Belated Happy Fat Tuesday & Somber Ash Wednesday?

Yesterday was the Happy Fat Tuesday; or as it’s probably better know as Mardi Gras.  In the US, Mardi Gras brings up images of wild parties in New Orleans, masks, beads, and women baring their breasts. It’s the day before Ash Wednesday when you do a last bit of splurging before giving up something for Lent.  Then it’s forty days of going without or limiting or whatever deal you’ve made with yourself and God.  Quite often in years pass I’ve given up coffee, chocolate, and caffeine or I’ve limited my sweets, or tried to be nicer to other people.  Sometimes, I’m successful at these things and at others I’m a total failure.  The total failures I knock up to “pie in the sky” ideals when my feet are firmly planted in the clay of the earth. 

Today is Ash Wednesday.  It’s that time of year when us silly Catholics get ashes put on our foreheads.  More than almost anytime of year, the church will be filled to almost overflowing and all of these Catholics even the “cafeteria” Catholics like me want ashes on their forehead.  There’s just something with the symbolism of smeared ashes on your face.  It certainly makes you stand out in the crowd when you go to the grocery store afterwards; especially in Utah.

I remember in years past purposely going to the grocery store after the evening Ash Wednesday Mass.  I wanted to stand out and try to be different from most of the LDS culture.  It was like I was trying to be a thorn in the side.  I would go down the aisles and just wait for someone to say that I had dirt on my forehead.  But nope!  No one said anything.  If anything at times it seemed that everyone was avoiding me.  Talk about clearing out an aisle at the grocery store!  There was no eye contact with from the girl at check out.  It seemed as though I was ignored or worse avoided like I was demon spawn.  It took all the fun out of it.  So after a few years, I stopped running errands afterwards.  I would go straight home and wash off the ashes just before bedtime.

Then I changed to going to a noon Ash Wednesday Mass at the Salt Lake City Cathedral.  I would take a longer lunch to go.  It would piss off a fellow co-worker who I am convinced has never liked me since she found out I was Catholic.  Talk about being the demon spawn in this case I might as well have been.  I would come back from my long lunch hour with the smudged ashes on my forehead and she would glare at me every time she went by desk during the afternoon.  Talk about how to lose friends and alienate people, I was on that path!  Well, after a few years even attempting to piss off a co-worker got a bit old, and I felt it just wasn’t at all in the spirit of the Lent season.

So this year, I’ve kind of opted out of the whole Ash Wednesday.  I’m not sure if I’m going to be giving up or doing anything for Lent.  It just seems like after years of trying to be a thorn in the side; I need a year of backing off and getting some space.  I guess that’s one of the benefits of being a “cafeteria” Catholic.

Good Friday & Happy Easter!

It's Good Friday today and I'm happy to see the end of this Lent season. I will admit that a great deal of my happiness stems from having no more FISHY Fridays. Oh, I know that's terrible of me(the ever struggling cafeteria Catholic) but having only fish on Fridays when I always seem to get cravings for something with chicken or beef in it has been quite the struggle for me this year. I will admit that part of the fact is that I'm not really that fond of fish in general to begin with, but I think I've noticed it more this year because I didn't do my usual giving up the three C's-- caffeine, coffee, and chocolate. I only gave up soft drinks this year and that I will admit wasn't much of a stretch. I had earlier in the year decided to give up all artificial sweeteners. So most of my Diet Cherry Coke was out, and that really only left regular soft drinks which do not play well when you are trying to lose weight.

Wishing you all a WONDERFUL and HAPPY EASTER! I hope the weather is good where ever you maybe.
They are predicting rain/snow here on both Saturday and Sunday. I had hoped to run the actual route of the Salt Lake City Half Marathon on Sunday but it looks as though the "dredmill" shall be the better deal. Darn it! This will be my last really long run before the SLC Marathon. This will be the real test to see if I'm ready.

A Life is Good Moment-- Coffee and Technology

This morning, I hit the snooze for the first time after my 20 minute nap (after the 5AM gym workout). I lay there in bed ensconed in my warm blankets and the wondrous aroma of coffee wafting my senses. Awwww....Creme Brulee! This is SO fantastic! I can now thanks to technology wake up to this almost ever morning. And it is OH-SO-WONDERFUL!! Oh my-- Life is Good!!

