Wow...so I'm not the only one who dislikes waiting-room tvs.

I wouldn't mind it as much if they showed (general-audience-approved) movies (like the doctor's office that dragonknitter referred to) or some kind of generally calming program (I reiterate my suggestion that a Cute Baby Animals Channel would be a good one). Baseball would also be welcome (or even golf. At least I can ignore golf.) However, most often they seem to be turned to

a. a talk show of the sort that I suspect people watch MAINLY to say, "Thank God I'm not THAT person."

b. news (I don't need to hear bad news when I'm already twitchy waiting at the dentist's, thanks. And 99% of the stuff they show on the news is bad news.)

c. one of those morning-show programs (which I hate with a passion because they are totally contextless: it seems the hosts can switch without the slightest shudder or realization of their own banality from horrifying stories on child abuse to a story on what skirt hemlength has been approved for this spring by the Clothing Powers That Be. I feel like, if the first is happening, why should we care much about the second?)

d. Stupid Celebrity "News." Which is what was on when I took my car in yesterday. (Look, I'm sorry Anna Nicole's dead, okay? In perhaps a kinder world she'd be in rehab, and considering retiring from the public eye, instead of in the tomb. But I really don't want to hear more about it nearly two months after the event.)

And Grace, I'm a conflict-avoider of the first water, but if I had a child with me and something inappropriate came on, I'd look at the other people and say, "I either need to turn this off now or we need to leave the waiting room." And if leaving weren't an option, I'd apologize but turn the television off or turn the channel to something more palatable.

*****

I started the Bacteriophage socks (finally) last night. (No pictures yet; I'm still only on the ribbing). I changed my mind yet again and put away the pink yarn and dug out a ball of burgundy colored Knit Picks "Essential" I had in the stash (I probably don't want to use it for a whole pair of socks again - it's kind of scratchy - but it will work for the Fair Isle).

It makes me feel good to start something that I first talked about back at the beginning of February.

And this is something from the "how you do anything is how you do everything" files: I feel a sense of relief when finally starting ("for reals") on a long-term planned project. And I also feel good when I finish something. (I think some of my pre-spring-break unhappiness was that I didn't feel like I was getting anything FINISHED).

I've also learned I'm much happier during the day if I sit down when I first walk into my office in the morning and write out a list of things I want/need to get done in the day - and it's best if I even include fairly trivial things like sending a handout I've already written to the print shop - and then crossing off the things as I complete them.

That way, there's less chance of a 10:30 pm "Oh my gosh I forgot to do X!" and there's also the tangible reminder that yes, I got something done today.