Brave Babes (Hygge) Battle Bus: Snowed in and Drinking Hot Chocolate instead of wine

[SweetLathyrus]

Hi, I'm SweetLathyrus, Sweet for short, and I've been on and off Gerald the Brave Babes Battle Bus since 2014. Over the years, lots of us have maintained the thread, most of all the lovely Mouse, who has been here since the early days, and still scurries onboard when she can.

The bus is a place of support, safety and occasional silliness for those of us struggling with our relationship with alcohol. Some of us are sober, some are trying to be, some are moderating and aren't ready to give up alcohol just yet.

So whatever your reason for questioning the whys and WTFs of your drinking, hop on board, make yourselves comfortable and join in. Driers and Triers, all welcome.

2018 has been a busy year so far, lots of new travellers as well as old faces; if you want to read back on the journey through Dry or Dryer Jan and Feb so far, here's the link to the last thread

And in case you want to know how it all started, here is the link to JWN's original, inspiring thread

We've donned the snow chains, topped up the antifreeze, and turned the heaters up to loud, so even though it's cold outside, our welcome is always warm, so hop on and join us.

Twattage There's nothing like being due on for wrecking the boing! I've been thinking that the anxious meltdown I had last week was being due on. I felt much better Friday once I'd started.

Changing Hope today goes ok. I always feel anxious after time off. Well done for day 1.

Tink Sleep will improve the longer your AF. It's hard at first.

Sweet Be careful about not stopping everything you enjoy because of the need to work. Being AF is hard enough.

It's windy and cold here. I don't like it.

Morning everyone. I’m struggling a lot at the moment with my anxiety and depression. I was stood in Tesco yesterday in the drinks aisle and didn’t find myself wanting the alcohol and came out with the soft drinks I went in for, so that’s something? I’m only on day 5 though.

Meeting tomorrow with the alcohol counsellor. Bricking it slightly.

Hope everyone has a painless Thursday, it’s sunny here so it’ll be a nice walk to work at least.

That's brilliant Duchess really well done

It's thumbs up Thursday👍

Thumbs up to everyone who is af at the moment
Thumbs up to everyone who is af this evening
Thumbs up to everyone who is trying to re-think their life (af or not)

5 days is an achievement Duchess. I’m looking forward to being able to say that.

Love thumbs up Thursday Venus.

I’m doing a bbq for tea tonight, which is a bit of a test. But I said that I would drink today, so I won’t.

Lots of sparkling water for me instead.

Have a good evening everyone.

This is my 3 rd night AF.
Benefits def outweigh the craving .
So want to crack this .
Going to try mindfulness app again tonight which I really enjoyed a few years ago but haven't been able to stay awake for for too long . Although I think I'm coping with stress better than I do with the wine onboard .
Hope everyone else is having a good day / eve AF or not.
X

Into Day 3.

Pleased that you had a better sleep Tinkerbell.

It’s Friday, so usually a massive temptation for me, but I am not going to drink today.

Instead I’m going to focus on having a weekend free from hangovers.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Good morning everyone and a huge well done to all those wrestling the wine witch and kicking ass

It's lovely to see so many here and trying to keep up with the thread even though things are a bit hectic round here! Work is super busy but I think because I'm not trying to stay off radar and actually throwing myself into jobs, they're giving me more and more challenging things to do. I'm enjoying it but gosh it's exhausting sometimes.

Going to see my DSis tonight which would normally involve a ton on wine and dragging myself home at a ridiculous time. Not tonight! I'll drink tea and get to bed early ready for a day out with the family tomorrow.

Have a great Friday eveyone xx

duchess good luck with you appointment today, let us know how you get on if you feel able xx

Morning all - gosh the thread is really busy :).

duchess - good luck. Let us know how you get on if you can.

clear - great you are doing well at work.

changing - stay strong. Have you got some strategies for this evening?

tink well done on 3 days :).

baking and sweet and lux - hello! I often think about rothbury and hope you are ok if you are still reading!

I stepped into the sidecar as planned last night but am back on it today.

