Damn New Year's Resolutions

So I decided to give this whole New Year's resolution thing a whirl again. Despite the fact that every year I make a resolution and then inevitably fail out of the plan. After a 6-pack of beer and two bottles of champagne, my mind was made up... by all the non-smokers around me. I would give up my addiction to cigarettes.

I woke up the next morning desparately needing a smoke, so I went and bought a pack of Camel Crushes. So delicious and soothing to the ever so abused hungover throat. The guilt tingled a little, but I kept smoking. Until today, that is. I can do what I want, when I want, but I've decided that I can't smoke anymore. If I want to live and breathe easy... no more smoking for me. Luckily, as of January 1st, 2009, there is no more in-door smoking in the state of Utah (in bars, pubs, and eating establishments).

I say "luckily" because regardless of how irritating it is that the fine citizens of Salt Lake City can no longer smoke in the comfort of their bar or pub of choice, those of us determined enough to quit smoking will no longer be tempted by the endless cloud of second-hand smoke. The wafting, lingering smell of slightly rancid and chemical induced tobacco. Honestly, what I'll really miss is the occasional, mostly infrequent older gentleman sitting at the bar (never a booth) packing his old-fashioned Sherlock-Holmes-esque pipe full of fresh, unadulterated tobacco.

The delicious, mouthwatering aroma of that one pipe makes up for all the cigarette burns, the disgusting smell, and the cough-inducing smoke from the less desirable cigarette smokers that riddled the bars. There's an end to all that now. I figure why not jump on now before things like frost-bite, hypothermia, or just plain old discomfort make themselves a norm in my life, due to the excessive amounts of outdoor smoking that will be taking place now that the new law is in place.

I'd prefer to risk hypothermia by skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, other outdoor wintery activites... I'm hardly prepared to risk my comfort levels for a cigarette. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. It's only 9 o'clock, and I've already chewed 5 of those damn Nicorette gum things...