Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Cigarettes in PA are $8.27/pack and this places them in 7th place cost-wise for the US. I quit smoking over 25 years ago and did it my way. I used the nicotine patches and used only the highest for 4 weeks instead of the 2 weeks recommended, then went down to the next level for another 4 weeks and that was it. I never made it to the lowest nicotine patch. Had two traumatic experiences during that time including FIL 's death and my DS being cold cocked by a stranger at a HS function and it cost him his two upper front teeth. Never did find out why the kid attacked him since they had no contact whatsoever before he was hit. So while I was tempted I knew if I picked up a cigarette, it was all over.
DS smoked but then decided to switch to vaping. He told me he was going to quit that as well but kept on. Then came all the bad news about lung related injuries due to vaping. I told him if he would quit, I would give him a large sum of money contingent upon him not backsliding. He is the stepfather to one and has two children of his own. His wife wanted him to stop so badly that she was willing to rat him out if he took up vaping again. I am pleased to say it was a great investment. He has not resumed vaping and actually told me the other day how much better he feels since stopping. It has been almost a year since he quit and I am so proud of him.
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A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
unattributed
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I'm proud of all who are able to give up an addiction of any kind. It takes will power and perseverance and there are it seems obstacles that abound when you are at your low points. I certainly think it helps once you are over the hump to recall your success and how hard it was to gain it. I heard someone just the other day ( quit 7 mos. ago ) say that I'm not going back -- the pain of giving it up just is too hard to have to go through again.
We are going to have more heat today. Well, it is early Fall and this is what we get. The night temps are fairly cool as are the early mornings. That is a nice way to be -- though I keep a couple of lt. jackets in the car all the time now. Never know when I'll need one.
I hope you all have a good Sunday.
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Mid-70s today. Short round of mild storms this a.m., with more on the way by evening (possibly quite severe, with high winds). So I reluctantly harvested all the remaining ripe tomatoes (leaving the firm & green ones still on the vine) in the event the winds knock the pots over. Umbrella furled & tied, chair cushions brought inside (last night) & dry, chairs tipped up against the table. iPad being charged up in case we have to retreat to the basement for a tornado warning. (Not a derecho like Aug. 10, but you never know--it's a good 10 degrees cooler than back then already, so the air is less unstable; storms would be along a disorganized cold front rather than either pop-ups, bow echo or straight line).
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It is hard to quit. I know, I have been there too.
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It's really hot in San Francisco today--100 might not sound like much but for some reason it feels hotter. Probably has something to do with all the concrete and then we are still having lots of smoke for the fires. The air is really unhealthy---its about 175 which is some measurement for air quality. 175 is unhealthy for everyone. New fire east of here started yesterday. Started in forest and very uickly moved up and down a mountain and completely circulated a big reservoir and people were told to go into the reservoir for safety. They evacuated 200 people by helicopter because roads were impassable. A news crew was also evacuated. It's been big fires all over. In all of this I have been following the animal evacuations (I know they can't get all but I ned to focus on the ones that did get out). There are several Large Animal Evacuation groups who are trained how to evacuate large animals--horses, cows, donkeys. The groups consist of very well trained leaders and then many folks show up with big trailers to get them out. Everyone who can takes in the animals and the big fairgrounds take them in. So there will be a hundred or two animals at one of these places. And then lots of volunteers are called to come in and help. Feed companies, hay growers, everyone helps. It is awesome to see big a line of big rig trailers lined up with supplies. Didn't mean to go on and on buts its really what has been going on. Heat should break tomorrow which i hope happens. It will be so hot at my place (89 degrees that I may stay at my petsitting client's house tonight. They are so welcoming. Heat sure does feel different when you are 74! So what am I grateful for today...to start with I have a home, food in the fridge, wonderful clients whose animals I adore. And I have a few frients who I can really talk to. I hope everyone has a nice evening.
