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.

[Twattage13]

Morning all - 10 hours sleep again last night. Didn't wake up until 8.20.

crisps - yes I can see the irony. TBH you are not responsible for what your husband is putting in his mouth, only he is. Sending a large hug.

hope - if you can I agree with say - you might have to signal that you are lonely to your friends. People are shit but I think a lot of the time it's not deliberate, they're just super busy.

I've basically finished my work for the week already - I've been super organised and on a roll with 4 days at home. I have nothing to do now until Monday. Am off to get 3 hours sun in the garden, then a deep tissue massage at 2pm on my back neck and shoulders, then we're jumping in the car at 3pm to the coast.

Am determined to get into that sea tomorrow :).

Love to all babes. We have a quiet weekend planned - lots of sleep and sun for me.

xxx

[guggenheim]

I’ve just poured 2/3 of a bottle down the sink- whoooo hooo! I’d been keeping it just in case, but nope, today is going to be day 3.

I’ve joined club soda on fb which i’m a bit scared of because fb is shit with peoples data & privacy. Then i’m going to join my local cycling club & hope that there’s a group for women or at least a group which doesn’t cycle a gazillion miles per hour in tight Lycra.

I actually slept last night & it was bliss.

Sorry i’m going to wave 👋 rather than NC because i’m In the early few days of just about putting one foot in front of the other.

As for loneliness- we need talk about it more, I think it’s a big cause of drinking for men & women.

[guggenheim]

I might have killed the thread ( hope not) but i’m on day 5 af 😀

[flowersonthepiano]

Yay guggenheim, day 5 is wonderful!

Waves to everyone else.

Not posted for ages but am still AF after struggling to moderate last year and starting dry Jan and just keeping going. I am loving being sober and really don't want to go back to the way things were. Have the occasional wobble, especially with this hot weather and tend to think about maybe having a drink when I think about events coming up in the future (my birthday, holidays, etc). Then I tell myself not to project and do this one day at a time.

Slight wobble last night, as DH, who also quit drinking on boxing day 2017, came home with a couple of beers from a customer and drank them. He also went to the pub with friends for a couple of pints last weekend, which was the first time he'd had a drink since quitting. It hasn't been excessive, but it has really upset me because I am terrified it's a slippery slope. Trying not to overreact. He is telling me he won't go back to heavy drinking and will 'prove me wrong'. Well, I suppose there has to be a first time for everything....

It took me a while to find you again brave babes, but I am glad I did. This thread helped me massively with stopping and it's great to find it's still here

[guggenheim]

Hi @flowers yeah I worry about making it past a few days. I suppose that even if he does start drinking again then at least he did about 6 months af, which is brilliant.
It’s so hard once you have gone back to having a few. We can all support you though, whatever your DH decides.

[OhDearMavis]

Hello babes! Hope everyone is enjoying the mocktails in the sun
June brilliant you found your way here! Hope you're ok!
Guggenheim day 5 is brilliant!
Day 70 now, and frankly tempted. However what stops me is remembering a morning a few months ago. I'd totally accepted I was an alcoholic, and in full self destruct mode. PIL were visiting and while getting lunch ready I drank half a can of diet coke and topped it up with vodka. Cant have been much past 10am. Just kept doing that, all day. My alcohol tolerance was amazing!
The hangover the next day was vile!

[venusandmars]

I've been there Mavis At the time it seemed like a normal, rational thing to do, a good way of coping with PIL's behaviour and dp's censorial approach to my drinking. Looking back I am astounded that I didn't really think I had a problem

[guggenheim]

Morning @mavis & @venus,
Day 6- Yay. Hangovers are vile and when I got a bit antsy yesterday I had a think about the combination of heat, hangover and being menopausal, that did the trick.
Day 70 is amazing Mavis.

[dementedma]

quick check in before I head off to Poland for a much needed holiday. No good pretending I won't be drinking - I will be.
Behave while I'm gone

[venusandmars]

Have a great holiday ma rest, relax, and re-imagine your life....

[LookingforHope]

Enjoy your holiday Ma

[Trust2017]

Morning all.
Haven’t posted for a little while but have just caught up on the last few pages.
Welcome to all new babes.
salt that is very ironic that your husband is now drinking and blaming you. Maybe he is hoping that you will join in and therefore justify the split. Is it possible that he is having second thoughts? It speaks volumes that you have managed to keep sober now a decision has been made. Do you feel some element of relief? I hope you can keep being strong.
Looking sorry to hear you are going through a tough time. I echo others and say just ask if your friends are free and try and organise something for your birthday and then you will have something to look forward to.
I have had a busy last weekend and overdid the gin one night and felt rubbish for the last few days. Prior to that I had been doing so well. I don’t generally get hangovers so it was a shock to me. Maybe because my body is not so used to alcohol now and I just can’t knock them back like I used to. So I will use this as a learning curve. I have office party on Friday and have already decided not to drink. I usually am last man standing at these things but am determined to go and have a couple of diet cokes then head off. Still feeling fragile today after about 4 days. I have a pain just under my chest bone and a feeling of nausea. I’m presuming this is normal hangover type thing?
Anyway time to get ready for work. Hope you all have a good day x

[Trust2017]

Hi all hope everybody is having a good day?
Just starting to watch the football. Fingers crossed for England x

[LookingforHope]

Gosh it is quiet on here. Where are you all? not watching the boring bloody football I hope

[Trust2017]

Morning all
Hi Looking yes it’s very quiet on here. How are things with you? I have to admit to really enjoying the World Cup this year. There is such a great buzz around London at the moment. So much hope and anticipation for England .
Lots of boozing going on as well but I have managed to stay strong so far.
Just getting ready to take my dog out before work. It’s another lovely day with the hope of a little bit of rain later for the garden.
Hope all of you babes are doing well and staying strong.
Have a good day everybody

[Mouseface]

Well, hello my little travellers!

