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Now that I’ve quit smoking, the real question is: What’s next?If I’m not standing outside with a cigarette, pacing around the backyard, or planning my day around cravings, then where does all that time, money, and energy go? Into my art.Into my books.Into my life. I’ve already lined up three major events for 2026—because apparently, when I’m not buying cigarettes, I turn into a full-time entrepreneur. First, there’s the LA Times Festival of Books on the USC campus, April 18–19. That’s been my big reward and motivation from the very beginning of this quit. The booth is paid for, the...

Today started with me crawling out of bed like a man twice my age and half my energy. I chugged two glasses of pomegranate juice for the prostate cancer risk, followed that with three Starbucks mocha frappuccinos, a glass of milk, and some water… and then proceeded to barf all over the backyard like a malfunctioning garden fountain. Not my finest moment, but hey—honesty is the policy around here. My breathing was rough too, so out came the inhaler. After that, I reached out to an old friend to let her know I’m back in town. She didn’t sound thrilled,...

Today I woke up to a cold house, dragged myself into a shower, and headed to the clinic to get my medicine box filled—only to discover I already had everything. Lately I’ve been moving slow, like I’m wading through fog. Depression, for me, doesn’t show up as sadness or tears. It shows up as sloth. A heavy, dragging lack of motivation that takes real effort to push through. But here I am, still pushing. When it comes to fighting cravings, it may look like I’ve already won. Forty-one days is a big deal. But the truth is, the war isn’t...

Today was a dud dead day. No spark, no drive, no motivation… just me, waking up late in the afternoon, wrapped in cold sheets like a human burrito trying to avoid the world. Mom and I tried to fix the heater—tried being the key word. Then she headed off to Costco to fix her hearing aid, and I stayed home accomplishing exactly nothing. I thought about writing. I thought about drawing. I thought about thinking. But even my thoughts didn’t want to participate today. Absolutely nothing got done… except one thing: Another full day without smoking. It’s funny—on a day...

This afternoon I went grocery shopping with Mom, and Costco has already gone full Christmas Crazy. I’m talking crowds, carts, chaos, and enough holiday samples to feed a small army. It’s like Santa’s workshop collided with a Black Friday sale and decided to open early. And here’s the thing—this will be my first holiday season in a long time without smoking. I still get triggered when I eat, and the holidays are basically one giant eating marathon with decorative lights. So yeah… this is going to be an experience. But you know what? The fact that I walked through a...