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2010-12-09 - 4:42 p.m.
I've been trying to quit smoking lately. I've stopped and restarted about four times this year. It's a real struggle. Non-smokers just don't get it. They say, "You quit! Why did you start up again." The short answer is, it's an addiction. It's an addiction, alledgedly, stronger than heroin. I don't know about that, but it's pretty difficult to quit.
But in addition to the physiological factors, there are behavioral factors as well. And co-drug triggers, like alcohol and coffee.
Basically it all sucks. Patches work the best for me. And I'm going to keep at it until either I finally quit, or I just switch to patches. At least patches are cheaper.
But one behavioral aspect of smoking that I noticed was how much I can get done when I don't smoke. At least at home, I spend a lot of time just sitting around and smoking. Yeah, I'm watching my stories on th' teevee, or surfin' the intarwebs when I'm on my computater. But instead of taking the garbage out, say, or vacuuming, I think to myself "one more cigarette", which turns to two, and I get distracted, and shit never gets done. I coulda practiced bass for an hour, instead I smoked and surfed the web for an hour. What a waste of time.
But at work, and other places where you have to stand outside in a "smoking area", it's interesting. That's the one time I can get away from other people with no media distractions. Smoke, look around, and think. I like this when I go out to see shows, 'cause I hate bars, and sometimes you just want a break from the crowd and the noise. Same thing at parties.
At work it's a little different. It's an opportunity to think for a few minutes without interruption. I've had some good insights into problem solving while standing outside smoking and staring into the distance. This happens too at music events and parties. I mean, unless you use your phone for a phone call, or mess around with your iPhone while you're standing there, there's really not much to do except take in your surroundings and think. Lots of good opportunities for varmint spotting too. Once while standing out on the plaza smoking with my cow-orkers, a deer trotted past. Hell, we named the squirrels that live nearby too. Watch the chipmunks argue with the squirrels.
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So, how do you like them apples?