Ciga Rest

Tobacco Farms

When people think about tobacco fields, their first association is the South. But actually Connecticut also has its place in tobacco farm history. In particular, the East and South Windsor area had many tobacco farms, both shade and broad-leaf, until the early 1960s. As a teenager, my mother worked on a neighboring shade tobacco farm. One saw these fields covered with white netting from spring through the August harvest. While teenage boys picked the leaves in the field, piling them into baskets which were brought to the tobacco shed, she piled the tobacco leaves from the baskets onto the tables for the sewers. The sewers used twine and needle to pierce each stalk; when a set number of pairs was on the twine, it was then attached to a lath. These laths of green tobacco leaves would be hung in the barn to dry and cure. It was piece work for both the field boys and the sewers, who were very dependent upon a skilled piler.

My ancestors, the Bissells, were among the first settlers to grow tobacco in the CT Tobacco Valley. They grew the broad-leaf tobacco which was shorter and grown without the net tenting. Great Grandfather Bissell was a skilled "plantsman" - selecting the plants allowed to set seed for next year's crop and overseeing the entire process from sewing seed in germination beds to bundling the cured leaves for the buyer. It was an entirely organic process -- no chemical fertilizers, no chemical pesticides.

I remember my Great Grandmother, Helen Bissell, as she was in her late 90's before passing on. She was a talented seamstress and before she married was a professional seamstress, sewing wedding dresses all by hand.

The Bissell Bridge in Connecticut is also named after my Great Grandfather's family . The family "story" about the Bissell Bridge is told as follows:

Back in the 1700s various families owned tobacco farms. Their farms were located on one side of the river and their homesteads were on the other side of the river.  They did not establish their homes on the same side as the tobacco farms because that was where the Indians lived. One family was brave enough settle on the side with the tobacco farms. But most families played it safe, and rowed across the river every morning and night to work on the farms. One man, a Bissell, became tired of the daily rowing and decided to gather a group together and build a bridge. Hence, the Bissell Bridge as it is named today.

I can't find much information to validate this family story.  My Great Grandmother would tell us the story and she was an honest God-fearing soul, so under that pretension I will believe it to be the gospel.

We even have a cemetery in South Windsor named after our family. And for an extra tidbit of information, the story's location in Peyton Place was based on the tobacco farm where my mother worked.

Two for me, one for you ...

It's that time of year again! Taxes are due.

If you send your tax return to Kansas, then your taxes are due on April 17, 2006. If you send your tax return to Massachusetts then your taxes are due on April 18, 2006. Why? Massachusetts celebrates Patriots Day.  FYI - Connecticut is one of the only New England states that does not send their tax returns to Massachusetts. Go figure?  So, don't plan on the extra day.

And, no Patriot's Day is not a celebration for the New England Patriots Football Team.  Don't get me wrong, I am a Pats fan, and have been even before their winning streak. Specifically, I remember Grogan got his ass kicked by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. I lost money that day. But no one like Grogan could throw a hail Mary pass and turn a game around in the eleven hour. He's still my all time favorite.

Actually, Patriots Day is a celebration of the battle at Concord and Lexington in Massachusetts in 1775. (The picture below is the "battle" bridge in Concord and the Minutemen Statue).  This was the battle that was known as "the shot heard 'round the world".   I don't quite know of any other state who has a holiday only applicable to their state. 

Butt, anyways I sent in my extension. Since my husband owns his own business tax time is hell! I do meet with the accountant to get a rough idea if I am going to cry, jump for joy, or at least feel comfortable.  As a business owner not only do you pay the tax that you and I are accustomed to, butt you also have to pay a self employment tax! For those of us who are employed, your employer picks up half the tab. Believe me there is alot of headaches to being your own boss. And for some of us it actually means having two jobs. My husband always tells me I do a great job and he's giving me a big raise. Well, I was always taught, zero times anything still equals a big fat zero.

Smokers are also big time tax payers. Not only do they pay taxes like all other citizens, they also pay a tax everytime they light up. In Connecticut that equals $1.51 (I think, stopped counting) per pack of smokes. Everyone, always ask why don't they make nicotine illegal. Let's face it, it is more addictive than heroin. You may think it's the tobacco companies that dictate that decision. Well, it's not! Legislation would die without the tax money smokers contribute to the pot. So the next time you curl your nose up at a smoker, at least give them a pat on the back for paying more than their fair share of taxes.

