Sardines at SF State

Jake began his classes at SF State this week. He goes to school two days a week: Tuesday and Thursdays and has one online class that doesn't require him to be on campus.

Tuesday morning was following a night of hellish sleep for me (aka almost none at all) so when the alarm beeped it's ugly beeping signaling Jake to get the heck out of bed, I decided to get up too. Seeing him buzz around the house reminded me of when I was a kid and that excitement that was the first day of school. Your backpack is chock full of fresh supplies, you're excited to see your friends, and the year is ripe with possibilities. Seeing him trot down our front steps was reminiscent of a 5-year old saying "Bye mommy!" while skipping to Kindergarten for the first time. It was funny, but it was also nice to see him so excited.

So yesterday was his final day this week and he got to attend his now "favorite" class that is Film and Society. Basically it's students watching TV shows and movies that take place in the 1930's through the 1960's when our society was changing the most. Then when the movie is finished, the student sit around and talk about impressions and notes about what happens. Homework? One paper due at the end of the semester. Textbook? Nada. It's a class right up Jake's ally. I mean I didn't marry a man with 500+ DVDs in his possession for nuthin', right? So what was the TV show du jour on Tuesday? Mad Men. It was the episode where Betty Draper finds out her husband, Don Draper has cheated on her.

Now for the reason of the title of this post: sardines. No, Jake isn't taking Marine Biology or anything like that. It's the state of the classrooms. One of his classes, Cross Cultural Perspectives which is mandatory for his major, is set in a classroom modeled for a maximum of 80 students. How many are in the class? Approximately 120. So for the first class, there were students lining the walls waiting patiently for others to leave so they could sit down. No such luck. Also, the campus was revamped in the 70's or 80's when we were substantially smaller-sized people. As you know, Jake is no wilting flower (and I wouldn't change him for anything). He's got thighs...and I use that term kindly. But I like his thighs...whoa...that was TMI. Sorry.

Anyways...so his seat is one of those tiny wooden seats with the tiny desk that folds down over your lap. Well, Jake's...umm...bottom...is too wide for the seat, so he's pretty crammed in. Then since his thighs are larger than the seats were made for, he can't push down the desk part all the way. Imagine this for 80 students sitting and 40 standing against the walls...with no air conditioning...in a heat wave that RARELY hits San Francisco (it was 96 degrees that day)...yeah...you get the idea. So yes, sardines is quite accurate. Poor Jake.

I know all these quirky experiences he's going through now are going to be subject of laughter and joking later as he looks back on them. They always do. But for now, he's going to just bite the bullet and pray that another heat wave isn't headed for the campus; at least not while he's attending classes.

But I'm as proud as I can be of him. He's chasing his dream...to be able to tell his wife she's got behavioral problems for free. ;)