Melanie Ansley's Blog - Posts Tagged "reading"
You may be a book junkie if…
We’re all familiar with discussions about how and when we steal time to read—in the bath, on the toilet, waiting for the bus. Those are the tried and true methods of sneaking in precious time with our addiction. But lately I realized that some of the ways I’ve worked out to feed my reading habit are less common. Not only that, but I’ve also discovered that I can take some pretty unpleasant experiences (dentist appointments, medical exams) and turn them into enjoyable reading time to such an extent that I no longer dread those visits. If you’re like me, and can relate to any of these, you just might also be a book junkie.
1) Blood tests:
I’m not talking about the quick in and out operations, though those can work too. Last week I was “lucky” enough to have to undergo a blood test evaluating my glucose processing ability, where you drink a glass of sickeningly sweet fluid and then sit for an hour before having blood drawn. The doctor told me to show up with two hours to spare and a book to read. My thoughts went immediately from “I hate needles!” to “I get to read for two hours? Sweet!” My only complaint after this experience was that the test turned out to be shorter than expected, cutting drastically into my anticipated reading time.
2) Cooking:
Soups have become my lunch of choice. Sure, I like the taste, and it fills me up, but soups are brilliant in that you just have to stir occasionally, not constantly watch. Which means you can cook with one hand and read with the other. Does not work so well with stir frying, so this is not a good option for Chinese foodies out there.
3) Heading out with your family:
If your family is anything like mine, they take a while to get organized and out the door. With a little practice, you can end up with five to ten minutes standing at the door as they wrangle their cell phones, purses, and keys. I understand this works less well when one has children.
4) Running errands:
When I lived in China, internet banking was non-existent, unreliable, or downright inadvisable due to security. You had to go in person to the bank, which meant lining up with at least thirty other people in a tight space, with usually only two people to service you. This meant bank errands equaled giant chunks of reading time. I was one of the few customers who wasn’t pulling my hair out in frustration at the tellers’ glacial pace. This works for lines anywhere—the grocery store, pharmacy, post office, you name it.
5) Take your book everywhere—and I mean everywhere:
Friends arriving late for coffee, family saying “I’ll pop in for a sec, just wait a minute,” and unexpected change in plans. They happen anytime, anywhere. Especially when you’ve forgotten to bring a book.
Suggestions on other ways you squeeze reading time out of your day? Do tell, I’m always looking for more ideas.
1) Blood tests:
I’m not talking about the quick in and out operations, though those can work too. Last week I was “lucky” enough to have to undergo a blood test evaluating my glucose processing ability, where you drink a glass of sickeningly sweet fluid and then sit for an hour before having blood drawn. The doctor told me to show up with two hours to spare and a book to read. My thoughts went immediately from “I hate needles!” to “I get to read for two hours? Sweet!” My only complaint after this experience was that the test turned out to be shorter than expected, cutting drastically into my anticipated reading time.
2) Cooking:
Soups have become my lunch of choice. Sure, I like the taste, and it fills me up, but soups are brilliant in that you just have to stir occasionally, not constantly watch. Which means you can cook with one hand and read with the other. Does not work so well with stir frying, so this is not a good option for Chinese foodies out there.
3) Heading out with your family:
If your family is anything like mine, they take a while to get organized and out the door. With a little practice, you can end up with five to ten minutes standing at the door as they wrangle their cell phones, purses, and keys. I understand this works less well when one has children.
4) Running errands:
When I lived in China, internet banking was non-existent, unreliable, or downright inadvisable due to security. You had to go in person to the bank, which meant lining up with at least thirty other people in a tight space, with usually only two people to service you. This meant bank errands equaled giant chunks of reading time. I was one of the few customers who wasn’t pulling my hair out in frustration at the tellers’ glacial pace. This works for lines anywhere—the grocery store, pharmacy, post office, you name it.
5) Take your book everywhere—and I mean everywhere:
Friends arriving late for coffee, family saying “I’ll pop in for a sec, just wait a minute,” and unexpected change in plans. They happen anytime, anywhere. Especially when you’ve forgotten to bring a book.
Suggestions on other ways you squeeze reading time out of your day? Do tell, I’m always looking for more ideas.
