"The Library Book" is by a New Yorker reporter. She investigates the devastating 1986 fire that burned the Los Angeles Public Library fire - all while weaving in the story of her love affair with books and libraries. The style is hard for me to get into, but I pulled out some gems that I loved.
Like this. All through time bad people have been trying to squelch information and books by burning them. Think of the Nazis. They hurt the Jewish people to the core by burning their beloved sacred books in public bonfires. Also - several months ago a religious activist burned LGBTQ books at the Orange City, Iowa library. He paid a fine.
As you can tell, written words are important to me. That's why I have such a love/hate relationship with social media where anyone can write anything. Anonymously or not. Like this blog. For now, I'll continue. Tomorrow I'll attend book club - so I'd better finish that book! I enjoy meeting with this group.
Football pageantry fan
It's not all about the game. My first tailgating memory is from Iowa City. That's irony for ya! Okay, I was raised a little Hawk fan - all those 60-3 drubbings we attended with the Pellets and other Atlantic fans in the 1960s and early 1970s. We cheered on our hometown hero Ed Podolak.
When I chose Iowa State for college, we didn't tailgate. We simply lugged our booze right into the stadium. Our cars - parked all week in the football field parking lot, overflow for our RCA (Maple Hall) dormitory and later our apartment parking. Come game day, we had to remove cars from stadium parking by Friday night. My roomie Jane found out the hard way (twice) what happens when you forget. Lucky the towed car lot was near our apartment.
So my first tailgating experience was in Iowa City at an ISU vs. Iowa game. We partied with my roomie Vicki's folks and their Hawkeye fan friends. They had an RV and lots of food and liquor! This is the life I thought to myself!
Post-college we met our friends for football games in Ames annually until our own children's' activities tied up weekends. Back then we could pay $15 and get a spot where we park now. Now those same spots require a hefty donation and season ticket purchase. Times change!
We have so many great memories of tailgating during Amy and Jud's college years. Creston friends, Don and Diana McKim upped the game by becoming the owners of a '92 Pace Arrow RV - a fab tailgating unit.
When Amy and Jud were at ISU, our friends' kids were there too. In 2008, Amy (and Kristina McFee and Ryan McKim's) senior year, Don parked the RV in the student section. Jud was a frosh. So many Creston kids and adults stopped by that day and some watched the game on the RV TV. It was "off the hook" (Guy Fieri quote there)
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Last weekend our college friends were back - being empty nesters has benefits. They came to our place Friday night - Moose and Kay even brought blow up beds for overflow sleeping! So fun to see everyone. Walking tacos were on the menu - thanks to McKims and Ehreckes for their hospitality (and walking tacos). The weather cleared up and ISU clobbered TCU. What a day! College gave me so much more than an education.
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