Damn, Kendall! I don't smoke, don't drink, love dogs, and ain't Republican and I have a helluva lot of fun! Maybe you oughter look elsewhere?**BG**

Marion, good luck. My son is two years older than you and last I knew had finally quit the nasty weed after starting, without my knowledge, at 16. Not many of thegeneral public that I know of, knew of the real danger even back then.

Peter is right; love doesn't take into account all of the ideals we dream of.Rog is my thrid husband; we've been together 21 yrs. and I never would've picked him out of a lineup to be my soulmate. He also smokes. I hate it, I tell him to not breath on me and our kisses are short. Nagging has't done any good. It is a horrible addiction which can be extremely hard to kick, so I try to be patient. Part of me hopes that his tough French Canadian genes keep him insulated from the ravages of smoking and the other half of me wants to kick him in the arse and make him quit out of fear of being alone when I am older, due to the effects of this habit. My sister's ex left her with a son to raise alone, when he died of emphysema.

Life is not as cut and dried as we'd like it to be. Although we can hope to find someone of the same tastes, desires, and goals in life as ourselves, sometimes the Greater Scheme of Things, has something else in mind for us, like my Rog; or Bert's Tree.

kat