A glass of wine when I get home and a smoke was my habit. I have stayed away from alcohol all together during my quit. I just started having a glass or two recently and then only occasionally. I am doing well. No urge to smoke. You can do it and it is okay to whine. Sue [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/9/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 124 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,119 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $434 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 14 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 51 [B]Seconds:[/B] 28

Hi Pete! Why not go to the mall and walk around. Start w/ the bottom and then work your way to the top. Make a 'wish list' for the big 50 days quit =) Once you get your wish list, head to the food court or maybe you have Mrs Field's Cookie Factory in your mall? Grab a cup of hot coffee, and a BIG cookie =) Invite your wife or girlfriend along and make it a date. Take turns tearing off that big cookie and dunk it into the coffee =) AND to boot, you are getting in your exercise!! It is very important to reward yourself for not picking up that smoke. You are retraining your brain. If you washed the car and you had a smoke in your mouth, you were rewarding yourself for a job well done. So if you wash the car now, pop a tootsie roll lollie into your mouth instead. Maybe you are into mysteries or something. Try a real life mystery that has had people stumped for ages. Take a look at the DaVinci code. Many theories, lots of evidence, tons of pros and cons to sift thru. Perhaps you might want to sift thru google, the local library, the bookstore, etc and gather evidence to support your theories. There are many groups online who actually help solve mysteries. Or perhaps you are into finding more about your ancestoral tree and you want to know what your last name means, etc. Maybe you are a amatuer inventor? Sit down and design a new product or better a product that is already out there =) Everything I have suggested to you, I have done everything. I love baking / cooking so I am always tweaking recipes and using my family as taste testers. It works for me =) You just need to find your niche and tweak it =) Maybe there is a secret baker wanting to come out inside of you =) Give it a whirl Pete and you will be amazed how quickly your brain will react to a different stimulation =) Most importantly, keep up the great work!! You are doing just fine!! And remember, you do not have to jump hurdles, just go around them b/c where there is a will, you will find that way =) Traci [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 51 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 513 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $102 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17

Pete- I'm not very technical either. My home computer is ancient, but I was able with the new IM to talk to Lady, but for some reason can't add buddies, however others can add me (?) Also runs slloowwww. Can't at work...they have firewalls, spyware, etc...to insure that we have no fun at work! HA. Welcome, cc and Linda! Glad to have you join us! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 65 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,267 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $520 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

Wonderful point, Windy! Pete, my family and I are very into our church as well. Let's not forget the power of prayer. My relationship with God is much deeper since I have attempted to quit 6 months ago. I laugh, cut-up and joke all the time. But God has given me the strength to see this though and I praise Him for my finding friends here (at SSC) to help along the way. God Bless! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 64 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,238 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $512 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 18

Pete, there's a saying on SSC---Take what you need leave the rest. Duckie will have you tipping the scales at 500 by 2007 if you're not careful! :gasp: Just Kidding! We've all sampled her tea, cookies, cakes, soup and homemade breads! Actually those are some EXCELLENT ideas, Duckie! Very interesting! Oh, try the cold calorie-free green tea. Loaded with antioxidents and tastes good if real cold. Weekends are hard on me as well. I used to like to cook, now it's a chore. I loved yard work, but the 'smokeless' breaks were painful. Same with housework or home improvements. So.............we are starving to death in a shack, but you can't see it because the weeds are so high! Cold front coming thru---build a fire, rent a movie, pop some popcorn and crawl under a warm blanket! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 64 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,217 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $512 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 53 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40

Peteg, A reward is something you work towards by staying smoke free. You can get a reward for overcoming a crave, accomplishing a smoke free day or reaching a milestone. The bigger the smoke free the accomplishment, the more important the reward should be. Rewards help to keep us motivated towards a long-term reward (being smoke free for good) and gives us something that's tangible in the meantime. It also helps to lift the mood. I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough day but know that your never alone. We are always here for you and have been where you are now. Your relaxation routine use to involve cigarettes, now it's time to modify and replace. Instead of wine and a cigarette, try pairing it with a snack, a magazine, a book, some music or anything else you fancy. It will take some getting use to but you will learn how to relax without it. It's still important that give yourself those breaks throughout the day, instead of cigarette though, try sneaking in a reward. Hope this helps. Feel better soon. Danielle _______________________ The SSC Support Team

Peteg, That's wonderful! Glad your Saturday is off to a good start! Thanks for checking in. Danielle ____________________ The SSC Support Team

Hi PeteG ~ Sounds as if you are finding your way - and things like these (BEER) and habits will change because you will find other things to replace the "smoking" time and the things you did surrounding that. Like the flowers, the play, cranberry juice and tonic. It's all good, glad you're hangin tough!!! Also, happy you found Kevin and Jake - you guys can hang out and Be Quit together! Have a terrifc weekend you all. CobenFan [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 231 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,933 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $808.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 21 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 49 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

Hey QM...............lol those brussel sprouts and NO that's NOT asking too much!!!!! :) NOPERS, Janet [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 477 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,551 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2385 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 62 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 32

Good morning everyone. Pete, I am very familiar with the "It's Miller Time" reward system. Nicotine and alcohol, those will be the smokes that I will miss the most. The next is the caffine/nicotine combination.....OK, my eyes are starting to glaze over, enough of the junkie talk. I still drink coffee, only in the morning and not at work anymore. At this moment in time, I think about smoking the most when I am drinking my coffee. I can not drink alcohol for a long time, until I am comfortable/secure enough in my quit to do so. Please don't take this as me thumping you...only me knowing myself and planning accordingly. I have been drinking LOTS of water. I also substitute afternoon coffee with green tea. Something else I really have developed a taste for, OK...hold your nose...carrot juice. I try to drink that at once a day, but is difficult to find in my area. When I drink these things instead of the coffee/beer/wine/you-name-it, I feel like I am purging and healing my system and my abused lungs. I have tried to make the healing/repair thing my biggest "reward". BTW, this is my first smoke free weekend in a long time as well. Hang in there, we'll all make it! Jake [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/9/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 46 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 47