06 Jul 08 21:55, Richard Webb wrote to Roy Witt:

 RW>> I could never hang in a bar if I were having a cocktail without the
 RW>> smoke to go along with it.

 RW>> Once you've gotten rid of the habit, everything begins to have a
 RW>> taste that wasn't there while you were smoking. Your taste buds will
 RW>> surprise you.

 RW> My dad was a smoker from before I was born until I was in my late
 RW> twenties. HE often says the same.

Mine smoked until my little sister ran into his lit cigarette. At least in
public. He smoked up to the day he had intestinal surgery at 74. That was
when they diagnosed him with emphasyma. He died 9 years later in an oxygen
tent and was more than happy to go.

 RW> One night about a decade ago I was sitting on the patio at his house
 RW> after a good dinner.  I was sipping a cocktail, he was sipping a
 RW> beer.  I lit the usual after dinner smoke, which was why we migrated
 RW> to the patio. I asked him if he really found it fdifficult around
 RW> smokers.  I remember his difficulties quitting. I commented that
 RW> after a nice dinner as we'd just eaten, a nice steak, baked potato,
 RW> fresh garden salad et al, I had to have that smoke. HE said he didn't
 RW> miss it as badly then as he did when driving down the road.  HE was
 RW> an over-the-road trucker. HIs comment was that when he'd stop at a
 RW> traffic light he'd look down at somebody in the car next to him, see
 RW> them light up and could tell they were really enjoying that smoke. AT
 RW> that moment he'd start patting his pockets.

Heh. We all go through that stage. I patted my pockets for over two years,
after meals, while enjoying a cup of coffee and while drinking beer. I
always enjoyed the first puff of smoke of a freshly lit cigarette and
still do. After that though, the smoke stinks terrible.

 RW> For awhile before Katrina when I was temporarily housed in an
 RW> apartment where I couldn't put up antennas I operated doing my net
 RW> control work from the station at LSU medical center. COntrolling a
 RW> network such as the maritime mobile service network which can be an
 RW> action packed hour was sometimes quite stressful without that smoke.
 RW> I'd finish my net shift and run for the outdoors to have that smoke.
 RW> Mixing a performance in the audio truck isn't near as bad, managing
 RW> up to 50 channels of audio and all the logistics keeps me too busy,
 RW> but radio operating, doing desk work, etc. I've always got a smoke
 RW> going.

I used to have one in my mouth, hanging there as I tried to see what I was
doing. My eyes burning, then I would set that smoke in an ash tray and
return to it for the very last drag, before it died.

 RW>>> NOw our remote audio truck's control room in the 19 foot box is a
 RW>>> no smoking zone, and I"m a smoker.  ITs former owner
based out of
 RW>>> HOuston allowed smoking in the back.  I do not.

 RW>>> Kinda too close quartered for that.

 RW> Picture three people in that rig, my wife and I the operators and
 RW> possibly a producer or other assistant.

Crowded.

 RW>> Yep, and all the precision electronics.

 RW>> Yeup...hard on that too.

 RN>>>> Those houses are ones that probably allow smoking.  That's the
 RN>>>> only way the owners can steer clear of breaking the law.

 RW>>>> Breaking what law?

 RW>> IF it's written such as the TEnnessee and ARkansas laws any place
 RW>> which allows juveniles inside is a smoke free zone.  I've heard that
 RW>> in Arkansas even an adult smoking in a vehicle with a child inside
 RW>> the vehicle can be arrested and charged, but don't know if this is
 RW>> true.

 RW>> Interesting. I had never heard of that.

 RW> According to parties I've heard it from it's called child
 RW> endangerment according to Arkansas law.

Ahhhh. That's different. I think the law would call that 'reckless
endangerment' because most adults would be able to rationalize that
smoking, 2nd hand smoke, is going to endanger the health of that child, if
not right away, on down the line.

 RW>>> Afaik Texas has the no smoking in restaurants law too.  NOw a
 RW>>> couple of places with a bar we found in the HOuston area when we
 RW>>> were down there last summer allowed smoking.  WE spent about a
 RW>>> month there while getting this remote truck ready to roll.

 R>>> The only restaurants that I've found here that allow smoking, are in
 R>>> San Antonio. I was reminded of how pleasant it is to eat in an
 R>>> establishment that doesn't allow smoking.

 RW> My wife and I spent about three weeks in SAn Antone after Katrina.
 RW> WE found a nice mExican restaurant where one could smoke on the patio
 RW> overlooking the riverwalk. Quiite a few places along there were
 RW> smoking on the patio but not inside.

This was a Inter'l House of Pancakes on the NE side, at the Forum. One of
the girls of the party we were having dinner with just had to have a table
in the smoking section. Nancy and I put up with it for a while, but opted
to move to the non-smoking section before eating.

 RW>> THE frustrating part for me is that the carcinogens belched by the
 RW>> smokestacks and our automobiles are just as hazardous.

 RW>> But not as personal or as hazardous.

 RW> Also true, but it's a political thing somewhat with me.  A guy who
 RW> doesn't need a truck or big vehicle to do his work driving his gas
 RW> guzzler and crying that I'm smoking.

He may be wasting fuel, but he's not polluting nearly as much as a smoker.

 RW> Meanwhile he'd save himself a bunch of grief and bucks taking the bus
 RW> to work.

Well, we can all appreciate that. But many of us don't.

 RW>> RW> What comes out of modern autos these days is so clean
 RW>> it's almost breathable. Someday it will be.

 RW> YEp, especially with the hydrogen fuel cell .  Maybe you coudl
 RW> drink it .

It's supposed to be pure.

                R\%/itt



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