relaxing afternoon

It's been raining all day. Most of the past few days, actually. This rather limits my mobility, given my current driving policy and my desire to stay relatively dry. I was feeling particularly disappointed this morning, because I'd composed a couple of emails last night and was hoping at least to get to the library today to send them. And of course, I haven't been on a decent bike ride in at least a week, and was considering this as a possible addition to my afternoon activities. But no, the morning's thunderstorms have been followed seamlessly with a strong, steady rain that has rendered me stationary, at least until four o'clock obliges me to go pick up Michael when he gets off the bus.

Having little else to do, I retired to my room and commenced reading, thinking to finish a few more chapters in Frankenstein before I got too bored. I had previously found the book oppressively dull, and so I despaired of finding some way to entertain myself when it grew too tedious, but I resolved to cross that bridge when I came to it, and settled down to read. I found myself pleasantly surprised, however, with the rest of the story. Perhaps it just suited my mood today; at any rate, I ended up finishing the whole thing.

I must say, I'd forgotten how delightful it can be, on a gray and dreary day such as this one, to sprawl out upon one's bed and become entirely lost in fiction. The house was quiet, save for the faint murmur of the TV downstairs, and my only soundtrack was the steady tapping of the rain outside my open window. I began with the intention of reading another few chapters, spending perhaps half an hour, and ended up over two hours later, looking up from the last page with the realization that my feet were numb with cold and I desperately needed to use the restroom. I haven't done that in a good long while, and it reminded me quite pleasantly of long afternoons I used to spend thus occupied as a child. It's good to know I can still do that.

And now four o'clock approaches, and I must be off to pick up Michael at Mom's house. I shall use the wireless internet there to post this and send my emails. Excellent.