New Site

Another week has passed and thank God it's over! Despite water lines freezing up and construction in progress it wasn't as rough a work week I had expected it to be.



My husband and I have a myspace account you can check it out at
http://myspace.com/drumsandbooks I've already posted a blog there. It's mostly Alan's site, but I will have stuff on there too. You'll have to give it some time to get things up and going but it'll be fun! Check it out!



*Aww man! N.Y. Giants and Green Bay 20 seconds to go in the fourth, a field goal attempt was made by N.Y. and its no good! OVERTIME!*



I have sent off a short story, "The Man in the Mist" to Colorado State University. It's English department has a contest with the top prize of $1,000.00. It'll be a long wait for notification, it's not until July. I have also set up a calender of sorts on my writing goals for 2008. So far, I have sent off this story and am close to finishing up my last course with Long Ridge. By the end of February, I plan to have chapters five through eight finished in long hand and have another short story picked out for another contest in "Byline" magazine. Those are the short term goals.



Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and I am going to have her write out a prescription for Chantix. I had the prescription once and took it to the pharmacist. It would cost me $100.00 for a month's worth for three months. I threw it away. A week later, our company newsletter comes out with an article pertaining to a quit assist program. I called the number and the program would not go into effect until Jan. 1 but I went ahead and enrolled basic information. I wasn't sure about the Chantix being paid for but when I called them last week they told me our company's insurance will pay for the prescription if I have counseling to quit; I said, hell yeah! So when I go in tomorrow, she'll be mad because I gained five pounds (not good) and still smoke.



She'll be happy though when I come for the next visit and quit smoking, mad at me because I gained another ten pounds, (I better not!) She says that I need to walk at least thirty minutes a day. With alternating 36/48hr. work weeks (3 on 4 off/ 4 on 3 off), I figure I work twelve hour shifts, give and take ten minutes on either side of clock in time. I take off an hour's total time on average as sitting down, meaning most of the time it's sitting here or there for five minutes then getting up to go do whatever needs attention. Some days it varies, but not often. That leaves about eleven hours of work time. I am either walking, standing or climbing stairs. My guess is that at least five to six hours is spent walking. So I'm thinking I've met my quota on that.



*New York Giants against New England in the Super Bowl. New England 18-0! New founded respect for them!*



I hope I will be able to do this and maintain my sanity at work. It gets stressful, reach for a cigarette. Gotta watch this water drain, smoke a cigarette while standing there. Waiting for a sludge tank to empty, might as well smoke another one. Whew! Those stairs were a bitch! Better smoke one after I catch my breath. See what I mean? I have decided I will try sugarless gum, and candies. I hope I don't resort to chewing fingernails. I once tried sunflower seeds, I love the things but my tongue became raw from breaking them open. I may do that anyway. It keeps me busy so to speak. Instead of flicking the ashes, I'll be spittin' seeds into a cup or drain. Instead of pulling out a smoke, I'll be shaking seeds out of a baggie. Plus the counselors will know me by my first name and asking about the family when it's all said and done, laughing about the time I called them at 3 in the morning drunk, wanting a smoke! I may just do that to see what happens! Then I can write about it.

But this time I want to once and for all, finally quit smoking. I've tried at least a dozen times in the last twenty years. If I can get that much of a head start with assistance, I think it will be all right.