GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting (or want to support quitters), please - join us! We kindly ask that politics be left out.
You can also click the GUS Tag to view all diary posts, or access the GUS Library at dKosopedia for a great list of stop-smoking links. Check it out!
Want to make sure you never miss us? Follow (♥) the GUS Tag to keep GUS in your Stream. It's just that easy!
A message to all quitters: you don't have to avoid GUS if your latest attempt to quit didn't work out. We won't give you a bad time and we consider the attempted quits as "practice" for the real quit.
Good morning GUSville! It is the weekend of the finals for the French Open which makes it one of my favorite days of the year! This falls under the 'positive distraction' category of GUS diaries but to me, tennis can also be very inspiring. It takes two weeks of play to win a grand slam and it takes about the same time to get over the first hurdle of quitting smoking. After that, you all have the right to fall down on your knees and look exactly this happy:
Congratulations to Maria Sharapova for winning her very first French Open title! With this win she also completes her career slam which means she has one all of the four majors-an amazing accomplishment. She also came back from serious shoulder injury which kept her off tour for most of 2008. There was much speculation as to whether she would be able to return to her former glory so this is a huge victory for her. She is a beautiful player to watch and if you're like me, her matches are all the more enjoyable with the mute button close at hand. I will never get used to all that grunting. With this win it looks like we can look forward to a lot more great tennis from Maria, which is wonderful news for tennis fans and nearly every heterosexual man on the planet. :)
Today's play features the match-up that so many of us were hoping for (not you Roger fans, sorry!): world number one Novak Djokovic and world number two Rafael Nadal. I can hardly wait. Novak basically owned Rafa throughout 2011 but recently Rafa has been getting his groove back. He beat Novak in their last two meetings on clay, in the Italian Open and Monte Carlo finals in May:
Plus, Rafa is playing like his old self again-shades of 2008 when he won thee majors and a slew of titles. He is on his favorite surface at an event that he has won in six out of seven consecutive appearances. That is unreal, and when Bjorn Borg calls you the best clay court player of all time-I would believe it. Djok has faltered a bit the past two weeks while Rafa has not dropped a set-but that perseverance (he faced down four match points against Tsonga in the quarters!) might only make Novak stronger. There is no predicting what will happen. In the finals of the Australian Open, their match went for six hours!
Today, like yesterday, is possible history making for both players. If Novak wins he could complete a career grand slam, holding all major titles in one year. The last players to complete this task were Australian tennis great Rod Laver in 1968 and the incomparable Steffi Graf in 1988. If Rafa wins, he will surpass Borg in the number of French Open titles won; Borg and Rafa currently have six a piece and today Rafa is going for number seven.
You all know who I will be rooting for! :)
Current members of the GUS team:
1BQ, 3rdGenFeminist, Abra Crabcakeya, Actbriniel, addisnana, AfroPonix, aishmael, Alise, Alpha99, A Man Called Gloom, ambeeeant, American in Kathmandu, amk for obama, andsarahtoo, angry marmot, Anne933, anodnhajo, aoeu, aquarius2001, arcadesproject, Archie2227, arodb, Arthur Wolf (in memoriam), assyrian64, awkawk, b4uknowit, bamablue, BARAKABETH, barnowl, b barrie, bdizz, beatpanda, beefydaddy18, BFSkinner, bgblcklab1, BigAlinWashSt, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, BJKay, bleeding heart, blingbling65, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluedust, BluejayRN, BlueJessamine, Bluerall, bluestatedem84, BoiseBlue, boudi08, Brahman Colorado, breedlovinit, BrenP, Bronxist, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, buddabelly, bumbi, BusyinCA, Carol in San Antonio, CathiefromCanada, CathodeRay, CDH in Brooklyn, cee4, Cen Den, ChiTownDenny, ChocolateChris, ChurchofBruce, ciganka, cinnamondog, citizenx, ClapClapSnap, Cleante, Code