Phat Tuesday!

Today is Mardi Gras! For those of you Southeast Texans who might not speak fluent Catholic - read: Baptists - this translates to "Fat Tuesday." It is, of course, the only time of the year when it's cool to drink, eat, and party like crazy during the week, then stumble into work the next day around noon.

(Unless St. Patrick's Day happens to fall on a weekday. Then, it's a bonus year.)

In theory, the throwing down is allowed because of the next day - Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of the 40 day period known as Lent, when you're supposed to give something up to symbolize the sacrifices Jesus made.

Generally, good Lent-practitioners abstain from things like caffeine, sugar or alcohol. They view giving these up as on par with dying for the sins of all humanity.

They also give up eating meat on Fridays - a rule never fully explained to us in confirmation classes. But, since it means six weeks of sales on seafood at the gorcery store - a true miracle in this economy - we're on board.

So, good luck to those making sacrifices for Lent. And to those celebrating a last hurrah tonight, happy Mardi Gras! Laissez le bon temps rouler!

(That's French for, "Don't forget to fake your doctor's note for work tomorrow.")