360shoes

Oh sh*t We. You just hit me with smoking kryptomite. I forgot about that one. Your good. And you do know me.

Where's the line for Marcher blankies? I want a spot.

Saskia

Shoes, so sorry to disappoint ... I was not at Woodstock but I was old enough to go and did follow it on the news and watch the the multi-LP set until my ex- made off with it.

digdug

Still not giving up my e-cig. I bought a $30 bottle of liquid back at the beginning of December and I still have a 1/3 of the bottle left. So that works out to about the cost of 3 packs of cigs for 2 months.

I've cut out the caffeine so it's all I have left. Don't take it away from me!!!

360shoes

If I got shipwrecked and had to choose between a crate of good coffee or a crate of cigarettes, those smokey treats would be sleeping with the fishes.

I will never stop loving my joe. I don't drink it all day and I will pass on a bad cup of coffee but I'm sorry. A great cup of coffee is a great cup of coffee.

Now I want a cup of coffee.

wehav2day

Shoes I got your back, maaaan. And I'm with ya on the coffee. Don't take away my coffee, I don't drink it after noon but it's the only vice I have left too!

That and being a pain in the ass of course...

digdug

So it's agreed. We all get to keep one vice. I'll stay away from your dirty coffee and you stay away from my precious nicotine.

I truly think that if there was a coffee shortage in the US and Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and the like all closed down, there would be riots in the streets. You people are fiends!

Marcher13

When the Beatles came to Australia they landed at Mascot Airport in Sydney which was about five miles from where I lived at the time. My best friend Jenny and I wanted to go with her sister Joan but our really mean parents wouldn't let us go because they said we weren't old enough. What a thing to say to seven year olds!

Duffster

Shoes, I've been in love with Brett Michaels since 1987. Loved him on the Apprentice - you could tell he was a genuinely nice guy. And did I mention gorgeous?

So just reading the news online and 2 stories back to back: a middle school teacher in our county was drunk in the classroom and had to be escorted out in front of the whole school; and another story out of CA a woman hit a man with her car who lodged in her windshield and kept driving. Of course she was double over the legal limit. Makes me so sad. The reader's comments were brutal and judgmental. Both of these women were not in their right mind.

I just feel so sorry for them both. Of course I'd like to think that I'd stop if I had a man in my windshield but who knows what I'd do if I was out of my mind? The man who owns our polo club hit a car at 2 am, pushed it into the canal, and the young man drowned. He fled the scene instead of jumping in to help him. His trial is ongoing but I know him well enough to know that if were sober he would have jumped in to help. (you can google "polo mogul john goodman" for all the gory details).

I don't know, it always devastates me to hear these stories - and scares me - but for the grace of God...

Duffster

Then I'm keeping my diet coke! I swear it's harder for me to give up than booze. I did it for 2 weeks and didn't feel any better or different so went back to it last week.

Dee74

I always think of the many times I could have been involved in tragedy too Duffster - noone ever gets in the car expecting things like that to happen.

It may not be PC to admit it but I have great empathy for these people. I don't know how you deal with something like that.

D

Saskia

Dee, I've felt much empathy for both sides. It's a complete tragedy. I've always felt that if I hurt someone if driving impaired, I literally could not live with myself. I feel so strongly about that and I can honestly say that I simply don't drink and drive. For me that has always been an unbendable rule. I admit to having been tempted but simply can't and won't do it.

Ok, Marcher,you just gave away your approximate age . I was in college when the Beatles came to the US the first time. We all watched the Ed Sullivan Show in the dorm living room, lol!

Gilmer

I remember I was five when the Beatles came--I used to watch a Beatles cartoon on Saturday mornings, and I had a pink wallet with a picture of the Beatles on it.

I drove drunk and high many times--once I blacked out behind the wheel! It humbles me very much--crushes me--to think that I was spared tragedy and others have to live with it the rest of their lives. It really could have been me. And I was such an arrogant little sh**--why wasn't it me?

