This week, one two separate occasions, I was trapped where I only had access to “women’s magazines” as reading material.

I’m thinking these things should come with a warning. Caution – reading these magazines will give you a warped sense of what is important in this world. Do not touch!!

One of those places was the nail salon. So, okay, part of the nail salon experience is reading trashy mags, I suppose. There was an article on how some magazines are adding weight to models using photoshop because they look too thin and unhealthy. When the author? journalist? reported how shocking and wrong this was because we should all be allowed to look like however we are, I decided to PUT THE THING DOWN. I mean, that is warped!!

And so, I sat there having my nails done staring into space. I think that might have been better for me than continuing to read. Especially since I was already feeling bad that I fell off the nail-biting wagon in October and have had to resort to gel nails to try and put a halt to the habit again.

But, the second of those places was during my mammogram! In the waiting room, you have to turn off your cell phone so that you don’t interfere with someones x-rays while you’re updating your Facebook status. Or, whatever. There was a sign saying turn off your phone. I’m Canadian, I followed directions.

There was a range of magazines. Not as trashy as the nail salon but every one of them was about women’s style or health. If health means an endless discussion on what to eat to lose weight, increase your brain power, be a better parent and earn more. And this was the mammogram clinic at my local women’s health centre!!!

Before I started to care too much about whether I was still wearing last year’s fashions or drinking enough coconut milk, I dug to the bottom of the pile and found a Mclean’s magazine from October. I had already read it but at least it was news about what is actually going on in the world. Thank goodness for Mclean’s!!

And then it happened. Yesterday my weekly Mclean’s arrived in the mail. Complete with a 25 page special supplement on the pregnancy of Kate. TWENTY-FIVE PAGES!!!! Including a whole page of pictures from the last 18 months of Kate’s stomach with her hand on it challenging the reader to identify the “baby bump”.

I may have to cancel my Mclean’s subscription. Sigh.