The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Swinging Into Sobriety!

[Mouseface]

Hello there,

I'm Mouse, one of the Brave Babes travelling far and wide, stopping off here and there to collect lovely folk, just like you, for a natter all about booze and the blues that come with being a drinker of whatever quantity.

We don't wear or sell judgey pants here, although a G-string or two (Oooh Matron!) has been known to sort the fan belt out on the Bus as we've been driving for such a long time now!!

In short, we've regular posters here, lurkers, those who have managed to keep their drinking to 'social' occasions, some who are really struggling on an hourly basis and some who are completely dry!

Whatever your drinking 'status', you're welcome here in the new bigger Battle Bus, (as requested) whilst we head far and wide, listening to one another, as we face each day that comes our way, whether it be good, bad or downright ugly, we really have seen it all and don't mind one bit. Lurk or chat, it's up to you but one thing you will always find, is a warm welcome, Opal Fruit wrappers (Looks at Ma bosom push up! ) and of course, in complete confidentiality.

So, if you'd like to look what happened on the last thread (a bit like catch up TV) you can look at this link which will take you there - JUST HERE

And, if you would like to see where we started driving this wonderful Bus, over seven years ago, you can have a look at this very honest thread - RIGHT HERE

Hope to see you soon,

Mouse xx

Evening, 'tis' me, Mouse

I'm very behind in terms of who is on he Bus as I've managed to kick my insomnia into touch once and for all!

I didn't realise how nice daylight was!

I'm still broken and battling my mental health here and there but each day is better than the last so that can only be a good thing

I'm so exhausted but I'm surrounded by people holding me up xxx

Hi long term lurker - from the JWN days!- but wanted to say hi to mouse and hope you are getting there and that your family are all ok xx Also Ma the comments suggesting you were rude are way off and am sure in no way representative of most people's views here. I understand you feel bad about not being able to take DS away. But you shouldn't. Holidays are over in a flash. You sound like a great loving mum and what you do day in day out is what counts far more than a holiday ( where the reality more often doesn't match up with the anticipation - or is that just us!) and you obviously have a great relationship with DS who I am sure if anything like mine will enjoy the lie ins and chilling xxx

Hello sorry to not nc and sorry for being missing so long, it's been a busy week! I'm ok, well exercise and healthy eating have gone down the pan. Was a bit overambitious earlier and went on crosstrainer before exercise class, slipped off it somehow ankle quite tender. Was an idiot and decided to do class anyway, which no doubt helped tremendously So have iced my ankle, and eaten half a lindt easter egg and most of a bag of walkers cheddar crackers, am still hungry Hello to all newbies, hope everyone is ok

Oh I just wanted to drink the pub dry tonight. Stayed free for ages before giving in.

bailster thank you!

Morning. Just catching up on the thread.
I'm totally pissed off with myself. A bottle of wine a night and then Tuesday night, three bottles. On the bright side I was so sick yesterday (still ropey today) that I can honestly say that it's spurred me on to go dry again. I managed five months before (with one day a month having a drink).
Job wise, still looking. Not heard a thing back from any applications. Sent out 20 CVs last week. How hard is it for a company to even send out a generic No Thanks email.
Things are in a right pickle. DP landed a good contract for 6 weeks and now the clients have decided to put it on hold. Bastards!
It's been beautiful weather here again in Scotland which is why sitting in the garden with wine is far too easy.
The elderflowers are almost ready for picking to make cordial. I have lemon's,sugar, local honey. And thanks to last week so wine binge, lots of bottles to sterilise.

WillAndDisgrace
Hope you're alright.
Flowerydems
I don't know why, but your name always makes me smile!
dementedma
Have you had your night out with the lovely Marine yet?

dementedma
I can't remember where you are. If it's Scotland there's a little festival happening in Moniave called Firefly on July 15th . It's £10 and £10 to camp. It's out the back of a pub. It's tiny but it's lovely. I know you aren't into camping but if you and your son wanted to go, I'd bring our tent down to it for you. It's got two bedrooms. We'll be in the van.

reading objectively no-one has meant to be rude and lux is right, perhaps some babes feeling low/sensitive. Or all of us!