Yes, I figured out how to operate the new technology of my new Gevaila coffee maker so that I can now wake up to coffee. I decided with a new year upon us that I needed a change of a new coffee maker that can tell time.

Of course, it took the technologically challenged me a month and a half to finally get my act together and set the clock on it. I ordered the free coffee maker with the coffee service for a Christmas present for myself. It seemed like a good deal. I got the 3 pkgs. coffee, a carafe, a coffee maker, and a insulated travel mug-- all for the price of $25. Well, while I was at it I ordered a few more packages of coffee at a discounted rate. Can you read the SUCKER sticker on my forehead?!

I called and cancelled before I was due to receive the third shipment. The second shipment snuck up on me. Ooopps! Now I have enough coffee in my freezer to last at least a good 7 to 8 months.

But in my defense I now have some wonderful flavors of coffee in my freezer now like .... Creme Brulee, Cinnamon, Hazelnut, Vanilla Nut, French Roast, Irish Creme, Amaretto, and Pumpkin Spice. It's like having dessert in coffees in my very own freezer and I'm loving it!

For Lent this year I decided not to do my usual giving up the 3 C's (coffee, chocolate, & caffeine). I just have too much going on with training for a half marathon, trying to lose weight, and getting ready for an Art Show in March. It was just too much, and I did all ready give up anything with artificial sweeteners. I figured I could take a year off from the usual and hope that God would be okay with that. And I was thinking this morning as I'm pouring a hot mug of Creme Brulee coffee.... HE must be okay with this because it's happening! Anyway, that's my theory.

Now if I can only figure out the technology of my new Sansa Clip. Life would be GREAT! I some how ended up with a triple copy of an Edie Brickell & New Bohemians Album on it. NOT a good thing! And a trifle irritating too. I'm re-thinking even including it on there, but we'll see what I can figure out technologically...

Sleep-Walking & Eating My Veggies...

I have really felt good that I managed to finish the SLOW SALTY DOG. That was an accomplishment. How many people can say that they've swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and run/walk 13 miles in one day? Well, maybe there's quite a few people that could claim that but not everyone...



That's a full day! Whew! And here I am, still feeling that full day three days later. I feel as though I'm sleep walking. I have this overwhelming tiredness that just won't be shook. I have had to cancel doing things with friends, and I haven't even began to see about a swim, a run, or a bike ride. I'm dozing and about drooling at my desk at work. Why consider anything else?

I went to bed by 8:30PM last night. That's something that I haven't done in a LONG time. I tend to stay up until 11-12 midnight then turn around and get up at 4-5AM. I don't really sleep. I'm always going and going and once in awhile darn it I HAVE to rest in that furniture that's called a bed. Okay, I'll say it... I'm an insomniac!


But none of this has prepared me to be almost the complete opposite which has now happened since the Tri. How many days does it take to get back ... 3, 4, 5? I hope soon! This rather feels like that first day of Lent when I give up the coffee, chocolate, and caffeine. But I've been enjoying all of that good stuff since the Tri. Or it kind of reminds me of that last bit of lingering mono that I had years ago. It's like my giddy-up and go has gone kaput! What's up with that?

I've been eating more balanced meals with vegetables and salads since the Tri. I also have tried to consume more water too. But any of you that know me know that I'm rather picky when it comes to veggies and I consider a salad okay but given the choice; no thanks. I've never had what most people would consider a well-balanced diet. Gee, I'll consume a bag of microwaved popcorn as lunch, and would consider that a meal. I always just figured that was why vitamins were created. I know that's really bad of me.

That could maybe explain why I might not have done better on the SLOW SALTY DOG Tri. Though, I did consume plenty of simple carbs the night before, AND water. In my defense, I will say that in the last couple of years, I have added more veggies, fruit juices, and even some fresh fruit to my diet. Yep, I was the kid that sat at that dinner table all night because I didn't want to finish those soggy peas and I couldn't control my gag reflex to consume any of that liver...Ugh! Thus, the next morning, I was still seated at the dinner table. Some might say I was a bit stubborn. Hmmm? Maybe so, or I guess I could be called a stubborn picky eater. I'm not sure how my mom ever put up with me! Sorry Ma! I was a real pain; wasn't I?

