Life in Denim and Flip Flops

Thanks to Manda for the idea. I too went digging around my email inbox to see what I could find. I came across the beginning of an amazing friendship. Most of you probably know Amy and I were roomies in graduate school. You may not know how that happened. I sent an email to the woman who controlled the library student listserv at UW to send out to current and new students. And Amy responded. Here's what that looked like: My name is Becky Canovan, and I will be a new SLIS student in the fall. I'm looking for a roommate. I'm a non-smoker and 22. I'm looking at both on-campus and off-campus housing. If you're interesed in a roommate for next year, please contact me at XXXX. ***** Hi Becky, I too will be a new MLIS student in the fall. I've been trying to find a place or someone to live with for a few weeks. If you're still looking for someone to live with, I would be interested in talking with you. I'll be 22 in June, non-smoking, and would prefer n...

So on my drive back to Dubuque this morning I gave myself the job of picking a topic for my Top Ten list tonight. I came up with all sorts of random (and sometimes awkward) ideas. I made it all the way back without coming up with a good topic. And then at lunch it hit me. Britain. I'm currently re-reading 13 Little Blue Envelopes and I just got an email from my boss who's visiting London with her family right now. In fact, her 2 kids are staying in the room she and I shared 2 years ago. I've long been obsessed with lots of British things. Narrowing it down to just ten was difficult, but I think I've got it. (Well plus a few honorable mentions.) 10. Train/bus/underground travel--I love the trains. I want more train travel in the midwest. Also I just love the double decker buses. But I think I loved the tube the best. It's geeky I know. Whatever. This is my top ten list. 9. Roald Dahl--The Witches, Matlida, The Twits. I adored Dahl's stories as a kid. And h...

Remind me next time not to say yes to chaperoning a college trip the weekend after a weekend of my own college friends. I am exhausted. And sort of emotionally drained too. I stayed in Janesville tonight after the visitation and will venture back to Dubuque early tomorrow morning. I am so behind on blog reading! I'll have to do some of that interspersed with cleaning this week. Gotta get the apartment ready for Easter guests. I promise a longer post tomorrow. :)

Sorry this entry was without an intro! Manda had to post it for me from an email and I couldn't edit it from my phone in the Dells this weekend. This post was written by a friend/coworker of mine. She's got a background in journalism and personally I think she'd make a fabulous blogger. I'm trying to convince her of this. This guest post is step one! :) I am determined not to turn into one of those people on Facebook.  You know, the people whose status updates all start with the name of their kid and/or are something about their amazing, fabulous, smartest, cutest, adorablest child the earth has ever known.  Those people bug me.  I have blocked those people. At the moment I am currently 26 weeks pregnant with my first bundle of joy who will no doubt, turn out to be the most amazing, fabulous, smartest, cutest, adorablest child the universe has ever known.  But this may shock you; I have not yet posted the “belly shot”.  I know, how can I not show my pregnan...

Once again posting from my phone. I sort of expected the resort cabin to have internet. Apparently not. Thankfully you'll still be getting my guest post tomorrow thanks to Manda. :) If the video is on top. It corresponds with the last item. Anyway, on with the things I loved this week. **seeing Cornell friends-- see any previous posts from last weekend **reading City of Fallen Angels-- I haven't yet found a Cassie Clare book that wasn't completely entrancing. I always get sucked in. This one was no different. **technology-- Whether it being my phone letting me blog from here in the middle of the woods, or my computer and showing Cara iMovie, or teaching a student prezi in 15 minutes today. Technology has sort of rocked this week. **your music mix-- Back in March I asked for some help making music mixes for the road. You guys totally rocked it. I listen to that playlist all the time now. I can't link it here from my phone, but go check out the post. It...

I had a TILT blog drafted in my head. And then I jumped on Facebook quick and saw that one of my best friends from high school had posted the time for her dad's visitation on Sunday. And everything else dropped out of my head. Trying to figure out how I'm going to get back from the trip I'm chaperoning in time to be there for her. Mostly I just want to hug my parents and tell them how much I love them. Two friends have lost parents in 6 months now. I'm a bit shaken. I'll try to post a TILT blog tomorrow instead.

First off forgive me any spelling errors in this post. I'm typing this on my phone as my dear MacBook is having a sleepover with Cara tonight so she use imovie. Back to the topic: food...or more specifically recipes. I have a lot of faves. But the more I think about it, the more I realize most of my fave things to make require very simple recipes. My comfort food recipes are ridiculously simple. Homemade applesauce is enough to pull me out of even the worst moods. It has 4 ingredients. And one of them is water. You throw apples (chopped and peeled) in a pot with some water. Boil it down, mash them, add suagr and cinnamon to taste. Then scarf it once it's no longer scalding. The asparagus my mom makes is just as easy. Break the aspargus where it naturally breaks. Cut in 3-inch pieces. Put in a pot and boil until fork tender. Drain and add butter (probably more than I should) to taste. I love this preparation. Pulled pork? Season some bone-in country pork ribs with ...