OMG -- I have looked forward to this day (milestone) for such a long time. I was so happy when I hit 100 days, and I'm simply delighted to have gotten to ten times that amount. I love my quit. I'm so thrilled that I'm no longer in the clutches of that addiction. And -- okay, this is embarrassing - it feels like getting an A in quitting smoking!! I so hope you are all doing well, and I so appreciate that you put me on the train while I was at work today and brought my work home, and just put all the work away. And there I WAS, happily riding the train and gathering kudos. (I still have to hit the train and read it down the track!)
To newbies -- some of you have raised children and they're young adults now and you think WOW that time went by fast. Each day didn't necessarily feel like it was whipping by, but in hindsight, you remember so well when you sent them off to school that first day, and now they're graduating from college or getting a promotion in their career field, or making a family of their own. That's when it really hits you. And my point is that being a quitter feels the same way. Sure, I can remember early in my quit when I thought "is it really tacky to go to bed at 7 p.m. so I can stop wanting to light a cigarette??" Those early days were not whizzing by, any more than the days when you were potty training your toddler whizzed by. But now that you've done a splendid job of raising those kids, you are proud and hopefully happy. That's how I'm starting to feel about my quit. One Thousand Days. WOW.
Just a quick catchup for all my peeps who care what's going on. Starting next week I will be working 1/2 time and while I'm happy that it will be less stressful, at 20 hrs. a week, I'm going to have to change my lifestyle based on 1/2 the income. It's a semi-retirement in which I get to keep doing what I like doing. Also, I'm going on to Medicare, which for some ridiculous reason, scares me. I have lots of medications, and the one I really, really need is crazy expensive, and I've been told that the supplemental coverage would require me to pay $96 per month for that medication (that's the co-pay), and it's only one of many meds. But I've gotten the papers they need, and I will be sending in the application to start on November 1. I'll have to get a supplement. It's not that the employer provided insurance I've had is so fantastic, but from what I've gleaned, I'll be paying about what I was for coverage but I will have much more out of pocket. But there's nothing for it but to do it. They're paying me half of my salary, which is way more than I could expect if I just went out and got a part-time job. And I like what I do, so that's a good thing, too. And I really like the people I work with (not the commute, though).
My sister is going through another cancer scare, having a surgical oncologist remove what he believes to be a malignant tumor in her lung, but the tests they've done indicate there's been no spread. Her surgery is on Thursday and I'll drive up to Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon and spend through the weekend. If it goes well she should get out of the hospital on Saturday (Could be Friday, but given her compromised lungs, they think they'll need to hold her longer. I really should drive back Sunday night, but if she needs me I'll stay over to Monday.
So it's late and I need to get to bed, but I love my EX Peeps and thank you for putting up with me for A THOUSAND DAYS!!!!
