It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, which is the 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter. I've been thinking about things I can give up for Lent and have settled on the old standby: regular soda. I love soda. I love the fizziness, the caffeine, the sweetness, the syrupy aftertaste, the grittiness on my teeth. Mmmm... regular soda. But I know it is terrible for me. T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. But golly it's good. I also gave up swearing. Not curse words, but swearing. Hence the "golly" in that previous sentence.

I have given up soda before and even though I usually only have one soda a day, since I love it so much and look forward to it, it is really tough for me to give up. But I'd like to give it up for good this time. During Lents past, I have had a huge soda the minute the clock strikes midnight on Easter. So that's what makes this year different. I'm also giving up Gatorade, which I keep next to my bed at night in case I wake up thirsty. LOVE Gatorade, but I know it's bad for me so out it goes.

Wish me luck. Gosh this is going to be a looooong Lent!

Hiatus hiatus.

I have been scolded by several people over the fact that I no longer blog. The end of 2008 was impossible for blogging, and January 2009 wasn’t much better as I committed myself to finding a new job, which turned out to be a full-time job in-and-of itself. But now that I have procured said new job, and am scaling back on my volunteer commitments, I thought it would be a good time to blog again. Is it okay that my blog is about being thirty, flirty and fun, and I am now 31, flirty, and fun? Age is just a number, except when you make it the title of your blog.

Anyway, I am really excited about starting my new job next week, even though it means that moments like these - when everyone is at the warehouse and I can leisurely write my blog at my desk - will be long gone.

I’m nervous about being the new kid. For 6 years I have been the go-to person for all things related to Be As You Are. I’ve been the expert. I’m familiar with every policy, every scenario, and now I don’t even know where the bathroom is, or where the fridge is located. Will it be okay to bring Starbucks to office? Since they are an environmental organization... what if I make some major environmental faux pas like bringing in a Styrofoam container or forgetting to recycle something?

I’m nervous, but excited about what is in store for me. I feel capable of great things and I want to feel good about the result of my hard work.

But I’ll miss these moments. I’ll miss my friends. I’ll miss my security blanket.