Lent

So Lent begins! I did a pretty good job fasting yesterday 2/25, until dinner. The church says we can have 1 big meal or 2 small meals, so I had nothing all day... until I got home. I made some ranch dip for John, and of course had a few chips myself. Then I made a shrimp fettuccine Alfredo (no meat of course) for dinner. Unfortunately, I ate till I felt fairly full, which is not the point of the one meal. Man... I think I really have this Catholic guilt thing down pat. The other thing to feel guilty about is that I didn't make it to church for Ash Wednesday service. No excuses, the day just didn't go as planned. The thing I want to stress is that I did keep the Lord and the season on my mind throughout the day.

Now for that question everyone asks: what are you giving up for lent? As always, I will be giving up popcorn for lent. I know this sounds lame, but many people do not know of my addiction... one I admit openly. These days I question if I even like popcorn anymore, but every now and then I can't sleep without having some popcorn. I can't go to the movies without eating it, and I try not to keep it in the house, because I can't seem to stay away from it. I feel like a smoker sometimes. I try to eat popcorn when no one is looking. I wait for John to go to bed, or I eat during the day if I am home by myself. Sometimes I think I should just give it up completely, but one step at a time, right?

So now we begin the 40 days...

No Cell Phone

So Friday (2/20) morning was a bit of a blur. I got up fairly early so as to shower, dry my hair, and pack for my trip to California. The morning went rather smoothly, only because I had done all of my laundry the night before, and I left the house feeling like I had everything I would need and then some. John and I hopped in the car and sped toward DIA, only about 10 min. behind schedule (so basically on time for me). On the way there I got a phone call which I answered. Afterwards I placed my phone on my lap for the remainder of the trip (bad move). During one of the many turns, though not a sharp turn, my phone slid right off my lap towards the door and I was unable to safely retrieve it and drive at the same time. John assured me that we could get it when we reached the airport, about 15 min. away. But as everyone knows, when you get to the airport you jump out of the car, grab your things, and say a quick good-bye. I did the same, kissing John and saying I'd call when I got to California. Skip forward 30 minutes or so, after I have checked my bag, gone through security, and meandered into a book store to purchase something for the trip. All of a sudden, and for no good reason, I realized that my cell phone was sitting safely on the floorboard of my car, on its way to work with John.

As anyone who has accidentally left their phone at home will attest to, you feel a slight bit of panick. "How will I call anyone?" "How will they know where to find me?" "What if there is an emergency?" So I put down the possible purchases in my hands and head straight for the information booth. The very kind lady sitting behind the desk informs me that she has left her phone at home today as well and offers for me to make a non-longdistance call. I called John, one of the few phone numbers I actually know by heart (and the only non-longdistance number I know by heart). Finally I have made contact and let him know that I am alright. He called Caroline, and everything is okay now.

The wierd thing, I felt like I couldn't leave the state because I didn't have my phone. Remember when we had emergency only cell phones? I feel unsafe as I venture out into the world without a way for someone (anyone) to get in touch with me instantaineously. How have we as a society become so attached to something we didn't have 10 years ago. I don't think I had my first personnal cell phone until my junior year of college, when I could pay for it myself. Now, 10 year olds have a cell phone with unlimited minutes, usually in some kind of fancy carrying case, that will download music, play videos, and send text messages in a building where I can barely get a signal. Isn't it funny how things change? Now I am left to figure out if I depend on my cell phone too much. Should I try to wean myself from it? If so, this weekend is a good start.

My First Post

We live in a time when everyone is published. Blogs, Facebook, Myspace... there are endless ways to share your opinion with the world, even if the world doesn't care to read it. So why am I adding to the lists of rants? I am hoping that by writing about anything, I will feel compelled to write about the one thing I have been blocked on--my Master's project. I have a pretty good idea, something I am VERY interested in, but I just can't seem to get past the beginning stages. My paper is supposed to cover Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta, though I won't share the rest of the story in case someone is looking to steal my idea. So far no one has published on this particular topic and I am hoping to be the first. Actually, I am just hoping to finish the paper and graduate.

So... the only catch I can think of is that any time I do anthing for fun I feel guilty about not woking on my project. Maybe here I can vent and post and get inspired. Here's hoping! Even if no one reads this, maybe it can kick my rear into shape (a whole other problem).