The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Go Sober For October?

[Mouseface]

Hello, 'tis me, Mouseface, welcome to the Bus, aka Gerarld.

We're a bus full of various Babes, from those who are as dry the Sahara, those who drink in moderation, those who binge drink and can go for weeks without a drop and then fall arse over tit (pardon the french!) straight off the bus and into the sidecar, and then we have Babes who try every single day to give up.

The thing is, we all do 'this' ONE DAY AT A TIME and with passion too. You have to WANT to stop with every fibre of your being.

And that's what this bus is about. We support each other. No matter how many times you fall of the Bus, we'll always be here to scoop you back up and listen.

So, come and join us. Lurk, or grab a seat, make sure you're comfy and enjoy the journey as we talk about the dreaded drink, plus everything from how expensive Tena Lady's are, to what's in the slow cooker!

We don't judge, this isn't a competition, it's our lives.

And if you'd like to read the last thread, HERE IT IS

Plus, if you'd like to see where the Bus started out, you can RIGHT HERE

Hope to see you soon xx

holdthewine
We shall soon need a double-decker, how great is that?

This do?

mint I love the bus
Moody sunrise this morning
Have a good day everyone xxx

Fox sorry lovely I keep forgetting to say Hello & welcome back
good to see you again x

Guggs don't let that mojo go! Tea/blanket/library sounds pretty perfect to me - hang in there and hope tigger sneaks up to replace eeyore very soon. Actually not, as I always found tigger super annoying. Owl was the best. A matter of abiding sadness that the children never really loved Winnie the Pooh like I did (do).

It's been said before - but always bears repeating - how much better a day filled with homework/loud refusals to engage with homework/music lessons/loud refusals to engage with music lessons is when not crushed by a skull bending hangover, as has been the case most Saturdays for as long as I care (or don't care) to remember. I really need to bottle this feeling of boundless possibility/optimism that the children may actually complete the two times table one of these years - but the problem is that the novelty always wears off. And when I'm AF it is inconceivable that I will be hungover again - but of course it is then so inevitably and crushingly predictable when I am.

If they ever finish sulking at their piano teacher, the children want to go out for smoothies to 'that nice cafe' this afternoon. Feel ashamed that the nice cafe is so fixed in the family lexicon - entirely because it is the only local cafe conveniently serving wine as well as smoothies, and hence a firm favourite of mine (v thick smoothies so I can usually down a couple of glasses in the time it takes for the children to make their way through their gloop). Three weeks since I did that - again, right now it feels inconceivable that I will slip this pm, but the WW is sneaky and my resolve is never as strong as I believe it will be, with a couple of weeks sobriety under my belt. Fingers and toes crossed.

Have lovely days, all, and big wave to Spanna. And how are you, Ma? Haven't caught up with your job stuff but am v hopeful you are still ogling

love the bus mint
did some serious ogling small at an event last week. if i can figure out how to do the scribble out thing on my face I'll post a pic...
We had this visitor to our teeny weeny pond this morning - the "pond" is scarcely bigger than a puddle!

Oh, now he is gorgeous ma
My Poppies are just starting to flower, poor things, it's brutal out there. Cold, wet and miserable.

Two weeks without drinking today.

Got a cold I can't shake off, so not feeling the effects of being blissfully AF.

I did have another dream, though. In this one I dreamed I was seventeen or eighteen again and I drank copious amounts of alcohol. A hangover was a matter of pride, not sweating anxiety and shame. Drinking reduced social anxiety and wasn't something I did on my own. It made me wonder whether that 'letting go' and sense of freedom has been the attraction of excessive drinking for me.

Anyway, I woke up and thought about drinking and I felt a bit ill. Must have been the memory of all those disgusting sex on the beach cocktails!

two weeks is great dystopian well done!
I can't find a picture of me which doesn't identify me so here is DD2 (who was also at the event) beginning to learn the fine art of soldier ogling......

Hi, I'd like to join, too. Will introduce myself properly later but wanted to get on to help me resist having a drink while cooking dinner.

Ma your dd2 looks stunning - did you get a good bit of ogling in?

Welcome Minnie you're in the right place, just post whenever you wish

Get your fake saxophones out Babes time for a bop, showing my age now who says bop anymore??? I do

Wow -yes please Mint! I'm in!

Guggenheim yes I will read around it (do you have links?) but just wondering if trying to go AF l, now that life has become so frenetic (due to circumstances I didn't foresee), whether I'll be setting myself up to fail if I try to do October. Also my moderation is going well despite everything. Big family dinner tonight (hard work!) and I didn't drink too much and am now tucked up and not even squiffy.

Minnie this place is a great distraction and a serious source of support. Welcome! See Mint's suggested bus, we will have lots of room!

Thank you for the welcomes! Very excited about Mint's bus!

I am a binger, hungover again. At the beginning of the year I was doing quite well following my rules of no more than 3 drinks per night and no more than 3 days per week, but the special occasions where I was allowed to push the boat out became more frequent and less special. I drink to ease social anxiety and also I enjoy a glass of wine with a nice meal, but either of these situations can tip me into a carefree binge followed by the self-loathing associated with the disturbed sleep and hangover. I had a great time last night, but have no memory of later sections of the evening. Can't remember talking to the babysitter when we got in, which is appalling.

I'm not sure what to do long term, but will be AF for at least the next 2 weeks before going back to my version of moderation.

