I have a pot of tea on the go and Adele in the background. Perfect Sunday morning.

Sweet I'm glad to hear the end is in sight. Horrible having building work done but lovely when it's all finished.

Morning. mIL only just out if bed the rest of us up since 8 which is the new 7. Am desperate for my house back now!!

So now it's dark at 6pm - time for warming soup and casserole for tomorrow....

Hey Venus. Pitch dark out there now. Grim
I am going to really try the low carb and no booze this week. Day 1 tomorrow.

Hi all - hope you had a good weekend, it's quiet on the bus at the moment. Hope that's because you are all curled up and cosy with a good film / book and the fire on!

Am having a nightmare organising work and home life right now. Current dilemma is tomorrow - work plus dd's dance lesson and ds's training prior to national event on Saturday and long commute in deadly traffic, plus WB has a meeting about 50 miles away and awful SIL has a birthday meal we are all expected to go to. (really want to duck this one as I will have to pay for all 4 of us and split the booze bill even though none of our party will be drinking) D'aaagh!!!! Can't do all. Whatever solution we come up with will piss someone off. Then away overnight Tuesday and Wednesday so need some time on Monday to pack etc. Achieved nothing in the way of housework this weekend despite having most of today to do it. You know when there's so much to do in a limited timeframe you just get paralysed by the thought of starting it? Not even cooked for the week ahead, I usually manage at least a soup for emergency days... Venus can I come to yours for soup and casseroles please? Love a good casserole, me!

Ma would love to low carb with you but will be being fed by buffets all Tuesday and Wednesday and not confident or determined enough to eat the fillings out of the sandwiches and throw the bread away But do need to lose weight! All this rushing around doesn't help though as no time for food prep.

Big social dilemma in the offing next weekend too - basically family friends from forever ago (ds's best mates family) are expecting us all to go to their annual Halloween bash (which I love) but dd won't go as she has grown out of having anything to do with parents and has arranged to go trick or treating with her friends. But worst of all ds doesn't want to go this year as he's been invited to a big party by one of the really popular girls at his school, but he's not fessed up yet despite the fact that he spent all day today and will be spending most days this week with his best mate and family. They keep mentioning Halloween and he just smiles and nods because he doesn't want to let them down (and is quite obviously being a social coward!), but it's getting worse the longer he leaves it. I am dreading the mum ringing me. On the one hand they are lovely people (I count the mum as one of my good friends), and we've gone there since my two were 3 and 6, and I love the annual tradition; but on the other hand totally understand why my now 12 and 15 year olds want to do their own thing and not go to a party with parents and spooky cupcakes and games involving toilet roll mummies. DS misses out a lot because he is competing all over the country year round and can't go to many parties from school as it interferes with his sport (his best friend goes to a different school) so I understand him not wanting to miss this - but he can't even invite his friend along (and I'm not sure he'd be allowed to go anyway as even I have misgivings about where the party is ... ) What to do???

Thought I'd left behind this sort of social awkwardness when I left 6th Form College and now am finding myself plunged into it again! D'aaaagh! I was just hoping we'd carry on doing the same childhood traditions forever, and I feel a bit bereft now my two have grown out of it! but also awful as ds has let it drag on too long now and I feel we are going to let them down... (also I want to go out for Halloween! But realise that is just me being a spoilt brat, haha)

Anyway, sorry for the pointless off topic rant. I'm tired and have to sort out tons of stuff before bed, and up at 6am tomorrow and I'm procrastinating and rambling

Glad to see the witches' hats are back anyway

PS Popstar hope your MIL has left you in peace - how long is she staying for ? Do you want me to put a hex on her? (mwah, hah, hah)

Sweet your kitchen will be worth it. Mine is the last room in the house that needs to be done, ie done properly, not just a crappy patch up job by WB. When I open the cupboard door to get a plate out it takes 5 mins to shut it as it's falling off the bloody hinges. And the shelves are buckling. You are pursuing your kitchen dream, it will be worth it. I, on the other hand, am possibly only weeks away from platemageddon when the bloody units finally crash to the floor. (when that happens we are eating off paper ones. Forever)

Morning All.

Right,new week, fresh start. Today I will not drink. Started off with an extra long walk for Pup, who is now crashed out under my desk, it's a glorious sunny Autumn day, I'm glad I have the dog to make me get out and about.

