Boo

That is all the motivation you need. I have a one year-old daughter. When I think of the things I would do for that kid, quitting smoking seems like an easy task. You've got your "why" so the "how" will practically work itself out.

Have a great trip Doreen. How bout one last jig before you go?

Jerry has been reported to both the Humane Society and McKamey Animal Center. He's not microchipped and no one has reported a cat missing that matches his description. Wade, a young fella that works as a driver for us, is going to take him home this weekend. He and his girlfriend don't have any other pets and they're gonna see how it works out this weekend. Assuming things go well over the next couple of days and no report is filed by the original owner, they're going to adopt him as their own. I think Jerry is going to like his new digs. Me and a couple of the guys tried to lure him into a carrier this morning. Jerry wouldn't budge. Then Wade's girlfriend came by, called his name, gave him a treat, and he strolled right into the carrier for her. Jerry was far more cooperative with a young lady than he was with me and the boys...Can't say I blame him.

Good job Bakon. In spite of your many limitations, both physical and mental, you put together a solid quit. Congratulations.

Reading up on how to take care of a cat. There is a cat that has been wandering around my work for a couple of weeks now. He's not a typical stray. Seems more like he was abandoned by previous owners. They declawed him and abandoned him, that seems like a terrible thing to do to a cat. He is still a little standoffish, but is warming up to us. Probably doesn't hurt that at least four of us have been feeding him at different times throughout the day. We're going to need to get some kind of feeding schedule worked out. We've unofficially named him Jerry in honor of a coworker we lost to cancer last year. The cat walks around the dock a lot and never turns down a meal...just like Jerry. So, I guess we have a cat now.

What's done is done. None of us could go back in time and not smoke that first one. What we did do is: we smoked our last one. Never bought another pack. Never lit up again. The past is what it is. The future is whatever you make it. Fear not. You can quit. This forum is full of people who successfully quit. It's been done so we know it can be done.

Welcome aboard the Quit Train Justin. Good call on giving up the smokes. Nicotine addiction is like having a petulant child living in your head. The good news is: those temper tantrums diminish with time and eventually are little more than a distant memory. Enjoy the ride.

Heard this song driving to work this morning. Haven't been able to get it out of my head since.

Tweaked my program a bit this week. I wanted to work in the four fundamental lifts, at least four strongman lifts, and finish up each workout with a bit of conditioning work. Here is what I came up with: Monday and Thursday: Deadlifts, Bench Press, Sandbag Bearhug Carries, Sandbag Over-the-Shoulder Throws, Sled Pulls. Finish up with fifteen minutes of steady-state rowing on the Concept2. Tuesday and Friday: Squats, Overhead Press, Sandbag Get-Ups, Sled Push. Finish up with four rounds of boxing on the heavy bag.

Between the rain and mud and a delayed shipment of materials, I've spent most of this "work" day staring at the wall.

Try the beef brisket. You won't regret it. Don't ask for pork brisket in Texas. You might regret it.

Congratulations Kris. You are doing great.

Add artist and runner to the long list of Miss Maddie's talents. It has been a rainy weekend here, so we've spent a lot of time in the house. Maddie has made use of her crayons and coloring sheets. The funny thing is, when she colors, she has a very serious look on her face and will sometimes stick her tongue out concentrating. The little gal is producing art. The refrigerator at Casa de Boo is now adorned with blue and yellow penguins and red elephants. Every aspiring artist needs to blow off a little steam from time-to-time. Maddie does this by running full speed and falling into her beanbag chair. She can really get those little legs churning now. There is a bit of confusion with another one on the way. We've tried to explain that mommy has a baby in her tummy. Maddie now calls Sugar Britches "baby" instead of "muh-ma." The whole miracle of childbirth thing is still a little hard for me to wrap my head around, so it's totally understandable that a one year-old is gonna have a lot of questions.

Good job Gus. Congratulations.

I went out to lunch with a group of guys from work a few years ago. It was one of those joints where you place your order, go sit down, and they call out your name when your food is ready. One of my co-workers gave the name Turd Ferguson. It is ridiculous how much joy we took from hearing that name called out over the intercom in a restaurant. God bless Norm Macdonald.

The Boo Crew is adding another member. Sugar Britches, Maddie, and me made a trip to the OB/GYN this morning. The lovely and talented Sugar Britches is nine weeks pregnant. The doctor performed a thorough exam and an ultrasound. Everything checked out and we're good to go. We are looking at an estimated due date of mid-April 2022. And the adventure begins again.

And a couple more...

Since hearing about Norm Macdonald's passing yesterday, seems everyone is passing along their favorite memories of Norm. It would take days for me to post all of the Norm material I've enjoyed over the years. I always enjoyed watching Norm relentlessly plow through a joke. Even when he bombed, Norm was still the funniest guy in the room.

I ran up on a possum a couple of months ago that was standing in the road. Possum turned on a dime and ran back into the ditch; this particular possum had moves like Barry Sanders. I think their survival instinct is finally kicking in. We had a discussion about this on the board a while back. Actually, not so much a discussion as me saying: "fried okra is delicious." The other respondents were kind but basically replied: no thanks Boo. If you happen to find yourself in my neck of the woods next May, make sure to visit the Tennessee Strawberry Festival. All the strawberries one could want plus live music, a car show, and a parade...good, clean, all-American fun. I learned to drive an old Ford F100 when I was twelve years-old. When there's work to be done on the farm, there's no time for nitpicking over small details like "he's not old enough" or "he doesn't have a license."

Might as well get comfortable with the quitter's paradox: "I don't want to be a smoker, but I would like to smoke a cigarette." Quitting smoking is basically making one choice repeatedly. Do I smoke right now and get the immediate and temporary fix that the cigarette offers? Or, do I continue to build on my quit and reap the many long-term benefits that the quit offers. Instant gratification is tempting but everything worthwhile takes time to build. Invest in yourself Tara, you won't regret it.

For the record: I've never bullied anyone here...except Bakon. We can all agree that he had it coming. I have derailed a few threads with boner jokes and general shenanigans. I came for the support. I stayed for the shits and giggles. Seriously though, tip of the hat to the moderators. Between the occasional dust-ups and the "FREE MILF PORN" posts that used to pop up from time-to-time, you ladies are ever vigilant.

If I squat heavy in the morning and take the rest of the day off, my legs feel dead the next morning. If I squat heavy in the morning and take a long walk later in the day, my legs feel good as new the next morning. I'm a big believer in active recovery and doing lighter days as opposed to "off" days. Good job Ace.

Congratulations Garry. High five!

Good job Sunshine. Congratulations on two years of freedom.

Welcome aboard Tara. I remember being on that cycle. It was exhausting. Committing to the quit and ridding yourself of that inner turmoil is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. You can. It's just a matter of doing it.