h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It will be fun. There are plans for rides on the harbour ferries, and plenty of trawling through air-conditioned shops. And air-conditioned pubs.

Tomorrow, incidentally, I will have been smoke-free for three entire months. Just thought I'd mention it.

Last night I had an extraordinarily vivid dream, in which I started smoking again. When I woke I was despondent, until I realised that it *had* been a dream. All very odd, but I guess it shows that the subconscious desire for nicotine is still there. I can't let my guard down, even for a moment...

Well you've been doing great so far!

I'd never have made it without the occasional .

Thanks!

Just you keep it up, eh?


===Say NO to Skoe!===

===The Skoe Must Go!===

===Hell No, We Won't Skoe!===


(boy that's a fun word)

Hi, Ivan,



Well done. I am SO glad you are sticking with it. Perhaps your dream was to remind you how bad you would feel if you gave in to temptation

I haven't for a while - so long that I almost forgot the smiley word

Have you felt an improvement in your general wellbeing? Most people do.



Websailor

My general wellbeing has, I think, improved slightly, but the biggest change is that my sense of smell is better than it has been for years.

On the negative side, it means that I can now smell a banana at 100 paces. I'd never realised just how much bananas *stink*.

I've managed to lose some weight, too. I'm very smug about this as most smoke-quitters gain weight instead. But it means that I'm not sure if climbing hills is easier because breathing is easier, or if it's easier because there's simply less of me to move. Not that it matters. Either reason will do.

Ivan,

Yes, I agree, bananas do pong, though I love them, but first thing in the morning My husband has one for breakfast some days and I leave the kitchen pronto.

Whichever is the reason for climbing hills more easily that is wonderful, and Congrats on stopping in both senses!



Websailor

Well done mate!

I am beingin RL here to cut down or preferably give up 'cos of the health thing. I am quite touched that even though he smokes himself, he says he would stop immediately in order to support me in doing this. I am certain he would. He has also said the same about booze. I know that one is possible, me and quit drinking totally for a year, just by mutual support.

I do feel guilty when he says stuff like "Hey, i would really quite like you to be around for the next 20 years or so, at this rate, you might not be."

*But* you can only ever quit for yourself, not for another person.

zdt

It is *definitely* the case that one can only quit for oneself. Various well-intentioned people have, in the past, tried to talk me into quitting, and it always ended in failure, and resentment on their part because they thought I wasn't taking their concern seriously. This time it was all about ME and it worked wonderfully!

Of course, it's always nice when somebody cares enough to try to help.

Terri ,

You are so right that you can only give up for yourself. I am sure addiction makes people selfish, as they really cannot understand the worry it causes their loved ones. My sons and I tried with my hubbie for years as we saw him deteriorate, but nothing worked till he got really ill, and realised, for himself, that he couldn't go on.

He is still here eleven years later, but very nearly wasn't. My father lived till he was 80 but died of lung cancer. So, many people can go on smoking forever but the end is not pleasant.

I do hope you can find it in yourself to give up. We are all happy to as we did with Ivan, if it would help.

lecture over


Websailor

I am certainly considering it, mainly 'cos of the financial stuff. But my, whilst being of course concerned about the cigs, is more concerned about the 'cos i have a dodgy liver at the best of times.

He reckons i can't possibly give up both at the same time, i would probably end up becoming a serial killer or something.

His attitude is " the smoking *may* kill you, the drinking *will* kill you."

Anyway, at least i know that if the time is right for me and i decide to quit either of these vices, i will at least have a RL person helping me out, which is very very important.

(sorry, feeling a bit soppy right now, 'cos he's gone back to his place to sort stuff out...he's been away at least 7 hours and i am, stupidly, missing him; we are both like this, can't last more than an hour apart without missing each other. Ridiculous!!!! resisting the urge to phone him, i know he will be back very soon...and then perverse that i am, i will probably be horrid to him.*sigh*)

zdt

Hello, you perverse little zen .



Just wondering . . . since you say you are hooked on both and cigs, perhaps you also have a tendency to get hooked on your partner? Perhaps before being 'horrid' to him you might ask yourself whether he actually deserves this or if it is just your insecurities getting the better of you. Then BREATHE deeply, take a couple of steps back and allow him to be with you without tangling up the situation with how you felt while he was gone. And just watch what happens. Observe the both of you.

It's not always easy when you first start sharing your life with another person.



az

Yup, you have hit the nail right on the head there Az!

I can, in fact, be incredibly horrid to him, he isn't ever horrid to me, although he can be stubborn and somewhat inconsiderate. And certainly more than a little fussy, which he freely admits, plus it drives me mad when he can't seem to amuse himself if i am doing other stuff.

Gawd, it's just so weird, i really didn't go out looking for stuff, i had honestly given up on it and was actually fairly content, so it's all come as rather a shock to both of us and the learning curve is pretty damn steep, and certainly the language barrier makes for enormous frustrations.

Wish there was a system to plug in overnight and wake up next day squeaking fluent frog, but there isn't. I often end up screaming in frustration 'cos i just can NOT get the message across. And of course, if i start screaming, it frightens him, so he backs off, which p***es me off even more!

Oh well, at least it's now OK to come online, so i have somewhere to vent!

How's life in sunny Spain these days?

zdt

Life in Sunny Spain is quite fine.

Will check to see if you'd rather 'vent' on IM than here . . .


az

for the IM chat Az, i really needed to get stuff off my chest and your advice was much appreciated.



zdt

Anytime, honey.

az

Terri,

At the risk of being boring, if what you want to say to him is REALLY important, why not use the translation facilities on the Net. Google is great, and it might help you both learn the others' language. Any translation errors could give you a good laugh too.

I know that isn't so personal, but Valentine's Day is coming up and you could give him a slushy card with the message in his own language seeing as you are so hooked.

Just a thought,

Websailor

I've nothing to add to the last few posts, except that it's interesting to see what happens in this thread while I sleep.

Terri - good luck! I hnestly have nothing to say - as I've told az before, if I understood relationships, I'd be in one.

This is just a smug little post to say that I've now been smoke-free (and skoe-free, for that matter) for 4 months and a week!

The best indication of success is that I didn't even notice that I'd clocked up 4 months....