Butt Out!

November 16, 2006 will be the celebration of the annual Great American Smoke Out. On that day, my place of employment will no longer allow smoking on the premise.  That includes in your car. Actually, for me its a good thing. Since I am a closet smoker, I'm use to not smoking where I am not welcome. Or when the need requires me to hide it.

I must admit my employer is trying to help the smokers by offering smoking cessation programs, called Butt Out!  That would of been a neat name for a quit smoking blog.  But anyways, the program offer smokers quit smoking advice and support.  Of course, some smokers are very upset about this new policy and all they want to say back to upper management is Butt Out!

Credit for the picture goes to this site. Just make sure you have a few minutes. There are almost 50 pictures posted. 

Legislation

I get  a chuckle watching our legislators choose and implement laws.  I deal quite a bit with the legislation via working in the health care industry and attempting to implement their mandates. They will pass a law requiring health care agencies to cover infertility; however, they say the law only applies if your under 40 years old. It almost gives the impression that they feel once you're over 40 you're not worthy to have a child. And it's the over 40 population primarily in need of this benefit. Secondly, legislation complains about the cost of health care, but the infertility law just added roughly $2.50 per member per month onto your premium. Please note, legislators get health benefits for free (well, we pay for them). And finally, they would not pass a law mandating certain therapy coverages for autistic children. May I add, research has made an association between infertility drugs and autism.

Let's take another example, legislators have passed a cell phone bill where you can not drive and use your cell phone unless you have a hands free headset. Does this hands free headset dial a number? Safety is the legislator's concern, but do we have a motorcycle helmet law?

Now for smoking, legislators have passed a no smoking in bars and restaurants. However, the loophole. If the bar/restaurant has an outside area, then smoking is permitted. Well, in my town all the bars are now building an outside area. One bar in particular, cracks me up. Their outside area is accessible by their "fire door" side entrance. The area is in the parking lot and surrounded by a white short gate. Did legislators really intend for the bars to create parking lot drinking arenas?

Later today, I'll be taking a picture of my bar parking lot example, so come back later and take a look.

P.S. I really can't blame the bar, as any provider of a service, they are only looking at how to satisfy the customer's needs.

Smoking & Pregnancy

This last week has been a week filled with nothing but sickness. First it has been a series of colds, then one day I'm playing vomit catch with my daughter. Two days later I'm kissing the bowl, the toilet bowl that is. Talk about an instant dieting strategy.

My husband and I were planning to have a small family Easter dinner. However, we have decided to postpone the get together since my brother's wife is expecting twins and my mother will be going on a cruise soon. The last thing we want to do is make either of them sick, especially my sister-in-law. Let's face it being sick is not fun, and being sick and pregnant is definitely not on the "To do" list. Plus, we all have so much "to do", that it might be nice to catch up on our list (for me that's school work), or even sit quietly with a book.

During my pregnancy I threw away the cigarettes really quick! I hate to admit, but it was not so much about the widely published dangers that we see today, but rather, when I smoked I would practically turn green and vomit. It didn't take long for me to become totally uninterested in smoking. I'm almost tempted to invent a new quit smoking tool, similar to a dog bark collar. Let's call it the Puffer's Jolt, a wrist band that shocks you when you smoke.

In all seriousness, the research today has shown that smoking moms are taboo as they may be more inclined to have babies with problems.  Although, our mothers did not know better, and perhaps the cigarettes in the past did not have as many chemicals, as the cigarettes of today, it is not a wise idea to smoke while pregnant. Give your self and your baby a break.

I'm glad that I didn't smoke for 98% of my pregnancy, since today, there is new research that links smoking moms to children with developmental delays. I have a child who developed seizures at the age of two and has developmental delays. I carry enough unnecessary guilt baggage about the situation, the last thing I need is to have another "What if?" hanging over my head.  Sometimes that's life, and bad things happen to good people. We just yell at God every once in a while, but need to maintain our faith.      

   

Cockroaches

I found this a bit admusing, since my husband is in the pest control business.

The Pill

Just as I hate doctors (see post below), I hate pills! Do you know that I am so hyped up and concerned about taking smoking cessation pills, but I can easily pump over 4000 chemicals, into my body every time I puff a cigarette.

