Boo

When ignorance and arrogance collide... I try to just laugh it off when I hear some chuckle-head like that droning on. Besides, with the laws and such, you can't beat 'em over the head with a blunt object. Tempting as it may be.

Congratulations Parsley. Welcome to the Lido Deck. Celebrate, you've earned it.

Ever put on some good Blues music, do things a bit slower than usual, and just not not give a damn for a little while? If you haven't, you really should try it. It's good for you.

Great job HellKat. Keep kicking ass.

Well...this party is officially weird now.

Welcome aboard Phil. Good call on giving up the smokes. I was a cold turkey quitter as well. The simplicity and immediacy of that method worked for me. There were times when I wanted a smoke...they passed. Buckle up, knuckle down, and drive on.

Congratulations and welcome to the lido deck MLMR. You've seen the highs, lows, and everything in-between that the process of quitting entails. You came through it all like a champ. Now, we let the good times roll...

Dreams are fascinating and confusing. A lot of subconscious clutter comes to the surface when we dream. Many studies have been performed and many smart people have spent time thinking about the subject. And still, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason as to why we dream the dreams we dream. Smoking is an addiction that encompassed every facet of our life. We smoked cigarettes all day. We smoked through the entire gamut of emotional states. The cigarette was always there and in turn became a part of our identity. Then we quit. The process of quitting forced us to undo years of conditioning. Quitting smoking brings about a seismic shift in our brains. I suppose that the dreams could be little more than lingering remnants of the years we spent conditioning our brains to believe in the cigarette and identify as a smoker. Vivid dreams can produce powerful feelings. The realization that it was just a dream should provide comfort. I wouldn't sweat it if I were you. By the way, congratulations on six-and-a-half years of freedom.

Aw, C'mon...It'll be fun.

Those considering quitting probably have many questions... How do I quit? You just quit. Don't put things in your mouth and light them on fire. At the end of the day, that's all this process is: refraining from doing one thing repetitively. What will I need to quit? Commitment is the only prerequisite. Education facilitates the process greatly. And if you're looking for support, look no further, the Train has got your back. Yeah but...isn't quitting hard? It has its challenges, but oftentimes the actual difficulty of the quit never lives up to the hype we built for ourselves leading up to the quit. Continuing to smoke is also a challenge, smoking takes much and gives nothing. Pick your challenge. Will you invest in yourself and enjoy the many benefits of quitting? Or will you continue to sentence yourself to more time on the hamster wheel of futility that smoking is; a decision that will offer no positive returns. The right decision is obvious. What are the benefits of quitting? I'm not even going to attempt to provide a comprehensive list of benefits; it's a long list. Better health. Improved quality of life. A boost in self confidence. The lessons we learn in quitting have a carryover effect that can help you improve your life in almost every way imaginable. And of course...Freedom! The process of quitting is simple. It's free. The benefits begin immediately and only accrue with time. The process will benefit you in ways predicted and unforeseen. So I close with one question of my own: What are you waiting for?

They said I could learn to dance and combine that with my love of exercise. However, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't quite flamboyant enough to ever really fit in with these fellas.

That should give us enough time to get things sorted...

Yep. Things look to be coming together at the right time for the Braves. Shane Greene looks like he's overcome a rocky start in Atlanta. Melancon has been solid in the closer role. Heck...Luke Jackson has even started hitting his spots with the fastball which sets things up for his slider. Dare I say...the bullpen could actually become an asset for the Braves at this rate. We've been getting good production up and down the lineup and the fact that we should get both Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley back from the IL in early September helps the cause. Hopefully, Nick Markakis will be available by the playoffs as well. Chop On!

We're getting into the fun part of the season now. The Braves and Dodgers squared off in a weekend series that felt like postseason baseball from the first pitch of game one though the last pitch of game three. After blowing it in game one, the bullpen looked great in games two and three. Mark Melancon, who is very familiar with the Dodgers lineup following his years in San Francisco, closed out the ninth in consecutive games without giving up a hit or walk. That could bode well for the playoffs. Los Bravos are getting production from unlikely heroes. Adeny Hechavarria, who just came over from the Mets, contributed this weekend. And the undisputed hero of the day was Rafael Ortega. Ortega was called up from Gwinett earlier in the week and delivered a grand slam in the sixth to put Atlanta over the top for a win in the biggest series of the season. And more has been said about this than it deserves already, but...I think Brian Snitker did the right thing pulling Acuna. Acuna is a great player and in my biased opinion the best young talent in the game. It was a bold move by Snitker to bench Acuna for not running it out on, what turned out to be a long single, in the fourth inning. Ronald will be back in the lineup on Tuesday and hopefully a lesson was learned...If you play for Atlanta, you never dick around against the Dodgers. Fall is just around the corner. We've got division races. We've got wildcard races. Then on to the playoffs. Good times.

Make way on the lido deck, Kdad is coming in hot. Congratulations.

Got out early this morning, before sunrise, and did a bit of trail running. Did 6.8 miles on the Snow Falls Trail, out to Laurel Creek and back. I still like to reflect a bit from time-to-time. Back when I was smoking and drinking, it was all I could do to wake up and roll out of bed in time so I wasn't late to work. Now I wake up early and feel like going for a run in the woods. The process lives. Long live the process!

I saw a grown man throwing a temper tantrum in a gas station earlier today. He wanted his money back because he claimed his slushy drink didn't taste right. He was genuinely upset. Can't decide if I should pity this man, it was a pathetic display. Or perhaps, I should envy him. If your life is so easy that a slushy drink not tasting as good as you had hoped is the biggest problem you face today...Congratulations, you're living on easy street.

Great job Diane. One month down and a lifetime of freedom ahead.

Congratulations on four months of freedom. Good job.

Here I am trying to treat my body like a temple and Doreen makes it dirty. Like I'm just a piece of meat...some boy toy for her to play with. I like it!

Good job Diane.

Sled work and Farmer's Walks again today. I've discussed at length my love of the Farmer's Walk, it's a great exercise. I have another new gym obsession now: the sled. You can work every muscle in your body with only a few sled exercises. And, sled work is fun (of course I understand that my idea of fun and yours may not be the same). If you're interested in doing some sled work yourself, here is an introductory video... And one more video I found very helpful. If you are familiar with the Squat, you've probably heard the phrase "ass-to-grass or it doesn't count." This is nothing more than an anecdote that gym bros have turned into holy writ. Here is Mark Rippetoe explaining why not only does one not need to go ass-to-grass but why squatting that deep is not optimal...

Cravings can be a self-fulfilling prophecy for some. A fear of future cravings can create cravings. We obsess about cravings and just know there is one right around the corner waiting to jump out at us. If you go looking for a craving, you'll probably find one. Keep enjoying that peace of mind with the knowledge that if you do get the odd craving, you are well equipped to handle it. You're doing great Diane.