CK, I can't thank you enough for the kind words and the suggestions.
I don't mind hearing that cravings can stick with you for some time as I have no choice, not smoking so I'll deal. Having some suggestions as to what I can do is so helpful.
I think the worst ones are when I forget. It's like your WalMart incident. It's when I completely forget that I quit (which I guess in a positive light that's good because I'm not craving at that moment right?). Hmmm, maybe what I'm really saying is the worst are the sneaky cravings. Not the point where you remember when you're somewhere that a smoke can't be had that you won't be having one when you leave where you are. I'm referring to the ones where you're leaving where you are and THEN realize there will be NO cigarette had.
For instance, I'll occasionally think about the ride home from work and how that ride has no cigarette involved. Pondering that fact is no longer that bad anymore. The feeling of want and need are not like they were in the beginning. That's not what messes with me. What messes with me is packing the laptop up, putting everything in my bag, taking the elevator down and heading out the door outside and THEN, all of a sudden, there IT is! That feeling that says relief is coming once I get to the car and I realize that's no longer in play. Those ones really suck. But still, I'm realizing that as the time passes the pity party is lasting far less.
I have had discussions with people who have quit for many years now. They say they still deal with cravings, very very few and far between but it's laughable. Like they'll have a good meal and all of a sudden that memory pathway will open and the mind will think of smoking. I've been told they laugh and think "where on earth did that come from?". Just goes to show you how much this addiction really controls you.
On the flip side, wow, I never realized how much like crap smoking was making me feel like until now. When I sleep it's a restful sleep. When I wake up I am no longer tired. I look better, my skin looks better. The gray is really beginning to subside and for the first time in, well, umpteen years I have actually left the house with no makeup on a few times and didn't feel like I needed it because I resembled the walking dead.
I was also thinking about this today. How many times have you seen someone say they don't think they can quit an addiction because they have such anxiety issues? Well, when I quit drinking I found that after a few weeks my anxiety dipped tremendously. Now that I've quit smoking, outside of the anxiety of the random craving my anxiety has dipped even further.
It's the vicious circle again. We don't dare to quit something because of our anxiety when it's the freaking thing we're using that's causing most of it!
Anyway, getting used to being here more too which is a good thing
Again, thank you so much for your words of wisdom.
You are an inspiration!