Turning Day into Night

Are there any lovelier words in the English language than "afternoon nap"? (I guess "snow day" and "we won't be auditing you after all" are right on up there, too.) There is nothing nicer than discovering that one has the opportunity and the means, all at the same time.
The Things were both at friend's houses today, and the Mister had taken it into his head to launch an offensive against the wreckage that had taken over the garage, and I? I had very little that was pressing, and decided that a couple of hours on the couch with a book was just the thing to make my life complete. I understood that a nap was the most likely outcome of this scenario, since I find it very difficult to stay awake in a horizontal position. (I've been know to get drowsy in the dentist's chair, if you can believe it.)
Either you are a nap taker or you are not, there's very little give and take on this one, I've come to realize. Those that take naps see them as delicious diversions which are the compound interest in the bank of one's sanity. Those that don't see them as an appalling waste of time, with a the added component of being slightly insulted by it. (I once saw a comedian, Dave Hemstad, who said "did you ever notice that when one person in the house is napping, someone else in the house is mad about it?" Man, is that ever true. )
Himself is not a napper, unless very tired or very sick, but he's not terribly put out by my napping, so we get along pretty well. (This is mitigated by the fact that he sleeps in later than me almost every single day, and would sleep around the clock, I think, if he were let. He understands the importance of sleep.)
There were times when the girls were very small and I was getting sleep in 10 minute increments and was feeling a bit like a tortured political prisoner that the mere idea of a nap would make me weep with longing. Perhaps those years of chasing sleep wherever I could find it is the reason that I delight in taking a nap so much now.
Now, you can't nap too long, or you'll be up to all hours at night watching television that you're really better off not watching, like promotional advertising or "Love Boat" re-runs. Both will make you despair for the human condition. Also, if you nap too long, you just know someone in your family will be fermenting a passionate resentment to you're being unavailable to their ceaseless demands.
Also, I've found that falling asleep too late in the afternoon is a recipe for disaster. If you take a nap in the daylight and wake up after it's dark, particularly on a winter afternoon, you'll feel like you've transcended the space/time continuum and woke up in another dimension. Most discombobulating.
Napping outside is particularly delightful, especially in a hammock, but be careful not to fall asleep in a strange position, or you will find that your neck doesn't work any more, and your right ear resembles origami.
The cat, who highly approves of an afternoon nap, often comes and joins me on the couch. He thinks I don't spend quite enough time napping, and is a bit disgruntled when I rouse, but otherwise, he's a fine companion. I'd prefer if he didn't need to sleep right on top of me, and sometimes the purring is a bit loud, but I can live with that.
The only thing is, I really didn't get much of my book read. Maybe tomorrow. I'll be sure to stay upright.