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Cowgirl -- yes, grateful is good. It is a good path on working to overcome anything that is not so good. I do hope the heat breaks for all of you tomorrow. I lived in Sothern California for 25 yrs. and am aware of how bad the fires can be but I think the past couple of years ( I have been back home for 23 yrs. ) sounds to have been worst then any of the previous. Happy to hear of the animal recues as well. Sounds awesome.
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Wow, Cowgirl--Mark Twain once quipped that "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." (Of course, you have about five or six microclimates in the Bay Area within a few miles of each other). 100F is insane!
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There are some things that we never should compromise, especially our ethics and our values. But such a compromise means that we're making a decision to do something that directly contradicts what we know to be ethical. Compromise can be one of the most powerful tools available to us in our quest to lead a full life, as long as we can learn to recognize when compromise is appropriate. Compromise means that our happiness isn't tied to a certain outcome or course of action, which frees us up to be ourselves, and to let others in our lives be themselves, too. -Tom Walsh
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About six years ago I bought an e-cigarette on a whim. Immediately dropped the cigs. Gradually cut my nic content, due to concern about my hearing, and disgust with holes in my clothing. Finally realized that I really didn't like vaping much anymore. I sometimes smell a freshly lit cig, and note how good it smells,, but that is all. I tend to have muscle spasms, and know that makes them worse.
I just finished the dogs, leashes included. Need to figure out tomorrow what is the best way to send such a light-weight, compressible package to California. Maybe my sister can come visit before she leaves.
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Cowgirl - the volunteers that show up when help is needed are my heroes. We have needed extra help (and extra cash) at the food bank since the pandemic hit and the community has really stepped up.
I admit, I don't know how anyone can deny climate change. Phoenix has had the hottest summer on record, horrible fires, hurricanes, and I just heard the lobsters are leaving Maine because the Atlantic is getting too warm for them. I fear for the world my great nieces and nephews will have to navigate after they do school in the age of covid.
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Quiet day here just trying to get caught on with odds and ends. I'm always behind but I don't actually mind. It will all come together at some point so it is okay. Hope you are having a nice day in MN Carole.
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True success is bringing joy to yourself and to others.
Success is measured in lives bettered, not in money or power.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie0 -
Ladies, I'm on a roll today. I saw my ex-husband (25 years an ex) walking on our main street, using a walker. Wouldn't recognize him but was told he's using a walker, it was still a shock.
I had a plumber come by to fix leaking toilet - yes, our fix seemed to spring a leak. Plumber said it just needed a 2nd wax ring to 'seat' it. He did that, I went into basement, leaking more than ever. He came into the basement and saw we have cast iron from base of toilet for about a foot, until it's into pvc pipes. He said someone did all the easy work & left the hard part. Then he saw some rotting wood from all the water. Long story, we need a carpenter to shore up a beam. They would coordinate the job, where they'd remove toilet, carpenter do his repairs, plumber reinstall toilet. Last words were, this will cost a lot. They'll email me a quote. Dollar signs dancing in my head!
Outside at the pool, niece swimming and having fun. I take out our floating chlorine dispenser to add tabs. Much later little niece says, you've got dirt on your shirt. I look, no dirt, it's bleached out from the chlorine. It was royal blue now looks brown.
I also had my new navy blue Clark's on, walking through the pine cones, and pieces of cones the squirrels have been chewing on. I thought I had on my old "backyard" navy blue... Any way, now my new ones look like my old ones on the bottom - covered in sap, cone pieces, and needles.
Next was a mason, near 100 year old poured concrete foundation needs repairs, outside needs parging. I wanted 3 quotes. 1st guy came Friday, got back to me on Sunday. 2nd guy said he'd stop today. We had spoke, had me text my address etc. When it was going on 7pm I text: are you stopping by tonight? His reply was sexual in nature. I replied: Check yourself. This is Cindy, at address, waiting for a basement estimate. Then I told my partner what he text me. He immediately said to text him: Don't bother to stop over. 3rd mason has never responded. We're going w the 1st mason. Not as costly as I had imagined, but over $4k.
