En Garde!!! Definition: French for "on guard", the position that fencers take before a bout begins or after a break in the action, a stance fencers take up before right before they start to duel Found myself taking the position of En Garde today. Out of nowhere, after a long break in the action, I found myself preparing for the duel yet again. I was making breakfast this morning for daughter and son-in-law who had come by last night unexpectedly, meanwhile preparing food for some friends who were coming by later to watch the Blue Angels from my lanai, and thinking about the truckload of yard cuttings and recyclables I had planned to drop off before guests came. Happy to be doing it all, but feeling a bit pressured time wise. When all of a sudden!!! BAM!!!! With a Capital B!!! I wanted a cigarette. Out of nowhere the thought came, the feeling came. So familiar, and SO unwanted...and unexpected. I sat down, took a deep breath, and thought about it. En Garde! Obviously this was one of those old triggers, namely the "I get to reward myself at various times during the preparation of a party" trigger. After all these months, here was another one I had to be prepared to duel with. I assumed the position, and carried on. After the potaoes were on to boil, after the potato salad was in the fridge, after the barbeque sauce was made, after the garage was swept, after the dishes were washed, after the veggies were cut and the dip was made, I dueled with that old foe again and again. Amazing how after all this time I could feel that pull so strongly, while simultaneously not wanting to smoke....at all!!! Another funny thing later in the day. One of my friends told me he thought I had been ripped off on a big foundation job I'd had done..and BAM!!!!! another urge to smoke hit me. It's almost like once I was vulnerable to the urge, it was coming at me from everywhere, almost like being double-teamed in a fight. Happy to report that I didn't smoke, and still do not want to....at all!!!! And glad that even after all this time I can be En Garde and ready to fight this stupid stupid addiction no matter when or where it hits me. Hope all of you are ready to assume the position and be En Garde whenever the situation calls for it ;) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 207 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,280 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,407.60 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 22 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42