Canadian Smoke...................

[Rams]

I've been hearing from some friends up north about smoke from Canada's forest fires.   
Those friends are south of the Ohio River, I feel sympathy for those further north. 

Heard the US is already sending help to Canada to fight these fires.   Also heard a better forest management may have limited the fire's progress.   I'm not qualified to make that judgement but, this I know, thick smoke is hard on the lungs.   If that smoke is in your area, either stay inside or take a vacation to one of the "Fly Over" states with cleaner air.

Rams   

[mbramley]

I'm in N.E. Ohio, right on Lake Erie. The haze has been going on here for a couple of weeks now. We're stuck in a weather pattern that just keeps it coming. I wish I could afford a loooong vacation but sadly it's not in the cards. I hate to stay inside as I don't get out much over the winter  and riding season is short enough as  it is. I have family members with health issues that are struggling because of it, I can feel the difference in breathing. Hopefully soon the winds will change and we'll get some rain to help the situation. We are also coming up on a record for length of time with no rain which is unusual for this area. Seems like it's always something somewhere, just have to keep moving forward and enjoy what we can.

[Rams]

I'm in N.E. Ohio, right on Lake Erie.

I worked in Ravenna and lived near there for several years.   I fully understand about the short riding season.   The weather up that way is why I now live in Southern Mississippi.     While we bikers seldom wish for rain, I truly do understand why you're looking forward to it.  Best of luck and wishes for you and yours's.

Rams      

[mbramley]

I'm in N.E. Ohio, right on Lake Erie.

I worked in Ravenna and lived near there for several years.   I fully understand about the short riding season.   The weather up that way is why I now live in Southern Mississippi.     While we bikers seldom wish for rain, I truly do understand why you're looking forward to it.  Best of luck and wishes for you and yours's.

Rams      

  Thanks, I'm in Perry not far from the nuke plant. I think New York is getting the smoke worse than we are at this point.

[0leman]

I feel for the folks in the northeast and Canada.  Here in OR we have had bad fire seasons where the smoke is really bad for several weeks.  There is a scale where the smoke is rated.  WE have had the Hazardous smoke several times, mostly we have had Very Unhealthy rating.  As soon as the low pressure moves out of the northeast area the smoke will move out.

[..]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/08/air-quality-record-smoke-hazard-wildfire-worst-day-ever-canada-new-york?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[Oss]

bullcrap

NYC Dept of Investigations cancelled all evictions

No defaults taken in any cases

It is a beautiful day   Yesterday they cancelled the Yankee game

Meanwhile all the small landlords showed up in court and were screwed,  again

[Jess from VA]

Weirdest looking orange ball sunrise in the smoke haze I've ever seen for two days (No VA).

I couldn't smell it yesterday, but I did today.

The news said we had condition Red the last two days, and to stay indoors with the AC going.  

I did my normal early 2mi walk both days (I don't wear masks, unless I'm throwing sawdust) and worked in and outdoors both days, and have no symptoms.

I'm also 27 days without a cigarette and while the anxiety is reduced, it's not gone.  So some smoke in the air is the best I can get (and a lousy substitute for good tobacco) .   

[NewValker]

Good job on dumping the butts Jess! 

Craig

[Jess from VA]

Thanks Craig.  It's one of the hardest things I've ever done (and why I waited so long).

I ended up doing a basement bath shower (and other) tear-out and rebuild, with tile-man, carpenter, plumbers (jack hammer), drywall-man and 20 trips to Home Depot and Lowes (and a pile of money), and this fortuitously occupied my sunup to sundown time almost daily for 3 weeks (together with regular house and scape work), and helped greatly with the quitting anxiety (replaced with construction site inside my house anxiety).  No Chantix, no gum, no patch, no chew.  

Bath entirely finished (trimmed, floored, painted, plumbed, tiled, caulked, all new fixtures) and is now the nicest room in my old house.  

