The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Braving The Wine Witch & Her Alcohol Free Autumn

[Mouseface]

Hello

I’m Mouse one of the Brave Babes who ride on this wonderful Bus, called Gerald, along with all the Opal Fruits wrappers and of course Barry The squid.

We all have a wise variety of life experiences and experiences with alcohol too. We’re not admirers of hang overs and we certainly don’t do judgey pants!

We’re here to ride along with you, when life is pants but also when it’s not as well and you my want to celebrate that bit too much!

So find a seat and come take a ride. I’ll link the previous and also the very first link and the reason we’re all here.

*Mouse

Ma “It made me think of Terry Wogan and Mrs McKay and her silver shovel... “
you brought back some lovely memories there!

Spanna, I am so sorry hon, definitely not the outcome you deserved. But I am a believer in good things happening to good people, and you my friend are good people. Your time will come and Karma will deal that lying bitch of a boss. Big hugs hon.

Evening all, been quietly lurking since my mammoth first post (Give someone else a crack at the page!)

So far so good, balancing AF days with drinking days. Drinking less than usual on my drinking days too, and feeling very comfortable saying "that's enough for tonight" so by the time I get to bed I have a lovely sleep.

Although I did get a dose of the flu so that was an easy AF week!

Spanna what a kick in the head from a bunch of arseholes. I'm so sorry for the outcome and am cheering you on to better days

MsHooliesCardigan To cope with being watched all the time shows how very strong you are. When you are able to poo I hope you save it for the sadist nurse ("Merry Christmas! You deserve every bit )

Hi dutch. Sounds like you are on top of things

spanna
That's totally crap about your work situation.
I made this for you this morning in solidarity!

ma I hope so. But I think I'll stay put on this lovely bus for a year or two before I get confident. That was a close call

Evening all.

Spanna, I'm so sorry about work. You deserve so much better.

MsHoolie Your DH is such an arse. I hope you can stay strong in the face of his fuck-wittery.

Hello and happy Friday to everyone else. I haven't managed to be AF this week, but I have moderated (somewhat), and I've been to the gym. I have a friend's birthday in London on Dec 20th, I would really like to abstain until then so that the new dress I've bought fits comfortably, but I just can't seem to be a grown-up.

Hi lovely bus-sharing-fellow's........
Wow so much going on for so many of us...sorry spanna about your work situation, there is obviously a big back story there so Im not going to comment....just that God will work out all things for good..... like someone said...karma always wins xxx

BTW.... I'm on day 12 of Not Drinking.
Vulnerable point for me because
a) I still want wine at the end of every day, the yearning is still there.
b) I've done nearly 2 weeks so in my illogical mind my thoughts go along the lines of "wow 2 weeks, you deserve to have a drink now, you can't possibly have a problem.
c) Had a really difficult dew days with all of my boys in different ways and feel like my head is at bursting point.
So..... that's it really. Finding it really difficult NOT to drink the only thing keeping me going is I don't WANT to because I know if I go down that road that will be it. At least a bottle tonight, then one tomorrow, plus one Sunday because I might as well and before you know it I'm back to square one.

I just want to be better at Not Drinking..
As I am super at Actual Drinking

Had two glasses and now heading for an early night. i just cannot seem to do AF. I don't need to finish the bottle, I don't need to get pissed, I just need that comfort blanket of a drink or two.

Evening Babes

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and being so lovely - you're a gorgeous bunch of caring, beautiful babes

I had another kick in the teeth today - I didn't get the job and it was working with the fire brigade gutted to say the least and I've been quite tearful. They've offered feedback by email so I will ask for it, as I'm clearly doing something wrong at interview I'm now going to brush myself down, put my big girl knickers on, heave my shoulders back and stick my tits out more like fried eggs. Thank you all for your support it means so much

First time in awhile that I could have so easily reached for some cold fizz, that disappointed, useless, hopeless feeling I haven't and quite proud that I've gone through all this work shit since August without succumbing to the WW. Thank gawd I haven't as I'd be even more of a gibbering wreck than I am now!!!!

So onward and upward......love to you all, keep safe, keep distracted, keep smiling and don't let those bastards get you down x

Spanna fellow fried egg owner, I wish that I could wave a magic wand for you and create a wonderful new job while simultaneously zapping the old one into space. I am so sorry that things are not going your way but you are so right, your resolve under pressure is incredible. Keep those big girl pants on, we are rooting for you treacle xx

Mint your photo made me laugh, loved the sentiment.

Ma maybe a drink or two is not so bad, I only wish I could stop there naturally.

forever I agree with everything you said, I had the same battle tonight and also came to the same conclusion, tonight would lead to tomorrow and the next day.... well done on stacking up the days. Here’s to waking up on a Saturday morning without the breath of a gorillas armpit.

Sweet ok so the 20th gives you about a month, plenty of time to get that dress fitting comfortably and get some af days in. I always find psyching myself up for day one difficult but day 2 is always that bit easier. Go for it babe

Waves to Dutch, Margie, slings and saywhen and all other babes, I daren't go back a page in case I lose my post.

beaches this made me laugh!
Saturday morning without the breath of a gorillas armpit.

Day 22 af here! This is the longest I've done in a couple of years. Yesterday was really hard as started to panic about forever. But of course I need to slow down and think about today.

Playing it out to the end always helps me there are so many embarrassing/awful incidents that I don't want to happen again.

As an adult I think I have done one sober month that was longer than this but that was counting down the days until the end - this is different.

Good luck today everyone!

Saywhen and Bee, well done on your AF days! That is amazing. Bee, the cravings at the end of the day will go, I promise, just hang on in there.

