A Long Time

It has been so long since I have even checked on my blog. I look back over some of the post and think about where I have been and what I have been doing. It seems like I haven't been doing very much. But I have. You ever feel that way?

There have been days that I had to make myself get out of bed. There have been so many days that I have just lost track of them. I suppose I had no idea how my life would change when I made a few decisions. Yes - you all know by now about our adoption. That really was one of the largest life changing experiences that I have ever had. Until...

I quit smoking! I cannot believe how much I depended on those nasty cigarettes. A few diet cokes and a pack of cigarettes and I was set for the day. Oh yeah - I would snack here and snack there but sit down to a meal. I didn't have time! A smoke and a coke.

Not anymore. Now I have to eat. LOL
Anyway...Since I quit smoking, I gained weight. I have never been that big in my entire life! 150 pounds by the docs scale! I never, ever imagined that I would weigh that much. Not me! I knew I had to do something. And something I did...

I got mean! I'm not joking! Oh yeah - that was hormones. Yeah - the menopausal hormones. Horrible little things! But I am all fixed up now. I got me some hormones in a bottle! Yeppers, all fixed up now. LMBO

Lethargic? No, not at all. Just plain darn lazy! You couldn't melt and pour me out of the house. I think my dear husband must have thought that the aliens had taken the real me one night while he slept and replaced me with some, some, something... Something horrible! And then...

I remembered the doc had requested that I also take a multi-vitamin. Oh yeah, I was thinking...Pump me up with hormones and vitamins. I'll eat more than the boys and never see my size 5 jeans ever again. But...Spring is here and the aliens have returned me.

I'm walking at least 1 mile almost ever day, I'm eating better, I'm active again, I'm laughing again and I'm loosing weight. Size 5 jeans - look out cause I'm on the way!

Catching Up With Alta

I sure hope that no one is upset with me. I know that it has been some time since I have been posting anything here. Things have changed so very much for me. I mean really - they have changed in ways that I never thought about.

Friday, March 28th 2007 was the first day that I had not smoked a cigarette in over 26 years. That is my official quit date. It hasn't been easy to get to where I am now. I had to pretty much give up my computer because I used to sit in front of the darn computer and smoke like a chimney. All I needed was a picture of a fire on the computer screen and we could have hung our stockings by it. Not any more - I am done with that. Been there - Done that!
Oh yeah! I still crave that smoke from time to time. I still want to run down to the corner store and buy me a pack and start smoking again. And there are days that I could run down to the corner convience store and buy a whole carton, sit on the curb and just light the carton on fire and smoke it like a musician playing a harmonica. But I just go on and get past that moment or those moments.

Since I don't know when, things have been changing for me. I think it may be because I'm growing older. Maybe it's because I'm growing wiser. Hmm...I might need to ponder on that a little bit.

The first part of this year I was drawn to read the Bible. I couldn't tell you why if you ask me. It was just something that I wanted to do, something I thought I needed to do. Get this - the plot thickens. I'll get to it before I'm done, hang on...

I talked with Superman about it and I told him that I had no idea why I wanted to start going to church or why I wanted to read the Bible, it's just that I had a craving for it all. My cravings got stronger and stronger. I am pulled by something. I'm being led toward or to this little church. Brother Andy is the pastor, he preaches words that I understand, words that I am thirsty to hear. I'll get more into this also, so hang on again...

May 2008 has brought me to a point in my life that I thought would never happen. This is my official and legal Mothers Day. What a feeling it truly is. I have my wonderful husband, my 3 boys and God to thank.

I'm gonna change the subject a little bit (sorry bout that). Our cat Dusty is now diabetic and has to take insulin shots. Yes he has cataracts like Jack. Dusty hasn't become completely blind yet but I do think that it will eventually happen. We are going to make Dusty as happy and comfortable as we can until he goes over the rainbow bridge. And just to let you know, if I talk about it anymore I'll be crying and snottin all over the place.

In the past 3 weeks we've had 2 deaths in the family. Both on my dad's side of the family - one of his sisters and one of his brothers.

Now that we are catching up with Alta (yep, that's me), I'll tell you about some power surges. I mean some real doozies too. Hot flashes! I personally call them Power Surges. There is no way in this world that what I am feeling is hot flashes. I'm way too young for that. Guess again! I have to schedule myself a doctor appointment. Somethings gotta be done!

I'll try to let you all know where we stand on home school in one of my next post. In the meantime hang in there...

4 Weeks Yesterday

I made it to my 4 week mark! 4 weeks yesterday I quit smoking. After smoking for more than 26 years I finally kicked the habit.

Anyone that smokes and wants to quit - It isn't easy to quit.
Anyone that thinks it's cool to smoke - It isn't.
Anyone who is thinking about starting to smoke - Stop thinking about starting something that is almost impossible to stop.

I sure wish I knew then what I know now!

It's the Computers Fault

I have stayed away from the computer because that is where I used to sit and smoke. Breaking the smoking habit means much more than stopping smoking. It really means to change where and when you smoke so the urge to smoke will subside.