Monkey, codobus, Coldblue Steele, Colorado is the Shiznit, coloradomomma, common green, commonmass, Common Sense Mainer, congenitalefty, coppercelt, dadanation, dangoch, DarienComp, dauber, Dauphin, Dave in AZ, Dave in Northridge, deedogg, demkat620, Dexter, Diana in NoVa, Dickie, DiegoUK, Dingodude, dirtdude, distraught, djMikulec, dolfin66, donnamarie, Donna O, dotsright, DRo, droogie6655321, Dube, duckhunter, Eclectablog, Eddie C, EdgedInBlue, effervescent, elbamash, El barragas, el vasco, ericlewis0, Everest42, Ex Con, ezdidit, fhamme, Fineena, fiona2, fishhawk, Flea, flumptytail, Friend of the court, fritzi56, FrugalGranny, Garrett, Gator, gchaucer2, GDbot, Geiiga, GenXangster, glpaul, gooderservice, gooners, gravlax, greylox, grndrush (in memoriam), GrumpyWarriorPoet, gzodik, Haole in Hawaii, HappyinNM, henlesloop, HeyMikey, hideinplainsight, High Tide, hiliner68, hold tight, hulibow, I love OCD, Im a frayed knot, imisa, Indexer, indubitably, indyada, Interceptor7, Inventor, I said GOOD DAY sir, itsbenj, Jahiz, JamesEB, janl1776, Janeo, JayinPortland, jayjaybear, jbou, Jeffersonian Democrat, jmadlc55, jmonch, Joes Steven (aka Steven), john07801, johngoes, johnny wurster, jsfox, JVolvo's Mom, jwinIL14, Kai99, kailuacaton, Kamakhya, kat herder, Kelly of PA, kestrel9000, khloemi, Khun David, Kitsap River, kittania, KrazyKitten, Kristina40, Ksholl, labwitchy, Lady Kestrel, ladypockt, Lahdee, langerdang, LarsThorwald, LA rupert, last starfighter, LaughingPlanet, Laurie Gator, Lipstick Liberal, litoralis, lmdonovan, lockewasright, Lonely Texan, longislandny, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, mango, Marc in KS, Marjmar, Mark E Andersen (Kodiak54), marknspokane, marsanges, maryabein, Matt Esler, mdemploi, Meteor Blades, Micburke, michael1104, MillieNeon, minerva1157, MinervainNH, Missys Brother, mjbleo, MnRaindog, mntleo2, Morague, Mr Bojangles, mrsgoo, mskitty, msmacgyver, MsWings, Murphoney, nannyboyz, ncsuLAN, NearlyNormal, Nedsdag, Nick Zouroudis, notgivingup, NY brit expat, OleHippieChick, one pissed off democrat, Onomastic, operculum, OrangeMike, Ordvefa, Overseas, Over the Edge, Pager, paige, PaintyKat, paradox, parryander, paulitics, Pennsylvanian, phrogge prince, Positronicus, post rational, PowWowPollock, Proud Mom and Grandma, psycho liberal, ptolemynm, Purple Priestess, PvtJarHead, racheltracks, randallt, ray bob, real world chick, red mittens, Reepicheep, regis, relentless, revelwoodie, revsue, Rex Manning, rexymeteorite, RiaD, rickeagle, ridemybike, rightiswrong, Rileycat, rincewind, rkex, roadlion, Roger Fox, Rosebuddear, roses, rscopes, Rudini, Safina, SallyCat, Sanuk, Sark Svemes, sboucher, scooter in brooklyn, Scrapyard Ape, seenaymah, sfbob, sgary, Shahryar, sheddhead, shesaid, Shifty18, shmuelman, shopkeeper, sidious666, slowbutsure, smartcookienyc, smeesq, Smoh, snoopydawg, snorwich, SnyperKitty, SoCalHobbit, sofia, soonergrunt, sostos, sowsearsoup, SpecialKinFlag, spmozart, spotDawa, SpotTheCat, StateOfGrace, Statusquomustgo, stiffneck, sunbro, Super Grover, Syoho, tallmom, Tay, tdslf1, teknospaz, theatre goon, The Eyewitness Muse, TheGeneral, TheStoopingRabbit, TigerMom, Tim DeLaney, tiredofcrap, TomP, tonyahky, Toyotabob7, TreeFrog, triciawyse, tripodisblack, trs, trueblueliberal, ttanner, Tulsonian, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, Tyto Alba, uc booker, UncleCharlie, Unduna, Unforgiven, ursoklevar, USArmyParatrooper, VA02 femocrat, Vacationland, valadon, Vayle, Vetwife, vgranucci, Village expects idiot home soon, waytac, webranding, weelzup, Wes Opinion, Whimsical Rapscallion, willy be frantic, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, wolfie1818, Wordsinthewind, Wreck Smurfy, x, xopher, yet another liberal, Zotz
This is our calvalcade of stars supporting your quit. If you would like to fill in or become a regular diarist, please respond to the tip jar/butt can. Regular diarists are in bold:
Sun AM: Bonjour from The French Open!
Sun PM: Open
Mon AM: Open
Mon PM: Vacationland
Tue AM: gchaucer2 now a regular!
Tue PM: Open
Wed AM: labwitchy is back!
Wed PM: FrugalGranny now a regular again!
Thu AM: Open
Thu PM: bsmechanic
Fri AM: flumptytail GUS three year Anniversary!!!!
Fri PM: Open
Sat AM: effervescent
Sat PM: Open