Brave Babes Battle Bus - Holding our heads up like thistles

[MaryMungoAndMidgies]

I bit the bullet - Come on in, excuse the faint whiff of dog!

The last thread

Ah don't you worry .crochet I've got lots to catch on... With you wonderful lot!!

Off to ride the horse now. Poor puppy has come into season today, ffs i was going to get her spayed this week: been running around the kitchen with a cloth. Eww.

Had a such a wicked weekend with mr l. And apart from sat morning after the crazy festival, we didn't drink too much. He made me drink a jäger bomb on sat. I wisely declined drinks after that. Go me!

Will def catch up later (I don't want him to know I am here, he will think I am weird! Plus I really don't want have to explain why I am on a thread that offers so much support in the old alcohol department).

Anyway, I met the parents, totally feel like I am 15 again! All went well.

Right got to go ride horse face, and look after period puppy. Sigh. Will check in later

Lala X

Hello lovely bus people. I am not new to this thread but i i have name changed a few times and i was last here a very long time ago.

Here is where i am at:
I left work in April as it was super stressful and since then have been enjoying a quiet peaceful life. However with no work to go to i have less structure to my week and have found myself drinking more wine on weeknights. I never ever got drunk on a week night and never called in sick through drink ever. Now i can pretty much drink what i want when i want. This is bad.
I have been on holiday for three weeks and drank pretty much every day. Then got back to a few family celebrations so more drinks.
I now feel tired, bloated and lethargic.
I have rash on my front and back. Just two small patches. I have convinced myself this is my liver packing in and i am very fearful (in reality i suspect it is a heat rash).
DH agrees we drink too much and need to face it head on.
DD2 leaves for uni in less than three weeks. We will have an empty nest. I need to fill my evenings.
I have my days sorted as i am starting some courses and i go to Pilates twice a week.
I need to lose weight and i am sure my drinking is hindering this. When i drink i NEED crisps or chocolate.
Right now i hate myself and feel very down.

I need a plan folks. Where do i start? The most i have ever managed without alcohol (apart from pregnancy) is 3 weeks.

DD2 gave me a gin tasting thing for my birthday. It is on Saturday. How do i deal with this? Go and then take tiny sips of the testers? I can not go - she would be devastated that her greta gift was being rejected. She isn’t going, just me and DH so i think we might manage okay.

Enough of my ramblings. Must go make some dinner.

I will come back later and read through the newest threads for good ideas and to find out how you have all been doing.

Evening all. Thankyou for your kind welcomes.

Interesting reading all your updates, and recognise many of the day to day struggles you describe. Social events, stressful jobs, nightmare family members.

Dh is on night 5 AF and I am on night 3. I started a new job today and did think how nice it would be to have a celebratory gin but haven't. We ate early, which deffo helps as we would never drink after eating - which meant we frequently didn't bother eating.

Been remembering other things that had become common place:

I would absolutely skull the first drink, gin or wine. I would be looking to quickly get that buzz, and could relax once I'd achieved it and slow down.

We have bought HUGE fishbowl gin and wine glasses, and would kid ourselves we'd only had three drinks, which were actually probably quadruple pub measures each

I would have endless text conversations with my friends in the evenings and have to re read them the next morning to check what I had said

I am sleeping loads better. Dh is not, as he relied on booze to get him off to sleep and hasn't broken that hold yet.....

Onwards. Am loving long tall glasses of ice, lime and soda.

Thanks for support, can't really talk to anyne else apart from dh.

Hi all, just a quick one...in bed (and AF!) after a blissful afternoon of cuddling and feeding teeny babies and chilling with my friend, who is an amazing and totally relaxed mum despite having to contend with two!

Sorry not to name check (struggling to keep my eyes open!) but thank you, as always, for the lovely posts and support. Xxx

Hey everyone, gone a bit quiet... I am up uncharacteristically early (thanks mr l and his stupid working hours - how can he drink half a bottle of wine and still be bright eyed and bushy tailed???) my sister is starting a new job today, so been up and texting her to try and offer some support. Going to cook burn her some dinner later.

blue it seems like you have identified the 'danger' spots. Welcome back to the bus! It is easy to fret about things, I was convinced I was dying from liver failure the other day when I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating stomach pain. Mr L pointed out that my liver was far further down than where I was hurting. D'oh. Obviously I have not told him the true extent of my drinking, I think he suspects. Don't want to lose him, he is fab. Anyway, sounds like a lovely thing for your DD to get you, and maybe if your DH does the majority of the drinking...?

