Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Smoking.... non-smoking

    Alright, so it was decided that this family has spent the last 5 years and well before that buying about 2 packs of cigarettes a day for myself and my husband.  They are cheaper on this military post then they are in any surrounding towns.  SO instead of paying 7$ a pack, we pay 7.50$ for 2 packs.  Still when you break it down.... It looks something like this....
  7.50 x 7 = 52.50 per week.
  52.50 x 4 = 210.00 a month
  210.00 x 12 = 2520.00 a year.
  2520.00 x 6 years (that we have been together) =$15120.00
Yeah, I know.  We could buy a small new vehicle for that price.  Unfortunatly, we have nothing to show for it.  I have decided that I have been doing it far to long, and it is doing nothing for me in return, besides of course killing me.  I also have that little thing called AutoImmune Disease, which means I was told smoking was about the worst thing I could be doing for that.

                So there you have it, some of the steps that lead me where I am 2 weeks later.  I got an appointment with my Dr, got the Chantix, and prayed for the best.  Here is how it works.... You can take it for 12 wks.  Should you need more your dr can give you another 12 wk supply.  You can smoke for the first week as it builds up in your system.  Slowly within that week the dose increases in your system.
               Here is a brief run down of how it worked for me.  First of all some people say this stuff is so bad for you.  Yes, like any other medication that you take, it has side effects.  DUH...it can have strong side effects, but just be aware of them and you will be FINE!!!  Days 1-3 I took 1/2 a pill once a day.  There was no change in the way that I smoked, how often I smoked, or when I had an urge to smoke.  Days 3-5 I took 1/2 a pill 2x a day. I was slowly noticing that I was not smoking as much at all.  Days 5-7 I took 1 whole pill one time a day.  This is when I saw the biggest difference.  I smoked about 1-3 a day vs. the usual 15-20.  Just like that.  Day 7-till end of prescription is 2 pills 2x a day.  I did smoke one this morning.  I couldn't finish it.  So all together today I had 2 half ones that makes 1.  It's now 10:30, and I will admit, that I would like to have some of one.  However, I got some gum instead.  My advice to anyone taking it, it has been said that your DR sometimes "forgets" to inform that you need to take this with a meal and plenty of water.  It is important to take any medication with water and something in your stomach, it is most important with this.  The water helps you dilute the pill.... otherwise you will probably get so nauseated you will just throw up. 
               I am a little more irritable, I can imagine that is expected.  In the end I am really happy that I tried this stuff.  Quitting on my own was a total bust each time.  My Dr also informed me that it's really not good for your body to just quit like that.  It can be too stressful.  I am a little agitated right now with it being a long time since i had the last one.  I know thought that with this stuff I can actually do it, and it's not as hard as I would have thought.  I am putting a lot less work into it then I would have thought.  It kinda does it for you.  It makes the cigarettes taste so bad, you just put it out without thinking and then with a little gum and keeping busy, your pretty much set.  That is the part that has been the hardest.  It has been 104-110 degrees here so there is not a whole lot to do except stay in where it is cool enough to breathe. 
              I am confident that I will live though.... and even thinking about quitting before made me think that I was going to die without them.  I think that I will pick up healthy habit.  Perhaps the gym to prepare for my move to Hawaii, but that's in another blog post!
              If you are thinking about quitting, I really really would suggest you give this stuff a try... might just save your life. :) GOOOOOOOODDD LUUUUUCK

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Military vs civilians in public.

