Monday, December 8, 2008

It's Better In The Middle

A friend was talking to me about Christmas cookies, lamenting the fact that she had to "bake" when she didn't much feel like it. I love baking Christmas cookies but have cut w-a-y back on this hobby over the past couple years. I don't need to eat 'em, so I try to limit making 'em, too. Anyway, I asked her what she was making. She was dipping Double-Stuff Oreos in milk chocolate! Somehow, I don't think that qualifies as "baking Christmas cookies". Mind you, I've eaten my share of these dipped goodies. I've even made my share of 'em. But, I've NEVER considered this "baking". And, I've certainly never thought to complain about the work involved. LOL!

But her mention of Oreos brought up a college memory that I'm almost embarrassed to mention. (So what better thing to do than to blog about it?!)

It was my freshman year. At Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, the freshmen were squirreled away in Carman Hall. Carman was actually two halls - a twin tower...one male and one female. Yep - a co-ed dorm! And, it was W-A-A-A-Y across campus across what was referred to as "the tundra". There was the EIU campus with all the academic buildings, then the other dorms, then this HUGE open field that went on forever, then Carman Hall. Where all the freshman girls and boys were. Out in the middle of nowhere. I think they put it over there, you know - across the tundra, because it was as far away from the bars as you could get.

My dorm room was on the 5th floor of the girls' tower - the middle floor. One of the first tasks assigned to all the Carman residents was to make floor shirts. So, the second week, we all gathered in our floor's common area and set about this very serious task. It didn't take long before we had our floor motto: It's Better In The Middle.

We giggled and laughed and turned red. Our Resident Assistant warned us about the picture for the shirts. "Young ladies, I know you are excited about your freedom but be careful how far you go with this." That brought about another round of laughter.

While everyone was picturing some pretty interesting scenes with the guys from the other half of Carman, I...you know, the biggest gal on the floor...was drawing a picture of Oreo cookies. What?! They ARE better in the middle! Right? Right!

We were voted the best shirts in all of Carman Hall that year. Not one of those skinny little freshmen would have ever come up with that design!

(Speaking of design, note to college administrators: not such a good idea to put your freshmen as far as possible from classes as you can...especially when they haven't yet developed the habit of getting up and going to class, and if they have to walk across a 2-block wide "tundra" in winter, and if there is a tower of kids of the opposite sex an elevator ride away. I'm just saying.)

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