firsts

[andygee]

First two days in a row with only three analog cigarettes! I am now officially under four cigarettes per day, which I heard was the insurance company cut-off between "smoker" and "social smoker." Gotta check the rates!

First dinner party. The folks at the dog run typically rotate hosting dinner parties about once a month. This time around, someone recreated the movie Big Night. By convention, everyone smokes outside even in a smoker's apartment. Madam Gee and I made it all the way through with my Blu (which I have for parties) and her E8. Everyne remarked on the complete lack of smell...

First perfect dog walk. This was the first time I had one perfect half hour in the cold and high wind with one e-cig which remained perfect the whole walk. X-Power 900, hand-filled blank carto, hadn;t been charged all day, no problems with the switch, no retreat to safe battery mode.

 

[KissMint]

Congrats Andy!

I have not been to a party yet since vaping.. wonder if I can get by with the ego. I hope so.
Was buying some stuff at Target today and had my PV in my hand... vaped through half the store before I realized it.

 

[FreakyStylie]

Doesn't it feel good to be more in control of the cigarettes than they are of you? I love it! Congratulations.

 

[justboringsarah]

at Target today and had my PV in my hand... vaped through half the store before I realized it.

I do this a lot myself,and I usually don't notice until I've done it at least several times.

 

[Musashai]

congrats! keep it up!

 

[andygee]

I think it's a learning curve to get to handle all the e-cig tchotchkes (junk) and zibb'n zachen (literally "seven things") to the point where there is some confidence in the process. I believe that on an objective test, a tobacco smoker would think that a fresh cartridge on a fully charged battery would taste better than a tobacco cigarette. You just have to get from the kiosk or the radio come-on ad to the point where you know you can just whip one out and have a good smoke.

 

[andygee]

More firsts...
First cab ride with an e-cig! Years ago, being able to smoke while being transported in Manhattan was a deciding factor in many cases for picking a cab rather than a bus or subway, but for many years now smoking has been banned in cabs. Madam Gee and I went to the theatre by taxi and enjoyed our Volcanoes with not a word from the driver. I can't wait till the next time I ride the Long Island Railroad. I don't know why I have trepidation in asserting my rights; For the other major stuff I do (alternative transportation and my job) I'm extemely assertive -- I've been told I'm scary but I'm realy just a big .....cat.

First four days in a row with only three tobacco cigarettes! My goal right now is to be "under four" averaged out, so I will probably alternate between three and four.

First dedicated storage system for all of this stuff I have. What happened to Woolworths? I had to go to a fancy "Container Store" but I walked out with a proper box for storing and organizing -- Pre-filled, used waiting to be filled, re-filled, batteries, chargers, juice -- and a mini version for travel.

First drip-tip pass-through! This is neat. As long as I'm at a computer, the per-pack equivalent cost (Should PPEC be in the initials database here?) is about $0.65. That's 3 ML from a 30 ML bottle for which I pay $5.50, plus amortizing the drip-tip, atomizer, and cable. Cigarettes in NYC are now $12 per pack.

 

[Copperhead]

Congrats...Curious about the 3 or 4 analogs you're still having...Not to be nosey...but any specfic reason/time for having them?...Only reason I ask is that from the first week I started vaping I settled on having 3 analogs a day... morning, noon and night...

I was so happy to have cut back from a pack and half a day that I looked at those analogs as sort of a reward for not smoking them all day...Plus they hit the spot after meals...After a week... and having purchased some other flavors...I decided to try vaping some high nic tobacco juice in place of them...After that I went analog free...I still keep a carto with that juice with me...though I rarely use it unless I feel an urge for something different....

Not trying in any way to persaude you to give them up totally...That's your choice....Just thought I'd pass along my own experience eliminating them....Again....congrats and happy vaping..

 

[andygee]

I'm am now basically where you were then... cigarettes as a reward for not smoking cigarettes. I'm gald this makes sense to someone besides me. Here's the chronology:

Day One -- Kentucky, Rat Terrier Meet-up. No smoking rooms in the hotel; bought NJOY across the street. Immediately went from 25 tobacco cigarettes to 16; had them in the hotel, in the car, on the lake deck, etc.

Day 10 -- Back in New York. charted when I would have cigarettes, then went down the list and picked 7 I would replace with e-cigs. Down to 9 per day.

Day 17 -- started cutting one per day every week or two.

Day 90 -- today. "Average under four per day." Somewhere I heard (FOAF's cousin's wife read it in a paper or saw it on TV) that under four is "no longar a smoker" but a "social smoker." Perfect for a guy who thinks quitting is for, well, quitters.

Day 91+ -- Once I get everything squared away and get a handle on athletics, breathing, weight, stamina, obsessions, costs, etc etc I can go for the final push. So far my costs are way down, weight is stable, heart rate is down from 58 to 52, Breathing (I was diagnosed with pre-COPD, which I understand to be a medical scam and a scare tactic) seems better, bicycle speed is stuck at 20 MPH, hill climbing is easier, stamina I won't be able to measure till we change the clocks again. In short, I can do the same stuff with less effort but I'd like to do more stuff with the previous level of effort.

 

[KissMint]

I truely wish I found ecigs when I had to stay 2 weeks at a non smoking hotel. They put me on the 6th floor and far from the elevator. I was so miserable lol.

Keep up the good work Andy. I am too a "social smoker" then according to what u said. YAY! I do not try to keep a routine of when I have a cig. I don't want to look forward to have that cig if you know what i mean.