It's Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent for those who care, and as usual in the Lenten season I'm giving something up.

As with most Catholics, this isn't always the easiest thing. Long-time readers undoubtedly remember 2002, when I kept a running count of the number of times I cursed after giving it up. It topped out at 23, though I think I just gave up at that point. Last year bacon took the heave-ho. That was much easier.

This year I'm kicking dessert out to the curb. Sarah, as usual, had some concerns over my choice, though this time I think it centered more about how it would impact getting dessert when we eat out. I am making one caveat, in that I'm exempting the occasional non-meal related serving of frozen treats. I've got an unopened half gallon of sherbet in the freezer, after all. It's kind of a cop-out, I guess.