Ironic

Wednesday, before we recieved a big, black cross of ashes on our foreheads that we were to leave on for the rest of the day---we heard the gospel reading (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18) about how we should pray quietly at home rather than loudly out in public, give alms to the poor quietly rather than announcing our donations and other suggestions on how to keep our relationship with our God between Him and us, rather than making a show for the rest of the world.

Also on Wednesday (though I was reading Tuesday's newspaper) I read an article by Donald Rumsfeld where he made the case that America needs to update it's media and public relations methods for the 21st century. He lamented the fact that even very poor neighborhoods in countries such as Tunisia had satellite dishes on nearly every balcony or rooftop and that the programming they received was largely anti-Western, making it simple for terrorists to use these media to promote their own agendas. The article was published here on page A7 of our small, local paper.
(Maybe this was announced on every network channel--I'm giving up tv for Lent--but then this should have been a news story before Wednesday...)

I decide to give up television again for Lent. The hubbie has been wanting a TiVo and called Wednesday to tell me about cable's DVR. So on the first day of Lent, I call for more info, upgrade our package to include digital television (now we get many more channels) and pick up the DVR system so we can record what we miss.

The hubbie is getting calls from recruiters as he's considering getting out of the Army next year. There are opportunities across the continent so in asking for help in narrowing his search, he asked where I would like to live. I said near the ocean. He said there's more than one. I said I'm not that picky. Either will do. Not being a coastal or southern states fan, he is more interested in looking in the midwest. I was encouraged about one that is at least on the Mississippi river but I remind him how great it would be to live by the water. Yesterday he did send me this.
(I know--this isn't really ironic. It IS water. He's trying)

[Disclaimer: the following is a petulant complaint and in the hubbie's defense, the irritating comment was uttered during an argument and we both later apologized. I'm still including it in my list of ironic events this week though.]

I do not complain too much when the hubbie is gone every other weekend and a few weeks for his MBA classes and have decided to have an open mind regarding some mid-western cities where he is job-seeking for next year to find the perfect reasons why we should live there. We are all traveling to ND for his graduation in May and as it is on a Sunday, N will miss school on the following Monday. He'd like to visit a potential job/city the day after graduation but I hesistated, worrying that N would miss two days out of the last week of school. This prompted his complaint that he gets no support.