Forty Days Dry

For Lent, I decided to give up booze. Forty days on the wagon doesn't seem like a challenge to me. I've only been drinking for the past couple of years. It's just something I do to socialize.

Why are you doing this to yourself?
Here are three reasons I'm giving up the sauce:

1. If I stay out late on Saturday night, I can't motivate myself to go to church. And during Lent, I'm going to make the good effort to go every week.
2. I'm getting ready for summer, and all of those calories seem to be making my daily workouts less effective than they should be.
3. I would like to spend less money. The second I leave the door and head out into the city, it's $40. A $20 cab ride out to where ever I'm going, and a $20 cab ride home--nevermind the food and booze!!

What the Friends Had to Say...
So I went to play a soccer game on Wednesday, and I told my cohort about my new leaf. Here are some of the responses I got:

W said:

• "Are you kidding me? I took off work tomorrow so we could go drinking after the game!"
• "Do you really think you'll make it 40 days?"

M said:

• "You can't be serious? What are you going to do if you don't go out drinking?"
• "Are you studying for a test or something? Why would you do this?"
• "Why don't you give up something else? Like sex?"

J said, "What about the hockey game on Sunday?"

I told him that Sundays are not included in the Lent season. (If you don't believe me, start on Ash Wednesday and count days until Easter. You'll only get 40 if you don't include Sundays. A special thanks to Vatican 2!)

"Oh," J said, "so you can just come out and meet us up at midnight on Saturdays, then."

"Yeah!" agreed M, "That makes sense!"

I tried to explain that that would ruin the whole idea. Besides, I said, I'm bothered that you guys don't think I can get by without drinking! "The point is that if I get drunk on Saturday night, I won't be able to get myself up in time for church."

"Well, why don't you just not drink on Saturdays, but still come out with us on Fridays?" asked M.

It was an uphill battle against these nonCatholics. They just don't get that Lent is supposed to be a quite, calm, and reflective time.

Jeez! Even the heathen I'm boinkin' gets that!


LENT UPDATE
Two days without any desire to drink... take THAT doubting Thomases!