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Audacious Aunnie’s adventures:
Spring has sprung and I’ve got the fever
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I have spring fever. Bad. It is a fever that no amount of cowbell could ever cure. As I look around and talk to my peers, it seems that they all have it too. Definitions from Urbandictionary.com for spring fever include, “1.wanting the present to become summer 2. slacking off in school because the year is almost over 3. wanting to be outside every day rather than inside.”
As the weather gets nicer, it seems I appreciate it more than I ever have in past years. It may be because the winter was long and drawn out or because I am suffering from severe burnout, mainly in regards to school. Because so many people seem to be suffering, I wondered, is spring fever real?
According to an article by Christie Nicholson of Scientific American: “Such spring fever remains a fuzzy medical category, but there has been a great deal of research on how seasonal changes affect our mood and behavior. Matthew Keller, postdoctoral fellow at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics in Richmond, studied 500 people in the U.S. and Canada and found that the more time people spent outside on a sunny spring day the better their mood. Such good moods decreased during the hotter summer months and there is an optimal temperature for them, Keller claims: 72 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise known as room temperature.”
In true spring fever fashion, I have been either having a hard time concentrating, or putting off homework and studying. I have, however, discovered some interesting ways you may also consider to alternatively spend your time in hopes of curing spring fever.
Thomas Hammer has a new pinball machine. A recent addition by the urgings of employee Andrew (Mandrew), Attack from Mars is now nestled in the corner of the coffee shop on 8th Street with a great view of Bannock Street. I went there a few times to do homework, but played pinball most of the time instead. It is great and only a quarter for three balls. They also have a student discount of $1 off espresso drinks all the time.
The Bar Gernika patio is a perfect place for a drink, snack and homework, or avoidance of it. You can pick up a wireless signal from a few different joints and the staff is the friendliest on the face of the planet. Recently, Guy Fieri from the Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” visited Bar G (as it is affectionately known by its patrons) and the show will air April 20. My personal faves include the cheese plate, the tuna melt, croquetas and the red bean soup.
Recently I bought a melodica from Doyle’s Broadway Music. According to Wikipedia, “The melodica, also known as ‘blow-organ’ is a free-reed instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole, allowing air to flow through a reed. The keyboard is usually two or three octaves long.”
While this has been my geekiest venture of late, it has been a great source of amusement and I will never regret the day I bought my beloved melodica. Doyle’s Broadway Music is a great place to spend the afternoon and find a new hobby. Doyle is helpful, friendly and local, something to be considered in this rough economic time.
Indulging distractions may be my cure to make my fever break. If you have suggestions for good spring fever distractions, please leave a comment.
BY ANDREA OYARZABAL
Arbiter Columnist
