The habits around smoking have changed...

[bloosman1]

When I smoked, I would go to the store every day in the morning, after work, to buy a pack o' smokes, thinking (hoping) okay, this might be my last pack, and of course, I would buy a bunch of other useless crap along with my smokes. Now, I have no need (if I've kept up on groceries) to do this. It feels a bit strange. Also, the times that I want this gratification have changed,ie: I'm not strapped to using a whole unit (cig), but, rather just the amount I want (1 puff, or 2?)(vape) and when I want it. Ashtrays have pretty much become obsolete.
Can any of you identify with this? I know it sounds trite, but at my age (57) these changes are big. I am enjoying this new lifestyle!
Cheers,
---bloosman1---

 

[BigNasty]

Many a year smokeless, but 7-11 and gas stations still feels odd as hell not asking for camels.

 

[snake94115]

Ashtrays have pretty much become obsolete.

I washed all my old ashtrays out and now either use them like candy trays or as a place to lay my tube mods in.
I also smoked cigars so I've got a few big ashtrays that are perfect for tube mods to rest in.

 

[BigNasty]

Not going to lie, if I am still tired or not paying attention I still ask for em.
Then give the odd WTF look to the cashier.

 

[bloosman1]

LOL, Big Nasty. I still look for my lighter when I wake up, (At night) before work !

 

[BigNasty]

LOL, Big Nasty. I still look for my lighter when I wake up, (At night) before work !

Try finding one of like 80-100 or so bics collected and not able to find any when you want to light a candle or a stick of nag champa.

My torch gets a work out.

 

[Discobob]

Yup, I noticed the other day that I haven't been inside a gas station since I quit, so not only have I saved smoke money I also have saved lots on buying other crap

 

[Zr0]

Many a year smokeless, but 7-11 and gas stations still feels odd as hell not asking for camels.

My problem is all the gas stations and liquor stores know me...they still automatically assume I'm going to buy two packs of smokes everytime I go in :lol:

 

[BigNasty]

My problem is all the gas stations and liquor stores know me...they still automatically assume I'm going to buy two packs of smokes everytime I go in :lol:

Same.
One dude I have not seen in a 4 years put a pack of camel 99 on the counter before I said anything.
He tried to charge me for them and told him I have not smoked in years, yet he did not believe me and tried to sell me a pack of smokes. His lack of English made the refusal almost go to blows.

 

[Zr0]

Same.
One dude I have not seen in a 4 years put a pack of camel 99 on the counter before I said anything.
He tried to charge me for them and told him I have not smoked in years, yet he did not believe me and tried to sell me a pack of smokes. His lack of English made the refusal almost go to blows.

I wouldn't go back there if that was the case! My local shops are all pretty cool, I'm still a daily customer...but they are still getting adjusted to me not buying smokes. One does have a case of vapes, tried selling me on their juice, but at $25/30ml I'm not biting lol

 

[BigNasty]

Wow, same here and I hadn't given that a thought. Well spotted.

It helps that here in Oregon (I think NJ as well) we can't touch the non-Diesel pumps ourselves, but yeah... no reason to go inside anymore.

half the hose jockeys I do not trust to put the cap back on correctly.

 

[BigNasty]

It pays to listen closely, as it's not optional.

I know. but at least no sales tax... but we take it in the ass on property taxes.

 

[OBDave]

Not going to lie, if I am still tired or not paying attention I still ask for em.
Then give the odd WTF look to the cashier.

A few weeks ago I absentmindedly responded to an "Anything else?" at the 7-Eleven with "Pack of Marlboro Light 100s" and got the weirdest look...apparently they're now called "Marlboro Golds" and saying "Lights" is non-PC and considered a faux pas in Kalifornia these days. It's been 2 1/2 years since I've actually bought smokes...old habits die hard.

 

[snake94115]

Try finding one of like 80-100 or so bics collected and not able to find any when you want to light a candle or a stick of nag champa.

My torch gets a work out.

I kept all my old lighters sorry but I ain't tossing out over 10k worth of collectibles and 1 is a very rare DuPont table lighter so just no way it's ever getting tossed.

