notsmokinjo

Confession: I've taken to have a lovely glass of alcohol free gin and tonic each night.

I use wholemeal flour for mine and put Rae berries in the batter. The berries cook with the pancake and turn into little jammy pockets of yum. Blueberries work best. My dad puts banana in his when he cooks them.

Fixed...see my reason for edit as to why...why don't phones bounce...I just get it trained up right to not auto correct the wrong thing and it frickin breaks an gotta train a new one.

Struggling to explain the difference between an English muffin and a crumpet....um yeah-nah a crumpet is a crumpet....a crumpett is frucking awesome and an English muffin is craptastic....an English muffin is like a flat, denses, stale roll that you have to cut in half and toast...a crumpet is a golden disc (or square) of holy goodness...maybe it's like a cross between a pancake and a roll....it's kinda spongey I spose... It's bought 2/3 inch thick....it's more about how the stuff you put on it melts into the holes and sort of oozes out when you take a bite.

Wtf? You mob don't have crumpets? They are things with holes on the top you put in the toaster and when you butter them and put on the spread (golden syrup or Vegemite or runny egg yokes are best) it melts into the holes. They are very different to english muffins.

And now I am craving poached eggs.

Right now I am eating a Vegemite crumpet and drinking a coffee while I prep myself to go to work. Just wondering if our European origins down here are why everyone is struggling so much with following stage 3 isolation rules....kinda feel defiance of authority may be culturally hardwired into us.

Forget the green thumb projects....I think a fairy princess Taj Mahal cubby house is in order...

Confession: I've never completed a jigsaw puzzle.

^^what she said ....only German I know.

Second GP much better...cleaned it out, reakons stitches not needed but he glued and start stripped it, and put a pressure dressing on. Back tomorrow for a redressing and review. Feeling a bit sore and silly but wrapped she don't haveta do dishes. @Cbdave you are so right...when I was a kid the GP did it all never come across a doctor who couldn't even put steri strips on properly before.

Makin a cuppa...and taking a deep breath...so me Arvo started good, popped into Woolies for some cheese (cos apparently we have none)...scored a 2kg bag of sugar, a pack of macaroni pasta, and 24 dunny rolls...get home feeling accomplished....walk in put the bags down and the first thing the kid says is "I'm sorry mummy, I didn't mean to" ...what..."my finger is bleeding" ... understatement of the decade...so quick first aid in the car on the way to casu...hmmm nope our casu is closed because 8 staff tested positive...so ring around the local quacks...get in check...yep the pad of her thumb is hanging off...but they have no surgical glue....so steri strips and come back Monday because it probably need a stitches but I can't do that...so ring around the other doc's and we are off to get it glued at 7 which is prob good cos it's already bled through what the first doc did.

Maybe not you Jillar, your hubby is never home

Random thought: so come end of November when the baby boom starts are we Gunna call them the Corona Kids or the Lockdown Littlies?

Hope ya have a grouse birfdee....

On this day the USA celebrates its National Jo(e) Appreciation Day.... where all things Jo or Joe should be celebrated... coincidentally this falls at the half way mark to my birthday so it is now my new second favouritest day..... make sure you spare a minute to appreciate some Joe (i think they mean coffee, not the people) or Jo.... but more importantly today is also the Quit Trains Anniversary.... which if you know anything about MQ is also a little but coincidinks that it falls on Joe Appreciation day (coffee addicts unit).... but seriously without the QT and its wealth of easily accessed information and the depth and love of the support provided by those that ride this train many of us would not now be living successful smoke free lives... so on this very important day I say thank you to everything good, bad and coffee that bought about the QT... I for one am forever grateful... oh and I also say.... NOPE... not today, not tomorrow, not ever, forever!

Digging our @Doreensfree's corona makeover. Very sexy chooky.

Oh...think I need to add...only because it wasn't clear in earlier posts...my own personal insecurities are the reason I feel my quit is inferior to the cold turkey quitters more than anything else, it's a pretty messy place between my ears...everyone here has been supportive and helped drag my arse over the line of success.

