What a Beautiful Day!

You know, the strangest things happen when you are having a good day! It was a beautiful day here in St. Louis. Couldn't ask for more perfect weather. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to be out on the lake with my sails full of wind....sigh, oh well soon! So, since I couldn't go sailing I was a good hominid and started in on some yard work I had been putting off for, well forever (Mrs. afarensis calls me manyana boy- can't make the correct accent mark so forgive the spelling- cause she say's I like to procrastinate). After clearing the yard of about 1/4 of the leaves in it (had cleared up a lot of them in the fall but I still had a ton of them because I have a big yard) and starting a new compost pile I decided it was time to fire up the barbie. I was sitting there smelling the chicken and enjoying the soft breeze and warm sun, watching about ten robins chasing a bonanza of bugs- who no longer had a nice, safe covering of leaves. It was bliss. There was a wonderful harmony to it all - call it one of Maslow's peak experiences if you like - but I was feeling pretty happy and content.
Next thing I know I'm at the gas station buying cigarettes. What the F*&k? See I quit smoking the first day of March. I'm using the patch and really haven't missed it. Before I quit I spent a lot of time looking at all the things I do and once I quit I avoided them like the plague. The one thing that didn't occur to me was that yard work and nature watching would make me want to smoke more. So now I have sore lungs (since I hadn't had a smoke in awhile) and am feeling some what cranky. In hind sight, it all makes sense. Jumping out of bed and having that first cup of coffee and a smoke, for example, was heaven.
On the bright side, the next time my wife mentions yard work I can legitimately say " I'll do it some other time, yard work makes me want to smoke"!