I guess the HP knew I couldn't live with it. LP's mother's killer committed suicide. I cannot imagine living with the grief and guilt.

lifetplant

I was feling v sorry for myself the other night. Went to a friends house and played with the three kids i've known and looked after since nappies......so that lighted up a few hours. I later began my sorry tale re work (which, matters have changed for the better BTW...another day) but my friend told me bout a girls she works with. Her male friend had driven up to Melb (bout 59km) for a concert. Neither drink ( i know, How???). They were going to drive back, he decided he was too tired, they went to the upstairs restaurant of the gig they were at and stayed the night. Driving back the next morning, he hit a cyclist and killed him. He stopped at the scene, attempted CPT, called 000 and was drug/alcohol free.......he's now behind bars, nil negotiation.

How incredibly lucky, not only I, but the other people who crossed my path that
day!!!..... although the last place I want to be is jail........that story really resonated w me.

Love my Marchers. xxxxxxx

Gilmer

Wow! Life is odd and very sad sometimes.

I am glad things are looking up with your employment, LP!

Saskia

Good point, LP. One doesn't need to be driving impaired to hurt or kill someone. I suspect all of us have had near misses driving under any circumstances. I once tried answering my cell phone while driving and swerved. Luckily the traffic was extremely light and I didn't hit anyone. Now I just don't use my phone when driving! When I used to smoke and drink, it's a miracle I never started a fire. Life is full of many risks and I think all we can do is take sensible precautions without becoming hermits!

tootsl1

I thank the fates that I never endangered anyone when driving under the influence. I remember my brothers ex wife was driving and hit a young child. She was sober, he will never be the same little boy again. I know how badly affected she was, and even if you know there is nothing you could have done, you replay the situation on a loop looking for a different ending. Looking at my local news in Dundee an old lady was hit and run yesterday morning.
Dee, Duff, like you I feel empathy for people who's addiction leads them to do and be something they wouldn't ordinarlly. I saw A video on fb the other day of a girl so out of her head I couldn't see how she could still be conscious. Obviously someone thought it amusing enough to film her for around six minutes. I just felt for her.

Life, how are you doing now? I know you have your own personal issues with drink driving, from both sides of the coin. How are you feeling about your work? What is the outcome?

Wehav, my folks are Christian, and like to feel they have compassion for everyone, but neither can understand same sex love. To them, fundamentally it is just not a natural state of affairs. That said I was brought up to be completely non judgemental, and have no discrimination whatsoever in my make up of either sexuality, gender, colour or religion. I know if any of us kids had said we were gay, we would be loved no less, but the topic would not be discussed. I feel it is possibly a generational thing, until the sixties in traits in it was a criminal act punishable by prison, so my parents would have grown up knowing anyone 'like that' would be ostracized. Similarly mental health was not discussed, someone was locked away and the wiped from the family tree. ( often someone whew s gay was considered to have mental health issues with the same result)
I am glad now, that the world is so much more accepting in general of a variety of discriminations, but individuals still struggle, and bigotry is alive and well and kicking in a lot of people.

Saskia

So true. I like to think of myself as "enlightened" but come from a very judgmental family. And I find that at times the old automatic reactions still kick in. I especially admire people who seem to be so spontaneously accepting.

Marcher13

Good morning Marchers Quick drive by, I'm currently cleaning one shelf of my linen cupboard each morning before work (not done properly for over a year) and I just found a hastily stashed half packet of cigarettes. Shoes and Ken read this carefully: it made me want to gag, a year ago it would have been oh good I've got a few more than I thought. I didn't even chuck 'em in the kitchen bin, I raced to the outside bin.

You are next behind Sass, DD and Toots Shoes but you might be first because I think they were all kidding along? If you're serious tell me a colour and pattern.

J I know you don't want me to ask this but it must be done: what's your plan for change? We'll be here every step out of the way.

Have a good day peeps.

tootsl1

Marcher. Would I kid you? I just need to find the right pattern!

digdug

Marcher - I don't know my measurements. I am 5'10", 150lbs. 32 Inch waist and I wear I size medium shirt. Does that help or am I going to have to break out the tape measure. Though I don't know what exactly I would measure.

As for the drunk driving, because I live in a major metro city, I have not owned a car in 18 years. I have not driven in like 3 years. So I thankfully never had the opportunity to drive drunk. I would have killed someone. Most definitely.

Just another reason to stay sober. I don't think I could live with something like that on my conscience. I already have to live with the damage and destruction I caused with my words and actions. That is hard enough as it is.