You're so cool, You're so cool

Well folks as I type Lent is almost over. Just 3 or 4 days-depending on how you look at it. Some people say that Good Friday is the last day of lent, so we can break the Lent thing on Saturday. I hold out until the  Sunday. And how did I fare during the 6 week thing? I did well, I held out. And what did I discover? I found out that I have good will power, when I put my mind to doing something, I can. In this case it was doing without, I suppose. Some of the things I went off, I can see myself staying off for a while longer. In saying that, Fridays proved tough-why? Friday is Treat Day. This is the day I treat myself to a few things :- Free State Tayto, a mug of bought coffee to start the day at work and a good jam turnover for my morning tea break.

Tomorrow I’ll be like a squirrel and will start hording some FST s for the Easter break, Sunday-Tuesday. Funny thing is this break would be harder at any other time. It’s just that Lent gives me that little push.

The things I think I’ll be off long term? The sweets,the biscuits and the facebook. The only thing that might keep me on it is my rambling club. It looks like it is not  renewing the website, as it is proving an expense we can do without-according to some members.But I discovered since I came off the fb, I noticed I hardly ever used the web at all. Thus a lot more time to do other stuff.

And if this new pope should decide to do away with lent-I’ll be over at the vat house protesting.

Very short one this one –so here’s some photos of our ramble over a local mountain on Sunday.

1/2 started or 1/2 over? who cares?

Well, as I type it’s the third Sunday of lent. I suppose it’s really half way through now. So how am I getting on I hear (hear?) one person ask. I am getting on ok! Apart from Fridays. And why is Friday the tough day? Well Friday is my treat day. The day I treat myself to two cups of coffee, a tasty turnover from a good bakery, a packet of free state tayto cheese n onion, and tommy’s fish and chips. I admit when I am looking at internet at night with a mug of tea beside me I miss my collection of biscuits-not that many, only about 4 or 5. now I don’t miss the sweets at all. And I’m not missing facebook that much. In fact I noticed I am spending less time on the computer/internet because of this.

Remember I mentioned that I was told that lent is not counted on Sundays. Well I think I have worked out the theory behind this. In the biblical story Jesus was in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. Lent lasts from ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, still with me? That is about 47 days, six weeks and a bit. So if you minus the extra days that accounts for the Sunday thing. Now I know in Ireland we can break lent on st. patricks day. But I think those breaks are for wimps. I tend to keep some of the fast and abstinence going for a good bit past lent. I think I told this story before, once I managed to stay off sweets and chocolate for 3 years and the biscuits for another 3 or 4 months.

Must admit I am missing the jokey comments on the rambling club’s facebook page.

Incidentally today the rambling club was over by the Giants Causeway and a great day was had by all. Last week the walk was over by Buncranna in Donegal and once again a joyous time was had by most of us. Yeah you read right-“most of us.” On route there was an old airplane crash site-the crash happened in the 1940s. there was very little of the plane left, but some of the group had to see it. There was a tricky climb up to the site, but we have done worse. I found it awkward in parts, but I have done harder and I managed ok. At the top of the climb a big guy asked me how did I manage the climb-I told him I did ok. He shook his head and said that he found it particularly hard. I later found out he got into difficulty and needed help. And now he has decided to pack in the rambling. Any way on today’s walk we passed another memorial to a plane crash, from around the same time AND the plane came from the same airfield as the one over in buncranna-the airfield was in Limavady.

Looks like the kitty club from last year’s ics trip is reuniting this year again –the key members of this group met in a Donegal trip two years ago. I never thought I would be doing something like this, the whole deliberate reunion thing, as I like the surprise element. The lovely Carolyn is also going to be there, and afterwards she is heading up to Glencolmbcille in Donegal for some art/language thing for a week-so there is a chance of a meet up there too, with a bit of luck.

The rambling club is going down to lennane near galway next month for a bit of hill/mountain climbing. That is going to be a pretty hard climb-but will be god craic AND the road over to lenanne takes in the breathtakingly beautiful Delphi Valley.

I envy people that are seeing this for the first time. I remember the first time I cycled on this road, on turning a bend in the road my mouth dropped open in awe at its beauty.  The same thing applies to me envying people who hear elvis’s “Heartbreak Hotel” for the first time.

Incidentally I am actually off facebook. I did not deactivate my account-just removed from that menu bar thing and that’s why I was able to post this on it. Photos of causeway will be in another blog-or email M ok?

See you at easter