BOOKS: Pride and Prejudice Update

Funny. When I started this whole Chick Lit road, it was because I felt like reading Bridget Jones's Diary. But I wanted to read Pride and Prejudice first, due to the references to it in BJD. So I almost had to force myself to read P&P, because I was so eager to get to BJD. Well, last night I finished P&P and started BJD. I loved P&P so much, didn't want it to end, and now the bloom is a little off of BJD. I'm feeling a bit meh about reading BJD now. I started it, and it is funny so far. But so was P&P! And the writing was really lovely to read in P&P. I think the diary format of BJD (short, clipped sentences leaving out words like 'a' and 'the' - eg. "Went to work. Forgot purse.") is a bit too much of a jump from the language-rich P&P. Anyways, I'll give it more of a go. It's rainy after all, and I have a ton of cleaning to do, so what better thing to do than read BJD?

Hmf.

I never read during the day. If I waste time during the day, it's on the internet, because it feels slightly more justifiable and "worky" than sitting and reading a book - if I'm on the computer, I can always tell myself that I'm just about to check Charity Village (job website) or modify a resume. This is not a conscious thing at all. I'm only realizing it right this second. But what an unheard of luxury it would be to sit and read with a blanket on a rainy afternoon! Hm. With tea. And cat. Hm hm. I am teetering right on top of the fence, between bonbon-eating-housewife (reading with tea on a rainy afternoon) and unavoidable guilt (staying on the computer, doing a resume, cleaning the kitchen)... arrrrg... oh, internet, which way will I falllllll???? After literally ten days filled with doing things for other people, would it be so bad to sit and read a few paragraphs with a cup of tea and a purring cat in my lap? On the other hand, those ten days of favours to others has resulted in no job search happening, and my house is a mess, with company coming to sleep over on the weekend. Currently they would be asphyxiated by cat hair and would have to wash a cup themselves if they were thirsty, before clearing the piles of books, blankets, dvds and other paraphanalia off the couch to sit down. And I have to go to Montreal tomorrow night for a work-related forum, which eats up half-day Tues and half-day Wed, reducing the cleaning and resume-ing time this week.... Arg....

OK. What if I read for two hours, and then clean for two hours, then take Bella to the vet for her surgery, and then come back and clean a little more. Tomorrow morning before leaving for Montreal I will submit 2 resumes and go to the gym.

This is very unlike me. Usually I don't think this clearly (as in having a plan... normally I would do neither of the above (reading or cleaning) all day while procrastinating on the computer feeling guilty for neither relaxing nor getting something useful done. Much like I'm doing now. Alright. Enough. Onwards to the plan. Wish me luck. I'm serious, this is very unlike me. I might actually have a sensible day. Hm.

Why do I get so anxious about this crap? I'm the most stressed out bonbon-eating-housewife I ever met.