Joe and Jamie’s Blog

I was rummaging through old posts and realized that around this time last year Jamie and I both stopped smoking.

Well we both have made it one full year with no slips. We went completely cold turkey and are still smoke free. I must say it feels good to stick to something this beneficial. It also helps looking at today’s cigarette prices, glad I’m not paying near $8 a pack.

Here’s a link to our post from day zero of no smoking. Congratulations to us!

As it gets warmer out the days just seem to fly by. I have been incredibly busy this summer with extra tasks at work and the web business getting busier. I find myself in front of a computer for 20 hours a day sometimes. I have started on some new ventures that will later be announced, hopefully these will bring in some cash a bit faster than the rest.

Other than driving myself nuts lately, I actually have accomplished a few personal things that needed to be take care of around the house. Jamie painted more in the attic (yes thats is still going on, since March), I finished up the electric, patched the new wallboard area, mounted hooks, took down shelves, removed the spoiler from my car which was broken and falling apart.
You can view the past articles here:
2008/03/23/a-little-housework-remodling-the-attic
2008/03/24/continued-house-work-in-the-attic
2008/04/14/progress-on-the-attic-project

On the brighter side, we still aren’t smoking, been since May 12th, so thats like almost 2 month cold turkey for both of us. Luckily we did, only way we can afford gas now! Check it out: 2008/05/12/no-more-smoking

One more thing before I go. I have just have to get this out and rant a bit here. We are saving to go away on vacation in about 2 1/2 weeks (can’t wait). Saturday I brought Jamie’s car to get inspected since it expired come today (Yeah I know way to wait for the last minute). I figured okay it’s just $21 and that’s nothing. ERRR WRONG. With my luck the tires were worn on the inside tread where I couldn’t see it so I had to get new ones, and then an alignment because that is what caused the issue. So my $21 day went to $600. Needless to say, that’s less money for vacation now. FUUUUUN. This kind of stuff always happens.

Today is day four of no smoking. Jamie and I haven’t touched one since after diner on Sunday. Like they say, the first three days after you quit are tough, then it’s just breaking the habit after that. I would have to agree with this. The first day was horrible. My body wanted one so bad, but my mind was strong enough to remember I was trying to quit. The first night was even worse. I couldn’t sleep or get comfortable at all. Everything irritated the crap out of me. Jamie and I have been fighting a lot over absolutely nothing at all, lovely side affects. Good thing we have been dating for almost four years and can get past this.

I believe this is all a mind game. If you can just push aside your habits and think before you act you won’t pick one back up. You don’t need any of those smoking cessation drugs/patches/gum. Jamie tried to use those last time, but I feel the issue is that you are satisfying the craving by either chewing some gum or the patch. To me, you want to get rid of those urges, not satisfy them, that is what makes it harder and takes longer to quit because you aren’t getting the nicotine out of your system. Granted yes if you have no self control then by all means a patch or gum is much better than the actual smoke. I told Jamie to not get them this time and see if she can do it. So far she has, and I think it’s because she didn’t use that stuff that she is doing so well this time.

Anywho, figured I’de just fill everyone in on how we are doing. I have been in Vermont for work for the past two days so nothing exciting going on at all. Later.

Jamie and I quit as of today.
[claps, applause, cheering, other supportive noise]

Sunday night was our last one, sometime around 6:00 pm or so. No this wasn’t a mother’s day gift, we decided awhile ago that the weekend that school ended we would stop. I am stopping mostly for the wrong reason, but hey the important thing is that I am stopping. I basically can’t afford the $150 a month per person. Yup that’s right $300+ a month down the drain, well more like down my lungs. With the recent gas prices it’s just stupid to continue on such an expensive habit. Also come June 3rd, New York State is increasing the cigarette tax $1.25, bringing it to $2.75 of tax per pack. Right now I pay on average $5 a pack depending on where I get them. That extra $1.25 (if it isn’t more at the store level) is an extra $75 I would have to shell out each month for the both of us. Let’s put this in perspective again. $375….that’s my car payment!! I could pay it off twice as fast when I quit if I wanted. See more here on the cigarette tax increase for New York State.

I’ve quit before cold-turkey so it won’t be an issue for me, but Jamie may need some assistance breaking the urges. I won’t ever pick it back up as long as Jamie doesn’t go back to smoking like last time we attempted to quit. She kept sneaking them in there claiming she had to cut down first (which I will admit she did, but still).