Thanks for the comments, Jeremy...I appreciate it!

Here's a helpful hint for everyone...if you're on the phone with someone, especially someone you don't know, please, for the love of God, do not whistle into the receiver. Maybe it's just a general irritability issue with me today, but that just really got under my skin.

Right now I'm listening to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Amazing album.

The Cubs have lost two of their last three; actually, three of their last four. It's just a temporary slide, however, and they'll be fine starting this weekend, I bet.

I really need a break at this point. It would be really nice to have an evening where I don't have to work on something (even if I don't always) or go to class. Luckily this semester is almost over...in 10 days, I'm going to be having one of the best times of my life, I know.

The Orthodox Pascha/Easter is Sunday. Today is our Maundy Thursday. I have class, of course, and will miss that service, but will work only half a day tomorrow and then go to our Good Friday liturgy. It starts at noon and runs 3 hours. After that, we practice for the Paschal services. The Easter Vigil starts at 10:30 on Saturday night, the mass at Midnight. It will be incredible. This Great Lent has been interesting. It's been hard, honestly. But...I suppose it is supposed to be...I am learning much about myself.

Here's a great quote that is incredibly appropriate in regards to the past few sentences:
"How can we overcome the sinfulness that is already firmly established within
us? We must use force. A man labors and struggles, and so by the use of force
he escapes from destruction, always striving to raise his thoughts to
holiness. We are not forbidden to resist force with force. If in any ascetic
task we exert force, however slight, then, 'remaining in Jerusalem', we can
wait for the 'power from on high' which will come down upon us (cf. Luke
24:49). In other words, if we persevere in unceasing prayer and the other
virtues, there will come upon us a mighty force, infinitely stronger than any
we can exert. This force cannot be described in human language; in its great
strength it overcomes our worst faults of character and the malice of the
demons, conquering both the sinful inclinations of our soul and the
disordered impulses of our body. 'There came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing violent wind' (Acts 2:2); and this force from heaven drives out the
evil that is always forcing us into sin."

St. John of Karpathos.