I think some of Sunshine's point is being lost in translation...English is not his first language...those of us who use NRT often feel defensive, uncomfortable and shamed here...and that our quits aren't as good or worthy of the cold turkey quitters...I'm not saying that is the intention of others, I'm not saying that's not more about us than anyone else but in all honesty I've felt it...so I choose to stay out of a lot of the descussions because I feel my experience and advice is less valid because I used NRT. Would I change my choice with hindsight, probably not because for me it worked. In Sunshine's defense he has never lied about or fudged over his use of NRT...he has never pretended to be quit when he isn't...he has often faced a negative reception for some of his opinions and his "oh well attitude" and still he stuck it out...he does want his quit to succeed or he wouldn't still be here. Yes it's frustrating to watch, and at times annoying, and from our side of the freedom fence we can see it all clearer and believe me you I wanna ask Doreen to pass her bloody frypan my way at times. There is nothing wrong with a hardline approach, just also give something concrete as an alternative. I know we've all done it before, but eventually someone will say the one thing that will click and lead to an ahh ha moment. Now Sunshine, more than 6 months is a great start...and you should be proud. I respect that you want others to stop smoking and you want to help the do it. I do think NRT has its place BUT anyone who is more than 4 days smoke free has quit cold turkey and suggesting NRT at that point would be a step backwards in my opinion and I think that's why the others get their backs up. So here are the facts (well my opinion) Fact...everyone can quit cold turkey. Fact...some people find it easier to start with NRT or medications. Fact...you are not truely quit until you are NRT free Fact...all smokers are addictions and their drug of addiction is nicotine. Fact...addiction to nicotine is what makes us want to smoke. Fact...NRT prolongs your quit. Fact...using NRT is feeding your addiction. Just like a heroin addict having a hitvof methadone. Fact...it doesn't matter how we get there, or how many stops we have on the way...we just need to get there.

Let's just be careful where we put the batton...this won't work if he ain't a virgin.

@Sunshine59 can I suggest not using NRT as a reward....that keeps the wrong link in your brain with the nicotine receptors...we need to work at deleting that link, between nicotine and reward. I get juice is not a good option for a diabetic but how about freezing some juice as ice cubes. You could have a cube as a reward and eat it like an icypole (popsicle) which would take longer than juice but have much Jess sugar because it is a smaller quantity. Have done fresh strawberries, they are probably the best fruit for diabetics. Suck a diabetic friend lollypop....or chew some normal gum. Have a piece of dark chocolate but don't chew it, just let it melt. Have a handful of nuts (almond or walnuts). Definately don't use NRT as a reward, it just strengthens the addiction.

I didn't quit cold turkey (this time). FOR ME...cold turkey was not the way to go on an emotional/psychological level. I needed NRT to get me past the habit stage. That said, I knew the NRT wasn't going to be what made me quit successfully, that came down to not putting a smoke in my mouth.. I used NRT sparingly and as a band-aid to get me past the habbit stage....it worked for me...so yay. Then again I do honestly think that it prolonged the craves and when I did ditch it I still had to detox...so it dragged out the very worst of it and turned that third week into a few months. I do remember feeling guilty and inferior to those cold turkey quitters but being smoke free for over 2 years and now nicotine free over 2 years as well I get it....NRT feeds the nicotine addiction which is what makes us smoke....still being addicted to nicotine increases our chances of smoking again because we are still feeding the cravings so still addicted...your quit will never be successful whole you still feed your body nicotine...those pushing cold turkey are doing it from a place of science telling us it is the best way...and I think those of us who use NRT or Champix (etc) feel inferior because in our heart we know it's true. Finally though let me say, I would rather see anyone addicted to NRT than smoking or vaping. I truly believe NRT & quit aids have their place because some of us need it to get there. It's horses for courses people, what works for some may not necessarily work for all because we aren't all the same. Here is something for you think about, I have 2 substantial quits...both were spur of the moment and unplanned...one was cold turkey and lasted for nearly 7 years and every single day of that quit I wanted and craved a smoke, every single day I would actively look for a good enough reason to smoke again and be able to justify it...until the day I had a reason I could rationalise. This quit, I used NRT and I've had some horrendous things and dresses happen in this time and for over a year now I haven't even considered smoking regardless of the trigger or stress. So I might not be of the popular opinion but I do think NRT had its place and I'm happy to support someone using it. On a personal level @Sunshine59 I think I have been watching your journey for a while now wanting you to succeed, and i do because I know how amazing it feels to be smoke and nicotine free...but i see you using NRT without success. I want you to succeed..I think you will and can because you are still here trying..but I am not sure NRT will get you there because at some point to be truely quit you need to stop the NRT or have a plan to stop and only then will NRT be the way to go.

^ dunno why I laughed, now it's in my bloody head along with the conversion formulas for the body to covert sucrose to glucose...a aagh...yep I listened to the links while cramming for pathophysiology.

@Jordan7 it's my go to feel good when I'm having a shitty day. Like this one too...

This one gets me every time