Doing The Math ~

Sixty-One Weeks & Still -- Living Smoke Free!

**Blogger's Note:
Attached are photos from my latest road trip.
a) Entering U of R campus
b) Home of the Yellow Jackets
c) A Canadian Moose
d) The Falls at Night
FJW

During my most recent journey I spent a long time in the car, driving round trip to Rochester, NY., Niagara Falls, both America and Canada. During my car time, if I'm not smoking a few packs of cigarettes along the way, what am I supposed to do?

Mathematics Calisthenics, of course!

**Blogger's Second Note:
Below math is based on these two variables. a) I used to go into the store and buy one pack of 'good' smokes and one pack of the 'cheap sh**' (the employees were in the habit of asking me: "One pack of each?") then alternate between smoking a premium and a cheap azz one ...
and b) This cost estimate is pre Obama Cigarette Tax Hike.

14 Months Living Smoke Free equals 61 Smokeless Weeks; that’s 427 days of NOT smoking!

At approximately 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes each day it would seem I have thus far NOT smoked 12,810 cigarettes - Let me type that out for effect:

Twelve Thousand, Eight-Hundred, Ten Cigarettes!

(One More Note: Notice you don’t put an “and” in whole numbers when you type them out – just in case you were wondering)!

With the estimated cost at the time of my quitting of right around $8.00 a day, I have saved myself: $3,416.00 –

Again, spelling it all out:
Nearly Thirty-Five Hundred Dollars!

I can’t speak for everyone, but in my world that’s alotta lettuce!

I’ve written once of the ‘residual’ cost savings from kicking the habit – all the savings in addition to merely the cost of the cigarettes – I will have to revisit that topic again soon. But for today, as I continue Living Smoke Free, let me summarize:

14 Months (Tomorrow)
61 Weeks (Today)
427 Smoke Free Days
12,810 Cigarettes Saved
$3,416.00 Kept in my pocket!

The Five Stages Of Change ~

I've tried quitting before, but it didn't work. Why not?

I've asked myself that very question so many times ... of course the answer was simply the lack of perseverance or will power. To quit smoking, one must be ready emotionally and mentally.

Some people are more ready to quit than others. Here are five stages of change that most people go through to successfully quit smoking.

Stage One:
Pre-contemplation. You don't want to quit smoking, but you may try to quit because you feel pressured to quit.

Stage Two:
Contemplation. You want to quit someday. You haven't taken steps to quit, but you want to quit.

Stage Three:
Preparation. You take small steps to quit such as cutting back on smoking or switching to a lighter brand.

Stage Four:
Action. You put a plan for quitting into action. You make changes in your actions and environment to help cope with urges to smoke. You cope with urges to smoke by following the plan and remain smoke-free for six months.

Stage Five:
Maintenance. You have not smoked for one year.

Now, after so many attempts at quitting, for the first time I have reached the fifth step -- Maintenance. It feels great! My goal now is not only to maintain by smoke free living but hopefully assist a few others along the way.

Remember:
Smoking again (relapse) is common. In fact, 75% of those who quit will smoke again. Most smokers try to quit three times before being successful.

2571.5 Trip Miles ~

It was a long round trip drive in a short amount of time.
But a fun and interesting adventure it was.

Niagara Falls was exceptionally cool ... and that coming from someone who's been to the southern tip of Africa. Niagara is every bit of an awesome sight to see. I highly recommend the journey to anyone who hasn't been.

A long road trip with not one cigarette. Of course, if I haven't had one in over 420 days there's no reason to think I would start on this vacation ... Except when you realize long car trips are great opportunities for smoking! What else is there to do in the car? But, I passed. No cheating what-so-ever.

Odd though ... just last week I wrote about the smoking dreams happening less frequently and this week, while in NY, I had two very real smoking dreams in a row!

The second dream even had me contemplating how to write about the 'set back' in my blog and whether I start my entire count down over? Do I confess to my failings and just move on? or have a back slash in my quit days?

