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

A Year ago today I finally quit smoking... a 25 year habit, and at its heyday, 60 roll ups a day. And I stopped. It wasn't easy, and it certainly wasn't my first attempt at stopping - I'd had plenty of practice, believe you me. But I stopped. And a year ago today I had gone thru the first 4 days of utter hell a nicotine addict has - it takes 96 hours for all the nicotine molecules to go through the blood stream, and I felt every single one of them dying. Its to my sons credit that they can duck and dive, and are remarkably mature and understanding of a middle aged mother's vageries that we still have a good relationship. I was Bitch on legs for about a month.... but I didn't smoke, and they were even more proud of me than I was that I'd stopped. Son no. 2 even stopped himself six months ago because he reckoned if I could quit smoking, then it wasn't impossible that he could, too. And I was a very tolerant non smoker - my eldest son still puffs happilly away, and The Man is a smoker, and I have no axe to grind against either of them. I was an adict, remember? And you can nag and pontificate all you like, but a smoker will smoke regardless until he/she WANTS to stop. So I don't bother nagging, and the smell and taste of the fags doesn't offend me. Its a nice set up.

OK.. onto today. Not only am I a non smoker, I am a car owner. I have a ratty old Renault 19, an H reg with a mere 70 thou on the clock
which I love dearly. It's not flash, and it's not got mod cons like air conditioning, or air bags, but it generally gets me from point A to point B with a minimum of hassle. The body work is good, and - thank God - it has a good sterio system that I can footdown to along the motorways. The engine is tended lovingly by a competent mechanic
and I should have been able to get another 10 years out of that car, easy.

HOWEVER... I do not have a garage. I have a residents permit that enables me to park in parking bays within the town I live. And some
unmitigated b******s broke into my car today, in broard daylight, trashed the contents, banjaxed the steering column trying to hot wire it -they even had the cheek to use my jumpleads from the boot, if you don't mind! And the only reasen they didn't lose my car was that the starter motor had packed in, and the car was waiting for the mechanic
to put it on his trailer and wave his magic wand (or whatever mechanics DO) to get it working again. I asked son no. 1 to get my fold up bike out of the boot this afternoon, and he came back white and shaking to tell me the bad news. A sixteen year old, full of street cred and apparently hard as nails, shaking and vomiting with pent up nerves. I could kill the little beasts that did that to my car for that alone... upsetting my son. But I could kill them even more for my own weakness. I went straight to the lads tobacco tin, rolled two hefty rollies, handed him one and lit us both up. I went straight to the ruddy fags! Damn them, damn them and damn me too for being such a wretched wuss! I didn't turn to the ciggies when I got a phone call from the local constabulary telling me my son had been arrested for joyriding a few months ago... Ididn't turn to the tobacco during any other of the umpty threbble emergencies I've had in the last year... so why now? I think its just the fact that I was so so damned proud of myself that I'd lasted a year without the demon ciggies that today seems such a failiure.


And now I've gotten all that off my chest, I'm going to have another one, just to convinve myself they're foul and I DON@t really want to smoke.

And I shall start stopping again from tomorrow morning.

What a lousy day its been

It's only a couple of cigs and it doesn't mean anything except you were extremely stressed (for good reason!) Don't make things even worse by beating yourself up. You are NOT weak.

Perhaps think of them as 'anniversary' cigs. Celebrating a whole year without them. Tomorrow you can start the second year without them and *still* feel proud of yourself.

That is such crap news about your car. And especially as it was so upsetting for your son too. I hope it doesn't set you back too much cash. B**tards!

So, take a nice hot bath, have a glass of wine (and even one more cig if you want - hell, just for today) and curl up in bed with a good book and think pleasant thoughts. Because tomorrow has *got* to be better.



az

Yeah... cheers! Here's to the next year without the demon weed!

az

I reckon your reactions are totally normal for being upset over the car incident!

I reckon that to give up the weed for a year is outstanding!

I reckon I would like your strength of character

I also reckon a good fairy will appear and give you more strength and also castrate the people who messed thing up for you. Or did I dream that?

Dream or nightmare...I particually like the bit about castrating the perishers who upset my son and banjaxed my car!!!

May I watch, please?

You can use the knife!!!

or better still the rusty razor

Nah... that's too good for 'em!

True true

Have sent you an email that should make you smile.

az

Thanks Az - havent got it yet!!!

No, but I did.. and you should have a copy now, S'hh. Az - where on earth did you find that one! The thong thing was priceless (and probably quite painful, too, I'd imagine)

Jane sent it to me, I like the Christmas and Q-tip ones.

az

Terribly sexist - but very funny!!!

Us women arn't sexist.. just oppressed. Keep leaning on the pillow, I'll stop whining eventually!

and *what* is sexist about Q-tips?



az

'm saying nuthin'... just hand me shovel for that darned thong...






Oh look! Thay've added a rofl smiley! There IS a God!!!

There's a something for sure