Genecanuck

@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

Taking Off Your Cloak of Smoke. Quitnet Re-post, September 16, 2000 This quitnet post is a lovely metaphor for the recovery process which is all about walking a path that leads to healing the mind, body and soul. People use substances for a reason. The process of recovery is an opportunty for us to take a look at the reasons why we started to self-medicate the pains', sorrows and joys of life. Not One Puff Ever. We've got this! Gene REPOST: Taking off your cloak of smoke From AniCat on 1/27/2005 10:55:53 PM Taking off your cloak of smoke From: healing2 on 9/16/2000 11:50:03 AM As the cloud of smoke lifts from our lives when we quit smoking so many of us sit in our wooden chair looking around the room at the blank walls wondering where we are and what we do next. It's like the smoke leaks out of a dryer vent or other small hole in the room, taking its time, leaving behind residue that needs scrubbing. Some of it is entirely hidden for months and months. We are surprised that we had yet to discover these facets of our lives that were permeated by the smell of smoke. It seems that as the layers of smoke are scrubbed away we barely recognize the room we call our lives and ourselves we call the ruler of that life. It's funny how we thought we were present for our lives and yet when we quit, we discover that not unlike the smoke we were kind of hovering around, above, and under that thing which we called living. Just as are bodies become cleansed from not smoking our lives need cleansing of tamped down emotions, unrecognized dreams, and unresolved conflict. Yes, we do have lots of work to do. Knowing where to begin, what deserves our immediate attention, and how to go about cleaning up the mess we feel we've made is a tremendous challenge. But as we sit in the barren room, the old curtains torn down and the windows bare we are but naked as the walls. We've torn off those cloaks of smoke and begun our lives again and we are as naked as a baby. What a blessing we've given ourselves. We get to rebuild, redecorate, pick a new wardrobe, and plant a new garden. Another season of our lives is before us and unlike the baby, we can express ourselves with more insight than we ever thought possible. Something transforming happens when you dispense with something as negative as smoking. The light is turned on; the glasses sharpen the image; and the ability to verbalize becomes simpler and clearer. Even though we feel overwhelmed at the magnitude of the restoration of our lives, we feel in awe that we were so unaware of its becoming rundown. How could we not have noticed that things had become such a shambles? Ah yes, the smoke blurred the lines, it made everything appear a comfortable shade of gray. Now as the vibrancy of life becomes once again apparent, we want to hurry the process of reclaiming what is ours. We want to shine every crystal, polish every marble table top, and scour all the negativism of our former selves. We feel an urgency to repair damaged woodwork, paint the flaking and peeling relationships of our lives, and scour our bodies inside and out. Of course a project of this grandeur will take time but oh how anxious we are to begin. Now though it may seem daunting, this rebuilding of our lives, what a more worthwhile project? Would we choose to sit in the dark another five years, waiting for someone to pull us from the choking smoke of death? Would we cover our eyes, and hearts, and minds as life went on around us, just outside our prison walls? Would we perpetuate the false, fog like existence that years of smoking had draped around us? Nope, let's take off that cloak, put on some rubber gloves, grab a bucket and get busy. THE AWAKENING A time comes in your life when you finally get it . . . when in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out: ENOUGH! Enough of the fighting and crying and struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears, and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening. You realize that it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and that in the real world there aren’t always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of `happily ever after` must begin with you and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate, or approve of who or what you are . . .and that’s OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop bitching and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn’t do for you,) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it’s not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself, and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties, and in the process a sense of peace & contentment are born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. You begin to sift through all the crap you’ve been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you should weigh, what you should wear, where you should shop, what you should drive, how and where you should live, what you should do for a living, who you should sleep with, who you should marry, what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children, or what you owe your parents. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with, and in the process you learn to go with your instincts. You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive; and that there is power and glory in creating and contributing. You stop maneuvering through life merely as a `consumer` looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a by gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don’t know everything, that it’s not your job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility, and you learn the importance of setting boundaries and of learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love: Romantic love and familiar love. You learn how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man or woman on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change so it is with love. And you learn that you don’t have the right to demand love on your terms. And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely. And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you “stack up”. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over, and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK, and you learn that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want--and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity, and respect, and you decide you won’t settle for less. And you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with his or her touch . . . and in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect. And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water, and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that for the most part, in life, you get what you believe you deserve . . . and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline, and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it’s OK to risk asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time: FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears, because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes `bad` things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn’t punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It’s just life happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state: the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to building bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself, and you make yourself a promise never to betray yourself and never, ever to settle for less than your heart’s desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can. Author Unknown

