In The Navy ~

Captains Log: Day 515!

Over the past year and half I've relayed a numbers of stories on journey through my new smoke free life.

I've discussed cost savings, health benefits, stress, desires and triggers, the repulsiveness of stale cigarette smoke in clothes and other issues related to having finally 'kicked the habit' after nearly thirty years of smoking.

Did you know major life changes are the main reason for divorce and interruption of new healthy habits such as quitting smoking. Well, I'm already divorced, so no problem there but I'm still a relatively new non smoker. So my new life changes could pose a challenge for a delicate situation. I do not feel threatened just yet however.

In the past few months I've become a total empty nester .... I've gone from having three of my four kids around all the time to having everyone scattered across the globe. I know, this is what you raise them for, to leave home .... after all, the real problem is if they don't leave home! Still there when they're 30.

My oldest, the world traveler is now in Asia teaching English ... The youngest went to NY in the fall for his freshman year of college. NOW ... the two in the middle have just left for The Navy.

They will be in bootcamp for two months and then they both get to go to FLA for at least four months. Then ........ Who knows. My daughter wills stay in Pensacola for 10 months and my son will head to California, I think.

Anyway .......... if you're a smoker or an ex-smoker, you know it's times like these that normally your cigarette consumption would spike. The desire to relieve my anxiety with nicotine is not present yet, but I remain on guard.