Monday, October 13, 2008

Smaller Manhattans




Last year I was thinking about what I might give up for Lent. Aside from the reduced food intake due to the Church's disciplines of fasting and abstention, our household usually responds to Lent by increased participation in church life rather than by giving things up. I should mention that during Lent about 12 years ago our household gave up TV, and we haven't gone back to TV-watching since, so looking at it Pharisaically, I guess we're doing Lent year 'round. Heh.
A couple of years ago I tried giving up coffee, that lasted for about a week....I was in a fog the whole time, it was affecting work.
So last year I was casting around for something else to forgo, and I really like having a Manhattan at night if I watch a Netflix movie with my wife. I was thinking out loud to her about it, and worried it'd be like trying to give up coffee....an idea that was DOA. Finally, I said, "Y'know, maybe I could just have smaller Manhattans during Lent." It was an interesting idea...I didn't try it...but I like it as a blogtitle.