Boo

Welcome aboard Ace. This challenge is straight-forward and simple: DON'T SMOKE! There is only one rule: DON'T SMOKE! You will pass this test with flying colors so long as you always remember: DON'T SMOKE! In closing...DON'T SMOKE!

Not to make light of a bad situation, but... I just read a local news story advising people who ate at the Waffle House in Cherokee County, Georgia that they should get tested for the virus. One of the workers there is infected. Eating at a Waffle House has always been a risky proposition. This was true long before the Corona virus hit.

I almost didn't join this site at all. I'm technologically illiterate and leery of anything that resembles "social media." Four years later and I check in here most everyday. This place has a way of growing on you. Grab a seat and stay awhile...It's a fun ride.

Four years in the rearview and a lifetime of freedom ahead... NOPE!

I voted for Willie. Three reasons: (1) I really like Willie Nelson. (2) I'm sure James Taylor's version will garner the most votes and (3) I feel a bit of guilt about telling a friend of mine that I like The Mavericks version of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" better than the original. This vote was a way of making amends to Willie.

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a father to a daughter. Well beyond the basic needs of any human: water, food, shelter, safety, etc. My thinking has turned more towards what Abraham Maslow labeled on his "hierarchy of needs" as: Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. I've made no secret of the fact that I tend to overthink things and obsess. Yet strangely enough, on this item of utmost importance I feel calm...it just makes sense. I will be very influential in Maddie's life. There will be times when I need to lead and other times when I need to follow. This is a little human being we are welcoming into the world. Maddie will have her own personality. Her own thoughts. Her own unique series of strengths and skills. There will be things I teach her and other things that we will learn together along the way. It will be the greatest privilege of my life to watch her become her own person and support her in living out her best life. April and I haven't had the opportunity to formally meet Maddie yet, but we have a level of unconditional love for that little girl that is unwavering. Whoever Maddie becomes and whatever path she chooses to follow, I'll be there ready to step in if needed or get out of the way if need be.

Welcome back Darcy. Smoke-free is the way to be. The authentic is the genuine, undisputed, and real. Stick with that. Everything else is just noise.

Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes. I celebrated my smoke-free anniversary by waking up early and going out for a run. Some of you may be thinking: Boo doesn't know how to celebrate things. Perhaps the early morning run was more of an observance than a celebration. Observing the fact that I'm a very different person now than I was four years ago. Back then, there was no way I was going to drag myself out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to go run in the woods. I had neither the will nor the energy for that kind of thing four years ago. It felt like a chore to do the few basics in the morning, between stepping out to smoke a cigarette every ten minutes, and not leave the house late. Now I wake up feeling well rested and energetic; that was never the case when I was a smoker. In fact, observing and being grateful for the process of quitting has been a recurring theme of my fourth year smoke-free. The first year was a baptism by fire. There were highs and lows. Excitement and insecurity...it was quite a ride. The second year was when things started to steady a bit, I was enjoying getting my sea legs under me. The third year I was pretty much on cruise control. This last year has been the most eventful year of my life. Back in 2016, I hit a fork in the road and had to make some big choices. I could have chosen to settle for less and condemn myself to a life of mediocrity. Fortunately, the prospect of bigger and better things lured me to go in a different direction. Quitting smoking was one of the first commitments I made in an effort to reach out and grab the potential that was there. Committing to the process of quitting set off a chain reaction the likes of which I never expected. The positive momentum picked up from that one decision was a game changer for me. I will be forever grateful for the process. The Quit Train was a major factor in that process and I am forever grateful for all of you fine folks who took the ride with me. I gained knowledge. I was offered support from day one. I had full confidence that I could always get what I needed here, be it a pat on the back or a whack over the head from Doreen's frying pan I knew this Train was right on track. The fear and trepidation of quitting quickly subsided as this place provided a lot of laughs and the opportunity to get to know some of the finest folks I have ever encountered. Give yourself a round of applause Quit Train, you deserve it.

