I flew on a Delta flight about a year and a half ago, and as part of my very expensive plane fare, I received a pair of *free* squishy foam earplugs.  Technically since my flight was only worth about 75% of what I paid, those earplugs probably actually cost me about $250, but anyway… I never used them.  But I kept them in my purse for, well, a year and a half.

Yesterday for the thousandth time, I wished I could lock myself in a white room with white walls and be left alone to type away on my computer so I could finally finish my novel.  But since I don't currently live in a looney bin (although it sometimes feels like I do, or should), I don't have the white room option.

Then it came to me.  The solution to my problem.  Orange, squishy, *free* $250 earplugs that have been floating around the bottom of my purse, compliments of Delta.

I pulled them out.

They were still squishy.

I squished them down and then jammed them into my ears.  They expanded back out, and then it happened.  Quiet.  So quiet, it was like loud quiet.

I happily pounded out 10,000 words with those babies in.  I'm going to order some more online, because sure as shit these orange muthas are going to disappear off my desk like all important things do, and then I'll be back to longing for the looney bin.

The only problem or drawback to wearing earplugs while writing, is that when eating potato chips, you suddenly feel as though your house is crumbling down around you.  It's that loud and that crunchy.  But I can deal, because I have only 30,000 more words to go!  Booyah.