Quitting, the Dalek Guide to Success and One Excited Geek!

Hi folks!

So, for any of you who've read my previous posts, you'll know that I recently gave up smoking.  In fact, as I sit here and write this post, it has been two weeks to the day since I last had a cigarette!  I am rather proud of this fact and even more proud of the way I have handled the cravings.  You see, I will never be one of those people who claims that giving up smoking was easy, because it isn't.  It is, in fact, one of the most mentally exhausting things I've done recently.

Not smoking: one week and one unfair Playstation in...

The past two weeks have seen my moods fling from resolute determination through gibbering wreck and on into Incredible Hulk scale rages targeted at nothing other than my poor Playstation 3 whose only mistake was to be on and not letting me win.  Couple this with thoughts of all the great times I've had while smoking (I kid you not, my mind has literally replayed the greatest hits of my smoking days; 'remember when you'd had a really hard day at work?' it urges me 'And remember how GOOD that cigarette was when you got home?') and you've got a recipie for torture that really should be covered under the Geneva Convention or whatever.  It certainly feels like cruel and unusual punishment!  Nevertheless, my willpower has been tested and remains strong!  I'm not even using the nicotine patches anymore, I am completely nicotine free!  Which helps when my mind plays its evil tricks because I know that there is no physical addiciton anymore, it's just my brain whinging for a hit like a petulant kid in a candy store.  Bad brain!  No nicotine for you, you'll just have to do without!

The Dalek Guide to Success: as cheap as it looks.

Another thing that I'm rather proud of recently is my progress in finding a way to cope with my depression.  I've been seeing a psychologist again for a few weeks now and this time around it seems the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy we're doing is having the desired effect.  I've been able to (WARNING: shrink speak ahead!) challenge my negative thoughts more successfully and have even started to replace some of them with balanced thoughts!  To this end, I have invented what I like to call the Dalek Guide to Success!  This is basically a piece of paper with a list of 'thinking errors' on it and the questions to help confront those errors.  What's special is that this piece of paper is stuck into my Dalek picture, thus ensuring that the Daleks continue to motivate me to challenge my evil negative thoughts!  Thanks Daleks, keep up the good work!  Also, as a slight addendum to this post, it's very worrying just exactly how much Dalek themed porn there is out there on the internet!  You sick, sick puppies!  (Don't believe me?  Google the word 'dalek' and check out the images!)

Travel by map, it's quicker!

The last thing that I want to mention today is something that I've been trying to steer clear from in my blog so far, but as it's getting closer, I feel I should share.  As some of you guys know, I'm going on holiday in 19 days to the USA for a mahoosive three week holiday!  I fly out on the 27th March and only get back to the UK on the 19th April.  The trip is going to take me from New York, through Washington DC and Virginia, New Orleans, Roswell, San Antonio and Monument Valley as well as the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and finally ending in Los Angeles.  To say that I'm looking forward to it is an understatement and, as some of the more eagle eyed of you will have noted, I'm going to Roswell.  Roswell, New Mexico!  For anyone with even a slightly geeky bone in their body, that's a big deal because that's where the 'weather balloon' crashed in 1947.  Everyone reckons it was a UFO instead of a balloon so Roswell has become something of a place of pilgramage for geeks everywhere.  I am well chuffed that I'm going, not to mention that I get to see New Orleans and Monument Valley too!  My dad would have loved seeing Monument Valley, so that one's for him!

Anyway, I'd better go do something else so I'll close up this post now.  I'll try and get another post in before I fly and if I get the chance, I might update while I'm out there, otherwise I'll tell you all about it when I get back!

TTFN!


Kenny!