I was also awake at 5 AM, unable to fall back to sleep until it was going on 7. Alarm was at 8:30. So its been an all around weird day. Thanks for letting me vent, and ramble on. I hope your day was better than mine!
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Cindy, That was a rough day. Glad my life is so much simpler.
My sister and BIL and dog (cavalier) stopped to pick up the litter of puppies. Tippy tried to play with his "cousin," but she was not interested. The puppies are gone and done.
My next project is to copy the recipe book I have been compiling the past three years. My typing is not so easy when copying material, but I will get it done-- eventually.
I got my PT evaluation this afternoon, and there was a lot of improvement Twelve sessions in the pool. I also have work to do at home and at the gym, but I really only need to go to the gym two or three times a week, most of it I can do at home. She did not much appreciate what the people at the gym had taught me.
Then I 'talked' with someone at Chewy, and she pointed me to harnesses for Tippy that would work better for both of us. He is scared of the harness we have been using, it is like a ritualized dance to get it on. I ended up blowing my budget for the month, buying some other bits and bobs for him, to get it up to free shipping.
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Cindy, when it rains, it just totally pours. I hope once these items are handled that all of these not fixed right things will slow to a crawl and maybe not need attention at all. You deserved a good rant if you ask me. We have a lot of outdated or poorly repaired things here. At our age, I'm afraid a lot of these things will just have to stay as they are. We don't have the time, the funds or the patience to do much. We do have an excellent handy-man who only charges $35.00 an hr. We have a number of things that likely would not take more than an hr. or two at the most -- so if we can say here long enough -- a nice to do list can be whittled down at least.
Hope it all straightens out and you can find some nice high notes to enjoy soon.
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On my - a trustworthy handy-man who knows what he's doing and only $35.00/hour. Wonder if he'd like to visit Texas? I could send a plane ticket.
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Cindy, how frustrating for so many things to go blooey at once! I think home repair people exist in a parallel universe where time and space no longer matter. We've been waiting for our rear gate to be fixed yet again (after being rehung, the posts have settled again and the deadbolt & strike plate don't line up). The guy who installed the new fencing (cost shared with our neighbor to the west) has been flaking out majorly. He did a great job rebuilding our front porch a couple of years ago, though. (Fun fact--he was once our neighbor to the east).
Up way too late--imprisoned by a kitty who is sprawled across my lap & forearms as I type this. Had very little sleep last night due to the pulsatile tinnitus (and this time texts kept interrupting the brown-noise generator app on my phone & Bluetooth earbud, and the brown noise drowned out the pulsing it didn't drown out the snoring).
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Wow, Cindy, you are on a roll. So much going on. When it rains it pours. My tiny cat, Midnight Louie, was like a purring alarm clock at 5:00, but we did go back to sleep for about 2 hours. I don't have much planned for the day, but never know what will come up. Hope everyone stays safe and have a pleasant day.
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Wow, last night was not a night for sleep here either. Don't know why, but do get one at least once a week. Inspection for insulation in MBR passed yesterday but MBR closet ceiling shows evidence of one of the workman's feet through it. So now that ceiling will need to be replaced and painted. This restoration project has become elastic. As soon as one area seems to be approaching a stage of completion, another problem crops up and the project trajectory changes and grows. Over the weekend, found the above closet issue and a small hole in outer wall of MBR bath that damaged both the ceiling and wall. A fix will require enlargement of the hole so a patch won't work, I don't have touch up paint for either surface and Sherwin Williams discontinued this paint and color!
Did unearth my DS's desk and matching chair from the garage over the weekend. My DD cleaned the desk up and I did the chair so DGS can have his own desk for remote learning. He called yesterday asking if he could come get it. I had intended to refinish it but he told me school started yesterday and he "reallllly needs a desk". Who could say no to that. It was missing one knob that DS took off and we never did find. Did a search on ebay for an Ethan Allen desk drawer knob and found one. It was a bid/purchase offer so I waited it out and placed a last minute bid. I won, so now the desk will have all its knobs. DDIL sent pictures of him sitting proudly at his "new" desk and he looks so cute. Can still see his father at that age sitting at the same desk. Brings back fond memories and the start of new ones.