Example: 420/1 and start the whole thing over after the back slash ...

I woke so disappointed I had to sit up and shake myself awake and realize it was only a dream and I could lay back down to enjoy the rest of my night and the next day of my STILL smoke free life!

Road Trip ~

Rochester NY ~ Ready or Not, Here I Come ~

My last child is going off to college.

I'm leaving today on a 7 day road trip to drive him to New York State.

I don't anticipate this being your typical College Road Trip, since we are Father and Son.

That being said, it WON'T be the driving adventures of my youth,

Smoking All The Way!

I swear, it was absolutely no big deal to drive half way across the country to New Orleans, burning an entire package of smokes along the way!

Of course, once you're in NOLA, still a very smoking friendly city, total cigarette consummation doubles.

Yes, I believe this to be a much tamer drive ...

And I'm sure my son will enjoy the smoke free ride!

Wish me luck ~

Still Dreaming ~

They are getting less and less and further and further apart ...

But on occasion, I still have a cigarette smoking dream.
And the are still so very, very real.

Last night I was in a grounded airplane ... waiting for someone to let us all off the plane.
(Go figure -- is there a worse customer service industry??)

Finally, off the plane I was able to 'bum' a cigarette off another grounded passenger.
I smoked, and puffed, and enjoyed my first cigarette in 415 days!

"Sheeeet" ... I thought, so long and now I have had just his one. This one cigarette. One single smoke ........ "Now, I have to start my smoke free count all over again."
Shoot!! (censored, of course).

I am up for quite sometime before I realize it was all just a dream and I actually do not have to start all over .... I just have to continue plugging away .... one day at a time.

PS: Thanks Kate in MD :)

Good Morning, Maryland ~

59 Smoke Free Weeks!

Still reason to celebrate!

(a) I can't believe I've made it this long.

(b) I can't believe I rarely even miss it anymore.

Thank you Pam for your input, congratulations and encouragement.

I haven't posted in two weeks now. I think that's the longest I've gone without a post since I started nearly 415 days ago.

And I think I have about two followers out there anymore ... Cali and N.E. .... sometimes Barb from FLA.

I haven't decided to keep this going or not ...

Should I go for 1000 days?? That'd be over 3 years ... or should I just let my humble little blog die a slow and lonely death?

Someone please help me decide .... FJW

Day 400 And Still Blogging ~

Yes ~ If I'm still blogging, I'm still Smoke Free too!

When I first started I was sure I could make it if I really tried ... What I wasn't sure of was how long it would drive me absolutely NUTs. The best answer to that is it gets better each and every day.

What surprises me now is how bad my breathing still is. It IS a lot better from a year ago but it's still very bad, especially on high humidity days ... like the ones we've had here in the mid-west for the last few weeks.

So .... What I really want anyone who happens to see this and hasn't given up smoking yet ... Keep in mind that each passing day you continue you are doing your lungs irreparable damage and it's going to be harder and harder to recover from.

I know it's hard, but it's worth it. At least give it a try.

Asleep At The Wheel ~

July 31st ~

56 Weeks -- 392 Days --
And my second Smoke Free Birthday in a row!!

I haven't been Smoke free for two consecutive birthdays since my 14th & 15th birthdys. (I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed).

I'm really not sure who's logging in to see my humble blog but I do know not too many people do. Every so often someone will leave a somewhat inspiring comment but every one seems to drop out sooner or later. Usually sooner.

So now my dilemma is: Since I started this blog predominately as my own therapy to counter my urge to smoke and desire to quit ... do I need to keep it going?

Do I drop out?
Close up shop?
Leave out here but quit posting?
Look for someone to take over my blog as their own therapy?
Change the Subject?? Politics? Humor? Health (ie: Crohn's Disease)?
Or continue, just posting once a week or twice a month?

I do not know ... I would ask for advice but so few read this ... But as for now ...

Happy (Smoke Free) Birthday To Me !