 

[SailCat]

LOL, Big Nasty. I still look for my lighter when I wake up, (At night) before work !

I still carry my Bic but I say it's in case I see a band I really like.

 

[BigNasty]

I still have my zippo in a box somewhere that I picked up on my first leave.
There is a giant dent in it from getting shut in a car hood.

 

[Zamazam]

LOL, Big Nasty. I still look for my lighter when I wake up, (At night) before work !

I actually ran out of lighter fluid a while back. Got my trusty zippo out of my sock drawer to go light the charcoal for a bbq and damn, no fluid anywhere in the house, no matches, nothing. I had to use my Swedish steel fire starter to get the grill going -LOL. Went out and bought a few bottles of lighter fluid and some flints after that. My missus thought it was funny as hell that neither of had lighters or matches.

 

[PuffPuffPass]

A few weeks ago I absentmindedly responded to an "Anything else?" at the 7-Eleven with "Pack of Marlboro Light 100s" and got the weirdest look...apparently they're now called "Marlboro Golds" and saying "Lights" is non-PC and considered a faux pas in Kalifornia these days. It's been 2 1/2 years since I've actually bought smokes...old habits die hard.

I did that yesterday lol
Lady at the counter was like wtf when I told her I didn't really want them, it was just habit.

And I can really relate to the lighter issue that others have had. I find myself having to search for one occasionally.

 

[raymo2u]

I sometimes reminisce about ashes all over my house and porch, packs of ciggs that filled my garbage's, holes burned into my clothes, chest pains when walking or the smell on my clothes and hands, the feel of inhaling hot ash up my nose from the wind....I do not miss ciggs one bit

 

[SailCat]

I still have my zippo in a box somewhere that I picked up on my first leave.
There is a giant dent in it from getting shut in a car hood.

Ha! You reminded me that I, too have a Zippo that I use as a guitar slide. I stopped thinking about it being a lighter some time ago.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

In Texas if your caught without a way to light a bbq grill you can be bitch slapped.

 

[BigNasty]

I sometimes reminisce about ashes all over my house and porch, packs of ciggs that filled my garbage's, holes burned into my clothes, chest pains when walking or the smell on my clothes and hands, the feel of inhaling hot ash up my nose from the wind....I do not miss ciggs one bit

I dunno I could swap the blisters from molten juice for the odd burn hole in a shirt.

 

[Discobob]

Yea not having a lighter when my buddies that smoke and partake in other activities feels nothing less than awesome, although we are tied to batteries and cotton juice and coils to vape it's more of a lifestyle now rather than a nasty habit.....

We can all say that vaping has saved our lives. People that tell me I just traded bad habits make me want to punch faces, I don't even respond anymore to it.

Anyone else so over explaining yourself? I mean I get so tired of ignorance with vaping, they used to say something and I would be like no man it's way better etc. Now it just aggravates the fuck out of me and I turn into a dick and either just tell them no I like vaping vasaline or I will literally just turn and walk away.

 

[BigNasty]

OK, lighter aka the zippo was edc gear.
To much shit not enough pockets.

 

[misthub_rick]

Same.
One dude I have not seen in a 4 years put a pack of camel 99 on the counter before I said anything.
He tried to charge me for them and told him I have not smoked in years, yet he did not believe me and tried to sell me a pack of smokes. His lack of English made the refusal almost go to blows.

You Buy Now! LOL

 

[raymo2u]

I dunno I could swap the blisters from molten juice for the odd burn hole in a shirt.

Havent got a blister from juice yet but it does burn a bit, have branded myself with a few of my builds though

 

[robot zombie]

Yea not having a lighter when my buddies that smoke and partake in other activities feels nothing less than awesome, although we are tied to batteries and cotton juice and coils to vape it's more of a lifestyle now rather than a nasty habit.....

We can all say that vaping has saved our lives. People that tell me I just traded bad habits make me want to punch faces, I don't even respond anymore to it.

Anyone else so over explaining yourself? I mean I get so tired of ignorance with vaping, they used to say something and I would be like no man it's way better etc. Now it just aggravates the fuck out of me and I turn into a dick and either just tell them no I like vaping vasaline or I will literally just turn and walk away.

