I've raised the heat level in cooking over the years also. I used to not be able to handle any degree of heat, and now I am up to just below medium. :)
I eat sliced jalapenos as a snack, like some folks eat olives or pickles. One of my school-mates makes a wonderful salsa verde with habeneros. He and I are the only ones that don't cry when we eat it.
Some of the stuff I ate in Korea was WAY hotter. LOL! I'm a lightweight when it comes to spicy, compared to some folks I know. ;>)
/john