6 months (2 months)

It's been six months now! Wow, time flies when you're having fun!

It has really gotten easier. I barely think about it all. Except to say: "Wow I'm really glad I don't have to do this or that anymore." (And with the cold @$$ winter coming up - won't have to freeze off my nonexistent balls.)

Anyway, there are still times I'd like to have one - but it's not very hard to pass up at all. (Although sometimes I do think that just one wouldn't hurt - BUT I KNOW BETTER!) ;0)

And - Mike's been smokefree for two whole months! He's doing fantastic. He makes it look soooo easy. He is way, way stronger than I am. He probably needs to be to put up with me. (Who me? Wittle ol' me??? Yes - me.)

Fourteen Weeks...and an additional announcement

Whew! It's been quite a while since I posted on this blog...

But I am still smokefree!

AND now, for the special announcement: da-da-da-DAH - my husband has quit too!!

Words really cannot express how proud I am of him.

He makes quitting seem so easy. He is chewing the gum and eating mints - but other than that - it's near seamless.

And, of course, I've told him that. He then responded: "Yes! Now that I know I can do it and since it's so easy - I can smoke again and just quit anytime!"

I actually had to ask him if he was serious about that comment...

but, he wasn't. He's fully committed to quitting.

And even if he were to change his mind - I'd love him anyway.

Eight Weeks and counting!

Yay!!

So far, if my calculations are correct - I've saved at least $120. Could be more. That is a conservative estimate.

Will I buy myself something nice? Probably not. (Since I usually buy what I'm thinking about pretty much the moment the thought hits my brain.)

I'll continue to "save" my money...

All kidding aside, I might put the $120 aside for something...even if it's just so that I can start a savings account.

Six Weeks!

My first thought is - wow - it's been a while since I posted. I guess things have been a little crazy at work and we had a few days off from the 4th...

Six weeks smokefree!! Woohoo!!

My life has completely changed. I rarely have urges...

Unfortunately, I do find that I'm turning into one of those smokefree freaks. This past Friday, I grabbed a lit cigarette out of my friend's hand and threw it into the street. I was a bit "drunked up" and wasn't thinking very clearly but, thankfully, my friend wasn't mad. A few days later, I went inside a neighborhood bar to say "hi" to a few people and, just in passing - - - I thought I was going to suffocate.

*SsssssNIFF* ~ smell that good ol' fresh air!!!

The moral of the story is...I'll live outside. Except in the winter - then I'll become a hermit, I guess.

Four Weeks!!!

I can hardly believe it!

I still find that more often than not, I don't think about smoking. However, it has not been all easy. I have realized that I should probably give up drinking, too. At least until I get this smoking thing kicked. At our wonderful going away party for the even more wonderful Ilaiy, I had a few beers. That made me want to smoke pretty desperately. I contemplated picking up my friend Atef's snuffed out cigarettes and lighting them up! Sounds crazy I know. I'm ashamed to admit it...but it's true.

I also asked my husband and all the smokers there for a cigarette. Thankfully, "all of the smokers there" consisted of Mike, Ilaiy and Atef. All of whom know I quit smoking and wouldn't let me bum a cigarette. I'm thankful they didn't let me have one.

All of that being said - - I made it through the week smokefree.

Yay!!

If even a monkey can do it...

Kicking the habit no monkey business for chain-smoking Chinese chimp, Yahoo

Three Weeks

I've got to say that I'm pretty excited about my progess so far. I hardly think about smoking anymore and that really surprises me. I know that it might sound silly that I'm thinking about not thinking about smoking. But, when I'm alone in my car driving - all I think about is driving and/or singing and/or putting on my makeup (danger, danger) and/or recording songs for one of my other blogs (even MORE dangerous - but seriously fun.)

There are still times when I might say: "Wow, it'd be nice to have a cigarette right now." (Some of you have probably heard me say that a time or two.) At least now when I say it - I know that I'm not going to give in. I can still have a little wishful thinking, right?

As twisted dna said: "I somehow can't tell myself that I can't smoke again! Still, after 9 years of being smoke free. I keep telling myself that I will start smoking again at 50!"

I like that way of thinking!! In fact, my books even say that you shouldn't think about never having one again. Of course, you're never supposed to have one again - but that sort of thinking will make you crave one even more.

Here's to 50!!! Or maybe 60 or 70!!

Two Weeks

Alright, today is the two week "anniversary" of my attempt to quit smoking.

Since I'm an extremely honest person (almost to a fault at times), I want to say that I had one puff last weekend. I had been at a party and it was very, very late. I almost made it...but, I didn't. So, I can't claim that I'm completely smokefree. I can say that, hopefully, I will continue to be smokefree for a long, long time. "Forever Free" as in my booklets from www.smokefree.gov.

The booklets have really helped - except for the fact that when I read the one titled "What to do if you have a cigarette", it was a little disheartening to be truthful (again, with the truthiness - thank you Stephen Colbert for "inventing" that word). They say that 9 out of 10 smokers that have one cigarette after quitting will return to regular smoking. I don't want that to be me. I had that one puff - it didn't feel good, it didn't taste good and it didn't make me feel good (did I already say that?). It made me lightheaded. That doesn't mean that the cravings are gone or that I know for sure that there won't be times when having a cigarette would be the perfect thing for me to do!!! Don't you think so??? (Hubbo?? Bueller? Anyone??)