Spanna, I’m so sorry about the job. You so deserve something to go your way work wise, but it will. Huge well done for not pressing the fuck it switch.

I am on my girls weekend, 5 of us, all known each other almost 30 years. They asked me why I wasn’t drinking and I told them the truth. I told them that I couldn’t do it anymore, that my relationship with alcohol was over, that it was destroying me mentally and physically and I had to stop. Apart from one of them, who has her own drinking stuff to deal with and tried to tell me I wasn’t that bad, they were lovely. Turns out DH of one of them has a drinking problem too, so I’ve offered to talk to him. My friend who’s a GP just looked at me and said “well done”. And then they had lots of wine and I had my fizzy water and we chatted and laughed and reminisced and I felt nothing but love and gratitude.

If I sound like a Hallmark card I apologize, I am just still so amazed I’m here and sober. Day 99. Today I will not be drinking.

Happy weekend to every babe.

Hi been lurking here for a while. You are all so inspirational. I've realised I have a problem wn my lovely 15y/o asked if I thought I might have borderline personality disorder.

I'm crushed with guilt.

I need to get AF. Can someone share some opal fruits and give me the Barrie treatment please?

margie so proud of you.
ginger welcome to the bus. Opal fruits and Barrie slaps will be administered as required.

Welcome Genius and well done for writing your first post You are in the right place, you'll get heaps of support from the Babes on this lovely non-judgemental bus. We are, as you've probably gathered, a bunch of loons Post anytime you want and say whatevers on your mind, we're here to help.

Margie32 huge admiration to you. For 99 days but honestly more because of your honesty with your friends.

ginger welcome to you!

spanna thanks. Typically I'm on bug number 2 since stopping. I'm never ill so I'm sure this is part of stopping. I guess I still feel better than wine every day. No I know it's better than that given the units I was clocking up.... I hope you are ok.

Thanks all. I love the orange opal fruits the best! Mouth watering just thinking of them. Have just finished work and already imaging the first sip of a Henry Westons followed by a bottle of fizz. Why is it so hard to abstain. It's such a horrible crutch. I hate myself for needing it.

Genius if you've got the Westons & Fizz at home, can you take them out of the fridge and put them in a cupboard out of sight? I love Westons extra dry and Adlestones is another of my fav ciders, can still taste them now Sorry that's not very helpful Just try and have one night without the booze, take on day at a time

How is everyone? Quiet here today

Another gym comp with DD2 tomorrow, afternoon which means driving back down country lanes in the dark, fucking hate it! Been down memory lane music wise today, AC/DC full blast, lucky the flat downstairs is empty at the moment, bit of Joan Armatrading ahhhhh

hello babes

Just checking in. Having a bath before a party tonight where I will have a few drinks but I'm OK with that. I'm spending more and more days completely AF. I'm not hanging every morning. I feel less panicked at the thought of no wine.

Last night, another Friday, I had a cup of tea when I got home. In fact I've started doing this every day and it really works, I think I've started looking forward to the tea more than wine. I wonder if it's because I view it as a treat and I go and sit and relax for 10 minutes no matter how much is going on!

I had two glasses of wine last night and I stopped without a problem. I think I can probably do moderation as long as I don't become complacent. I think of how I was feeling when I joined this bus and somehow it seems easier!

Love and thoughts to all of you tonight and hope you are all staying strong.

I have resisted the temptation to buy any so have nothing in the house. Really craving it atm. But also have a shit cough and cold so feeling props sorry for myself!!!!

dementedma do you truly think you need to cut out your 2 drinks each evening? (Genuine question, and tell me to shove off if I'm prying!)

Hi ginger I'm pretty new out of lurkdom so maybe not the best person to advise. Just wanted to send you a little cheer, and a get well soon

margie wow 99 days I'm in awe... also like someone else said your honesty with your friends...you should feel so immensely proud of yourself and what you have a achieved.

I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment...feeling a bit sorry for myself... I know I can't do moderation very well iand have never been ablento have just1 glass of wine....and I have come to the conclusion many times over that the most sensible responsible thing to do is try and stop completely. Had a tough day with my children and husband ( just normal parenting on my own with them all day - dh been out all day) and I've been thinking to myself..is this it?? I know i used alcohol to cope with stress, with depression, with struggles in different areas.. at the end of a bad day it was always there always and helped me along. I also found it meant "the end" of a busy/crap/hectic day. A glass of wine ( a bottle) meant that was it , didn't have to think about things anymore, didn't have to keep trying to work things out, things weren't going round and round in my head any more. It numbed everything I suppose and I always fell asleep quickly even though I used to be awake from early hours. Now it's like there's no off switch. The day just carrys on, I can't settle, I'm busy doing jobs right up until getting into bed. And also I feel scared, I'm scared to think "is this I is this going to be the rest of my life?" My children are my absolute world but are really challenging at the moment in all their different ways. My middle ds has autism too and sometimes I could just cry with frustration with him, with his behaviour, the constant relentlessness and absolute thanklesness and loneliness of it all.
As for the not drinking i wanted it to be lovely and nice and worthwhile and , well just better than drinking.

I'm so sorry I'm feeling highly pitiful and sorry for myself...it's just been such a long hard day and I've just had a bit of a cry to myself. I know I was being honest with myself when I said "I'm drinking too much and I need to stop" but I'm scared and upset and sad. I thought it would be better. But I just feel lost and alone without it.
I'm a sorry to ramble... has anyone else ever felt like this?

I know this is nothing compared to what so many of you have got going on at the moment. Mshoolie especially. Xxxx