I am on day 7 of my "no smoking" drugs (Chanitx) and so far, going pretty well.

I would have preferred an insta-poof "you don't smoke anymore" genie to pop out of pack of cigarettes. But I can't complain.

I set my quit date for this Saturday (as they recommend) and I got a good dose in my system before I take on a 100% quit attitude.

I was surprised how well this stuff works, and how quickly.

I have no real cravings; but I have not mastered the habit thing yet - like first thing in the morning, when I am on the phone, after meals. You know, the usual. The only habit I have broken is while driving - but then I work from home and drove a total of 4 miles this week, so I suppose that really doesn't count.

Stress, of course, sets me in habitual mode to head out to the back deck and have a smoke. But once I light up, I feel like I wanted something, but it sure wasn't this cigarette. Since nicotine is a stimulant, the relaxing factor of a cigarette I would think is simply the slow, rhythmic breathing. So that habit should be easy for me to master.

At my worst (last year) I reached 3 packs a day (uuugggghhhh!!!)

Last week I was about 1 to 1.5 packs a day.

This week I have finished 3 packs in 7 days - I am not keeping track of the numbers per day - I feel if I implement too much of a counting game, I will feel more anxiety about "when can I have the next and meet my quota".

There you have it......in a previous post I mentioned some blood work and potential health issues.....

All the tests are back. My blood work was 100% normal and blood pressure that day was due to too much coffee, cigarettes and walking 6 blocks to the Dr. office.

And maybe the first Dr's were right. My hands are looking less and less like sausages at the ends of my arms.

For the first time in my (numeroius) attempts to quit smoking, I am actually excited about this. I will miss smoking but not as much as I will enjoy being a non-smoker!

Last month, Rob and I spent two weeks in Argentina.

We got an apartment in Buenos Aires and took a couple flights around the country.  I have hundreds of pictures of the city, but my favorite is the dog walkers.....they were all over the city.

We spent a few days in Patagonia - in a little town called Bariloche.  This lake (legend has it) has a lockness-like monster.  While we were on the shore collecting rocks, this was basically the view from our hotel

I this picture -  in the center of the picture in the lake furthest away, you can see a little island that resembles a sea monster

We headed for the jungle for a few days...

And I got to see Toucans eat in the wild.  Our hotel was more like a cabin in the middle of the jungle and there was a Toucan nest just outside our deck.  TOO COOL

After the scenery (and the awesome beef) I found the economy quite interesting.  Rob and I had a discussion one night over some cow and wondered how their Peso was 1:1 with the US dollar just 8 years ago and now the Peso is 3:1 to the US Dollar.  We learned - in a nutshell - how quickly government corruption can cripple a country.

First let me say economics bore me to death - I don't even balance my checkbook.  I guess he didn't pay much attention in school...he couldn't come up with any answers, either.

Until we had a conversation with a local about their state of affairs.  I found it all quite interesting. 

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10925509

In short, the current President is the wife of the prior President - this has been going on, election after election.  They have a 2-term limit, but this husband and wife team just keep serving their 1 term and passing along to the spouse.

Due to money hungry powers that exist, the people of Argentina pay a 20% income tax plus 40% tax on food today...pushing many middle-class to poverty levels.   Yet they are the world's largest producer of soyabeans and churn out beef and wheat like crazy.

We learned businesses that deal in electronics are hit hard....Argentina has a distinct electrical plug that is used nowhere else in the world; neighboring countries included.  While the gov't has been urged to make a change, nothing has been done for generations.

Why a big deal?  They import all electronics - and having a distinct plug, manufaturers will not retrofit for a single plug (and single country), but instead CUT off the recepticals, sending just a simple electrical wire.  The reseller then has to to open the boxes, send everything to a warehouse to add a recepital, repackage and put on shelves.  Needless to say, the cost of appliances is high and the margin resellers make is minimal.

Traffic is absolutey insane there!  Lanes are disregarded and at night, one-way streets are turned into whatever direction someone wants.  Very few people use headlights and the streets are narrow.   I was told this happens because the police do not enforce any traffic laws....I suppose just the tip of corrupt ice berg that runs a country that should otherwise thrive.

And it is too bad!  I found the country to be a beautiful place that just may have a whole lot to offer the rest of the world.

 

Big Chris tells me that there will be no white lights, no cheerleaders, no hash and no good whiskey waiting on the other side. Now I am not lavish but c'mon - hand out just one. Just one

But I have heard this is true, actually. However, large breasted women are on THIS side.

A friend of mine died several years back and lived to tell about it (how cool would that be, I think).

He went to the VA hospital to get a biopsy done, and the student Dr. apparently "clipped" (as he described it) an artery on his way out and never noticed.

They stitched up my friend and on their way they went.

He bled to death.

He said you do see a white light - but it is more like that white, tingly feeling you get before you pass out. And if you were a dumb kid like me, you played the pass out game with all your friends (as often as possible) and know exactly what that feeling is like.

He was dead for about 6 minutes. No out of body experience, no pearlies, nuttin'.

He came back with a Dr. straddling his middle, beating on his chest, with a blond bombshell of a nurse standing over him. His first words had something to do with her (impressive) chest - I suppose he got away with it having just been dead and all.

Which confirms he is one lucky SOB!

Life kicks ass