Smokey the beard.

So, it seems Moveelvr is trying to kick the smoky habit. Best wishes to him, I have tried many times and I have not had the mental strength to do it.

I think it's my fault he started in the first place. We were in our senior year of high school, and painfully cool. In fact we were so cool, we were the only ones cool enough to notice how cool we were. So in 1990, it wasn't really cool to smoke, but because we were theatre people, and interested in film, we did. I think he lit up in front of me first, but I had been closet smoking for a while already. We would hop in my car (that I bought from him) and do laps around the campus smoking between classes. Many, many late nights were spent at Denny's smoking and drinking. Sprite for him, Iced Tea for me, he always got my lemon. Whenever we had jobs at the same place, we took our breaks together to smoke.

Then, when we grew up, we graduated to smoking in bars. Then we moved to Seattle and lived together, and smoked out on the fire escape, peering out at our tiny view of Peugeot Sound, past the Buddhist Monastery. Then back to our hometown, in our own apartments, talking on the phone while watching Will & Grace.

After we each met and teamed up with our smoking significant others, our chances to smoke together dwindled. WHen I was pregnant, and could not quit smoking (I know, I suck, trust me, I know) he never judged me, was always supportive when I tried not to, but never kicked my ass too hard when I would steal one of his. Then he moved away , and the smoking was done with other people. Still, visits are always peppered with standing outside to burn one.

Now he's quitting, and I am happy for him. I hate to smoke. Yet I do it still, locked up in my sweltering garage, surfing blogs, writing posts. Now we're older, and less cool than we thought we used to be but cooler than we've ever been. He's still my best friend, my brother from another mother.

I'm gonna quit too, J-Li. You do it first, you're stronger.