Brave Babes Battle Bus: Sunshine, Roses and Mocktails All Round

[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.

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.

Well, day one is in progress, I've had a few wobbly moments, but resisted so far. I've been drinking lots of squash instead, so will be up all night weeing!!! Though like Googlybear my youngest will have me up repeatedly anyway!
Hope you're all having good evenings.

grateful you’ve done day 1, that is fantastic hopefully the squash and/or the little one didn’t keep you up all night. Bring on day 2.

googly going out with friends and not feeling like you needed to drink is quite a milestone. So much is just habit I find.

bring ah those carbs, always tempting. I had a big slice of coffee cake yesterday and it was deeeelicious generally though I am actually trying to keep things low carb

crafty the gym! Is that a bit of boing in your step?

Dh and I went to the liquor store earlier to peruse the newly legalized cannabis section. It is so weird to see it all available, categorized into different mood strains and quantities. You can even but single pre rolled joints! The world has gone mad That aside, I felt no compulsion to pick up a bottle of wine. We came home and put the kettle on.

Night babes

Morning All.

Graduation was lovely - glorious Autumn sunshine, shiny, happy graduates, makes it all worth it.

Sorry to dip out over the weekend, I spent most of it putting the garden to bed for the winter.

I have no problem resisting WW when I'm busy, but as soon as I sit down, or I'm bored, or not quite as focussed as I should be, WHAM! the cravings are still there.

Beaches, I'm like that at the moment. Is it dark enough to put pjs on? It's 8:55pm, I'l give it five minutes before I hit the stairs! I think I must be going into hibernation mode!

Have a good day, Babes. It's a long one for me but I'll be back this evening.

Beaches that's great that you had no urge to buy wine! How long have you been AF if you don't mind me asking?

I'm always ready for my bed by 9pm, but seeing as DP often isn't home until 8pm and is a night owl I try to stay up otherwise we'd never see each other!

I was only up the usual amount last night, DC's sleep was average for him But I still had that flushed, hungover feeling in the early hours and feel rubbish this morning. How's that fair?!

Well done everyone.

I drank too much on Saturday but other than not being able to pave myself when I do drink, I'm having no problem not drinking when I don't go out. So I've gone from drinking a lot most days, to only drinking at the weekends and last weekend only on Saturday. My way is to not drink at all at home and it doesn't bother me now. I seem to have kicked that habit so need to stick to it.

Beaches Do you live in Canada? Asking because of the reference to recently legalising Cannabis (well, that and the liquor store!)

I’m working on ‘boing’ Just enjoying a bit of fresh air on my lunch break. Found a nice, leafy, quiet spot I didn’t know about in the middle of urban sprawl.

Hi to all the babes!

Yes Crafty I am in Canada that is why my posts sometimes seem very late at night. Love the sound of the fresh air and leafy quiet spot, food for the soul as long as the weather is kind to you.

grateful well done on day 1, definitely not fair that you didn’t feel fabulous this morning for sure it will happen tomorrow!

I am on day 33ish, I have been a serial babe though, doing a few dry Jan’s and random other dry efforts. I am by no means free from temptation, in fact last Friday was a real struggle and I very nearly pressed the fuck it button. It sneaks up on me, but the more af days I manage helps create new habits. I try not to project forward too much because I end up feeling twitchy and bereft, just another day and another decent night’s sleep.

Sweet I think you have hit the nail on the head, it is hibernation time! No wonder we are all so sleepy . Glad the graduation day went well for you and all your students. Have you checked your dry Jan app report card? I bet you have equalled your dry/drinking days for the year, I almost have and that tells me this is the driest year I have had in forever.

Musti you have created some great new habits, not drinking at home is huge. There seems to be a shift in where you see drinking fitting in to your life and it seems to be much less of a thing for you. Brilliant.

Ah yes, the ‘fuck it’ button! I know it well. Pressed it. Jumped up and down on it a few times....but not lately.

Grateful how goes day 2? Hope you are starting to feel better?

Good to hear from you, Sweet Yeah, longer darker nights do make us all want to sleep. Glad graduation went well.

Musti drinking at home is the worst with me. With nothing but how much booze is in the house as my limit, I can really lose track of how much I’ve had to drink. I’ve reached a point where DH can have his bottle of wine chilling in the fridge and I’m able to leave it alone, but it’s hard work, isn’t it? (See ‘fuck it’ button).

I had a couple of glasses last night but back to AF today. I’m happy at that as my aim is ultimately to drink within safe limits rather than be t-total. Have a good day all.

Musti great you can happily not drink at home & you can then let your hair down when you go out.

Grateful how was last night?

Googly out with friends and not having a drink is amazing. I am inhaling chocolate at the moment. I can’t seem to get a grip on the sugar cravings.

Beaches how do you feel legalised cannabis will affect your local community? Is it concerning or quite welcomed in your area?

Baked you seem to do well and have quite a strong “off switch” . It’s goid that you can enjoy a small amount and nit keep going.

Crafty lunch break in the fresh air sounds good. It’s easy at this time of year to go in to work in the dark and home in the dark and never see daylight!

Sweet I am regularly in bed at 9. Going to bed is no problem, getting up is getting harder and harder.