I'm more of a Boo Boo than a Yogi. That being said, I do perform some yoga poses during my mobility training sessions. I take a little time each day to do the half pigeon pose. Started doing the half pigeon when I was having some issues with my sciatic nerve. That particular pose helped a lot. I'm not getting any younger so anything I can do to open up my hips and shoulders is worthwhile. I also do the following poses: cobra, bridge, low lunge, boat, and downward facing dog. Namaste...

Welcome aboard Irene. Good call on giving up the smokes. Much of the work of getting over the nagging and persistent thoughts of smoking early in the process is a simple matter of time and repetition. A real turning point in my quit was when I quit fighting the thoughts. I just let them happen and observed them for what they are. Thoughts come, thoughts go, and thoughts have exactly as much or as little power as we give them. To smoke or not to smoke is a binary choice. Take the smoking option off the table and you don't even have a decision to make. Stick with that and you're good to go.

Couldn't help but notice that Mr. Ortiz held on to his paddle during the waterfall jump. That's a bold move. A lot can go wrong holding a paddle when you make impact at the bottom. The paddle can come back and hit you in the chest or head. Even holding it to the side like he did, the blade can catch and kick back on you. I would have tossed the paddle to the side as soon as I started falling. Then again, I'm not a Red Bull sponsored professional. There are very few things on the internet I enjoy more than whitewater videos, aka "river porn."

Who's ready for some fun? Heading up to Obed bright and early in the morning for a whitewater run and a bit of climbing. Trips to Obed lead to me using words like "awesome" and "stoked." And I'm not a fan of either of those words.

You don't smoke anymore. Chuck 'em.

Some folks know a lot about economics. Other folks are experts in the arts. Me...I can answer any questions you have about taking a shit in the woods.

Moss is a better option to wipe your ass with than a leaf. It is soft and absorbent. Moss also has iodine in it so it not only cleans but also disinfects. This is not a joke. As a kid I spent a lot of time reading outdoors/survival books and magazines. It's not often that this information is relevant to the conversation, but when it is I don't let opportunity pass me by.

A couple of songs not so much about a specific age, but rather aging...reminiscing and thinking like we're prone to do.

Quitting smoking was absolutely a catalyst for the many changes I have experienced over the last four years. The process of quitting helped me improve mentally and physically. Dramatic changes have happened both personally and professionally. Quitting smoking had more of a ripple effect than I could have ever foreseen. If I were asked for life advice by someone who felt stuck in a bad place, it would be this: pick one area of your life that you don't like and change it. You only need to pick one. Positive change in one area of your life will carry over into other areas of your life. Success breeds success.

We couldn't agree on how to pronounce his last name, so we just called him "Mayor Pete." Heard some interesting pronunciations of Amy Klobuchar's last name as well. This just in: Pete Boot-Edge-Edge and Amy Grab-A-Chair have announced they are dropping out of the race.

Congratulations Jimmy and Quita. Seven years of freedom is cause for celebration.

I put on my thinking crown and came up with a solution. I can't imagine any island would want to be an extradition point for the exiled assholes. One of my first acts as King will be to commandeer cruise ships and exile the aforementioned assholes there. We don't need a literal island. We can just put them on a ship and float 'em around in international waters. I'll even allow the assholes to play shuffleboard and enjoy the water slide. For I intend to be a merciful king.

I remember feeling agitated and unfocused when the cravings hit. And there was just a general sense of discombobulation (I really need to start using that word more) that came from not quite knowing how to structure a day without cigarette breaks. Physical exercise and deep breathing helped steady the mind and body when feeling agitated and unfocused. Learning how to live without cigarettes was just a matter time and patience.

Welcome aboard Angeleek. Congratulations on your quit. Grab a seat and stay awhile.

Why can't you let go? You said yourself that you "hate smoking." Do you hate the idea of quitting more? Is it worth continuing to be a slave to the cigarette to avoid the temporary discomfort of quitting? Sentencing yourself to a lifetime of smoking to avoid the challenge of quitting is a terrible decision. "The avoidance of suffering is a form of suffering. The avoidance of struggle is a struggle." --Mark Manson