One Year, One year
Posted: July 14, 2004, 11:23 am
Woo, sometime early this morning I officially passed one year without a cigarette. Do I feel differently? Well it is easier to get through a movie, of course if the movie was good enough I did not have a problem with that before, as an example Spiderman 2, I could have seen without getting all nicotine fitting, but Matrix 2, yeah that would have caused me to hurt half way through.
Hmm I can taste things better than I used to be able to, with the good and bad sides of that. Who would have thought that so many things were as bland as they are, I can even enjoy Hersheys chocolate bars now, and for the longest time they had little taste to me.
I do not seem to have that much less problem breathing, but perhaps it was because I spent almost half the time I smoked in the Army hacking everything out if my lungs at least 3 times a week following a run. But I must admit that I get winded much less often than I used to, but that could have be the 100lbs I lost also.
My wife tells me that even with constant tooth brushing, mints, breath strips etc I used to always have a "smokey" element to my breath and kissing but it is gone now. So that is a decided plus. Not to mention that with a new 75 cent a pack tax in Michigan, a pack of cigarettes runs 4.50 to 5.50 ( and I have seen 6 a pack) depending on the store. You know if they tied per pack tax increases to per bottle tax increases on beer we could cut drunk driving in half and increase revenue. But of course the tobacco companies cannot seem to fight as well as all the local bars do, and most politicians are drunks.
The bad thing about not smoking for a year... I still WANT ONE, ooo yes to have just ONE and light it and smoke it, and savor it, ooooo yes, I still want one. The desire is just as strong as it has always been, but I must admit the timing is changing, instead of every few seconds, I went to minutes, then hours, and sometimes I can go entire days without wanting a smoke. Never 2 days it seems, but I am hoping that eventually I get to that point. I moderately understand exsmoker bitchiness now but refuse to participate, ex smokers are jealous of smokers, and the smell when they are around triggers those desires in us. I truly understand how someone can quit for 10 years then go right back to smoking.
Hmm I can taste things better than I used to be able to, with the good and bad sides of that. Who would have thought that so many things were as bland as they are, I can even enjoy Hersheys chocolate bars now, and for the longest time they had little taste to me.
I do not seem to have that much less problem breathing, but perhaps it was because I spent almost half the time I smoked in the Army hacking everything out if my lungs at least 3 times a week following a run. But I must admit that I get winded much less often than I used to, but that could have be the 100lbs I lost also.
My wife tells me that even with constant tooth brushing, mints, breath strips etc I used to always have a "smokey" element to my breath and kissing but it is gone now. So that is a decided plus. Not to mention that with a new 75 cent a pack tax in Michigan, a pack of cigarettes runs 4.50 to 5.50 ( and I have seen 6 a pack) depending on the store. You know if they tied per pack tax increases to per bottle tax increases on beer we could cut drunk driving in half and increase revenue. But of course the tobacco companies cannot seem to fight as well as all the local bars do, and most politicians are drunks.
The bad thing about not smoking for a year... I still WANT ONE, ooo yes to have just ONE and light it and smoke it, and savor it, ooooo yes, I still want one. The desire is just as strong as it has always been, but I must admit the timing is changing, instead of every few seconds, I went to minutes, then hours, and sometimes I can go entire days without wanting a smoke. Never 2 days it seems, but I am hoping that eventually I get to that point. I moderately understand exsmoker bitchiness now but refuse to participate, ex smokers are jealous of smokers, and the smell when they are around triggers those desires in us. I truly understand how someone can quit for 10 years then go right back to smoking.