A Series of Unfortunate Events

About six years ago I experienced a series of unfortunate events.  My identity was stolen, my favorite cat had cancer and was chosen for an experimental veterinary protical, that meant that I had to dispense medicine that he didn't like and fought three times a day, and my perfect partner trail horse repeatedly tossed me.  I was a wreck. So, I started smoking.  I had quit fifteen years before, but life got so evil, I restarted.

Well that lasted for about a month and I decided that this was really stupid, so I'd quit with nicotine gum. It worked.  It worked so well, that up until I got sick on our vacation I was still chewing it. I have been given an enormous amount of grief over the nicotine gum from my husband, my mother, my niece (goddaughter), and my friends.  So I decided that since I was sick, I'd might as well be really sick so I stopped chewing it and started chewing, chewing gum. 

I have gained ten pounds.  I lied to myself and said why did this happen when I'm not doing anything differently.  Well today I got why it happened.  First, it's been to hot to exercise (ride, walk).  And I went out to lunch with some good friends.  We had Greek salads with steak.  In the past, I would have finished my salad and popped a piece of gum in my mouth and that would have been the end of it. Today, I asked the waiter if there was any bread and then proceeded to chomp down three pita triangles. I can't eat and not excercise. God at this rate, they can fly me over the football stadium as the Goodyear Blimp;.