Another gorgeous Spring day. I am going to get spoiled . But I want to jot something down, while I am thinking about it, before it slips away (again). I'd like to talk about kindness and consideration for a moment. Earlier this morning, something ran across the bottom of the television screen, in that ticker tape way that information does. To be honest, I can't remember what it even was, though I'm sure it will come to me shortly, I just know that I remember saying, "Oh wow how cool. I need to share this with someone." So I thought of the 2 people whom it would interest the most and looked at the clock. I figured one would be working out at the gym and the other would either be at work, on the way, or just leaving home. (They both live in other states). So I decided to call the 2nd one. The phone rang a couple of times and I was greeted with a "Growl" of, "I'm drrrrriving, what?" Well I apologized and explained that I only wanted to share something I had just seen on TV and that it would only take a moment. I told them what it was and hurriedly hung up. That got me to thinking...

We really have become a strange little society of busy, multi-tasking, each man in his own world selves, sometimes. I couldn't see through the phone, as I am so fond of saying, so I would have no way of knowing what someone was doing until they told me, but it's not so much "What a we do, as How we do it," and there is a way to let someone know that you are busy without a loud growl. I mean, I got the growl before I even had the chance to ask, "Ya got a sec?" I pride myself in being courtesy and I generally ask if a person is busy, for that reason. Oh well. I did give 'em Hell later and told them that I can not see through a phone so give me a break and if you are busy don't answer and call when you can talk or don't be so grumpy when ya do answer. We laughed it off later. But people remember this, "We are all busy and trying to survive these days, so let's try and be a bit kinder and more tolerant of others and not so caught up in our own little worlds that we don't have empathy for others.

This is a version of one of my favorite House tunes.

Although I have not, nor will I utter the words, "I have stopped smoking," I have to admit that I have NOT had a cigarette since Wednesday 30 January 2008. Mind you, I DID NOT set out to stop smoking, nor have I said that I have quit. I actually enjoyed somking but I didn't like the cough that I'd developed over the years. How it happened was quite simple. I got sick...

Yep, I caught thaqt horrible bug that's going around this season. I caught it on a Wednesday, came to work on that Thursday, suffered all day with chills and body aches, went home, literally fell asleep on the couch, called in sick the next day and slept and nursed myself. All I wanted was sleep and soup. I didn't even entertain the thought of smoking, because, for one thing I felt like someone had thrown me from a rooftop and for another, I couldn't breath.

Next thing I knew, 4 days had gone by and I had not had a cigarette. I thought why not see if I could go another day, and next thing I knew 7 weeks have gone by (from Wednesday to Wednesday) and I have Not smoked. Amazing! It's really amazing to me because I'd smoked for the past 40 years as of this year. It's also amazing because I have not had a patch, gum, pills, nothing. I have just not smoked and I take it a day at a time...

For the first few days and weeks, I would add up daily how much money I'd saved. With my cigarettes costing $5.35 a day, and me averaging a pack a day (at least) that's quite a bit of money (and for the record, today would be 49 days)(Wow!!)...It's my GOAl to put all of that money away, but I haven't been able to do so just yet.

The slight downside is that I have gained 10 pounds :(...Now in all fairness, part of that is from one of the meds that I am on. I know because I had started to gain slowly when I first started it. The other half is probably from the not smoking simply because your metabolisim changes. I know that I need to exercise and I will now that this cold weather is letting up some, I just have to put myself in the right frame of mind. Then again, if I keep cooking and eating good foods (lol) I dunno...We shall see. I do REFUSE to let it get out of hand. My philosophy is that you see it coming and it doesn't just come overnite. One does have control.

But what's better?? *wink* a couple of (non-fattening) cigarettes or a delicious slice of a gorgeous pie?? LOl...

Peace