GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting, please -- join us! You can also click the GUS tag to view all diary posts.
Good evening, GUSsacks! I hope everyone had a smashing day. I hope everyone survived the lack of a GUS diary this morning -- we are covered for the rest of the week though, which is teh awesome. Join me after the break for some random silliness to take your mind off of the stress of the day.
First things first – a ginormous ‘huzzah’ for SallyCat, who achieved the milestone of “First Rec Listed GUS Diary” last night! According to jotter, she was number 17 on the high-impact diaries list for yesterday. I think we should all chip in and buy her a box of premium, high quality, sugar-free freezie pops – you know, the size that requires a forklift to get it into the freezer.
I’m back on the wagon for attempt #4 – or at least I will be once I finish the three cigarettes left in the pack that’s in the suitcase inside the suitcase inside the suitcase under my dresser. :) For anyone who’s recently slipped up (important note – slipped up, not failed), here’s a little inspiration from Fred and Ginger:
*Need something awe-inspiring to distract yourself with for twenty minutes until the nicotine craving fades? I humbly suggest ted.com. Fascinating talks by everyone from Sir Stephen Hawking to street magicians – and most less than a half-hour long. Some of my personal favourites (sorry, couldn't find an embed code):
Paul Collier's New Rules for Rebuilding a Nation
Ted Holt Plays Mountain Music
Naturally 7 Beatboxes a Whole Orchestra
Malcolm Gladwell on Spaghetti Sauce
Seth Godin on the Tribes We Lead
And last but most emphatically not least:
Jennifer Lin Improvs Piano Magic (She’s fourteen. Srsly.)
Alternatively, you could spend some time poring over the World Press Photo of the Year archives. Always some interesting visuals.
I know it got a lot of coverage (i.e. Olbermann et. Al.), but for those of you who missed it, here’s John Hodgman’s speech at the Radio and TV Correspondents’ Dinner:
If you’ve never seen Emo Phillips, you’re missing out on some of the greatest absurd comedy evah. Here’s a taste:
I’ll be working on my resume and my budget tonight, so I might disappear for long stretches. Be assured I’m okay – I’ll just be swearing at my calculator and trying to figure out why there’s so much month left at the end of the money. :) Have a great evening, GUSsacks!
Current members of the GUS team! Please post a comment if you would like to join, or if your name is here in error:
1BQ
amk for obama
Anne933
bgblcklab1
BirderWitch
blue husky
bluestatedem84
bsmechanic
Chocolate Chris
coppercelt
Fineena
flumptytail
gchaucer2
Im a frayed knot
interceptor7
khloemi
langerdang
LarsThorwald
lmdonovan
luvsathoroughbred
maggiemay
magicsister
MinervainNH
nannyboz
ncsuLAN
Nick Zouroudis
Pennsylvanian
SallyCat
seenaymah
smartcookienyc
uc booker
Vacationland
Wood Dragon
Anyone (on or off the buddy list) is welcome to write a diary for GUS. If you are interested, please leave a comment in the Butt Can (tip jar).
Wed PM: seenaymah
Thur AM: aimeeinkc
Thur PM: Wee Mama
Fri AM: smartcookienyc
Fri PM: khloemi
Sat AM: ?
Sat PM: ?
Sun AM: seenaymah
Sun PM: ?
Update: SallyCat has asked for some input about whether or not we want to establish some sort of criteria for people being added to the Buddy List. She's made the valid point that the buddy list is kind of like the list of people needing support. While ex-smokers, non-smokers and smokers who aren't yet ready to quit are a valued and wonderful part of the diaries (and we hope they never, ever leave us!), the purpose of the GUS diaries is to provide support for smokers who are quitting. We don't want to be exclusionary or divisive in any way, but we want to make sure that attention remains focussed on those who are quitting. Please vote in the poll and let us know what you think.