Let's start the day.

I hope everyone is okay. I'm feeling the pinch with the lone parent full time job business, get up c 6 and don't stop til 9 then watch telly for 1 hour then bed.
Where's the yoga, the reading, the nicely prepared meals?
Argh.
And being made redundant will mean some time off but will be skint.
But that's my life so will KOKO.
I have had 2 AF days slept really badly - sweaty and awful nightmares and so on. Sigh. Going be AF tonight anyway.
Happy Thursday babes

I had just over one bottle. Neutrogena - you are right, I associate alcohol with happy and sad times which doesn't help with 'justification'. I'm going to be AF tonight for certain and aiming for tomorrow too. Friday is a tough one so I can't promise anything at this stage sadly

42
I'm into week two of unemployment. It helps the weather is nice.

hoping I get a few sunny lazy days mint

Oh Ma, I totally understand how upset you are about not being able to afford a holiday. We managed to go on holiday to Spain earlier this year, because I'd spent 2 bloody years doing online surveys for cash and putting every online purchase possible through Quidco and earning cashback - there's no way on earth we could've afforded it otherwise.

For what it's worth, DS1 (who's now 6) moaned about the holiday when he got back to school, because another kid in his class got to go to LaserQuest and he didn't You can't win!

Ma how about family days out? When I was younger we rarely went away during the big school holidays as it was dearer (tended to go at Easter/week before Easter instead) but we did go on days out, theme parks etc, and they were just as good. In the nice weather a trip to the beach is good and free excepting the petrol and parking, and maybe the odd ice cream, and can be great. If you shop at Tesco and have a clubcard you can exchange vouchers for days out using this website secure.tesco.com/clubcard/boost/fun/days-out/4294967290%7C4294967277%7C4294967206.cat which is an idea. I’m not sure about other supermarkets, but maybe some have similar schemes? If that’s a no, just days out at the Beach/Picnics etc can be great. Also (appreciate I’m banging on) but you don’t need a posh holiday abroad to spend family time together. From my memories as a child/teenager some of the best memories were spent during days at Aberavon beach, you certainly don’t need to spent lots of money to have some quality time. Even cwtching up on the sofa with a good film and popcorn, or going for a meal out, can be brilliant family time.
Welcome wrongwayup and everyone else
Hi will and how are things going?
Still I’m so so sorry, I’ve been away for a while and missed your post. How are you doing (apologies if that’s a stupid question) How are you feeling this morning? You’re going through lots so don’t be tough on yourself.
Hello flowery
Mint hello. I’m glad you’re determined to go dry, and I know just how tempting drinking can be when you’re unemployed. I found it so blinking soul destroying and humiliating, but it’s lovely to hear you sounding positive and being productive. Keeping busy is the important thing. I know what you mean re getting back to you – so frustrating and lacking in any sense of decency. Keep going though, you will find something, and look at jobs in major supermarkets – I know Tesco is still hiring so others may be too.
Hello mouse
42 Hello, hope you’re ok. I know how horrible it is being unemployed, can’t begin to imagine how difficult it would be with children in the mix, the main thing is to keep yourself busy. And if you’re going to a jobcentre and meeting with an advisor, to say ‘yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’ then forget them as soon as you’re out of there, and remember that they know nothing about you and your life. And you’ve probably worked for longer than they’ve been alive.
Ankle is a lot better today, swelling has gone down. Although no doubt the cocodamol I took for the pain, the crap food I’ve been comfort eating (chocolate, crisps, bbq chicken and wedges) and lack of exercise will mean a gain on Saturday, sigh but it’s been one of those weeks I guess. Am still hobbling though, and weirdly disappointed I can’t go to spinning tonight (well I could but would be incredibly daft of me), will have to try next week instead. Hopefully bloody thing is healed by next week!

