Update on Lent

Though I'm still up for suggestions for this experiment, here is what I think I'm going to be doing:

1) No TV for one week
Conditions: I will not watch TV (or DVDs on my TV or TV show clips on the internet) for 7 straight days. Ouch, even writing those words makes me cringe.
Exceptions I'd like to take: Lost, movies on my Netflix que, Daily Show and Stephen Colbert
Exeptions I'll allow myself: World-altering news stories that are best covered live on TV(e.g. alien invastion)
Predictions: Television is my best friend. It's always there for me. This is going to be like separating conjoined twins.

2) Going to sleep by 11:30pm every week day , and 1 am on the weekend.
Conditions: I will be in bed attempting to fall asleep by 11:30 Monday through Friday, and by 1 am on Saturday and Sunday.
Exceptions I'd like to take: Conan O'Brien; bar specials
Exeptions I'll allow myself: Incarceration?
Predictions: This experiment will make me well-rested and boring, but at least I won't be so jittery all the time. I think I'll probably miss out on a lot of fun at some point at time -- so nobody rub it in! I probably won't write any blogs either.

3) No looking in a mirror.
Conditions: I will not allow myself to look at my image in a mirror for 7 straight days. I will also try to avoid reflective surfaces (windows, computer screens).
Exceptions I'd like to take: Using a mirror to make sure I don't have food on my clothes, because I'm a very messy eater.
Exceptions I'll allow myself: Using a compact mirror for flossing.
Predictions: The hope here is that I will break myself of the habit of looking in mirrors whenever I see my reflection in one. In reality it's probably going to make me more vain as I am going to be so gross at the end of this. I think that I will probably walk around for long expanses of time with shmutz on my face or alternatively just compulsively wipe my face all week long. At the end of this week I'll probably go on a 3-hour make up and eyebrow plucking binge.

4) No talking for 36 hours.
Conditions: I will not engage in conversation with another person for 36 straight hours. While on the street, I will allow myself to exchange pleasantries (Hello, excuse me, sorry) if the situation calls for it. Writing notes and playing charades to convey a message may be necessary in very rare instances (e.g. telling a roommate that their toothbrush fell in the toilet.)
Exceptions I'd like to take: Any! Not talking is akin to not breathing for me
Exceptions I'll allow myself: Medical and criminal emergencies.
Predictions: I think I'm probably going to end up sleeping through much of this because it will just be easier. Maybe also I'll paint my room and spend 5 hours playing spider solitaire.

5) Walking everywhere -- make that most places.
Conditions: I will not use my car at all for one week. I will allow myself to use public transportation 10 times during the week (which should only cover me to and from work). Also, I will walk up all escalators and always take the stairs.
Exceptions I'd like to take: Blisters, achilles tendon pain, rainy weather
Exceptions I'll allow myself: Hail; medical and criminal emergencies Predictions: So this is just a continuation of Matt's suggestion that I take the stairs. I think that I may or may not turn into Phil Barber during this week, but at least I'll save money on gas. Take that you gas-guzzling, foreign-oil-loving suckers! Maybe if I luck out and choose a nice week I'll get to enjoy the weather, too.

I decided to shelve the suggestions to avoid vitamin C, to stop lying, and to eat healthfully for a week because I don't want scurvy, I love lying and because I do what I want. I'm still on the fence about another of Matt's suggestions, so here's my proposal -- let me know what you think of it:

6) Refrain from making negative statements about people for one week.
Conditions: I will not complain about or otherwise mock another person's faults and foibles -- especially celebrities.
Exceptions I'd like to take: Celebrities; people on the metro; select coworkers or roommates; children
Exceptions I'll allow myself: Expressing a negative opinion about an object/thing (e.g. I hate that movie.). The opinion cannot contain any sort of negative sentiment about a specific individual, so the statement "Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas makes the already annoying song "My humps" unbearable with her disgustingly nasal voice" would be a violation despite being completely correct.
Predictions: On the one hand I may become a less vitriolic person, and may be much nicer. On the other hand I will have very little to say and certainly will be less interesting to talk to. That is the core of my dilemma as to whether or not I should take on this challenge. If I do, I predict that at the end of the week I will explode in an hours-long fit of mockery of everyone and thing I see: look at that dog -- yeah right! you call that a car?! the jerk store called and they're all out of you!

So let me know what you think -- but don't overwhelm me all at once. The literal avalanche of comments to the original post was a bit much to try and deal with, so please people take it easy on the comments to this blog. (In case you didn't know I was being sarcastic).