Random thoughts on this day….
It’s been over a week since I’ve last written in this series and I’m not focused on any one train one thought. Instead, a myriad of thoughts come across and through my mind this day.
- Dental problems continue to plague me on this day. I’ve gotten an appointment with an oral surgeon for a consult, but that’s not until October 5. So I continue to deal with moderate pain and am still taking an antibiotic and ibuprofen and Tylenol for pain. I think it’s not as bad as it could be and am continuing to stay the course.
- I have two days off from my interim teaching position this next week. I can only work sixteen days per month and so these are what I call required days off. It can be a difficult chore to make lesson plans for when you’re not going to be there. There are so many little details one has to include and so many things to consider.
- Just when we thought we had seen the last of the really hot weather, I see the forecast is calling for high temperatures near 90 on Wednesday of this next week. I guess these are what we call the dog days of summer. We’re ready for fall, but it’s not quite ready for us yet and summer wants to hold on just a little bit longer.
- Trying to keep good habits on point is not always easy. I started walking for exercise this summer and have let that fall by the wayside since school started. I consider my writing to be a beneficial habit and it’s slacked off as well. Perhaps that’s one of the things I need to use the two days off this next work week to work on.
- Smoking cessation stats – 62 days, five hours without a cigarette – 1244 cigarettes avoided – $361 saved – 5 days “won back” – I still can get those urges to smoke from time to time. I’m still using nicotine lozenges to help squash those urges and know I eventually need to wean my way off those. I remember all that I’ve learned in these two months and two days….how it’s a physical addiction that’s also rooted in my emotional and mental well-being….that I’m past the actual physical addiction and more looking at my efforts to quit through my emotional and mental well-being….when I get those urges to pick up a cigarette, I’ve played the tape forward and know that picking up even one cigarette will lead to undesired outcomes….I focus on the REAL reason I want a cigarette, to calm my anxious feelings, and know that it’s at best just a temporary fix and doesn’t work long term. And then I move forward…still just one day at a time.
David Lee 