Hello beautiful people! Happy Ash Wednesday! I said Happy Mardi Gras to someone yesterday and let's just say... well... at the time I wasn't thinking about what actually goes on during Mardi Gras... However, I think that Ash Wednesday is perfectly safe, in that, I don't think people go flashing other people as a tradition on Ash Wednesday, and thus, Happy Ash Wednesday. *Reminder to self: No more wishing people a happy Mardi Gras.*

So anyway, updates for today. Well, yesterday was the three-week mark. Halfway to six weeks if you want to think of it that way, but believe it or not I'm actually not. There's a reason I've got this whole "six weeks" thing in place, and I was reminded of that after last weekend. Not that last weekend wasn't good, because it was. :) But if I keep having weekends like that I will never get anything done! ;) And so I'm pretty much taking this week as a "need my space" week and trying to finish up some of the stuff that's bogging me down. Yesterday, for instance, I applied for a job (a job at a really cool-looking place that I really think I'd like to work at!). I also worked on the essay for an award application, which is currently in Version Three, Draft One. I think this version is the keeper though, so just a couple of drafts left to go on it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to write an essay that will make people want to just hand you $2500 with no strings attached? It's worse than writing a cover letter, although I'm not exactly sure why. I guess as far as the job situation goes, I know if I don't get what I want there's always Tops... I can find some way to get an income. But this essay is my one shot for this particular prestigious award -- no fallbacks there.

So yeah, anyway, it's been three weeks. Nothing new to report on the Ryan front. I am feeling better about living at the house, and we are still talking, although not as much as we did during the first few days, but that's okay. We're both immersed in our own lives at the moment, as we should be. There aren't hard feelings or bitterness and the lines of communication are still open. All is well and should only get better with time. So I'm feeling good at the three-week point.

The other big news of this evening: I went to church. I'm not sure what I expected to get out of it; after all, I've been to church lots of times and this service wasn't much different from any other. But I'm glad I went. I made the effort to get there and pay attention while I was there and I think it did me some good. It wasn't an awe-inspiring, life-fulfilling amazing experience. It was church. But I took the time out of my day to spend with God, and I feel good about that. And so I will go back. :)

Today being also the first day of Lent (actually, technically, according to a site I read, the first day of Lent is this upcoming Sunday, but I consider today the first day), I walked to school this morning. THAT was a fun experience. :) Actually it wasn't so bad. It was grey and rainy when I got up but it was WARM -- I mean, 37 degrees! Wow! :P So I had "Singin' In The Rain" running through my head all through my shower and really until I actually got out and started walking... and discovered the sidewalk was mostly covered in very slippery ice. Then the song in my head switched over to "Tomorrow". The sun'll come out, tomorrow... ;) Ah well. It was a good walk, I DIDN'T slip and get my butt wet, and when I got to school I had a lovely email waiting for me. :)

Funny thing about those emails. They never come when I am watching for them, but they always arrive right when I need one. Like after I walked to school this morning. And after I finished my essay this afternoon. :)

Two days until Friday... let's see how much stuff I can get done by then!