And that, gentleberries and ladlums, is a win

[joegoda]

I'm trying.. no.. stop.. I'm Quitting smoking. And it's all thebruce's fault. He can claim it if he wants to, but the victory will be mine, all mine, bwahahahahahaha! *cough*

To esme7777: this was how I won today...

To ladyegreen: you did perk your ears up for internal dialog.

My subconsious, sounding like Bernie the Cabdriver: "Ya know.. this IS Thanksgiving.. one of those stressful times.. and I think you've been really good, so I think you should go get some cigarettes and enjoy"

Me, sounding just like me: "Hmmm.. yeah, but if I do, then it will break my promise to myself to NOT buy any more, period. And Sherry and I are in on this thing together. It will just dissapoint her, and that's not a good thing"

Bernie: "Yeah, but she doesn't have to know."

Me: "But I'll know, and you know.. I think the long run is that I'll save money, smell better and feel better. Heck, this constant sinus infection might even go away"

Bernie: "Awwww com'on! It's just one day. You can restart again tomorrow.. today is a Holiday!"

Me: "You know! You're right! Come friday I just wont smoke at work, and on saturday I'll just quit all over again.. and again.. and again.."

Bernie: "That's the Spirit! You know what Mark Twain said.. 'It's easy to quit smoking.. I've done hundreds of times'"

So I left my apartment for the QuikTrip to buy smokes. I passed by the grocers and noticed how horrible things smelled. Not me, mind you.. I have a hard time smelling myself. I wondered if everything would smell that bad once I could smell everything again.

Bernie: "Yeah.. excellent reason to NOT quit"

Me: "You know.. I kinda like not smoking. It frees me up for a lot of things. Like not freezing my ass off in the middle of winter when I take a smoke break. Like not feeling like I'm offending people when I smoke around non-smokers."

Bernie: "F*ck 'em"

Me, as I cross the street and then stand there and wave the guy whose been sitting at a GREEN light because his mind was being controlled by the dog in the passenger seat. I suspect the dog was just waiting for me to get into target range: "yeah.. that's what I've always said. You know. I think I'd like a pepsi. I think a pepsi would be so much more refreshing than a cigarette."

I start to think of chocolate tootsie pops. The feel of clean tongue, the breath without a whistle. Bernie fades into the background. He knows he's been beat, and I won by default of the pepsi.

I go into the QT and walk over to the pepsi. 2 liter or 1 liter. Now, here's a poser. I can buy a 2 liter for 1.30. I can buy a 1 liter for 1.09. Wouldn't that indicate that a 2 liter is only 21 cents more? if that's true, wouldn't that mean that a single liter is 21 cents? And if that's true then wouldn't 2 liters be like 42 cents? The world is just weird.

So I went to the 2 liter section (didn't they used to make 3 liters that they sold for the price of a 2 liter?) and decided, decided. Bernie wandered back and said "Look.. if you're not gonna get smokes, then you might as well get something we both would enjoy. Get the Jones."


Jones Cream Soda. Nectar of the Gods! A bit pricy, but I figured I had just won, so what the heck. I would have spent 28 dollars this last week on cigarettes, so I figured at a tenth of the price, I could afford a little victory prize!

By the way.. Jones Soda, the little guy, has offered Turkey and Gravy flavored soda for the last 3 years on Thanksgiving. Gross, you say? Ahh.. perhaps so, but they SELL OUT every year!

Comments

[shackrlu.livejournal.com]

YaY YOU! That's great! I've had a bit of inner dialog in that area myself.. Hmm wish I'd kept Sarah's car keys, I could have taken her car to Kum n Go and bought cigarrettes.. just have one to take the edge off.. that's all... like I would have stopped at just one. And WHY would I pay 3 bucks or more for a pack of cigarettes for cigarrette. And WHY when I'm home not having Turkey and Dressings with my family cuz I can't breathe would I go buy smokes that would make not breathing worse!! .. So that's my win today.. I didn't try to drive the truck or search for Sarah's car keys.. I may have to put on a patch later, but so far I've gone 36 hours without the patch.

GO US!

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

Yay YOU!

[ladyegreen.livejournal.com]

You know I posted a comment to this when you wrote it and LJ ate it. PFFFFFF.

Anyway..I'll say it again, good for you!

[capi.livejournal.com]

*perk*

Without me cheating and reading ahead, did you stay off the cigs?

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

Oh no. They're still with me. I'd make some silly excuse or rationalization, but why? Once again, it's my choice. I did quit and then started again. The primary reasons I have for quitting is money and being polite to other folks. Health is very far down on the list, because my system self-regulates.

I know that I will quit.

[capi.livejournal.com]

*thoughtful frown*

So. You stop buying cigs. You put the money in a little jar. When you have enuf, you buy a plane ticket. You fly to Sacramento. You then experience a capi hug in the first person AND get a capi cup placed into your hands by capi.

*smile* What a wonderful dream!

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a tempt, to me. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[capi.livejournal.com]

*comes in from cooking bacon, wiping her hands on a green dish-towel*

Mmmmmm... now i smells like bacon! *L*

I would love it. I will not hold my breath, for i am a realist (i almost said "German" in place of realist!) and besides, i've learned to wait.

But i do like this dream.

Do you need a special jar for coins?

I have just created a turkey shepherds/pot pie, full of good things. And a most amazing mess underneath it! *L* Shall we expect you?

(( bacon-scented hugs )) You will find my guys MOST accepting, and i expect you will love Tom the first time he laughs.

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have a coin jar. The offer of food is always tempting to me. I was in San Fran bout 2 years ago. Walked from Manhattan bout 6 miles to the beach, as I've never see the beach on the Pacific before. Two blisters and bout 5 hours later, I was back where I was staying. Pity.. I would have liked to stay out there for quite a bit longer.

Never know. You may get your dream.

[capi.livejournal.com]

*LOL*

capi is no great cook. She doesn't even care for cooking, mostly. Baking, she likes better.

She *can* cook, but the passion is not there. OTOH, fixing dinner at the end of the day, after most of her spoons are gone, is not always a happening thing.

Today, i cooked and i thought of you, mused on what you gave me. I barely noticed i was working. YAY!! It smells really good, too! *L*

If you come, it sounds as if you must fly into SF (vs Sac). That is about two hours from me. I have a pair of "sisters" who are doing just that very thing this April. My world is lit. YAY! One of these is a fellow guru. The other one is right on the line. How very magical!

Yes, i would very much like for you to come!

Suzy would like me to come to TX for Scarby, as you know. I will, one day. I did it once. The timing was poor, however, and i'd like to go again. It will not be soon, tho. Unless there is a miracle in my health (and i never give up on miracles!).

So by all means, start a coin jar for your trip to California. But..... do not wait to get your capi cup! You will want that tomorrow!

*grin* This is the strangest friendship! It is magnificent!

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

I talked to the Real Life Bags and Grizelda. They think it would make very neat road trip. I know that with this much positive energy poured into it, it would happen.

Strange Friendship? Stranger the any other friendship you've had with someone without seeing them? Who so?

[capi.livejournal.com]

*heh* Yes, stranger!

I have been known to remark on the strangeness of "online friendships" in the past, but you see, this is completely out of that league. The only thing i can relate it to is when i've hooked up with *other* gurus. The bond that has formed is so...... well, it's practically science fiction, it's so amazing.

Stranger than fiction. *grin*

I have met one, and found that i was not at all deluded in my conclusions. One, i've *tried* three different times to meet, and somehow, each time, our plans were casually brushed aside by the universe. *LOL* We have not given up, of course. And now there is you, already making plans!

*dies of joy*