I used to smoke, three, maybe four packs a day. Heck, I tried everything to quit – nicotine gum, the patch, acupuncture, self-flagellation – but nothing seemed to work. I was a walking, talking cloud of carbon monoxide poison.

So instead of trying to go cold turkey, I decided to limit myself to one smoke per concert, a quick one outside the venue before seeing Bob Dylan or Korn. And it worked! No more nicotine craves, no ducking out of my office at break time to light up. And I can breath again! Fantastic!!

I’ve also cut back on my drinking. No more knocking back shots out of the hip flask while riding the commuter train to work. No more three-martini lunches. No more happy hours. That’s history. Now, I allow myself a single drink when I see a show. Maybe a margarita at a Jimmy Buffett concert, or a beer while seeing or Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Changed my life, it did.

I won’t lie to you. It isn’t easy. Sometimes I want two smokes before a show, like the other night when I saw Nelly, but I resisted. That’s the key to this thing. Self control is my mantra. I’m living my life one concert at a time.

And it’s made me a new man. One smoke before a show, like Paul McCartney or No Doubt, and one drink during a show, say Box Car Racer, George Benson or Jets To Brazil. I’ve never felt this good. I’m in shape and people tell me I look years younger. But do you want to know what the best part of the entire deal is? Aside from feeling great and looking fantastic?

I’ve seen 2,513 concerts this year.

Well, gotta run. If I hurry I can catch this old blues guy who plays for spare change down at the train station. And I if I catch the next train there’s a jug band that plays Cliff Richard tunes on car #5. Then there’s this do-wop group that’s always hanging outside the building where I work. I wonder if they take requests.