Alright, so I know that it has been forever since I was able to last update.  It's been pretty crazy around here.  There a few topics that I want to cover since the last time I was on here.  I will split them up into different categories though so it's not so crazy.  The first thing I want to talk about it our last experience with a concert here on post.  On June 10, 2012 we were lucky enough to have to wonderful Chris Daughtry concert here on post.  It was sponsored by the Air force, which is a HUGE advantage to having an army and air force post as your home!
    Though it was for the military, they also invited people from all around.  More times than not, these events are for military and their families.  Basically, you have to show your Military ID to get a ticket and that's how the events work.  This time it was open to the public.  It was also a free event.  So anyone from anywhere were allowed to come on post and join the event.  This is a great way to get the public into the military world for the night and see how it goes.  I am not against this, usually.
    So we get there with our two little ones and chairs and get seats about 4 rows from the front.  Got the kids some ear plugs and sat down to wait.  There is this already drunken lady behind us at 5:00.  Need I say that the concert doesn't even start till 6:00, with Daughtry's appearance not till 7:00. She was loud and obnoxious since the moment that they sat down.  I kept thinking that when the music starts she may just enjoy the show and stop the insane actions she seemed to not be able to control due to her drunken state.  SO, the music starts with a band from the Army and then follows with a band from the Air Force.  She's still pretty much acting a fool.  Since we wanted to come and enjoy the concert, we tried to let it go.  Her actions and word were drawing the attention of people 5 rows in front and behind at this point.
    Barely into the concert, she decides to get as close to our chairs as humanly possible, and the dumps beer on Colton's chair.  Missing him, but it was the principle of the matter.  So I asked her nicely to please back up by her own seats as she has just spilled beer next to my little guy.  She rolled her eyes and backed up.  After that she was again, leaning over the kids chairs with a beer in her hand and screaming.  We let it go a little bit, because she was apparently being childish and she was not going to stop anytime soon.  We got some MP's (Military Police) to kinda watch her, but with thousands of people it was pretty difficult to watch just one person.  I again had to remind her about half way through to please back up into her own seat.  She got pissy, and told her friends, "that's twice now, who does she think she is!"  Her friends told her to back up and settle down and my husband, who I thought was  going to knock her on her ass any moment, went and got an MP, again.  When the police got that way, she was off getting a beer.  They had just missed her.
    Finally, toward the end of the concert, she was as close as she could be behind my husband.  I knew he was very much going to SNAP on her at any second.  I didn't want to get kicked out, just because of her, so I again turned around and said "MOVE BACK, I have asked you how many times and i'm about to let the MP's because if
 how immature you are acting."  This set her off.  She flipped her chair and tried to get all up in my face.   When she got a tap on the shoulder., there was an MP right behind her. This made her more upset, because she knew I was right there and hadn't went to get them.  She tried to get all up in his face.  He had another MP escort her out, and asked me what was happening.  I knew he was on my side, all I had to say was a few of the things she was doing like almost spilled beer on my son, and was all up our seats and screaming.  I get that this is a concert, and that we should all be cheering and having a good time, but she was just being way out of control with the whole thing. 
    She was quickly escorted out, and asked to not come back.  The Gate guards were also informed that she was WAY drunk and to make sure she wasn't driving herself.  I'm not sure if she got busted for DUI or not, nor did I care.  SO the third lady that was with them was able to stay for a little while as the other two were previously removed.  She came up and asked me "why did you do that, What did she do that's so bad!"  I said "well she is being totally ridiculous and immature.... spilling beer on a baby is a little much!"  All this lady had to say was "Yeah, at a concert!!!!" OOOOOHHHHHH I get it now, You can act like a dumb ass and be disrespectful to people when you are at a concert.  HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS!  Gee, if I was informed of this sooner, I would have excused her stupid actions! NOOOTTTT!!!
    Let me set the record straight, this concert was for military and their families.  It was opened to the public so that it had a nice outcome and a way for the military to give back to the civilians within the community.  Being it's a military event, it was a family event.  She kept commenting about how I had my kids there.  Well, they had every right to go!  They are military kids and this is a military concert.  They had ear plugs and chairs and plenty of water.  They were beyond alright there.  If I didn't think it was safe I would have left them at home.  
   As the end result, it left me wondering about how it only seems to be the civilians that cause an issue like this at these events.  I have nothing against civilians, guess what, I am a civilian too!  I mean more like those that are not affiliated with the military but just happen to live near a post.  Here is my conclusion.  People who are family members of military member, or military members act half ass decent, because half of them have brought their families with to share this, and the other half know if they mess up, their ass is screwed by their higher ups the next duty day.  They were taught discipline and respect, and everyone in is civilian clothes.  Some commander or Brigade Commander could be sitting right behind you!  Aside from that, Military spouse's reflect their husbands.  We act appropriately in hopes that we do not draw attention to our husbands and their careers with how we act.  (Most of them anyways)  The people with no military affiliation could care less.  I would have let her actions go if she was not in my families way the whole entire time.  This was a Daughtry concert not a kiss concert!  Act like it.  Making the peace sign high above my families head while screaming "FUCK YEAH" is a little bit much.
    So in the end I want to say "Thank You" to the man and his family who where sitting behind this lady, and saw the whole thing the whole concert.  He is the man that went and got the MP that caught her ready to flip out on me.  Which I must say, I would have enjoyed to smack her back should she have hit me... I was that mad, but not with my kids around.  Once she was kicked out, him and his family stood instantly behind me to make sure no other looney came around.  The wife helped me the kids a little bit while I waited for Dave to come back from letting the guards know that she was not allowed back in. 
    By the end of the night, we were all laughing about it, though it ruined a portion of  the concert for us, we were able to make the best out of it.  Next time I will not wait as long to get people like this kicked out.  I mean she claimed to be the biggest fan.... but because of her actions, she wasn't able to watch the whole thing.  To bad, so sad.  I didn't feel a bit bad after all she had done.
   Hopefully this is the only time we have to deal with this situation, and people learn to be a little more respectful at these events!
  Until then..... F U stupid obnoxious drunk concert lady!