Smokin in the Girls' Room

1964. Senior in high school. Every study hall I asked for a bathroom pass and once there, quickly entered a stall, lit up a Tareyton and smoked a few drags, dropped the butt in the toilet and flushed. Yes, it did flush in those days. Returned to study hall where my neighboring seatmates caught the whiff of tobacco and looked at me with varying degrees of "knowing what you just did" to "how pathetic" and the inevitable goody two shoes "you are soooo disgusting."

Spring 2011 my husband of 44 years, suffering from an absolutely devastating case of the flu, decides to give up his pipe. (He gave up cigarettes 20 years ago.) Fall 2011, my husband starts to make comments about how much the smell of cigarette smoke bothers him. December 2011, in the darkest hours of one night, I hear my husband wheezing as he sleeps. I already have accepted I cannot smoke in the house when my kids, mother or grandchildren visit. Now I have to go out when He is home.

Late December 2011, On nice days and nights, I alternate with trips to the front porch - it's amazing what goes on in the neighborhood after dark. I have not had this many chats with my next door neighbor (who has been smoking outside for over 20 years) in about 20 years! Also a very nice early morning chat with my neighbor on the other side (non-smoker but an early riser who was tinkering with her Christmas decorations). Probably would not otherwise have spotted Orion hit the early evening sky. Saw a spectacular Jupiter give a show in December. Caught two absolutely gorgeous full moons (plus half moon, crescent moons and of course, the dark of the moon).

The downside? During cold, stormy weather, I am once again smokin the the girls' room with the vent on and the door closed.