Lent... and what are you giving up?

A couple of people have asked me what I'm giving up for Lent. This is always a strange question as I'm not sure people really think about the "why" of giving something up during Lent. We give up, or so I think, that which is bringing us down, that which is keeping us from a wholesome relationship with God. This is pretty consistent in most religions, not just Christianity. I also think it's a time to take on something, to start doing something to bring into relationship.

So, what am I giving up? How about sex and carbohydrates.

So far, I'm pretty much failing. ;-)

The night of Ash Wednesday found Jane in bed with me, and we had some pretty good sex. I played with her nipples so much that even on Friday they were bothering her. I sucked them like a wild man. I put clothes pins on the nipples.

Thursday no sex (she got pissed at me 'cause I asked her about her weight; I guess it came off insensitively. But I'm worried. Her ankles are starting to swell. She's having a difficult time moving about, getting up, reaching down. I'm worried about her health and the baby's health, but I guess asking "Hey, have you gained weight in the last three days?" isn't really the way to exhibit a real sense of caring). Last night her sister, Deirdra, came back into town, and Jane hooked up with her near on midnight (after she spent 7 hours at the hospital with her two sick kids), so I went to bed alone. I wanked myself to sleep with images of Jane and Frankie, some sort of fantasy building up in my mind's eye.

I'd say jerking off is sex, too, contrary to how President Clinton might define sexual activity. So, I continue to fail at staying away from sex.

And as to the carbs. Shit, that's even worse. Thursday night, Drew convinced me to buy one of the Entenmann's cream cheese danish/coffee cake things. He had a healthy slice on Friday morning... and I ate the rest of it, except for an end that Jane ate late in the evening (she'd have had more, but by that time, I'd put the kill on it).

So, the carbs keep calling me.

At this rate, Lent is going to be very long, and I'm going to have extreme guilt all the way to Easter.