And people to talk to.  And the (retired) carpenter and I have become good friends with much in common, and I have him doing a whole laundry list of things around the house I had decided would never be fixed.  He is also a master electrician and built custom homes and knows his way around every damn thing (with every damn tool).  And I play helper and go fer.  

Better air quality today too. 

[scooperhsd]

Good job on dumping the butts Jess! 

Craig

Seconded. Smoking was #1 reason my dad died from lung cancer at age 57 in 1994. Glad to see you're getting that monkey off your back.
 

[Fazer]

Jess--I quit smoking cigs 35 years ago, but now I smoke cigars.  Not nearly the same.  Cigarettes you have to have, and I remember how much I hated the last one of the day....cigars, on the other hand are not inhaled, not nearly as habit forming, and in my opinion, are a true gift from God in His effort to make up for creating mosquitos and pricky people.

Ron--Ravenna???  My old stomping grounds.

[Rams]

Ron--Ravenna???  My old stomping grounds.

Yep, was there 4 years (I think) before getting promoted to the Lexington, KY facility.

Your old stomping grounds?   So, you're the one they still talk about...................... 

Rams   

[Jess from VA]

Jess--I quit smoking cigs 35 years ago, but now I smoke cigars.  Not nearly the same.  Cigarettes you have to have, and I remember how much I hated the last one of the day....cigars, on the other hand are not inhaled, not nearly as habit forming, and in my opinion, are a true gift from God in His effort to make up for creating mosquitos and pricky people.

Fazer, I get it.  But I quit twice before (@40 and 60), for about a year each time, and I started again first smoking cigars (cigarillos, not tipped but not little cigarette cigars, and I did inhale them, a little.  All tobacco in any form is my demon, and I can never have any of it again.  Almost a month now, and my addiction is still kicking my ass.  I get outside and work and walk and stay busy.  Today, I walked, painted, mowed a lawn (not mine), worked on a sticky door, and scrubbed the daylights out of my big Ram Promaster 2500.  The activity and exercise is good for me;  idle, lazy time is bad for me (and good for the demon).

[Beardo]

Jess, I quit smoking on May 8, so I’m at about a month too. Not bothering me one bit. I’ve smoked for about 30 years

I had no plans on quitting. Didn’t want to. I had told myself my half pack a day wasn’t a big financial problem or health problem.

Out of the blue, my brother in law, who also smoked, called me and told me he had been smoke free for 2 weeks and felt amazing. He hadn’t planned on quitting hit had seen something on Joe Rogan about a book called Easy way to Stop Smoking by Allan Carr. He read it and hasn’t smoked since. I humoured him and I bought a copy. I read it in a couple days and haven’t had one since. The whole time I was reading it, I was telling myself I didn’t want to quit but I’d keep reading.  It just clarified what they addiction does and explains that nicotine addiction doesn’t relieve stress like we think, but it causes the stress…and the only time smokers are stress free is right after a smoke…when we’re like a non smoker. He explains it’s like putting on a really uncomfortable pair of shoes for the pleasure of taking them off several times a day.

My wife read it and has quit as well. Give it a read if you’re needing some clarity on quitting.

I will admit, the first weekend, I did miss my usual getting up at 6am and drinking several cups of coffee on the patio and smoking, but I realized I can do that without the smoking. And now I can smell the flowers in the backyard for the first time in my adult life lol.

Jason

[Jess from VA]

Thank you for the advice Beardo.

I've been a reader all my life. 

I'm not sure any book can help me (at this point), and I'm doing very little sitting these days. 

I've had several neighbors refer to me as 'the yard nut.'   

Really, I like a nice and neat looking house/yard, but my cure for an aging body has been a very healthy diet, daily exercise, and lots of outdoor activity.  Yard and landscape and deck/fence/sheds/bike/truck work keeps me busy (and out of trouble) and is occupational therapy.

Quitting smoking was the last piece of the puzzle.  And the hardest.  I'm past the worst, but I still want to smoke every day.