Smoke

[lollardfish]

I hate smoke. It is this invasive, toxic, stinking, vile, substance that rips into the back of my throat, makes my eyes water, and hurts my head.

Far more importantly - it divides me from my friends. Far too many of the people I most enjoy being around, playing music with, either smoke or hang out with the smokers. I tried, last night, and am paying for it. I won't do it again, but it's a sucky choice to have to make.

On the other hand, I had a lot of fun this weekend.

Next year, it's the return of the S.E.M.P. Now with more pie.

Comments

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

You'd think it would be even worse in Texas -- but for some reason it's not. I suspect that there may be "parallel groups" in a lot of interest areas -- one where the smokers hang out, and one where they don't -- and of course I would find myself in the latter. These days I'm always rather surprised to find that someone I know smokes.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there are parallel groups. In Minneapolis, a good chunk of the people I most like to hang out with are in the smoking/pro-smoking side. I'm done with it though, and it makes me sad, because I like those folks.

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

And yet, I think of the S.E.M.P. as a very smoky affair. CoughcoughSKZBcoughcough. So, I guess to do it right you'll need a smoky S.E.M.P. and a non-smoky one.

Sounds complicated.

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

Nope. Turns out I have no interest in a smoky one and SKZB doesn't come anymore. Plus other folks like Fred Levy Haskell quit. I think non smoking is taking over the world, for relative values of world.

[aelburr.livejournal.com]

Nope. Smokers at 29% and holding.

[(Anonymous)]

It's only smokey if you allow smoking. There's no smoking requirement for an SEMP.

B

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Sorry. That was me.

B

[pied-piper70.livejournal.com]

Well, then...How'd your gig go?

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

It was lovely. Took a bit to settle into it, and time went too fast, so I played too few songs with Jeff Schalles. Just didn't notice the time flying.

But it's fun to have a full set of my music. Bout time, really.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was really glad he was willing to play with me. I wish we had more time to practice, more time on stage, and had set up in such a way as I could have made eye contact with him more easily (in the absence of practice, eye-contact is critical).

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I was checking my watch. Time didn't fly as much as you started late.

B

Score one for the Garden State.

[bhoneydew.livejournal.com]

http://www.nbc10.com/news/8701460/detail.html

Re: Score one for the Garden State.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I think this is great. But the critical issue for me here is that it also drives my smoking friends away, and creates a situation where I can either be with the smokers, or the non-smokers, and that they are far apart.

Ultimately, though, I have to be with non-smokers because my throat /still/ hurts from Saturday night, and some of that was from singing, but the rest of it came from being around smoking.

Re: Score one for the Garden State.

[facilisfool.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, my throat hurts today too, even though I smoked significantly less than I usually do at a con, and spent a lot less time in smoky rooms than usual. I'm guessing the recycled air, (not to mention the high levels of chlorine in the air on the first and second floors) probably had a lot to do with all of us feeling a bit raw after the weekend...although I am certain the smoke didn't help any either of us any in that regard.

For what it's worth, I tried ferrying people down to my room for smoking while you guys were playing (on the only smoking floor of the entire hotel), but the word failed to spread on that, so you were still stuck in 'Foggy London Town'. Sorry it sucked for you, but you and Mike really do make some great music together, and I'd love to hear you guys play again sometime...even if it does mean that I'll have to go hide under a blanket in the basement in order to indulge in my nicotine habit ;-)

Re: Score one for the Garden State.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was better initially thanks to your efforts, and I appreciate them. Then more people showed up, lit up, and suddenly I couldn't really breathe. I really enjoyed playing with Mike, though. I wish the party downstairs had been good enough to keep his attention.

[mrsmodew.livejournal.com]

Well, it is a darn shame you will never be coming over to my house ever again.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

It is. I can't do it though.

[mrsmodew.livejournal.com]

Also, I spent a whopping 6 hours in the Sheraton last night and today I have a sore throat, thrashed sinuses and pretty bad dehydration. Roughly one hour of that was in a smoky room. It couldn't possibly be the incredibly dry atmosphere, lots of talking and singing that is making your throat hurt. Hmmmn.

I know, every lung ailment is because of the evil filthy masses of smokers that are polluting our planet. I ask again why the pollutants from industry and transportation are never mentioned as possible causes too. No, I am not a moron. I am well aware of the dangers of smoke inhalation, I am just tired of only hearing about smoking.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

"are never mentioned"

I certainly am aware, and mention, other dangerous substances in our air.

But I spent much of Friday at the hotel, and many other moments in the hotel, without these particular iseeus.

I went into the smoking room, played a few songs there, felt my throat seize up, fled, and never really recovered from it.

It is certainly true that there could be other factors at work. In this case, though, the timing of my throat issues is pretty clear-cut. It's certainly possible that the eye and head issues had nothing to do with exposure to smoke, as the timing is less clear.

I tried to hang out with the cool kids. I failed.