Abstinence

Last Wednesday night, I started to abstain on two things: smoking and "B-Nights". The reasons for abstaining from each are different though.

About every 6 months, I completely abstain from nicotine consumption for a week or more. I can recite several benefits of smoking, but everything is meaningless once you go beyond the 4-sticks-a-day limit. I read somewhere that smoking 5 sticks of cigarettes a day puts you at the same cancer risk as a one-pack-a-day smoker.

The nicotine abstinence is a personal test --- am I already dependent on the nicotine high in order to relax (or de-stress) and think clearly? Have I developed an uncontrollable nicotine craving since the last time I abstained?

A lot of things happened in the last 6 months for me that may have aggravated my smoking habit --- an increased degree of difficulty at work, new learning curves, less exercise (I completely stopped from going to the gym since February) and beer-drinking nights.

Save for second-hand smoke, I've been nicotine-free for the last 4 days. No major worries (or withdrawal symptoms) so far.

My decision to abstain from B-nights (gatherings of the bachelors' group in our workplace) was unfortunately triggered by two words. Stephen panis. I didn't like the sound of that. That actually caused my vision to dim last Wednesday (rage, what else?), but I managed to hold my bearing. I really wanted to drop everything there and then. Mob-dynamics aside, I'd really like to find out who started it.

I wanted to bash somebody's face with my camera and throw in a couple of punches but fortunately, I was able to control my temper. I wouldn't mind if a 50-grand Canon camera gets whacked. I think the momentary satisfaction of releasing my rage on somebody I detested at that time is a good deal for a voided warranty.

B-nights, I'll be abstaining for I don't know how long.

Could be a tipping point.

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Out-of-topic Postscripts:

1. MASSKARA at Bacolod is okay. Pictures to be posted soon.
2. Sis treated the whole family to dinner at CPK Alabang Town Center tonight.
3. Thanks to Sam and Stef for the bar tour of Bacolod.
4. For the second time, my release window was not made available to me for an assignment I'm applying for at work. Boo-hooo. Curses!