Longing for a Cat Nap
As I was going to and from class today I had an epiphany. We need a cat nap room. Wait, wait… hear me out. There are classes that I have with only 15 minutes between, but there are others that I have with 1 to 2 hours. That isn’t enough time to go home, but I often have my homework done and don’t have much to do at school. After lunch, especially, I could do with a short cat nap… a rest… a siesta… There have been studies done that show that a brief “power nap” can make you more productive in the afternoon (seriously, Google it!). I’m sure there is more than one professor who wishes that the students in class were more alert and awake. What we need in the Union is a room set aside with black walls and low lighting. 
Chaise lounges could be lined up along each wall with an isle down the center. Have a half hour? Just lay down, close your eyes and take a snooze! Personally, I would set the alarm on my cell phone, but some people can just close their eyes for fifteen minutes and be fine. I honestly believe people would flock to this room. How many times have you needed a rest stop in the middle of the afternoon? Some of us need forty winks in the middle of the morning!!! Seriously, the powers that be need to read this blog and start construction immediately because I have class in two hours.
School starts on Monday. It seems like the summer went by rather quickly, but it is over and nothing I do will bring it back, so I look toward Monday and another semester. My books are bought… it seems they get more expensive every year… my backpack is packed, and I am ready for a full semester, or am I? I have five classes on campus this semester and I had to buy 13 books. I really hope I don’t have to carry them all… I’d have to buy another backpack or rent a small trailer. Every semester there is something I forgot, or something I just wasn’t ready for. There are new teachers to meet, new classrooms, new schedules, and new material. One of my teachers has homework already posted online and the warning of a quiz on Friday. Nothing like jumping in with both feet! There is a special something about the beginning of school though. Aside from the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, there is a change in the air. There is an anticipation that can be felt the moment you walk on campus. As I sat on the bench waiting for the shuttle today I watched students hurrying from the bookstore and groups of people pointing out different buildings. Then it occurred to me, I have no idea which class is first on Monday morning. I can tell you the names of each class and where it is, but I really don’t know which one I have to be to first. I guess I will check the good ol’ Campus Information System and print my weekly schedule. That way, I will arrive at the right class and at the right time. And, maybe I’ll blend with all the other people walking to and from class with a piece of paper in their hands. At least Monday evening I’ll know what else I forgot.
Living in the University Village has a lot of advantages and disadvantages, much like living anywhere I suppose. One of the advantages is that we are close. We get to know each other. We take our children out into the court and visit while our kids play together. We say hi when we pass each other in the parking lot, or at school, and we don’t hesitate to borrow milk or butter when we are a little short. Even when someone leaves after graduation, we keep in touch on Facebook. One of the disadvantages, however, is that we are close… literally. We are stacked on top of each other with cinderblock walls. The pitter-patter of feet, the screeching sound of chairs sliding across the kitchen floor, and the occasional bang of something falling are all transferred above and below. Because I know my neighbors I am extra careful about the noise. I don’t know if everyone feels this way, but I do. When you don’t know your neighbors it is easier to ignore the noise because you have no idea who you are annoying, but when it is a friend, I hate to be obnoxious. This afternoon, I was making a deliciously yummy, caramel-apple salad. I almost felt like I needed to post apology notes on my neighbors’ doors. To make the aforementioned, deliciously yummy salad, peel approximately 4-5 apples and dice them. That isn’t the noisy part. The next part is. The night before, place 3 Snickers bars in the freezer. When it is time to make the salad, unwrap them and place them in a Ziploc bag. Take a hammer and pound them into small pieces. I’ve tried everything to smash frozen Snickers… cans of veggies (they dented), a rolling pin (obliterated the bag, not so much the Snickers)… and, trust me, the hammer works best. It is just very noisy. As I sat pounding Snickers (and I was making a double batch) I knew that every hammer strike was being heard by my neighbors. The final product is worth the noise, though. Next time, I’ll make a triple batch and share with them to show my regret for the noise it takes to make this deliciously yummy salad.