Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[bagel]

a 50 gram packet of rolling baccy now costs £50 in most places

people bringing it in from europe selling it at half of that are making massive profits (its £11 in spain)  with confiscation and a slap on the wrist if caught


reminded me of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iCE0nkd-Uc

[RED-DOG]

a 50 gram packet of rolling baccy now costs £50 in most places

£1 a gram? Wow!  I had no idea, but then again I haven't had a cigarette this century.


After trying to stop smoking and failing dozens of times,  I finally had my epiphany in December 1999.

I woke up feeling terrible, mild headache, sore throat, tight chest...

I went outside and lit my first cigarette, had my usual 5 minute coughing fit, and knew in that moment that if I continued like this, I wouldn't live to see my grandchildren. Once again I vowed to stop smoking, and this time I kind of believed it.

It's a bit clichè, but I decided to stop on New Year's Eve. So at 11:50 on December the 31st, I lit my last ever cigarette.

It was tough going for a while but i did it. Now, 25 years later, it seems such a horrible habit that I can't believe I ever did it.

[EssexPhil]

23:50 on 31/12/96 for me. Having spent years struggling to give up, just told myself I was going to enjoy not smoking even more than I had smoking (because I genuinely enjoyed it).

Found it easy. Having previously failed countless times. Just what worked for me.

Thought I would share a joke my Dad used to tell. Which started in the Great War, and was told by him and various mates during WW2. I was reminded of it by the spectacularly stupid comments of the draft-dodging toddler today...

Soldier has been in the trenches for weeks on end. It all gets too much, and trench fever gets him. He throws down his gun, and runs away from the front line. Then he hears a voice-saying "Where do you think you are going, you horrible little man"

He replied "Sorry Sgt Major, I got trench fever, and..."

"It's not Sgt Major-this is Colonel X, your Commanding Officer"

"F.ck me. I didn't know I'd run that far..."

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Hahaha

You can't beat leading from the rear.

[RED-DOG]

For the record I DO enjoy not smoking now, although I never thought I would.

Apart from the obvious health benefits and the relief of knowing that I am not deliberately contributing to my own demise, I love being able to sit in a waiting room, a long meeting, on a flight, at the cinema etc without the constant craving.

Shamefully, one of my biggest joys is watching those poor buggers huddled outdoors, "Enjoying" a fag, whilst shivering in the rain.

[RED-DOG]

I saw something unusual on my walk today. I was on the path that runs beside the Soar brook and it was just breaking day. I heard a loud plop in the water beside me and assumed it was a water vole.

You can often hear voles plopping into the water, but then they dive immediately and you don't get to see them, in fact the only reason I'm familiar with the sound is because sometimes I spot them BEFORE they jump in.

Not expecting to see anything, I nevertheless looked at the spot where the noise came from and was surprised to see a vole on the surface, swimming hard for the opposite bank. It wasn't until it climbed out that I realised that it wasn't a vole, it was a squirrel. Seemingly, it had fallen from the tree above us into the water.

Phew! I thought. He was lucky.

When I got home I Googled the likelihood of a squirrel surviving a high fall and discovered that they can survive a fall from any height.

According to the article I read, a squirrel's terminal velocity is 20mph, which it reaches in the first 3 seconds. After that, it doesn't get any faster no mater how far it falls, It's all to do with its very low weight to size ratio. Spread the legs, hold out the tail and it's almost a parachute.

He probably would have preferred to have missed the water. (Unless he landed on Poppy of course)

[RED-DOG]

I know that Trump, Ukraine, Putin, Greenland, Nato, and Gaza etc are grabbing the headlines, but spare a thought for Brookiyn Beckham, who had to cope with an awkward moment during his wedding dance 4 years ago.

[Pokerpops]

Top work lately Sir.

[RED-DOG]

Nice of you to pop in David. I trust you have no more aches and pains than befits a man of your advancing years. 

What is occupying your time these days?

I see that footy team of yours are doing better than I, (or probably anyone else) predicted.

It's a funny old game.

