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.

60 MINUTES MAY SAVE MY HUSBAND'S LIFE

A couple of weeks ago there was a segment on 60 Minutes about Swedish Snus which is a smokeless tobacco product. It kind of looks like a tiny tea bag that the tobacco user tucks up between the gum and cheek. It doesn't cause all that spitting that chewing tobacco does, it doesn't smell and it is really undetectable that a person has the tobacco in their mouth.

It has been used in Sweden for many years and has proven to be significantly safer than smoking and is currently being marketed as a tool to stop smoking. Because some of the people in the US that 60 Minutes interviewed are using Snus and still smoking, there has been some criticism of the story.

Doctors at the American Council of Science and Health say “They accurately described the facts about smokeless tobacco as a harm reduction method: that it’s a substance that addicted smokers can use to get nicotine without inhaling the deadly products of combustion in cigarette smoke,” says ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross. “Dr. Karl Fagerstrom appeared on the segment describing the Swedish experience with snus. Swedish men in particular have switched from smoking to snus with resultant dramatic declines in smoking-related disease.”

Dr. Ross continues, “Unfortunately, the makers of snus are prevented by law in the U.S. from telling addicted smokers about the benefits of the product in helping them to quit; therefore, tobacco companies making smokeless tobacco have to market it as a dual-use product -- e.g., by highlighting the ability of smokers to use smokeless tobacco when they cannot smoke, such as in airplanes or meetings. We, however, are not bound by that proscription.” (Emphasis mine.)

All I know is that my husband has been a heavy smoker since he was 13 years old (he is 57 now). He smokes imported tobacco which he rolls into unfiltered cigarettes. His mother, a smoker, died of esophageal cancer when she was the age he is now. I have seen him try to quit 4 or 5 times.

Within days of receiving his first order of Swedish Snus, he is not smoking. HE IS NOT SMOKING. He is still a nicotine addict, but it appears that it is the delivery system that has always been the most dangerous aspect of the habit. And while he has never smoked in the house, it is definitely the most obnoxious part of smoking for me. The smell on his clothes, etc. is something I have never gotten accustomed to.

I am so glad we were watching 60 Minutes that night, I think it may make a real difference in my husband's health and longevity. I hope many more people try the product, which is easily purchased from Sweden (the American versions are, as usual, not of the same quality and variety.) He is enjoying trying the different "flavors" and styles and getting to know the variety of smokeless tobacco products which are available.