 

Heart Attack

So I have to tell you the other day I literally thought I was having a heart attack. As, my chest is burning with pain, I am realizing that I am no longer a spring chicken. Perhaps, my smoking has blocked an artery and I was going to die at my desk before I attended to my daily 100 e-mails. Who was going to take care of my daughter?  Although, I am a smoker, I rarely go to doctors. I hate doctors! I hate hospitals, I hate needles, I hate blood! Kind of surprising considering my first job was a bedmaker at a convalescent home. Then I was promoted to a  Nurses Aide. At that time I was too naive to understand the promotion meant "We are short on help and you are the best bet to fill the weekend sucker routine". I actually did this for 6 to 7 years. I must admit the money was good, especially when you start working double shifts. I passed out once (actually twice), assisting the blood technician. They never gave me that task anymore. Also, at that time there were plenty of rooms for smoking breaks.

But anyways, about my heart attack. I finally decided to call the doctor at 11:30 in the morning. Told the receptionist that I had terrible chest pains and of course I'm thinking that I am having a heart attack. She asked me if I could come into the office at 4:15 pm.  I was thinking more like lunch time, and of course this time only gave me a half an hour before I needed to pick up my daughter. I know I will wait at this doctor's office for at least a half hour, if not an hour. But I really did not feel well, so I say "I'll take it!"  I called my husband to ask him to pick up "our" daughter.  I was afraid that he would have appointments, but luckily the warm weather and his season has not fully kicked in yet. He was able to pick her up. I told him I was going to the doctors. Now, after 21 years, he knows how much I hate the doctors. Do you think he could ask me why I was going. No! I get, "Are you making dinner or do I buy dinner?"  It's been a long time, but I really don't remember signing this contract.

So I arrive at the doctors office and as anticipated, waited forty-five minutes for my appointment. Well, beggars can not be choosers. The doctor saw me, ran an EGG or maybe it was an EKG. It was fine. Ordered some blood work and a lung x-ray. Oh my God! A lung x-ray, now I am dying of cancer. But she thought that perhaps I just have a bad case of reflux and stress. But I'm still thinking about that lung x-ray. I pay my 20 dollar copay. (There goes my cigarette money.) Run to the x-ray lab to find out they already have two people in the room, and they really close at 5pm. Can I come back Monday morning? Something to really keep my mind wandering about over the weekend.

The smoking summary speech, this time I did not have a heart attack. But smokers do have a much greater risk of heart attack than non-smokers.

P.S. I did get some smoking cessation pills from the doc, more on that later.

Smoking and Driving

Mom, skip this post!

Wednesday morning while driving to work I could not get into my smoking zone fast enough.  It was one of those tough mornings where the nicotine craving kicked in with the morning coffee. Of course, I could not put my hands on my pack of cigarettes, and as I'm fishing through my purse my car was not steady on the road. I looked up just in time. Then I had to go fishing for a lighter or pack of matches. Once again, I looked up just in time. Then I had to open my window. Well, Wednesday was one of those wet snow spring training days.  That type of snow just hangs out on the edges of the windshield waiting for the right moment. Oops, a big clump of wet snow fell right onto my lap. I looked up just in time.  Finally, the cigarette got lit. I looked up just in time. Then I managed to catch a bit of gossip on the radio. A director was looking to cast Paris Hilton as Mother Theresa. My car was not steady on the road.  I looked up just in time. The cop was driving in the other lane. Luckily, I was not worth interupting his morning coffee, or perhaps he was too busy making sure he had securly placed it in his drink holder.  Recently Connecticut passed a no cell phone while driving law.  Perhaps we also need a no smoking, no radio, no coffee while driving law. 

Joe Camel

Even Joe Camel's cigarette habit resulted in the death penalty. Ironically, a man, Bill Clinton, who never inhaled pulled the plug. Joe was convicted of blowing smoke towards the young. Many felt that he was wrongly accused and discriminated against based upon his phallic facial features.  Others have hidden his shame with a more dignified death. The truth may remain a mystery, but Joe will forever be a part of our smoking icon history.

Paraphernalia

Time to get rid of the smoking paraphernalia.  Remove all ashtrays, matches, and lighters from your home, car, or office.

