comrade simba

Tryin to steal the thunder outta my thread... sheesh ;-D Thanks for being there for me when we were new, and still being there for me today.

stupid coke machine is broken.

I lived on the message board for at least the first week of my quit. Reading all the articles we have stickied in the Discussions forums and watching all the joel videos carried me through countless hours. And believe me, I kept everyone here posted about my progress multiple times a day which we encourage anyone in their first week to do. Post away, and just don't light the first one.

Thanks guys. Heart's good, gained a little 5 or 10 pound chub roll around the waist but that's not bad for being 53. Lack of nicotine sure slows down the metabolism. This last year I've written down this website for at least 2 dozen people but none of them seem to have made it here. Kinda sad I suppose; I hate to see people suffering and wanting to quit but not having the gumption to give us a try. I emailed julie and she's still with us. Aine will be getting her 2 years in another month. Our boy is still making straight A's and has some new interest every couple of weeks. Spring is only 6 weeks away... life is good!

Woot for me. Guess I better hunt down Julie... Bandito's still around I see. Hooray for the Late January Quitters Club!

I'm kinda late here but do want to say good going to Ev for slogging through the muck and finally making it to higher ground. You getting your first year is a big deal! -the comrade

Went whirrrrrr... and didn't take the unicef brochure So I put in a ravioli coupon.

Hahaha - as your name suggests the culprit is easily deduced. They call the first week hell week. Colleen calls the first month 10 pounds... :D Good for you. Don't light the first one.

I'm so happy that I threw you (smokes) away! I'm fed up so get up and get out!

Something like Cinderella's grandmother appears pushing a shopping cart mumbling something incoherent. I insert a UNICEF brochure

I always have to go back to the coke machine game to find out how long it's been since I logged on last, heh heh. I didn't think any group had a higher attrition rate than AA, but quit smoking forums got them beat by a mile. Makes it just that much more special when one of us gets our first year. I noticed Evelyn is in the home stretch, that will be one heck of a christmas cheer!

And out pops the Grinch with some reeeaallly special plans for Christmas. I inert a box full of ashtrays, lighters, cartons of cigarettes and all that smoking paraphrenalia from my mom's house before she gets out of the hospital (cuz her doc said quit smoking and she's going for it.)

I am... For the most part mildy amused at the machinations of the clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right. I'm also glad I can surf up this site after a long absence and find you all still here! BTW, the site's security certificate has expired (or so says firefox's browser warning pop up). Still not smoking... couple months it will be two years.

And a faint *woot* echos out of the dispenser hole as if it were from faraway australia. I insert a couple of poachers.

I concur with Bandito. Just wow. You definitely hold the record for tenacity. May that badge carry you onward!

You get a bandolier full of .45 cartridges. I insert a pair of cleated track shoes!

Maybe this will drag her out of lurk mode and curtsy for her "attagirls".

Happy anniversary! Thanks for being here when I showed up!

Kiss the widdle gwandbaby with a smoke free kiss. Nice, ain't it? Glad you made it Julie... glad we all did.

Congrats bandito. I'm so glad you made it!

Don't let yourself forget that having a whole week under your belt is a HUGE deal. Don't treat it lightly. I remember the first time I had a whole week off of cigarettes - and I lit up again. Took me thirty more years to start the next quit.

I used the vape pipe for a couple of months in tandem with smoking as a tool to replace the "ritual cigs", like after meals, getting in the car, phone rings etc. Thought it might help and I can't say that it didn't... and can't prove it helped either. When I cold turkey quit a year ago I dumped both the vape pipe and cigarettes at the same time. For me the road is too short between vaping and lighting up. If I allowed myself the vape I would be that much closer to saying F**kit and lighting up a real cigarette. Sorry pal - a successful quit after 40 years of heavy smoking isn't something I'm willing to play Russian Roulette with. One round of heart attacks was enough for me, heh heh. I also remember the first 20 years of my smoking career when I operated under the assumption that I was young and had plenty of time to quit. Jus' sayin', y'know?

Yeah I do - "tribe" don't come easy. Worked both ways; two way street and all that, y'know. Thanks, all, for the well wishes. Get a piece of cyber b-day cake before you leave!

not nine - three. Except on Bandito Standard time where it's only two. Unless you're a real late sleeper.

Well well well... an entire year and nobody had to die, heh heh. Thanks to all of us here on the board. I am certain as the day is long that I wouldn't have been able to sustain a quit if not for the time I spent on the board, the Joel videos and articles, and just the general knowlege that I wasn't in this thing alone. I remember those 5 minute increments of hell in the early days where the chat room saved my ass. I remember that time period when I knew the only thing I could call it that made sense was "WTF Week", lol, and wasn't it Colleen that called the first month "Ten Pounds", the second month "Twenty Pounds", etc? And yes, I have to give some credit to the thrill and excitement involved with some of the conflict that came with the genesis of this forum itself, along with a couple of tongue in cheek "thanks, pals" to certain jerks on the other board that pissed me off enough to stay engaged in mortal combat that gave an out to some of the worst urges to smoke. One last hat tip goes to MQ for much that has been said and some that is best left unsaid. In the end I'm deeply grateful for what you've done here - I'm a dead man if I smoke, I probably wouldn't have lasted on the other site, so "thanks" is sorta an understatement. "You Rock" might be a better fit :-D Same for the die hards on here that post and lend encouragement day after day. Julie and Bandito - you guys are "tribe". Best best best to you in the coming years Newbies - I was a heavy muliple pack a day smoker for 40 years. Cold Turkey quit. 7 months later the past caught up and I had a heart attack. However, 5 months later I am in better health than I was the day I quit. There is no reason to not start a quit and stay quit 'cuz every day without smoking is a day I'm not waking up saying "How can I screw myself over today?" Woo Hoo!