# From Lemons To Lemonade And Vice Versa **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 29, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605 "2013-10-29T23:47:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/1 "2013-10-29T23:47:36Z")
I’ve smoked tobacco, I guess you could say, since I was 6 or 7 and stole 2 cigarettes from my mom to smoke with a homie. I’ve successfully quit many times over the past 65 years but I recently gave up giving up things I like and now smoke with abandon. I’ve lived most of the past 40 years well under the poverty line and when generic cigs moved beyond $3/pack I started rolling my own. Three nights ago at 2 AM I got out of bed for a piss run. I noticed that my right hand seemed paralyzed. I had a floppy hand; when I held my forearm horizontally the hand drooped. I couldn’t raise it at my wrist and my thumb and pinkie had lost much utility. I couldn’t shaka or hold up my thumb to hitch hike. My first thought, of course, was that I’d suffered a stroke. I got a neighbor out of bed and he drove me to the ER. It was decided that I had not had a stroke but had a pinched nerve. I was fitted with a really cool black plastic and velcro wrist brace and sent on my way. Many years ago, long story, I’d had pinched nerve and a floppy left foot; flap, right, flap, right for 6 months when one morning it was gone. It was not a great prognosis. You don’t realize what a convenience having a working wrist and thumb is until you don’t. This is especially true if you must roll cigarettes. I tried rolling several times and then just gave up and began to think about quitting and that The Universe had sent me message. Madness! I said after a day and a half of self-pity. I started a regimen of home rehab which had as it’s linchpin … rolling cigarettes. Finally, last night, success. Today, I’m rolling fine, I can get my hitching thumb up and can almost shaka. I can also raise my hand (with some effort) above horizontal. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. 😉 Aloha ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/2 "2013-10-30T01:15:29Z")
I sometimes make lemonade with limes. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/3 "2013-10-30T01:21:38Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I sometimes make lemonade with limes. Just sayin’. I’d rather make cigarettes with lemonade the lemonade with limes. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/4 "2013-10-30T01:25:30Z")
What if life gives you durians? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/5 "2013-10-30T02:16:58Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > What if life gives you durians? Kill yourself (of find a doper, everyone here seems to like them). ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/6 "2013-10-30T02:23:58Z")
learning to roll one handed is a life skill. ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/7 "2013-10-30T03:22:41Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > learning to roll one handed is a life skill. 🙂 One I hope to get along without. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/8 "2013-10-30T11:43:51Z")
OP’s title: **From Lemons To Lemonade And Vice Versa** How do you get the lemonade back into the lemons? (And in Hawaii, can you do the same with pineapples?) How do you grow pineapples in Hawaii anyway? I never heard of there being any pine trees there. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/9 "2013-10-30T14:03:57Z")
Congrats on your rehab **jsutter** There are beautiful upside down pine trees in Hawaii. They use them as wind breaks to protect the macadamia trees. I didn’t see any apples on them but that must be where they are right? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/10 "2013-10-30T14:08:34Z")
We have the pineapple/pinecone problem in Rhode Isalnd because of [this thing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Providence-Federal-Hill-Pineapple.2008-05-05.imgp7904.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/11 "2013-10-30T16:09:03Z")
If only those crazy people who think smoking is bad for you could read this thread! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/12 "2013-10-30T16:13:29Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > What if life gives you durians? > [@Joey\_P](#): > > Kill yourself (of find a doper, everyone here seems to like them). Not me! I’d take the “kill yourself” option. ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/13 "2013-10-30T18:14:59Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > If only those crazy people who think smoking is bad for you could read this thread! 😛 This was actually written with them in mind. Aloha 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/14 "2013-10-31T12:16:40Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Congrats on your rehab **jsutter** Thanks. Update: when I wrote the above, I figure that I was at 40% recovered … now maybe 60%. Progress. 🙂 Funny aside: I actually roll faster and more consistently now. Nothing like a little mindfulness to make things right. > [@](#): > > I didn’t see any apples on them but that must be where they are right? I don’t know. I live on the arid (10 in/yr) west end of Kauai. Over here the big seed cos, Syngenta and Pioneer, grow experimental soy and corn. Apples? I think we import them. Aloha ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/15 "2013-11-02T03:25:10Z")
> [@jsutter](#): > > I couldn’t shaka In Hawaii, this qualifies you for disability benefits. 😃 E malama pono. ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/16 "2013-11-02T03:45:35Z")
> [@Geek\_Mecha](#): > > In Hawaii, this qualifies you for disability benefits. 😃 > > E malama pono. Mahalo 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-lemons-to-lemonade-and-vice-versa/672605/17 "2013-11-03T02:31:07Z")
Update: 75% recovered … still find wrist brace useful. Let you know when I finally stash it in my first aid kit … for what? Just to be free of it. Aloha 😃