Ending...

So, that's it. I just put out my last cigarette... last one today, last one ever (I hope). I've finally had enough... too much money, especially now that gas is eating up nearly half our paychecks. And I just turned 41 last Thursday — ten years younger than my mom when she died of cancer, ten years younger than my sister-in-law, who went the same way. I'm sick of the smell, the dirt, the meltdowns when I run out, all of it.

This isn't the first time I've tried this, of course. The longest I ever went was three days that felt more like a month, to me and everyone around me. But this time, I'm going to make it stick, no matter how bad it gets...

At least I'm not alone. I've found a lot of friends quitting as well, and I wonder... seems to me that jacking the gas prices up into the stratosphere has done more to wipe out nicotine addiction than anything else they've tried so far. Ironic, that someone else's greed could effect so much positive change!

Enough for today. Now, to go find something to stick in my mouth... ;)

Starting Out

So, I've been reading Neil Peart's "Ghost Rider" book, after having read his "Traveling Music", and I've decided I rather like his style of journaling. Nothing fancy, just random things he's seen, heard, thought of during the day and (presumably) wants to remember. So here I am, trying this out and hoping it leads somewhere... my own book, perhaps?

For instance... I went camping last week, and the first day up there was as close to perfect as I've ever seen. Sunny until we finished setting up, followed by rain... oh, joy! Then a break in the clouds, rain still falling and a rainbow arching across the top of the campsite. One amazing sunset later, and the nearly full moon rises with Jupiter dancing attendance, and I'm sitting there wondering when the lightning bolt's going to hit, because surely this is just too perfect.

It actually hit later that night, but I'm not discussing that here.

Anyway, that's about it for now... maybe more later? Or tomorrow? We'll see....