Genecanuck

Cockroaches

Danzel - Put Your Hands Up In The Air (2006)

When I listend to Van Halen's Right Now, I could not help thinking about how much his family, friends and fans live in a state of regret.. Regret that his smoking killed him at the young age of 65. In this article, The Cancers That Claimed Eddie Van Halen’s Life.....talks about Eddy Van Halen's battles with tongue, throat and lung cancer. Smoking kills and will claim the lives of the people we love. Quitting is the best way to avoid becomong another statistic. Keep your quit. Gene

Just One Little Puff, Quitnet Re-post, January 1, 2004 © Joel Spitzer 1988, 2003 Page last updated by Joel Spitzer on August 17, 2003 Not one puff ever.... Gene Keep your quit. Just one little puff...... From paulh99 on 1/12/2004 8:43:25 PM Just One Little Puff?" , from Paul, Day 183 It is hard for many people to grasp the concept of how just one little puff can result in full-blown relapse. It just doesn't seem logical to some people. But should you ever find yourself debating the thought of whether or not you could possibly get away with smoking "just" one, think about what advice you would give to a family member or friend who you cared for tremendously, while knowing that they were a recovering heroin or cocaine addict who was for the first time in months or years considering attempting recreational use. Imagine your shock and horror at even the thought of it, especially if you were with them back during the peak of their addiction when it was ruining almost every aspect of life and maybe even putting his or her very life on the line. Would you say to him or her, "well, maybe you are better now, maybe its worth finding out if you could handle just one?" Would you feel the need to do a little research in current journals to see if maybe “one” is an option now? Would you maybe even delve into a few neurological journals to see if the scientists now have a better grip on neurotransmitter pathways that could explain why addiction happens? Then maybe you could say, "Well they are starting to understand a little more of how addiction works and maybe soon they can alter your brain physiology. So now, if you relapse it may not be a big deal for a cure is just around the corner--maybe even only a few years away.” It is more likely that you would you cut through the rationalization and say, "If you do it, you are going to be back where you were when you first had to quit. You are going to mess up your life and everyone around you." The odds are you would go the latter route. You would be horrified and take a firm stand that he or she shouldn't do it -- it would be stupid and even worse, suicidal. Well there is no difference between this scenario and the concept of, “Maybe I can have just one, now.” Well there is actually one difference. It is not medically or physically based, but rather societal. Our societies have not been taught about nicotine addiction. People have been taught about addiction and other drugs. Even though nicotine is more addictive than most any other addictive substance, and maybe even the most addictive of all, people still don't grasp how any administration of the substance can cause a relapse, even though they are taught this about most other addictive drugs. How often has someone asked you after he finds out that you have quit smoking the question, "You mean you haven't even had one?" This is such a ludicrous comment, and yet so common. Or how many times have you seen literature put out by medical organizations advising a recovering addict to not let a slip put them back to using? The message has been clear and consistent with other drugs, the message being don't slip. Everyone here has been exposed to this discrepancy, not just since he quit, but also for years and decades while he still smoked. You now have to alter a way of thinking that is part of your culture, no matter what culture you are from. The pervasive attitude of the society around you is wrong. The society may accept the danger of smoking but they do not yet grasp the concept of the addiction. You have to be smarter and more informed than the society around you, maybe even your health care provider. It is asking a lot of an individual to think differently than the society as a whole, but in regards to smoking it has to be done. The consequence of not becoming fanatical against a puff is too serious to just dismiss. It will be the loss of your quit, and that can easily translate into loss of your health and eventually loss of your life. You have to be vigilant at all times, to keep reminding yourself that you are a recovering addict. Over time there may be no signs of the addiction; thoughts of cigarettes may have become rare events now and maybe even non-existent. But even at this stage of the game, there is a silent addiction still there that can take you down with full force for making one miscalculation -- thinking that maybe you are different. You are no different than any other drug addict, whether the drug was alcohol, cocaine, heroin, etc. You are an addict for life, but as long as you get the drug out of your system and never administer it again, you will never be set into the downward spiral that the drug sets into motion to its users. In regards to smoking, that spiral is loss of your freedom, your health and your life, which means you can lose everything. To keep what you've got, always remember that to stay smoke free you must NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! Joel © Joel Spitzer 1988, 2003 Page last updated by Joel Spitzer on August 17, 2003

Happy Birthday @johnny5

@jillar... many thanks for re-posting this. I have been "quitting" for so long that I no longer experience the highs and lows of being on that quit smoking roller coaster. BUT, I do have to learn how to deal with the rollar coaster when it stops rocking: when the ride of life starts to feel normal... with all of the normal highs and lows in life. Life is like a slow burn roller coaster ride. And learning how to deal with the normal highs and lows of life without smoking, is the real juice of life. I know there are a lot of friends who will walk with me on this smoke free journey. Non-smokers don't have to rely on smoking to deal with the normal highs and lows in life. Many thanks. Gene

Steve Earle - Copperhead Road (Official Music Video)

