I would like to start this post by retracting a statement I made in my Day 6 post. It does not, in fact, get easier to avoid video games with time. Here I am, just three days after my last post, and I'm fiending for a  chance to play something, ANYTHING remotely video-gamish. Give me an Atari 2600, a NES, a genesis, give me GAMES!  I swear, I catch myself several times daily staring at my gaming setup just wishing I could plunk down for a couple hours and tune out. Constantly, new games catch my eye and taunt me with the fact that I can't play them for almost a month still.  *sigh* Of course, me being me, I can't leave well enough alone. So, on top of the no pop, fast food, or video games I've also decided to quit smoking. How's that for a total meltdown just waiting to happen, eh? My only hope is to concentrate on the positive. I'm breathing easier already since I quit smoking, so that's good. I've actually started to lose some weight as well. Apparently, cutting out the calories and getting rid of my number one inactive activity is actually good for me. Go figure. heh.  My house has stayed cleaner this past week or so than it has been for a long time. Imagine yerself stuck at home with nothing to do and a mountain of nervous energy to work with. Got that mental image firmly fixed? Good. Now, imagine applying all that energy and frustration exclusively to house cleaning. "Spotless" doesn't even begin to describe the condition of my house right now. Now, wanna know the sad part? All these lifestyle improvements aside, I'd STILL rather be gaming. That, my friends, is the state of things on Day 9, with more to come in future updates.