Unending Bud Lights. Check. Hurricanes with massive amounts of SoCo and vodka, with only a splash of the stuff that makes the drink red. Check More Cajun food and nachos and Diet Cokes than I thought could fit in my gullet. Check.

My gluttonous ways have me sufficiently grossed out and wanting a serious detox.

I was trying to think of something to give up for Lent, but the list of what I need to give up is so long that it seems nearly pointless to give up only one measly thing.

I�ve decided that I need to adopt a very generic Lenten sacrifice and just stop all of the shit that�s wearing me down. If it takes 21 days to form new habits, my 40 days of Lent should suffice.

In other news, it�s 40 degrees here, and I�m already noticing a spring in my step. I�m sure Mama Nature will throw some more face-biting snow at me once I do something silly like send my heavy jacket to the cleaners, but I�m happy for now.

After weeks of sub-zero wind chill and a frosty weekend spent in the streets of St. Louis celebrating Mardi Gras, my bones need some defrosting. If I didn�t have a bunch of vacations planned for the upcoming months to burn through my vacation hours (or a belly full of nachos and Diet Coke), I�d be inclined to take time off to go run this afternoon.

My marathon in DFW is quickly approaching, and I feel like such a bum. Sure, just one week ago I spent 3 hours on the treadmill without issue... But I feel like crap this week after all of the recent abuse my body�s been through. Add to it that I�m recovering from a death rattle cough, and I�m quite the pathetic piece lately.

I�m itching to get back on with things and was looking forward to it this morning, but I made a quick trip outside yesterday in some new shoes and tore up the backs of my feet. I�ve got bandaids on them, and there�s not much else I can do. I might not be able to run tonight at the gym, but I will most definitely be lifting weights.

Every few months or so I dig out a bikini and take some photos for later comparison. This is always initially done as a way to measure my workout gains, but I really and truly don�t see any changes most of the time. This time, though, I took some drastic measures. I went into my bathroom, where the lights there are 100% non-forgiving, and took a booty pic.

And now, before I start getting go-hug-yourself-and-grow-some-self-esteem or go-fuck-yourself-you-skinny-bitch messages or emails, just trust me on this. I�m not being some delusional twit. This is a particular body part that needs improvement, and I just wanted to get a true assessment of the situation.

Can you say ewww?

It seems that I�m not the only one starting a health kick. A couple of guys at work have started getting Jamba Juice smoothies every few days. Sure, it beats the Chinese food they would typically get, but a 650-calorie smoothie isn�t exactly a diet food.

In completely unrelated news, looking at pictures from the past weekend, I think my hair is officially too dark. Since I do the dye jobs myself, I put the color all-over, making the ends darker and darker. I don�t really care enough to go to a professional for a real dye job, but I�m feeling like I�m looking borderline goth.

Once the sun breaks and it gets a little warmish, I�ll go to light brown. But until then I�ll embrace the princess of darkness look I�ve got going on.

And in even more unrelated news, I miss Britney Spears, back when she had the sickest body ever:

G�nite all. It�s nearly 50 out, and I�m gonna run outside for the first time in a long time. �