Hi Brian,

Great news that you're keeping busy in your retirement.  I'm sure the kids are totally benefitting from your refereeing and guidance.  Lord knows they need guidance today!  So glad we're all hanging in here and touching base every couple months.  My God son just moved out to Oregon recently to take a job with Eaton.  I'd love to go out and visit him sometime and see your neck of the woods.  

Stay healthy and safe and keeping enjoying your retirement.  I may even get there one day! 

Hi Cindi,

Thank you for your reply. If you do ever come out here, we have to arrange to meet for coffee somewhere. How is your job proceeding, still working from home? My wife splits between work and home. She is on the phone most of the day and I have to get on here about being loud - I don't want to live/retire outside next to her office door. I am trying to talk her into retiring as well and we would have to eat the cost of medical insurance until we get older, but we could swing it. She likes money securing and wants to keep working. Maybe I will up and road trip to Ohio some day. I am reading a book about the frontiersmen and women who settled Marietta in the 18th century. I had family in Solon and my mom was born in Akron, but I have never seen the state. Maybe a golf tour of the state.

Can you believe Denim. What a person she is - I wish I had her chops for relationships. She had been the glue to our group and hope she knows that she is saving lives by her attentions. I feel guilty sometimes for getting busy with my own little beehives, forgetting important contacts. She is special.

Glad to hear from you and that you are still smoke free and strong. Amazing person and I am grateful to have quit with you all. We'll talk soon.

Yes I'm still working from home and have gotten quite used to it.  I have gone into the office a couple times in the last two months but I don't miss that 1 1/2 hour drive each way (for sure!).  My office is not far from Solon (it's in Valley View) but that's quite a hike from Conneaut.  Also our office isn't the cleanest place around and since not many people are going there, the amenities are few and far between.  Even before the pandemic, we didn't have paper towels in the restrooms and they installed air dryers (ugh) to save money.  The only reason I go in is that I visit my parents after work since they aren't far from there.  That works better than taking away time from our weekends just to drive into Cleveland.

Ohio is really a pretty place, especially in the Fall.  We don't have the mountains and ocean like Oregon, but Lake Erie is pretty nice and we have some beautiful parks and even some caves down south.

Reading what you wrote about Denim actually brought tears to my eyes and I wholeheartedly agree!  What we went through together that first year was like fighting a damn war and she really has kept our relationships alive.  Plus how she inspires others amazes me every time I see her posting in other groups.  I swear she keeps a spreadsheet with everyone's quit date because she never fails to remember to congratulate someone.  She is truly special.

I better get back to working.  Good talking to you again and I really hope someday we can all meet for coffee!  Hugs!

One thing I've wondered is where can we go to see our posts before our official group was created.  Like where are all of our posts from the first month? Sometimes I'd like to go back and see everything we went through those first few weeks.

Maybe Denim knows... or Marge

So far so good!  I have my random thoughts...but doing okay with it!

I have been making myself get more active and away from my computer!  Been weeding the garden...and cleaning and organizing!  lol

Hope your week is going well!

That's awesome!  Weather is changing here so I need to get out and prepare for winter.  Hope you have a great weekend!

Hey Brian, 

It’s great to hear from you anytime.  Thank you so much for all of your very kind words. It’s greatly appreciated, as are you, and the rest of our little but wonderful group. You all are amazing too. I’m so grateful to have joined and quit when I did. I’m not all sure I would have did as good as I did without the support of Marge, Sue, and each of you. All of you are truly awesome! So really, THANK YOU! 

I’m so happy to hear your coaching. What a wonderful thing to do. With so much going on these days I think it’s great that your stepping in to help coach those young men. I’m sure you’re not only good at it but are a positive influence, which is something I think today’s youth could use more of. Thanks for that too.  

It’s got cooler here also. Fall is definitely making its presence known. I love the changing of the trees in the Autumn though. They’re so beautiful with reds, greens, browns, and yellows, blending together.  

Speaking of fall, it’s about time to make some more homemade chilli. Chilli is great anytime but it’s definitely my colder weather go too, lol. What about you? What have been cooking up lately? Or have you had time to cook recently between football, golf, etc.? I’m thinking about making some lasagna tonight but haven’t decided for sure yet, so we’ll see. 

