Onwards!
(7) Seeing a cop on the side of the road and realizing you’re going the speed limit anyway (pg 17)
This is one of those things like going into a store, doing a once around and then when you’re leaving having this irrational fear that someone will think you took something.
It makes no sense!
You know you’re innocent and yet, just like this page says, “Stress level goes up. Stress level goes down.”
(8) Illegal Naps (pg 18)
The phrasing of this section was very suspicious… Coming right after the section about being worried about seeing a cop, I had to wonder exactly what “illegal naps” entailed, but turns out he just meant taking naps when you know you shouldn’t because you have other things to do – like on your lunch break or just an hour after you’ve only just woken up for the day.
To be honest, I am not a napper. I just can’t do naps. If I am napping, that usually means something is off or wrong (migraine; cold; migraine and a cold). I can’t wrap my head around power-napping in particular. How does 15 minutes of sleeping make you wake up refreshed? I always just wake up more groggy and cranky!
(9) When you get the milk-to-cereal ratio just right (pg 20)
I’m starting to feel like I’m just a weirdo, because I don’t really eat cereal either.
*Insert your shocked and appalled faces and looks here*
I used to when I was a kid, so I do understand the cereal-milk ratio thing, but unlike Pasricha saying “the damage is done” when you get the “sandy-colored syrup” at the bottom, I loved that part of it. Of course, that’s probably because I was little and what little kid doesn’t like just getting a massive heaping, helping of sugar?! (Unless they’re very good and very healthy!)
In terms of cereals, my favourites back in the day were Captain Crunch (all that mouth shredding goodness!), Corn Pops (also a bit mouth-shreddy) and French Toast Crunch.
Does anyone else remember French Toast Crunch??
I don’t even think I enjoyed the taste of it so much as I did the novelty of the teeny, tiny bread-shaped cereal. They were just so adorable! Thinking back, even just the thought of how sugary these cereals were makes me feel a bit sick and I have to wonder how I managed to make it through the day without crashing (and taking a nap!), but hey, I guess a kid’s metabolism is totally different!
(10) High-fiving babies (pg 23)
He says “They don’t usually leave you hanging,” but I’ve had tons of babies leave me hanging! I guess I’m just not cool enough for high-fives. *Sigh*
(11) When you’re awkwardly standing by yourself with a full cafeteria tray or food and then suddenly you spot your friend waving at you (pg 24)
It’s not just walking into a cafeteria that’s awkward like this, it’s walking into any room full of people!
This is probably an introvert problem, though. I can’t speak for extroverts (though I think I am a more outgoing-introvert and can start up conversations with strangers pretty easily, if need be), but it is a bit nerve-wracking to walk into a room and have a bunch of eyes on you and realize you don’t know a single person.
I am also very clumsy, so add a tray to that and that’s just a nightmare.
Actually, thinking about it, my concern in a situation like this would be way more about navigating a busy room with a tray of food than it would being worrying about sitting with someone. I’m pretty comfortable at sitting on my own (I did this all through university and ended up making good friends by the osmosis of who just happened to be around me!). Walking without dropping things – especially ON myself… that’s scary.
(12) Having a whole row to yourself on the plane (pg 26)
I haven’t gone on a trip that would require a big plane in a long time (almost 20 years!) and even before that, I had really only traveled on a plane a few times, so you wouldn’t think I’d get lucky enough to experience this, but oh…
I have!
Somehow, on our flight back from England back in 1999, we ended up with a pretty empty plane, which meant the four of us could sit fairly well spread out. After a trip like that, hearing what the jumbo jets are like nowadays, where even shorter friends of mine have difficulty with the leg room, I know I was royally spoiled! (Maybe that’s why I haven’t traveled very far in so long…)
Truthfully, though, I have traveled on domestic flights, on smaller planes, more recently, and I actually love the window seat. Even if I had an aisle to myself, I’d be gawking out the window, anyway. One of the best flights I’ve ever had was to Las Vegas – some of the coolest changes in topography that I’ve ever been lucky enough to see!
(13) Popping Bubble Wrap
You know what’s funny about bubble wrap? It doesn’t matter how old you are, that stuff is as precious as gold.
The second you get a package and you know there’s some quality bubble wrap in there, you have to ration it out to members of the family, as if you were dividing up their inheritance. I’m not kidding, my niece and nephew were just fighting over a large sheet of bubble wrap a few weeks back, and we had to cut it into two perfectly equal pieces so they could each enjoy it properly.
Even as an adult, popping bubble wrap can be very therapeutic. I should start selling it as a product like people and stores sell these “adult” colouring books these days (a colouring book is a colouring book, whether it costs $3 and has Superman in it, or $15 and is “mandalas” – I’d prefer a Superman or Disney Princess colouring book).
If I see bubble wrap being sold as a therapeutic device now, I am going to assume someone read this and stole my idea, and I will come after you with all the vengeance of Liam Neeson in Taken.
More later!
Reading, Writing...and More Reading! 
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