Oy.

How marvelous Jane Austen is. I must make more use of the words “reprehensible” and “wretched”!! I’m near the end of Emma now and enjoying the book quite as much as I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. (And I really, really want to watch both the latter film and Clueless again!) She describes such universal emotions and situations with such precision and such clear language, that in spite of being the language of two centuries ago, with a little concentration the words are as fresh and easy to read as if they were written today — and yet more interesting for being from a different era. Austen is a little wordy, especially in the beginnings of books, but she captures small details of conversation and daily life so well; with her, it’s easy to feel very strongly just the way one feels in normal life! I was reading the scene where Emma realizes her feelings for Mr Knightley and looks back on the way she’s treated him all her life, and they read as perfectly naturally as if they really were my own thoughts. So nearly impossible to think of inventing such realistic thoughts. Augghhhh.

Traveling day today — we’re now in Ithaca — made WRETCHED by sleep deprivation, not eating frequently or adequately enough, drinking far too little to stay hydrated, and reading Emma through the small-plane ride of the last leg… arrived here so dizzy and disoriented as to nearly vomit. I wrote about it on my regular blog. Thank goodness I’m feeling better now. I didn’t even want to risk getting up for water at one point; I asked Erik to fetch me some. Oy.

Must. Never. Do. That. Again.

In clock-out news, I did morning pages and began writing/drawing Sophie’s letter on the plane, and read about half of Pema Chödrön’s book, When Things Fall Apart.