Rabbit rabbit.

In case you wondered why so many people are walking around with dirty foreheads this Wednesday, today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, or, as one of my friends called it, an excuse for Catholics to bitch and moan about what they're giving up. (As Wikipedia says, "some [Catholics] give up something they enjoy, and often give the time or money spent doing that thing to charitable purposes or organizations.") Let's not also forget how we like to complain on Fridays about how we have to order the Fish Filet at McDonald's, as opposed to the Big Mac.

I still give something up for Lent each year, partly because my Dad scolds me if I don't.

It was hard thinking of something good to give up this year. Because I like to punish myself, I've cut back over the last few years on the things I love very much, like good/bad food and booze, so while eliminating alcohol or sweets entirely would be tough, it would sort of be moot since I don't get to enjoy them that much anyway.

I thought about volunteering for a charitable organization, but by coincidence I'm sort of already doing that next semester, since I'll be teaching/interning at a writers' workshop here in Chicago for school (I know, it doesn't really count if you get academic credit for it, but on the other hand, I'm not getting paid to do it either.) So that limits my time.

Then I thought about something frivolous I do each day that wastes hours and hours of my time. And as silly as it is, I'm going to miss it:

all blogs.

Well, except for this one and this one, because those are sort of my jobs. But it's pretty automatic each today to check Gawker or Pink or Perez or the Superficial when things get quiet at work, or while I'm eating lunch. Plus, you might know I have a little weakness for ridiculous gossip.

But I can do it for 40 days. And while I'm sure Jesus did not die on the cross so I can enjoy reading about whether Britney Spears is fat vs pregnant, I'm thinking that the spare time I'll have will give me the chance to do some more valuable things.

Like watch TV.

I'm just kidding, Dad.

Anyway, if anything major in the gossip world occurs, please let me know. Otherwise I'll be the one making references that are so February once Easter rolls around.