Katgirl

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Black licorice is pretty stiff ROLPH

Girls laugh elegantly

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Wow, @jillar I had no idea you suffered with a chronic lung condition. I am so sorry to hear this. I think it’s very admirable that rather than feel sorry for yourself, you spend your time helping others to keep their quits. What a gutsy chic you are! As for being embarrassed, don’t be! No one has the right to judge another person, and certainly not someone with any physical disability. And, if they do, they are just assholes. Eff what others think! Go on outside, if you like. You are free of your addiction, and should also be free to take a walk outside, without fear of being ridiculed. Do what I do! Fake it til you make it! After awhile, the looks from others won”t bother you. KAT

Thank you, @jillar! I consider myself to be very intelligent, but, like a lot of people with high IQ’s, sometimes the simplest things seem overly complicated…..

Now, you are lucky to get matches, when you buy a pack. Most places don’t have them, when you ask. BTW, how do I get peoples’ names to come up in blue with the @ sign?

I put them in a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. Remember, I still have a matching light blue pack of American Spirits to match, put away, in a drawer. I know most won’t agree with my reasoning, but for me, it keeps me from panicking because I don’t have immediate access to cigarettes. Maybe I’m just weird. Knowing they are close by oddly comforts me…..Having said that, they are, necessarily, out of my sight.

So sorry you are having such a tough day, Linda. Life just sucks, sometimes. I can certainly identify with your anxiety, and when you add depression to that cocktail, it’s a bear! I have been there. Reaching out is always a good plan. A glass of wine and hot bath sounds like a marvelous idea. Just remember that alcohol is a depressant, and don’t get carried away. As with most things in life, moderation is the key. KAT

Trying my best! My boyfriend is working late today, so I am alone. I wish he would slow down, and I have told him so. I even said, “Why am I staying here, if you’re never around?” It was a tad dramatic, I suppose, but it is how I was feeling. I noticed I feel better when he’s around, so expect I will stay put for awhile. I do have my own lovely place, about 60 miles away. So I hang out in his bachelor pad, ( imagine a house with no Window treatments, except, Venetian blinds, no rhyme or reason to how it is decorated, TVs that are too small for these old eyes, a crazy blow up king size bed , ugly ancient wall paper, etc. And the clutter! I spent 2 weeks, decluttering the place, so I could at least tolerate being here. He wants me to commit to moving in, but I can’t, not until he hires a decorator and puts me in charge…..

Thank you, Gus! I actually pride myself on my ability to use logic and reason in any given situation. I think it is what made me a good Nurse. I had my appointment with Jody( shrink mentioned above), just yesterday, via Zoom, and we were discussing something, when I said, “Well, I am a very logical thinker, and she emphatically replied, “Yes, you are!” I hope I can give back to others, what has been so freely and generously given to me. You gals and guys are awesome!

18 days today, and, overall, going pretty well, if we take Tuesday out of the equation. ( bee stings, ride in ambulance, hypertensive crisis, etc.) My biggest problem has been an increase in anxiety, which I believe is associated with my quitting. I expect it will get better, though. I have battled THAT demon my whole adult life, so have developed some necessary coping skills. I wish I had better control over it, but because of my ailment, I am reluctant to try new meds, that may, or may not help. Being an RN, I research any drugs my shrink suggests, and the potential side effects aren’t worth the risk. Especially bad are ones that list “may cause anxiety” as a side effect. “No, thank you”, I tell my Doc. She has been treating me, for many years, so she is used to that reaction. In a strange coincidence, she followed me from the east coast to the west coast, and when I needed help, again, I couldn’t believe my fortune, that she was out here, too. I honestly felt like God smiled upon me….

Need to pick 5 letters

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I like my red wine, but I always had a glass in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. No sense playing with fire…..Pun intended….

Strange morning. I went for my first brisk walk this morning, and on my way out the door, I spied a light blue Bic cigarette lighter on an end table. After I finished my 20 minute jaunt, I came back inside, to see another light blue lighter on a different table. Then, when passing through the Dining Room…. Yup, a third one, also light blue. It’s not weird, if you know me. I would always buy light blue lighters to match my pretty light blue American Spirit packs. It seems I always had, either 8 lighters, or I couldn’t find one. And, Yes, I was one of the folks who deluded myself into thinking, if I smoked “all natural” cigarettes, I was less likely to suffer any harm. I am sure some of you can relate. Something about seeing all those lighters, this morning, made me feel a certain way. I am not quite sure exactly what it was, though. A little nostalgic, perhaps? A bit like, I am missing something! Having those lighters laying around may be a trigger for me. So, I think I shall put them away, and only grab one when it’s time to light the candles on John’s Birthday Cake, next month. KAT

Run the stairwell

Sometimes 2 people post simultaneously, and it appears that one of them made an error, but if you flip their responses, you can see what happened.

Donut

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Just beautiful. It is amazing it lasted so long. I think they can be quite fragile, difficult to keep healthy. So, why do you need a warden?

Idaho Potatoes