Old habits, and new revenue streams.

Everybody knows that smoking is a dangerous addiction, and the physical, and psychological hold can be difficult to break, certainly.  But, it is also a habit, part of a pattern of behavior that becomes natural, ingrained, part of every day life.  It becomes a rote, another process that runs automatically, finish a task, celebrate with a smoke, getting ready to start a big project, better have a quick cigarette, fresh cup o' coffee, light  a fresh butt.  It just happens, often times without thought.

To quit it is important to change things, rearrange days, create new patterns, and habits.  My first work cigarette was lit right after I arrived.  Right away, I would light up, and then get on with my day.  I needed to change my routines, and find new things.

At the time I had a phone with wifi, and a very good camera (the Kin phone discussed in this post http://tim-thingsastheyare.blogspot.com/2013/04/somber-sort-of-happy-kind-news.html).  I installed my work email and my new habit was taking pictures and emailing them to coworkers.  Many times I would take a picture of their desk, and send it to them with a question "A little late, this morning?"  "It is 7:00 AM, do you know where your coffee cup is?"

It might help to explain that I am normally one of the first to arrive at work (and one of the first to leave, of course).  This aids these sorts of things immensely.

One day I pulled my ultimate email prank.

Nice Monkey

I took this wooden gorilla hanging around down by my co-worker, keeping him safe, watching his back


And hung it like this, using a small art program, "Paint" to add the "X" es to it's eyes, and I added a note saying,

Even nice monkeys can run into problems.

"If you don't want this sort of thing happening to all of your hanging, wooden gorillas leave $5.00 on John's computer keyboard.  Come alone, and don't tell the cops!"  The real genius part of the plan was, I sent it from my computer!  Just so I would get credit, and maybe $5.00.  It saddens me to say, my co-worker, Bil (if anybody from the ASPCA would like to know) did not pay the money, he would rather leave wooden animals to their fate than give up a little coin.


You see, quitting is a process, and you have to make sacrifices, but not $5.00.