“It is while you are patiently toiling at the little tasks of life that the meaning and shape of the great whole of life dawn on you.” ~Phillips Brooks
For the last several weeks I’ve been relying more and more on my reading glasses. Oh I did not stutter, I did say READING GLASSES as in the glasses that people over the age of 40 often wear and have to pull out before straining their eyes to read anything less than 24pt arial font. I peer over the top of them mid-conversation and remind myself of my 68 year old aunt. I also fall asleep in the middle of the day and tell people I’m just resting my eyes and please hold because my oatmeal laced with Metamucil is ready.
I’ve spent the better part of this current week dealing with the joy that is severe eye pain and strain and in seven hour meetings and saving the free world and in airports and getting a manicure and a pedicure and not taking myself too seriously and generally not writing anything worthwhile if you couldn’t tell by my “Phone It In” approach to the written word.
I am currently curled up in a Heavenly Bed watching C-SPAN. I feel like so many people miss out on that bit of entertainment because they fear being bored to death or because of general apathy. Again, between you and me, it’s always been one of my favorite channels it’s a toss up between hilarity and outrage. They yell and scream and call each other ‘distinguished gentleman’ in such a seething way that you can tell they reall mean ‘motherfucker’. They’re so passionate and at the same time so many are so full of it. It’s some fine holiday fun.
So the writing has been light this week and it literally took me four days to write two pieces. One of which is currently posted on MamaPop. A review of Lakeview Terrace and well, I get a bit ornery and annoyed and speaking of ‘motherfucker’ Samuel L. Jackson made me weep and not in a good way. My BlogHer post will be up either later today or tomorrow – or it is right here – but for those of you who are La Madre fans, it’s all about her!
This is all going nowhere so I will leave you with this story: I wrote about hugs the other day and how I dislike hugs that aren’t real or meaningful. You might as well just high five or give a hand shake if you’re going to be all limp armed. Last night I saw my best friend and she did just as I said she would: She hugged me once and then again and then again. I walked up U Street in the drizzle and drove through Chevy Chase and into Tenleytown. I’m going to have a prix fixe meal and visit Maryland and sit in traffic on the Beltway. It’s so, so good to be home.
11 Comments
That was one of the best things about working on the Hill–the constant access to C-SPAN. We had favorites and every time they took the mic, the legislative people would yell up to us in the front to pay attention.
And I sooooo hear you on the joy of being home. I couldn’t help crying the last time I flew in. There’s nothing like scoring a seat on the right side of the plane when flying into National at night. Of course, I also cried over my incredible burger at Palena, but that’s a whole nother matter.
I’m rocking the reading glasses, too! Only, um, all the time, because I’m prepping to have LASIK in November and can’t wear contacts until then!
I also spent hours watching C-SPAN last night…though I won’t say it was all that enjoyable…
I know this has nothing to do with your post, but I follow you on twitter (AngieLaa) and no too long ago you were talking about Gossip Girl. I wanted to let you know that I do a Gossip Girl podcast every week and I would love your input sometimes. I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and I know you say things like they are. You can visit the podcast website at http://www.talking-gossip.info! I hope you listen and enjoy!
Me too, with the reading glasses! And I’m 35! And me too, with the C-Span. I love it. And me too, with the loving DC. Except I don’t live there any more.
I still say you should get a beaded chain for your reading glasses. For your CONVENIENCE, and not at all for my own amusement, or anything.
I totally have a visual of you with the beaded chain. Heh.
I’ve had “reading glasses” since I was 22. I am farsighted, and only need them when I am reading or on the computer. I can do both without them, but I get headaches and get pretty sleepy if I read for too long without them. And, yeah, I notice that I need them more often than not. Sucks to have to pull them out at school, in a class full of 18 year olds like I am old and can’t see but that’s just how my eyes are.
You’re all like C-Span, and reading glasses, and Metamucil…and I’m all like welcome to my world. Boring, blurry and almost completely lacking in fiber. Unless there’s fiber in wine, in which case I would be permanently affixed to a toilet.
Ahhh, D.C. Also I love Heavenly Beds AND C-SPAN! No judgment re: reading glasses.
I, too, dislike limp hugs.
If it makes you feel better, I have been wearing glasses since I was three. If I didn’t pay extra for high index, my glasses would look like the bottom of a glass Coke bottle.