Soberjulie

This is wonderful stuff Stu! Just wonderful. I'm saving a seat for you on the lido deck

Replace the word smoking or nicotine with heroin. Would anyone really tell another "Nah...I think you need to keep using heroin for awhile, at least until you get your feet under you..." Good lawd NO. So why with nicotine?

Hiya buddy!! Hope you are well.

I'm with Sarge. Willingness doesn't mean "want to" One can be willing to quit without feeling like they want to. If I wait until I want to do the laundry, it won't get done. Yet, I'm willing to do the laundry in spite of how I feel. Smoking because one is angry/lonely/tired/bored etc is simply a godforsaken excuse to indulge the addiction.

I can't pinpoint the day. The day that I stopped looking at smokers with envy, wishing I could have 'just one more'. I don't know when I turned the corner.....from being someone who was 'quitting smoking' to being a 'non-smoker' I'm not aware of exactly when I stopped counting days/weeks/months and just settled into this lifestyle, this freedom from addiction. I do know that when I see smokers now, I experience a mix of things. -Empathy and sadness that they are still chained to something that might very well kill them, in a really ugly way. -Revulsion. That stuff stinks. I mean, REALLY stinks. They are walking, talking, bodies of stink. -Apathy. ~shrug~ Sometimes I just feel nothing at all. Everyone is on their own personal journey.....and for some, that will include suicide on the instalment plan. We cannot save people from themselves. All I can do is be ready to offer support when/if they decide to be free of addiction.

The Sober Chick is here today. I missed you guys!!

I'm sorry to hear that Evelyn It's a bitch-of-an-addiction.....that unfortunately some will never be free from. Don't let yourself be one of them. I watched someone die from the effects of nicotine addiction. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't peaceful. It wasn't serene. It was tragic and ugly and ....well....I'll write about my sweet Christie again someday. You deserve better Evelyn.

I'm there. And it's glorious, just like you said it would be. Congrats on your milestone.

Pick up your guitar. Strum us a tune.

Hey!!! I LOVE when someone picks up a guitar and decides to learn. Music is a wonderful, healthy outlet.

Currently, my feet are naked. Yes it's Dec and I live in Canada.....but Bakon's brother is a smart man. He installed heated floors when we did the reno

Haha, I've been called that a few times The member who encourages others to do a weird foot shuffle dance

I love when people forget that I quit. It means they have forgotten I was ever a smoker

This is just a day. Just a day in your quit that doesn't feel so great. Not all days will feel this way. Don't pick up and eventually you won't even count days anymore.

Late to your party....but glad you didn't smoke. If I may offer an observation: People around you, the ones you want support from and fail you sometimes: They are human. It's what we humans do. We sometimes succeed at being a support for others and we sometimes fail. Evelyn maybe you could practice being your own best friend, your own support system. Cultivate a set of tools that works for you in times of stress and anger....then instead of relying on others who may not always be able to fit the job, you'll have learned healthy ways of soothing yourself. Peace out

Ok. Ok. I kinda like big butts too. It's the spare tire that's cramping my style

Ohhhh. Oh dear. Rest easy Beth. We didn't always see eye to eye.....I was a sensitive soul in my early quit.....but funny, now that I'm 2 and a half years in (!!!!) I admire that no-nonsense attitude you had. Rest easy.

Same here!! I often participate in other forums (alcoholism and drug addiction forums, classic car restoration forums, and current event/debate type forums) I'll sometimes come across someone who mentions they are struggling with trying to quit smoking. My reply is ALWAYS the same: I send them the link to here.

This room of QuitTrain scares me. Wait. Scares isn't the right word. Much like becoming a non-smoker, developing a completely healthy lifestyle is somewhat intimidating. I can't decide what I want more: donuts, cake and French fries.....or my size 6-8 figure back

If you came to visit me, I'd take you to see Niagara Falls in all it's spectacular glory (about an hour and a half drive) We could head 20min north where you'd think you stepped into Little House On The Prairie....Mennonite town with horse draw carriages, a general store and people selling their produce, eggs, flowers and baked goods at the end of their farm laneways. The city I live in has some of the best restaurants and patios to be found! After a bite to eat we could go to Bronte Harbour and watch the boats coming and going.

What kinda bullshittery is that? I spent the winter restoring a 73 MG. That's right, I was a part time grease monkey.

OMG JOE!!!! Awesome. Such an incredible car. I'll post pics later....but over the winter, hubby and I redid a little 73' MG for me. So racy!!! Daughters 74' Chevy C-10 step side is all done and my sweet little 18yr old red head takes it to cruise nights weekly! Next project: hubby bought a 68 camero convertible to restore. We've become a classic car family.

Sarge, I've missed your no-nonsense attitude....it's a winning one! I've learned lots, adopted the same attitude and watched my goal lines become attainable. I've cultivated friendships that won't co-sign my bullshittery....they care more about *me* than my feelings in the moment.

SoberJulie has become a giant coffee snob (now that my taste buds are like superhero powered buds!) We bought ourselves a Delonghi MagnificaS cappuccino/espresso/coffee Center. I buy fresh beans weekly and grind them myself. I only buy from a local shop, they roast fair trade beans on site. See? Coffee snob. But man....that stuff is like gold in a cup. A party in my mouth. A hug for my soul

Random thought: How come when I boil eggs and make egg salad, my house smells like fart? That never happens with scrambled eggs!