Confessions of a Bibliophile...

I gave up reading for Lent.  But wait, you're thinking, reading isn't a vice.  "Reading expands the mind, it's good for you", says you.  True dat, however, the way I read...it's a vice.  I love to read.  No, not even love to, NEED TO READ. Books have been my constant companions my whole life, I learned to read early, and hit the ground running. And while I love it all, fiction is where my heart is.  Suspension of disbelief was never a problem, coming back to reality was what sucked.

What? We can vote now, great...what NOW?
Ok, one more quick chapter, then I'm all over it.

If I had to choose between almost anything and books, I would pick books.  Unless it was a choice between books and my husband, but I'd hesitate.  I'd pick him...but I'd totally hesitate.  I will neglect friends, family, housework, hygiene, my cat, really most things, for the sake of a great story.  Hell, if the house was going up in flames, I wouldn't notice until my ass was on fire.  Once, I left something in the oven and only knew it was burning because the smoke was making the words fuzzy...true story. 

P.S. I'd been meaning to paint the kitchen anyway, so that all ended fine.

So that is why decided to give up books for Lent, I still allowed my self to read articles online, because I love my husband.  To take the written word away from me completely would be like locking him in a room wearing a steak onesie with a starved, angry wildebeest, it's not going to end well.  Even with the precautions I took for his personal safety, I'm not going to say I've been a ball of sunshine. We've been married a while so he knows when to tread carefully, I am not above going full-on banshee, I got that in me. 

The final countdown is on, I'm in the final week.  It's been rough, I am not an e-reader girl, so temptation surrounds me, old friends whisper from every corner; "come back to us, we love you...just a couple chapters...to take the edge off.  We'll never tell." it's taken every ounce of willpower to not succumb.  This would also be why I've gained 4 lbs, it would be more but not having my nose in a book made me look around my house and say; "wow, this place is dirty - where did all this crap come from?" 

Seeing as it is Spring, why not spring clean? I'm pretty sure I skipped last spring, and the spring before that. I am not a fan of housework, love the results...hate the process.  Thanks to Lent, my house has not been this clean since we moved in.  I'm exhausted, my thighs, arms, and knees are planning a strike, but I didn't read.  I may be channeling my book obsession into my steam cleaner, I'm running out of things to use it on...the cat has been avoiding me for a couple weeks, I think he fears being next (not entirely unfounded, truth be told). 

BTW- steam cleaners = awesome.  No scrubbing, just steam and wipe.  Woodwork, doors, bathroom, kitchen, all those little porcelain nick-knacks that are impossible to dust completely...steam it. Looks brand spankin new. For those of us who hate cleaning, and procrastinate until crisis-level messy, it's a must have.  I gathered a ball of cat hair the size of a small tumbleweed, it was not right.

In conclusion, reality still mostly sucks, and I can't wait to get my head back in a book, in my very clean house.