I'm going to bed now and will read more of these threads over the next couple of days. Looking forward to getting to know you lovely lot

Spanna I think we may be of the same vintage- when bands played their own instruments and it wasn't all boy bands ( mumbles old bummer type nonsense for a bit) Actually, I quite like that jump suit in the clip.

Am still af, turns out that I'm just a mardy old git who needs to do a bit more exercise and a bit less moaning.

hold there are masses of blogs,sorry these won't be linky:
Mummy was a secret drinker
Mrs d is going without
Sober school
Soberista

I use the Bubble Hour podcasts lots and just download a sober book from amazon when I need a bit of inspiration. I am staggeringly nosey so reading about others people's lives is gripping. If you're worried about sober October, why not just do a week and see how it goes?baby steps.

minnie welcome. I think we can all relate to your post. This is a great place to be whatever you decide to do.

Delurking. I've spent so much time reading the threads but never daring to post. Kidding myself that I didnt need to. Woke up this morning following yet another mammouth binge and decided to say hello.

I binge drink. Nothing Sunday - Wednesday. But Thursday night comes around and then I'm off. One large G&T to unwind a bit and congratulate myself (on what?) and then most of a bottle (leaves one small glass left in it to pretend to myself that I havent been that bad). Hungover on Friday so need a little pick me up by 7.30pm and then I'm off again. Saturday as per Friday. I spend every weekend trying to pretend Im not hungover and manically organising everyone. And then a few days of self loathing and we get to Thursday again. I am everyones naughty friend - the one that they save up for a big night out but probably dont trust me to meet them "just for one" and Ive been doing this for nearly 30 years.

I desperately need to break the cycle. I'm permanently knackered, fat, bloated and cant remember the last time I had a good night sleep. Yesterday I had to have my photo taken professionally. It was awful looking in the mirror - all I can see is what I have thrown away over 20 years.

But now when I know I need to change I am so bloody scared of what it will mean that I'm faffing and telling myself I'll wait - not sure until when! Thinking about doing sober for October but already making excuses (I have a major party mid October for my closest friend - she's emigrating
and then you know there is so-and-so's party etc)

Anyway this is turning in to an pity party essay. Any tips for Sober October and managing the first 1-2 weeks gratefully received.

Hey all. Gorgeous day here.

Just read the sleep science piece in the Observer today. Loads of informed-sounding speculation about the impact of sleep deprivation on general health and longevity. Cue inevitable guilt about the impact of over 20 years' over-indulgence - I was hardly averaging more than 5 hours a night by the summer, broken and angry sleep at that. As always, the sheer joy and novelty of sober sleep hits me after a couple of weeks AF and I revel in going to bed (sans DH ) and having glorious, luxurious, dreamy sleep. (Really sorry if that comes over as smug - the sun is making me feel very boingy today). Yet another reason for me to try to hang in there and stay on the sober straight and narrow. Problem is that some of the joys of sobriety, like this one, are quiet and peaceful and too easy to forget unless we constantly remind ourselves of them.

Sorry - in my boinginess, I pressed post too soon on a very me me me post. Was going on to say that I hope everyone is having a good day, strewn with their favourite colour opal fruits

Who is driving this bus at the moment, btw? Just so's I know.

This bus probably isn't for me ...yet! I'm AF and have been since June when I found out I was 3 weeks pregnant. So I'll be on the wagon until March, but the more distance I put between myself and drinking the more I think I don't want to ever drink again. I spend less money, my skin looks better and I haven't felt that "oh wow I was such an embarrassing dick" feeling for ages. I don't think I ever want it back. Plus it's the main thing that makes me overweight. Anyway, back to lurking, just thought I'd say hello!

Checking in, feeling shit and sorry for myself today.
I spectacularly fell off the bus yesterday. I got absolutely hammered, had a drunken row with DP, and have the FEAR in a massive way.
I am in the bath and want to die. 😕

Aww mint, have you spoken to your dp today?

Another one feeling grim today. Congratulated myself by being able to stop at two glasses of wine during the week by thinking I could repeat it. Big mistake. My driving motivation was boredom. Cos nothing cures boredom like hanging on by my fingernails the next day with a pounding headache

Oh Mint and Ozzde, just be kind to yourselves today and look to the future.

Congrats on the pg, Lizkmg!

That second paragraph could have been me, Kicking! I think we're on the right bus.

Not sure who is driving, but I'm gripping the oh crikey handles (my dad's name for those handles above the car doors) very tightly, just in case.

Hey mint don't panic. Sweat it out in the sidecar - you too ozzde. don't think we've met yet and welcome to you minnie

I think (hope) somebody sensible like faire or venus is driving and taking us all somewhere nice. Tomorrow I am off to Inverness on my first solo trip and overnight stay in the new job. The overnights in hotels are going to be nice.
margie are you out there

I have the fear also mint. And I've spent a good chunk of today clearing up the stain on the beige carpet where I drunkenly tipped over a full plate of chinese takeaway (forgot it was on the coffee table because I was trying to avoid eating it - so many calories you know ).
Life has to be different/better than this.

Hi all
I've posted a couple of times in the past, but am back to join you if that's ok?
My drinking has increased again to anything up to a bottle a night with a few nights off during the week, and it's just making me feel rubbish. I have the perfect excuse not to drink at the beginning of this week as DS is off to PGL for 2 nights, I'm so anxious about it (though not letting him know that!) that there's no way I'll drink just in case!
X