Hmmm $US80 per week, plus lighters/matches at least $US 4160 PER ANNUM, what sort of used bike could you buy for $US 4160.

No luck with avoiding my evening beer last night. But in grocery shopping for the week today I didn't get any beer. I may regret that decision.

This morning was a disaster. The energy drink didn't wake me enough leaving me in a dazed and zombie-like state. The gum alone wasn't enough nicotine causing me to be extremely irritable until I broke down and smoked.

:'( this is hard!

Or have your doctor give you a scrip for Chantix. Allows you to smoke for first few days by then you just start loosing the craving. However you will never make it unless you are bent on quitting. It's not a physical battle it's a mental battle. Gum , patches , Chantix are quitting AIDS nothing more.
It's all in your head ! You have to want to quit. Explain to those around you that your quitting so they understand why you bite their head off over something stupid.

Buy the apples, try the apples.

My company just announced imminent downsizing and I'm only there a year so far. That new occupation may become a harsh reality soon.

Getting sore jaw muscles from clenching and gritting my teeth plus chewing gum. Lollipops are helpful.

At the end of the day though the gum isn't working out so great. Thinking of maybe the chantix. Clerk at drug store swears by it.

Ya know I do have lots of apples! I'll give them a go....

If the going gets tuff the tuff get going.

What is not my favorite spell.

Problems usually arise because we are not fexible enough. Hardening yourself, it is not helpful if the situation requires alertness.
Relaxation and being alert go together.

Life asks us to be present, so this new situation is an invitation. A bit ofa challenge, but one that you can handle.
You are still a bit in your resistance. That's all.

It now seems more difficult to quit smoking, but you end up in a new situation, how nice would it be if you no longer smoke in that new situation?

How about a leap in life? Being a biker once more....
This time with clean lungs and fresh breath chicks love that  

Iff been in your situation and it is tuff, no doubt about it.

I will offer up how I managed to quit, a vacation. It is kind of tough for this method at moment though. Went on a ski vacation to France and did not take any cigarettes with me. When there we were in a hotel where we had breakfast every day in dining room, and you could not smoke in it. Getting cigs was a hassle since I speak no French and would have to track down where to buy them. So that got me through breakfast each day. Skied all day and did not miss it while doing that. Dinner at night was in same dining room from breakfast so no smoking there. Made it 5 days with not smoking. On 5th night we went to a bar for drinks, while there managed to bum a cig from a cute younger women. Went outside and smoked it and went back to my friends in bar.

Next day went back to skiing for another 2 days and then flew home, which took another whole day. Got home, only one cigarette in 9 days, and had no desire to smoke anymore. Key to whole thing was vacation had me break with the normal routines of the day that trigger the desire to smoke. My big one was driving to work, that’s when the first cig of day got smoked.

I was pretty bad, in shop I would light a cig, take a couple draws, set it down to do something and then would light another as I forgot about the one I left burning at the end of a work bench.

Another method, I have a couple of friends who have used it successfully, but I am in no way recommending or advocating it unless you live somewhere it is legal, is to replace tobacco with marijuana. Every time they had an urge to smoke they would take a hit off a joint instead. They said the key was to take just one small hit. It helped calm them and reduced craving by getting some smoke in their lungs. One hit did not get them stoned.

Good luck, when you do find success it’s something you are very happy about, but you do miss it. It was a part of life for so long, it can be like the old girlfriend you occasionally think about but know you are better off without her(it).

In a sense I can sorta treat it like someone died. My dad succumbed to C19 three weeks ago at age 85 and every darn time I went to NYC to visit him he without fail told me he wished I'd stop smoking.

So that has been a motive. My old man and I weren't that close though. He kinda wasn't there most of the time so the motivation isn't as strong as you might think.

I appreciate all the support from everyone in here. That's actually been quite a help so far.

Definitely giving up on the gum. Will likely give chantix a try next week.