Not One Puff Ever! Here is a picture of the Alexander bridge connecting Ottawa, Ontario with Gatineau Quebec... these two cities are part of the Ottawa Capital Region. Picture is courtesy of Pixabay

@JustSomeGuy ... nice quit.

@Lust4Life2016

Yes, I think that is what is happening to me. I was on a merry-go-round start-stop-start-stop for quite a while... the past three years that it will take a while for me to really heal.

Good morning, I have been coughing up mucus for the past month and still have a morning cough. I do have stuffed up sinuses but I am wondering how much of this condition is related to cilia re-growth. Here is an article I found on the topic from the Mayo Clinic., https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/expert-answers/quit-smoking/faq-20057818 Anyone else experience this early on in their quits? I quit smoking a few weeks ago and now I'm coughing a lot. That didn't happen when I was smoking. What's going on? Coughing more than usual may be a sign your body is starting to heal. Tobacco smoke paralyzes and destroys some of the tiny hair-like structures in the airways called cilia. As a result, the cilia that remain have trouble sweeping mucus out of the lungs. When you stop smoking, the cilia regrow and become active again. As they recover and help move the mucus out of your lungs, you might cough more than usual. This might last for a few weeks or up to a year. But the cough often goes away on its own. If your cough lasts longer than a month, you may want to check with your health care provider. You may need tests to find out if a medical problem is the cause. In the meantime, you can do some things to try to feel better: Drink plenty of water and other fluids that don't have caffeine, such as juice, to help loosen congestion. You also could try a medicine called guaifenesin (Mucinex) to help clear up chest congestion. You can buy it off the shelf at drugstores. Suck hard candy or cough drops to soothe your throat and possibly help tame your cough. It also might help to take up to 2 teaspoons of honey before bed. Take a steamy shower or use a humidifier to soothe a sore throat. Some people may notice that starting to smoke again reduces the cough. But this will make your health worse in the long run. Ask your provider to help you stay off cigarettes for good. Coughing can be uncomfortable, tiring and disruptive to those around you. Get a checkup if your efforts don't bring you relief. Talk to your provider as soon as you can if: You're in pain. You see any blood in what you cough up. Coughing keeps you up when you try to sleep.

@tocevoD .. check in with us and let us know how you are doing.

The Eagles: Peaceful Easy Feeling https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=n-0lRkuNyj0

Smoking is a symptom. Quitnet Repost, March 18, 2007) Dan1 was a mentor for me on quitnet. He posted this note on quitnet on March 18, 2007. I really believe that smoking is not the ultimate problem. The problem is all the false beliefs that we give to cigarettes. As Dan1 says, they are all "myths and lies, every last one". Keep the quit. Smoking is a symptom. Author, Dan1. Really, smoking is not the problem here - addiction is. At this point, smoking is only a symptom of that problem. Sure, it will aggravate and delay detoxification, but that’s a small matter in the grand scheme of addiction. The problem - the core of addiction - is holding to a set of beliefs that makes smoking seem an enjoyable, reasonable, even necessary thing to do. Myths and lies, every last one. Smoking again only indicates that we still hold some of those false beliefs. Give it no more meaning or power than that.

Not One Puff Ever! Ottawa, Canada - October 11, 2021: Rideau River and Mooney's Bay Beach in autumn.. I live 5 minutes from this beach (Courtesy of Shutterstock)

Hello gang, I join the pledge to commit to being here for the long haul and paying it forward.

Its cloudy and overcast in Ottawa today.