Paul723

Now every time I read a story that starts, "A Florida man -" I'm going to wonder, "Bakon?".

A decade ago you made a really good decision, great job!

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Fairy Gingerbread Cookies – Amy Kay's Kitchen (amykayskitchen.com)

It was a pleasure and honor to meet you! I think Dennis and your mom were good sports to take a drive so we could visit. Let me know what type of cookies you like and I will see what I can do.

Another Summer of 2013 quitter to hit 9 years! Congratulations! You have walked with so many as they've started their quit journey and while you couldn't quit for them, you made sure they weren't alone. I brought you some snacks -

Thanks everyone! It is by far the best thing I've ever done for myself. I owe a great many of you for your help along the way. Even if you've quit long after me, reading about your efforts has reminded me how important my quit is to me. By helping others we can help ourselves. Next year Doreen and Nancy will be like Jake and Elwood getting the band back together.

Not having my car window down on hot days. Window up, AC max. I liked the movie, I think you will too.

Don't be discouraged Linda. Use this mistake to learn from and to build your resolve to break free from this addiction. I'm glad you posted here to hold yourself accountable. You can change and you can quit.

Next year you and Doreen will have gather all the Summer 2013 quitters for the big decade party. Congratulations on NINE YEARS!

When you quit smoking your body will start to heal itself. I found this to be an important thought when I first quit. Quitting is one of the most important things you will ever do for yourself so keep your focus on this. A good attitude will help you succeed.

One year ago you made a great decision and today you get to celebrate it! Congratulations!

The mantra I used early in my quit was "Smoking is not an option".

Get your car professionally cleaned to rid it of the cigarette stink. The fresh clean smell will remind you how good it is to be done with smoking. I did this and paid for it with the money I saved in just the first two weeks.

Your life has changed in remarkable ways and I think quitting was a catalyst for the changes. Congratulations on SIX years!

Bump

At eight months it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off me. You're doing great.

Do not be afraid of quitting. Attitude is a powerful thing to help you. You won't like the first couple of weeks as the nicotine leaves your body but then your body will start to heal itself. When you feel the withdrawal from nicotine know that it can't hurt you and that it will pass. They will get weaker and weaker as time goes on.

I'm proud of you Kate.

You even survived organic chemistry! Good work!

How Nicotine Works - https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10196-how-nicotine-works/ This short film that is pinned gives a good overview. The part of the brain that nicotine goes to is not controlled by rational thoughts but is able to signal a dump of adrenaline into our body (the "antsy" feeling we get when having a crave). Don't let this part of your brain make the decision to smoke. Before lighting up, wait, then give your rational brain a chance to offer an opinion on whether or not you should throw away a quit. Understanding this helped me a lot.

Sazerac is a Legendary Quitter! Congratulations on eight years! She is also the maker of a Legendary Gumbo. Her recipe is 8 pages long and takes 3 days to make. Here is some of her instructions: Cut up and bone duck, refrigerate. Liver, sauteed with garlic in duck fat, pssst spit of cognac for Chef. Giblets chopped, neck cracked and roasted. I hope she makes some gumbo to celebrate. Here's some music for the party: California Honeydrops "When It Was Wrong" 2011 - YouTube

Good Job! Thanks for helping others along the way. Here's a bacon joke for you -

Congratulations on one of your best decisions - to quit smoking. You've made it past the first two weeks and your body and mind are beginning to heal. The craves can't hurt you and I always give the advice to dismiss them immediately. Tell yourself "Smoking is not an option, so move on." There is a lot of information on this site to educate you about nicotine, smoking and quitting for you to take advantage of; knowledge is power.

First a sausage picture for Doreen: In the first year of my quit (seems like yesterday) I wrote this: The Great Escape We were in prison. We weren’t sure of it, but we were on death row. We had seen others killed. The rules requiring a swift and humane execution were not guaranteed. In fact, the torture of slow poison was in motion. What bugged us most was not the prison or even the death sentence, but that the punishment seemed way out of proportion to our crime. It was unfair. There had been rumors of escape, but even so, our cells were solid brick. They happened somewhere else. We had run at the walls before to no avail. If we escaped, surely we would be recaptured and our imprisonment would be made even more severe. We were comfortable in our cells. It was our choice. We heard a whisper. It was so soft we could barely hear it. “If you say NOPE and laugh in Spanish like this, jajajajaja, you can walk right through the wall to freedom for ever.” That’s crazy, feel how thick and hard these walls are – there is no way we could walk through them. We’re not strong enough. What’s on the other side anyway? Tomorrow, maybe. Finally we tried it, and it worked! We ESCAPED! The wall wasn’t solid, it was made of smoke. We passed right through it. We were free. Now we help others when they escape and are blinded by sunshine and overwhelmed by fresh air. And we whisper to those still in prison, “If you say NOPE and laugh in Spanish like this, jajajajaja, you can walk right through the wall to freedom for ever.”