i hear a symphony

I look forward to American Idol every year even though it's largely a crap-shoot for me. If I get into the current season, I get really, really into it (bordering on obsession). If I don't get into it, I could truly care less about who wins and that's always a disappointment to me.

I think that this year is going to be in the former category since I'm already half in love with 17-year-old David Archuleta and I haven't even seen the Top 12 women perform yet. This kid is an incredibly talented seasoned performer AND an awkward teenage manchild and the combination is charming beyond belief.

happy anniversary to me

I'm a member of the great quit-smoking community QuitNet and this morning they sent me a happy reminder that it was two months ago today that I quit smoking. I plan to celebrate my "smobriety" today.

I can vividly recall that first week, when each hour felt like a full day and I couldn't begin to imagine being two months into it. One sign of progress in this very long process is that my not-smoking time goes by much more quickly now -- I know that I'll be at three months smoke-free before I know it.

One small additional achievement for me is the weight issue. I've battled a weight problem all of my life and having recently lost 30 pounds (with 10 more to go to my goal), I was scared to death that I would gain it all back when I quit smoking. Since I quit on December 19th when the house was full of Christmas goodies, I did initially gain 10 pounds (yikes!) but I've already managed to lose 5 of that. I'm anxious to lose 5 more so I can just concentrate on maintaining until my smobriety is easy enough that I feel up to tackling the final 10 pounds.

A nice thought: I weigh 25 pounds less than I did a year ago today AND I'm a non-smoker as well. That feels good.

all you need is love

Happy Valentine's Day!

good golly miss molly

My youngest daughter turns 17 today -- when she left for school this morning, she discovered that her friends had snuck over during the night and decorated the car for her!

This age milestone means it's just one year before she takes her first fledgling steps out into The Big World.

Molly is a force of nature. She's smart, passionate, stubborn, tenacious and beautiful -- there isn't anything she can't accomplish once she sets her mind to it. I hope The Big World can handle her.

Happy Birthday, Mollster!

blowin' in the wind

When I made my daily check-in on the Chantix GetQuit website this morning, this is what was waiting for me! Woo hoo! Those who know what a deeply-entrenched cigarette-loving smoker I was will understand what an accomplishment this is. I truly believed that I would smoke until the end of my life (even if smoking hastened the end).

During the extremely early days of "my quit," I watched the very clever "Welcome Aboard, Chantix Users" over and over again created by the very clever Stan. It lightened my mood and reinforced my goals. I've also enjoyed all three episodes (so far) of Meg & Brent Quit Smoking. As their struggles testify, quitting with Chantix ain't easy ..... it's just easier.

There's been much in the media lately about some Chantix users suffering severe psychological problems. Just as some people are allergic to penicillin, I don't doubt that there are some people who should not take Chantix. Speaking solely for myself, I'm doing fine and any anxiety I feel (and I'm anxiety-prone to begin with) I attribute to this dramatic lifestyle change and not the medication itself.