(repost) Quitting Smoking (the social way) - Part Two

The sticker is on the pack... and I don't think it's even going to get finished!
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My standard line whenever someone suggested my giving up the habit, has been “Nobody likes a quitter!” Man, do I hope I was wrong.
Other quips I’ve come out with when cornered about my addiction have included the assertion that in order to quit cigarettes, I’d have to get “addicted” to something else – and no man in the world has that much stamina…
Whenever I did come even close to acceding to the fact that I should quit, I would agree, and then proceed to lay out my plan for going “cold- turkey”. It would require a third party who was willing to: take me somewhere far enough away from a potential point-of-purchase that I couldn’t get there on foot; confiscate my car keys and bank card in order to prevent me from going further afield to satisfy any given craving, and; distract, entertain and/or just generally put up with me for a minimum of three days (read 24/7 surveillance), to give me a sporting chance.
Can you believe it? No takers.
Well, as I’ve already mentioned, the idea to register for the quitnow and win contest was Julie Kerr’s. And after I started to seriously consider the idea, I floated my fool-proof, (read “no one will ever take me up on this”) quit-smoking plan. Silly me, I floated it in front of a bunch of public health staff.
Enter Sharlene Lively, NH Regional Manager of Community Care Licensing, and (in an important supporting role) the previously-mentioned PHP Regional Director Lucy Beck.
Not only did Sharlene take me up on the challenge – she’s taking me in. That’s right – the setting for my first three days on the wagon is actually Sharlene’s home. The distraction-slash-entertainment will be provided by Sharlene, Lucy, Sharlene’s dogs and stable of horses. There are also apparently some additional ‘plans’ that Lucy has mysteriously referred to their having made for the weekend. And the putting up with me… well – that’s why there’s a commenting feature on this blog.
I’m signing in at the Lively-O Clinic tomorrow morning. Wish me (and the entire Lively family) luck