Ash Wednesday, or The Day During Which I Must Restrain Myself From Telling Strangers They Have Schmutz On Their Faces

So, this weekend my mom found my blog (HIYA, MA!). I wasn't hiding it from her, just never mentioned it, as this thing is primarily here for my own entertainment. But she seemed delighted to have found it -- so delighted, in fact, that she Jewish-Mom-guilted me for my month-long lapse in posts.

"Write more!" she cried. Okay, mom, I will, I answered. I promise. But I still don't really have anything to say, or even any interesting photos to add. So today you'll be subjected to my rambly musings, with no punchline, or really even any point at all, in mind.

2009 is off to an interesting start. My body seems to be revolting against me, first with appendicitis last month, and now with the flu. In my heart I know that there are so many strains of the flu that the vaccine can't possibly protect against them all -- but an irrational, foot-stomping side of me thinks it's just not fair to have my shot and get the flu. I haven't had the flu since I was in perhaps the seventh grade, and I've forgotten just how unpleasant it can be. Especially as it pertains to ralphing at work. That's a technical, medical term, by the way. Ralphing.

But the past two months have had some positivity too -- it hasn't all been abdominal incisions and work-barf (and yes, mom, I just said "work-barf"). There has also been a wonderful (albeit cold) long weekend in New York City, and some incredibly good professional news for the White Rabbit that will affect me too. Oh yeah, and spring's just around the corner! ...or at least, it has to be... right? PLEASE?

I had coffee with Tweedle Wit this afternoon, and she schooled me on the concept of lent, a ritual whose point has heretofore eluded me. She said that the true purpose of giving something up for lent is not just to make a silly sacrifice, but to ditch something that might be coming between the sacrificer and his or her relationship with god.

"So, pledging to stop eating ice cream for forty days because you 'want to be skinny by swimsuit season' is not an appropriate lent sacrifice. Come on people, lent is not a DIET," she pleaded. But because I don't believe in god, I am hereby making a completely superficial lent sacrifice: I am giving up being a slacking, lazy-ass blogger.

You can thank my mom.