Today I have two "anniversaries" to think about, one is my little miniature dachshund passed away, December 31, 2015, and the second is I quit smoking on December 31, 2018.
Cambridge Dictionary defines the word "anniversary" as:
The day on which an important event happened in a previous year.
I sat here and thought about it for a little bit, as to what to call the day that passed that my pup passed with it: "anniversary" or "commemoration" are the most notable two. I think in this case I want to call it a commemoration. But the good thing is that pup went to his forever home 6 years ago.
His name was Coffee, and I wrote up a post detailing how we came to acquire him, and you can read that post
HERE .
He loved laying there on my leathers and sweatshirt when I got back from a ride. I would come in and stack them there because the closet is just 6 feet away in that hallway. He would come and pull them apart and curl up and go to sleep.
He would wait for me to come home from work because that was his time to go for a walk outside, and every single one of the neighbors knew him and loved him. A lot of my friends would be driving by and would stop and talk to us. One time there was 6 cars lined up in the street and had a short something to say before going home.
Now the second part of this memory is an anniversary. I quit smoking 3 years ago, and have zero desire for a cigarette. I had a hell of a time quitting, even when the Type A bird flu put me in the hospital for a few days in March of 2014 and they didn't think I would leave. But on my last day the doctor that had been taking care of me slapped a nicotine patch on my arm and said that I just quit.
I went home and did not smoke for 4 months, but at my work I always got there an hour early ( always one of the first to get there as I was an early bird ) and made coffee for the "coffee club" of the yard ( I was in charge of it ), and then went outside and fired up the patio heater, and as the guys would roll in, the smokers would go grab some coffee and then come out and have a smoke by the heater.
Well, in the fourth month, I hit one of the guys up and absolved him of the responsibility of any guilt, since he did not offer one to me, but the other way around, I asked. Anyways, to make a long story short, I wound up buying a pack a couple of days later.
But about the end of 2017 I started taking Chantix, and I was supposed to do this and that, which I didn't, and come the end of December of 2018, I ran out of patience with the Chantix and the $10 packs of smokes (even though I had managed to cut it to 1/2 pack a day) and on December 31, 2018 just said, "that's it, I'm done with these things and finished the pack.
I have not even thought much about it, I wish I had never started in the first place, that in itself is a long story, and to make it short, I hated cigarettes and never touched one until I was in the service a long ways from home. But then when I came out of the hospital in 2014 I should have quit then, but did not do it.
Moral of this story is everyone needs to quit, but it can only be on their own timeframe and when they say they've had enough.
A couple of these photos have been used on my own posts many moons ago, don't even think about it. All photos are mine taken with my Galaxy S4 and all rights reserved.
Gif created by @liberty-minded and modified by @jimramones
awesome gif created by @zord189
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jr - 12/31/2021
Coffee is so adorable, I love him.
This is my dachshund, Aesop, he turns 12 this year.
Looks like he's mixed with chihuahua @djzeratul.
Yeah, its likely. His snout is a lot shorter than a typical dachshund, and his skull looks a bit like a chihuahua too :D
It was a very adorable and somewhat pretentious doggy but certainly very nice that there are situations which make us separate from these faithful beings who do nothing more than give us sincere love and without leaving aside their company.
Undoubtedly quitting smoking has been your best goal is that if we look for the positive side to this activity sincerely there is none that generates any benefit for those who practice it, really my sincere congratulations.
Note: I don't know if the lady next to you is your wife but she is really pretty. Greetings new friend
He loved to go on the bikes, and when I could, I took him with me. There is a post earlier in my blog timeline that explains how we got him, he was literally a total rescue pup.
Yes, Albe, that is my wife, we just had our 46th wedding anniversary a week ago, and have been together 47 years.
Thank you @pixresteemer! I appreciate your work!
@jamerussell
It will be 2 year's for me, coming up May of 2022 for quitting cigarettes. I am still vaping, yes. But feel it's better than the smokes. I still want one, but I won't. Of course my next challenge is either go to 0 milligrams of Nicotine vape juice. Or... I guess just quit all together. I quit for my health... yes. But know your situation is different... regardless... Congratulations!
Coffee was adorable... by your story and your photos, I know he was loved... and I bet just a touch spoiled! I really don't think everyone understands the bond between us humans and our pets. Ok... not just "pets". They attach themselves to our heart strings. No different than a family member.
Anniversary... Commemoration... I think some other words could be "In Loving Memory"... and maybe "Good Riddance" for the smokes 😁.
