Hey all!!!!--and a bit of a story...

weeeeeeeeelllll---(this might be a bit long--yipes!)I was finally able to take some time off--and I am telling you, it has felt sooooooo good!My one coworker is leaving in three weeks.... Gosh---and there were truly two things that were keeping me at that company---my coworker, and the fact that I work so close to home.---But I always said, that if he leaves--then I am too--so I have been tweaking my resume, and am updating my portfolio--(just been too busy to keep those things as up-to-date--as I should, however--I am on it. So, hopefully in the next weeks/months, I will be employed elsewhere, depending on "landing the right job"---we shall see.Needless to say what prompted me to search is a whole series of events at work that has truly put a strangle-hold pressure on me, that is burning me out...(our publishing company, and the mega Aurora Medical group puts on this huge gala every year though--complete with a fashion show featuring four major retail stores--and so not long ago, they asked me if I could model for one of the stores--as in runway--and so THAT is one commitment I should like to keep, as I am getting compensated for that!--and it sounds like fun no?So, anyway, I had the last four days off, and took the children up to Wisconsin Dells for some water-fun vacationing...HOWEVER before I go into THAT, I have had "feelers" out on getting a different car. It is time, my car is getting older, but I surely did love not having a car payment--so I kept the thing. Well, it turns out I cannot dump that bucket of bolts too soon. So, I make these plans to go up to the dells, and what should happen three days prior? My "radiator" blew or so they told me, it went bone dry--and when I went to put coolant in it, it would leak out of the bottom and onto the driveway.--SOOOO...I take that thing in and they put in a new radiator...$$$$....!!!....fine...all is well, and I ask them if it is okay to drive a bit of a distance. Yes they said.So, we get up to the dells...LATER than we wanted to--check into the hotel, and go swimming in the pool--and go-carting in the evening--and get back and Lilly is having a bit of a stomach ache. The next day she is so-so, okay, and yes, she wants to go to the water/theme park..but, all day she is not exactly herself. So towards evening, we leave and get back to the van, and lo and behold there is a BIG-@ss puddle of coolant under the Van AGAIN!!!...what the h@ll!!!! At this point we are tired, Lilly is not feeling the greatest--and so I have her go and lay down in the car, and here is me--popping the hood...YET AGAIN!..(btw, I am getting proficient at this by now)--and here it is leaking under the car in the EXACT SPOT it was before--prompting me to think, did I need a radiator, or was the mechanic just being a s***?!!--However this family from Minnesota--"Chuck and Susan"---entirely lovely family, saw me under the hood, and asked if they could help. (Now I wonder how invited they would feel if I were spazzing out, wasting time puffing away on cigarettes?)--Anyway, this man Chuck looked under the car and said that the problem looked like the "heater hose"--whatever had a pinhole in it. So, this lovely family drove us back down to the office of the themepark, and we called the police. This nice police officer "Matt" got me in touch with this auto service station, there in the dells--(after trying a couple of places-on a Friday night!!!-one guy "Mr. Platt." said to bring it on over and we can have a look at it....(after I told him what Chuck had said he thought the problem might be).So,quit smoking now, the kids and I parted company with Chuck and Susan. I am trying not to freak out thinking my radiator is going to go bone dry any second before we get to the mechanic--and Lilly is now sporting a temperature--(which later turned out to be 102.9 degrees!!!---We get there, and the guy was really nice...Rather quiet, and he saw that I had a new radiator--and is looking around at everything, and asked me how much they charged me for the radiator, and I told him....and then he seemed particularily bothered. So, he fixes the problem..we are only there for about a half an hour, and he goes..."okay you are all set"..so I go "thank you sooooo-so much, and how much do I owe you". He looks me straight in the eye, and says, "You and the kids have yourself a nice vacation". He would not take a dime....Well, it was all I could do--my eyes started tearing up---the kindness--a Friday NIGHT--and he would not take a dime. Well, he did not wait around for me to say anything else, he just turned around and went back into his shop....just like that.So, I get in my car, go about one block, and I had to pull over and cry like a baby---as there is truly goodness in this world--No, I did not pull away and ruin it by smoking---I pulled away and cryed tears of relief and joy--now THAT is REAL living. Lilly was sick that night and then felt better the next day, and we spent the entire day relaxing and having a fabulously great time--Mr. Platt made sure of that.And so, I must send a note--just to let him know that his kindness made three people's time up there--a lovely one.I must say that, smoking was never even remotely an option, it never can be now because as you go on in the quit, you realize just how rediculous it WAS that you would smoke over "excuses" like that---time takes care of that, and why it is so critical that one KEEPS THE QUIT---so that THAT miracle can happen for you too. Because I can promise you that if you keep the quit, it absolutely WILL happen for you. It is done by putting those cigs down and walking away, just turn the corner and never look back--as it is a beautiful life lived smokefree---Thanks for listening,quit smoking, and I surely hope this might inspire even one of you struggling to hang in there, HANG TOUGH and NOT ONE PUFF---you deserve this life of freedom that I and others have--you deserve it!sweet dreams......love and hugs to you!katiem3y 4m quit