Already been out into the garden to have a sniff of the air. What I discovered is that the guy painting our decking has been using a stain rather than paint, which has now left a watery mess as the stain has not filled in the bits he sanded down, which were previously painted.

So I've just had to send him off to get paint - FFS surely a professional painter can see that a stain is not the same as frigging paint?!

I'm still waiting to come on, feeling and looking like a whale. I didn't WI this morning as didn't feel like it - I have had a perfect weight-watching week so will see where I am when the water retention has gone. I think I look less bloated anyway around the face.

One more day at work to get through and then down to the coast tonight :). Weather not going to be great but as long as it's not London I'm cool with that!

xxx

venus - sorry I forgot you! x

quick check in- not been around much.
Great to see lots of new babes, promise to catch up with you all.
am having a day in edinburgh with a friend today -spa, cocktails, dinner. Looking forward to it. all very busy otherwise.

Thanks for the luck, I’m a bit nervous but it’s always easier talking to someone who is a complete stranger - at least in my experience.

My boyfriend has booked us tickets to see a show in London tomorrow and part of me thinks I don’t deserve it for being such a shit. Whoever said “drunk words are sober thoughts” was talking out of their arse because the things I said when I was plastered didn’t make any sense, I was just vile for no damn reason and that’s not me at all. I know boyfriend forgives me but I can’t forgive myself, at least not yet.

Well done to everyone that’s battling their demons. Hope you all have a lovely Friday, I know weekends are difficult re alcohol but we’ll get through one lemonade at a time! Xx

duchess Walking past the alcohol aisle and the tobacco counter for me is always an achievement. Good luck with the appointment today.

Changing How was the bbq? I find that kind of food linked with alcohol although I really enjoy it.

Clear Good luck tonight. No one ever regrets not drinking!

Tink What mindfulness app do you use? I've wondered if something like that would help me when I'm anxious.

Twattage It's really annoying when you think you've explained what you want and whoever you get doing the work does something else. I'm still disappointed with the finish on my kitchen 2 years later should have complained at the time really but I just wanted it done.

Ma Have a lovely day today!

Alls well in our house. I was productive and positive yesterday. Today I'm going to the supermarket and then for lunch. Need to think of something to do with DS this weekend. My parents are away so no Sunday tea with them. DS doesn't know yet. He won't be happy. I'm still AF for 2018. Such a long time. Keep persevering everyone.

duchess you still deserve treats even if you have an alcohol issue. Your boy sounds lovely :). I am now thinking about lemonade - need to go and buy some.

baking - well done on the sober 2018 :)))).

TBH I didn't explicitly tell the guy to paint it - it never occurred to me he wouldn't paint it, it was quite clearly painted previously and the job was to sand off all the peeling paint and then go over it! At least I have now got to the bottom of why the two coats he's done already this week look shit!

We've had the decking around 8-9 years now so this is the third time it's had to be done - although Ronseal say their paint lasts 5 years, I've found that's not actually true - sigh.

Back from my meeting, it was ok, the lady just took down some details and suggested I come to a group meeting which initially I’m not keen about because I have terrible social anxiety. Also it seems a bit of a big step, you know? Nothing ventured nothing gained though I suppose.

I was also given the contact details for Talking Space who can apparently help me with the underlying issues that cause me to drink out of control. I’ll give them a call later.

Now I’m going to try and get a workout in, I see upthread some of you are runners. I dabble but I’m so accident prone I always end up falling (and usually in front of people ). Think I’ll stick to my exercise bike for now!

Well done duchess. That is v brave for you to go. I'd give the meeting a go - I'm sure you won't have to say anything if you don't want to.

I am reading the original thread and there are people who speak about meetings and they say you don't have to talk if you're not keen.

Well in my thrilling decking news, the painter has been, this time with the correct paint, so it should be finished by Sunday.

SOOOO tired, sorry everyone, too tired to NC - but love to you all. Stay AF tonight, and don't let the wine witch steal your Saturday morning!

