Re'lent'less

   In the words of Cosmo Kramer, "You know what I discovered? I like depriving myself of things! It's fun!!"
  Ok, so maybe I'm not THAT extreme, but boy, do I love a challenge!
 Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of Lent, and I spent a lot of time thinking about what habits I would benefit to forgo. At first it seemed tricky-- I don't watch much TV or spend excessive time online. I don't drink. I eat a healthy diet. By no stretch am I perfect-- I have my share of bad habits. I DID end up choosing a few things that can and should be sacrificed. This isn't really based on religious grounds. I think it's a great opportunity to break some habits and be accountable for it. So the next 40 days in the life of this Paige will be spent without:
   -Facebook games. I'm not really addicted, but I have to be at an actual computer (as opposed to my phone) to play them. I go out of my way to get to a computer and end up staying there too long. So Cafe World is closed for a while.
   -Shopping. Oof, this is a rough one. Shopping is one of my many and favorite hobbies. Spending money on fabulous things is something that DOES have a hold over me. Needless to say, I  will have to go grocery shopping, but my aim is to buy nothing that I don't NEED or isn't edible. Today someone encouraged me to put the money I save on shopping toward buying more organic vegetables. Great idea! By the way-- I would like to add that I'm taking a trip to Iowa City at the end of the month and will more than likely stop in Williamsburg and cheat on the way back. You can't blame me for that.
   -Artificial sweeteners. Oh, buddy, I will miss it. I can indulge in so many more sweets thanks to Splenda. But I KNOW that it reeks havoc on my-- everything. Including lifespan, most likely. I'm still very aware of the simple carbs in sugar, so I estimate a decrease in my consumption of sweets. That will be good. Fortunately I drink very little pop so that won't be too terribly missed.
  What could stand to be changed in your life? Replace TV with reading? Coffee with tea? Gossip with hobby chat? Too much dairy? Profanity? Negativity? (And please don't give up Facebook. I will miss you!) Feel free to join my challenge. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress. I may even add more summons.
 Now, if you'll excuse me, I have about 14 cups of sugar free pudding waiting for me in my fridge, and I only have until midnight.