Did anyone else read this book when they were little? Well, for a little girl named Alexandra who couldn’t even find a name key chain this book was the coolest thing ever. Mrs. Forsythe used to read it to the BGCA kids during library and I would just sit and smile because, for once, my name was (sort of) mentioned. Unlike all the girls named Ashley, Laura or Hannah, there was no mention of ‘Alexandra’ in popular children’s fiction. I clung to this book like a life raft  on those days when everyone called me ‘Alex’ or ‘AlexandrIA’!

Well, the point of this reminiscing is that this morning I had a time very much like Alexander’s and tempted as I was, I remembered the lessons in the book. (Thanks mom for teaching me to look for the lessons in books at an early age!). When I first woke up, I hit the snooze button several times. There was someone upstairs playing music….and ping pong, so sleep was a lost cause anyway. Traipsing down the hall to the shower, clothed in a towel and holding onto my shampoo and other bathing necessities, I managed to drop everything. Not much of a problem when you can bend over and use two hands to pick things up, but for modesty’s sake I had to resort to other options. Trying very carefully to hold on to everything, I picked up my shower things–success!

Once in the shower, the water came on freezing cold. No, seriously, penguins would consider this water cold. After a few minutes of trying to curl into the wall away from the spraying jets of ice-cold water, it began to get lukewarm. Shampooing and washing went as planned and I quickly moved onto conditioning…..at which point the fire alarm went off. Standing under the water in disbelief for a few moments, I came to my senses, shut of the water and raced toward my room to throw on the first clothes I came to. Too bothered with getting out in the time allotted and not receiving a fine, I left my glasses and keys in the room. Filing outside I was forced to hold my zip-up hoodie shut because, of course, the zipper picked this morning to stop working.

Unable to see, freezing cold, half unclothed, with conditioner in my hair, I stood outside with another Kenyon student for thirty minutes until the fire squad had checked every room to make sure students had evacuated. Believing the ordeal to be over–because really, what more could go wrong?–I ran inside. Remember how I didn’t grab my keys? Well, that very quickly became an issue. Apparently, after they check your room to see if you’ve evacuated, security locks the doors.

So I stood there underclothed, squinting at my door, willing it to open. I nearly burst into tears. My lovely flat mates, seeing my distress and probably terrified that I would cry all over them, rounded up one of the security men who opened my door.

That was more than enough excitement to last the week…..or the year.

Taking a break with a mocha,

A