I took the day off from work on Thursday to watch the U.S. crash out of the World Cup. I had a busy night Wednesday and got to sleep late. I was so excited about the match, I couldn’t sleep in.

Time for a nap, right?

Not a chance, due to my poor planning.

You see, naps have a special place in my heart. I can think of few things more satisfying than a god nap. And the things more satisfying than a nap – like a good meal – lead to a good nap.

Part of the anatomy of a great nap is how it fits into your day. Crash too early and you might feel disoriented for the rest of the day. Falling asleep too late could keep you up later than you want and ruin the next day.

Naps are serious business.

I remember setting up two friends of mine in college. Brett, who loved a nap possibly more than anyone I have ever known, came away really impressed with Emily.

She was cute and funny and nice. But she liked naps too. That’s what impressed him the most. They compared their favorite nap times and a relationship was born. They split at some point a few years later, which is probably for the better. He probably would have slept through their wedding.

Anyway, I woke up Thursday with my heart set on a nice mid-afternoon nap. By lunch time, I realized that it would never happen.

The result of the soccer game had something to do with that. I was way to upset and distracted to possibly fall asleep.

But even if I wanted to, I set up an eye doctor’s appointment at 2:45 in the afternoon.

What was I thinking? I knew I needed to have my contacts checked, but I could do that any night. Why did I pick the middle of the afternoon on a day off?

Because of the game, we didn’t eat lunch until 1, which made a nap before my appointment useless. I wouldn’t get to sleep long enough to make it worth my while.

By the time I got back from my exam, I would have ruined the chance at a good night’s sleep so I had to soldier on for the rest of the day.

The worst part about this is that my wife doesn’t understand any of this. She is a non-believer when it comes to naps.

Somehow, I have stayed married to her for almost 11 years now. The worst part is that my daughter feels the same way.

I just don’t understand it. Where did I go wrong?

Who doesn’t love a good nap? Nothing is more American than inspecting the inside of your eyelids in the middle of the day while a boring TV shows keeps you company.

I survived the day without one. I’m not really sure how, though. A hot day, not enough sleep, golf on television. The recipe was perfect.

I need to remember to plan ahead next time.