I can't bring myself to bug people about their smoking. At the same time, I have very few friends who smoke and most of them do it secretly. I think if it was someone close to me, I would feel differently. I've never smoked a cigarette myself - only a few cigars.

These days, I will go to a great amount of effort to avoid sitting by someone who smells of smoke. I can't stand the smell of a heavy smoker and I don't really enjoy being in smoky bars. I loved California with the smoke free bar. When I was younger, even if I came home drunk and really tired, I would always shower before going to bed because the smell kept me awake all night.

"Jesus loves me, he loves me a bunch.... 'cause he always puts Skippy in my lunch." -Peter, Family Guy, forgetting the words.

I'm not so fond of the nicotine smell, but I don't want to tar our fellow beloved (smoking) bitches or shame them. At all. I just want them to know that we belove them and worry and that particularly if they have cancer in their families it requires an extraordinary level of denial to continue smoking.

Obviously, I'm going to have to hit up one of our handy dandy actuaries to explain exactly how poor the odds are.

It's never been my experience that telling someone they're in denial suddenly makes them go, "Gosh, you're right!"

I went out to club last week and then over to house of some people who smoked. I abandoned my clothes in my usual slovenly fashion that night and in the morning when I woke up I could smell the smoke. I had to wash everything I had worn. Back when my dad was alive, I'd have to wash everything that was in my suitcase after a visit home.

Stats don't make anyone quit. DH quit the year he got bronchitis 2 months in a row. I was a bit luckier. really only a social smoker. I quit because of a law chnage. I was working in NY - just as the changed to no smokeing in cetain kinds of building . I worked in a mall and could only smoke in the more expensive place to eat. I suddenly realiezed what it was costing me and quit.

Food is different. You have to eat. So you need to know what kind of an eater you are. DH does much better if there isn't junk around to eat. I do better if there is some junk around - because then I don't get the urge to eat it all, which is what I do if I buy on demand. I am also the person you can't say never too. Because then I want it all. Limit and occasionaly works much better for me. I am also interested in the informational details. I like knowing what is in my food - is it higher fat or higher carb or nutritionally dense. So I eat better with Knowledge. DH isn't really interested. he's better off just thinking about balance.

ma~~~ to Sausan family

{{Deena}}

{{vw}}

{{Nora}}

and to anyone else in need I send ma~~ and hugs.

I don't really enjoy being in smoky bars. I loved California with the smoke free bar. When I was younger, even if I came home drunk and really tired, I would always shower before going to bed because the smell kept me awake all night.

This is me. Come April 1, Minneapolis bars are going smoke-free, and I will be So. Damn. Happy. Most of my friends are smokers, and going out with them is excruciating for me. I can't go out at all if I'm in training.

The only thing I worry about is the increased litter outside. Most of my friends are also not so careful about where their butts end up, which bugs the everliving fuck out of my environmentalist side.

Ooh, I WISH DC bars were smoke-free--they've talked about it, but haven't done it. It's so nice to go out in NYC and not smell like smoke when you come home. Heck, I'll even go outside iwth the smokers and keep them company, but get the lit cigs off the dance floor!!

Meanwhile, Girl has responded to an email on a listserv we're both on, but has not written to me. Obviously, a sign that she is MEAN and EVIL, to get my hopes up and then BLOW ME OFF. I wanna cry. And throw rocks at her. If she'd just said no at first, I was all prepared for that. But NOOOOOo, had to make me all excited, and then TORTURE me. Fucking girls. Can I join a convent??

She might be waaay behind in her email. Or, she procrastinated, and now feels like it's too late to contact you because she thinks you'll feel she's a horrible person. So she's being all avoidy and not knowing what to do....