Day 7

So much for the easy phase beginning. Today was probably the most difficult I've had so far. This was mainly due to the school function we went to held at a local reception hall. Greek Mardi Gras was last Thursday, and this was a celebration of sorts for the school kids, where everyone wore costumes- I counted about 10 spidermen, 85 princesses, 5 supermen, and assorted skeletal, devil, court jester, and horror movie types.The place reeked of smoke and had a sound system that peaked at about 130 decibles even though we sat in the back, and I sat there for two hours soaking in the poisonous atmosphere and watching people gorge on souvlaki, pork chops, salads, feta, and white wine.

"You look pale," Zoe said to me at one point. I felt pale. And hungry. SO hungry. I was entitled to a plate of food with my ticket, which I surrendered to Zoe and her sister, who promptly made short work of it because we had come late and they were hungry, too. It was the memory of the sight perfectly grilled meat that haunted me the rest of the day. This is where I don't really understand a lot of fasting blogs I read. "I served a 7-course mel to my family today and wasn't tempted once," a woman on her 25th day of a fast might say. I say she's lying. I was hungry, and seriously hungry, every single day of my 23-day fast in '03. Ditto for this one so far.

My tongue is constantly white. I try brushing the color out with a toothbrush, but it stays white. So I figure my tongue is the main venue for the release of toxins in my system, since the temperatures are cool and I'm not sweating.

We played good cop/bad cop at Sunday school today. Zoe did the class, and I participated with a sketchboard message.Greeks are rather disorderly, and today's Sunday school class was no exception. One in particular was incredibly disruptive; so I singled her out and asked her if this is the way she behaved in regular school. I told her as kindly as I could that if she were bored, she could go downstairs and sit with her mom. I was angry, and she knew it. I didn't say it, but I was getting a little tired of her disrespecting my wife. She was duly mortified and was quiet the rest of the class. Zoe singled her out for special attention so she wouldn't feel too crushed, but the kid needed to be put in her place, and firmly.