Thank you for smoking.

I just watched Thank You For Smoking and thought it was genius. I also think I need to seriously consider quitting smoking myself. I was asking Photogal why it was that I'm getting sick so frequently, and she said, "You're getting older and your immune system isn't what it used to be, plus, you still smoke you idiot." Okay, she didn't actually say the "idiot" part, but i could tell it was implied.

I never used to miss work because I was sick. In fact I remember pulling a bartending shift on a Friday night with non-stop action and a never ending stream of drunkenly demanding over-privileged jerkface customers while battling a severe case of food poisoning courtesy of an unwise meal selection at Boston Market earlier in the day. (I do not blame Boston Market in toto for this affliction, I blame whoever on their staff at their Old Town location did something evil to their corn.)

At my old job, I think I called in sick once in the three or so years I was there. Once.

Since I started at my new job, though, I've been sick an awful lot. Like I said, I blame part of this on my stubborn insistence to not quit smoking. I know it's bad for me. I can feel it break down my health. I am sure it is causing me to take longer to recover when something does afflict me. I am actually pulling for the Illinois state legislature to pass a state-wide ban on smoking in all public places since i think such an action would really help me to quit. As it stands Chicago is supposed to phase out smoking everywhere in 2008, but I do not for one second think that the restaurant and bar lobby won't find some loophole to exploit. But part of it just has to do with getting older too, I think. I just don't bounce back like I used to.

Okay, enough thinking, I'm crawling back to the couch to continue recuperating.