Better Slice

I’m under the blanket in Elena’s room. Listening to Brene Brown and Adam Grant’s new podcast. Their latest episode deserves a post or two. So much to digest!

I hate the feeling of being under blankets. It’s warm, suffocating, airless.

I had hoped she’d fall asleep quickly because she had a short nap. But no. She just won’t. So I’m choosing to slice right now. Fighting with the keyboard that keeps popping up the emojis randomly.

Trying to hold my phone over my face as I type because I can not find a comfortable position on this tiny couch.

Remembering how much I dislike blogging like this.

My slice started this morning, when I thought I had more time, and now it must end abruptly. Once I leave this room, I want to finish my book in the comfort of my bed!

Here is what I started at 6:15 AM:

I’m once again out of listening minutes on Spotify and will have to wait until May to finish Theo of Golden. Gianna and Amy would remind me of the app that lets people check out audiobooks with a library account, and I’ll agree, yet again, it’s something I should definitely check out.

But also, I’m guessing this is the universe telling me I should really take one book at a time.

Reading fiction has always been an uphill workout for me, but ever since this book club came along, the hill has felt less intimidating, or perhaps my body has moved past the burning-muscles phase and into flow and muscle growth.

It feels true because, since January, I have noticed this hunger for different ideas in different forms. There’s whichever title our book club is reading, some sort of provocative nonfiction, and, if the book club choice is in physical form, I need a fun audiobook while I cook, clean, fold laundry, or wait for Elena to fall asleep.

My physical book currently is The Lion Women of Tehran, which I could have finished last night, but I felt tired and didn’t want to end it with blurry vision. I’ll give it the attention it deserves as soon as Elena goes to bed tonight.

*At this point, Elena woke up. So I saved the draft and my day officially started.

I looked at my calendar while she finished breakfast and pinned three opportunities to finish the slice.

I was cautiously optimistic, and then Elena pointed to my orange pin in the school parking lot. I paused, talked to her about it, and snapped this photo:

That moment right there, a better slice than whatever I was trying to say this morning.