Interesting observation about tourist smokers...

I live in a small town in northern Thailand that is a very popular
destination for young backpack tourists. When not away from town on
business I usually have my lunch in a nice outdoor guest house
restaurant in the center of the tourist area. I see dozens of different
backpack tourists eating and chatting there daily, and even more during
the high season.... and almost every one of them is chain smoking.

All DO hold their cigarettes away from their table so as not to get
their smoke into the eyes of their table mates, which is very
considerate to those at the table, but if you have 20 tables, each with
4-6 people smoking, and all holding their cigarettes behind them aiming
at OTHER tables, it seems to defeat the purpose.... We usually sit in
front of the fan so the smoke doesn't come our way, but when you have to
walk past them, gee these folks really stink badly. It's hard to imagine
that I used to smell that same way.

Another interesting observation.... Most of these kids roll their own
cigarettes. When I asked why, they said because it was cheaper. But one
friend who's better at math than I figured out that at the rate they
were smoking, and the cost of a pack of 'Three Castles' tobacco
(seemingly the blend of choice,) they were actually spending more!

I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and
51 seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used
for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.

wow!!!!!! almost 9 years without a cigarette and over24thousand
dollars!!!!!damn!!!!!excellent!
Becky
"Steve Kramer" <steve@seatraveler.com> wrote in message
news:f59vjf$69d$1@news.loxinfo.co.th...
>I live in a small town in northern Thailand that is a very popular
>destination for young backpack tourists. When not away from town on
>business I usually have my lunch in a nice outdoor guest house restaurant
>in the center of the tourist area. I see dozens of different backpack
>tourists eating and chatting there daily, and even more during the high
>season.... and almost every one of them is chain smoking.
>
> All DO hold their cigarettes away from their table so as not to get their
> smoke into the eyes of their table mates, which is very considerate to
> those at the table, but if you have 20 tables, each with 4-6 people
> smoking, and all holding their cigarettes behind them aiming at OTHER
> tables, it seems to defeat the purpose.... We usually sit in front of the
> fan so the smoke doesn't come our way, but when you have to walk past
> them, gee these folks really stink badly. It's hard to imagine that I used
> to smell that same way.
>
> Another interesting observation.... Most of these kids roll their own
> cigarettes. When I asked why, they said because it was cheaper. But one
> friend who's better at math than I figured out that at the rate they were
> smoking, and the cost of a pack of 'Three Castles' tobacco (seemingly the
> blend of choice,) they were actually spending more!
>
> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT
>
> Steve Kramer
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and 51
> seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used for a
> better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.

"Steve Kramer" <steve@seatraveler.com> wrote in message
news:f59vjf$69d$1@news.loxinfo.co.th...
>I live in a small town in northern Thailand that is a very popular
>destination for young backpack tourists. When not away from town on
>business I usually have my lunch in a nice outdoor guest house restaurant
>in the center of the tourist area. I see dozens of different backpack
>tourists eating and chatting there daily, and even more during the high
>season.... and almost every one of them is chain smoking.
>
> All DO hold their cigarettes away from their table so as not to get their
> smoke into the eyes of their table mates, which is very considerate to
> those at the table, but if you have 20 tables, each with 4-6 people
> smoking, and all holding their cigarettes behind them aiming at OTHER
> tables, it seems to defeat the purpose.... We usually sit in front of the
> fan so the smoke doesn't come our way, but when you have to walk past
> them, gee these folks really stink badly. It's hard to imagine that I used
> to smell that same way.
>
> Another interesting observation.... Most of these kids roll their own
> cigarettes. When I asked why, they said because it was cheaper. But one
> friend who's better at math than I figured out that at the rate they were
> smoking, and the cost of a pack of 'Three Castles' tobacco (seemingly the
> blend of choice,) they were actually spending more!
>
> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT
>
> Steve Kramer
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and 51
> seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used for a
> better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.

I always boggle at places with smoking restaurants. I can't even remember
what that is like. Good for you at being able to deal with all that stinky
smoke. Sad isn't it. That is one heckuva meter you have there, Steve!!
Thanks for sharing it with us new quitters!!

Sarah
--
Sarah and Steve
Octonobutts
Eight months, one week, 22 hours, 58 minutes and 22 seconds. 6273 cigarettes
not smoked, saving $2,509.57. Life saved: 3 weeks, 18 hours, 45 minutes.

