Today is Ash Wednesday, 02/13/2013.  The first day or Lent.  Today was difficult and stressful. Here's why:

Today, I ran from back-to-back classes to a noon Mass, got ashes crossed on my forehead, and headed back to another round of classes and tutoring.  First realization: I had no idea what time it was.  ALL DAY.  Not carrying a cell phone made me suddenly realize I needed to wear a wrist watch.  Note to self: wrist watch tomorrow, bitch!  Wrist watch!  Aside from wondering if I was late to something all day, I wondered if I was missing calls or anything like that.  I realized I couldn't randomly text my mom or a friend or one of my many sibs to see how their day was going.  -_-  This will take adjustment.

Why all the fuss?  For Lent (that's 40 days and 40 nights leading up to Easter), my sister and I have decided to give up facebook (actually, only I am *giving that up* since she doesn't have a facebook account), television and movies, music (at home or in the car), texting, using our cell phones to make calls anywhere except in our home (basically, we're treating the cells like landline phones), and using our computers to fiddle around on the internet.  Due to the nature of my work (I teach English Comp at a college), I still have to answer student/coworker emails, and possibly use the internet occasionally to find class materials.  Basically, our goal is not be hooked up to electronic devices all day, or be interrupted by the constant buzz and ding of cell phones.

Thanks to the encouragement of my good friend S, I'm planning to blog briefly during the Lenten period, and let people know how this feels.  I will keep my posts short, and try to be on here no more than ten minutes on any given day, in keeping with the spirit of this whole endeavor.  So, more news from the front later.