Thursday, March 13, 2014

FRIDAY FAST ONES

1.)  What is it about my appliances that makes them stop working in pairs?  First the refrigerator and hot water
heater stopped working within weeks of each other - thank goodness they only required repair which we deduct from our rent...the only benefit of renting that I can see.

This weekend I no sooner plugged in my new toaster oven (and used a magnifying glass to read the teeny tiny symbols on the dials) than I found my steam mop no longer steams. The warranty expired recently. Won't be replacing it with the same model, that's for sure.

2.)  These early days of daylight savings are hard.  I have more trouble getting a move on in the dark mornings and then find I want to do errands and stuff after work because it feels weird to go home and make dinner in broad daylight.

On the other hand, I refilled our propane tank and have already grilled twice since Saturday!

3.)  I have been wanting to write a long post about e-cigarettes, - perhaps I will someday again find the time and energy to write long posts about all kinds of things!

Anyway, my husband who has smoked since he was about 12 is now three months tobacco free.  He is not nicotine free, however.  And that is actually okay.  Tobacco is the carcinogenic aspect of smoking, nicotine the addictive part.  The "haters" of the e-cigarette are not telling the truth on this issue.  I am not an apologist for the use of nicotine.  It is a stimulant and may have other negative effects on health - so does drinking too much caffeine or alcohol and eating too much sugar or bacon. Just saying, when it comes to the health cost of smoking, it isn't the nicotine causing the problem.

I have a husband who is finally not inhaling tobacco smoke into his lungs. He stopped coughing within a week of being off tobacco.  He uses his e-cigarettes and snus packs and plans to decrease use of those over the next year. I consider that a major victory and all the e-cigarette haters can stuff their lies and misdirected outrage.  He has used his e-cigs in all kinds of public places for several months and has never had a negative reaction much less a complaint.

I am really proud of him for making this big effort.  He actually loves smoking and misses his tobacco. He has done this to improve his health.  I hope the anti e-cigarette people don't mange to make them harder or more expensive for people to use - the alternatives are so much worse.


4.) We have been recording the Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show every day and loving it.  His monologues aren't much but the skits, games and general feel of the show is so fun and upbeat.


5.)  I didn't write s biking post last weekend - I am feeling strange about that being the only subject I post lately...

We tried going off road - I have now run into something I am just not up for, even with my "hill assist."  It freaks me out and brings my fear of falling off the bike right up front and center.  So no more of that for me.  However, our nearby regional park,  Lake Chabot, is fabulous! Next time we go we are going to rent kayaks and paddle around.



5 comments:

smalltownme said...

My breakdowns tend to come in threes.

Oh, the time change...dinner is late every night.

I wish my son would take up e-cigs. I was so disappointed when he started smoking. It's the elephant in the room now.

Jennifer (Jen on the Edge) said...

In our last house, our dishwasher seemed to be the appliance that died on us. We had five in ten years, even though we did our research and bought good ones, used them properly, and tried to have them repaired when they stopped working.

So far, no major problems in our new house. Fingers crossed.

We've had the same toaster oven for 22 years (since we got married) and I know that when we ultimately have to replace it (the elements are not working as well as they used to), whatever we get will not last as long.

Nan said...

I've been trying to talk my daughters into trying the e-cigarettes. Both of them made the mistake of starting smoking in their teens -- at the time my S.O. was still smoking so we were in the awkward "do I say not as I do" position when we tried to get them to stop. I'd like them to quit completely, of course, but e-cigs would be a step in the right direction.

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

I am conflicted about the e-cigs; I think they are definitely better with smoking, but I have read some scholarly journals that point to the need to be cautious before declaring the nicotine vapor that escapes is harmless.

I think the people marketing e-cigs need to back off the "any situation" marketing. It's NOT okay to do it in the classroom or breakroom or other places you can't smoke--this has been an enormous problem at my school. We've actually had to designate two smoking areas as the e-cig users ow won't share space with the regular smokers.

I'm sure this will all sort itself out before too long-I am very pleased for you that your husband is making strides toward quitting entirely.


HappinessSavouredHot (Julie Saint-Mleux) said...

Congrats to your husband. To quit smoking is really hard but really worth it. (I used to work with people who are doing just that - quiting smoking.)