A Good Friday
Holy Week, and Lent itself, it drawing to a close. Holy Week is ever associated in my mind with slowly starving to death while being completely underslept and singing in church choir for many hours out of the day. It's totally marvelous; the ever-so-slight delirium that that causes heightens the effect of wonder at an already impressive succession of holy days.
All that singing takes at least a little energy though, so you do try to find sustenance the best you can. My friend made me a clone of his post-workout protein shake this morning after I had already had my morning minimeal of bread and cream cheese. Is a protein shake a meal? A collation? We decided to consider it a beverage (so: free) and stop worrying about it. I was still famished shortly afterwards, and in any case, only ate one more time afterwards.
Ceremonies at church lasted three and half hours and ended around 3pm. We had three and a half hours before needing to return to sing tenebrae. It was "main meal" time. A New Jerseyan-in-Ohio friend and I decided to go visit a brand new location of Wawa---a famous New Jersey gas station/deli chain that opened it's first midwestern location on the outskirts of Cincinnati. It felt deliciously ironic to go out of our way to visit a Wawa, which is exotic in the Midwest but common in the Northeast, when I had just left the Northeast a few days ago. Like flying to New York and waiting in a long line for Skyline chili.
But fortunately it wasn't just the irony that was delicious---my tuna hoagie was really very delicious given the context. I added every seasoning available on the ordering kiosk, as well as mayo and garlic aioli, and red vinegar, and "oil"---they didn't specify what kind. I hesitated to add lettuce, something I've historically shunned, but I figured we had become tolerably friendly through my recent experimenting, so add it I did, and I happily didn't regret it. They didn't charge extra for anything I added except avocado, which was worth the fifty cents. So I loaded it up and got out spending less than five bucks for a cute little sandwich.
It was unseasonably warm today, for which I was **extremely* grateful. We ate our sandwiches outside back at church. Another friend materialized and dispensed big chunks of a loaf of beautiful bread he had gotten from the store. And cheese sticks. Dinner ex machina. Laus Deo.