Quitting the smokes

poopshovel wrote: I'm a dumbass for starting back.

A scene from Full Metal Smoker:

Jesus H. Christ, what the berkeley is that, Private Poopshovel?

Sir, it's a pack of smokes, Sir!

Are you allowed to have a pack of smokes, Private Poopshovel?

Sir, no, Sir!

And why not, Private Poopshovel?

Sir, because they're bad for me, Sir!

Because they will berkeleying kill you, you disgusting pepperoni-nippled fatbody!

Sir, yes, Sir!

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.” -Mark Twain.

AngryCorvair wrote:

poopshovel wrote: I'm a dumbass for starting back.

A scene from Full Metal Smoker: Jesus H. Christ, what the berkeley is that, Private Poopshovel? Sir, it's a pack of smokes, Sir! Are you allowed to have a pack of smokes, Private Poopshovel? Sir, no, Sir! And why not, Private Poopshovel? Sir, because they're bad for me, Sir! Because they will berkeleying kill you, you disgusting pepperoni-nippled fatbody! Sir, yes, Sir!

I love you. berkeleystick.

Just over 24 hours in. So far the only casualty is a $20 portable phone and not the person on the other line.

Hope you aren't working today.

Every Saturday for the last ten years! It's all good. Feel much better now.

Sometimes you just got to break some E36 M3 and get it out of your system.

I stomped a coffee table to pieces several years ago. I still look at the new one with longing every once in a while.

Toyman01 wrote: Stick with it dude. You are my inspiration. I quit in 94...95, 99, 02,05, 11 and then I just quit trying. It's on my bucket list, but I'm going to have to check in with the doctor or get dropped off in the woods somewhere alone. The last time I tried, I damn near went postal. My record is 9 months, starting back is the easiest thing I have ever done. I don't think you ever really quit being a smoker, you just stop smoking. I've been smoking for almost 30 years, so it's going to be a tough. Good luck man. You can do it.

I smoked for 27 yrs ... as much a 4 1/2 packs of Camel non-filters a day at one time ( gimme a break .. they were shooting at us LOL ) you'll ( that's the universal you ) will never "QUIT" 'til you actually want to quit ... then it's not all that hard ( not easy, but you'll get through it when you want it badly enough )

good luck ... keep trying

You can motherberkeleying do it.

Toyman01 wrote: Sometimes you just got to break some E36 M3 and get it out of your system. I stomped a coffee table to pieces several years ago. I still look at the new one with longing every once in a while.

This I gotta try. Usually I grab a hammer. Type A personality, working on a mantra.

go Poopie! i wouldn't bust your balls if i didn't care.

Harden the furk up.

3 days in. It's been a lot easier this time. Thx for the support, dudes.

Keep it up!!

Figure out when you're headed this way?

So between deployments last fall, I am home for 64 days.

My Uncle dies, smoked for decades and even after he quit, it caught up to him. My Dad calls and tells me he wil be driving form Atlanta to Dallas, that night.

"Dad, take a plane."

"Nope Son, by the time you get through security, check your bag and fly I could drive there."

"Dad, I can't get from Atlanta to Dallas that fast, I'll buy the ticket and met you at the airport."

"No, I am driving"

So I drive down from OKC and meet him. We get a hotel room, meet up with the family and finalize the plans. Everything is settled; I point the 911 back home to try and get some time in with the wife and plan on returning for the service in three days.

I am home for about 2 hours when my cousin calls; "Your Dad was admitted to Baylor Medical Center..."

Much faster trip back through Texas and thank the speed gods I didnt get arrested.

Seemed he passed out, because oddly enough, when you are 70+ and a reformed smoker with no exercise plan, you shouldn't pack yourself into a small car for 14 hours while under stress (who knew?). His blood pressure had dropped and they couldn’t figure out why. After 2 days of sleeping in a fold-out hospital chair, they give my Dad a series of injectors that he must give himself three times a day to keep his blood pressure up while I drive him home. His insurance was based out of Atlanta and had no pharmacies in Dallas. The price of this medicine to get him to his appointment would have disqualified you from the Challenge. I am not joking. A stern phone call from a very irritated Major ensures re-imbursement.

The trip itself was actually pretty cool, me and the old man talking about almost everything and mostly nothing the whole trip.

I fly back to Dallas, take a cab to my car and make the service by about 10 minutes.

Dad finally gets some test results about a month later and it is his heart, even though he quit the smokes just after I graduated high school and smoked a pipe for a few years after that, he has basically been smoke free since the mid 90s. But this is all still catching up to him. he has bad circulation and after a surgurey in 2003 had to carry one of those oxygen tanks around for a couple of years (think you're irratable now?)

Here is the real bear of it. The job I was doing in the Carribean was stressing me out pretty bad and I started smoking again. I still ran 500 miles in 6 months, but I was creeping back to almost a pack every three days, which is ruthless when you consider it started at zero after 6 years.

Fast forward, I am deployed, again, and once sideways look from strangling some clown with a boot lace. I am working with a few locals who smoke like wild west steam trains. Saturday night I am at a gathering and one of them is outside with a fresh pack of Reds. As the hours tick on they are sounding better and better when another guest has to excuse himslef. He apologizes but he has to make a phone call home becuase his buddy from high school has finally died after battling cancer for the last decade.

Yeah. Smoker.

Suddenly those Marbies didnt sound so good.

I'm 42 years old, I haven't been "a smoker" since I was 26. But I stilll enjoy them. If they were as bad for me as coffee, I would probably chance it. But dang dude, they will get you if you let them.

So you had a relaspe. So what? You are changing one of your definitve traits. You are becoming a former smoker. It takes time.

So does building a car that shoot fire from a bull horn. So does building a family. So does saving your life.

Becuase its all worth it.

Stay the course.