The Cluttered Pantry

Somewhere in the back of my mind I have been mulling over the idea that any habits I want to have for the rest of my life I ought to have set in by the time I turn 40.

You know, things like flossing every day, getting at least regular exercise, reading a book – a whole book at least twice a month. Those kinds of habits.

I’m sure there is a list of habits I already have, that I should be trying to break before I turn 40 as well. But that isn’t what I’m ready to focus on.

So, I checked the calendar a while back and noted that I had 90 days until my 40th birthday.

That seemed like a decent period to actively change my routine. And if I can keep it going through my birthday it felt like any habit I have kept for that period of time I can keep for life.

Now it’s the middle of July. Basically I’m half way. Flossing teeth every night? Pretty much , other than the occasional work so late that morning comes before sleep (one of the habits to add to my list of -to be broken- before my birthday) I’ve managed to get into this habit by placing the floss pic thingys right next to the bathroom sink. Every time I see them I think well shit, it’s one thing to forget to floss but to see it and walk away? Just asking for trouble right?

Reading? Not so much. Unless you’ll let me count the dozens of times I’ve read good night moon to the girls I’m on month two and have only read 1/4 of Herzog and a third of a novel on my iphone kindle app. I blame Twitter, and Facebook, and you know, life. But really it’s just being too tired to stay up and read and having a dvr full of shows I’d like to watch but think will be a bit much for the 2 year old.

It just seems so lame that I can’t commit to even 24 books a year. Not physics books. Books, novels, fiction or biographies or anything without single sylabols for the “early reader” and a moon and cow.

I know better, I know that I can’t be a good example to the girls without reading for myself.  I know that the more time I spend solely in the land of animated characters the less my brain is working….

So here is where I’m going to track my reading list, with the hope that it being public like this will shame me into action, The goal? Read a minimum of 24 books before I turn 41:

Feel free to suggest a tittle using the comments link. I’m open to it all, my current book shelf is filled with books, all read before the girls came into our lives, that cover everything from attachment parenting for adopted children to the history of Argonne National Laboratory. Books by David Sedaris keep the selection funny and wry and those by Cormac McCarthy keep it vivid. I’m not a book reviewer and I’m not sure that my opinion about a particular book should hold any merit, but I like being able to keep track of what i’ve read and make notes about those books…mostly because my memory isn’t what it used to be and i have started an alarming habit of buying a book and reading half way through it before realizing that i’ve already read it…

Popularity: 17%