Things are good on this end, Grumps. Thanks for asking. 32 days for me today.

Hit a nice stride with the close of the holidays (they were tough for me as the days and nights were a whirl of family gatherings and travel and I wanted to smoke so badly many times - I had little time for myself making it easy to focus on familial irritants as an excuse to smoke; the great lie of my addiction looking to use anything to justify taking that first smoke to ultimately kill me). Glad things have slowed a bit. Back to eating right (egg nog, clotted cream and scones, sugar cookies, crack pie, pumpkin bread, and the like are receding in the past) and juicing. Feel a lot better when I do the right thing for myself.

That said, one nice moment regarding the smokes happened last week. I took a walk with my 15 and 13-year-old daughters through Central Park the day of New Year's Eve (we started that tradition a couple of years back when Tavern on the Green closed). It was windy and the girls were on either side of me. At one point they both looped their arms through mine as we walked and my oldest said, "Just want you to know, we're really proud of you, Dad." Doesn't get better than that for me, Grumps and, I was struck, once again, that I have never done anything in my life to deserve the great good fortune and gift of my four children. I could have wept with gratitude for all.

Smoke-free. Infinite possibilities ahead, Ten foot tall and bullet-proof.

Top of the World, Ma.

We're all doing it well, Grumps. Thanks for asking,