Once I do finish it, I should hopefully be starting another big writing project.  At least I’ve got my fingers crossed for another one.  Nothing is certain in this business.  However, the reason I got so far behind on this one is because I quit smoking 5 weeks ago.  I’d been putting off trying to quit, because every time I do I have zero energy for about two or three weeks.  I can’t sleep, but I can’t get anything done either.  All day and night is spent in this half awake/half asleep zone, and it’s nearly impossible to write, or do anything else for that matter.  If it hadn’t been for the heat, I probably would’ve spent most of the first two cigarette-free weeks in bed.  So the good news is that the worst is over, and I shouldn’t have this problem again, so I shouldn’t get way behind on any writing projects, so I should be able to walk every day.

I sure hope so.

Gotta finish a huge writing project; deadline is Thursday, and that’s pretty much all I’m doing right now.

Gotta keep a roof over my head and the  pantry stocked with Little Debbies.

Here’s the article.

Here’s Jennifer’s blog, which I’ve also added to my blogroll on the right.

Congratulations and keep up the great work, Jennifer!

I haven’t been this excited since Hands Across America!

This time, I managed to overcome them.  On my 2nd day without cigarettes, I had some very strong cravings around 6 in the evening.  I realized if I was going to quit, I was going to have to come up with a plan for dealing with the cravings.  I came up with a three part ritual which I’ve found very effective.  It may sound kind of “New Agey” to a lot of people, but if you’ve tried to quit smoking but failed because you couldn’t handle the nicotine cravings, don’t write it off.  Give it a try.  It worked for me, and it just might work for you.  Here it is.

1.  When the cravings first hit, I immediately spend about five minutes practicing deep breathing.  This forces me to think about my body, and especially my lungs and cardiovascular system.  As I breathe, I visualize my lungs taking in clean, healthy oxygen as I inhale, and expelling tar, gunk and other toxins when I exhale.

2.  Next, I spend five minutes meditating.  Meditation is very centering and calming, and helps me experience a level of detachment from my cravings, by going inward.   This enables me to see the cravings as a form of false consciousness, at war with my true self, which I honor by not giving in to them.

3.  Then I spend an hour or so driving around giving people the finger.

At the end of this three part ritual, I alway feel much more relaxed and calm, and find that the cravings have disappeared.  As I said, it might sound “New Agey”, but don’t write it off without giving it a try.

Actually, the way I dealt with cravings was patches, and straws.  I’ve tried going cold turkey before, but it doesn’t work.  I’ve tried patches before, too, but they generally don’t work, either.  It seems most nicotine patches these days are the “clear” kind, and the glue in them doesn’t seem to hold as well.  So I got some of the generic kind, which aren’t clear.  They have them here in Huntsville at Publix and Kroger, and they’re made by the same company – Novartis.  If you’ve had trouble with the clear patches falling off, look for Novartis brand patches.  Plus, they’re much cheaper.  At Kroger, a 2 week supply of the 21 milligram patch is $27.  That’s about half the price of the big, famous brands, and quite a bit cheaper than Wal-mart’s Equate brand, too.

Plus, I buy a big pack of straws and use them for cigarette substitutes.  Just cut them in half, and hold ‘em and put ‘em in your mouth like real cigarettes.  They wear out fast if, like me, you tend to chew on them, but so what?  They’re like a penny a piece, so if you go through 5 straws a day (which would make ten “cigarettes”), you’ve spent a nickel.  And most days you’re not going to go through 5 straws.

Of course, with my luck, we’ll find out in a year or two that the Chinese manufactures are using some kind of chemical that causes mouth cancer in the straws….but that’s the chance you take.

Posted by Greg McDivitt