How’s your day going so far? I was here posting earlier and spilt some coffee on my lap. I was joking with the person I was posting and said it gave my reflexes a jump start, lol. ?? I hope you’re enjoying a great day. 

We haven’t heard from Marilyn, Tom, or Mike recently. I hope they’re all doing good. I also hope they post again soon. Actually today is Tom’s quit date too. I know yours will be Thursday also. I really hope all is well. I know the last time Tom posted that he was good. Marilyn was really going through a lot though personally. I hope she’s okay too. Mike hasn’t posted in over a year though. Again, I hope he’s okay too. Marilyn and Tom both posted in the spring. Maybe I’ll just email them soon and hope I get a response. Definitely missing them here. I’m so glad we’re (you, me, and Cindi) are posting though. Anyway, fingers crossed to hear from the others soon too. Michele posted the first part of the year too but I haven’t heard from her recently either. Love to them and each of you though. 

I’ve got a few things I need to attend to but I’ll be back here a little later on to post Cindi and see if there are any new messages. 

Hugs. 
 

Thank you for your wonderful post. Just a correction, I am referring football, not coaching. I coached a lot of baseball in my past but no other sport. I reffed about 10 years ago and just heard about how desperate they are for officials, in all sports. Anyway it was going well until I pulled my hamstring a couple weeks ago and had to take some time off. Tough getting old. I couldn't even play golf so I had to bake. I like baking more than cooking savory dishes, but love to smoke meats and make stews. Chilli counts as a stew, but I have never tried it - bet your's is good. My wife and I love watching several of the baking shows, more than the cooking shows. The BBC has a great show with amateur bakers battling for nothing more than a nice plate and the win. My last couple bakes were great ( I share them with the other 3 houses in our culdesac). I made a sweet potato, caramelized pecans and marshmellow meringue frosting and this weekend I made a peach, strawberry, and basil upside down cake. Amazing how well basil goes in some desserts.

Oregon is supposed to be cold and wet this winter, a needed change from our recent dry years, (dry for Oregon). I will have to go back to seeing the sun once a week again. We usually don't get a ton of sunshine in the winter. Nice today, rain tomorrow.

All else is going well and I do miss so many of our friends here and hope they are doing well. We all get busy and have much to do these days, so I don't blame folks for moving away from this site. The best is when we see folks come back to quit again. I believe this forum really worked for me and think they will succeed with continuing efforts.

Thanks again for reaching out. Love and be well.

Hey Brian, 

I’m sorry about my sports blunder, lol. Referring is great too. I’m sorry about your hamstring though. Yeah, I think getting older is a bit tough for all of us, but I’m happy to be doing it, lol.  

I’m glad you’re still enjoying time in the kitchen. I agree that it’s enjoyable to bake too. I also know the show you were referring to. I think many people, whether the actually watch it or not, have caught a glimpse of it. I’m sure your neighbors appreciate all of those (no doubt) delicious bakes. Though I have to say, I’ve not ever thought about putting basil in a dessert. Interesting. 

I’m glad to hear things are going to be a little damper out that way after so much drought and wildfires. 

Thank you for recent supportive post to others on the forum. I’ve seen your most recent post to Diana too. I’m a little concerned about her. She hasn’t logged on the forum since the 12th. I hope she’s doing alright and has managed to maintain her quit. I also hope we hear from her again soon. 

Thanks for keeping in touch. I hope you and your family have a wonderful fall Friday and great weekend.  

Talk again soon. 
Hugs.  
 

Well it took me forever to locate our forum because we haven't posted here in so long but wanted to reach out to all of us today on my 4 year anniversary to say HAPPY 4 YEARS to all of us!!!  Never in my life did I think I would be 4 years smoke free!!  Miss talking to all of you daily but don't miss going through the torture that we did.  Hope everyone is safe and healthy during these crazy times in our world.  I actually was in the hospital in January with pneumonia and they think I have COPD (go figure!!!).  Gary has to call 911 because I was in full respiratory distress (very scary).  I have an appointment with a lung doctor (finally) tomorrow so we'll see what he says.  I've been on steroids since getting out of the hospital because I literally cannot breathe without them.  So that has been my life this year so far, which has not been so good.  My parents' health has severely gone downhill so that has been some rough stuff too.

Anyway, hope to see you guys check in and that everything is going well for you.  Happy 4 year anniversary to us!