Thank you brother, for choosing to use my TAG. I appreciate that, and hope you have a great New Year's!
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Thank you Wes, and as far as your vaping goes, you'll quit when you're ready; my son used the vape to quit smoking, and then quit the vape, he doesn't do either one now.
I like that, "in loving memory,"
Coffee was a one of a kind, just like the coyote I had was a massive one of a kind; she will never be replaced, and neither will Coffee. I gave the link to the post describing how I got Coffee if you want it.
This time of the year is good to read about such decision taken to quit some of those terrible habits.
He was such a lovable breed. I had one like that too, a gift from a Chinese friend.
In all, I am glad you finally quit. It's worth the celebration.
Nice gif, pretty flower! Thank you @mrenglish, just under the first picture, I put the link to the post there that tells how I got Coffee many years earlier.
How long did you have your dachshund?
Thank you @stayten!
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I am sorry you lost such an amazing pet as Coffee. I am sure the neighborhood missed him too, seeing that they loved him too.
Again, I am proud of you for finally calling it quit with smoking. It might have taken a lot of time before you finally did, the fact that you stopped is worth celebrating.
I also have a memory with December 31st. I don't know why I couldn't bring myself to write about it yesterday. Maybe, this year, I will.
Happy new year to you sir 😊🔥❤️
Thank you for the kind words @iskafan, yes, on both points lol!
You will write about it if and when you are ready to.
Bless you in this new year, may it be way better than last year.
You are welcome sir. 😊
I believe it too.
Bless you too sir. I am positive the new year will be better than last year as well . Cheers.
Congratulations on quitting the smokes. I personally managed to quit a range of substances over 6 years ago, cold turky, all in one go, never to look back. However, smoking cigarettes is the last one of them, I don't think I'm ready yet.
Although I stopped smoking on multiple occasions due to circumstances out of my control, for a week or two at a time. I know I CAN do it, just it seems like I "don't want to" yet. The time hasn't come yet I guess.
I'm sorry for your loss of Coffee, he seems to had been a very loving and adorable pup. I've lost a few, so I know how it feels very well.
May all your coming memories/events be "anniversaries". Hope you have a great year my friend!
Much !LUV
Thank you for the super kind words @yaziris, it does take the mind to finally make the rule "no more," then it's time to move on. Been through all of it many many years ago. The smoking was the last one, 47 years.
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Thank you @thekittygirl & @innerblocks!
What a wonderful post! Coffee always looks so cute in his pics, and this post is s great tribute! 💗
!LUV !PIZZA
Thank you Miss Kitty!!! I really appreciate that!!!
May your new year be an absolute blessing to you and all around you!
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For you it’s a new year for three hours now and for most of us it’s a great new day but with the passing of a love one or the passing of a beloved furry it’s always a bit double. I know and read the blog about coffee and you showed the picture before and I never saw the one with mrs. Russell that Is cool. Maybe a new furry? Maybe one from the shelter? One that can use a home for a few years to come?
And I never smoked, I pretended to be cool hahhaha and never drink coffee but am a huge sugar addict ! Hubby smokes sigars though. I love the blog and from my family to yours
Happy new year and cheers to all
We do
Thank you @brittandjosie, not sure but I doubt there will be any more.
May your new year be an absolute blessing to you and your family.
Wishing peace for your little baby
To quit smoking is really one task, you can keep going back to it again and again. Wish you a good and a Healthy New Year
Thank you @nainaztengra, appreciate that! Thank you for stopping by and checking it out!
May you have a blessed year!
This is indeed an excellent post and got me emotional about your lil friend pup🥺.
I recall a lil story about pups in discord, i think pups was one of our first conversation with you at past midnight, you and @watersnake101 were having a chat ans i jumped in.
Im also so proud of you Big James for your No-cigarette journey, totally inspiring.
You're warm and kind person, i wish you a very lovely anniversary.
(P.s: If that's your wife, damn she's Beautiful and you both look sook hood together #HonestTruth)
Thank you @queenstarr, yes, that is my wife, we have been together now for 45 years.
May your year be unusually blessed at all times!
Yes, I remember a little of the conversation with @watersnake @mhel!
@jamerussell Happy Anniversary! That was a good conversation we had about your baby. Happy memories with our beloved puppies are priceless. I too have quit since February and able to resist the urges now. I asked myself if not now then when? If I keep delaying then when will it end? Have a beautiful week ahead my friend.
