robertrankin.org

After a month or so hiatus, and less-than-thrifty binge while a friend was visiting, it’s time to start getting the budget back together.

What’s on the agenda?
1. I’ve just consolidated my CC debt (about $5K) to one new card, which gives me airline miles for purchases and balance transfers. The debt will be gone with my tax refund, and I’ll continue to use the card for many purchases in order to gain airline miles. I have to be careful to pay this fucker off each month, else I get slapped with a less-then-friendly interest rate. (It’s a trade-off, free airline miles = higher interest rate.)

2. Stackbacks. I am using this system, though mine is not optimized. I’m going to revisit the 4-week challenge, and get it running smoothly.

UPDATE: I wrote the post this morning, and then went to the gym. While working out, someone stole my credit cards and cash from my wallet. I called my bank immediately and the thief had already spent $1500 at Home Depot. That was fast.

Anywhoo. No worries. I don’t have to pay it. And I still have some money for lunch. (Yes, my glass is half full.)

Here is a nice list of the The Top 15 Skylines in the World. Hong Kong is indeed #1 in my opinion, too. NYC or Kuala Lumpor is better than Chicago, though. And wait… Pittsburgh gets an honorable mention at #16! NICE! (via JK)

{I’m going minimalist re: design, here. The typography on the last one was buggin the bejeebus out of me. }

Later it occurred to me that this mental state, which I quite liked, in many ways resembled the one induced by marijuana: the way your senses feel heightened and the mind seems to forget everything outside the scope of its present focus, including physical discomfort and the passing of time.

From MICHAEL POLLAN’s The Modern Hunter Gatherer, in This week’s NY Time Magazine.

Now, growing up in a hunting family, I would never have compared the feeling hunting with the feeling of being high on marijuana.

I never got the excitement of hunting. After being introduced at 11 or 12 years old, I gave it up after just a couple years. I did however, when my naive mindset allowed, at 15 years old, recognize it as a great way to spend time with my father, who is a hunter to this day. He goes hunting as much to spend time alone in the woods as to actually shoot anything. I didn’t realize it when I was 16, but I can relate to that, now. And I’d be delighted to go hunting again.

A week in
A week into my new life as an ex-smoker and it’s alright. I still have some cravings, but it’s manageable. I do some deep breathing, or chew a toothpick and before I know it, I’ve forgotten about it.

I am coughing a lot of crap out of my system. It’s disgusting.

As per usual, I’m some weeks late to get this.. but Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are really great.

From the Cell Phones & Car Ads clip.

And another thing that annoys me..

People who lose their cars in the parking lot…

Hmm… Gee, it’s only a $20,000 piece of machinery that you’re still making payments on! Why on earth would you want to remember where you left it!

http://www.illwillpress.com/vault.html

Not to be confused with other squirrels.

Went out last night with some friends for some beers. I craved a cigarette, but I did not allow myself. I chewed the hell out of some bar-straws, instead. And I fingered the seeds in my ear. It helped.

 I like life as a nonsmoker. My pockets are slimmer without the bulky box of cigarettes and lighter in it.

Cravings are less this time than other times I’ve tried to quit smoking.

About 5 years ago, I quit for a year and a half. Again a couple years later I quit for a few months. In 2004 I quit for 2 months then started again just before I left on my trip. I figured at that point that I was going to be living an unhealthy life of a backpacker and might as well be smoking. So I did, and I did.

Smoking, for me, lately, has not been about the feeling, or the taste. I received no pleasure from cigarettes. I only smoked to feel right (calm, un-annoyed), or to keep my fingers busy or when nervous.

I hated the first cigarette of the day, because I knew I needed it. Every day it was a struggle to see how long, and how agitated I would let myself become, before I gave in and had that first goddamned cigarette.  If I had something important to do in the morning, I’d have 2 cigarettes on the way to work to feel extra-ready. That’s shit.

No more. I am NOT doing that again.

“Socially”, I say, mentally itemizing the 9 beers (3 Busch, 1 Brooklyn IPA, 5 Grolsch) left in my fridge. And what’s left of the bar. “Mostly only when I’m out with friends.”

“Right”, she says, pricking my ear. “Well, it’s going to be hard for you when you’re out drinking with friends to separate drinking from smoking - especially if you’re frinds are smokers, too”.

“Right.”

I recently won a gift certificate for an acupuncture session. I’m adding to that, and getting the 5-session, smoking cessation treatment. Last night was my first session.

I got needled in my left ear, wrists and feet. I also got “seeds” in my right ear.

The ear points are supposed to help with cravings and addiction. One point on the wrist was for relaxation and another apparently affects the taste of cigarettes. I haven’t had a smoke since yesterday afternoon. I think the foot points were for liver, and affect cleansing and reduce irritability.

The “seeds” are little stainless steel balls which are affixed to the ear and left there. I’m supposed to finger them myself every couple hours, or when i get a craving.

The session, about 45 minutes, was very calm and relaxing. I’m looking forward to my next session already. Tomorrow, 9 AM.

After tomorrow, I’ll have one tune-up session a week for three weeks, and I’ll be good to go. Hopefully.

Today, I feel a slight craving, but not too bad. Mentally, I’m a little fuzzy, and I used to use cigarettes to break through the fuzz.

Wish me a stong mind.

Mark, myself & Harry on the River in SC. This was a couple weeks back, now. What a great weekend of kayaking, camping, drinking and eating. Nice weather, too.

I hesitate to link it.. but it’s just so bad..

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