Days Thirty- Four through Forty

I finished out my experiment without anymore drinks and without any cigarettes!

 

I'm a non-smoker!! Woo-hoo!

 



 



Cigarette Count:0
Alcohol Count:0

Days Thirty-One Through Thirty-Three

So I broke my rule and I went drinking on Friday night to see if I could get through a night of drinking without smoking. I didn't smoke! That means I've gone drinking twice now and I still haven't smoked. Woo-hoo! I've decided that means that I am officially a non-smoker. 

Cigarettes: 0
Alcohol: One Friday Night

Days Twenty-Three through Thirty

I can go entire days now without thinking about cigarettes. Several whole days in a row!

I'm nervous that it will be hard for me to drink without smoking. Once my little experiment is over I think I might just continue to avoid drinking for awhile.

By far my classiest graph

Cigarette Count: 0

Alcohol Count: 0

Days Eighteen Through Twenty-Two

I bought this shirt at a thrift store a couple of years ago and I recently found it again.

On Saturday I went to the Roosevelt and had one single gin & tonic. Just one! Having just one drink is an unheard of concept for me.

Not smoking continues to get easier. I don't even think about it most of the time. The one thing about not smoking though is that I've become super aware of how many annoying nervous habits I have. But at least I'm not smoking, so that's something.

A chart of 21 completed days

Cigarette Count: 0

Alcohol Count: one single gin and tonic

Days Fifteen through Seventeen

I'm almost halfway through!

A haiku from Day 16-

16 days smoke-free.
I have chosen my reward:
Dyson Bladeless Fan!

(Not really, I'm just obsessed with commercials for these fans. They're so dramatic about "regular" fans.) http://www.dyson.com/Fans/FansAndHeaters.aspx

Cigarette Count: 0

Alcohol Count: 0

Days Nine Through Fourteen

Nothing worth mentioning (except for my sloppy Saturday night) has passed in this time frame. My best friend Kaitlynd came to visit over the weekend. I made a very conscious decision that I would drink the night she was in town, but that I would not smoke. I can't believe I didn't smoke! Apparently I tried to sneak off at one point to do so, but Kaitlynd caught me and quickly (or maybe not so quickly) set me back on the right path. We went to our friend Xan's bridal shower the next day, and I didn't drink there. Not even a single mimosa!

Not smoking has gotten a lot easier. I'm not thinking about it every second of every day anymore.

Cigarette Count: 0
Alcohol Count: One drunk, sloppy night

Day Eight

I have successfully survived all of the situations that normally make me want to smoke and/or drink, including: 

• Going out to a bar on the weekend
• Going to happy hour
• Hanging out on a porch
• Driving my car
• Lunch breaks
• Around 24,236 Starbucks trips
• Terrible days at work 

One of my favorite residents was recently diagnosed with throat cancer & it's pretty depressing watching his health decline so quickly. He was already skinny before, but he's lost twenty pounds and his face has completely hollowed out. He tells me about how he's terrified of what's going to happen, but he's still smoking over half a pack a day. I don't want to be like that. Ever.

Also, I’ve decided I'm done with this electronic cigarette.

Cigarette count for the day: 0

Alcohol count for the day: 0

Day Seven

A haiku to celebrate one completed week of my experiment-

It is official.
One week free of booze & smoke.
Not so bad, really.

Also, a pie chart to celebrate being 17.5% complete with my experiment-

My friend Xan is getting married September 30th, so I just I double checked the dates to make sure my experiment will be complete by that point. It will be, much to my relief.

Xan and me, drinking together at Sticky Rice 3 years ago.

Days Five and Six

I survived the weekend! The only two semi-noteworthy bits I have to mention are that A) It's impossible to stay up anywhere near as long as people who are drinking and B) I like people a lot more when I am drinking. Those things aside I spent a lovely weekend being lazy around a pool.

One thing I have found somewhat confusing in all of this is how many people have earnestly asked me why I'm trying to quit smoking. They all seem to ask in the same sort of puzzled way, as if I had suddenly announced that I was going to pick up a bad habit out of the blue rather than quit one. And they've all been non-smokers!

I'm still torn on the electronic cigarette, but I'm keeping it for now.

Also, in my attempt to stop drinking and smoking, I've started desperately consuming every ounce of caffeine I can find. I constantly have the shakes, but at least they're not whiskey withdrawal shakes! Small victories...

This Toothpaste for Dinner drawing accurately sums up how I feel about life right now.

Cigarette count for the weekend: 0

Alcohol count for the weekend: 0

Day Four

Not drinking and smoking on the weekend is a strange thing. I successfully hung out on my friend's porch and went out to a bar without smoking or drinking, but I did give in and buy an electronic cigarette.

It's just a disposable one from 7 Eleven and it's the equivalent of about two packs of cigarettes. I still can't decide how I feel about it. It's kind of clunky and awkward and it tastes like Pine-Sol smells. I also can't decide if it makes me want to smoke a cigarette any less. Plus, it feels like a cop out, so I might just ditch the thing all together.

Also, hanging out sober at a bar with a bunch of drunk people is not exactly the most fun thing I've ever done. Oh well.

Cigarette count for the day: 0

Alcohol count for the day: 0

Day Three

The only thing I can say about how yesterday went is that quitting smoking is garbage. I constantly think about smoking a cigarette. I need to come up with a list of things to do instead of smoking. So many of the lists out there on the interwebs sound like they were written by people who have never smoked, and this makes me grumpy. I want to just quit cold turkey, because anything else feels kind of like a cop out to me, but I don't know how realistic that is.

I bought this bike a couple days ago and I finally got a lock for it today, so hopefully this will serve as a distraction from my cigarette cravings.

So far not drinking hasn't really been an issue, buuuuut I bet that will change when the weekend arrives.

Cigarette count for the day: 0
Alcohol count for the day: 0

Day Two

I went to a bar yesterday! And I didn't drink! And I didn't smoke! 

Drinking tonic water without gin wasn't so bad, but I forgot one very important thing. Every time I see someone light up a cigarette, I want to light up a cigarette. And let me tell you something about people who hang out in bars- they are ALWAYS going out for a smoke. Seriously. Like every 5 sips.

Also, my friend Nick was a jerk about me not actually posting on day two, so I'm posting a picture of him from my last hurrah of drinking and smoking.

Cigarette count for the day: 0
Alcohol count for the day: 0

Day One

My first post! Day one of my attempt at a smoke-free, alcohol-free life was not difficult, but I'm sure it will become difficult soon enough. For a number of years smoking and drinking have been my two biggest vices.

To give you an idea of my lifestyle, I've made a list of situations in which I smoke:

• When I'm driving my car
• When I'm walking around town
• Whenever I feel awkward (which is a lot)
• At social events (during which I usually feel awkward)
• Whenever I drink coffee (which I do throughout each and every day of my life)
• Whenever I'm on a porch (the best of pastimes)
• When I'm upset (not uncommon)
• During my lunch break
• After I eat 
• And last, but definitely not least- every time I drink (which is much more often than I'd like to admit)

In short, this commercial will sum up my attempt at no longer smoking: 

Drinking Coffee Without Smoking

Prost! To the next forty days without cigarettes or alcohol!

-Nay