living in a phon(e)y world...

As is the case with many stories, today's begins on the bus.
If there is something strange happening or noteworthy, odds are good it is on the bus.
Today I witnessed the following:
As usual on the bus, many many people are immersed in their digital communication.  Mostly people just looking at stuff on the phones, which doesn't make any difference to me.  Because they are quiet.
Quiet is good.  Today a guy got on the bus and sat down.  The bus was not overwhelmingly crowded, no one standing in the aisles.  He saw a girl he knew sitting in the seat across from him & wiggled his arm, kind of a wave in her direction.  She did not notice him, as she was immersed in her phone.  Guy gets bright idea-- takes out his phone and calls her.  Several seconds later, girl's phone goes off & she looks up and around for a sec- then notices friend and laughs.
Actually that is a pretty benign story. 

Doe, a deer...

or six deer... Yesterday while inspecting the ruins/remains of the garden, I saw 6 deer, grazing and frolicking about in the grassy area adjacent to the garden. They were very pretty and cute looking, though probably the responsible parties for the decimation of the garden.  One deer did seem to be looking pretty intently in our direction, as if just waiting to come by, jump over the fence, scoff at us, and eat the tops of all the plants.
The mutant preemie cantaloupes don't taste too bad, but the stunted watermelons aren't good.

the caffeiNation

Apparently, at 11:00 EVERYONE gets coffee. 
This may be what happens at a place where morning classes mostly end at 10 til the hour.
So, at 11:00 a.m. there are NO short lines for coffee.  Unless there is some secret "espresso" line.
I chose overpriced option #2, after realizing both campus coffee spots were hopping.
But go me, for knowing my Minnesotan trivia and remembering that UM's mascot is of course,
the gopher!

the rain on the plain...

Well, yesterday broke nearly a month long dry spell, with much needed and hoped for rain.

Today back to heat and sun.

Wither goest the poor plants and dead grass...

Dialects...

Tag sale?
In the Midwest?  Is this a case of "invasive" dialects, encroaching upon the Midwest.   How has this term found its way to Iowa?  Land of "pop" and "sack" and the different pronunciation of vowels.

I followed this sign's arrow and came upon a very impressively sized "tag" (aka garage) sale!

At 98 we all rotate...

a steamy, sweltering 96 right now, with a high of 100 degrees today!

pick a pepper

There are some peppers growing pretty well in the Garden of Doom...

and very very small watermelons.  Like the size of my fist.