A journey of a thousand miles, should not be started without cigarettes!! :)
This is what I'm referring to as an online account of my attempt to quit smoking. I use the word attempt because unfortunately it's not my first try at all this. And if I've learned anything from previous attempts it's that you never want to say you QUIT, until you actually do. So what makes this time around so special that it should be documented? Well nothing at the moment, aside from the fact that in my mind, I'm more ready to quit now than ever, and I've actually purchased something to aid me in my quest. That's right, I've got Nicotine patches. And not even the good ones either. I opted for generic brand. Mainly because one of my main reasons for quitting is the money, and if I'm going to stay quit, then I'm going to have to see some noticeable change in my bank account immediately, or I'll convince myself that I'm not doing any good. But anyway, other than that, there's really nothing about this attempt to quit that makes it any different at all. So really the only thing that makes it truly special is, that I'm documenting it.
So anyway, here's the scorecard so far. I'm 23 years old, and I've been smoking since I was 15, which adds up to about 8 years. Currently I'm smoking about 2 packs a day. Sometimes more, but never any less. Out of about 4 serious tries to quit in the past, I'm currently at a record of 23 hours without a cigarette. And considering I was asleep for about 7 of those hours, that's not REAL good progress. And yes, I am still smoking at the moment, but this is my last night. I've decided that tomorrow is a brand new day, and I will not light another cigarette again. So in the morning when I wake up, i'll strap on my first patch and take a stab at a day without cigarettes.
What I'm up against is this. I currently work Tech Support at a VERY WELL KNOWN computer company. I provide support for high-end, top of the line, gaming systems as well as assorted peripherals like Wireless routers and LCD TVs. For those who don't know, Tech Support can be stressful. But even when it's not, it's still HIGHLY AGGRAVATING!!! Also, I'm currently living with my fiance, Valerie, who is great btw, and will be a HUGE help with this whole thing. BUT at the moment she is 8 months pregnant, and susceptible to emotional outburts, all around bitchyness, and a short fuse. Don't get me wrong, she's earned the right to have all of that and more, and for the most part, she hasn't been near as bad as everyone said a pregnant woman would be. BUT, without the nicotine filter, who knows what could happen. And there's just the stress of the fact that my first son is soon to grace the world with his presence, and THAT is nerve racking enough to make me START smoking. Throw in the usual day to day nail biters like always being in the car during peak rush hour traffic, and other things that just get under my skin, and well this is POSSIBLY THE WORST TIME TO QUIT SMOKING!!! So why am I doing it? Because I need to, for more reasons than one, and because I'm pretty much known for doing things at the worst possible time. No reason to break that trend now.