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Today was a “progress and patience” kind of day. I picked up the Christmas cards at Kinko’s—the ones starring Whiskey the Kitty. The kid is a natural model. Her little tuxedo face sits right on the front like she’s selling designer perfume or endorsing her own brand of catnip. They printed beautifully, and seeing that art in my hands felt like one more gift from quitting smoking: I can create, finish a project, and actually enjoy it. Later, we let Whiskey play in a designated room of the house under supervision. She kicked her little red ball around like a...

Today I took myself to Kinko’s to design and print Christmas cards. I haven’t done anything like this in a long time, at least not in a professional-feeling way. It reminded me of the years I spent studying graphic design at Cal State Fullerton, wondering if all that time with composition, typography, and layout would ever amount to something. Walking in with my photos and artwork of Whiskey the Kitty, I felt like the old Dan was waking up—the designer, the artist, the guy who used to believe he could take on the world with an Apple Pencil and a...

If you’ve been following my journey, you know quitting smoking isn’t just about nicotine withdrawal—it’s about mindset. My friend Jacki O is big on positive thinking, and I’ve got to hand it to her… she might be onto something. A few months ago, I had to take a break from social media. Years of negative posts, arguments, and venting had thrown my algorithm into the gutter. Nothing was getting traction, no one saw my art or my books, and my site visits flatlined. I wasn’t shadow-banned—I was shadow-banning myself with negativity. So I made a decision: turn the page. I...

This morning the cravings came back strong—strong enough to make me step outside, sit in the sun, and start plotting my next cigarette like a mastermind. If I could just find a sneaky way to do it… a secret puff… a hidden drag… something nobody will know about. But who am I fooling? I’m not a nine-year-old raiding the cookie jar anymore. There’s no innocent thrill here. I’d be plotting a plan of action to use an addictive drug that has already tried to kill me. There’s a difference between harmless temptation and self-destruction, and today I was walking the...

Today marks 50 days without smoking—and it also happens to be Thanksgiving. A double celebration, at least in theory. I’ve quit alcohol, I’ve quit drugs, and now it’s been nearly two months without cigarettes. My family has seen so many versions of me that my “milestones” don’t usually earn applause or parades. That’s okay. The real celebration is internal—what I know I’ve endured, what I’ve stayed strong against, and what I’m building for myself. I did, however, get a little heated at the dinner table talking politics. Nothing like a Thanksgiving debate to make the turkey taste like regret. Still,...