Saturday, July 15th, marked my second year being a non-smoker. Yay! Thanks to a little freeware program that I keep running on my work/home computers, here are my smoke-free stats since July 15, 2004:

Quit Statistics: Two years, one day, 10 hours, 3 minutes and 21 seconds. 7314 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,279.98. Life saved: 3 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 30 minutes.

This second year was as easy as the first. I still have fleeting moments of cigarrette cravings, but they last mere milliseconds and occur far less frequently. There was just one time where I actually thought, "A cig would be great right now" (it was after some spicy Thai food, I think), but that only lasted a few seconds, and I was more surprised by the thought than feeling tempted. Part of my love of smoking involved the whole cigarette ritual - taking a break during the day, stepping outside, lighting up and enjoying the 5-10 minutes of relaxation, contemplation, etc. Cigarette breaks were also an effective social tool, I used to say, because how often do you see smokers standing alone or ignoring other smokers? What better way to break the ice than asking, "Hey, do you have a light?" But today, I don't miss smoking at all. In fact, I hardly know any smokers anymore. If there's anything that's changed during this second year, it's my tolerance of cigarette smoke. I used to joke that the smell of cigarettes is nostalgic (which is still true, somewhat), but recently, I spent an evening in a smoky bar. The smoke didn't bother me while I was there, but after I got home I had a headache so bad my eyes were watering. The smell of smoke in my clothes and hair was making me woozy, so everything went into the washing machine while I took a shower. In terms of new addictions, I've developed a borderline unhealthy dependence on bubble tea and Pulmone brand jja jjang myun noodles. PS: Sorry things have been quiet here. My blogging time lately has been devoted to setting up & managing the Houston Heat website (which is kickin', if I say so myself. ) It's just a temporary lull in bloggerific activities, but my first half-marathon is coming up and I'll definitely be blogging about that.

[photopress:JDFarmsMap.jpg,thumb,alignleft] A few of you have asked about the blueberry farm, so here’s a map & directions.  It’s a great day trip out of Houston for some delicious berries.  If you’d like to meet the owner, he’s at the Urban Harvest farmer’s market on Richmond every Saturday morning.

Click here to download the map as a .jpg file.

Sorry, everyone, for the lack of updates. I'm still around, just caught up in stuff. I'm still running, though not as frequently - most of my running sessions have been replaced by time at the gym, and Saturday morning dragon boating on the Bayou. I've called uncle to the stifling Houston summer heat, and have moved my fitness activities indoors and onto the water. Running lesson: I did learn something interesting recently about my attitude to running in the heat. A couple of weeks ago, I met Alex after work for a run at Hermann Park. As I pulled into the parking lot, I realized to my horror, that I had forgotten my Amphipod bottle filled with its usual dose of Cytomax sports drink. "I forgot my water bottle so I might die, just to let you know," I joked to Alex. Well, to my surprise, the run went a lot better than expected, and I wasn't feeling uncomfortably dehydrated as I had expected. I realized that the water bottle - and specifically the Cytomax - were like a crutch. During our run, we stopped just 3 times for a quick 5 second sip of water - with my Amphipod and Cytomax, I would have been swigging every 5 minutes….and still feeling dehydrated. We ended up running about 4-5 miles, and it was much easier than I expected. John wondered if my dependence on sports drinks might be leftover from Marathon training, with the weekly loooong runs and emphasis on hydration, hydration, hydration. Sure, the sports drinks help during 10+ mile runs, and they definitely got me through the Marathon…..but just water works fine. Finishing that run with Alex was a good learning experience, and it was also a confidence boost with my running.

 
Going to Korea: I'm going to Korea with my mom at the end of September. My grandmother's health hasn't been great the past few years. We'll be in Seoul for 3 weeks from mid September to early October (right before Chusok). The last time I visited Korea was 1991.