Hope at 'platemageddon'! Your kitchen sounds like the one we've just had taken out, and which I suspect was original to the house, (1989). But as well as the wonky doors, non-functioning extractor hood, and cupboards with no backs (), there were no drawers large enough to put cutlery in . I know the feeling of being paralysed by too much to do, all to well; the housework will wait - the difference between one weeks dust and one months is hardly noticeable.

Pop do you have your house back yet? Are you planning anything nice for half term?

Hello everyone else, have a good day, pop in and give us a wave.

Good morning lovely babes,

looking I feel your pain, we have a cupboard that opens up the way for crockery and I have a permanent bruise on my arm where it falls on me every time I try to get a plate, it feels a bit like putting my hand in a crocodiles mouth to get a plate!!!
This may be a good way to lose weight if you can't get a bloody plate without risking life and limb.

You sound as though your under a lot of pressure but remember there's only one way to eat a whale, one bite at a time!!!! Xxx

sweet it will all be worth it, it's mega stressful without a kitchen but you will soon be floating around a la Nigella very soon "sexy sweet in her sexy kitchen* xxx

faire you always make me smile and your sounding really really good xxxx

ma your also sounding really positive too, hope your wee break has done you the world of good xxx

venus I love your posts, when I read them flowers and bird sounds come through my phone, your a legend xxx

pop hope you've got your home and sanity back, thanks for your kind words, your a good un!!! Xxx

Well I've had a nice chilled weekend with dh and my girls. Had dd2 at a kids party yesterday morning and there were a few hangovers to be seen and heard. I rocked up donning my leather trousers and all made up and even got a few "you look hot" comments, then took 3 of the kids to a play area to let their mums "recover" and just for a itty bitty while I felt good, life felt good and hell I looked good!!!

Hope it's the first of many similar days xxx

Baby you are on fire Babe! I love when you can feel that you are rocking a look, and that puts a little extra swagger and wiggle in your walk.

Not feeling so hot myself this morning, I am very much regretting that bottle of wine yesterday, but at least it strengthens my resolve not to drink today.

I hate hangovers that kick in half way through the day .

I have to keep reminding myself, if I drink, I feel like shit, I'm putting weight back on, and my skin looks rubbish.

Home at last, and feeling better. No wine in the house, so this evening I will mostly be drinking, peppermint tea.

Does it feel late to anyone else? This clock change always does this to me. It's only an hour but it makes a big difference. Going to have a bath and then probably get off to bed.

Oh looking I meant to say... I would duck out of SIL's meal (unless it's already happened). If people get upset/annoyed about it that's their problem. You really do have enough on your plate right now.

The halloween party, just tell them now that you can't make it. Say ds was too shy to tell them that he's already accepted another invite. Friends will understand. What's that saying 'People who matter don't mind and those that mind don't matter'. Sometimes you have to put yourself first. Any chance you could go to the party anyway, without dcs?

hope its tricky when the dcs don't want to do stuff anymore isn't it? I'm rejoicing this year because none of mine will be here for Halloween so I don't actually have to do anything. Bliss

Faire, you just reminded me to look at the time, and since the 'real' time is after 10, I don't feel so bad about giving up and going to bed!

Day 2 here. Feeling so much better than yesterday. More from me later. Waves and opal fruits all round.

Oh I just can't be bothered today. Can't be bothered doing the work that needs done, can't be bothered thinking of something for tea, can't be bothered with all the crap that's on TV.

But I can summon up enough energy to post here and stop us disappearing onto the second page!

Well done venus

It's getting dark and it's raining so dh and I are having hot chocolate and watching a drama we recorded. It's called From Darkness and is not very good but we've watched half of it now so feel committed

Hey all. Not doing well today. WB is being a......WB!
Fucking twat!

Sorry to hear he's at it again ma

Isinde if you're lurking I'm heading up your way tomorrow. We're meeting friends and doing touristy stuff while we're there. We thought we would go to see the Antony Gormley statues on the beach. Will it be worth it even if it's raining?

Gormley statues just as good in the rain, but it will be bloody freezing so wrap up warm Faire.

Ma, wassup? Amazing how quickly WBs revert back to wankbadgery even after a holiday. I feel your pain!

Hungover today. Stayed out overnight with work and hit the hotel bar before bed. In case any of you are thinking of drinks tonight, I feel shit, don't do it!