Welcome, Marina del Rey Non-Smokers!!

Okay. Here's the thing. I've been a smoker for 16 years. The longest stretch of "non-smoking" for me has been three months (about 5 years ago). Patches, nicotine gum, regular gum, mints, hypnosis, carrying a water bottle around, chewing on straws, meds, changing the group of people I hang out with to non-smokers, not carrying cash or my wallet around, etc. etc. etc. etc. Fundamentally, I know it's a habit thing for me.

Well, just like there's an alcoholic's anonymous, I suppose there's such a thing for non-smokers though I've yet to find anything suitable.

Thus, says I, why not start my own group! There must be others around who would enjoy having similarly minded people to "just hang with" - a group of quitters as it were. And I suspect the membership of this group to fluctuate [possibly wildly]. Be successful at being a non-smoker and feel free to leave. But, just the same, know I'm planning to hold regular meetups anyway.

Be on the wagon. Count the days. Slip. Fall off. Just dust yourself off and hop back on. Lather, rinse, repeat. Every day helps. Even if it's every other day ... or one day a week ... or whatever.

(And, yeah, I was smoking as I wrote this blurb.)