Mrs. Mick on Fellinni Snus, Greyhound Buses…and cigarettes

As I read my husband’s latest article I figured I should put in my own two cents about my recent trip and the Fellinni White Mini Portions.

Hi, I’m Catherine DeMarsh-Hellwig; also known as Mrs .Mick. Now that Mick is a big time famous columnist he spends most of his time on our computer, reading, researching, writing, and playing Civi Balls. Trying to wrestle the computer away is not an easy task to do, so I had to get sneaky. After he went to bed I searched around the computer desk and found his password list hidden in an empty can of Ettan lös in the back of a drawer. So I thought it would be a great idea to add a guest article to his column. See how long it takes him to notice. No telling him: that would be cheating.

Recently I was forced to take a 4 hour trip on a Greyhound Bus to visit family in a neighboring state for my Uncle’s Memorial and of course one cannot smoke in the station or on the bus. As this was my first time riding a bus anywhere I was a little nervous about my trip. Luckily, before boarding I did make a couple of new friends who also were smokers. (And if by chance they are reading this… thanks for your company and letting me rattle to you on the way to my stop. I hope you made it home safe!)

Shortly after boarding we made our way to the back of the bus where we soon got to know each other and traded war stories of various smoking laws, childhood and how we came to be on our trips. They had met on their trip and made a deal to look out for each other as they made their way to their respective homes in the Carolinas. As the bus made its first of three scheduled stops, two hours into our trip, the driver told us if this was not your stop please stay on the bus. I was ok with this as I really am not a big smoker. (Only three or four cigarettes per day, unless I am driving or very stressed then it is more like half a pack every hour or hundred miles.) After another hour of not being able to smoke I could see my friends were beginning to show signs of nicotine withdraw.

Being the loving and sweet husband he is, and knowing me as well as he does, Mick did not let me leave the house without a can of Snus in my hip pocket. I asked my new friends if they had ever heard of Snus. After explaining what it was, and both willing to try anything to curb their craving for nicotine, they smelled the can and reluctantly took a portion from the can with a “What do I do now” look on their face. I showed them as I wiggled the portion between my fingers to loosen up the tobacco, then how to slip the portion into my lip. Everyone is different, I usually start with the portion in my upper lip up front and as it loses its punch I move it back in my upper cheek.

I know everyone says, “You’re not supposed to smell it, just taste it!” I am not a trusting soul; I have to smell anything new before I put it in my mouth. The Fellinni Mint smelled of spearmint. Almost like the gum. While on the tongue as well as in the lip it gives a light burn of spearmint at first which seems strong for me but after a couple of minutes tastes cool and sweet. As we continued to discuss the snus along with when our next stop might be and if we would be allowed to get off the bus long enough to have a real smoke I could see as the nicotine began to sink in. their faces began to become more relaxed and their mood lightened. I asked how they were doing. Although it allowed me to not really want or care for a smoke it seemed to ease their craving for a smoke.

I told them about Mick and about SnusCentral. Sandy took down the web site and told me she was truly interested in finding out more about this “Snus stuff.” An hour later both thanked me again and we stopped long enough for us to smoke. Funny thing is they smoked but I was fine and didn’t feel the need to smoke.

As we pulled into my stop we said our final goodbyes and promised to stay in touch I knew I didn’t need a full can and offered a few portions to them both as they still had a long trip in front of them.

Like any good redneck I slipped the can into my purse before going into the church. And I am glad I did because what was supposed to be only a two hour service started with the opening prayer being almost 45 minutes long. Nothing against southern preachers but I now know why more people in the south use smokeless tobacco! Sitting in the back the church I started to notice as more than me was slipping something into their mouth. And as the preacher left the pulpit I noticed he too slipped a pinch of something into his lip. After the service I pulled the preacher aside and asked his choice of smokeless tobacco. He smiled at me and we started taking about snus. Which got many others either commenting or at least listening in. This just goes to show fraternity of tobacco.

I know many like my husband started using snus to stop smoking. I am not going to say this is the case with me. I am a die-hard smoker. Like I tell my doctor every time he tells me I should quit smoking, “I smoke to keep the homicide rate down.” I am an adult, I know the risks and I choose to smoke, when I can and where I can, but when I can’t I am going to keep a can of Fellinni White Mini Portions (among others) on hand. Just in case I am in a place where I can’t smoke and I need to keep the homicide rate from getting out of control.