Choppers

I just returned from my semi-annual teeth cleaning.  I am glad to report that my teeth and gums are healthy and happy and that there was very little in the way of cleaning of tartar that needed to occur.  My new dentist said that I have excellent teeth and gums.  This is such a nice contrast.  I originally had my prior dentist for over 40 years, but when he retired, his patient list was sent to a new dentist who I went to for about two years.  He was a nightmare... wanting to do all sorts of nonsense to me and wanting to replace intact fillings and adding crowns and all sorts of other b*llsh*t to pad his wallet.  I left him after he botched a (I suspect, unnecessary) filling replacement which gave me a great deal of hassle for which I have been aggravated about for quite some time.   I did not visit a dentist for two years, out of dislike for this fellow before I ended up taking the bull by the horns and calling around to find the fellow I now go to.  He has been wonderful, and compliments me on my teeth care habits and says my mouth, jaw, and gums are all robust, healthy and strong.

So, my teeth are especially white and shinny at the moment.  It almost makes me want to not drink any coffee for a while to keep them so nice and polished.  We shall see how I feel about that in the morning when I normally have my coffee.

PipeTobacco

Nicotine

The above molecule is the structure and composition of nicotine.  It is supposedly the root cause of why I smoke a pipe.  The idea is that I ingest nicotine and it will act upon receptors on acetylcholine releasing neurons.  Nicotine is a parasympathomimetic alkaloid and can exert stimulating or sedative effects depending upon usage.   To the best of my understanding of myself, I primarily indulge in tobacco for its slight sedative effects.  Yet, the odd thing about my pipe smoking, is that I admit that I greatly enjoy the activity, and greatly enjoy the process, but I have experimented over the last few weeks with other nicotine containing products (cigars, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, and even an e-cigarette).  While I occasionally enjoy a cigar under normal circumstances, I was experimenting with the various other tobacco type items simply to see if they could be a substitute for me in a new effort to stop, or restrict my pipe tobacco consumption.  The odd thing is that NONE of the other tobacco type items were able to substitute for my pipes and pipe tobacco.  To me, that suggests that there is something beyond the simple biochemistry of nicotine at work in my long standing affair with pipes and pipe tobaccos.  If pipes and pipe tobaccos were not available to me, I do not think I would regularly and consistently indulge in any other form of tobacco.  None (not cigars, not chewing tobacco, not cigarettes, not e-cigarettes) were something that held the sort of appeal to me that my pipes and pipe tobacco have.

I think exploring this notion further may help me to eventually uncover a mechanism by which I will be successful in quitting smoking my pipes and pipe tobaccos, or in having a restricted structure of very occasional use of pipes and pipe tobaccos.  To me, I think it is important to note that it really is not all about nicotine.  That is somewhat flying in the face of common theory on the matter of using tobacco, but it truly feels as if it is explaining something of value to me that I may be able to use in my efforts.

You may find it interesting to note that I threw away the chewing tobacco, the cigarettes, and the e-cigarette, because none of them really had any appeal for me.  I kept the two cigars I had left, but put them away, and have no real interest in them at this time.

PipeTobacco

Busy Time

The winding down of the semester is a hectic time for professors. It is not horrendous, by any stretch of the imagination, but it is just very busy. With my new course also winding down for the first time, there is still a tremendous amount of preparation, especially in developing what would be considered a fair yet appropriate final examination. In many ways, it is fun and enjoyable work, but the sheer volume of it is a bit stressful. I am hopeful that I can maintain the calm, diligent effort I have been able to conduct bus far. I am especially pleased that I have not had any emotional upheavals nor huge, daunting surprises. So in a nutshell, life is call me but hectic. 

PipeTobacco

Happy Birthday Dad!

I have been thinking about my father a great deal the last several days. Today is my father's birthday. He would have been 90 years old today. At one level it *is* so very long since he has been a physical presence in my life, but in the same vein, he has been a mental/emotional/philosophical presence in my life every day. With he now being 90, it is so odd to think about. I miss him so very much.  I wish I could have him here physically today. 

It is ever more striking how I can see in myself more and more ways in which I am very much like my father and other ways in which I am very much like my mother. The characteristics I have that are especially like that of my father include a general quietness to my demeanor and a rather contemplative personality. Physically, my teeth are like my father's. My eyes are much like my father's and my ears and forehead are very similar to that of my father's. Of course, my enjoyment of pipes and pipe tobacco is something I learned from my father as well.

I will be traveling to the other end of the county today to visit my father and mother's grave site. Even though it is quite cold outside (below freezing), I am planning to sit at the grave site for quite a while and talk to (with) my father on this his birthday. I am also planning to take with me, one of his favorite pipes that I inherited from him. I shall smoke that pipe while I am visiting with him at the grave site.

I miss you so very much, Dad! I wish you a very Happy Birthday.

PipeTobacco

At Mass

A passage from the Gospel heard at Mass today gave me pause to think:

"Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."

In what way have I committed crimes?  Unfortunately, I can think of far too many.  Most of my crimes are those of not being compassionate enough towards others, especially those I love.  I regret all the missed opportunities I have had to be more "present" with those I care about.  I do not mean just the general, physical presence... but more the opportunities I have missed to be more emotionally with people.  I do keep asking forgiveness for this and for all my many sins, and I do try to work each day to become better, although it is often hard.  I do so very much try to understand and find ways to not miss out on these opportunities.  I wish I would be stronger at it and better at being "there" more deeply.  Actually, I want to be more deeply intertwined with all aspects of my life as well.

PipeTobacco

1894

Today marks the 1,894th day in a row that I have walked (sometimes jogged) each and every day for approximately 5 miles.   It is an endeavor that now is very much a habit and is second nature to me.  It has been very helpful for me physically (normal BMI) and emotionally (helps me to reduce stress.  I am glad I do this, and I am glad I have the motivator of being able to get such a large number.  Even though the number plays a less crucial role these days as the habit is established, I still like the idea now that I am approaching a close milestone (1900) and also moving towards a really big milestone number of 2000.  I hope I keep up my consistency.

PipeTobacco

Under the Weather

I have figured out that I must have gotten the virus that has been running rampant both at work and at home.  I have felt a little run down last night and today.  The clincher was when I took my temperature.  I had a low grade fever (99.5 degrees) which is rather high for me as I typically have a temp of 97.4 degrees when feeling well.  

Hopefully, it will be a brief malady.  I must be in pretty good shape as I frequently do not get these maladies as they are passed around or if I do, I am typically the last one to get it.  

Keeping my fingers crossed for a shedding if the symptoms. by morning.

PipeTobacco