Chapter XXXVI, where Adele talks again

They say it's not a good idea to quit smoking during the holidays. Of course it's not. It's so obvious. You feel lonely, everybody has something else to do and whatever that is, it's definitely more fun than what you have to do. Even if it's staying in bed all day in your pjs and reading Paul Auster. Tea or wine. Something warm. It doesn't matter. I'm planning on getting nicotine gums and quitting smoking. Next year. And I'll have my teeth whitened, or cleaned, whatever the word is when you want those brown spots to be gone forever. They are truly disgusting, let me tell you. They make me look like a homeless crazy cat lady. And if it weren't for Noelle, I would be doomed forever. Get it? Noelle's a dog. Oh, okay, I'm not homeless either.

So, part of the plan is to quit smoking. The other part is making distances shorter. Which I'd say is the most important part of the plan, or the part of the plan that I'm really interested in, or the part of the plan that I obsessively think about. But by the time distances are actually shorter, not having to go get cigarettes would help me a lot. I'd save a lot of money, I guess. That's good. Oh yes. It's weird though. I cannot imagine myself without some smoke around me, behind which I can hide myself. You know, it's nice to see that the pack of cigarettes is there, whenever I need it. It's good to have it around. But then again, it's good to have other things around. Or people. Or this one person who lives far away. I think that's what really matters. Right? I'm so ridiculous. Embarrassingly ridiculous.