Craven and Bi-Polar Bear have inspired OCCOM BILL to finally

I'm so proud of you, Bill!

And Squinney and everyone else!

Have you started to notice an improvement in your senses of taste and smell yet? That's an exciting stage. All of a sudden, food tastes wonderful and you can actually smell your own cologne again. Really shows you how messed up you were, and makes you determined not to lose those abilities again.

I have recently given up Cokes and M&Ms....does that count?

Sense of smell is beginning to return. More things smell bad than good though. I'm a lousy cook and am not risking going out to eat just yet, so I can't answer for taste. Today I am even more confident that success will be sustained. You guys rule.

This is a powerful group we have here. What should we tackle next... World Hunger?

Bill, for a price, I volunteer to help you learn how to cook. As for world hunger, there is enough to go around, should anyone be willing to spread the wealth a little. I mean really...I've seen the portions in American restaurants. "Supersizing" has become a big issue. Americans are getting obese, including their children, and what do some kids still hear from their parents? "Finish your plate, there are starving kids in Africa you know." Yeah, and I'm sure they would be bloody grateful for that half a plate of food, you freakin' moron! Problem solved, once you kill the morons.

FoxFyre
Foxfyre, it would be fun to see Roger again if he could join us even if it is a long drive from Farmington to Albuquerque. We could include Asherman, too, as he lives quite close to you.

Then we would have a mini ABQ gathering again. We had a great time at the first one in April last year.

And if we don't find enough to talk about Bob could bring his parrot, Fred, and watch him terrorize my dog, Maddy.

BBB

One of my clues I was over it was that I could glance over and be bored at the stacks of ciggies behind cash registers. I suppose it took a while, but my physical sense of it now, these years later, is a couple of weeks, with the hard part in the first week, and occasional revisits in stress times months later.

The first time I quit, cold turkey, about a year later I was in a long department meeting gathered around an erudite senior physician speaking on uric acid metabolism. My boss was sitting next to me smoking Newports (sorry if that makes you all gag, as well it should, but) me, I did a little finger move in his direction and he gave me one, and it was all over for the next five years.

Second time I quit, five years on of smoking again to do the cold turkey and then a few years later, after I quit, I was with my husband (x) at his rhetoric professor's house. We were all fast friends, he being about 28 then, me, 39, she maybe 62. She was a mad smoker, a verrrry dramatic woman, with lots of wisdom and charm, we both loved her.

The thing was, as I am sure I have mentioned on a2k before, people associated with drama departments sure do love to hold forth. Hours would go by. (We left doors open, opened windows..) At some point I had one or two each visit. And, surprise, did not have any more. It was some sort of hand clasp to her, luckily fleeting. I know this was stupid.

She did die of various failures, a beloved teacher. I am glad I had that time in her company. And am sure glad I didn't get caught up again.

Thanks for sharing Osso! It seems "The first week is the worst" is the going consensus and being on my 5th day I can easily live with that. I will say that today was easier than yesterday. I drank two pots of coffee, but the second was decafe and probably a dozen bottles of water but that parts not so unusual. I'm terribly sore from working out yesterday, but my at least my lung doesn't hurt. :wink: Long drives, booze and sex will be my final tests. No worries, no fear, no problem. I should have done this a long, long time ago.

Go Squinney!
Go Ceili!

Go you wimpy wussies who contemplated, but ultimately failed to join us. No time like the present!

Bill,

I guess I'm still sort of a newbie on this forum but I have always liked you. And I'm so proud of you for doing this.

BUT.......

It does NOT surprise me that you have made it thus far without smoking. You seem like the kind of man that will accomplish almost anything he sets his mind to.

And realizing that once the addiction is out of your system and you are still fighting the "mental" addiction......remember this :
Once you change the inner landscape of your mind......the outter circumstances will change naturally

And you, my friend.......are well on your way

BIG HUG ((((((BILL))))))

~Brooke

Long time no see Brooke. Be a worse stranger.

Why thank you Brooklyn. I see you are still your normal, uncommonly sweet, self. BTW, if you're a newbie, so am I. I joined 5 days before you, but apparently have a much bigger mouth! I do hope life is treating you wonderfully! I don't remember if I ever thanked you for teaching me how to send an e-hug... but it has proved useful so thanks; (((((((((Brooklyn)))))))))

Sorry Gus - truth is I haven't smoked for twenty years.

Heehee - guess that means I WAS first!

{....and all this time I was thinking, ''I can never kiss that bunny on those nicotine stained lips''... What relief, what joy, I can say no more.... }



Except, wows to Bill, and bows to Bill
And wows and bows to all who have stubbed out their last one.


Osso: your story about the drama professor and what you shared was a great and beautiful snapshot of real love. Of course, you realize that means I have to steal the idea and use it elsewhere, but I wanted to thank you anyway. :wink:

Rabbits have lips?

er, maybe we should all just quietly leave these two to their natural
.........conclusion; and creep quietly away, so as not to interfere!

Thank you Joe! I couldn't have done it alone. I was filled with power by the staggeringly positive response from you wonderful A2Kers and I will never forget it, (((((A2K))))). I had implicated Craven in the title as a joke, but it seems a more genuine thank you is in order. Thank you Craven. You may very well have assisted in saving my life! (mentally touches thumb to nose and waives fingers wildly, as Craven lights up :wink: ). I've no doubt this board has had a profound effect on Squinney too (mentally crosses fingers and sends positive thoughts her way).

Go Deb! 20 years isn't too shabby. I wonder how long before you knew it was permanent? Or is it?

Oh yes.

I had no problems giving up - and could smoke the odd cigarette with no problems.

Now, if i am NEAR cigarette smoke, it makes me ill.

I get sinus infections.

I think they are to hide the fangs

You got no call to speak disrespectfully of fangs, Fang.

kissy kissy little miss you wanna gnash fangs with me

I work in nightclubs and I'm around smoke all the time, it's just something I can't avoid, but maybe the fact that I quit smoking will give me a couple of extra years of life. Hopefully there will be some quality to them.

Yesterday when I was doing my daily it was so hot and humid that I had to cut it short I actually was having trouble breathing, very unusual but the heat and pollution index were through the roof and the thought struck me that if I attempted to walk and run as I do and I was still a smoker, I would feel like that all the time, just from walking up a flight of stairs, and I wouldn't be able to get out every day and enjoy walking by the lake and surrounding woods while jamming it out with my headphones on. That would suck.

Man, feeling good is a good thing. Whatever it takes is worth doing.

Good job Bill and squinney.