Nice to meet you guys, both older and of course our newer family that have hopped on board!!

It's lovely to see you all! Alcohol is now MY biatch rather than me being controlled by that Evil. Apart from my usual disabilities of course! But it's not been too bad.

I hope you're all good as I've not read back but I so o

[Mouseface]

Sorry! Pressed done before I had! 

What that last bit was saying or erm, supposed to say was "you are all strong, beautiful people who can do this even if it's only One Day At Time!!!"

Lots of love to you all,

Mouse xxxxx

[MintToBee]

Morning all. I've been lurking whilst working. I've been flat out doing holiday cover since back from mine so I'm knackered and just falling into bed after dinner leaving no time for drinking thoughts.
I can't believe this is Scotland with this glorious weather!!! What on earth is going on!

Welcome saltandvinegarcrisps1 keep being strong. One of my friends works in a medical capacity in Ayrshire. I'll ask her about counselling services for you. See if she can recommend anyone around the Glasgow area for you.

Ma
You fancy swopping jobs for a bit?
lux
Going through the perfume shops at the airport I thought to myself "what would lux do?" and treated myself to some lovely goodies.
mouse
Morning beautiful!
trust twattage hope Waves at everyone else. So many of us to try and name check!

So still sober since December 25th but this beautiful weather is making me miss sitting in the garden with a glass of wine in the garden. I'm just sucking it up and necking back elderflower cordial as once again I made far too much this year. And if anyone wants any blackcurrant jam I seem to have 20 jars of the stuff. Oppps.

[Trust2017]

Morning!
So lovely to hear from Mouse you are an inspiration. I hope your family are doing well. I loved reading your early posts when the thread began.
mint what a lovely picture. It doesn’t look real. I totally relate to wanting to have a glass of something whilst sitting in the garden. Well done on being sober since December 25. You must feel amazing.
Another lovely day here and no work so lots of gardening for me today.
I hope all you babes are doing well and have a good day x

[MintToBee]

Trust2017

Beautiful isn't it. It's in the Galloway Forrest, only 15minutes away from home! It's so peaceful and quiet.

[Twattage13]

Morning all - sorry been quiet, been focusing on nesting with my boy, getting through work (it has calmed down). Sidecar Weds / Thurs but otherwise ok.

We came down to the coast last night - it's soooo hot. It's going to be 28 today and tomorrow - this is unheard of to have so high temps. I swam in the sea last weekend and going for a dip a bit later this PM.

Am due on so am feeling ridiculously overheated - have every window in the house open in an effort to feel a breeze.

Work hasn't been too bad the last two weeks - got everything back on an even keel and have had good feedback from lots of seniors. Onwards...

We are off out to a posh fish dinner tonight - I'll be driving so on the fizzy water, which is fine with me. Aiming to get up early tomorrow and run at 6am before it gets too hot as didn't manage it last weekend.

xxx

[IronNeonClasp]

Hi there. Rejoining.
Everything went wrong yesterday early hours and morning. When I'm braver I may go in to it all.
Night 1 last night.
First time I haven't drunk. I have no idea when I would have been dry last. Go to pub every day after work. Drink every night.
I'm nervous. And the weather is so lush! It's a challenge that I'm ready for. Going to take it one day at a time. I've told close friends as I need their support and have told my enablers.
I started a blog last night to document my journey. Going to go back to my 'sport'.
I don't like who I am when I'm drunk - I'm an arsehole. I don't have a switch-off button which doesn't help. I've been heavily self medicating since my ex-hub moved out a year ago. Obviously I am still in the throws of the other night but I had some kind of epiphany midday yesterday. Looking at negatives and positives of me. All of the negativity is related to booze. And I pay for that financially and mentally..!
People suggest you shouldn't go cold turkey but I had no booze in the fridge and had the worst hangover with terrible bends yesterday and just thought to myself - why Iron? Just why.
Crap nights sleep but I feel challenged and very different whilst I type this. Plus I am not hungover which is quite bizarre.
Had a long chat with my Mum who was tipsy last night. Had said I was going to visit her this weekend but she's one of my enablers and someone I would call an alcoholic. Like me.
So here I am again

[Trust2017]

Hi iron well done on your first night AF. How are you feeling now? Sounds like you have made your mind up to do this! And you are putting strategies in place. You can do it! X

[Trust2017]

iron is your sport something that will help you through this? Are other people involved? Sounds like a great plan to get back into it.

[IronNeonClasp]

Hi Trust and thank you :) I have no idea what I will be like in three weeks time etc but I feel different. My life was slowly falling into bordering losing everything if I continue. I don't want to do that. The 'sport' is on Monday's and Friday's and the reason I left is I detested the Friday as Friday is slosh night ! Last day of work, time to get wrecked etc etc. I've just bought a chit-ton of juices - cranberry, elderflower, tonic, massive bag of ice lol. It will be the testing times, or when you're caught off guard I guess. Just need to focus and remember why I don't want to drink anymore. My Mother has already messaged me to say "Hope you're not missing your beer too much."
Thanks Mum