Shared pain is lessened; shared joy increased - thus do we refute entropy.
- Callahan's Law

On 20 Jun, 02:15, Steve Kramer <s...@seatraveler.com> wrote:
> I live in a small town in northern Thailand that is a very popular
> destination for young backpack tourists. When not away from town on
> business I usually have my lunch in a nice outdoor guest house
> restaurant in the center of the tourist area. I see dozens of different
> backpack tourists eating and chatting there daily, and even more during
> the high season.... and almost every one of them is chain smoking.
>
> All DO hold their cigarettes away from their table so as not to get
> their smoke into the eyes of their table mates, which is very
> considerate to those at the table, but if you have 20 tables, each with
> 4-6 people smoking, and all holding their cigarettes behind them aiming
> at OTHER tables, it seems to defeat the purpose.... We usually sit in
> front of the fan so the smoke doesn't come our way, but when you have to
> walk past them, gee these folks really stink badly. It's hard to imagine
> that I used to smell that same way.
>
> Another interesting observation.... Most of these kids roll their own
> cigarettes. When I asked why, they said because it was cheaper. But one
> friend who's better at math than I figured out that at the rate they
> were smoking, and the cost of a pack of 'Three Castles' tobacco
> (seemingly the blend of choice,) they were actually spending more!
>
> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT
>
> Steve Kramer
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and
> 51 seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used
> for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.

Top meter Steve !! Thanks for the flash.

eightpans wrote:

>> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT
>>
>> Steve Kramer
>> Chiang Mai, Thailand
>> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and
>> 51 seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used
>> for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.

> Top meter Steve !! Thanks for the flash.

Hey guys.... just remember this. It might not be easy, but it IS
doable.... if YOU WANT TO DO IT. JUST DON'T SMOKE THE NEXT CIGARETTE!

Don't worry about smoking next week or next month, or even tomorrow.
Just don't smoke the next one today. One day at a time. I still would
love to be able to smoke a cigarette once in a while. But I can't. I'm
an addict. I can't have just one. Hell, I don't want just one... I want
a whole carton. But I won't smoke the next one. I don't have cravings.
Just desires once in a while that pass in seconds. My craving for ice
tea is stronger. So I pee a lot. But I don't smoke the next cigarette.
You don't have to either. One day at a time.

Tomorrow will be 8 years and 10 months. Think I'll go have a glass of
ice tea to celebrate!

Steve Kramer
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com
Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 13 hours, 52 minutes and
54 seconds. 96767 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,191.83. Time used
for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes.

On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:55:54 +0700, Steve Kramer
<steve@seatraveler.com> wrote:

>eightpans wrote:
>
>>> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT
>>>
>>> Steve Kramer
>>> Chiang Mai, Thailand
>>> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and
>>> 51 seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used
>>> for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.
>
>> Top meter Steve !! Thanks for the flash.
>
>Hey guys.... just remember this. It might not be easy, but it IS
>doable.... if YOU WANT TO DO IT. JUST DON'T SMOKE THE NEXT CIGARETTE!
>
>Don't worry about smoking next week or next month, or even tomorrow.
>Just don't smoke the next one today. One day at a time. I still would
>love to be able to smoke a cigarette once in a while. But I can't. I'm
>an addict. I can't have just one. Hell, I don't want just one... I want
>a whole carton. But I won't smoke the next one. I don't have cravings.
>Just desires once in a while that pass in seconds. My craving for ice
>tea is stronger. So I pee a lot. But I don't smoke the next cigarette.
>You don't have to either. One day at a time.
>
>Tomorrow will be 8 years and 10 months. Think I'll go have a glass of
>ice tea to celebrate!
>
>Steve Kramer
>Chiang Mai, Thailand
>http://www.photoenvisions.com
>Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 13 hours, 52 minutes and
>54 seconds. 96767 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,191.83. Time used
>for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes.

Excellent post and excellent meter. Congratulations!!
Sue
One year, two months, four weeks, two days, 10 hours, 14 minutes and
14 seconds. 15062 cigarettes not smoked, saving $2,507.83. Life saved:
7 weeks, 3 days, 7 hours, 10 minutes.

>

Steve Kramer <steve@seatraveler.com> wrote:

>Hey guys.... just remember this. It might not be easy, but it IS
>doable.... if YOU WANT TO DO IT. JUST DON'T SMOKE THE NEXT CIGARETTE!
>
>Don't worry about smoking next week or next month, or even tomorrow.
>Just don't smoke the next one today. One day at a time. I still would
>love to be able to smoke a cigarette once in a while. But I can't. I'm
>an addict. I can't have just one. Hell, I don't want just one... I want
>a whole carton. But I won't smoke the next one. I don't have cravings.
>Just desires once in a while that pass in seconds. My craving for ice
>tea is stronger. So I pee a lot. But I don't smoke the next cigarette.
>You don't have to either. One day at a time.
>
>Tomorrow will be 8 years and 10 months. Think I'll go have a glass of
>ice tea to celebrate!

