Friday, October 21, 2005

362 days without a smoke ...

For the few of you who don't know, I'm closing in on my first full year without cigarettes.

I was a two-pack a day (and often more) smoker for the better part of 20 years. Yep, from age 15 to 35, I was a heavy smoker. But last year, I got tired of running out of breath from walking up the flight and a half of stairs to my apartment. If I had a couple bags of groceries or laundry, it was murder. I couldn't even play a full round of golf, not even using a cart; I would be nearly wiped out after 14 or 15 holes.

So I decided to quit. And I decided to quit very publicly — I announced it in the newspaper in a column written just for my personal project, called "Quest to Quit." I wrote about my plan to quit, about quitting, and issues I had in trying to quit and stay quit.

I was pleasantly stunned that so many people here followed my progress. Total strangers would come up to me to say "good job" or to ask if I was still not smoking, and offer me encouragement.

To make a long story short, on Monday it will be one full year without any kind of smoke — no cigarettes, no cigars. Heck, not even any dip or snuff or chewin' tabacky! So to mark the occasion, I wrote a column about the first year, which publishes tomorrow (Saturday here in Guam). Here is the cake we used as a prop for the photo to accompany the article. You can read the article and see a really cheesy pic of me with the cake at guampdn.com. It won't be up until around ... hmm ... 1 p.m. EST, or 10 a.m. on the West Coast.

Random Guam Fact of the Day:
• On a per capita basis, no other place in the U.S. smokes as many cigarettes as does Guam. I think I've used this one before, but I'm too lazy to go digging for another factoid.

28 comments:

DZER said...

thanks. you know you played a big role in actually getting me to even start considering quitting ... so really, thank you.

DZER said...

derrik: I have had checkups with my doc ... my heart, at least so far, is in surprisingly good shape LOL

gigi: ooh ... HOW impressed? *sly wink*

DZER said...

that's my talent darlin' ... gettin pretty ladies to laugh at me LOL

DZER said...

they have to airlife in the cakes and pastries ...

... and thanks much; but fuck I wish I was still smoking LOL

sassinak said...

dzer: i still miss it but a lot less
if that's any consolation?

it's my 5 year anniversary december 21st...

DZER said...

sass: congrats for you .. I hope I can make it 5 years

and it's not even like I CRAVE it ... I just really liked smoking ... why does it have to be bad for you? LOL

DZER said...

I guess so ... which means you're probably VERY bad for me ;)

DZER said...

including us? ;)

da buttah said...

congrats D!

i'm proud of you :)

DZER said...

buttah: thanks, dahlink!

DZER said...

hick: one thing I learned is that everyone has to make their own decision; they have to be ready to quit. If you aren't really ready to quit, you won't be able to quit successfully.

if you decide to give it a try, I wish you all the best luck ... and I can give you some good Web resources

Everything Nice said...

Congrats from an occasional smoker... I can admit it. Fuck anybody that wants to give me a hard time about it.

It's my $5.78 a pack after all.

OH, that cake looks good... wish I coulda jumped out of it for ya. But I would've had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth and perhaps that wouldn't be appropriate.

Snooches.

Hoochie Mama said...

Congrats! Yummy... cake! Keep it up and don't ever give in to the temptation!

DZER said...

hey there stranger ;) ... thanks, darlin' ... and you can still get a pack of non-brand-name cigs here for $2; $3.50-$3.75 for name brand.

and I'll take you any way I can get you coming out of a cake — smoking (literally) or just smoking (as in hot, hot, hot)!

and I shall cherish my first snooch for ever and always :)

DZER said...

lilith: thanks darlin' ... e-mail me some pic incentives! ;)

SignGurl said...

You and that cake are so damn cute!

Congratulations and good luck with your continued quest.

DZER said...

shit! Is it up online already? LOL

I'm such a goddamned ham ;)

sassinak said...

hey dzer: you are totally right, it's all in the decision, until you decide there's no point.

that said, once you've done it you still have to make that decision every time you see tobacco and watch the temptation to think 'oh i must be over it by NOW' ... that's still addiction talking

snooch?

sassinak said...

also? damn dude you're a lot skinnier than your profile pic now!

SignGurl said...

Thanks for the link!

"this place is my recital, i think it's very vital
to rock a rhyme that right on time
it's tricky, tricky, tricky"

kathi said...

Congrat's, I'm so proud of you (and I don't even know you, lol).
How come you're in Guam?

DZER said...

sass: thanks darlin' ... though I don't think anyone should be using the word "skinnier" in regards to me LOL

jenn: you're more than welcome, darlin' ... and gotta love the Run-DMC lyrics ;)

kathi: Thanks, stranger! LOL ... and I'm in Guam because it's my home. My dad was from here and I've lived her most my life — the story of DZER coming soon ;)

allison: Thanks, darlin'. I appreciate it.

DZER said...

chimp, not monkey ;P

and you didn't nag me the WHOLE time (though it sometimes felt like it) ... LOL

sassinak said...

chrissie i *heart* you

DZER said...

sass: aww ... how come you don't *heart* me? how come ya *hearted* someone else on my blog before you *hearted* me.

now I'm just *heartless*

LOL

chrissie: hey! there's that nagging again! LOL

DZER said...

wow ... double dissed on my own comment section.

no respect ... *sighs overly-dramatically*

DZER said...

oh ... you .. fucking ... teasing ... ass ... fucking ... tease!!!

no fair unveiling my kryptonite-like weaknesses

sassinak said...

damm fingernails are evil
i miss mine :)

also dzer i'm pretty sure i said that i *heart* you before now... but if i didn't then i SUCK!

:)