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Nature made us individuals, as she did the flowers and the pebbles; but we are afraid to be peculiar, and so our society resembles a bag of marbles, or a string of mold candles. Why should we all dress after the same fashion? The frost never paints my windows twice alike. -Lydia Maria Child
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Hooray for new/old desks. What a great story Betrayal. How great to have a grand-son eager to learn. He wants to go about this in a professional way -- with a desk. Maybe during a break at school the desk can get at least some light refinishing. Anyway, I was eating up every word with anticipation. Funny, I'm on great-grandkids and didn't expect to have such feelings. Nice to know the younger generation are 'striving' in the right direction.
A bit cooler today and some overcast -- maybe a lot. There could be some showers too. I can't believe I'm saying this but a nice rain would be welcome. With the heat this time of yr. the gains from a rain do not seem to last long till the dust is back. Still, there are things to enjoy. I looked up a minute ago and saw two deer strolling through the yard looking for the bits of nuts and other things that fall from the trees this time of yr. They'll be ( in due time ) sampling anything I've got in pots thru the yard. It will be awhile, but we are going to have to prepare for the long haul of getting leaves mulched and collected for same out of corners and other little nooks where they gather. Have to hire someone to come blow off the roof later too -- but that is some ways out yet.
Hope you all have a really good day.
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Alex just turned 10 in August and was happy to return to school. Social distancing is hard on him and his 4 year old sister. They miss having playmates of their own age. So here he is at his "new" desk and I think he was pleased that it was his Dad's. He decided the solid wood chair was hard thus the blanket. LOL. Do they have upholstered chairs in elementary school these days? Love how he set it up. He's a lefty like his Mom but ambidextrous when on the computer. Love him to bits. 0 -
We have a new maintenance guy. This time he is tried and true, going from part-time on other buildings to full-time on all of them. I currently do not have any repair jobs, other than from a collision between my mobility scooter and the wall in a common area. I think I made a mistake when I told them it was a painful reminder of the fact that I sometimes do dumb things.
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60s & overcast all day, chance of showers. Last night about 3am it stormed--water came all the way up to the curbstone, but my basement stayed dry (thanks to a new sump pump). No need to use the lawn sprinkler. And my zucchini plant keeps making only male blossoms.
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Betrayal: Love those pics of your young man using his Dad's desk. I think you have a winner. A lot of young people would be ho-hum about a desk passed down from their father. I still have some of my Dad's things ( Mom's too ) so guess it makes it easy for me to appreciate. May he have it to pass on to one of his sons or daughters some time in what I hope is a very happy and prosperous future.
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The heat wave broke yesterday, thank goodness. I awakened to a sky that was almost blacked out, the only color is a deep red/rust color and it is still like this at 1pm. The ash from the new fires up north is everywhere and it is thick. It's this way 100 miles from here and is supposed to stay this way for 4-5 days. You absolutely have to see it to believe it. My friend's kitties came in for the 'night' this morning. If anyone doubts climate change they need to see this (I'm not going to go on a rant here). So I'm treating this like a snow day and staying put and will stream movie.
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(((((Cowgirl)))))
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Cowgirl, my daughter lives up by a small town, Willits. She posted a video done yesterday of someone taking a cruise around and in the town. It was like midnight at 3:00 PM, with a dull red glow, and occasional lights of airplanes. Occasionally there would be the cone of light from auto headlights, like as if it were foggy. It is worse than last year. I am hoping that the most volatile areas around where she lives and my brother lives were already burned last year.
It is cooler apparently only because the smoke prevents the earth and air from warming up. Like night-time temperatures.
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Everything coming out of CA & the PNW is terrifying. I used to complain about the weather in Chicago, but I can deal with it.
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