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.

Thanks @SweetLathyrus
I must admit I popped in before under a different username and then fell off again. I can't keep doing this to myself.
I turned thirty this year and am making it the year of sorting myself out. Smoking done. Intermittent drunken online gambling done.

Now just the drunken bit.

I've just bought myself a beautiful journal to track what I hope will be a beautiful journey.

Sweet I thought you'd be into grown up books - I think it's a being in education thing! My Mum only reads 'proper' books (not like me) and her career was in education. She tries to lend them to me but they're too hard. Have you had a look at the Tearling Trilogy? That's magic/fantasy/future based. Warner Bros have the film rights for them now I think. They're by Erica Johansen.

Welcome Less. I don't have any suggestions reading wise really but I've got Eleanor Oliphant's completely fine by Gail Honeyman on my list to try. It was suggested by someone on here a while ago.

Baking those look like just what I want - they're all proper books!

Anyway, time for bed, night all.

Love your reading list sweet. The Locke Lamora books are brilliant as is The Night Circus and Watchmaker of Filigree Street,
I have just finished All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr which I loved! A beautiful book. Also recommend The Mermaid's Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Morning all - welcome less. Urgh I'm awake early today. Combination of the cat, the extractor fan downstairs in the flat below and me having a sore back.

I don't generally have a bad back but every now and then (about every 9 months to a year) it gets knotted and I need to get a good sports massage. Have booked in with my lady for Friday but in the meantime it's a bit sore.

Going to have to leave early today due to the emergency timetable on the trains (FFS) which I was entirely unaware of yesterday :(. I am starting to get wholly sick of the commute so current plan is to ditch this contract at Christmas or Jan, take a break and go do something else.

Feeling fairly peaceful today considering it's Tuesday and I have to go client-side again.

xxx

Morning! I haven’t been on for a while but all is going well. I am doing a Dry June if anyone is interested in joining me as I have a holiday at beginning of July and need to lose some weight (as usual) and I find when I drink that all I want to do the next day is eat rubbish!
I also did English Lit at A level so I love the classics but also anything else that has a good story. I loved Elinor Oliphant. I like anything by Simon Kernick, Mark Billingham, Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, Michael Connelly and the early books of John Grisham. All the Irish authors such as Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly. Lots of other authors that I can’t remember! I probably read about 3 books a week but if the first chapter doesn’t grab me then I can’t carry on.
Hi to everybody that has just joined the bus. You will get lots of support here.
Hi to all the “old” babes too.
I’m just off to my spin class then work today. Keeping busy stops me eating and stops me thinking about drinking! And setting my mind to doing a Dry month means I am more likely to stick to it.
Have a good day everybody x

Morning All.

In the nicest possible way, Twattage I hope your massage is brutal, fantastic when it stops!

Ma thanks for the recommendations, I'm going to put them both on my list, we seem to have similar tastes.

Well, I'm on leave and feeling stressed about it. stupid isn't it? I've only had back holidays since September, but I'm worried there is work I should be doing.

Anyway, how's everyone doing? I think it's really important to document it all, here or somewhere more private, because you start to forget, how it felt at the beginning, why you stopped, why you went back to day one, and how it felt, how difficult some days were, how easy others where. When, if, being AF becomes normalised, you need to know that the fresh skin, deep sleep, sweet breath, focus, and all the other benefits were a revelation and a gift.

Morning Trust, good to see you - I'm feeling too fat to spin , I'm going to Aqua with all the old ladies!

Morning Sweet I love aqua too but they do tend to only do those classes around lunchtime at my gym which is no good for me when working. Any exercise is good in my opinion and makes you feel better. I liked your post about documenting how you feel. I think I am going to start doing that this week.

Oh my lord the trains. That is all.

Seriously - 2 hours now to get into the client's office of a morning - there are no longer any fast trains running, which makes the commute too long for me. I am going to have to speak to them about cutting down from 3 to 2 days whilst this sorts itself out.

sweet - absolutely it must be exceedingly firm. Last time around I was bruised for a few days, but OMG the feeling of relief when it has been pummelled!

I've been home since 5 and I've already eaten supper, showered, done my teeth and I'm now half way through Neighbours...I confess I think I'm going to watch Love Island on replay as that's about where my brain is at right now. Mindless TV...

Agree with you on documenting how you feel. It helps massively.

xxx

hi all
mum in hospital after falling and being unable to get up so she lay on the floor all night in her bedroom before inching her way (on her back and elbows) into the sitting room where someone could see her on the floor.....
It took her over an hour to travel about 20 feet. My god, she has the spirit of a lion that woman. She's going to be ok, thankfully

Oh ma these events are so tough. Sending hugs and love x

Hi all, back after holiday which the sidecar came along to as well (except for one night). Brilliant holiday and enjoyed my lapse, oops, but I am now back on bus thankfully. I didn't feel very enthusiastic about getting back on but remembering the massive feeling of achievement and confidence from before helped and now I'm on it I'm feeling good.

Also checked my Brave Babe savings (I put money in lock box each night I don't drink) and the amount shows me 23 sober days since May 1st (when I started changing my life around). So 23 out of 36 including a week of holiday drinking every night apart from one! Blimey just read that back and it made me feel fantastic!! Before it would have been 0 out of 36, or maybe 1 or 2 in a good month!!

Ma my sympathies about your mum. I have had similar with mine and I know how difficult it is. How is she now? Is she comfortable in hospital and is that near you? I hope she feels better very soon.

Alternative drink discovery: Fever tree Sicilian lemonade is very good as it's not sweet and has a kick, I've discovered. I don't let myself have it except on sober nights, so I kind of have a special treat that's only for those nights. The money box and this thread are both very helpful too!

