And now here's my annual telling of my humorous Ash Wednesday story...
On Ash Wednesday I met a colleague of Ralphie's. A scientist. When I shook his hand I noticed a black mark on his forehead.
"Oh, you're Catholic." I said. "Happy Ash Wednesday."
He looked at me and said, "I'm not Catholic."
"But you have black ashes in the shape of a cross on your forehead." I pointed.
"That's a birthmark." He said.
From that day on he was known as Mr. Ash Wednesday. I still called him that after he had the mark bleached off his forehead.
True story.
Really. I'm not kidding.