Believe it or not, smokers can be sentimental.  We don't necessarily frame our first butt and hang it over the fireplace, but we do have a tendency to have a favorite ashtray.  No need to throw away your favorite, just turn it into a collection pot for loose change or buy a mini-plate stand and display it upright on the mantle.  I do have a few favorite ashtrays. One I have, I actually never used as an ashtray. I bought it at an antique shop. It is primarily a white porcelain base with scalloped edges and three gold inlay cigarette rests strategically dividing the ashtray into thirds. On the bottom of the ashtray is a picture of a field and a springer spaniel in his bird hunting form. This ashtray I have placed in a mini-plate stand and situated on a shelf below pictures of my dog, Buster Brown.  Springer spaniels typically have two brown masks covering their eyes, mine only has one. SImilar to the pit bull Petey who played in the Little Rascals and also played Tige in the Buster Brown comedies.

My other favorite ashtray is a large royal bright blue heavy crystal ashtray.  It was my grandfathers and is probably 60 years old. This ashtray is nice and large, so its perfect to throw the loose change into.

I have known other smokers to collect matchbook covers from places traveled or restaurants visited. Can't quite say I know of anyone who collects lighters. However, I do have another bad habit. I am a lighter Klepto! One time I went to a wedding and forgot my lighter, but on returning home I had seven, yes I said seven, lighters in my purse. Not something I'm proud of, but another habit I do with no thought.

Hard Candy

This next piece of humor I have seen written in a few different ways.  Perhaps you need to be a smoker to be lost on this one. But when first presented in my favorite manner it took me a few times to read it, think about it, before I got it. You see smokers always carry hard candy suckers around with them to help cover up their foul breath. Or perhaps, when it comes to jokes I'm just a typical dumb blonde.

                     Cigarette smoking requires a sucker.

                                             or

                     All you need is a cigarette and a sucker.                         

When presented in this manner the gist of the thought is quite obvious:

        The cigarette does the smoking - you're just the sucker.

                               ~Author Unknown

The Unknown Authors always manage to come up with some of the better sayings. Others include:

                 If you smoke, take your butt outside.

                Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs.

Stinky car

RIght before your quit smoking "set date", plan on getting your stinky car detailed by a professional.  After paying for a clean car and realizing how refreshing it looks and smells it may be easy to establish this area as a no smoking zone.

I had the best detailer, Dan the man, who works in my office, however, this was his weekend part time job. He's quite ambious. He even had a web site. So, I went to track him down to make an appointment and get the name of his website. To my disappointment, he has taken down his website and put aside his part time ambition. His wife was complaining they had no time together. Well, at least he's a good husband.

But my car still stinks. The weather is getting warmer, and before my husband decides to do a nice thing and wash it, I got to get the inside smelling nice. It's bad enough that this winter I'm running out into the driveway (even barefoot at onetime) screaming frantically, I'll move my car for you. He's very fussy about his vechiles and if he knew I was sneaking butts in the car, I would be dead! So I have to find someone good, or else my husband will be in jail for killing his wife.  I wish he was as fussy about cleaning the dinner dishes. 

Stressed ....

This past weekend has been nothing but stressful. Stress is a smoker's worst enemy. As a typical smoker, we feel that we can not cope without a cigarette. Actually, it is the nicotine our bodies are addicted to that induces such panic attacks. The past weekend have been filled with the overloaded activities of work, school, home, and my mess magnet. And then to top it off today was a TEAM clinic day. I am on a personal mission to eliminate the neighborhood's" feral cat issues.

About two years ago I made the mistake of feeding Adolf, a black and white cat with a white mustache. Then came Eva, a smaller black and white cat with cheeks that looked like a bunny rabbit. Then the rival gang edged in on the territory which consisted of mama cat, a white cat with patches of yellow and black tabby, and the calico kid, a dark calico with patches of a white on her face. Then good ol'e Tom checked in on his harem. The next thing I knew I was feeding an army of cats. Then they started having kittens. They were adorable, but wild. At the time I did not realize the importance of catching them at an early age.

As a result of the first litter, I added Missy, a love bug that looks like her mother and has the softest fur, a happy medium length between a short hair and long hair. Sister, a mucky but interesting dark calico. And Buttons Jr who is an orange Tabby that reminds me of my first cat that I had from grade school through college.  After the original Buttons broke my heart, I swore I would never own another cat. Sister brought home Princess, anther calico with a white triangle shaped patch above her nose. They are inseparable.

