12 January 2012

Ranty Ranty

Well. We have reached halfway through the first month of the New Year and as yet, no ranting posts on the blog.  Considering the “Rantthedayaway” title, I felt that it was about time for something of a ranting nature.    It has all become a little bit to much "nicey nicey". 

Trouble is, and I will probably look at this in a couple of weeks and laugh, I don’t have anything to rant about.  This means you can guarantee that I will shortly be inundated with things to rant about.  So instead of a rant about a particular subject, I have a list instead.

Things That Fuck Me Off
         ·            Animal cruelty. 
         ·            Rudeness.
         ·            People who don’t understand sarcasm – actually that’s more of just an irritant.
         ·            Mornings.
         ·            Snow & ice.  I do not like falling over.
         ·            Winter in general.  It’s cold, enough said.
         ·            Liars.  You WILL always get caught out in the end.
         ·            Sebastian Vettel – yes I count him as a thing.
         ·            The fact that until four years ago, I had never seen Formula One.  I was stupid.
         ·            People who hate Twitter and the people who tweet.
         ·            Social network snobs in general.
         ·            People who judge on face level.
         ·            Child proof bottles.  I can’t open them.
         ·            A closed mind.
         ·            Shoes that I can’t walk in.

I think that might do for now.  I could have gone on all day.

7 January 2012

Challenge Update

I think I may be doing a few of these blogs relating to the whole cut down smoking thing.  Apart from anything, when I am typing, I can’t smoke!

Cutting down 6 cigarettes a day doesn’t sound like a lot, compared to those who go straight into the quit, but you have to do what is right for you.  Personally, I prefer to do this on a slow process. 

I’ve been on 20 a day for over ten years and this is the biggest effort I have made.  On day 10 of  the intended 14 a day I have been good to my goal.  Some days have been 15 I have to admit, but in the long run, that isn’t a major thing.

Tonight however I have a problem.  I have reached my 14 limit, and have had the extra one.  Bed is not in sight anytime soon and therefore smoking is inevitable. 

You can say to yourself “It’s weekend, don’t worry, do what you want” but I can’t do that. I have my goal and going past that is not something I want to do no matter what day it is.

So, with that in mind, my goal for tonight is just not to go past 20.  When   at home for the weekend I have always smoked more, sometimes 25-30 in one day as opposed to the usual 20. 

As long as I am strict with myself and go back tomorrow to the goal of 14 I am not worried.  I have never done this quitting thing before, obviously, so I am just going with the flow.  Whether it is right or wrong I don’t know.

That’s the update so far.  Progress report was doing well, but today has to read: Could do better.

5 January 2012

Baby Steps

I’m a smoker.  I have been since the age of 14.  I’m not proud of it, but I’m not ashamed either.

Many people seem to look down on you when you say that you smoke.  If you are a considerate smoker, i.e. never smoking around non smokers, I don’t see why you should feel ashamed.  It isn’t like I am saying I’m a heroin addict (which I’m not before you ask).

Over the years I have thought about quitting, but until now that is all I have done about it.  Think.

The trouble is, I love smoking.  I bloody love it.  It calms me down when I’m stressed, it’s enjoyable with a drink of something alcoholic or after a meal. 

Obviously I am aware of the health issue.  It has always been at the back of my mind but unfortunately that competes with the side of me that doesn’t like being told what to do and it someone says I shouldn’t do something, I more than probably will. 

Over the New Year however I was away with friends, none of whom smoked and as such, the amount of cigarettes I smoked went down.  No one likes standing out in the cold for a cigarette and particularly not when you are on your own. 

I am usually a 20 a day person.  Over the New Year I went down to about 14, which given the amount of alcohol consumed over that period is amazing.  It started me wondering when I returned home if it was something I could keep up.   So I decided to give it a go.

The end plan of course is to eventually quit.  Health issues aren’t going to scare me out of smoking but the fact that I could have a lot more money at my disposal is more than tempting.  At this points “shoes” runs through my brain.

So for now, my little challenge is to maintain the 14 a day I started with at New Year.  Then once I have a handle on that, well, we will see how we go from there.  Baby steps, not a marathon is more likely to work with me. 

The end goal, stop smoking (without a goal date though as I don’t like to be pushed).  Present goal, maintain what I’m doing for a month and then review.  If I manage to quit completely, my aim is to use a few months’ worth of the saved money for a pair of Louboutins.  Now that is something to aim for as I am after all at heart a shoe girl.

I’ll let you know how I go on.