To me the time of day is a big influence on what I smoke. I don't want to wake up and smoke a ligero bomb, its just too much. But at the same time I don't something too mild after dinner either. Just going off whats in your post I don't think its a stretch to say something similar applies for you. As the day goes on and you get a couple meals in you'll probably want to reach for something with a little more strength. But early in the day something easy going is what works.
Another thing I think comes into play is your palate. Your palate is likely to be a lot cleaner and more alert in the morning. You'll pick up the nuances of a milder smoke better. As your palate gets put to work throughout the day you'll need bolder and fuller flavors. Its the same for beer. Its really hard to get up and go for a west coast IPA. But after a nice lunch your palate is ready for that kind of thing. Just my 2 cents