The Great American Smoke Out

It's TODAY!

I quit smoking on this day in 1992.

I remember which year because it was the same November

Clinton was elected for the first time. 

My brother and I had spent the night in a castle in Germany

and in the morning we turned on the radio to 

see if we could tell who won. 

It was all in German

(go figure)

but when they kept saying Clinton, we figured he must have won.

My brother and I are *very* smart.

Anyway, that is absolutely the only reason 

I can name the year.

I started smoking when I was 16.

I was very cool. 

I tried quitting many times.

They say the more times you try to quit the closer you are to

actually quitting.

I think there's a trick in that statement. 

But nonetheless, 

upon return from said trip to Germany there was

a box of NicoDerm waiting for me.

That's funny in itself. 

They were available by prescription

only back then. My mother and I see the same doctor

so she just got him to write her a prescription for it, 

she bought them and put them on my kitchen table for my return.

That was also before all these HIPPA laws.

They worked.

They were a brand new product at the time and the 

biggest problem with them was when

 you would wear the patch *and* smoke.

That was way too much nicotine in a person's

body so people were having heart attacks. 

I didn't cheat.

I've had back slides.

When I'm am under severe stress I want a cigarette.

After 20 years I can still want a cigarette.

That's amazing and gives me a softer heart

for all addicts.

The good news is,

 that first cigarette makes

you a little pukey. 

I'm over 50.

I don't get as stressed as I used to.

And I hate feeling pukey.