Then within months, the babies were having babies. This had to stop! I got wise, started catching the kittens at an early age. Worked on socializing them (primarily at my mother's house, god bless her soul) and finding good homes (I pushed Goldie, Buttons Jr's brother who is a long hair tabby and Tri, Missy's sister, another white/calico short hair into Mom's household.)

After about five litters, I then started to realize the outside crew needed to be FIXED! I called the local Meriden Humane Society, but they were knee deep dealing with overpopulation issues. Plus the individual I talked to had no experience or information about feral cats. They have helped me with place some of my kittens and since my initial call I have hooked up with the ferral cat expert.

Then I called and made a few appointments with the local vet. The first few of them I trapped with chicken scraps and a fishing net, then almost lost my arm getting them into the cat carrier. I took them to the local vet, and after a mere $200, that was after offering me a "humanity" discount, they were fixed. Well after a few of these I felt guilty about the money I was spending, that perhaps I should be spending on extra speech therapy sessions for my developmental delayed daughter.

Then I got lucky and at one of my  vet visits with the kittens (of course, they got a cold and needed some specialized attention). I ran into an assistant who manages her own feral cat colony and turned me onto TEAM.

TEAM, Taits Every Animal Matters, is a nonprofit organization that visits various locations in Connecticut and provide low cost ($57) cat neutering services in the mobile feline unit (a vet on wheels). This service is avaiable for any cat, not just ferals. If you are bringing ferals you need to trap them in a Havaheart trap. They need to be caught the night before, as they can not have anything to eat after midnight the night before the surgery. Believe me it is easier trapping then in a trap, then using a fishing net. (My husband told me this from the beginning, but I would not listen.)

You also need to bring a cat carrier, as after the surgery they are placed in the carrier.  Finally, it is important to bring the $57 fee in CASH. Of course, I forgot to get cash at the bank on Saturday. So I went to Stop & Shop this morning to picked up some danish for work and used a check to get cash back. However, they would only let me add $30 to my check as that is their maximum allowed for cash back when using a check. So, I went back into the ailse, grabbed a box of oatmeal, went to another cashier, and wrote another check for $30 over the bill. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

I always try to arrive early, so hopefully I can be first in line. This morning, I put my trapped cat, Tippy, a black male with a white tip on his tail, and my cat carrier infront of the van. I noticed a lady eatting a bagel sitting in her car. So I told her she should probably get in line, since there is no respect for who arrived when, and even when in line folks have a tendency to jump ahead. She thanked me for the information and was third in line. Of course, when the assistants opened the door she jumped the line and got ahead of me! Okay, so much for helping someone.

Today's visit was interesting, for the first time the Vet actually came out and walked the line asking if anyone had questions. It gave me an opportunity to ask him for some eye medicine for good ol'e Tom. He also asked about my feral cats and gave him a brief overview -- many and getting there -- he told me to call the office and get the Cat Birth Control Pill that can be added to their food once a week to help the situation while I am accomplishing my mission. I thanked him for the information. And I'm assuming that my cats are not Catholic. You always learn something new. The interesting point is that in the book, Blink! the author talks about malpratice suits against doctors. The doctors that are sued are thoes who do us harm PLUS do not treat us with respect such as, not addressing our concerns or making us feel rushed. This Vet was very well received. All doctors should evaluate and take note to their personal interaction with patients.

After all of my daily adventures and aggrevations, I at least feel good that one more cat has been neutered. I have been brought up to believe that if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. To date, my colony except for Buttons Jr who is too smart to be trapped, are all fixed. I am now working on the elderly woman's colony across the street.  As for the money, I am counting this as part of my offering and deducting it from my taxes.

Perhaps, you may like to help, but in a more subtle way. Well, to help out AT&T/SBC/SNET all distance customers can hekp cats by calling 1-800-635-7638 and naming Tait's Every Animal Matters, TEAM - account number 3736 - as a favorite cause. They will donate 5% of your monthly long distance bill to TEAM at NO COST to you. For more information or to contribute, call 1-888-FOR-TEAM or write to TEAM P.O. Box 591, Westbrook, CT 06498.

