My time was the end of April 2000. I dropped off my motorcycle for service and was waiting for my wife to pick me up. After a fine meal at McD's and still waiting for her I opened my pack and there was one left. Lit it and did it. The next day we were on our way to Ft. L. for 10 days of goofing off in a Mustang Convertable. Ft. L., Miami, The Keys, sunshine and the Ocean air. Oh and a shitload of willpower. I never mentioned to my wife that I was going to quit. She never mentioned why I never had one. I guess she just kinda knew and left it alone. It was easy while we were away but returning to the stresses of work was a little more difficult and trying. But, hey, I had 10 days already why screw it up now? One of the guys at work told me that when he was in highschool he learned that it took 21 days for the nicotine to leave your system so that was the goal. 21 days came and went but the oral fixation was a little harder to get rid of. If you have ever seen the commercial for what do you use your Sharpie for, well they forgot one. I would kill the cap and body of the marker before the tip and I could kill a tip in 2 days. That too passed. The closest I ever got to becomming a smoker again was on a motorcycle charity ride. While in the parade my buddies couldn't get their smokes lit and since I have a lighter installed on my bike they asked if I would do them the honors. Well it was my old brand I was lighting and it would have been easy enough not to give it back after lighting it. But, it was the worst tasting thing I have ever experienced and that time just reassured me not to start that again. If you truely want to quit you will. If you are just thinking about quitting you will start up again because the time is not yet right. I quit once because it was newyears, wrong reason. I quit the second time for me. I do not need to quit a third time. Best of luck and stick with it. Hopefully it is for you and not just a because.