What a fantastic meter, and what a fantastic character you are to
share your story and support new quitters after almost 9 years!

--
Tihomir

If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau, Henry David

Cheers an congrats! It's always good to see quit meters that big.
Robin.
--
Batman: "You're far from mod, Robin. And many hippies are older than you
are."
-
"Steve Kramer" <> schreef in bericht ...
>
> Hey guys.... just remember this. It might not be easy, but it IS
> doable.... if YOU WANT TO DO IT. JUST DON'T SMOKE THE NEXT CIGARETTE!
>
> Don't worry about smoking next week or next month, or even tomorrow. Just
> don't smoke the next one today. One day at a time. I still would love to
> be able to smoke a cigarette once in a while. But I can't. I'm an addict.
> I can't have just one. Hell, I don't want just one... I want a whole
> carton. But I won't smoke the next one. I don't have cravings. Just
> desires once in a while that pass in seconds. My craving for ice tea is
> stronger. So I pee a lot. But I don't smoke the next cigarette. You don't
> have to either. One day at a time.
>
> Tomorrow will be 8 years and 10 months. Think I'll go have a glass of ice
> tea to celebrate!
>
> Steve Kramer
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> http://www.photoenvisions.com
> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 13 hours, 52 minutes and
> 54 seconds. 96767 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,191.83. Time used for
> a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes.
>
>

It's shocking to see how many kids still smoke. We already knew
smoking was bad but they are bombarded with that message.

--
Batman: "You're far from mod, Robin. And many hippies are older than you
are."
-
"Steve Kramer" <> schreef in bericht ...
>I live in a small town in northern Thailand that is a very popular
>destination for young backpack tourists. When not away from town on
>business I usually have my lunch in a nice outdoor guest house restaurant
>in the center of the tourist area. I see dozens of different backpack
>tourists eating and chatting there daily, and even more during the high
>season.... and almost every one of them is chain smoking.
>
> All DO hold their cigarettes away from their table so as not to get their
> smoke into the eyes of their table mates, which is very considerate to
> those at the table, but if you have 20 tables, each with 4-6 people
> smoking, and all holding their cigarettes behind them aiming at OTHER
> tables, it seems to defeat the purpose.... We usually sit in front of the
> fan so the smoke doesn't come our way, but when you have to walk past
> them, gee these folks really stink badly. It's hard to imagine that I used
> to smell that same way.
>
> Another interesting observation.... Most of these kids roll their own
> cigarettes. When I asked why, they said because it was cheaper. But one
> friend who's better at math than I figured out that at the rate they were
> smoking, and the cost of a pack of 'Three Castles' tobacco (seemingly the
> blend of choice,) they were actually spending more!
>
> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow. ODAT
>
> Steve Kramer
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and 51
> seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving $24,188.16. Time used for a
> better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 40 minutes.

It wasn't a dark and stormy night when Steve Kramer wrote:
[gently snipped]
> Another interesting observation.... Most of these kids roll
> their own cigarettes. When I asked why, they said because it was
> cheaper. But one friend who's better at math than I figured out
> that at the rate they were smoking, and the cost of a pack of
> 'Three Castles' tobacco (seemingly the blend of choice,) they
> were actually spending more!

I found rolling my own I smoked more but that may have been
partially because I was so bad at rolling them. On top of that they
just didn't "taste" right so I was left unsatisfied and still
wanting a smoke. :-/

> I'm glad I didn't smoke today. I pray I won't smoke tomorrow.
> ODAT
>
> Steve Kramer
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> Eight years, nine months, four weeks, two days, 2 hours, 6
> minutes and 51 seconds. 96752 cigarettes not smoked, saving
> $24,188.16. Time used for a better purpose: 47 weeks, 6 days, 22
> hours, 40 minutes.

<swoon>

That meter is *HUGE!* Thanks for the inspiration, Steve. :-)

Totally awesome, Steve! Getting and staying smober is a hard job and
that you are smober as long as you are gives me as a newbie a lot more
courage to 'keep on keeping on.' It's really sad when I see
youngsters smoking as I know they will be fighting the nicodemon later
on in their life and going through the same shit we all are
experiencing. One would think that kids would know better but
truthfully, I did not start smoking until after the first official
'smoking is bad' messages were out there from the US Surgeon General.
At 16, it was more important to be 'hip & older' than killing myself.
But, do sit back and listen as the Yodeling Gnomes travel your way.
They will be working on native yodels from the jungles of Thailand to
make this experience out of this world!

FlatironMike
FSS
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