Thank You For Not Smoking

Time for some humor. But you may need to be a smoker to appreciate this one. I caught a piece of a movie (who has time for T.V.) where a man gets into a cab and lights up a cigarette. You see a sign posted behind the cab driver, "Thank You For Not Smoking".  The cabbie proceeds to yell at his customer, "Don't you see the sign". The smoking customer replies, "Yes, and I don't expect you to Thank me for smoking".  Like I said you have to be a smoker to appreciate that one.

Butt news

Seems like this is the week for butt news. However, this news release is not as inspiring as yesterdays.  It's important for smokers to extinguish their butts!!

Breath Express Trailer

Today's Record Journal ran a story about the new American Lung Association’s Breath Express Trailer visiting a local school to educate fifth and sixth graders about the hazards of smoking. According to the paper “Displays in the trailer ranged from the informative to the grotesque.”

The American Lung Association has fabricated a creative and fun way to educate our youth on the hazards of smoking. Perhaps, if a non-smoking culture is developed at a young age, they will be less inclined to start such a bad habit. Let's face it, beliefs when learned at an early age become mental maps that are difficult to change.

Refocus

Today's Horscope

           A positive approach draws positive results.

           Get ready to make important changes for the better.

Can life be predicted by the stars? Or rather, is it that we focus on the prediction and shape it to fit our lives?

One common mistake smokers fall prey to is that when quitting we concentrate on what we are depriving ourselves of.  This only reinforces the temptation and drives it deeper into our thoughts; therefore, leading to defeat.  Rather than focusing on what we are “giving up”, we need to refocus on what we personally dislike about our habit. It could be the stinky odor that follows us or the wasted money or the heaviness in our chest or our yellow teeth or our extra wrinkles or just the fear of an early death.  The key to success is for us to refocus our attentions. 

The concept of refocusing is not a new “fad”. It is the basic simple solution that the bible offers us for resisting temptation.

              Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts …

             but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right.

                                  2 Timothy 2:22 (LB).

Rick Warren elaborates about the bible’s profound truth for defeating temptation in his book The Purpose Driven Life.

Something to smell ...

http://www.candydirect.com/bouquets/Stop-Smoking-Bouquet.html

Chocolate Friend or Foe?

This morning’s adventure began with my mess magnet (daughter) helping herself to a carton of chocolate milk from the fridge. Don’t ask me how, but she managed to nick the bottom corner of the carton open. Chocolate milk dripped inside the fridge, across the floor to where she placed it on the counter. A puddle of chocolate milk formed on the counter and ran down the cabinet. Then she proceeded down the hallway across the area rugs to bring her favorite drink into her room. Needless to say a chocolate milk mess was everywhere. Today, chocolate was my foe.

It is debated whether or not chocolate is an ex-smokers friend or foe. Some articles express that chocolate provides a sugar “high” similar to the nicotine “high”; therefore chocolate is an ex-smoker’s friend. However, I would caution on how much chocolate an ex-smoker consumes. In David Zinczenko’s Abs Diet he classifies a mini snickers bar as an allowed power snack.

Other articles believe that ex smokers should eliminate chocolate altogether from their diets. They feel that the sugar “high” induced by chocolate actually encourages an ex-smoker to pick up the butts, since the urge for more of that good feeling generates the craving for nicotine.

I guess, as an ex-smoker you have to be your own judge as to whether or not chocolate will be a friend or foe.  

What's the Limit

How much would you pay for a pack of smokes? When I first started smoking cigarettes were a mere 50 cents. Today they run close to $5.50. The most I ever paid for a pack occured on a business trip to Brooklyn, New York about two weeks ago. I ran out, or actually had good intentions of quitting. (I didn't want to be "stinky" hanging around the head honcos.) But anyways, I caved in and bought a pack at the hotel gift shop. Well it was no gift, it cost me $11.50. Can you imagine.

On average if you puff a pack a day for $5 a pack, then that's $1925 (if my math is correct). Two thousand dollars could equate to a relaxing cruise on the Caribbean. Image what five years cost. (Easy math $2000 * 5 = $10,000).

Just another incentive for a smoker to quit.

Smokin' Humor

Mark Twain once said, "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times."

