I realised today that I am skimming under the guise of reading.
I have always read quite fast, but now I realise I’m at the point where I’m barely taking anything in, just looking at a lot of words on a page and digesting maybe a fifth or less of what is on there.
This is no way to be. I need to slow down. Reading is not a race.
And I need to remember that no-one will be impressed by how quickly I finish a book (except utter morons who my fabulousness would be wasted on anyway).
Back in my raver days, I was a bit of a teeth grinder (weren’t we all?).
However now that I am sensible and act like a grown-up, I have no such problem. Unlike Don, who apparently, according to FabDentist, grinds his teeth all night (he must do it awfully quietly, because I haven’t noticed it) or Anxious Mum, who has ground her teeth completely (yes, really) flat (she’s not called Anxious Mum for nothing).
I don’t know what was going on with me last night, but I woke at 3am with jaws a-clenched and teeth a-aching.
My teeth have been in agony all day, ibuprofen doing little to alleviate it. I’m now self-medicating with wine.
Because I am an amazing daughter-in-law, and because I stagger myself with my m4d kn1tt1ng sk1llz (and mostly because I desperately need a project), I am currently making Dad and step-mom-in-law hats. A red version of the latest dfkan hat for step-mom-in-law and this hat for father-in-law.
Father-in-law and step-mom-in-law don’t have blog names yet. I’m sure they will come to me eventually.
“Mom” works for mother-in-law (because even if my mother was not dead-to-me, she would be “Mum”), but Dad could be my dad (well, except for the fact that my dad has been dead for 20 years, but I think you know what I mean).
Am on annual leave from tomorrow and return to work next Wednesday. I have two in-law free days in there, which I plan to use with (frugal) shopping, knitting and idling in front of Murder She Wrote.
This is really awesome, because I’m just not feeling Marie Celeste at all at the moment.
We collect our new car on Friday (name to be decided).
Have I mentioned he is red?
No, I don’t know why all of my cars are boys.
I’m currently delighting in the unbearable bassington (not bassingthwaite, as my iphone likes to change it to).
You really should click that link and go download it and delight in it too.
.
It's a nuisance when rellies are dead-to-you, isn't it? But it does cut down on the Christmas shopping.
Also, yes, totally agree on the slowing down on the reading. Now that I'm older, can't quite mix the speed with the comprehension and it's just a waste of $$ spent on a book if you don't savour it.
I know a couple of techniques for speed reading, but usually I can't be bothered to employ them… and I haven't made them habitual, yet. Things like:
– running a guide (eg pen or finger) under the words, to prevent your eyes skipping around
– starting three words into a line, and ending three words before the end, to let peripheral vision pick up the rest
– and I find it helps if I read in complete silence.
HB, yes, the dead-to-me thing has been very liberating! Also am chuffed to know that I am not the only one! We can be slow-reading old ladies together. And savouring is precisely what I want to do.
Flashman, I totally need the guide under my words. Who knew this would happen? Just wait until you hit 40, young man!