Well, either way I hope to shortly get back up to my normal pace of life of Go! Go! Go! Until then I guess I'll be the reitred Go-Go-Girl....?

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

This Catholic Survived!!

Hello and Happy Easter to everyone!

Well, I survived the Catholic Lenten Season with only a few minor bumps and abrasions!! I had a couple of minor relapses with the chocolate, and a few incidents of partaking some caffeinated items. It always amazes me how many items have caffeine in them that you wouldn't think would have caffeine in them. Protein bars, and even herbal teas that had added caffeine to them.

BUT coffee was the hardest feat of all. In fact, I had a couple of grocery store runs that turned into 15 min. inhalation sessions down the coffee aisle. And yes, I will admit that I did inhale, unlike a former President. Actually, I was rather surprised that I wasn't asked to leave the grocery store because I was getting some nervous looks from the clerks. Last night after the Easter Vigil Mass, I rushed over to the parish hall to partake of coffee and chocolate. Yes! It was time to enjoy the taste and pleasure of coffee and chocolate cake at the reception of the newbies into the church. But I'm sure that I was probably considered rude because I barely really noticed the newbies. I'm not sure how I wasn't zooming around my apartment last night when I came home at midnight after 1 piece of chocolate cake and three cups of coffee. Yes, three cups!

One of the most wonderful times of year; Easter. There's something about Spring, Easter egg hunts, and wearing a new outfit to Mass on a beautiful Sunday morning. The combination holds so many good memories for me. This year will be full of new memories for me. Only these memories will be of "last times". Last night's Easter Vigil service will be a last Easter Vigil Service in the old church; as well the last time that I will be the church choir director. They will be tearing down the church sometime this summer to build a new one, and after a little over four years of leading the church choir I am stepping down. I figured it was a good time to do this, but it's with a bit of sadness that I do find myself doing it. But I'm leaving the choir in the capable hands of Not-So-Good.

Last night, the Easter Vigil Service was beautiful. For those of you out there that are not familiar with the Catholic church. The Easter Vigil Service is a Mass that has all of what's good in a Catholic Mass. If you were ever to just choose one Mass a year to go to in a year, it would be the Easter Vigil Service. The Mass has Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmations, and often, the most beautiful music that you'll ever hear in a church. My favorite part is the
Mass of Light Service. The church lights are turned off, and you are consumed into total and engulfing blackness which is to signify the world without Christ. Then a small fire is started from which a large candle is lighted. The priest, then holds up the candle and sings that this candle is the light of Christ. Then he moves half way up the aisle of the church and sings it again. Upon this time, other candles are started to be lite from the one candle. This is to symbolize the spreading of the word. Then as this is done the priest heads to the front of the church where all of the candles are lite and the lights are turned on after he sings it again. I think that it's beautiful to see the church and every one's faces in the candle light. It's also the pure concept that it all starts from one candle that I found so wonderful.

Last night, my wonderful choir out did themselves, and did so beautifully that I found my heart swelling with pride and happiness. I was getting goosebumps during the duets and the solos. I couldn't help but smile as you preformed. Thank you to all of you for making my last night as the choir director so amazing, and thank you for making it a wonderful run as the choir director. It was a pleasure to sing with you all, and I will miss you.

A Lenten Journey---

Giving up the 3 C’s
(An Experiment in Suffering
--at least for one Catholic)


Well, I survived about a week and half of the Lenten Journey. It all starts with Ash Wednesday, and ends with Easter. Lent? What’s Lent? Well, it something that us Catholics suffer thru with our HUGE load of guilt in tote for 40 days every year. Most times we decide to give up something; and some of us are successful, and some not . Those that are not too successful we end up putting change in a paper bowl to help ease some of that terrible guilt. Not all of us give something up either. Some will donate their time to charities or be more thoughtful to their fellow man in some form. But I like to think of it as being a cleansing period, and through that cleansing being conscious of myself and my relationship with God.

