Slightly Mad

I awoke this morning to a horrible shock: my coat and bag were missing.

At first, I thought it was some silly prank, but quickly realized that it couldn't be. It wasn't April Fool's, people don't like or hate me enough to do something like that, and also I distinctly remember having them before dinner yesterday, but not after. This is highly unusual, I mused. My bag and coat usually follow me everywhere.

I trace my steps as far back as 5 pm yesterday. 6 pm: I am in the Mudd computer lab, messing around with spectra. I leave my bag in an awkward place and P moves it under the table. T appears and I leave with him, possibly with or without my bag, but definitely with my coat because he comments on how I look like a dork. I tell him at least I'm a warm dork and he complains about his face being cold to humor me. I eat dinner with a bunch of friends. I leave and don't remember seeing a coat hanging behind my seat, the one I took because L stole mine. T comes to 4th to play Smash / Brawl / whatever that vs-game is called, and I walk up with him, perching on the banisters along the way. I remember being warm, but not having my coat...

...so I left my room, feeling very perturbed and looked at the coat hangers at Burton. Relief! There was my coat, but my bag was nowhere to be found. At this point I was still thinking that my bag was under the table in Mudd. I had breakfast thinking I should quickly stop by the room and see if it got thrown out by custodians. I grab coffee to go.

But as I scrambled unwieldily out of the dining hall, I thought I might as well try my luck by combing through the mountain of backpacks heaped outside the door. And surprise, surprise... there it was.

I reckon this bout of stupidity might be the caffeine withdrawal (as if the other—starting on caffeine—was a good idea to begin with). I didn't get any coffee yesterday, just because of the way the day played out. I didn't think I needed it since I wasn't going to be working late and had gotten enough sleep the night before. Maybe I am going slightly—just slightly—mad. And as I've been learning in psychology, it may be the drug that's causing the symptoms, or maybe the drug is merely precipitating an already-present, underlying problem; either way we can never really know.

When the outside temperature rises And the meaning is oh so clear One thousand and one yellow daffodils Begin to dance in front of you - oh dear Are they trying to tell you something? You're missing that one final screw You're simply not in the pink my dear To be honest you haven't got a clue I'm going slightly mad I'm going slightly mad It finally happened - happened It finally happened - ooh oh It finally happened - I'm slightly mad Oh dear! I'm one card short of a full deck I'm not quite the shilling One wave short of a shipwreck I'm not at my usual top billing I'm coming down with a fever I'm really out to sea This kettle is boiling over I think I'm a banana tree Oh dear, I'm going slightly mad I'm going slightly mad It finally happened, happened It finally happened uh huh It finally happened I'm slightly mad - oh dear! I'm knitting with only one needle Unravelling fast its true I'm driving only three wheels these days But my dear how about you? I'm going slightly mad I'm going slightly mad It finally happened It finally happened oh yes It finally happened I'm slightly mad! Just very slightly mad! And there you have it!

~I'm Going Slightly Mad, Queen.