toomers + papers + lindsey= hilarious

Last night I went with my lovely friend Lindsey to Toomer's to work on a couple papers that we both have been assigned. We stayed at Toomer's for almost 4 hours and actually got a lot accomplished despite my tendency to stop working and just observe the people sitting around us. As the night progressed, more and more characters took a seat around us. Some people were obviously frequent coffee house visitors. Evidence of this was expressed in their appropriate volume levels and demeanor upon entry. But there were more than a few moments when Lindsey and I felt as though we had bombarded the space of a large group of friends hanging out who strategically set-up their computer and notebook to give the illusion of studying. You might have an inclination that I am exaggerating trying to make this post sound amusing. False. Here is a little taste of Toomer's Coffee around 7:45 pm last night... I'm going to need you to imagine this scene.

I am sitting in a large study chair drinking a vanilla chai, working on the initial steps of a research paper. Lindsey is being extremely productive and typing part one of her paper within minutes of starting. A young gentleman seated diagonally from us has his computer set-up, complete with one ear phone plugged in, his arm draped around the back of his chair, talking to his neighbor at a not-so-coffee-house-like volume about swimming with manatees. Then the best move occurred: he noticed a girl that he knew sitting in the back study area of Toomer's. The front and back sections are separated by a half wall composed of small window panes. One's natural reaction would be to stand up, quietly walk over and say hello. Right? Not in this case. He tears a piece of paper out of his notebook, wads it up, and tosses it over the half wall, hitting his friend in the back. This show of athletic ability was followed by a fist pump and a mumbled pronunciation of "SCORE" as he looked around to make sure everyone who wasn't distracted by his volume was now distracted by his paper wad throwing fiasco. After this display, his neighbor give an accelerated laugh as he greets the next 4 people he knows that walk through the door. I think I heard him say "Well, I really need to get back to studying" about 15 times in the course of my time there. Meanwhile, the guy studying with his friend in the front is strategically picking his nose when his friend looks down to study her book. I am still seated in my large study chair, amazed at the scene around me and wondering if I'm the only one who can't help but observe all these interactions.

This craziness most certainly doesn't yield an environment conducive to paper-writing. But no worries, my good friend Lindsey kept me on track in between our constant text conversation about all that was happening around us. I have only had the chance to know Lindsey well this semester, and I grow more thankful for her every time I'm around her. She is absolutely hilarious and refreshingly honest. I can assure you that I would have not been nearly as productive without her there last night to ask me if I was working on my paper or still looking at J.Crew online. Sometimes I can focus really well, but in light of my recent revelation that I only have 17 days of class left, my motivation to type my paper was stolen by paper-wad-throwers and cute sweaters.