Adventures in Reading

On my way to a medical appointment yesterday, I realized I'd forgotten to bring the book I was reading. I'm reading Freddy and Fredericka by Mark Helprin. I'm rather enjoying it, but it's a big book and I really need to spend every moment I can spare reading the thing. So I turned around to go back home to get it, then decided that was obsessive and turned around again and went on my way.

This meant that in the medical office I had to read one of their magazines. I, of course, picked up some kind of organic or natural living magazine because I'm really into reading that kind of stuff, though not necessarily living it. I found an article on clearing your house of pollutants and what do I read but that I should be cleaning that pan under my fridge that collects water every month and not two or three times in the life of the fridge the way I usually do. So I got all upset about that and at four-thirty yesterday afternoon I was pulling that little grill off the bottom of my refrigerator. Only to discover that I didn't even have a pan under my fridge. Since it is several years old and I just discovered that yesterday you will get some idea of how often I get under there.

The whole job was a complete waste of time because it was filty under there and needed to be vacuumed. But if I had had my own book with me, I would never have read that magazine and never have used up that valuable reading time cleaning.

The moral of this story is, for the love of God always carry a book.

Helprin has also written a set ofthree children's books, which I haven't read but will certainly look for now.