In Which Chelle Rambles About Nothing of Importance

Well hello blog! I'm sure you think I've forgotten you, but I assure you I have not. You are always there in the back of my mind. I have been on the longest sabbatical from everything. My tiny town has been hit by three large snow storms back to back since the beginning of February. As I write there is still over a foot of snow on the ground and there are rumors of another storm hitting next week. I love winter! Since I work in the schools, though not with the school system itself, I haven't worked since the end of January. I've still had some paperwork and training, but I've basically been on an (unpaid) vacation for the last three weeks. I think that we will most likely go back to school next week but if the storm that is on its way turns from rain to snow I know that we will be missing more school.

So, what have I done with this break? Absolutely nothing. I have been so lazy it isn't funny. I have had the cousins almost every day. I saw The Lightning Thief (review later I promise) with the Fantastic Four (the four cousins that I usually have, ages 8-13) this week. I read a few books. I played in the snow. I started watching Lost from the beginning because I've not seen it but I am really into it and have to watch it from the very beginning so I understand everything. Well understand as much as you possibly can in regards to Lost. I went on a few shopping trips. My younger cousin got engaged so I partied with his bride-to-be. So even though I haven't been in school things have still been pretty exciting.

Lent began on Wednesday. This is something that I try to observe every year by giving up something that I truly enjoy. I used to try to give up caffeine but the crippling head aches and the mood swings were too much to handle. I gave up candy or chocolate a few years, and I always try to give up swearing. However, last year I gave up all potato products. Let me tell you, I am pretty much a meat and potatoes kind of girl. Potatoes are my comfort food. Bad day? I need french fries. When I'm sick I usually eat baked potatoes or stew with potatoes in it. So, this is really me giving up something that I love and that I eat on a regular basis. I did a really good job last year. It wasn't easy and there were days when I wanted hash browns so bad I could have cried, but I managed to resist the temptation. This year I decided to give up potatoes again. However, I wanted to add something else to the pile as well. My aunt suggested I give up pleasure reading. I laughed. I am well aware that my family believes my obsession with books is more than a little nuts, but none of them are really readers. None of them use books as an escape or as an opportunity to loose themselves in another world. None of them really understand that books are a refuge or that a books can be your friend. So, I politely rejected her suggestion. However, I did think about my TBR pile and about all of the books that I have acquired recently and I realized that I have a lot of books that I have never even picked up to read. When I worked at the library it was because I was so busy reading books that I bought for the YA section so that I could answer patron questions and post reviews in the library or on the blog. Now it has just because I own an overwhelming amount of books. So I decided that along with potato products I would also give up purchasing books for Lent. So over the next thirtysome days I am sure I will post about the various struggles I have with these two things.

So, what about all of you? Have you been snowed in for a long period of time? Do you observe Lent? Do long periods of time when you aren't working/in school make you super lazy? In a way I am ready to go back even though it will not be much fun just so I can get back into a routine of some kind!