In formulating my plan to quit smoking I decided that I would not clean my apartment for about 2 months prior to the start date (of March 3rd). I didn't do any cleaning as of about Jan. 15 on. The idea was that whenever I wanted a cigarette I would just start cleaning. Here are two pictures of my kitchen.
I kinda of forgot that whenever I would clean I would take frequent and long smoke breaks. Cleaning just makes me want to have a smoke even more.
Ok - has been updated with the new clean photos.
45 comments:
MARCH
sunday in short sleeves
relishing warm glow of sun
monday winter white
Ed,
Your kitchen is terrible. Do you have to call the city to bring an extra dumpster? Have you made any advancements? WE want after pictures!
Also, from looking at you pictures, I suspect that you don't actually ever use your stove. Am I right? I spotted some easy cheese. I like easy cheese, but Scott loves easy cheese.
Don't give up. Just clean some more. The kitchen doesn't really look that bad. I've seen worse.
You could try negative reinforcement. Get one of those dog shock collars and everytime you feel like having a smoke shock yourself.
I want some after pictures, too.
By the way, I've been wondering if you think all of our poetry is trivel because of no nicotine.
The hardest thing about quitting smoking is that you don't start feeling better right away...at least I didn't. I think you go through weeks of all that bad stuff surfacing from where it's been buried in your body. So don't be discouraged. Some time in the not so distant future, you'll realize that you do feel better and be glad you don't have to go out at midnight to buy cigarettes or dig butts out of the garbage (oh, yes you do, I know I'm not the only one) or whatever. If you've fallen off the wagon, get back on. It took me seven real tries before I quit for good.
There was a guy from Naperville
Who knew smoking just made him ill.
At first not smoking sucks
but you'll have lots more bucks
and your food will taste better than swill.
OK, lame, but I'm out of practice.
Go Ed! Go Ed! You can quit just like you said! Goooooooo Ed!
Drink lots of water.
P.S. I've seen dirtier kitchens. Yes, that is a challenge.
Some say that smoking is bad for you.
OK - so after work last night I went to an Irish bar and hung out with some friends. I didn't smoke (and even was hanging out in the cigar room for a while), but when I got home there was a note on the door saying that the complex had to enter my apartment on Friday to check the smoke detectors and change the filters on the heater. So I am going to have to clean the whole place up anyway.
Easy Cheese. I like it because it doesn't go bad and it lives up to its name.
Oven. It is used as a frozen pizza heating device. That is it. I did cook some cookies in December.
Feeling better. I don't feel any better right now. I do wake up with cotton mouth worse than when I was smoking though.
Wellbutrin. My life really is just not that stessful. I think that I will hold off on it.
On another note. I just got my yearly bonus! I am going to get a Straub Beer neon wall clock and pay off student loans.
I also see WD 40 on the counter. Do you use it often? I see a rather large bottle of pancake syrup and an unopened container of Miracle whip and an unopened bottle of ketchup, again, rather large. If you don't cook, why do you have syrup? I like seeing all the American products I miss so much.
IF you have to clean, try having Music on and cleaning equipment in both hands, like garbage bags, dust rags, etc. For Music, I am not suggesting the" Clean-up" song. Big step last night, Great!!!
Emily do you miss miracle whip?
Yet nary a picture of the dishes I got you. I don't know whether to be glad they are not a part of that mess, or sad that you don't use them. Next time I'm getting you a year's supply of paper plates and plastic ware.
Oh, Grace, don't challenge your elders on how dirty a kitchen can be. I've seen things I can't speak of aloud.
Ed: Afterphotos! Afterphotos!
Emily, we can send you a care package with American stuff. What do you want? e-mail your address to me.
Ed, invite a girl over for dinner tomorrow night. Then you'll be forced to clean before she gets there. And cook her dinner.
That kitchen would be far worse if he did cook.
Say a prayer for Peter. He's in the hospital. He can't keep any food down. I made all my kids get flu shots this year and this is the most they have ever been sick. They have had one illness after another since Christmas. Different stomach viruses every time.
He'll be okay. He just has to stay until he's not puking anymore.
Monica
Emily, Did you borrow some of Scott's spy equipment...I can't see the stuff you see in the photos! Monica, I just read your post...isn't that what Sean had last week? It sounds awful, poor Peter. Are you spending the night there? I always think it's a good idea, otherwise they might measure his nipples!
Where is Nance? We need to get her Prayer ring in on this.
Lisa - I use your dishes when I don't use the paper plates. It is easier to use the paper plates though when I need to. It is also good for the environment since if you use more paper today they will plant more trees tomorrow.
I had to use the WD-40 on the sliding glass door.
I have syrup because I sometimes make pancakes using the stuff where you just add water to the premade mix and shake it. It's awesome.
It is important to remember that the kitchen is just a part of the whole apartment. Although it was the worst, the whole apartment was basically the same.
Now it's all clean and I don't have worry about cleaning and smoking anymore.
Bravo Ed. the kitchen looks great. Monica, sorry to hear about Peter. He must be feeling miserable. How long will he have to be in the hospital do you think?
