Tammi's World

Take Your Best Shot

I'm kinda proud of myself.

I've mentioned a time or two that my smoking has decreased. No, I haven't quit, it's just I'm not smoking nearly as much as I was.

For the past.......forever, I've averaged between 2 and 3 packs a day. Yes, I am aware that a pack of cigarettes has 20 individual smokes. I'm also aware that would mean that I was smoking between 40 and 60 cigarettes a day. I'm also aware that is a BAD thing.

But that's where my smoking has "settled" over the past 16 or so years.

Since I've moved to Paradise, and started this new job, it's down. So much so that my local "connection" (the gas station in town) has commented on it.

I'm averaging less than one pack a day. LESS than one pack a day.

And I'm not even trying.

I don't/can't smoke in the house. But I do smoke on the sun porch. That makes a HUGE difference. I've never lived in a "non-smoking home" before. I usually won't even make that a consideration. But I love this place. I thought/think it was worth it.

This morning I was up, out of bed, drinking coffee for A HOUR before I had my first smoke.

That is flat out AMAZING. And, just so you know, I power smoked that, and didn't even really finish it.

Used to be the last thing I did before I went to bed was have that last cigarette to "wind down". Now? I don't even think about it.

There's no more getting up in the middle of the night to have a cup of tea and a smoke. Hell, half the time I don't even know where the pack is! I usually find them still in my car.

The bulk of my smoking is done when I'm on the phone with personal calls. I'll take the phone to the sun porch, curl up on one of the chairs and light up.

But I rarely finish that cig. I'll stub it out about half way through. Yes, I'll light another, but I'm not really smoking them.

All that, and I'm not using the gum or lozenges I bought.

So - between that realization, and purposefully cutting back on the caffeine, I'm pretty damned proud of myself. Caffeine wise? Less than 1 pot of coffee a day, and other than the occasional Diet Coke, everything is caffeine free.

And I'm feelin' pretty good. I'm not sick. I didn't collapse. No withdrawals. Just......good. It's all good.

I'm just a little mad at myself that I fought this for as long as I did. Many of y'all were right. And this is your opportunity to say "I told you so" without me kickin' your ass......

Posted by Tammi at September 17, 2007 06:28 AM | TrackBack