Quick Tip

Take a wallet size photo of a loved one and insert it into the cigarette pack’s cellophane. Every time you grab a butt, think about how much your loved one will miss you when your gone. It is a proven fact - smoking does not increase your life span.

Closet Smoker

One shoe does not fit all. There are various breeds of smokers. Everyone is familiar with the chain smoker. This smoker always has a cigarette in hand and literal lights one up, one right after the other. Typically, they support a 2 -3 pack a day habit. The tobacco companies applaud this breed.

The social smoker only smokes when hanging out with friends pounding down a few cocktails. They only smoke during the social event and walk away from the habit until the next social event. They usually bum cigarettes from a dedicated smoker. The next morning when the dedicated smoker has no cigarettes they are cursing the social smoker.

Then there is the closet smoker. I have turned into the closet smoker. They hide their smoking from someone. I hide my smoking from my husband. After quitting for two years the last thing I want to do is confess my defeat to him. I never smoke around him and I hide my smoking from him. I can last long periods of time without a cigarette. When we went on vacation, I had a ten day sabbatical from smoking. But, the minute we are in the “safe” zone, we puff away.

I know quite a few closet smokers. We fool ourselves, believing that we are clever hiding our bad habits. But what we fail to understand is that the illusion does not go without consequence to our well-being. We ignore this factor and continue to hide our addiction. For instance, when my husband is not home, I will smoke on the back deck with a glass of water. The water is a quick get away to put out the butt, in case of an unexpected return. Cigarettes are discarded in the trash wrapped securely in tinfoil. An unwrapped cigarette stinks to high heaven. If flushed, they will eventually clog the toilet. It is difficult to deny your habit, if your toilet is barfing tobacco. The ritual continues with teeth brushing, hands washing, and a dash of baby powder (you don’t want to overdo it).  Gum, perfume, and air freshener are handy in the car for easy access when returning home after the smokin’ day. The closet smoker also holds a handy bag of excuses, just in case we are questioned about the stinky odor … “Oh, I stopped by and saw so and so … (the smoker escape goat).” The closet smoker invests a large amount of time to conceal their habit.

The most difficult situation I had to explain was when my daughter, the mess magnet, got a hold of a pack from my pocketbook and broke them up all over the kitchen floor. I swiftly reached into the bag of excuses and grabbed my smoker escape goat, to explain that my mother left them in my car and I was holding on to them to return to her. Oh so clever. I’m sure my husband is aware of my cheating ways … we just don’t discuss it.

Let’s face it, a smoker STINKS!

Strategy Part 1 .... Wear the Bikini

After setting the date the smoker needs to establish a strategy. The leadership guru John Maxwell states in his books “Hope is not a strategy”. There are many different tactics to assist the smoker to throw away the pack. Actually the smoker will smoke the pack to the end before quitting – another procrastination tactic. In all seriousness there are just as many strategies to quit smoking as there are for loosing weight. A smoker just needs to pick one and be done with it.

I have quit many times before using many different methods and for various lengths of   time. My best record is 2 years. Two years, what fool would go back to smoking after two years. This fool did. But anyways, I know I can quit, I’m just having a problem starting. My blog is a new personal strategy that I have developed for myself – public humiliation. I can’t quite possible walk away from this a failure. Not an acceptable choice for the competitive nature that lies within me. And I know that this strategy will work for me – see Closet Smoker post for more details.

Just today, I heard about a similar concept that 20/20 did on helping others loose weight. They gathered a group of overweight people, took extensive photographs of them in tiny bikinis, and made the agreement that if they did not loose twenty pounds in two months their bikini pictures would be displayed on national TV. Read the story to see how this strategy panned out ...

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1725982&page=1

Setting the date ...

When it comes to quitting, that is smoking; the first thing a smoker needs to do is set a date. Sounds like a wedding. But the quit smoking date is not an event looked at with as much enthusiasm.  Smokers are the best procrastinators when it comes to setting the date. Towards the end of the year, the favorite start date is New Year’s Day. Well, we all know how successful our New Year’s resolutions fare. When it’s not the begining of the year we say we’re going to a start after we finish a stressful project, or after this social event, or after we loose ten pounds. The next thing you know a new year starts and we follow the same viscous cycle.

I’m going to stay true to a smoker's form and not quite set a date yet. But I will. I just need to get through our team’s first quarter release this weekend.

