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.