Un-frigging believable ... and sad.

[Thumper]

I drove over to Daytona yesterday to meet up with an old buddy of mine who was down from Seattle for the races. I drove over early yesterday morning and we spent the whole day catching up on the past years. After about 2 minutes, it seemed we'd never missed a beat although it's been 30 years! I got back home around 8-9:00 last night. It was great seeing him. Man-o-man, do we go back a ways. We ran around together in our crazy car racin', hell raisin', pot-smokin, beer drinkin', wimmin chasin' days. He was actually an employee of mine and we only lived 2 blocks from each other. It was a recipe for "trouble"! We were both married at the time ... but those wives are ancient history for both of us. After some of the old stories we recalled yesterday, I have no clue how either of us stayed married as long as we did.

But there's a sad part ... although we spent the whole day together enjoying reliving the past craziness, he spent most of the day coughing his fool head off! I mean he'd practically cough up his toenails as we tried to carry on a conversation ... the veins would pop out on his neck and head and his face would turn beet red ... and he'd cough ... and cough ... and cough. Then he'd continue with the conversation like it was nothing ... until the next coughing bout (which would be about 3-4 minutes later).

He's always smoked like a chimney and smoked constantly while we were together yesterday. Before I left, we made a run over to Sam's Club as he wanted to load up on cigarettes. He bought five cartons for 375 FRIGGING DOLLARS!!! When I heard the clerk say his total I about hit the floor. I said, $375!!!??? ... are you NUTS? He said, "That's a DEAL ... they'd run me $700 in Washington." Then continued, "I'd buy some for ..... (his wife), but I don't have enough room in my carry-on."

I then asked how long those cartons would last him and he said, "Probably 5-6 weeks." I then asked how much his wife smokes (I know her well and she's always been a heavy smoker also) and he said they smoke about the same amount. I immediately added it up in my head and realized they smoke around $12,000.00 worth of frigging cigarettes a year! AND it's KILLING them!

The whole time I was having flashbacks of conversations I had with Tony (Hunter) when he was still married to Karen. They both chain smoked and I remember vividly how many times he'd light another cigarette while the previous one was still burning in the ash tray. His truck had recently blown an engine and the tranny was also on it's last legs. I remember he was upset because he didn't have the money to repair it. I quickly figured he could buy a NEW truck, make the payments, pay the insurance, buy gas and STILL have money left over if he and Karen would quit smoking. His reply was, "Oh no ... I ENJOY my cigarettes!" About a year later he was diagnosed with (smoking related) cancer which took his life.

All I could do yesterday was look at my old friend and be constantly reminded of those bad memories (of Tony's death) ... all the while, talking about fun and happy memories when he and I used to run together. He's got everything going for him ... nice cars, nice house ... even a $250,000 diesel pusher motorhome ... AND no debts. This smoking thing hits even closer with my own sister. She's been a heavy smoker since she was 15 years old. Like my buddy, she has SO much to live for. She and my BIL are self-made gazillioanaires, retired in their 50's and can do anything they want, but when I talk to her, all I hear is that "gravely" voice and the coughing.

Why is crack cocaine illegal while cigarettes aren't? It's almost to the point I'm not sure what the difference is.

I don't mean to unload and be a "Debbie-Downer" ... but it really hurts to see close friends' lives totally consumed by something as stupid (to me) as a frigging cigarette. I've never smoked, so maybe that's why I have such a hard time understanding it. Or maybe I'm just getting old and cranky. Heck, I suppose everyone has to die of something.

[Captain]

I was wondering how your trip went. Glad you had a good time. Did your buddy sit through that whole race? I bet most the folks that stayed for the race were there 14 or more hours....

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'll be quit seven years this coming May 13th. We smoked grape vines when I was a kid, and corn silks, and when I was 12 we smoked Old Golds and Luckies and whatever else were in the C rations my uncle got by the car trunk load out at Fort Chaffee for deer camps and fishing. There were so many adults in my life that smoked it just seemed the natural thing to do. If I could change it I would, but I can't so it is what it is. I also can't change what other people do, but I'm with you, Jim. It hurts to see someone doing that to themselves. Its their choice though and it should always be that way. We don't need to ban cigarettes or tobacco or ban anything else. We've got enough shit banned already in the good name of 'doing what's right'. Darwin will work it out.

BKB

[Thumper]

Yeah, I understand Postie ... we already tried prohibition ... that worked well! Yeah, alcohol and tobacco will always be around ... it just hurts to watch someone deteriorate because of it. I think getting old and seeing close friends with one foot in the grave is the part that hurts. Heck, I've totally abused myself before ... I've just never abused myself on a daily basis and continued to make it a permanent thing ... so it just doesn't register with me I guess. It kinda hurts really, but like you say, it is what it is.

Cappy ... we had a great time and laughed our asses off at some of the crazy times we recalled. It was a REALLY nice visit. And yes, they (he and 5 other buddies came down) stayed for the whole race. They were only staying a few miles from the track, but didn't make it back to the room until 3:00 am! They're flying out of Jacksonville this afternoon to return home.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Heck, I've totally abused myself before .

Really wasn't planning to go there but.....

