I returned to work yesterday from a three-week vacation with the family. While at work and living on the road, I have lots of downtime that I fill with ‘entertainment’ that I would never make time for at home: bad movies on cable, aimless walks around Wal-Mart, and celebrity gossip magazines.
US, Star, People, and the like are often the most left-behind magazines by passengers on the airplane. Is this because they are disposable and easily consumed, or are they the most purchased magazines in the airport? Whatever the answer, I love it when I find three competing issues from the same week! I call it a trash-fecta and have made a game where I see if I can find the same shot of the same celeb in the same location taken by the same paparazzi. Even though my game is as mind-numbing as the crossword puzzles and word searches in the back of the ‘publication,’ it amazes me when I see someone has taken the time to play them! “Three-letter first name of The Price is Right host … Barker”
Much like the gossip rags I read in the cockpit during sits between flights, I often feel myself getting dumber in hotels when I get sucked into watching “Jersey Shore” or any of the “Real Housewives” shows. My justification is that I’m alone with nothing else to do and that at least I don’t waste my time when I’m home wondering about who Snooki is going to hook up with next. Yeah, I know MIT offers many lectures online for free as part of their OpenCourseWare initiative, but I’ve had such a long and stressful day flying and navigating and endlessly studying images in gossip mags that I just need a break when I check into the Hampton Inn.
after you're done…make sure you bring them home to momma stork!