O Yes! @Mhel was present😊
Hola Mhel, New year greetings again to you and yours⭐
And you as well @mhel! Hope it's filled with blessings!
it's hard losing our furbabies.. especially the characters.
Good on you for sticking it out to quit smoking though. It's not easy.
My husband quit the night he had his heart attack. He told me when he was in ICU he was never going to smoke again. I was pretty sure it was the drugs talking but it wasn't. The last thing he remembered before the heart attack hit was taking a drag on a smoke.
Since I wasn't smoking, it was okay at home but really hard at the branch. He was used to having the beer and a smoke in hand. I didn't want him to stop going there as he needed that contact. I suggested he just take a smoke with him from the ones he had left and hold it. The idea was to simulate what he was used to until he'd broke the habit.
Problem was I had to almost beat off the rest of the guys. At that point he was very sick and the guys knew it. Lighting a smoke for him was something they could feel like they were doing for him. Eventually, they understood what he was doing and stopped trying to light it. It was understand or risk my wrath.
It is really hard to acknowledge, even when seriously ill.
Yeah, having the hands do something familiar like that might help, that was never my issue; my issue was I enjoyed it. But I think there is way more involved with me than the ciggies, since I worked on the roads I did a lot with asphalt grinders and tree work with chain saws and wood chippers, and have inhaled a lot of the dust which is physical and cannot be absorbed through the lung linings, so it never dissipates. I never thought about it nor worried about it at the time. All of the herbicide spraying we did was chemical, and can pass through the system, but the solids cannot, so I'm stuck with them.
yeah all of those will have had their impact. For me it was the dust in the pharmaceutical firm where I worked. It all builds up.
Lovely pictures. Great on stopping smoking, sad to lose a family member though. Thanks for sharing.
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Great read.
Soulful eyes on the pup, God Bless him.
Lovely wife.
Quitting cigs is like getting off of heroin (I believe, although I've never done heroin).
Good on ya mate!
Thank you @sima369, and yeah, his eyes were something else, he could definitely have "that look" lol.
And thank you, my wife and I have been together for 45 years.
Quitting the smokes was something else...quitting the alcohol was easier hahahahal.
Congratulations on your long bond with your beautiful wife. It shows in the picture and is something the world needs to see more of.
And kudos for quitting the fire water! Sadly, many don't. Happy to hear it was easier than the poison smoke!
Oh, I love that you have a commemoration day for your pup. He looks like he was a beautiful soul 💗 He has a face that you just wanna kiss, right? hehe. Great memories I'm sure, by the looks of things, he was quite the little adventurer dude. And kudos for giving up the ciggies🙌😍 !PIZZA !ALIVE !LUV
Yes, absolutely true, extremely kissable @samsmith1971, and he was with us for anywhere from 18 to 20 years, my wife says 20;
And thank you for visiting my post!
wow...that is a good long life for a little dog ❣️Such a cutie pie. I thought the pic in the side saddle was priceless 😍
Thank you Sam, that is my second favorite, my favorite is the one up above with my wife and pup
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Coffee çok sevimli ve çok sadık bir canlıymış. Onu özlemeniz çok normal.
Beni de işten eve gelince karşılayan çok tatlı bir kedim var. Adı Herkül. Ben de sizin gibi onunla çok güzel anılar biriktiriyorum. Ama bir gün hayatından gideceğini düşünmek bile istemiyorum.
Bundan 15 yıl önce ben de sigarayı bırakanlardanım. Sizi tebrik ediyorum mutlu kalın. 🙏🤗
Teşekkürler @baycan, sanırım 18-20 yaşlarında bir yerlerde benimleydi.
I’m sure you miss your dog. Isn’t it a dreadful thing that they have such a short live span compared to ours? I know I miss all the dogs, cats and birds that were my pets, but are no longer with me (so sad 😢 my soul)
I’ve got a big, bright zoo here at the moment, so that keeps me busy. (2 cats, 1 dog (my beloved Yorkie) and 4 birds)
Quitting is hard, I’m an ardent smoker, it’s the only thing I’ve ever, really, been good at in my life. I’m trying to stop now, but not winning (some days are better than others). I quit for five years between 2012-2017, pity I started up again???😢
I know that exact feeling, when that Lady Doctor stuck the patch on my arm when I was leaving the hospital in 2014; I should not have started back up.
Yeah, I miss my saddlebag buddy big time, but we had him a long time, and I don't think we're going to get another one, at least not in the forseeable future.