BKB

[Bwana]

I know exactly what you are talking about Thumper and can relate all too well. Lost an uncle just this past October to cancer and yeah, he smoked right up until the last little bit. To top it all off, after the funeral at the luncheon I and some of the other nieces and nephews sat around telling stories, etc. and the whole time one of my cousins sat there saying what a sucky thing cancer was, while puffing away on a cigarette.

DUMB!

[HideHunter]

Yeah - here too. I smoked for a year or two when I was working construction. But except for that one after supper I can't say I ever really enjoyed it. Wife never smoked. Unfortunately, both my best hunting buddies and their wives all smoke We all run around together we're getting to the age I can really start to see the effects on them. I never bring it up.. they are old enough to know better without my help. 18th of next month will mark three years since I threw down the chew (42 years of it). I enjoyed chewing. If I'm diagnosed with anything terminal, I will stop on the way home and buy a bag.

[Thumper]

Really wasn't planning to go there but.....

BKB

Ha ha! Bite me P-hole. Typical Liberal ... using my quote out of context! (there was MORE to that sentence)

Yeah Postie, I know what you mean about growing up surrounded by smokers. It was a different time ... it was COOL to smoke in those times. Heck, you couldn't watch tv or go to a movie in those days where every star/starlet wasn't smoking ... like it was the "classy" thing to do. I may have been lucky in that my dad didn't smoke and actually hated smoking ... I think I followed suit as we were very close and I spent most of my childhood hanging with him. My mom was a "closet smoker". She didn't smoke "supposedly" ... but I remember as kids, we'd smell cigarettes in the bathroom when she'd have herself locked in there "going potty"! Funny, out of eight in our family (counting my parents), 1/2 ended up smoking. My mom and my youngest siblings. My dad, myself, my oldest brother and my oldest sister never smoked. Odd how that worked out.

Bwana ... your story sounds much like my step-dad. He smoked all his life and actually came down with the same exact cancer that took Tony's life. I've forgotten the name of it, but according to the doc, it's 100% attributable to smoking. He finally (had to) quit when he started taking treatments ... but if he ever got near anyone else smoking, he would (jokingly?) lean toward them and take a deep breath saying he was smoking "vicariously". It was kinda funny ... but kinda sad at the same time.

[LJ3]

The grip of nicotine is no bullshit. But that generation and mine were programmed for it. When I was a kid there were cigarette ads placed at my eye level!

I've been 16 months now. Hardest thing I've ever done.

[BarryBobPosthole]

We should get together and write a book about quitting, Len. the marketeers of products to make it easier are clueless and typically if you read advice from doctors on how to quit its bullshit. If I needed to know how to quit heroine, I wouldn't ask a doctor I'd ask a former junkie. Succeeding at quitting smoking is all about managing your failures. Deciding that no matter how many times you fail, if at the end of a year you've been quit longer than than you've been smoking that year then you are more than halfway home. And then one day it clicks and you're able to be done for good. I used those friggin nicotine lozenges for six goddamned years and finally quit them for good on my birthday last summer, Aug 16th. That was worse than quitting cigarettes. Bastards. It was like snuff with all of the tasty stuff that makes snuff good taken out of it.



BKB

[Thumper]

I have all the respect in the world for you dufes here who have quit smoking over the years. I've seen first-hand how difficult it is. It's hard for me to fully understand because I've never in my life been "addicted" to anything ... so I assume it's one of those things you really have to experience to understand fully.

I forgot to add ... my buddy smokes those old-school Camels ... the ones with no filter. I have to assume those take an even heavier toll on the old lungs.

[LJ3]

I'm still sucking the losenges... If I could ever reduce the stress level in my life I'd kick those to the curb, too. Trying to look for a sweet spot this summer to go somehwere and just not take any with me.

[FooBang]

I have all the respect in the world for you dufes here who have quit smoking over the years. I've seen first-hand how difficult it is. It's hard for me to fully understand because I've never in my life been "addicted" to anything ... so I assume it's one of those things you really have to experience to understand fully.

I'm really hoping that e-Cigs become more widely adopted. They are MUCH better for you than cigarettes. Nicotine, albeit a poison, doesn't have nearly the same effect on your health as the tar in cigarettes.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Once when I was in college my roommates and I decided to quit. We decided we'd smoke a joint instead of a cigarette every time we needed one. that only lasted about an hour because everyone knows a cigarette tastes SO good after a reefer. Like I said, its about managing your failures.

BKB

[Penguin]

I have all the respect in the world for you dufes here who have quit smoking over the years. I've seen first-hand how difficult it is.

I'll second that.

Hell, I am feeling good about myself just for switching from Copenhagen Long Cut to Copenhagen Wintergreen Long Cut. Laugh if you want but that has been a tough roe buds. Noticeably less nicotine. And GREATLY reduced gum irritation. Even just a step down in nicotine had me a bit irritable over the last couple months.

Will

[Bwana]

We noticed Penguin.

Sorry couldn't resist. I too congratulate those of you who have been able to stop, must be a damn tough thing to do. My hat is off to you.

[Niner]

Watch out with those e-cigs. I understand some of those are made in China. You KNOW they're using lead free solder inside those jokers. Right???? At least try to find ones that are made in the USA.