That awkward time I sort of stole someone's seat...

Seriously, this just happened today:

So, I finish running at the gym and get cleaned up so I can head over to my home away from home: the St James classroom.  It's one of the 6 or 7 large lecture halls that almost never has anything scheduled in it.  So naturally, students go there to study.  It's really pretty nice.  Long tables with those little under-the-table mounted swivel chairs that are horribly uncomfortable b/c the backs are hinged so the moment you lean back on them the chair bends in half and backwards you go...... anyway.... other than the chairs it's a great place to study.  Long tables, outlets galore, it's quiet and people actually follow the no talking rule.  Students are usually spread out so there's 4 or 5 chairs between everyone.  Can't get to close to each other now can we?!
Of course we all have our usual spots we sit in.  At this point I've spent more time in that spot than is healthy so, naturally, it feels super weird to not be in that spot.  Which means I go to the same spot EVERY TIME.  Today, I go and sit down and notice a neat little closed backpack on the chair next to me.  "That's weird," I think, "someone must have left their backpack???"  I mean, I did leave my computer in this very same room once upon a time.  So I get all situated and about 30 minutes later in comes this guy who isn't a regular in the St James.  Come on people, I spend 6-8 hours/day in this lecture hall.  I know if you're a regular or not.  Anyway, he's super ticked but can't really get mad at me because it's a quiet study space and everyone would shoot death ray vision lasers at him if he became irate.  "Dude!  I was sitting there!" he whispered.
I just sat there... kind of stunned.....and then like an idiot I reply, "Well, I'm here all the time...sooo...." and I continue on with my studying.  Haha!  So what does he do?  He sits down in the chair right next to me - keep in mind there's like 4 chairs on either side of me that are wide open.  He kept muttering under his breath as he unpacked his stuff.  I could tell he was pissed, but c'mon!  Your stuff was all packed up and I had to sit down and start unpacking before I even realized the territory had already been claimed.  Still, he felt like he'd been severely slighted.
Eventually he settles down and we both study for like a few hours.  He didn't bother me, I don't think I bothered him..... but it was weird b/c we were RIGHT next to each other and usually it's only lovey-dovey people that do gross stuff like that ;-)
Well, he got up and left again, and I figured I should probably apologize so I wrote a note.  Notes are great. Non-confrontational, gets your point across.  Perfect.  Here's what I wrote:

Hey!

Sorry I stole your seat..... and sorry that I was kind of a jerk about it.

What I should have said was, 

"I had a 50/50 chance of choosing the seat you weren't using....

obviously I chose wrong.

I'll slide down a few seats for ya"

Really, I feel dumb.

Sorry!

-Mac

For the life of me - I don't know why I didn't do that right off the bat.  But I didn't... I think I was just shocked!  I mean, it didn't look like someone had established themselves there for the duration of the day.....and he was so mad!

I put the note on his laptop and continued studying.  A few minutes later in he comes with some food from the shacks.  He picks up the note and starts reading.  Then he sat down looking all confused - of all things. I turned to him and mouthed "sorry!"  He looked at me real puzzled like for a few seconds and then said, "you're good"

And then we both got back to studying until I had to leave 2 hours later.  

I'm still chuckling over it!  

In other news, I think we've finally made somewhat of a transition in weather.  Yes it is STILL a bazillion degrees during the day, but if it's overcast the temp drops a lot and it really feels great outside - especially if there's any wind, which we've had a lot of lately.  It also gets really nice at night these days.  I've been able to sleep without using my A/C - which is saving me a TON of money.  Electricity is SO dang expensive over here!  A month ago I tried to sleep with no A/C and I woke up sweating and wanting to die.  Glad that it's not so bad anymore.

School is going well.  For the past week and 1/2 we've been going over Cardiology.  I loved the heart during Anatomy at BYU, and I have LOVED this unit.  The heart is fascinating!  It truly is an amazing organ.  Next week we start Respiratory.  I'm glad we're back into things that were covered well in Exercise Science back at BYU.  It makes it easier for sure.  Also it has given me time to start studying for the semester final - which is coming right up.

Next week is our last full week of classes!!!  WHAT?!  Hard to believe.  We've got 5 days next week and then only 4 days of instruction the week after that.   Then we've got midterm #4 on Dec 1st, Anatomy and Histology Final on Dec 3rd, and then the semester final on Dec 8th.

Wish me luck because you probably won't hear much from me between now and then! :-)