Cold Turkey

Today I was thinking of quitting cold turkey. But that thought quickly changed as my husband needed me to retrieve some paperwork. In the five minutes left unattended, my daughter, Sam, managed to get a hold of my brand new bottle of Lancôme makeup. Our dog, a 15 year old Springer Spaniel named Buster, was painted from paws to snout. He looked beautiful! Needless to say, today was not the day to go cold turkey.

But maybe I do have a chance, since the first day of the Calendar for Quitting is a day where smoking is allowed. Take a peek at the calender located within this site http://www.healthlink.com/health_tlc.asp

BLog Objective

Jumped between the scenic east coast motorcycle rides and the stop smoking ideas. Have decided that the purpose of my blog will achieve the following objectives: 

  1. A journal traveling the life of a smoker as she attempts to put out the butts once and for all.          

  2. Provide information to others on how to stop smoking.

I'm sure I will sneak in a few hidden agendas, but you'll have to read the blog to determine that.   

Group Blog

It's taken a lit bit of time rounding up the gang. Plus I think the gang is trying to get familiar with the various aspects of the fundamentals of blogging.  Which leads us to our group blog --  A a TypePad HowTo , a collection of how to tibits on using TypePad as a blogging tool.

Our objectives include helping ourselves to learn and document how to use the various techniques of typepad and providing this knowledge to others.

http://www.pscblog.typepad.com/howto/

Group Blog updated - Going to keep the howto blog as a "sub" group blog for an area to exchange learning experiences and to open the door for thoes who may read our blogs and want to know how to use TypePad as blogging Tool.

A new primary blog http://www.pscblog.typepad.com/talk has been developed as a QU Graduate Corner to discuss whats happening in the graduate arena and news, especially with interest towards the Organizational Leadership program.   

Comparison & Live.com

Class assignment for these items I posted on the HowTo blog.

Delicious

No rhyme or reason here. Still need to do some organizing. Just jumping around, as I am trying to decide what to do!! The pest control sites I grab since my husband owns his own pest control company. And the hunting site is one of his recent hot spots. In the process of moving to a new internet, so this will be a neat tool to move existing favorites.

link to my delicious bookmarks:

http://del.icio.us/pscclass

What will it be?

Individual Blog Ideas:

Did you ever see a kitten chasing its’ tail?  Well that’s what I look like, as I am trying to decide on my blogging idea. I have probably thought about a half a dozen ideas.  Ranging from a blog that explores a daily inspirational quote, or how to research your family history, or rides the motorcycle enthusiast through the east coast, or creative ways to scrapbook your memories, or how to get orgainzed! Maybe that kitten was the offspring of a stray cat and there is a need for a blog that provides awareness to the cruelty and problems of abandoing cats that are not neutered or spayed.  Or perhaps, it is finally time to put down those butts (cigarettes) once for all and create a self help blog.  Each day I change my mind, chasing my tail round and round.  Waiting to talk with the group to make my final decision, but leaning towards trying to help myself and others finally quit once and for all.

Try Again

It's 4 in the morning. Not sure if it was the smoker's hack or the smoke alarm's beeping dying battery that woke me up. But I'm up. Don't want to wake the house, so the coffee making will have to wait. Might as well try another trackback. For what ever reason, the first trackback did not register on the referencing blog. Then saw the awesome sites the other class member's started, and didn't want to redo a trackback and embarrass myself with the start of my site. Just because I'm in IT doesn't mean I'm good at this stuff. It's ironic, since the non IT folks seem to have a better start at this than us ITers.

Let's try again  1. hit the insert link key trackback 2a. entered url address of trackbacks into the screen that popped up labled script prompt  enter url then 2b. entered link name into the screen that popped up labled script prompt enter text to link 2c hit enter and gave me the word entered underlined as seen above  then reentered url starting with http:// in the box under send a trackback to these address then hit save - still not working -- did same thing above but started the url in the send a trackback with www -- did again without filling in the send a trackback to these addresses -- none worked.  What am I doing wrong???? Help!

Update -- had this working - but not working again - trying walts if his works then  maybe a problem on the other end and not on what I am doing -- Try Again, Hi Walt!

test trackback

this is a great site on trackbacks

New Test Post

This is my test of Typepad and technorati.......