Sazerac

Poached on a baked spud will confuse the pollsters

Happy Happy FIVE months of Freedom ! Keep rewarding yourself and drink deep from the cup of NOPE.

Poached on a Buttermilk Biscuit, please.

Good for The Empress of Estrogen. Have fun you two !

NOPE I've been swindled. Where's my stash ??? I already have the TShirt.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Get outta here, you little whipper snapper, When it was hip to be hep, I was hep. Just like Doreen and CbDave. Don't make us snap our fingers at you.

So, it's reci, doreen, bakon and saz who need more psychotropics ? OK with me, bring 'em on, I say. Maybe bakon can have a look in the Evidence Room.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

I can't see them either @Doreensfree, @bakon but, I have a picture of Jesus in my 'religious' ephemera collection. His eyes are closed until you stare at him for a long, long time and his eyes open. Unnerving and creepy. Did Reci see anything or just want the psychotropics ?

Happy Four Years of Freedom MikePiano ! Hope you have a great celebration and many more musical delights.

Cognac makes a delicious Sazerac but, no strawberry or sugar cube for me. I use Herbsaint (don't want to waste any Absinthe) and just used to swirl in glass then toss. and LOTS more Peychauds. It was traditionally made with cognac now, usually with Rye. At 3:19 in the vid, you can see my best bartender, Paul, make one at Tujagues Bar (where I ran into bakon and his lovely wife).

This is good news, kenzie. Reset your ticker and take your quit seriously. It isn't about 'not feeling like smoking' and it isn't about who around you smokes. This is all about YOU. it is about making the choice to not light one up, no matter what. You deserve to be free !

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Happy V

(bump) During the first year of your quit, prepare yourself with distractions, pleasures and rewards for any craves/triggers that seem to come out of nowhere. Do not let them catch you unawares or find you cocky and careless. It takes vigilance to deal with nicotine addiction, no kidding. You really have to be on point, specially the first year. However, it isn't all 'fight or flight'. There will be days/weeks/months of just living free and then some folks will have a doozie of a trigger. I had a big gnarly one at 10 months. I came here and received incredible support. I wasn't going to smoke and thankfully, it passed. It was the last serious hurdle for me. Remember, you are stronger and smarter than any trigger/crave and this is another opportunity to really reward yourself. Do not be shy with rewards ! They are an important part of the process. Put the word, 'Lavish', to the forefront of your vocabulary. The Significance of Rewards

I am so happy for you about your success AND for beating a big crave. Reward yourself BIG TIME today. You deserve the very best and this will help reclaim your brain receptors.

I know I wanted to push the river and be completely done with craves or triggers quickly ( immediately !) but, honestly, it was a full year and a bit more for craves and triggers to back off into oblivion. In fact, at 10 months, I had a big hurdle. I was having craves and using them to get in the way of my work (painting). It was akin to writers block but, I was blaming nicotine and whining about quitting. The truth was that addiction had changed so many brain receptors and I hadn't dealt with all of them. Discouraged, I wrote in my blog My Life As One Big Smoke Trigger and the response was heartening. Paul, Action, Marti, Chrysalis and Tink all gave me their encouragement and I was able to push through. So, if you are well into your quit and still having moments of despair, please hang on. It gets better. You get stronger and your brain gets reclaimed. It just takes time. Here is a vid from, our friend, Joel

and another Cadillac song written by the great poet, Charles John Quarto and Michael Martin Murphy

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Shame and embarrassment can motivate you to a successful quit, Kenzie. You know too much to continue your addiction so, hop back on the train. There isn't one reason why you can't win. Believe in your quit, yourself.

One of the main tenets of nicotine addiction is the fact that smoking causes stress, much more stress and anxiety. Here are some resources Smoking and Mental Health Explaining The Stress Inducing Effects of Nicotine To Cigarette Smokers and from our friend, Joel Quitting smoking has taught me how to educate myself about a problem, change my attitude and change my life. If I am encountering too much stress, I see that as a choice and a challenge to mitigate it. My life has far more excitement than stress and I am Sixty Three. It is all about one's frame of mind and the choices one makes. There is often the promise of a great adventure right around the corner all of which makes for an interesting life, for sure. Drudgery and stress ? Not for me, sugar, I had enough of that as an active nicotine addict !

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Congratulations Christa on your SIX months of Freedom ! It is a pleasure to have you here.

Congratulations, Kate on your Two Months of Freedom !