Nicotine Monkey

Quitting smoking is hard. The Zyban has done wonders for the actual physical craving side of the addiction but it is an addiction to be reckoned with. I can't sleep, I'm hungry but nauseous, I've got the sweats, I'm jumpy, I'm exhausted but pensive and most of all, I'm Grumpy. Zyban is supposed to be a happy drug to help mediate the effects of the withdrawl so I'd probably be out buying a carton of smokes by now to avoid the homicidal urges I'd possibly follow through on.

One of my coworkers is named Howard. Howard has an even more irritating habit than smoking, he whistles. Today, he's particularly fond of If I only had a brain from The Wizard of Oz. While you would have to know Howard to appreciate the humour in this just imagine him as Wally from the Dilbert comic strip. I'm having a hard time deciding whether to kill him and hide the body in the server room under the raised floor or to laugh at his choice of music. The forces seem to be equally strong so I'm glued to my chair and doing neither.

Anyone who says quitting is easy was either never a smoker or never really addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is a seriously addictive substance and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I will never, ever be able to smoke even one again if I really want to quit. It's funny how all the little rituals we build around the addiction are harder to kick than the smoking. I've got about 2 hours of time a day free now....