Glad your ankle is a bit a bit better Made and gosh so happy to hear you have been sleeping Mouse such good news.

Ma I well know the feeling of not being able to give your kids the days out and holidays you wish to, it's very difficult and upsetting.

I will catch up properly soon but I am very unwell right now and extra tired so I'll try to NC another time.

Lux oh dear, what's up? Go to bed and just try to rest and plenty of water/squash to drink

made pneumonia, not nice. I'll be fine, very tired right now but ok.

Hope everyone else is OK tonight.

test

ah, i can post again. its been kicking me out all day.
mint what a kind offer, thank you
had a couple of glasses of fizz to celebrate mums birthday, now in bed with a cup of tea.

Evening everyone, checking in, still AF but it's (finally) getting easier.

The terrorist had her CT, she has laid down so much new bone, I am so proud of her for keeping going the way she has. Her bone will never look normal but it looks so much stronger. I can dare to hope that she will continue to improve. She has to keep going with her antibiotics for another few months, but we are finally on the mend. God love her.

ma my mam did the best she could when I was growing up. Cutting up much needed trousers and hemming them into shorts so I could have the the required list of clothing for brownie camp. Even though she must have panicked at the thought of finding a replacement for those trousers.

I did look at some of my friends with envy, but now when I look at the photos I see the fucking sheer love that went into those shorts and I love my mam all the more for it. We never went abroad, always had a relative's caravan forone or two weekend holidays, just 30 ish miles up the coast. She even cut up one of her few dresses to make me a hallowe'en costume. And that's what I remember.

Not the going without. Not the lack of designer labels. Not the lack of funcy foreign holidays.

I remember the love, and the big doberman who used to beg at the caravan door for a custard cream, and my mam being there, making my childhood a happy place.

I admire her so much. She was and is, fucking amazing. If I turn out to be a tenth of the person she is I will be very happy indeed.

Your bairns see who you are ma, and so do we. Haud yer heid up quine, your bairns landed lucky in life's lottery.

They know it. We know it. Keep tooting yer horn, xx

Just checking in to say I've just watched Captain Fantastic. It's a fecking amazing sweet film (not a Marvel superhero film even though it sounds like it!) . Thats my luxury for today.
Catch you all tomorrow if MN sort out the mobile site problem.

Darling babes, just posting and waving from the side car. Which I appear to be firmly back in. Had a few really good weeks of much less... which seemed to tip me into thinking it was okay to start again. Grrrr.

I am drinking less with more control, which is positive, but struggling not to have any every evening. Work is so stressful, and family even worse.

I think I've forgotten the reasons why I joined the bus in the first place. But already starting to feel again that I'm killing myself. And agonising over any tiny physical symptom, convinced that it's a terrible thing. And then so worried about it that I have another drink. I know how ridiculous it sounds.

So sorry not have time and focus to nc all, but so proud of all of those doing well, and hugs to those not, and an extra hug for Lux who is always so supportive, hope you recover very quickly.

Lovely wise post Dubh

Broken you've done so well, don't beat yourself up for wobbles.

mint glad you enjoyed the film, I must take a look.

I am worn out but on the mend and always reading the thread.
Keep going forward lovelies.

Hello, all. I must apologise profusely for my "unnecessarily rude" comment to poor dementedma. I took her frustrated message about not being able to give her son the holiday she would like to, personally, which was wrong of me. Sorry, babe .

Nicely put Elf I saw back there you'd been having a bad day yourself, online we sometimes take things out of context or misread a tone don't we?

God know I would love a bit of sun right now, it's so miserable outside and I can't breathe anyway let alone with the humidity. Poor me

oh elf don't worry. It's so hard sometimes isn't it and easy to get crossed wires . Don't worry and thanks for the flowers!

dubh you made me cry you daft mare.