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 even just thinking of quitting, please join us! We kindly ask that politics be left outside.
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 and easily find the link to the latest one. It's just that easy!
A message to ALL quitters (and would-be quitters): You don't have to avoid GUS if you have a failed quit. We won't give you a bad time or nag you. We consider the failed quits as "practice" for the real quit.
Hey, GUS peoples, it's me! Zombie Vacationland! Back from the dead and ready to host GUS!
Okay, okay...I wasn't technically dead, but you wouldn't know it from my activity in GUS (or really Daily Kos in general) over the last month. It began innocently enough: a particularly stressful workweek combined with some family commitments had me bowing out of my regular Wednesday hosting shift. Labor Day week I had what must have been some kind of early Senior Moment (I blame the new AARP card!) when I lost track of what day it was. About this time Daily Kos (or the browser I was viewing it on) got really glitchy and buggy, and frankly, after a long day at work, troubleshooting my home laptop wasn't #1 on my list of Things I'm Dying To Do. Couldn't rec. Comments wouldn't stick. Images wouldn't load.
I was doing a lot of swearing. Eventually I just surrendered, because by then I had family stuff to contend with: visiting relatives here for over a week (not staying with me, but renting a lake camp and serving as "command central" for a sort of extended family reunion). I was supposed to be taking a few days off that week, but work deadlines meant that I simply ended up working crazy long shifts to offset the "time off." My usual hosting shift that week was spent doing a 16-hour marathon shift to beat a critical deadline; I didn't even have time to call my Dad, never mind send up a flare on the interwebs.
Meanwhile my brain is kicking into baseline survival mode, where I whittle away the stuff I don't absolutely have to do: work, shower, feed animals, nuke something in the microwave on occasion, catch a few hours of sleep, make sure I'm wearing shoes. Sadly, the internet always loses in that scenario.
I did eventually try to fix what was wrong with DKos. I switched to an earlier version of my browser, disabled extensions, did whatever techie voodoo I could muster. The worst of the work deadlines have and work has gone back to just plain old "very busy" (from the previous "insanely overextended"). Family commitments have diminished somewhat. The most worrisome thing I'm dealing with today is my dog unexpectedly barfing this afternoon; he's clearly not feeling 100%. (He tried to eat a gnarly rotten chicken bone on our walk at lunch; I fished most of it out of his mouth but I suspect he ingested a bit?) Maybe plain rice for dinner? Fingers crossed it is not something worse.
As for me? Not 100% yet either. A little going-through-the-motions, a bit tired and run down. Not sleeping all that well. A little...well, a little zombie-fied, actually. Sometimes auto-pilot is all we can manage. I know I'd have even LESS energy (real energy, I mean, as opposed to little bursts of fake, nicotine-fueled energy) if I were still puffing my way through the days. Despite all that hit the fan over the last month or so, I never felt like caving to cravings, either...in fact, my cravings have pretty much evaporated, save for the occasional out-of-nowhere blip. For that, I'm grateful.
I know how easy it is to give in to old patterns of behaviors, or to apply old solutions to temporary stresses. Every time I experience a very stressful patch, I'm thankful that my own quit is way back in the rearview mirror (nine years smoke-free as of August). I appreciate how tough it is for newer quitters to weather the ups and downs...or to avoid giving in to comforting old behavior patterns when you're zombie-fied and going through the motions. Saying it's worth it in the long run isn't as meaningful to new quitters in the moment (even though it's true!), but being around to offer a sympathetic ear or pass along advice or provide a place for folks to check in isn't the worst way to spend your time. Thanks to the regulars who keep the place going, even when one of us has to bail for a while!
Who's Your Little Buddy?