Hi blossom congrats on your day 3, hopefully it is now day 4! Keep posting, this is the best place for encouragement and support. I am a relative newbie, but the advice here is awesome. Carry on enjoying the lime and soda.

elba you legend! Well done for being AF yet again. Snaps for you xx

I am going to view a flat this morning (to move in with mr l, big news! Too soon?) and then meet my friend and her delicious baby, she really is the most gorgeous and placid little thing. I could happily cuddle her all day. Then look after period puppy, and see the monster horse. And avoid doing any work at all costs.

Can't remember the last AF day I have had. But at the moment, it's semi under control, as in I will have a few glasses of wine, then stop. This is sort of progress... Not drinking to oblivion.argh, why can't I be normal????!!!!

Anyway, longest and rambling post ever. Hope you are all ok?

Lala x

Hi all, gone very quiet here! If this post ends abruptly it's because I'm watching two sleeping (for now!) babies while my friend has a nap....

Still AF- don't think I'd have fitted in any drinking anyway...I've had at least one baby attached to me pretty much the whole time, didn't get to be until after 11 and ended up doing a 5am feed then being projectile vomited and weed on simultaneously which would not of been good hungover! No idea how one person is meant to cope with two newborns...two of us (her DH went back to work this week) have been kept constantly busy. But I love it, and have completely bonded and fallen in love with the babies im so so broody and don't want to leave tomorrow.

Might post this in parts so I don't loose it..baby boy is stirring and there are some interesting smells coming this way...

Go elba, you are a mummy in waiting cringe cringe cringe went to view a flat with the mr, was totally perfect, so just waiting to see if we (and the sodding dog) have been accepted. Dog is eating toilet roll right now, not sure I would accept her as a tenant....

Evening. Night 5 AF. Went to gym this evening which, although I exercise a lot, would never happen usually as I am half way down gin number two by 6.30....

Sleeping sooooooo much better.

I have managed 4 nights AF. I am sleeping much better than usual. It is great.

Hi my beautiful friends,

I'm so sorry I haven't been around, I hope I haven't worried anyone.

My Mum has had a hip replacement and I've spent my time flitting between her house and mine and she's had a really tough time adjusting to being incapacitated and I've spent most of my days cleaning her house and keeping her company.

Then ofcourse I dash home and be "mum". Before I knew it weeks had passed and I kept thinking I'll log in tomorrow then I felt bad for not being around and left it til another day.

I've missed you all and as I sat tonight wondering how you all are I thought sod it, message the people who've helped me through the darkest days of my life.

So I'm still sober, have lost a stone with weight watchers and just keeping on keeping on.

Love to all of you xxx

Well done lamb and bluesky, and glad your feeling the benefits of being AF.

lala my lovely exciting news about the flat!!! Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly with the application! X

hope how did dinner go with horrible SIL? Hope you and she survived!

Still at friends and still AF...its nice to not be smuggling in bottles and drinking in secret, and constantly paranoid of being caught out. Babies keeping us busy but are absolutely gorgeous. Saw my father this afternoon, kept it as brief as possible. would usually deal with it by getting obliterated after but the babies have been a distraction.

Oh, and today I discovered that baby boys can wee on their own heads....

Baby so good to see you my lovely, you've been on my mind the past few days, wondering how you are and how you're getting on. Congrats on losing a stone, that is awesome Glad to hear your Ma is recovering well, it must be so difficult if you're an active lady and you just have to stay still!!
How are your DDs - are they back to school yet in Scotland? Mine go back next week - just ordered Lit books for DDs 2nd year A levels. She failed her Maths with a D again She wants to retake in November, I can feel a Tutor coming on (more expense that I don't really have, but hey at least I'm not spending all my spare cash on Vino Collapso)
Glad to hear from you lovely one, just keep on keeping on Babe......xxx

Elba you made me lol - you sound so positive, these babies are a seriously excellent distraction for you and no I never knew a baby boys pee could reach their head Well done on keeping your Dads visit to a minimum - brush all those neggy vibes off - and focus on these lovely babies. When do you go home?

