Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Being stuck in the desert 40 nights was probably worse..

I've thought about this long and hard. Well, okay - it actually popped into my head after I'd finished eating dinner. My first internal reaction to my idea was: 'Are you frigging nuts?!'

But since then my subconscious has calmed down a little and now I'm thinking it might not be such a bad idea. See, a little bit of anything is not usually a bad thing. But all great things have this habit of taking over.

addictive personality much?

Especially if the thing we're talking about is really great.

And to me, blogging is really and truly great. I can't believe that a little over a year ago this hobby didn't exist in my life. Shit, before I started blogging I didn't have any hobbies! I'm at the point where giving all this up for Lent would be a MASSIVE sacrifice. Oddly, when I think about it like that, the idea has even greater appeal. It would be challenging, and boy do I like a challenge!

When I voiced the idea to the hubs I saw the 'happy' flash across his face before he became crestfallen, and he said earnestly:

"Please don't give up blogging for Lent."

Had Lent been any other time than the run up to his thesis deadline I think the hubs would have been dancing for joy that he was getting evenings with his wife back. Even if it is only 40 evenings. As it is, his wife is just likely to become a massive pain in the ass.

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The hubs just came to find me with an idea of what I can be doing if I really really really do intend to go ahead with this crazy idea and give up blogging for lent.

The idea was rubbish (sorry Babe, but it was.) so I won't bore you with details. Suffice to say it revolved around more blogging, which is sort of missing the whole point...

He's no need to worry, (much). I've been dying for an excuse to watch another Netflix marathon. A friend suggested Breaking Bad today, so I've got high hopes for that. And there's some reading I could catch up with. And I didn't say I would give up writing. I just won't be clicking 'publish' until Easter.

And then there's my juicy juicy novel that could do with some reworking....... And I think I may even do a jigsaw puzzle (inspired by Slu).

This is starting to feel like getting ready for a vacation. Maybe I'll even be excited about the idea by bedtime.

In the past I've faked giving up chocolate for Lent, but I think that's as big as it's ever gotten. One of my favorite Facebookers is giving up Facebook for lent, which I think is just really mean because her status updates make it worthwhile logging on (selfish cow).

I thought about giving up showers, but that may only amount to three in total. Not really a big sacrifice. Then I thought about sex (and I'm talking about tandem style sex, not the solo kind. What? I'm only human) but I realized that sort of coincides with the showering, and giving up three rolls in the hay is not really much of a sacrifice at all. It's more like a slap in the face to Baby Jesus - and just downright mean to the hubs.

I don't even know why we give up fun stuff for lent. I mean, I know grown up Jesus had to survive in the desert, right? Didn't the dude go without water and food for 40 days and 40 nights (let's not forget those nights)? Credit where credit's due, that's got to have been a little trickier than going without blogging.

But by giving up something dear to us are we showing solidarity here? Or is this so we can empathize? Or is it martyrdom?

You want to know what I think? (No! I hear you all cry in unison...)

I like to think of Lent as a fun tradition, a bit like Christmas and Easter. Something to do to get us all through the cold months, and to stop us from questioning the meaning of life, and going out of our minds wondering about the futility of it all, and asking the universe over and over, 'Why are we here?'

Hot pancakes and chocolate eggs and prezzies really helps to take your mind off of that stuff...


Happy Fat Tuesday folks!

Lent or no, there could be some positive consequences to my sacrifice. For one thing, I might recoup some sleep. Two, maybe we'll have more sex (Oh, thesis! Damn it.). Three, the clean laundry might actually make it out of the utility room and into the closets before it gets put back on again.

For those of you in the blogosphere who I only know through blogging, I am only taking a break from my own blog. You will still see me hanging around on your sites and Facebook like a bad smell.

See you all on the flip side of Easter - hopefully!

9 comments:

  1. Okay, you know I'm going to miss you're writing, but maybe this will be a good opportunity for me to go back and read what I've missed! Are you allowed to tweet your archives? I think you'll benefit from this time. I'm not doing lent, but I've done it in the past. I always came away appreciating things more (or at least that thing) and having more clarity about that thing. I said that to Stephanie today as she ventures off for three days without social media. I've only gone about six hours without it in the last few months. Maybe I need to give up something. Crap.

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    1. I'm glad someone will miss me! I thought about going cold turkey an the whole kit and kaboodle: FB, Twitter, the LOT. But I'd get so damn lonely! The hubs recommended I tweet and FB archives too. I don't really put my posts 'out there' very much, so perhaps I will. I'm still writing stuff nightly, but I'm not finishing ANYTHING, and I don't feel any pressure to. It's really kind of nice. Thank you for these words. I hope it gives me more clarity. I think somewhere along the way I've lost sight of my writing in the blogging - if that makes sense :)

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    2. It totally makes sense. I find myself not wanting to write as much lately because it takes a different part of my brain (more work) vs. the side that does the marketing - which feels a little more passive for some reason. That doesn't seem to make sense. Maybe the marketing is just easier.

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  2. Wow, I'm going to be super impressed if you go an entire 40 days (it's 40 days, right? ouch) without blogging. Will you go into withdrawal? Will your hands shake? Will you get cold sweats?

    Actually I think this is a brilliant idea. Of course, I'm not going to do it myself or anything because Jesus and I have an understanding about me being very weak. Cheers, friend!

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    1. I will be impressed too! The hubs doesn't think I'll make it. I'm already mentally backpedaling. I'm wishing I'd just given up blogging on 'Go Momma'. I've got other blogs that I've ignored for months. Maybe I could write on there and it wouldn't count.... Hehe. Okay okay - I know that's cheating. Bugger.

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    2. I didn't know you have other blogs. Where are they?

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    3. Wait, is it the tabs at the top? I hadn't clicked those before. Crafty Momma!

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    4. Haha! Yeah, I started with three. Across The Pond was the most popular initially - but at some point Go Momma just took off and I stopped writing on the others. I've thought about making a new wordpress blog and just having one place where I do all my writing. maybe that's what I'll do during Lent....

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  3. Slap in the face to Baby Jesus...snort! In case you missed the two other places where I said this is a great idea, I'll say it again. I had a tough time taking a weekend off, but I found when I returned I felt sluggish about getting back to my blog. Hmmm...Maybe a longer break was in order. The addictive/compulsive bit definitely applies to me too....

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