Day 5. I’m still secretly pleased that I haven’t stopped to get wine on a Tuesday on the way home from work for over a month but wondering why I feel worse on a Wednesday without a hangover than I did when I was having a drink

Just popping on to say Hello to you lovely lot.

Nothing much to report really. Yesterday was tough and I really REALLY wanted a drink. To the point of almost tasting the gin in my mouth.
I'm really struggling still , it's been 12 weeks today since Mum died. I've been AF free since December 25th so I'm determined I'm not breaking it. But fuck me it's hard right now. I've put in a complaint to the hospital that my mum died in too.

Bringback It’s a bummer when you feel worse without the hangover, but it will pass. What I discovered is that after the immediate ‘detox’ our bodies take time to re-adjust to life AF. Congrats on day 5.

Mint so sorry for your loss. Really admire your determination. 10+ months is great. Soon be a year.

Mint so sorry you have lost your mum. It is only 9 weeks until one year AF, hang on in there.

Thanks for the messages, it's been a really busy couple of days so not had chance to post but have been checking in. Last night was tough, I really wanted a drink and stood looking at the bottle a few times, but managed to resist. Tonight's looking tough too, would love a glass right now.

Sorry for not responding individually to every one, it's tricky on my phone, but Mint so sorry to hear about your mum but you've done amazingly to get to almost a year! Hear's to getting to your 12 month point. Xx

Mint you are awesome, 10 months and with plenty of challenges along the way. Not good to hear the hospital didn’t perform they way you would hope when your mum was with them.

How are all you other babes doing?

Not much to report here, sticking with the tea and early nights. No danger of dying from over excitement

Beaches Yup, tea and early nights here too. Just all rock’n’roll round our way . Had a few wobbly moments over the last few days, but realising I actually manage my stress levels better AF - it’s just staying with it.

Grateful Looking at the bottle but not ‘going there’ is pretty awesome. Hope this evening is OK?

@Mint so sorry and well done

@Grateful that's so good that you can look but not touch, I can only stay AF if there's not a drop in the house

Day 12 and I was going to buy a can of g&t for tonight but I couldn't be bothered to queue in the shop so didn't get any. I have a bottle of an AF spiced ginger drink so I think I'll have some of that instead. Going out tomorrow evening to a friend's and driving and have decided to only permit myself to drink at the weekend and to keep it limited so probably won't have one this weekend. I am hosting a Halloween party on Wednesday though and am planning on doing mulled cider for the grown ups so will probably have some then. Feeling good though! Still eating so much chocolate but loving a glass of cold AF ginger ale at 5pm. Fighting off drink cravings most days this week but today I haven't got the cravings as yet!

Well done babes x

Hi, babes! Please indulge my wobbling a bit. I’m feeling very sad and autumnal this evening (every reason and none in particular) and I’m having a substantial ‘fuck it’ moment. Not helped by watching DH peacefully imbibing . Right now the temporary sense of ‘warm fuzziness’ is extremely tempting. Haven’t done anything but sit here feeling sad though. Bugger it!!!

Just distracted myself with a hot bath and half a ‘Lush’ bubble bar - bit thought-provoking in that it was one of their seasonal-themed ones: black cat with yellow eyes. I had broken it in half so that tonight I was sadly confronted by half a face and one balefully glaring yellow eye! Felt oddly conflicted about that. Think I am quite hormonal today......

crafty that made me laugh, the eyeball in the bath! It’s one way to spend a Friday night Well done for distracting yourself. When that wobble comes, especially when you have been feeling quite content with not drinking, it can feel quite forceful. It nearly got me last week. Hopefully now you have successfully batted it away, tomorrow will be plain sailing. Big for you.

I went to see A Star was Born tonight at the cinema. I was really moved, I have never seen another version and didn’t know the story at all. Every time I go to the cinema I wonder why I don’t go more often, it is so different to watching something on the tv.

Have a good weekend babes x

Thank you all you lovely people for being here . I'm now off work for a week. I asked as I had to use my holiday up and also I just can't manage at the moment. I definitely went back to work to quickly after my Mum's death.
I'm sitting here longing for the Bailey's chocolate lux that I've just found in the dresser even though it's half eight in the morning ! These cravings for alcohol never go away do they.
Craftycorvid Im going to follow your example and have a bathbomb bath today . Mine is a rainbow unicorn one 😂 I save up Holby City on iPlayer to watch in the bath to distract me.

I cracked last night and had a few drinks with my mum while discussing politicians, house prices and the government I did stop at the point I knew I should, though I really wanted that one more that would have pushed me from tipsy to drunk. Felt pleased about that, bit regretting it this morning after DD kept me up for hours in the night. Ugh.

I do feel positive about continuing AF and don't have any desire to drink... Currently.

Well done babes, especially @crafty XX

Politicans, government and house prices are enough to make anyone crack, Googly

Thanks for the support, babes!

Hi all. I'm so sorry for your loss Mint. Well done everyone else. I drank last night and ended up drinking a whole bottle of prosecco. I don't feel like drinking today though even though I could. I'm fine with not drinking but seem to need to finish all the alcohol that I like when I do! Still. I have slashed my weekly consumption by 5-6 bottles so it's ok. I'm still losing weight and that's really helping not being tempted to retake drinking in the evenings.

checking in. will read back.
hope everyone is safe from horrid baby doll