I'm tired. But it has been a week since my last post, so here we go.

First and foremost, I'm proud to tell you that the Lenten alcohol fast is officially over, and that I made it through without swallowing a single drop save for the occasions in which I took Communion. As you know by now, Angie unhesitatingly went in on it with me. I'm so grateful to her for that; having her there for moral support made the whole thing much more bearable (and even enjoyable). Had she not been there, I would've endured a long and difficult Lent, filled with many boring nights at home. Instead, the Lord blessed me with an opportunity to get to know, simply put, the most wonderful, enchanting young woman I've ever met.

And brother, that's saying something.

Which isn't to say that it wasn't difficult giving up alcohol. Truth be told, it was still really hard, especially when we'd get together with family and friends for meals and socializing. For example, it was really hard to go to places like Old Chicago and Lazlo's without enjoying a single one of the fine ales that both establishments are well known for carrying.

So, yeah. Give Angie and I both lots of kudos and accolades and the such.

Anyway, Easter was a really good time. I went home for the weekend and got to spend some quality time with my family, just chilling out and relaxing. On Saturday, Kirsten, Tom, Ross, and myself went to the driving range to hit range balls. I had to use Tom's clubs, and I'm going to use that as my excuse. I'm not a good golfer by any means, but I can at least get the ball in the air, more or less in the direction of the pin. Not this time, though. Of course, the worse I did, the more frustrated I became, and the more colourful my language turned. I think Kirsten was really impressed with me by the time we left, though perhaps not in a good way.

That night we all went with Mom and Dad to the Salty Dog for supper. For those of you unfamiliar with the various and sundry eateries of southeastern Nebraska, the Salty Dog is a biker bar in the tiny village of Steele City. They serve up some killer Mexican food, including perhaps the best nachoes ever conceived in the minds of human beings. Alex and Drew joined us there, and we all had a really good time. It did take a little while for all of us to get our food, but I guess that can't be helped when the waitress is drunk. Some people would be annoyed by that kind of thing; I just think it adds to the atmosphere.

The next day, Easter Sunday, we had an excellent family gathering at my folks' house. All kinds of good food, and wine and beers, too. :) Angie came down with Nancy and Brenda. It felt really natural and comfortable having her there, and everyone was truly happy that she was able to celebrate such an important holiday with us. Of course, as soon as she arrived, we were uncorking a bottle of pinot noir. The bottle didn't last too terribly long, as I recall. It couldn't be helped. :)

Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pictures from the occasion here. There were some really good ones.

I should also point out that Saturday was the day of the Spring Game for the Husker football team. I wasn't able to go, what with it being a holiday weekend and all, but it sounds like our defense is going to be off the hook. Steve Octavien, in particular, really shined at the linebacker position. Next season should be as good of a time as any to win the North. And the Big XII. And the National Championship. :D Relax, I'm just joking. To an extent.

Moving along, I had a really good lift tonight. I'm still feeling just a little bit of hypertrophy, which ranks near the top of the list of best sensations in the world. If you've ever exercised or otherwise exerted yourself, you know what I'm talking about: that feeling that you're strong enough to do anything you want. Good stuff.

Which leads me to something I want to share with you: the recipe for my nutritious breakfast shake. Simply dump the following into a blender and then mix them at the highest setting:

--1 cup of skim milk
--1 raw egg
--1/2 cup of plain instant oatmeal
--2 tbsp. peanut butter (preferably the natural, no salt kind)
--1 banana, sliced very thin (that makes the blending easier)
--1 scoop of protein powder. I use the vanilla kind, but chocolate would also work fine. Avoid the straberry-flavoured crap like the plague.

Try this shake, and be amazed at how it carries you through to lunch without making you feel bloated or sick.

I don't have any song recommendations tonight, but I do want to take a moment to say how tired I'm getting of that "You Had A Bad Day" song. I don't know why it is that every station on the planet feels obligated to play it every five minutes. Enough, already!

And now I think I'll call it a night, as I'm planning to get up at 5a to go to the gym. Here's your bedtime haiku:

It is my bedtime.
I need to fold some clothes first.
I don't like laundry.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pour myself a glass of pinot grigio.