Xerox machine

Good morning, Last night, hubby was home and we had a friend over. Our friend did not smoke but hubby was going outside on our balcony to smoke. In the middle of our conversation, I started fixating on the pack of cigarettes that were sitting on the table. I was also fixating on the smell of his clothing, smelling like cigarette smoke. And then it happened again. That flash in the pan thought that I wanted a cigarette. I asked hubby to put his cigarettes away. And that momentary craving for a cigarette went away in a few minutes. I was just reminded that having a desire to smoke is not a command to smoke. I'm keeping the quit. Regards, Gene

Some Pretty Good Advice, Quitnet Re-post, October 1, 2004 I found this in my archives. From alicialynn1 on 10/1/2004 11:18:40 AM This was one of the coolest posts Ive seen.. I dont remember who posted it... SOME PRETTY GOOD ADVICE Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker. Eat a live toad in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. Never buy a car you can't push. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you don't have a leg to stand on. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. The early worm gets eaten by the bird, so sleep late. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live. Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them? If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy? You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors ... but they all have to learn to live in the same box. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open. Have an awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you today..... And it was me.......

Not one puff ever! Ottawa, Ontario Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Courtesy of iStockphoto.com

Vulture

@bakon .... nice to see that you are enjoying a smoke free life.

Invisible Touch: Phil Collins Invisible Touch: youtube

Going to be another sunny day in Ottawa.

Don't Negotiate. Quitnet Repost, December 9, 2005 There really is no nicodeamon or boogy man that is lurking and waiting to jump up and make us smoke. But there is always that stinking thinking that rears its ugly head once in a while: the mistaken belief that smoking can enhance our plesaure or solve life's normal problems. That is False thinking. Smoking does nothing but make us want to smoke more. Not one puff ever! Gene don't negotiate-repost for new quitters From terri2005 on 1/3/2006 10:04:22 AM I don`t negotiate From terri2005 on 12/9/2005 10:50:38 PM The United States has a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. And I have a similar policy. I don`t negotiate with Nico-Demons. Its not that I don`t talk to the demon now and then. He still visits once in a while even with 562 days since his last feeding. But I don`t negotiate. We just visit briefly. `How ya been?` `Better without YOU! But thanks for asking!` `How bout a little puff? I can still get some of your favorite brand.` `Sorry demon. No can do. You see...I made this little decision this morning, that just for today, I wouldn`t take that first puff of nicotine. And I`m keeping my promise. And those are nicotine. Poison in a paper tube. Sickarettes. I`d be breaking my word. To myself. To my friends. To my family. To my friends at the Q. Go away. ` `I just stopped by because I heard about that little problem at work or home or with your health or your love life . You could use some cheering up. Just one. Nobody will know.` `My work is wonderful. My home life is the best. My health is better than ever. And my wife loves me. Go Away...` `Wow! Things are good. Let`s celebrate with a sickarette!` `Maybe tomorrow. Catch me just before I wake up, ask for help, and give thanks for another great day on this wonderful planet. And for waking up smober healthy, and ALIVE! Who knows....ya might get lucky. Now go away.` `How about a drink? I`m in good with the Alcohol-Demon and he owes me a few favors...` `I bet. Go away. I`m going fishing.` Listen up newbies... A few short years ago I sat in the hospital being shot full of steroids and epinephrine just to keep me breathing another day. The x-rays showed COPD and the Dr. said the smokes were killing me. I couldn’t get up my stairs to go to bed, much less hunt and fish. But I kept negotiating with the demon, and he always won. Today...I`m off to the high mountains of Montana for three days in the wilderness. My new lungs are a real joy on the steep hikes and 7000+` elevations. And though I`ve gained a few pounds, I feel like a million bucks. And I no longer negotiate with the demon, though we do talk now and then. One day at a time. A conscious decision upon awakening. A simple prayer in the morning `please help me, just for today, to stay away from that first puff of nicotine.`. And in the evening, out of common courtesy, a simple `Thanks` seems to work. And above all, I don`t take that FIRST puff, one day at a time. I won`t be here to watch you this weekend. I won`t know if you take that first puff or not. But you`ll know. And the demon will know. And if you open that door, just a crack, he`ll be in like a flash. He`s fast. And he`s cunning, baffling, and powerful. All you have to do is refuse to negotiate. When he shows up...send him packing. Tell him to come back tomorrow. And don`t take that first puff, just for today. This is what the demon doesn`t want you to know: If you don`t take that first puff, one day at a time, it is impossible to fail! If you don`t take that first puff, just for today, you`ll absolutely, positively, be 100% guaranteed to go to bed as a WINNER tonight! troutnut1

Not One Puff Ever City of Ottawa Architecture, Courtesy of Pixabay

Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do ... another Sheryl Crow Classic. This song was popular in the summer of 1995. I was busy running for public office trying to get elected to the Public School Board in my city. I'd work all day and then spend each evening doing a door to door canvas speaking to voters. And this song became my ear worm.... all i want to do, is have some fun!! lol

Not One Puff Ever... Park bench overlooking the downotown district, City of Ottawa (Courtesy of Pixabay)

Walking On Sunshine (Official Music Video) Katrina & The Waves The sun is out today in my kneck of the woods and this song is bouncing around in my head https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U

Its going to be a sunny day in Ottawa today.

@johnny5... I have a friend that lives in Alabama. I hope and pray that Helene blows over and does not cause too much havoc and distruction. Be safe. Gene