1. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? Will you be giving something up or adding something to your life in this Lenten season?

I guess this year I’ll be marking it since I work at a Catholic high school. Not sure I am going to give something up but I will probably do some actual fasting. When I found out the insanely lax rules about fasting, I was shocked.

ETA: in the faculty lounge, I was talking to coworkers and I decided I’m going to give up wishing death upon people in traffic. LOL.

2. Pancakes…are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week?

Eh, now and then. I would prefer a savory breakfast over sweet. If I ever eat them, just butter and syrup for me. I will probably not eat any this week, as they are loaded with carbs.

3. Tell us about a time recently when you felt ‘spread too thin’.

Bro, this entire month! It’s been one beating after another and I am just not managing at all.

4. What’s your favorite jewel or gemstone? In terms of your wardrobe would we find more gem tones, pastels, black and white, or primary colors?

I am not much into jewelry so I couldn’t say. You will mostly find blacks, grays, and navy blues. Though the shirt I am wearing today is pretty out there.

5. What responsibility do you think is hardest about being in charge?

I think delegating to people is the hardest; I know it is the right thing to do if you are in charge and know you can’t be doing it all, but it’s the telling people to take on a task I don’t like doing.

6. Insert your own random thought here:

Man, what a month it has been. I feel like everything has happened all at once and it is insanely busy and stressful, both for myself and others, tangentially. I had a student email me this morning (from an online college course) saying she got behind because someone shot at her home and hit her pregnant daughter, whose kid was delivered and now in the NICU. Bruh, this month! I guess what it comes down to is that stuff is going crazy everywhere, all the time, and it’s just life. I’m just not usually this close to it.

I am fasting today because it’s our weekly 24 fast anyway, but it kind of worked out because Catholics are supposed to on Ash Wednesday anyway. It’s a busy school day, with mass and then a faculty meeting, then I have to go to the UPS store and ship some car documents before they can release my total-out money. I keep thinking things will get less busy at some point but I’m not so sure!