Morning all - decided to swap my weekend sidecar day around and had it last night instead of tonight (not many beers TBH as I was ready for bed). Tonight I'll be on tea and tomorrow I'm running on the beach.

The weather's gone a bit crap again so today is a day of spring cleaning - vaxing the carpets, skirting boards, windows and sills, washing all sheets, towels, bedding etc. Expecting it to take most of the day but once it's done it will feel great.

I still haven't come on (I never know these days how long my cycle will be as I'm peri-menopausal), feel like a whale. Have my meals planned - tonight is chicken fajitas and tomorrow lunch, prawn and tomato linguine.

Not really on a boing but definitely not feeling terrible either.

I hope all babes got through Friday night in one piece.

xxx

Hi I've not been on here for a while and had been doing really well. I had noticed the alcohol intake creeping up in the last week. I also noticed the negativity popping up in my head and then BAM!! Went out on Thursday night and hit the destruct button.
Totally mortified, pissed off.
Right, off to read the thread and see what I've missed.

Baking cupcakes , I use an app called. Headspace it's great . The first ten sessions are free and it's all you need .

Day 5 here for me ... prob the longest I've ever gone AF in j don't know how long so feeling pretty damn chuffed .

Going to my partners this evening and we usually share a bottle of prosecco and then move onto the red . I love those nights where we just sit and talk nonsense and drink a bit too much .so it might be a bit testing for me later. Can't drink anyway on this medication so best thing that ever happened recently for me tbh !
He can take it or leave it which is good .

Going to suggest we watch Mama Mia so he's seen it before no 2 comes out at the cinema ..... do men like that film or am I being over optimistic ????

Loving my hangover free mornings !
Lost 3 lbs because I'm not scoffing crap in the evenings with the alcohol !

Have a good one everyone .

tinkerbell that's just the kind of evening I used to love too- though with friends not ex as he sniffed in disapproval every time I or my friends had a drink. Dickhead. I often wonder if I drank so much because it was great having a naughty and intoxicating secret 'life' that he couldn't control!

Anyway my hospital tests ok not perfect but not 'sinister'. So that's good. Meanwhile I'm on day 12! Yesterday I really really wanted a bloody glass or two. But then didn't and had to collect my dd and felt proud (saddo that I am) that I was just casually available to drive late on a Friday night IYSWIM?

I'm putting cost of bottle of wine into a money box each night. Usually I drank just under a bottle, kidding myself that that made it ok! So nice little wodge of dosh building up.

I may visit the side car as I gather you call it and am worried about getting back on wagon.

Morning to all my gorgeous bus passengers! Ive been awake since 5.30. Yuck.
So sorry I've not been on much lately. I've been taking my friends death really hard and we had a horrendous health scares with DP the other night. It's put our relationship into perspective and we (touch wood) seem to be working through a few problems. I have however, been lurking at work to cheer you all on.
I'm also still sober although it's still damn hard. Yesterday was a struggle as it was glorious sit in the garden with a glass of wine weather up here .

Morning all
Mint sorry to hear you have been struggling lately but you must be proud of yourself for remaining sober throughout a tough time. That seems to me when I do crumble so find your strength is amazing.
I haven’t been on thread much lately due to some ups and downs but am determined to turn things around now.
I am starting gym again today and will be off the booze and eating healthily. Hopefully this will result in feeling better about myself (and maybe a bit of weight loss.) My weight has got out of control which also makes me feel down apart from other peri menopausal symptoms!
Seems like lots of babes are exercising and doing really well. Good motivation for me so I will keep reading and posting.
Just off for a long walk with my dog then a healthy breakfast before hitting the gym.
Have a good day all x

. Morning all. Mint that is a beautiful place. I'm so sorry to hear about your worries and sadness.

Trust weight is depressing me too. I was pleased that after 11 days on the wagon, when I had to put my winter raincoat on after ages yesterday, it was looser. I haven't weighed myself because I don't need the extra pressure right now but that was nice. I was in the sidecar last night and while it was good to shut my head up for a while (recently separated) I felt sad and missed being 'clean'. Definitely on the wagon again today.