Not only have I had to just say no to the urge, I have had to stay away from my computer. In the morning when I wake up, I have to busy myself instead of smoke. After meals I take a walk instead of smoke. When I'm driving I have to chew gum. And the list goes on and on. Right now I am chewing on pumpkin seeds. That is the only thing that I can do when I am at the computer. I guess because I use the hand mouth motion to put one seed in my mouth and remove the hull once I get the goodie out of it. I guess once I break that hand to mouth habit, I will be able to move on to gum or something else.

Ok - so it really isn't the computers fault but darn it, I needed someone or something to blame it on. Just kiddin...

How Many Days

I was going to be so good and keep a little journal of how my adventure to becoming a non-smoker is going.
Here's what I have to admit...
Not good!
My journal that is. Gotcha!!! Ha ha ha

I can hardly believe that I am on day 11 and I am doing so well. I started out taking 1 pill for the first 3 days. On the 4th day, I took 2 pills. I am still taking 2 pills a day. All just like my prescription advised me to do. 1 in the am and 1 in the pm.

I am still smoking but you would not believe how awful the cigarettes taste to me. I am not joking when I say this...I light up the cigarette and it taste just like I am licking the nastiest ashtray. Serious - it is so gross! But every now and then I have that little craving. Today I have smoked a total of 5 cigarettes. I was smoking 2 packs a day (40 cigarettes) and now 5 a day. Isn't that awesome?!

I am just so darn proud of myself. It seems to be getting easier and easier to say no to the cravings. It won't be long before I will announcing that I am a non-smoker.

Let the Quitting Begin

Monday March 10th 2007 - I began an adventure like no other adventure I have ever tried.

Today is the second day of my adventure. I know it isn't going to be easy and I know it isn't going to be completed over night. I know that I must stick to this and see it to the end.

Let the Quitting Begin!

I'm quitting smoking!

I have finally got the money to pay for our prescriptions. That was an adventure in itself. The cost of the CHANTIX was - well let's just say it's expensive. Will it be worth it? I certainly hope so. If I see this quitting thing to the end then the answer will be yes.

For 26 years I have smoked cigarettes. Up until recently, I didn't even want to quit. I don't know what happened but at the beginning of this year I got the urge to quit. Off to the doctor Superman and I went and we walked out with the prescriptions in our hand. We went straight to the pharmacy to check on the price of filling the prescription. Ok, we had to go home and regroup and figure out how we were going to pay for the prescription. Income tax rebate! Oh yeah!

Our prescriptions are filled and sitting on each one of our desk. We took our first pill yesterday. I had gotten to the point that I was smoking over 2 packs a day. I opened a pack yesterday around 7pm. Today at 8pm, I have 4 cigarettes left in that pack. From 2 packs a day to 16 cigarettes in 24 hours. I already see progress.

I smoked my first cigarette about 1 hour after I took my first pill. It didn't taste any different. About 2 hours after my first pill I smoked my second cigarette. It tasted different. Almost like I wasn't smoking. More like I was just taking in air through a straw. Really kinda weird.

Today I haven't had the cravings like I usually do. The cigarettes taste a little different. They are actually kinda tasting weird. I have a little bag that has life savers and gum and tic tacks in it. I'm not much for hard candy but sometimes I think I want a cigarette, I just pop in a piece of gum.

I am pretty amazed that I am seeing a difference so soon. I'll keep you informed as the days go by.

I Gotta Do This

I think when I say "I gotta do this", I may be asking for help. Help comes in many forms and the one that I am referring to is moral support. A pep talk or an "Atta Girl" or something. Shoot, I don't know. Ok, I'm gettin to it...

Every now and then, Superman will mention that we need to consider stopping the use of tobacco. I have always agreed with him. No doubt about it, we have to stop using tobacco.
I'm a smoker and Superman uses Copenhagen, every now and then Superman will smoke. Our tobacco is costing us way to much money. We all know the health risk so I don't even need to get into that part of it.
After the first of the year, I guess about a week into the New Year, I made a decision. A very large decision too.
I have made the decision that I want to quit smoking. I announced this to Superman and he is all for it and very glad that I made that decision. I even made the call to the doctor and set up the appointments for both of us.
Off to the doctor we go. We both come out of the doctors office with our prescription in our hand. We went straight to the pharmacy to get the prescriptions filled. The doctor said that the prescriptions would be expensive to fill, but he didn't know just how much.
Well we certainly found out how much the prescription is going to cost. Yes, it's expensive. $150 for me and $150 for Superman. $300!

I know just what your thinking... If we are spending the money to buy the tobacco, why can't we just get the prescriptions filled. Ok, it isn't that easy. We spend the money on tobacco a little at a time. Having the money all at one time is the problem.

What's going to happen? We are saving every penny that we can to get these prescriptions filled. I really am excited about getting started on quitting.

I'll keep you updated on how this works out.