Love to all babes on and off bus/sidecar, etc!

Morning All.

Spent the evening catching up on some TV, DH offered me a glass of wine, because he was having one. Grrrr, that's the point, he had one. It wasn't a big glass. He made it last all night . How does he do that? Anyway, I said no, and I'm pleased - "No one regrets NOT drinking"

So, this morning I'm off to the beech with two dog walking friends, SweetDog will go nuts!

Ma, your poor Mum, how is she doing?

Working, I hope the money is going to a special treat? Isn't it funny how different our tastebuds are? Of all the Fevertree drinks, that's the one I find a bit sweet! It's still lovely, but my favourite is the naturally light Ginger Beer, or the Aromatic Tonic, for N'n'T.

Twattage, I'm fortunate enough to only have a short (20-30 mins) drive to work now, but I have spent years in various cities cursing trains (particularly the main South coast-Waterloo line) or sitting stationary on the M27/M3. But the current chaos is just beyond a joke.

Me|(to dog at top of stairs): SweetDog, what have you got?
SD: Wags tail
Me (spying feet): Take it outside
SD: Wags tail and exits at a trot, drop something furry in the middle of the lawn and goes to do something more interesting.

It's a small mole. Still warm. SweetDog has no access to moles unless bloody-Sweet-bloody-Puss brings them in.

Little madam is sleeping apparently blameless sleep under the guest bed.

Morning all. Waves from my Loch side camp. (Shameless boast as it's so fabulously hot)

ma Your mum sounds amazing. Strong like you.

I've just started Eleanor Ophiliant. I'm really enjoying it so far. It helped that I was reading it in just here...Have van, will travel.

Still not had a drink but next week will be difficult as I'm on holiday back home and my friends want a huge night out. I may be the one at the bar so I can order ginless G+Ts!!

ma so sorry about your mum!
less this naked mind by Annie Grace is very good. I'm day 44 now and starting to miss it less

Glorious, Mint. I spent the morning on the beach with a very happy SweetDog, two friends and their dogs. On his evening walk someone commented how calm he was for a working cocker - hmmm, yeah, after three hours doing zoomies through the sand, then begging for another walk by 4pm!

Good going, Mavis.

This afternoon, when I got home I had a real wine itch, I glugged bottle of becks, then another, and by then, I didn't want the wine. And I am so glad I didn't, I looked in the mirror, I really do look ten years younger than this time last week.

I also have a new favourite drink - Fentimen's Valencia Orange Tonic Water is A-MA-ZING.

Hey all,
Hope your mum is ok ma
I'll be back soon, right now I'm hanging out on threads about handbags and frivolous topics as life is so crap. This too shall pass.

That sounded bad, I take handbags very seriously as an accessory lover

mint that looks amazing. the weather in Scotland is incredible for a change.
Mum is feeling better. Very sore and bruised from inching across the floor, and feeling a little shaky about the close shave she had. However the staff in the hospital are being just amazing. they even washed and blow dried her hair for her this morning which made her feel very pampered. she won't be able to come home for a while until she has more physio and the OT people come and do stuff in the house but she's in good spirits. she has friction burns on her elbows and bum and now that she knows the alternative reason that people might have these, she is taking great delight in telling everyone she has them!! She is incorrigible.

The first of the poppies has "hatched". It also has a small pair of hairy testicles....

Morning all - I had a spectacularly shit day at the office yesterday which was topped and tailed by 4 hours on public transport getting to and from. I am this close from resigning this morning - I'm so tired and bored of my contract / the client / the people at the moment.

Amazing photos mint and ma.

I am off to the theatre with my bestie tonight so no booze (fizzy water only, there is nothing worse than needing a wee whilst stuck in the stalls) and had my sidecar day last night as I'm WFH today.

I wish I was on holiday right now. xxx

Morning All.
First, how lovely it is to sleep from 11-6 then open your eyes ready for the day instead of passing out at 9.30, waking at 12, at 1 and finally at 3 and not being able to sleep again until 10 minutes before your alarm goes off?

Second, rant alert.
I often read on the relationship boards about awful separations and divorces and the emotional fall out, and I think, with the benefit of experience, it awful beyond imagining whilst its happening, but give it time, this too will pass. And then, then the thoughtless cockwombling arse, I call my son's father does something I just can't fathom. This may make me sound insensitive, but I don't care. (I left him in 2005).
DS's father made my life hell for years, he has been the ultimate shit Disney Dad (except in his version it didn't actually include doing stuff with DS in case it cost money). Anyway, DS has over the last couple of years, worked out who his Dad actually is, and now barely sees him - last time, Christmas for 2 days, so, not at all so far this year. Last night he phoned DS to tell him that his grandmother has just gone into a hospice - no warning, no call or email to me first, ffs, the boy is in the middle of GCSEs, he has a Maths exam this morning, it could have waited until Friday so that he had time to process those feelings over the weekend (she is at the end of life, but they think three weeks). It's not a close relationship for DS, she's an old lady he see's for lunch once a year, (sorry if that seems harsh, I liked her, but it's just not a relationship that had any real depth - for reasons too long to go into, but exP was NC with his parents on and off for years). But I can see that DS is struggling to know what he should do with the information - they aren't geographically close. He should have spoken to me, but no, he has to go straight for 'he deserves to know' honesty, no filter, no consideration for DSs feelings, just his own need to unburden.

Sorry.

Ma what wonderful staff, big-up the NHS.

Twattage what are you going to see? DS always books aisle seats for a rapid exit (or sneaky loo break)! Sorry work is so tough, but have a lovely time tonight.