Day 3/4

1) Stopping my tendency to swear at random things is a lot harder than I expected.  Funniest part is that halfway through saying something I shouldn't, I realize that I shouldn't, and I try to backtrack, which usually ends in me sounding like I am choking on something.
2) I am complaining less.  I actually do feel better, in general I think, as a result.
3) I drove one of my students and her friend to dinner yesterday, even though I knew I shouldn't have because I was already late leaving to pick up my brother from the airport.  But I did because they were waiting in the cold for a shuttle that I'm sure would have taken an hour to arrive.
3a) Today I drove Tom all the way to my parents' house, only to turn around a drive all the way back for a program on campus that in the end, I didn't even really need to be at.  BUT it meant that sort of by accident I was on campus to go to two other events run by my staff that I would have otherwise missed.  They were happy I came, I was happy I went.  Win win.

Day 2

I think someone is testing me.  24 hours of pouring rain, a work day that crawled like SLUDGE and getting drenched twice while walking to and from the office and NO ability to moan and groan about it.  Torture.

But apart from that, things aren't going too shabbily.

1) Only swore a few times today and I'm catching myself earlier, it's hard.  Who knew dropping words you never really thought you used all that much would be that difficult?
2) Well since I didn't really complain above I suppose that counts right?  Actually Jackie and I complained briefly to one another tonight over dinner about how much we hate students, and since each of us have elected to complain less during Lent we figured that complaining to each other somehow canceled out any potential negative karma that may or may not be headed our way.  So yes, I'm ahead on this one.
3) I wrote two recommendations today.  Those people I wrote them for might not ever know something nice was done for them, but I can tell you, I absolutely did NOT want to write them this afternoon.  So yes, I was suffering for the good of someone else.

40 days of temptation

So I'm not the most religious person, but I do like the season of Lent.  I even went to church tonight, Ash Wednesday service.  Which, really, did nothing but remind me how unreligious I am.  That I'm totally not pious or virtuous or any of that nonsense that apparently, if you go to church regularly, you're supposed to be.  I did nothing during the service but listen to the guy behind me who had an incredibly distracting baritone singing voice.  He was good by the way.

Anyway, during Lent you're supposed to give something up, back in the day when I used to attend services most Sundays, often strong-armed by my mother, I used to think it was just a device to punish me and keep things I loved far from me, like a distant memory...all those teenage Lenten seasons spent without chocolate.  So depressing.  Now, older, and perhaps a bit wiser, I see it as an opportunity to spend time reflecting about things I do regularly that perhaps aren't the most useful ways to spend my time.  Case in point, the things this year I've decided to refrain from:

1) Swearing.  Really, not a great habit and something that I just need to stop doing.
2) Complaining.  I do way too much of it.  So I want to do less.  I fully expect to have to do this in stages...a girl's not perfect you know.
3) I am planning to try and do one nice thing for someone else every day.  This is to get me out of my comfort zone, being reserved is my strong suit.

So how'd today go?

1) Some slippage, but minor, when I ran my foot into the wall earlier I managed to keep my mouth shut and just growl angrily at the baseboard.
2) Success...so far.
3) Coffee for a needy friend, she was happy, and in turn, so was I.

Day 1 - success, 39 to go.

The verdict?

It looks a lot better than it tastes...which is a disappointment.  It would be so much cooler if cake in a mug was actually delicious.

two things

One:

I'm pretty sure this is 100% true, and

Two:

This is what I wanted to do ALL day at work today.

small changes yield big results

So yesterday one of my students was discussing how small changes in a usual food choice can create magical results. My friends, let me share my small change and my most magical result.

The magical change? Oh, I don't know, I cooked. Legitimate cooking, not just throwing-stuff-together-out-of-a-bag nonsense. The magical result? Really delicious tasting food. And yes, I am patting myself on the back.

Thank you very much.