Good morning Kitty, Susan, Anthony, Carolyn, and all.  Warm morning at 69.  Probably wear shorts

to walk the dogs, just have to be careful they don't catch me off balance and pull my knees down to

the pavement. 

I've never had lobster Kitty, I'm sure it's great.  My mom used to steam clams for us about once a year

when I was growing up, very unusual on a PA farm.  Parents had a big steamer they put on the stove

with a pressure guage on it, mostly for canning vegetables and such.  Used cocktail sauce, I loved it.

Glad Brian and you are doing well.

I know people put a lot into their bicycles Susan, that's if they have only one.  Many would laugh at

699.  They have many times that.  I don't like the way traffic comes so close to them, like many don't

like it.  Have a friend that had a car horn and a jell cell battery on his.  Traffic gives a pedestrian more

room, like a bicyclist can't make a mistake or hit a stone or something.  Like I said I have that 40 or 50

year old bicycle but I have to stay out the same amount of time as jogging and would constantly have

to worry about the dogs.  Especially if they saw a cat or something.  These pups just have to smell where

an animal crossed our route during the night.  Smelling 10,000 times or better than a human would drive

us crazy if we all of a sudden had that sense.

I'm still so grateful to be rid of cigarettes also.  Was like a ball and chain to my life and killing me at the same

time.  Have this aortic stent to remind me of the vascular plaque I carry around from smoking for the rest of

my life.  At least according to the vascular surgeon we always have this plaque.  I came so close to dying and

leaving my family to fend for themselves.  Just turned and saw the neighbors outside motion light is on so most

likely he's outside smoking, I know from experience.  He has a cough and is switching to those small cigars, guess

if he smokes less might help.  Few years back he told me a relative doctor told him it's to late and he might as well

continue to smoke, the addicted mind takes a statement like that and latches onto it.  Receptors in our brains want

to keep the supply of Dopamine coming in day in day out. 

Mowed the lawn yesterday and we went to visit some friends.  Brother's son had another disabling stroke and is in the

hospital.  Much different than my other brother's mini strokes.  Our daughter had one and was a very difficult and painful

time.  Don't know why, not heriditory because the brother with that son was adopted and it's the only other young person

stroke in our family that I know of.  The two lived in different states so not the same environment. 

Have a great day all. 

Ernie.

Good morning......you are early in your quit and it sounds like you have it under control and we are all holding your hand to give you the support needed if you need us scream and find the group that quit the same month....

What an upbeat posting you made.  I feel good knowing that members of this forum are holding my hand.  And that if I need to scream they are there to support me when I most need it.  Thank you for your post.  It made my day.  Another smoke free day.  

Dear Carolyn,

I do enjoy dear Bronwen immensely.  As you so well know, once they enter grade school it's a few short years and they are full of their own friends and interests!  Seize the moment.  My son-in-law turns fifty this year and Megan is 42 years young so they have their hands full with a four year old!  

Did you ever get another puppy?   Finn had two surgeries last year and at 10-1/2 he has slowed down.  Happy to walk three times a day, have a playdate with his Golden friend and sleep!

Enjoy the day.  Susan

Dear Ernie,

I know...I kick myself to the curb time and time again when I sometimes get a bit winded.  Wonder what the kids of today will be like when they hit senior status if they continue to vape.  I don't know much about it.....but it seems to me that it would have to have some consequences.   A Dr. told my sister-in-law that she could chew the nicorette gum for a lifetime and it would not be as harmful as picking up a ciggie!  Unfortuntely, she developed lymphoma and passed at an early age.

Today is a picture perfect day.......cool, breeze, low humidity.  I would capture it and have it all summer and fall.

Carry on.....my bike is better than before.  I still may look into a softer, more cushioned seat eventually.  No, new bike for me!

Susan

Dear Tonypfan,

It literally is one day at a time when you begin this adventure.  I hung on to the Forum with every breath I took for months on end.  One time when I grabbed my car keys to retrieve a pack of ciggies, I posted a HELP on the Forum.  Within minutes, I was furiously typing away and the nicotine habit passed.  

Please stay with the program and read, read, read, everything you can find here.  We all speak the truth.  

Carry on......your lungs are already happy and healing.

Susan

Hi Paul,

Just a short note.....haven't seen you post in a while.  A picture perfect day here by the Lake.

Cool, a breeze, low humidity.  I would capture this kind of day for the rest of the summer and

fall.

Finn had a nice walk (about a 1/2 a mile) this a.m. and is now enjoying our patio.  I hope all is o.k. in New York!   Susan

Thank you, Susan, for your post.  I have made a solemn promise to stay connected with this Forum, as if my life depended upon it, because, in fact my life does depend upon it.  If I continue smoking I will have shortened my life needlessly.  This Quit is different than any previous one of mine because I didn’t use an on line forum to assist me.  What a difference it makes.  Have a great day.  

Good morning Susan.  Cooler at 59 here this morn.  The vapors aren't burning leaves so no carbon monoxide,

but still taking in nicotine, insect killer.  Trying to remember, it's been 15 years since those studies.  Think nicotine

cleans the protective coat away from the inside walls of arteries and carbon monoxide causes plaque to form on the

walls.  A very dangerous vascular combination, they came very close to killing me years after I stopped smoking, 6 years

ago.  I know you get some exercise since your quit so that helps with your lungs.  I was jogging 4.5 miles every morning

before quit and stayed at that level for years after I stopped, didn't step up to more until my battle with diabetes remission,

mostly the last couple years.  Biggest problem with vaping is we see it as a stepping stone to quitting completely but people

stay on the vaping year in year out just like smoking.

Didn't do a whole lot yesterday because daughter and grands came to visit.  I did vacuum and wife mopped.  We did couple

other small tasks.  Lucky I went to check my phone in it's holster and remembered I set it by an outer wall that has two electric

switches and it gets better reception, saw my daughter had answered my text so we all got together.  I envy people that get

instant good phone coverage anywhere around their property.  When I go to the rural farm, like today, they have a tower in

sight and can send out pictures instantly.

Hope my bike runs well this trip today.  Last time it was stumbling quite a bit.  I drained the carburetor float bowl in case of

water in them, cleaned the air filter and oiled it, and made a new gasket for the air filter to seal.  It was spark knocking on hills

last time I got blueberries in this heat on the hills.  Gas tank is already full of medium grade gasoline so can't fill it with premium

until after burning this out.  I don't have much hills to go up on the trip to the farm but it might spark knock just a little that I can't

hear.  Hope to solder a cig lighter plug on brother's ham radio so he can have it in his car today, besides all the clean up work for

them and the cats.

Hope you and Finn have a great day.  Today is the coolest day in the forecast here. 

Ernie

Chloe and Belle a while back.

Good morning, Susan,

All is good in NY. Yesterday's rain cooled it off a bit. I was at the Yanks-Mets game Tuesday & Wednesday. Yanks lost both but it was fun. Meeting my niece for lunch later.  She's going to a concert with friends in the city, some band I never heard of :)

Yes, Ernie, supposedly no carbon monoxide with vaping; and whatever burns is at a lower temperature than tobacco. I still carry an e-cigarette, though they may be a bit different from a vapor. It has no nicotine, the ingredients listed are Propylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerin, & Vanillin.  I think all 3 are used in various foods. I'm sure it's harmful in its own way, but cigarettes have 4,000 ingredients. 

Have a great day everyone,

Paul