Mine is not the nightmare I've heard tell about, and it's not debilitating enough to be Smoker's Flu, so what is it? My theory? I spend a lot of time in an out of a freezer and cooler and then in and out of a warm kitchen. Couple that with daily prescribed antibiotics and a few milligrams of cortisone and there's bound to be a reaction. Just my speculation but there it is, sniff, sniff.
In other news....
I noticed today that I do not seem to experience stress in the same way, lately. What do I mean? I mean, an irritation that would have sent me to the nearest cigarette to "calm down" does not seem to last long enough to bother. It just kind of evaporates after a few minutes like so much cigarette smoke, (do you like how I did that? Nevermind.) which is either terrific or I've developed a psychotic indifference to things by which I should be bothered. I'm going to err on the side of the positive and think good thoughts on this one.
Speaking of good thoughts, yesterday, my manager asked if I would be interested in manager's training. It was a very flattering offer, but the timing was weird because not a half hour before, I blew up at her apprentice who tried to steal credit for something I did to fix a situation with the Vice Principle she nearly wrecked. It had to do with a special food delivery to a special class which he requested of me and I had put together and delivered -- between 6th and 7th grade lunch, mind you -- and will become a daily order. The class is called Opportunity Zone, (OZ, get it?) but it's for the kids with 30+ absences and who are confined to this class all day and must eat their meals there, etc. So our arrangement was: the instructor de jour, (it changes,) needs to email the roster/attendance list to us so we know the count (these are Dept. of Ed. reimbursable meals, mind you,) so we have the numbers. And when Kareen's apprentice found out she had to make 20 + extra lunches she decided to cop attitude and declare (once again) what she was not going to do. I reminded her in no uncertain terms it was her job to feed the kids which made me enemy No 1. in her book.
Anywho, I got the food to the classroom, no thanks to Miss Manager-Wannabe and everything worked out fine. Except for the whining to Kareen about mean ol' Alex. But did I stress or want a cigarette? Why, no. I got a little ego boost instead. 
Weird. Unfortunately, I had to say that because I did not have a car, I would made a poor management candidate. (The managers do a lot of running from school to school engaged in what I call "Indian trading" for supplies.) Fair? No. Welcome to my world. But, I was very interested in the City's Food Service Certification, which is a separate credential from our state-issued Food Handler Certificate. So she said she's put me down for the next class, and later she said her boss, (our Operations Manager, ) was coming by to test me to issue my Cashier's Certificate because, even though I've been doing all the register stuff and cash handling for more than a month, I've never been "certified." per district policy. So, alrighty then.
I also mentioned how I wanted to wear my new Western hat at dinner, and she said that would be fine since it's just her and me feeding the kids by then. I mentioned this would be better since none of the other kitchen staff will see ithis egregious violation because they all leave by 2:30. Besides which, it's Friday before Spring Break, it's also Casual Friday, and the Livestock Show and Rodeo is in town. So there's three good reasons. The new hat looks like this: 
So here's to your smoke-free Thursday in a yippie-yi-yo-kayah kind of way.
Peace and gratitude,
AC
