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.
Summer offers all kinds of challenges for those of us trying to change our relationship to alcohol, pub gardens, summer holidays, school holidays, and apparently there's a big football tournament too. If you want to read where the bus has been so far this year 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
The Bus is a bit of a Mumsnet institution, but it has an open door policy, no cliques, no judgement, and the welcome is always warm. So hop on and join us.
Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody
Relationships
Brave Babes Battle Bus: Sunshine, Roses and Mocktails All Round
SweetLathyrus · 11/06/2018 07:21
Hi all - Day 5 AF here for me and I feel absolutely shocking. Actually had to rush out of the gym after a class today because I could feel myself starting to cry wondering what the fucking point was and who the fuck I thought I was kidding working out like Madonna in a gym full of young faces. Have been on the receiving end of a couple of ill-judged and tactless remarks from a couple of younger people in the gym who I'm friendly with, and they just stabbed me right through the heart. For once though I don't even want to drink to make myself feel better because I know it won't work. What is wrong is that I am old, and invisible, and have wasted 25 years of my life with the wrong man and left it too late to salvage anything. Losing two stone and having abs won't make a difference, I am probably making myself look ridiculous. Perhaps I should just go and do Lotte Berk method in a church hall with a load of old biddies and then go home to eat scones and watch Homes Under the Hammer.
Anyway, enough of me and my self pity.
Baking, Trust, Ma, Sweet thanks for your support, but find getting my teens to do anything is SO much trouble and aggro it is hardly worth it. DS has finished his A levels finally and DD has one more week of Y10 exams at her shitty, failing school full of shoddy supply teachers, where she is virtually teaching herself from books, but I have said to them that after that I expect more support around the house, but not holding my breath.
Margie lovely to see you again and would totally love to sit in the garden and drink tonic with you, but given the knee high weeds in mine I would come to you anyway as dearly want to run away from my life.
Baby, Guggs, Venus, Obrigada great to see you all again too. Lovely to know the bus gang are all still around. Would love to know how Dubh is too if she is lurking???
Twattage your job sounds stressful as hell (but also v. impressive!) so glad you have found a way to work through it. It is definitely as important to know what you can't do as what you can, and there is no point driving yourself to a breakdown. I also have plenty of work stress so can sympathise, but I think mine is nothing compared to what you have been going through, so congratulations for knowing when you need to rein back, and I hope you continue to regain your equilibrium with more weekends away and relaxing runs
Ma how is your mum doing? And the DCs? Hope things not too stressful at home - at least you have your lovely job though, which looks fab.
Sweet big hugs for you and hope you feel better soon - have some 
and 
(I am thinking of throwing in the fitness and just eating cake now too tbh) Though as you are somewhere rather lovely and sunny perhaps a fruit basket and some nice sparkling soft drinks would be better? Hope you are enjoying your break
Mint, Lux well done on your sober sprints. Hope you are both feeling good this weekend.
I don't know what to do with myself right now. Nothing appeals. DS is out celebrating all weekend, DD is revising upstairs. I have the whole evening stretching ahead, all my friends are busy with kids and partners as ever, and I feel there is no point in doing anything at all. I used to despise WB for having no get up and go - he never wanted to go out with me or anybody else, wouldn't make any effort with my friends, so the attempt to have joint friends just drained away, wouldn't make the compromises necessary to have a career, didn't make the effort with his appearance or fitness and I just thought he was prematurely old and dragging me down with him (besides the financial and verbal abuse etc).
But now I am on my own and can do what I want, once the kids are catered for, have realised that the world is still made up of couples and families, and actually there is nobody much to do anything with a lot of the time. Friends my age are all busy with their loved ones and my younger friends - well, just recently, they have made me feel like a granny. I really, really did leave it too late. 
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