Here's to hoping those statistics are wrong!

Either that or I'll just plan to be that 1 out of 10.

Breathe

One of the many reasons I decided to quit.

When I started contemplating this quit, I was riding in my car. I had some sort of cold, sinus infection - whatever. Feeling like crap - I thought about quitting. Seriously.

So, in one car ride from home into town, I thought I'll just sing a little song to keep me from thinking about smoking/keep me strong.

Breathe (Anna Nalick)
Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
and life's like an hourglass glued to the table
No on can find the rewind button, girl
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe...just breathe

I remained strong during that drive into town. But smoked again shortly after. Memorial day came and went.

I was at work on Tuesday having driven in without smoking. Amazingly. I was telling a friend of mine, Phyllis, about what I was trying to do. I'm blathering on, as I usually do, and I tell her that I was singing Breathe. She says she recently got that CD and I could borrow it if I wanted to.

Tears came to my eyes. I think I was shocked. Shocked that Phyllis listened to pop music. Shocked that she knew my song. And that she had it to loan me. And me, being the sap that I am, believed that this must be fate.

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
You shout cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
And these mistakes you make you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around

That part really speaks to me. It's a challenge for me. I don't want this to be as far as I'll ever get quitting smoking.

This is as far as I've gotten. I don't want to go back.

Day 9

I might have gotten a little overconfident yesterday. I did make it through the evening smokefree, BUT I had horrible cravings. I have no idea why. Probably because, as I said, I was overly confident in my blog yesterday. "I'm in control." Yeah, right. My husband left for a few hours last night and I was going a little crazy. He's normally there when I say: "I think I"ll have a smoke."

"You don't really want to do that." He says.

I'm being dead serious when I say that it helps when he's around. I couldn't do it without him.

So, I stayed put on the couch with my kitties plastered on me while I was watching The English Patient. I have not finished the movie yet - it's only almost three hours long. But, I really like it so far.

Anyway, Hubbo got home and we talked about it. He suggested eating something.

Uh, no thanks - bad idea. He made some tomato soup for himself and ate it while I laid on the other couch. I told him: "Naps are a good idea." So, we both took naps on our couches. He was tired from having a tooth pulled the day before. We woke up at 1 a.m. But, I made it through the night smokefree.

One Week

Today is officially one week for me!

Sometimes, I forget that I ever smoked...

other times I have cravings.

It's still in my everyday life in some ways. "Hey, I'm done eating. I think I'll go outside and smoke."

Oh, no-you-diiiii-iiint just think that! Wha????

So, I'm sad for a moment - but that feeling goes away. It's erased by some other fleeting thought and I move on...

I'm a quitter. And I'm going to stay to that way!

Day 7!!!

Yay!! I made it through the weekend smokefree. I'm sooo very happy that I can post today and say that.

I feel in control of my actions. There are definitely cravings but I've been able to work through them because this is what I want to do.

We saw my husband's family this weekend and they were extremely happy to hear that I had quit. I felt very proud to be able to tell them about it...

This weekend was, by no means, the last challenge. But, it boosts my confidence!

Yay - Day 7!!!

Day 4

So far so good...

I'm worried about making it through the weekend. That may be tough. I'm getting so nervous - I feel like I could cry! Why then, should I be so stressed about it? If it means that much to me, I wouldn't worry that my willpower won't hold up.

I'll be going to my favorite coffee shop tonight. Which is hard because I loved to sit out and smoke there. Drink my coffee, tea, beer, whatever and talk and talk and talk and smoke. I know I have friends there who are going to try to help me through this though.

I hope to be posting on Monday and saying: "DAY 7."

Day 3-1/2

I know that when I go home tonight, I'll probably whine to my hubby again. Here's a sample of what he experiences:

• WHY am I quitting again?
• But I like smoking.
• Smoking is my hobby. (In response to - I need a hobby.)
  
• I can't believe I'll never have another cigarette again. (That thought just blows my mind! And makes me sad!)
• The pamphlets say I can have just one. (They say just exactly the opposite.)
• I won't have any fun anymore. I think I'd rather keep smoking than ever have a baby.
• Babies aren't fun. You can't have fun with a baby! They just keep you from smoking and drinking!!
  
• Oh, and don't forget, "cough, cough, cough, attempting to talk - cough, cough." I only cough at night. I think I get overheated or something. I don't know if the coughing is from my cold and/or quitting. I'm not sure I want to know which it is. Probably both.
• If I feel like this again tomorrow night - I'm going to start smoking to feel better!
• **REPEAT**
  

Day 3

I should've started this a few days ago, but...

This Tuesday I quit smoking.

Even saying that I was a smoker is kind of shameful. But, it's out there. And I'm done smoking now. I hope. I'm trying to take it "one day at a time". And hopefully, when all's said and done I can sing louder and prouder than I normally do.

I'm trying to be strong. My poor husband is taking the brunt of it. Here at work, I'm fine. I don't smoke while I'm here anyway. I've told everyone here what I'm doing and they've been extremely encouraging. Every day I walk in, a few people ask me how today is. One asked me: "Is this day 3?"

And I'm proud because I can say: "Yes."