The Big Quit

Having to take a hard look at our family financial picture, the wife and I have come to the same inescapable conclusion. We can not afford to smoke any longer.

Now, before you all go getting preachy and annoying, let me state a few things:

1. We KNOW we could never afford to smoke. No one can.

2. Smoking bad, yeah, got it.

3. We have NOT smoked in the house since two years before our children were born.

4. Yeah, smoking bad, got it.

5. We know it's a good thing to quit.

6. We know it will save us money.

7. We know quitting is the healthy thing to do.

I think I covered most of what we know. In any case, April 1 is the big quitting day and no, this is not an April Fool's prank. We are quitting.

The wife is looking into the laser therapy thing. Yes, my eyes are rolling . . . but whatever works. I just can't buy into something that works by, and I quote: "applying a low level or cold laser to your body's natural energy flow points to stimulate the release of endorphins into the body."

I roll my eyes, but I know that no matter which crutch you choose, it's all about your will and desire to quit. And we both have that in spades right now.

I plan to either go it cold turkey (was successful for 6 months using this once before) and, if it gets ugly, I'll go with those fake cigarette things that do the same job as the nicotine gum or patch. But you get the joy of holding a cigarette-like thingy and sucking on it when necessary.

I have also checked the Health Canada quit smoking website and it offered a few tips as well. For example, it's apparently good to write down your plan and reasons for quitting. It's also a good idea to share the plan with friends, family and strangers on the Internet (okay, made that last one up). So this blog entry will kill two birds with one stone.

The HC website also promises that I will breathe easier within 8 days, food will taste better soon thereafter and so on and so forth. I look forward to all of these things, as well as the chance to keep up with the always active Sonwun and Sontoo. And I guess that's really what it's all about. I want and need to be an active participant in their lives.

So that's the plan. The countdown is on and I begin today by cutting down on the number of cigarettes I have per day. Twelve days and I quit.

Well, Sonwun has just crawled out of bed so my day begins. It's 6:11 a.m. Game on.