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
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The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Waving Goodbye To Summer Nights, Sipping Mocktails.
Mouseface · 08/09/2015 20:07
Sorry Faire cross-posted. You're right, thank you, I would regret it in the morning. Chamomile tea it is
Good morning, beautiful Babes. I have a day off today, which would normally be an excuse to crack the beers open at about 9 
. However, today I shall be drinking tea and giving the flat a good clean while watching Netflix.
Sober momentum is a great phrase - thank you to the Babe who mentioned it.
Boredom & dissatisfaction with my surroundings are big triggers for me. I used to have very active upstairs neighbours who were banging and crashing and shouting at all hours (entitled teenager & his vile shouty father). It was compounded by the landlords only giving them a threadbare carpet in their living room, which is on top of our bedroom. I spent a goodly few years sleeping in my living room & getting pissed just to try to get away from the noise. New neighbours have moved in, and they've installed new underlay & carpets and aren't twats so the noise trigger has been removed. It's taken a little while to get used to not associate bed time with trying to hide from noise by drinking, mind you!
Well done on day 3 Popstar - try to take it as easy on yourself as you can these next few days - I found I was knackered & dehydrated like you wouldn't believe. You've got a lot on your plate - I've never had children - mostly because during my fertile years, my parents were constantly getting spectacularly ill, and I was finding that I was needing to drop everything to deal with them, doing the hospital visits etc (they are divorced, and I'm their responsible adult). I'm glad I didn't, mind you, as the DP I was with during my fertile years was a right wanker, it would have been a really messy break up if DC had been involved, as opposed to simply being an expensive break up!
I really am coming to value my quiet mornings - it's Dr. Who-O-Clock, I have a bucket of double strength tea by my side, and a hooligan cat on my lap. The elderly cat let us have a full nights' sleep last night, and has turned into an eating machine - and her anxiety is so low now that she's not throwing up every time she gets a surprise. Hooray for Feliway!
Anne - Have you tried tonic water & a dash of angostura (sp?) bitters? It's got a smidge of alcohol, but the bitters bit gives it that grown up flavour. Decaf teas & coffees are a darned sight better than they used to be too. I picked up a packet of decaf ground coffee from a local farm shop that you'd struggle to tell the difference with caff coffee.
Faire - thanks for the link to the online jigsaw puzzle - I'll have a look this evening, once all the stuff I want to do has been done.
Have a great day, babes - I'll be online all day, checking in - so keep your peckers up, Babes, it's nearly the weekend (sorry if we've got any shift workers amongst us) - woo hoo!
Morning Babes, up and about with no hangover and now on day 4
Thanks Faire & Pop you really helped me last night. And thanks Cat never tried either the soda and angoustora or decaffeinated tea (not really a big coffee drinker, but like the odd one).
Off to work shortly, great to be going with a clear head and no anxiety. The anxiety/ panicky feeling is 100 times worse than the physical hangover IMO
Have a great day Babes.
Morning!
Welcome to Orange and Bos, the first post is the hardest.
Ma I am now imagining you hopping on and off the Tube, joyously swinging your handbag to the tune of Georgie Girl!
Anne, that's the "Fuck IT" button. I find it is usually accompanied by an internal dialogue about being a grown up (in a childish whine), and wanting to be able to do whatever I want . And yes, I've hidden when I didn't want to be talked down. It's never the right decision. We also installed a rainbow 'Reset Button' on the bus sometime ago, just in case!
Pop, so glad your DF is out of theatre, hope he has a smooth recovery 
Cat training yourself out of those triggers is not as easy as we'd like to think, there's a whole lot of rewiring to be done, but it will happen. I agree, Felway is magic, we used it when we first got Pup and sprayed it on sleeping spaces out of his reach.
Anne, try the Tea Pigs online shop, their range of tea - herbal, fruity, green, ordinary and weird rainforest stuff you've never heard of! Might give you some inspiration. They do taster packs of two tea bags if you don't want to commit to a whole box, so you can try the whole range. They are pricey, but think what you are saving on the booze!