I think I'm at a point in my life where I just don't take myself seriously enough to care about what people think... ...or maybe it's just that I have enough confidence in the choices I make for my own sake that other people's opinions don't bother me. I make conscious lifestyle decisions... ...I try to do better for myself. I'm not concerned with the perceptions and decisions of others when it comes to such matters. They should worry about their own problems. I can hold myself accountable for mine and take the appropriate course of action.

I'm all for having real, honest conversations about life decisions, but I will not bite if all that the other person wants to do is exert what they probably see as the power of their superior knowledge and wisdom. Some people just need to find better ways to feel important.

A common trait I've noticed in people who want to tell you what you're doing wrong is a lack of agency in their own lives. They live in boxes. Try to argue with someone in a box and you'll get wedged up into a corner.


One habit I really miss from my smoking days is just sitting on the porch on a nice, listless day with fresh coffee and just getting lost in thought for an hour or so as I watch the goings-on in the neighborhood. That's something I don't really do anymore. Smoking was my excuse to go out there.

My corner store habits haven't changed, though. I'm still a regular goon. They never offer me smokes, though. More often, they say "What? No beer today?" eheh. I just don't drink like I used to and sometimes I think they don't believe me. Though considering how much I used to drink, I can't blame em for thinking I'm buying beer elsewhere!

 

[Whiskey]

Love this thread!! I ditched all the ash trays

 

[SailCat]

No ashtrays here to ditch. I was another porch goon (thank you for the term, robot zombie). Rain, wind, snow ... ah, those were the days ....

 

[Zr0]

No ashtrays here to ditch. I was another porch goon (thank you for the term, robot zombie). Rain, wind, snow ... ah, those were the days ....

Honestly I still go outside to vape, just like when I smoked. When my wife steps out for a smoke I go out and join her with my vape. Hopefully she gives it a shot sometime soon.

Then again I'm probably the odd man out because I simply refused to smoke indoors, in cars, etc. I will vape in my car but blow it out the window. I kinda loved when people assumed my car would stink like an ashtray simply because I smoked. Then they got in and realized it was cleaner than their cars

 

[robot zombie]

Honestly I still go outside to vape, just like when I smoked. When my wife steps out for a smoke I go out and join her with my vape. Hopefully she gives it a shot sometime soon.

It has been my experience that if you vape around someone enough, they eventually get curious. Just seeing you vaping sort of plants the seed in their mind, "Maybe it IS better." "Maybe I can quit using one of those." Half of my friends are now ex-smokers just because one day they finally caved and asked me how to get started with vaping. A couple of them are RDA-junkies like me now, haha. They've got it bad, man.

She'll come around when she's ready.

Then again I'm probably the odd man out because I simply refused to smoke indoors, in cars, etc. I will vape in my car but blow it out the window. I kinda loved when people assumed my car would stink like an ashtray simply because I smoked. Then they got in and realized it was cleaner than their cars

Well, that makes two of us. I never smoked in my house (though I occasionally smoked in my car - I wouldn't have if it wasn't a beater to begin with.) I always thought the homes of people who smoked in them were gross. Smoking hotel rooms are even worse. You can never tell if they're clean or dirty because they always smell terrible. I think the worst is when someone takes a shower and the steam mixes with the ashy smell of the house to form a brand new type of mildew scent.

 

[bloosman1]

My apartment and car need fumigation! I am now certain that cigs are out..... Let the field day begin. I didn't refrain from smoking in the apt, or the car. Definitely my bad. Oh well, I can't help about the shape I'm in. (song lyrics)

 

[OBDave]

No ashtrays here to ditch. I was another porch goon (thank you for the term, robot zombie). Rain, wind, snow ... ah, those were the days ....

Ah, huddled on the stoop outside during a downpour, trying to suck down a heater before the rain pouring off the roof put my cherry out...and the smell always seemed worse on wet days, to the point it bothered me even though I was the one smoking. Don't miss that at all...

I had non-smoking cars and smoking cars...I once took the wife's old 2003 Dodge Neon beater on a one-day, 700 mile road trip even though I had a virtually-new Honda just because I didn't want to not smoke and drive or pay for the gas in my old Ford pickup with a 460...