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So, judging by last week’s answers, apparently the question I should have been asking was:Funny you should ask, because I found myself in a dilemma just this morning. The puzzle was this: Is it, or is it not, bad manners to take a book into a lab class? I had a Med Biotech prac this afternoon, involving a set of samples had to be incubated for 1 hour, then loaded into a gel and electrophoresed for another. Two hours of sitting around doing absolutely nothing - normally that would be the perfect excuse to pull out a book. And if the lab work was done individually I would have. But we have to work in pairs, and arriving book in hand just advertises one’s intention of completely ignoring one’s lab partner. That was my intention, as she’s annoyed me since turning up to the first class an hour late, totally disorganised, and calling me ‘darl’, but I didn’t like to make it obvious. So Daughter of the Game stayed in my bag in my locker. Fortunately the incubation and running times were halved, but that was still a boring afternoon of staring out the window at the Riverside Expressway.Where DON’T you read??
It’s certainly not the first time I’ve been tempted, but I have always - so far - refrained from reading in pracs. I also don’t read while walking, and I try not to read while cooking (well, not too much) because of the chance of culinary disaster. And I don’t read while crocheting (but only because I don’t have three hands). Other than that, if I can read, I probably will.
It'd be wonderful to have extra hands - if only to be able to read and knit at the same time (or crochet, in your case). And enjoy "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" -it's a lovely book.
ReplyDeletebut only because I don’t have three hands.
ReplyDeletethat made me smile - as i can totally relate!
I wish I had three hands just about everyday!
ReplyDeleteWow, that would have been very hard. I have a difficult time with idol time even if your lab partner is there! lol
ReplyDeleteMoments like that seem to drag out forever, don't they? You were probably better off not pulling out book, but I definitely could see wanting to do so. I would have probably felt the same way.
ReplyDeleteI admit that I do read while walking sometimes, but only indoors and never if I'm walking for exercise around the neighborhood.
Three hands could be very useful . . . I guess it's a good thing we're having a hot autumn; there's no rush to finish that afghan!
ReplyDeleteI think future lab class dull bits will have to be spent mentally writing blog posts! At least then I won't be wasting time.
I think it was very kind of you to think about your lab partner. I probably would have brought my book, just in case there was no conversation. There've been lots of staring-out-the-window minutes for me, lately, since it's getting too hot to concentrate while waiting in line for the kiddo. Ugh, it's awful!
ReplyDeleteI think that as much as I might long to read, it's still good manners to at least pretend to be interested in the cross-bench conversation about what everyone got up to on the weekend. (Fortunately no-one expected me to take part; "stayed home with a good book" isn't much of a converation atarter!)
ReplyDeleteAt least you've actually had ome cool weather; down here it's nearly winter and it still feels like summer!
You're such a good person for not bringing a book along. I try not to read during conversation but people who fill the air with idol chit-chat drive me crazy. I, most likely, would have pulled out my book.
ReplyDeleteAs for needing a third hand... I couldn't agree more. I found the next best thing is a book hug. Of course you'll still need to stop and turn the pages but it does prop books up at a nice angle. www.bookhug.com