Ok, so let's talk about smoking. I've become so happily accustomed to California's anti-smoking laws that I'm actually wishing they were even stronger. And then I remember that I'm privileged to live here. Anyway, I grew up with smoking all around me. I mean, first of all, this was the 70's and 80's and everybody was still smoking. And then, my father was a big smoker (up until 1995 when he had a major heart-attack from the smoking and effectively quit after then) so there was constant smoking in the house and out in the world. So, it was always around. And then I worked in college at this data entry office which was about 30 people who were chain smokers while they did their data entry and there was little ventilation and no one seemed to be bothered and, frankly, at the time, I wasn't bothered either-- it all seemed normal at the time and I didn't care.

Update to today. I live in California and am thankful everytime I go to a bar or restaurant or coffeeshop and I can breathe without the smoke, and my clothes don't smell, and I'm not worried about health issues. HOWEVER, I love to sit just outside the coffeeshops on the sidewalk and enjoy the San Francisco weather. But then, that's where all the smokers congregate. Ugh. It drives me nuts. And what's even worse is when I'm sitting inside the coffeeshops and the smoke blows inside, right onto me, because the windows are wide open and the people are sitting right next to me except for a small floor wall holding up the open window. So is that outdoor smoking? It's blowing inside onto me. It's basically inside.

I really don't mean to be anti-smoker people, but it's driving me NUTS. What really drives me nuts is when I'm sitting outside and someone asks if they can join me at my outdoor table and I, of course, say sure and then they pull out a cigarette and start smoking and don't even ask me if it's ok. You know, I don't want to smell it or breathe it or be near it. Ugh, it's driving me NUTS!