Lent

I haven't given up anything for lent for years, but I have been feeling lately that I should quiet things down a little and the days before Easter seem like a good time to do that. So I gave up facebook, which I check constantly. It is more of a compulsion for me than anything: I check my e-mail and I check facebook. I am usually only on it for a couple of minutes to read status updates, but whenever I am working on my computer and I get stuck, I immediately go to the site. It has been easier than I thought to give it up. It is fun to see what everyone is doing, but I usually know what is going on in the lives of people I am closest to without status updates, and reading a few lines on a profile doesn't really give me enough information to say I am in touch with the rest of my "friends." It is fun, though, and it keeps me connected to a lot of people who are far away geographically, at least to an extent. I am sure I will get back on as soon as lent is over, but it is giving me one less reason to procrastinate on my school work. I have cheated to answer messages!

Brian gave up alcohol for lent. He really should start a whole blog just about that. He has not cheated at all. He never does once he has decided something.

Together, we gave up watching tv except for documentaries. We really get into routines with television. It is how we unwind after a long day of work. We usually watch an episode or two of MASH in bed, too (nothing stresses me out more than war, illness, and doctors, but I am secretly in love with Mike Farrell. We saw him give a talk on social justice at Wright State and he is still awesome). Like alcohol, tv shuts off our minds and helps us relax. I don't think there is anything wrong with doing that every once in awhile, but we are not always good at doing things in moderation. It is one thing to watch an episode before bed, but another to get home from work, turn on the tv, and zone out all night.

Friday night was rough, because we usually watch a movie and have a bottle (uh, or bota box) of wine together. We weren't sure what to do, but we ended up having some good conversations and getting a lot done around the house. In fact, we are getting A TON of stuff done around the house. We always said that we were too tired when we got home from work to do projects, but apparently that is not always the case. We are also hanging out with people more.

Of course, we can't be constantly working on projects instead of watching tv. We need to figure out ways to relax together without tuning out. I am looking forward to figuring all of this out together!