This year I decided to give up the 3 C’s. I know what you’re thinking; the three C’s? What are the three C’s? And before your imagination has been all sorts of worked up and you have checked out the C section of the Webster, let me answer that question. The 3 C’s that I’m talking about are--- Coffee, Chocolate, and Caffeine. Not an easy task for someone like me who drinks almost a whole pot of coffee a day. I LOVE the smell, the taste, and just in general feel that nothing can compete with a good cup of Joe after a nice dinner. Believe me it’s not something easy to give up. The chocolate is easier for me to give up, and the caffeine, well, that’s just so I don’t substitute something else for the coffee with another caffeinated beverage which feels like cheating to me.

DAY 1---
I feel as though I’m sleepwalking. In fact, I can’t remember most of the day; other than it did pass. Somehow, I managed to get to work, and thru the rest of my day. I just can’t remember how. But in the process I think I figured out what they did to all those extras that worked on the set of “The Night of the Living Dead”. They obviously denied them access to caffeine 8 hours before they came on the set. How else could they have gotten those sluggish vacant looks? So at the end of the day, I look like the living dead with a huge ashes cross on my forehead after leaving the Ash Wednesday Mass.

DAY 2 ---
I’m dragging BIG TIME! It’s like I’m moving in slow motion and everyone is on regular time. Try as I may I just can’t catch up, and I keep on yawning and yawning. I really am starting to question why I did this, and my sanity for that matter, too! Am I a little bit masochistic? I definitely avoided using any freeway or faster traffic routes in my car. I actually wanted to go to bed at 8PM; haven’t done that since I was 11 years old when that was my bedtime.

DAY 3 ---
BIG YAWN!! I just can’t seem to stop yawning, and I’m not sure if my mental processing is working. I’m still dragging but not in as much slow motion as yesterday. Oh, did I mention I feel like I’m always starving. I also gave up snacking between meals. Oh, and today is Fish Friday. So I got to watch fellow workers devour big juicy hamburgers while I ate my tuna fish sandwich. This is past fun; it’s the thrill of the challenge or something like that. I also had to run to the grocery store to purchase some herbal tea. Why are most of them fruits? Can we please make them more interesting than just fruits, please?

DAY 4---
HUGE headache!!!!!! Ouch! And double ouch! I was wondering when this would hit or maybe it was there all along and I was so dazed and sleepy that I didn’t notice it. I opted to go for a bike ride hoping the endorphins from exercising will make all of the difference. Well, it did for about an hour and a half or so then they wore off and I found myself dehydrated and with a headache. Kind of like a hangover only without the fun of drinking.

DAY 5---
I’m still yawning quite a bit, and really having issues with trying to wake up and get going in the morning. I made it church WAY later than normal. No practicing the songs before Mass for me. Thank God for captive audiences!

DAY 6 – 10---
I’m getting better at not yawning, and I think that my mental processes seem to be back but the days seem to be dragging still a little. I managed to catch a Spin class at the fitness center, and for some reason the rest of the night I felt like I was on overdrive! Strange. Oh, and did I happen to mention it seems like everywhere I go they are offering me chocolate. I feel like it’s a conspiracy!

DAY 11--- Skip the Saturday early morning Spin class, all I want to do is SLEEP in. I do till almost 10AM which is unusual for me. Most mornings I’m lucky to sleep past 8AM. I’m getting ready to go on a yurt excursion, and trying to figure out to make my backpack light as possible. Just when I get it all packed I notice that I forgot something. This is the fourth time this has happened to me; maybe my mental abilities aren’t back yet?

Day 12---
Thank the Lord that Jean VanD texted me this morning, or I would have missed church completely with the “Spring Ahead” time change. Day Light Savings---talk about an experiment in masochism or I guess i Should more aptly say is," Who was the sadistic person to come up with it! But I will say that I feel the most normal ( give me some latitude here on this ) today that I have felt since the night before Ash Wednesday.

Now I only have 5 more weeks of this Lenten Journey left. Well, it should be a piece of cake, but I’ll keep you posted.