Sunday, May 2, 2010

Smoke on the Water..


My first ever cigarette was at my Aunt and Uncles house on Newport Street--fittingly enough. My cousins and I were roughly 1o when we pilfered 2 ciggies to try. They were menthol and unfiltered and we hacked our lungs out and were mildly nauseated. So much for that first effort where the true fun was in the sneak job.

Fast forward 6 years, on my birthday, where Led Zeppelin was singing, "Smoke on the Water". All my girlfriends insisted that with the freedom to drive,(I had a car) came the freedom to smoke. All my friends smoked and so I purchased a pack of Marlborough's and got the lesson that initiated me into being a 'smoker'! I was never really a big smoker and used the cigs mostly for effect. Also being a gymnast and a wanna-be runner, my lungs would hurt like hell if I smoked too much. Coughing up blood was most definitely NOT glamorous!

At eighteen I could legally go into bars and drink, and the smoking went along perfectly. I graduated to the extra long smokes and featured myself very glamorous with my lime flavored Tom Collins and cigarette in my hand sporting a white, denim jumpsuit and cork heeled wedgies and a wicked Farrah Fawcett blow dry. Tres chic! This posing went on for about a year till I had had it with the coughing, mess, smell, etc. On New Years Eve, I took up a bet to quit and did. Wasn't that hard and I just HAD to win the bet.

So now there's a law in place banning smoking in public places and away from food by 100 feet. I love not being forced to breath secondhand while I am out eating and such, but I think it was and is dumb to not allow smoking patios. Bars and restaurants are effected enough as it is and this will surely make a difference. In Florida the smoking patios seem to work out as the best compromise for everyone and it would have been nice to try it that way.

There will be many letters to the editors one way or the other on the subject, so this will probably get very interesting. I'm not sure if the government took away a right or just gave me a new one. Either way, it's out of my hands and we'll just have to see how it shakes out. Let me know your take on it...Go Wings! I have tickets for Thursdays game, whoo hoo! P.S. I have the great honor of celebrating with the darling Michelle, (Michelle's Spell) on her birthday tomorrow. There may even be an appearance by Mark (the Walking Man)! Cannot wait!! xoxo

10 comments:

JR's Thumbprints said...

When I was in highschool they had a courtyard area for the smokers. Times have really changed. Hey, the prison system banned smoking not too long ago, so why not elsewhere.

If you see Dr. Brooks, tell her I said hello; Mark too.

Charles Gramlich said...

I've smoked the occassional cigarrette but as I've gotten older the smoke bothers my sinuses more. I don't quite know how I feel about all these anti-smoking laws either

JohnnyG said...

Deep Purple

Anonymous said...

May smackdown announced, stop by to say you are in. :) No lobster this time.

Erik Donald France said...

Thank God for one's own abode, if lucky enough to have one. A last space to be free, even if to be self-damaging. I remember pipes, cigars, pot, cigs -- everything in the open not that long ago. Hell, even smoking on airplanes!

Heff said...

Enjoyed the story, but yes - Smoke On The Water is by Deep Purple.

No harm, no foul.

Trooper Thorn said...

I have lived in several cities that have banned all public smoking and it never affects businesses, as long as it is applied equally. People still go to restaurants, bars and movies even if they cannot smoke

Any pictures in your white denim jumpsuit?

Mona said...

When I first smoked, it was a smoking challenge at a midnight feast. I smoked twenty at a go & was sick as hell! Never touched them after that!

rosegarden said...

What a pleasure it has been to go out to places in the last week and enjoy a smoke free environment. Low and behold restaurants and bars weren"t empty!! People are still going out. My contact lenses are happy. Happy Mother's day to all the hard working moms out there!!!

jodi said...

JR-I totally forgot that we had 'Pig Pens" at our school where smoking was allowed! You need to meet us with all of us, because if you don't, YOU are the one we talk about! Just kiddin... Charles-Went out on Saturday and the bars and restaurants were still packed. Cool! JohnnyG-Thanks so much for the correction. Can't believe I did that. Spongey old head of mine! BamaTrav-welcome and will do just that! Erik-Yes, I was one of those plane smokers. You know me, flying off with a cocktail and smoke was soooo tres chic! Hef-i stand corrected. I played the "Machine Head" album to death, so don't know how I made the error. I must be gettin' addled! Trooper Thorn-Sadly,I had to retire said jumpsuit. Don't think I could get one leg in the thing now. Or drink those nasty Tom Collins! Mona-the Midnight Feast seems a wonderful idea, however, the smoking challenge? Not so much! Rosegarden-thanks once again for joining me. Had a blast. Enjoy your day with Mumsie. She's fab! xoxo