Almost 9 months ...

I quit smoking on Oct. 24. Cold turkey.

I haven't smoked anything for almost nine months now, and although it's good, it also sucks.

I really miss smoking. I liked everything about smoking. I loved my Zippos; that snicking, clicking sound, the smell of naphtha. I loved the taste and feel of smoke.

But I also like the fact that I can play a round of golf without feeling like I'm dying by the 11th hole. I like being able to walk up the stairs to my second-story apartment without breathing heavily. I like the fact that I've even managed to lose some weight.

Yet I still miss smoking.

I have decided that I will smoke cigars, now and then, on special occasions. Not everyday, not even every other day. Just now and then. But I've made a promise and can't do that until I've been smoke-free for a full year first.

A little more than three months. I can't wait. I know that's wrong, but oh well!

million dollar baby

Wow. What a great movie.

I've always been a Clint Eastwood fan, going all the way back. I even like the "any which way" movies ... I like "Bronco Billy."

But he's become much more than a great actor; he's also a great director, and that was once again proven with "Million Dollar Baby."

I don't get the backlash the movie caused. Why do the extreme groups always have to turn things into causes? I couldn't believe the flak this movie caused over the whole right-to-die issue. This is the kind of movie that should create and cause serious discussion, yes ... but why do groups and people always have to turn it into a militant spewing of condemnation and judgment?

Rational discussion has nearly evaporated. What we need to do is to make all of these people take debate courses. Argue your point and argue it well and with conviction, but also with an open mind. Know that your position could be wrong. If the argument against you is compelling, be willing to accept it. At the very least, do the whole "agree to disagree" thing. Hell, even if you're right, respect the position of the other person.

Unless, of course, they're so full of shit that you have no choice but to belittle and ridicule them.

lost bank card ...

Somewhere between Monday evening, when I withdrew $60 from a neighborhood ATM, and earlier tonight, I lost my bank VISA check card.

I looked everywhere for it — in my house, in my truck, and at every place I took out my wallet from then till now — with no luck. I had to call the bank and cancel it, and get a new one reissued. This is where Guam's distance from everything is a major pain in the ass — it will take 7-10 days for the new card to get here, according to the operator. Which means 10 days to three weeks.

And that means I will actually have to go into banks to get money out. I don't think I ever really appreciated how often I use my VISA check card for transactions. I hate dealing with banks, and now I'm gonna be stuck with dealing with them on an all-too-frequent basis. Bleah.

The new card can't come TOO soon.

Sleeping in ...

Not much beats the feeling you get when you wake up, look at the alarm clock, and know that you have nowhere to be at any time, so you lay back down, snuggle into the comforter and pillows, and just doze off again into blissful slumber.

Sleeping in is sooooo satisfying. Not only is it great to get a bit of extra sleep, but it's delicious knowing you could be doing something much more productive and useful with your time, and yet you've decided to say "screw it" and indulge your selfish, lazy tendencies.

In fact, if I didn't have golf in a few hours, I'd still be in bed ...

*yawn*