[Enut]

I'm enjoying these posts. It's good to see Phil's jokes making an appearance. Sad to hear about the squirrels, I'd assumed that some of the dead squirrels on the road were the result of a fall, it now seems they may have survived the fall but then, just as they were picking themselves up and dusting themselves off, Mildred in her Renault Scenic squished them.

I'm off to do a rally driving thing at Brands Hatch today, who knows I could be the next Colin McRae, somehow I doubt it.

[RED-DOG]

Ooh! I always fancied doing the rally driving thing, but I have to settle for 3 points and £100 fine for doing 34 in a 30 zone. 

Do let us know how it goes.

Why Enut BTW? I'm guessing it's not because you go crackers when you take  methylenedioxymethamphetamine tablets....

[tikay]

Really good to see Tuney & Phil on Tom's Diary. You two guys still pokering? I've not played Online since retiring from Sky. I keep in touch with a few of the lads, & occasionally have a peruse of the Sky Poker Discord thing, but for the most part, that Chapter of my life has closed. Good to see a few good mates on here though.

I do see Doug quite frequently, he's the guy that ran the SPT's at 235, Alea, Rendezvous etc, in fact we shared tables in a PLO Comp on Thursday at DTD. I'm seeing him at Genting Sheffield next week too, they have a bit of an Omaha Fessie on.

Sadly, Rendezvous Brighton has closed down now, always loved that place. The writing had been on the wall for some time, the building was falling to bits & no repairs or maintenance has been undertaken.

[tikay]

a 50 gram packet of rolling baccy now costs £50 in most places

£1 a gram? Wow!  I had no idea, but then again I haven't had a cigarette this century.


After trying to stop smoking and failing dozens of times,  I finally had my epiphany in December 1999.

I woke up feeling terrible, mild headache, sore throat, tight chest...

I went outside and lit my first cigarette, had my usual 5 minute coughing fit, and knew in that moment that if I continued like this, I wouldn't live to see my grandchildren. Once again I vowed to stop smoking, and this time I kind of believed it.

It's a bit clichè, but I decided to stop on New Year's Eve. So at 11:50 on December the 31st, I lit my last ever cigarette.

It was tough going for a while but i did it. Now, 25 years later, it seems such a horrible habit that I can't believe I ever did it.

I'll add a PS to that.

When I stared pokering with Tom it would have been the early noughties, 2002/3, something like that.

He was not smoking, but he had a "dummy", a sort of little white plastic thing, bit like a cigarette holder, maybe 3" long, & this was his "pretend" cigarette. It had nothing in it, but it was just a sort of comfort cloth.

He was never without it, & at the poker tables he'd have a "pretend puff" every few minutes.

We went down to Brighton for a Festival and stayed at a little Hotel in Hickstead, out in the Country, & shared a room. Only one bed & iirc, Tom slept on the floor. (Actually, may have been Southend, but no matter).

Anyway, we wake up in the morning to get ready to go have some breakfast, & Tom could not find his dummy. He went crazy, "I HAVE TO FIND IT".

Tom's prone to occasional mental agitation, & he completely flipped.

After 20 minute's searching, he had to give up & accept it had disappeared.  

So he started to put his shoes & socks on, & there it was, in one of his sweaty socks. Within seconds it was in his mouth & everything in life was good again.

PS - I'm not taking the piss or 'owt, if it works, don't knock it. I gave up 17 years later than Tom, and it was both instant & easy, though those 17 years cost me dearly in health terms. Never touched a cigarette since, though I do indulge in the occasional vape, mostly when pokering in Vegas. It just sort of goes with gambling. I loved smoking, but yes, it was a pretty dumb thing to have done. I have a very long list of dumb things & what might be best described as unforced errors I've made in life, & ciggies are certainly in that mix, maybe even Top 10. Jeez, when I look back at the mis-steps I've made in life....

[typhoon13]

Great stories and scribing from the two old men

Keep em coming please

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Smoking only "Maybe top 10"?

I shudder to think what the other 9 might be.