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

www.oneyearnobeer.com

not sure the hyperlink will work!

It work, Pop, interesting . . .

So here is a link that I hope will work the NEW THREAD

Usually our lovely mouse watches out for the current thread filling up and sets up the next one, but she is very unwell and in hospital so I have taken up the gauntlet and created the next thread.

So, a reminder to all Babes it is OK to go across to the new thread and mark your place, but please fill up all the space on here (still 16 posts available), and if you can, in the last few posts make the links to the next thread explicit. That really helps us to stop from losing previous posters or infrequent lurkers.

OH, and MOUSE get well soon x

Get well soon Mouse.

Just popping on to say 'hello' to the bus and the many travellers aboard.

Long time lurker, very occasional poster, cheerleading from the sidelines as each of us takes it ODAAT.

That's four more posts filled.

JWIM would we know you by another name?

The internet is a funny place,

Had a bit of a rubbish afternoon - a class of students who largely opted out of part of their module - I lavished love, attention and extra special help on those who had bothered to turn up. I have to remind myself that they have a right to fail, but BLOODY HELL they missing a good learning opportunity. SO I have treated myself to a veggie burger whilst I pass the time before a research lecture this evening.

Get well soon mouse and ma's dd

I tidy up the house once my 3 out but then it's the same half an hour after they've got home. Wondering whether it would be easier to live in chaos.

Did well yesterday but just realised that there is still a bottle of white in the house and now really struggling.

Work, make sure it is somewhere you can't see it. Or wrap it in Christmas paper and address it to someone who would appreciate it!

Step away from the wine work. If necessary tell yourself you will drink it tomorrow. Then deal with tomorrow tomorrow. I'm hiding from my kids who are shouting at each other in the kitchen.

sweet sorry you had rubbish day. All their loss but they are too young to know it. ! Im negotiating in price for mine. DP getting sad about selling but it all about the schools. It's going to be a stressful few month.

Sweet no that's my nn but I haven't posted for some time, but do read off and on. Was on the bus back at the start (another name then but not JWN) and am still doing it ODAAT. My experience is that controlled drinking leads to out of control drinking. So over the years I have worked out for me it is better just not to drink alcohol. I have my 'go to' drinks when out - usually an N&T to start and then Elderflower, or more Tonic or water. If I start back on the naice white wine the 'when's the next drink' thinking starts up and gets louder and louder. Not drinking does become the norm for me and the thought of wine just disappears and life is OK.

JWIM good to see you again .
Margie well done. Don't be de-railed by one slip up.
Spent all morning with DD in A and E. She is not at all well. Got her home just now and trying to talk calmly about deferring exams.....not a happy bunny at all.
After a good spell, am back drinking. I actually made myself do it even though I wasn't enjoying it. Class.

Hello babes thanks everyone for the support and ideas about making friends. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately I have tried most of them, but I will keep on trying.

Oh! I think somehow I've logged on as joey1 instead of joey - don't quite know how that happened...

ma sorry to hear about your DD - have they made a diagnosis yet? Don't beat yourself up too much about the drinking, you've done pretty well and have so much to cope with. Hope you can look after yourself too...

and so bad to hear that our dear mouse is ill too I hope she's doing okay, she's such a tough cookie...

JWIM hello - good to know you are still around. I so agree with your My experience is that controlled drinking leads to out of control drinking (and everything else you said in that post).

joey I think 'friendship' is an interesting thing. My dsis has a group of friends that she has known for 30+ years - they all seem to know each other and go out happily as a group or in any number of combinations of 2s and 3s and 4s... I have singular friends - one from school, one from uni, one from work etc. I would NEVER put them all together in the same room, it would be awful.

Over the years even that small number of close friends has dwindled and I sometimes feel quite alone. But I have done a couple of things in the last few years... one was a long term training course and from that I have met a couple of people who feel like really close friends.... and the other is a weekly class near to where I live. The first time I went I thought that each and everyone of the people there were eejits (a peculiar Scottish word). But now, a year later we are about to go out for a Christmas meal and I have grown bizarrely fond of some of them...

I suppose I've gone for things that I've liked, rather than going for things to find friends - they have been a by-product.

Oh, and I see I have been a bit premature with setting up the new thread - there is a whole page and a half to go

Premature can be so frustrating fnar, fnar but you meant well!

Ma a worrying day for you and DD - hope she feels better soon, but gives some serious thought to exams deferral. Does she have a tutor she can talk to about her options?

Alias I was half listening to the current David Attenborough wild life programme recently and a phrase cut through what I was doing 'they keep on trying until they are successful'. It summed up mine and many others attempts to deal with alcohol - keep on trying.

JWIM nice to meet you and what is an N&T?

An N &T is a nowt and tonic! A non-alcoholic G and T.
Dd is going to speak to the welfare officer at uni tomorrow and see what her options are.

Ah! Thanks ma. Hope your DD gets some good advice. A friend of mine at univ got gland fever in second year and took part of the year out. Read up. Rested. Got better. Came back. Got a first.

N&T - was one of the original jesuswhatsnext's favoutie drink: instead of a gin and tonic (G&T) or a vodka and tonic, she would make a 'nothing' and tonic.... IT's about being indulgent - a crystal glass, ice cubes ready in the freezer, a slice of lemon or a slice of lime, fizzing ice-cold tonic....

I remember that being so much better and nicer than my MIL's small dribble of gin in a tumbler, with flat tonic (at room temperature).

The whole concept of the N&T is about enjoying what is really good (the glass, the ice the coolness), and recognising that you can anticipate the 'nothing and tonic' as much as you can the G/V&T...

Oh Ma, you poor thing, what a terrible week. I hope you're not giving yourself a hard time about drinking again, I would certainly have given into the booze in your situation.

Hi ma I'm so sorry your lovely dd is poorly, crickey my girl is just doing highers and that's really stressful for her. I know you will be giving her lots of love and support and she sounds like a tough cookie like her Mum xxx