Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. This is the beginning of Lent and 40 days from today is Palm Sunday and that is a week before Easter. The religious meaning of this day is that Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. Good Christians also get the mark of the cross placed on their forehead by a priest with ashes.

When I used to work there was a Catholic church next to our building and I saw people lining up early in the morning waiting to see the priest. I also noticed that some people were convinced the the bigger was the mark the better Christians they were. Consequently, some people walked around with a huge ash spots on their foreheads.

Because of this special day New York City suspended alternate parking because there was no street cleaning today. Now, this is idiotic.

Unless the Sanitation Department is so religious that they observe Ash Wednesday I really can not imagine that anybody was. The Pope probably didn't work today but then I don't think he work much anyway.

Where I am living now across from us is a major Catholic high school. Over there business was as usual. They didn't get a day off but the street cleaners did.