Day 54.

So… I ran into a metal step today while I was rushing around trying to get laundry done before guests came over. And I opened up a gash on my leg, which proceeded to bleed through my jeans in a somewhat frightening fashion. Ouch.

Don’t worry – the jeans were salvaged. My leg is raised, bandaged and iced. I’ll never be a shin model, but hey, that wasn’t a real possibility, was it?

Anyway, this is the second time I’ve slipped on stairs (while rushing around in socks in the past week.) I think the universe is trying to tell me a couple of things. To wit:

1. Stop rushing around in socks on stairs. You will hurt yourself.
2. Slow the heck down.

I will be doing both of these things. I’ve got grippy slipper-socks and a pained leg that gives me every incentive to slow the heck down.

In my slowed-down time, I’m doing some reading.

1. I’ve been reading “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine (so men say that I’m intense or I’m insane). Seriously, I am reading it.He’s a fairly electrifying writer, and it feels like the words of a twentieth-century liberal mind being spoken from out of the past.
2. I’m also reading this Brookings paper on my favorite clause of the Constitution. As I’ve written here before, the Emoluments clause requires permission of Congress before an office-holder can receive certain benefits from foreign powers. This paper is a thorough rundown of what the clause means, including the fact that it’s been invoked by at least one president, Jackson, who asked Congress for permission to accept a gift from Simon Bolivar – and they said no.

We need demand that our leaders do the same.