BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Amos
Date: 08 May 03 - 10:26 AM

You betcha, Liz. Can we go for double or nothing? :>))

A

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: UB Ed
Date: 08 May 03 - 12:15 PM

People have likened nicotine withdrawal right uo there with heroin withdrawal. Based on what I went through two years ago with a cold turkey approach, I will never try heroin.

Lots of water and aeorbic exercise dulls the pain.

I know I can never smoke just one lest I start all over again. And though the cravings diminish with time, occasionally they thunder back with a vengence! Of course that's purely mental so you shift to something else.

Stay on it Amos!

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: MAG
Date: 08 May 03 - 11:39 PM

It's a bit scary to think of you with more energy, Amos. You'll stay thin as a rail, never fear. -- MA

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Amos
Date: 08 May 03 - 11:53 PM

I had a really strange experience Monday-Tuesday -- I was out in the wildest, roughest most inhospitable mountainous rock-strewn flea-bitten, water-deprived, sand-blasted, dust infested, heat-drenched parched unforgiving and sheerly brutal desert ever dreamed up by a malevolent Creator., bouncing around in theback seat of ahuge, squat, ugly Hummvee driven by a spawn of Beezlebub thinly disguised as an enthusiastic Marine. For about six hours we ran up and down the sides of mountains, out onto promontories that would have made a mountain goat think it over, over waadis and gullies, slamming like so many marbles in a tornado. Dressed up in a flak jacket and a USMC battle helmet, I looked like a leftover from Rumsfeld's Follies, I tell ya. On more than one occasion I would have split my skull open on the roof-truss of the damn Hummer had it not been for the battle helmet. Woof, woof. HooRAH and all that...

Anyway, we were testing a bunch of radio and computer comms and had antenna and boards all lashed up along the back of this godforsaken machine with duct tape and straps and so on, and it was quite a day. I am glad to say I survived, and the equipment worked better than expected, especially considering what we put it through physically.

At one point, trying to find a surveyed benchmark to calibrate a GPS unit against, I had to scramble up to the top of a rubble- and scree-strewn hill. By the time I got up there I was breathing hard enough to qualify for a year of intense aerobics in one hour. My heart sounded like a Christopher Brubeck practice session in 13/9.

We're going back in June or July for a full demonstration of the technology. We're designing new mounts for everything, hard-learned lessons, and so on. But if it hadn't been for not smoking I am pretty sure I would still be lying there being eaten by coyotes and snakes in the moonlight.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 May 03 - 03:38 AM

And I though MY commute was a pain!

OK Amos - I'm aiming for another stone by end of August - the fact that I managed Castle Hill in Hastings carrying a giant (imagine walking up a wall whilst wearing a 10ft backpack) is testament to the fact that something is working! And for a small fat asthmatic with the willpower of your average gnat, that's a milestone!

I'll keep off the cakes and chocolate (within reason) and you stay off the fags (sorry, Britspeak for cigarettes - no offence intended).

See you on the other side Amos!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Gervase
Date: 09 May 03 - 08:59 AM

Keep it up Amos! On Monday and Tuesday I was taking groups of teenagers up Pen y Fan, Cribbyn and Sugar Loaf - some lumpy hills in Wales - and felt smugly pleased that I was sounder in wind and limb than they were, and that the smokers among them - even at the age of 19 - were in bits.
You'll be amazed at how much fitter you feel, and how much more you enjoy the outdoors. And, should you get cravings for chocolate, cookies and carbohydrates, head up the nearest hill instead; the endorphins a bit of exercise releases will see off any craving.
As for nicotine itself - I still pop in a piece of gum when the craving gets unbearable (usually after a good meal) and do enjoy the odd pinch of snuff.

And well done, Liz! Castle Hill is steep even without a giant on yer back!

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 May 03 - 10:21 AM

Gervase my dear, where have you been hiding yourself? Yes, OK, up a hill in Wales....

Blushes modestly, screws available toes (not the purple ones) into carpet.... Gorsh, thanks.

Amos - it's a deal. You don't eat fags, I won't smoke chocolate! Same goes for you too Gervase..... don't want to be kissing no ashtray gob at Towersey!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Amos
Date: 10 May 03 - 12:22 AM

WIlco on that, LTS! I'll be heading back out there next couple of weeks, so I need to be in shape.

Gawd the things we do for nmoney in this world!!

A

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: McMusic
Date: 10 May 03 - 02:16 AM

God bless you. My place of employment is about to ban all tobacco product. Like ot or not, I believe I'll be quitting soon. Hope I do as well as you. Hang in there, and whatever you do, DON"T START BACK! I quit once for 3 weeks and let a little stress get to me. Undid all I had done. Got my fingers crossed for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Five Weeks Without a Smoke!
From: Amos
Date: 10 May 03 - 10:55 AM

Thanks, McM.

Do you mean banning it on the premises? Or banning use of it iby employees?

The latter seems a bit illegal.

A