1BQ, 2thanks, 3rdGenFeminist, 417els, A Man Called Gloom, Abra Crabcakeya, Actbriniel, addisnana, AfroPonix, aishmael, Alise, Alpha99, also mom of 5, ambeeeant, American in Kathmandu, amk for obama, andsarahtoo, angry marmot, Anne933, anodnhajo, aoeu, AoT, aquarius2001, arcadesproject, Archie2227, arodb, Arthur Wolf (in memoriam), assyrian64, Aunt Acid, awkawk, b4uknowit, BadKitties, bamablue, BARAKABETH, barnowl, b barrie, bdizz, beatpanda, beefydaddy18, betterdemsonly, 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, BrianParker14, Bronxist, broths, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, buddabelly, Bugsydarlin, bumbi, BusyinCA, cactusgal, cagernant, Carol in San Antonio, CathiefromCanada, CathodeRay, CDH in Brooklyn, Cedwyn, cee4, Cen Den, ChocolateChris, ChurchofBruce, ciganka, cinnamondog, citizenx, ClapClapSnap, claude, Cleante, Code Monkey, codobus, Coldblue Steele, Colorado is the Shiznit, coloradomomma, common green, commonmass, Common Sense Mainer, congenitalefty, coppercelt, dadanation, Damnit Janet, dangoch, DarienComp, dauber, Dauphin, Dave in AZ, Dave in Northridge, David54, deedogg, demkat620, Dexter, Diana in NoVa, Dickie, DiegoUK, Dingodude, dirtdude, distraught, djMikulec, docreed2003, dolfin66, donnamarie, Donna O, dotsright, Dr Teeth, Dreggas, DRo, droogie6655321, Dube, duckhunter, Eclectablog, Eddie C, EdgedInBlue, effervescent, elbamash, El barragas, el vasco, electricgrendel, entrelac, ericlewis0, Everest42, Ex Con, exlrrp, ExpatGirl, ezdidit, fat old man, fauve, fhamme, Fineena, fiona2, fishhawk, Flea, flumptytail, Friend of the court, fritzi56, FrugalGranny, Garrett, Gator, gchaucer2, GDbot, Geiiga, GenXangster, glpaul, gooderservice, gooners, gravlax, GreenMountainBoy02 (in memoriam), greylox, grndrush (in memoriam), GrumpyWarriorPoet, 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Lonely Texan, longislandny, Lorinda Pike, LtdEdishn, lunacat, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, mango, Marc in KS, MargaretPOA, Marjmar, Mark E Andersen (Kodiak54), marknspokane, marsanges, maryabein, Matt Esler, Maxiemax, maybeeso in michigan, MBNYC, mdemploi, Meteor Blades, Micburke, michael1104, MillieNeon, minerva1157, MinervainNH, Missys Brother, mjbleo, MnRaindog (in memoriam), mntleo2, mollyd, Morague, MotoGP, Mr Bojangles, mrsgoo, mskitty, msmacgyver, MsWings, Murphoney, nannyboyz, ncsuLAN, NearlyNormal, Nedsdag, Nespolo, Nick Zouroudis, nokkonwud, notgivingup, NY brit expat, oceanview, OleHippieChick, Olkate, one pissed off democrat, One Pissed Off Liberal, Onomastic, operculum, OrangeMike, Ordvefa, Overseas, Over the Edge, Pager, paige, PaintyKat, paradox, parryander, paulitics, peglyn, Pennsylvanian, peterfallow, phrogge prince, plok, 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, RoCali, Roger Fox, Rosebuddear, roses, rscopes, Rudini, RumsfeldResign, Safina, SallyCat, Sanuk, Sark Svemes, sboucher, scooter in brooklyn, Scrapyard Ape, seenaymah, Senor Unoball, sewaneepat, sfbob, sgary, Shahryar, sheddhead, shesaid, Shifty18, shmuelman, shopkeeper, sidious666, sidnora, slksfca, slowbutsure, smartcookienyc, smeesq, Smoh, snoopydawg, snorwich, SnyperKitty, SoCalHobbit, SoCalSal, sofia, soonergrunt, sostos, sowsearsoup, SpecialKinFlag, spmozart, spotDawa, SpotTheCat, StateOfGrace, Statusquomustgo, stiffneck, stonekeeper, suesue, sunbro, Super Grover, Syoho, tallmom, Tay, tdslf1, teknospaz, theatre goon, The Eyewitness Muse, TheGeneral, TheStoopingRabbit, TigerMom, Tim DeLaney, tiredofcrap, TomP, tonyahky, Toyotabob7, TracieLynn, TreeFrog, triciawyse, tripodisblack, trs, trueblueliberal, TrueBlueMajority, ttanner, Tulsonian, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, Tyto Alba, uc booker, UncleCharlie, Unduna, Unforgiven, ursoklevar, USArmyParatrooper, VA02 femocrat, Vacationland, valadon, Vayle, vc2, Vetwife, vgranucci, Via Chicago, Village expects idiot home soon, viral, vulcangrrl, waytac, webranding, weelzup, Wes Opinion, Whimsical Rapscallion, willy be frantic, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, wolfie1818, Wordsinthewind, Wreck Smurfy, x, xopher, yet another liberal, Zotz
Have you had some experience with the effects of smoking, and want to write a GUS diary or host an open thread? Please sign up in the Butt Can (Tip Jar), and name the day and time that works for you (posting times are flexible). Weekly GUS Diary Schedule (regular hosts featured in bold) is below.
Wed PM: Vacationland (you're not imagining things)
Thu AM: nokkonwud
Thu PM: James Earl
Fri AM: flumptytail
Fri PM: Open
Sat AM:effervescent R.N., B.S.N., B.A., w.0.0.t.!
Sat PM: Open
Sun AM: gchaucer2
Sun PM: Open
Mon AM: Open
Mon PM: paulitics
Tue AM: gchaucer2
Tue PM: Open
Wed AM: Open
If you can spare a few hours, please consider hosting GUS. It doesn't have to be a permanent slot, it can be a one-time deal! Not sure where to start? Just ask for help in the Butt Can (Tip Jar). Seriously, it doesn't have to include specific content or require all sorts of fabulous diary formatting skills. The regulars will make sure stuff gets carried over from diary to diary, so if you want to just tell your story or provide an open thread and host for a few hours, that's cool too. We would be very grateful!