TRIGGERS

146 Days, 11 Hours, 56 minutes...since I smoked the last cigarette of my life.

I read about all the different people, places, events, and situations to avoid during the initial process of QUITTING. Before October 24, 2007, I could have easily taken the "GOLD" in Olympic Smoking, lighting up in front of anyone, anywhere, anytime, during any event or situation. As a matter of fact, I sometimes got up in the middle of the night just to smoke a cigarette!

So, in order to fully comply with the avoidance part of my recovery process, I have pretty much become a hermitic recluse. I closely resemble Howard Hughes at the pinnacle of his reclusiveness except I am a much more "rotund" version.

You might rightly ask, "WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE ABOVE PICTURES?"

I've followed the Quit Smoking plan to a "T." However, the experts left out one humongous trigger...THIN MINT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!!

Last week, a neighbor innocently brought us over a box of these delicious treats; a thank you for watching her dogs while she had attended an out-of-town conference. After downing a few cookies, for some strange reason I began to feel a bit shameful; almost guilt-ridden. I noticed myself inhaling large gulps of air, just to feel the...menthol...I mean, MINTY cool freshness inside my mouth. I realized the severity of the situation when I began holding the cookies between my "Pointer" and "Tall Man" fingers...just like a...CIGARETTE! YIKES!

Before this pseudo-relapse, the strong nicotine urges and cravings had finally reached a tolerable level with occurances few and far between. It's taken a week to even get close to my previous level of solitude and serenity! But I DIDN'T SMOKE! YAY!

So all Non-Nicotene Novices...BE FOREWARNED about this potential obstacle in your process!

Hurry back,

Nancy Binky