Blue & Blossom Well Done Babes your sleep will get better and better, your skin will look younger, you will lose some weight, you will have more patience, your thoughts will become clearer - the list of benefits is endless No-one regrets not picking up a drink x

Hope Just hugs to you lovely xxx

Ma hope you're all ok - I envy your week to yourself - what have you got planned?

Lala hope all ok with you x

Wry, Isinde, Rural, Beaches, Joey, Margie, Guggs, Venus, Mouse, Fox, April and every Babe who I've missed - hope you're all ok - if you're lurking please come and say hello

Some figures from my app - 521 Day AF, not drunk 43 cases of Vino, not spent £7000 on wine Shocking Makes me wonder where I found the flipping money as I feel just as skint now as I did then

Watch the film to the end Babes, distract, distract, distract

I'm here, Internet has been dodgy on and off for a couple of days. Mostly AF but had a couple (4) of glasses of wine last night with son and GF. Didn't sleep well and slightly hungover this morning. Onwards and upwards.

baby great to hear from you and well done on loosing a stone!!

crotchet hope the hangover is fading...I notice them so much more now it's not a permanent state for me if that makes sense?!

spanna yes the babies are a perfect distraction, and I just love being here...I Can totally relax and be myself (corny as that sounds). Going home tonight...wish I lived closer. Poor DD though - a levels are a horrible time, so stressful with all the added teenage stuff that goes on!

We have all woken up with colds, including the babies They look ok at the moment, but they are still tiny (6 pounds) and little ones go downhill really quickly so I'm a bit worried about them. Hopefully they will be fine...and baby sneezes are so cute!

Just worked out I have been af for all but two of the last 17 days...for some reason I feel like I've been drinking far more than that. It's weird. Not really feeling much benefit yet if I'm honest, skin not great and feel quite run down. Maybe it's just normal tiredness from work etc...I have two weeks annual leave coming up so maybe that will help.

Anyway, going to go and cuddle some babies...have a good day all ️xxx

Babes alert. Bit drunk. Need support. Send calm down messages now xxx

What's up hope? Step away from SIL and WB and breathe

Hope you ok babe? Sending loads of hugs, breathe, can you have a cuppa? coffee? some cake? Don't let the bastards get you down.

Ok, work night out but family row about SIL extreme nastiness exploded beforehand so in rebellious 'fuck you all, out with friends, wish I wasn't coming back' mode as ever. But do not want to be a moron and out myself in the wrong or look an arse in front of friends. Hoping to sip remaining drink slowly and be in bed by 11.00pm .. wish me luck x

You ok hope?. How did the evening end?

I had something to eat and got back safely to hotel. Glad I checked in x

hope tried to call you.am around now.
Spanna off to London Monday with no plans. Tuesday is a lunch reception with Boris Johnson ( give me strength!) and then an afternoon business thingy at Westminster. Then it's off with the business gear and on with the backpack as I take the ferry to France to visit a very dear friend in Normandy. Stay there until Monday and then back I come. Sadly she is quite ill so nothing more ambitious than strolls in the countryside and sitting on the beach listening to the tide crunching on the pebbles. And bread. And croissants. And Camembert.....

Hello babes. Apologies for not reading the whole thread. I like to come on here once a year and say hi. I hope you don't think I'm boasting but I pop in on my sober anniversary as a combination of this thread and AA got me to where I am today. I haven't had a drink for 5 years ( and some days). If anyone wants to read how bad I was my user name when I posted was wanttodie and I did. I had lost everything once and was about to lose it again. A lovely babe called bafana met me and took me to a meeting of AA. I had been before but decided I was cured and stopped going) and the rest is history one day at a time. I have my family and a lovely husband. I have an ok job but am training to do an even better one. I have been sober through a loved ones death , my wedding (no 2) and my littlest child's autism diagnosis. I have wonderful friends and my life is amazing in comparison. I can honestly say my worst day sober is 100 x better than my best day drunk. The obsession and compulsion to drink has gone. I wish you well in your journeys and please believe me when I say anyone can do this. I was killing myself slowly. Now I have a future.

strawberry I remember you and the lovely banana. So great to see you and hear your news. Brilliant!

Lol. BAFANA not banana

Ma I remember you you lovely lady and wasindie and I met another wise Scottish lady but the name escapes me. If you are reading we met in Musselburgh and you were amazing. I hope you are all well and happy xxx