Day 29 for me, and whilst the wine witch is still around, she is much quieter and less insistent. Clarity is now the norm, so I do have to keep reminding myself it's too precious to waste at the bottom of a bottle. I've saved a shocking ??340 pounds - and spent it instead on plants and clothes - for work I love twee little Boden frocks teamed with a pair of Doc Martin's!
Must go and walk Pup. Have a happy Thursday, and make it a day you don't drink
Morning, tis me, Mouse
Well, today I am shitting myself. We're going to a tribunal to fight for DS (aka - Nemo) to argue our case over his mobility rate, for his Disability Living Allowance.
He's on the lower rate currently, however, if anything, his conditions and quality of life have gotten worse.
I've got butterflies flying round at 100 mph in my tummy, at 40 years old! Mind you, they feel more like giant vampire bats!
Sorry to ignore you all but goal for today is to get through the day without a drink for my nerves which used to be my default setting.
I'll report back later. xxx
Mouse - I've got my bits crossed for you lovely lady 
Alias - sounds like a sofa day for you - not sure I like the sound of your bladder, if you don't mind the expression!
Well, in Catlitter towers, we have the second load of washing on, we've done the first round of hoovering, the carpet now needs brushing, then hoovering again (yay for feckin Bengals and their evil, evil fur!), the dishwasher's been cleaned, and a loaf of bread is on. I'm planning on making some oatcakes so I've got something to eat with my cheese mountain (sorry mouse - if you ever get down to my neck of the woods, I'll take you to a stonking cheese shop - the ladies that own it are LOVELY!).
The windowsills need a good wash down, and the back of the flat (AKA the Man Cave) needs delousing.
Perhaps I'll have a first...
OMG Cat - do you want to come and do my place too? I'll help test your oatcakes ,pleading, spaniel eyes emoticon>.
Mouse, good luck to you, be confident, you know best what that darling boy needs, make sure they know it.
Glorious day here, back from our morning walk, I'm going to sow a couple of trays of seed before I sit down and rewrite/refresh my lecture on the development of Radio Drama.
Good luck Mouse. You sound articulate and assertive and these skills will be very useful.
Joey - doc for your bladder? Although I sometimes think I have alcohol related bladder pain after bingeing but wouldn't imagine on day 5 ( well done by the way)
Thanks for everyone's good wishes for my dad. I'm just clearing the work/ childcare decks and booking a train up north tomorrow to see him and give my mum some support.
Can't help thinking the ' we can have it all generation ' ie kids in our forties , big career etc is now coming home to roost. Means small kids / ailing parents / job to juggle. Arghhhh. Did we burn our bras for this?
And we have to stay sober too!!! I think I need
Ooh, Popstar - it's a lovely day today, I'm a bit jealous, being stuck in waiting for the blinds dude. OTOH, I have learned that I make a not too shabby macarroni cheese. And it's all for meeeeeeee cos DP won't eat it. Oh dear, how sad, never mind .
5th load of washing on - I think that's the last load. I'm really glad my AF delivery turned up - I would definitely have had a WW wobble by now.
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joey with those cold symptoms together with the pain, it's possible that you may have an infection. Have you checked with your gp?
Mouse how did it go today? Were they thinking of withdrawing his funding? 
Joey I second what Faire says. Faire, How are you?
Cat, homemade bread, oatcakes, AND Mac and cheese 
. I add cauliflower to my macaroni and cheese and make . . . Macaroni cauliflower cheese!
Pop, the thing is, we only got equality in certain areas, we still bear the brunt of caring, at both ends of life. It's no wonder so many of us strggle.
Evening Ma.
Small are you feeling better today, poppet?
I had a bit of a wobble at the supermarket, I went to get some AF beers, and thought, "I wonder if they do AF wine?" (they didn't), but I found myself staring at a bottle of Petit Chablis for the longest time 
. Resisted though, and rewarded myself with gingerbread and caramel syrups for hot chocolate.
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