Sorry to let everyone down, but there'll be no Celine, no Siegfried, no Roy, no Elton, no cirque de soleil. You see where I"m going with this? We are going back to CAlly. We are a little disappointed becasue we were looking at apartments in LV on line and there were all these beautiful, spacious apartments with fitness centers and pools and washer and dryer in the unit, and garages. For the same price we would have paid in Vegas,or more, we'll get a dumpy -looking, cramped apartment with no W/D or other fine amenitites. But, we'll have great weather and I don't think I'll work, so Jude and I can have picnics on the beach if anyone would like to join us there. Not sure if it will be Long Beach (OC) or Los Angeles. THe Dept. is trying to figure out where is Scott's office will be since he will actually be working mostly with the FBI, not other State Dept. investigators. You're all welcome to visit. Regardless, we'll be back in IA and NE in mid June for 3-4 weeks.
Ed - Oooh. Aaah.
Em - can't wait to see you guys.
Hello,
Yes, Peter is, officially, on the prayer chain. (smile) He'll be better in no time!
P.S. I put Ed's kitchen on the prayer chain...and, look at the results!
Hey, who's going to Gala? Come on, you guys, let's get a table full.
Tom and I are not.
Ed, I'm going to reinforce the Wellbutrin suggestion. My friend who quit said there was nothing like it. Heavenly in the fight to quit.
Damn it!! Quit hasseling me. I can't take it!
Ed,
Wellbuterin sucks...don't take it. Why on earth would you want something to make quitting smoking easier? Why would you want something that has proven to be beneficial towards quitting long-term? No way...who needs it.
forget wellbuterin. what you want to go with is morphine.
Gay-la! Gay-la! Gay-la!
OK, this is about dreams but I was afraid nobody would go to that spot anymore. I have had vivid dreams lately in which I am engaged in various illegal activities. Last night I was in somebody's house in the middle of the night in the baby's room (I didn't want to steal or hurt the baby, I just broke in for unknown reasons) and the mom heard something and came in the room. It was so dark we could only see each other's silhouettes. I grabbed her arm and made her sit on the bed. She was crying in fear but as quietly as she could. I ran out and jumped into my old blue Subaru station wagon and drove away fast with the lights off. It was scary and thrilling. Other nights I was in a grocery store and a baseball park hiding from the security guys. What's up?
sleepwalking felon
your dreams happen to be real
stevo bail me out
Monica, how's Peter?
Leave Ed alone. Let him do how he wants as long as he's doing it. If he feels he need it later he can get it. Sounds like he's doing great so far.
Ed, come clean my house. You did a great job.
Mom, you're not taking Ambien, are you? I heard on the radio there have been reports of people sleep-driving in their nighties in 20 degree weather, wrecking, and being dragged off to jail while violently resisting arrest. The next day they don't remember anything. Some are getting into violent altarcations, doing things completely out of character, or binge eating in the middle of the night - with no recollection the next day.
Monica, I hope Peter's better and the virus has run its course so no one else gets sick.
If I get dragged off to jail in my nightie resisting violently, I hope I'm awake to see it. Here's an interesting story from today's paper:
"A Ball For Us All"
This year, Council Bluffs' Mid-America Center will host the Groundhog Prom, a zany spoof on high society that now attracts hundreds of partygoers. The Groundhog Prom is a weird, wild and wacky costume ball that spoofs Omaha's Knights or Ak-Sar-Ben ball. The costumes started as tacky formal wear at the first prom, held on Groundhog Day, Feb.2 in 1979 in Omaha. The event, attended by about 75 people, was started by a group of friends who had a lousy time at their high-school proms. Last year's event drew more than 1000 people. Features: Live music from the Tijuana Gigolos and Anchondo, and cash bar, dancing and a coronation ceremony for a queen, who can be a man or a woman.
I wondered where all the groundhogs had gone.
Ed, I see you have a gas stove. I hate electric stoves. We have an electric stove that takes forever to warm up and even longer to cool down.
Tom, I have a question for you. I assume you are learned in safe food hanldling practices. Well, only one grocery store in Skopje stored their eggs in the refrg. section. Every place else has the eggs on the shelf sitting next to the sugar or some other non-perishable. Anyway, the one store that had the eggs in the refrig. section moved them to the shelf to make room for something that looks like tripe. Eating eggs that have been stored on a shelf goes against everything I know about safe food handling. I don't think I'll eat any eggs for my last three months here. What do you think?
Maybe it has something to do with when they came from the chicken....like, were they straight from the hen that morning, thus can stay fresh longer?
I just went to the Amer. Egg Board site...said that one day on the shelf equals one week in the fridge...so a few days on the shelf should be fine, I'm not eggxagerating!
It's a good idea to make sur that rotten eggs are well cooked. Soft boiled rotten eggs are not good and they are not good to eat either. Also, most people like their fried eggs over easy but the Egg Board reccomends that you fry rotten eggs so that they are hard in the middle. Em, if you do this you can continue to eat eggs while in Macedonia.
just as a fun fact, in Madison you can have up to 4 chickens in the city limits. they have to be hens and only for laying eggs. you can't be butchering them. now don't you want to move here? huh? someone?
I always wanted to have those Chilean hens that lay blue and green eggs. But no cockadoodledoos, huh? Where's the fun?
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