i promise i will eventually post something that is NOT my dad bbm-ing me, but at the moment he is on fire and who are we to fight it?

7:21 pm DJPete: hey sweetie hope you're having a good day!

7:25 pm monica.heisey: great day. very good day.

7:27 pm DJPete: And why not, it's Friday night, you are a single gal in London on Canada Day!

This girl knows what we're talkin' about.

I'm almost 100% certain that if I got my Mom on BBM I could do daily updates based entirely on text messages from my parents. Miss you guys. Happy Canada day from your SINGLE GAL* IN THE CITY!

*My boyfriend is very nice and you've all met him a few different times.

every day i thank jesus for BBM

5:14 pm DJPete: Honey Badger

5:15 pm monica.heisey: ... say what now.

5:16 pm DJ Pete: Youtube. Honey Badger. Watch it and report! Love dad.

rump stump thump

There is a little brick laneway between the courtyard where my flat is and the main street that runs in front of it. It is a very convenient way to get out to the main road and also to and from the grocery store at the end of the road.

Yesterday, in the throes of research, I went on an emergency Diet Coke run, and ended up picking up a few other groceries as well. With my arms full, I headed back home. As I walked through the little laneway area, I met a man halfway through. He had one arm and was really smiley. I'd never met anyone else in the alley before, so I didn't realize it was not big enough for two people to pass through comfortably until it was too late.

Google search complete wanted me to search for "Winklevoss twins". NOT PERVY ENOUGH.

And by "too late", I mean "the man with one arm slapped my butt with his stump, winked at me, and walked along."

this is what they think of us.

At a "North American-style" breakfast party; streaky bacon, orange slices, legitimate maple syrup and thick pancakes abound.

Brit 1: This breakfast is going to be wiiiiicked.

Lone Canadian: Are you trying to use North American slang to get in the spirit?

Brit 1: Yeah, dude.

Brit 2: Totally awesome breakfast.

Brit 3: Yeah! Cowabunga!

Qui vol cet oiseau?

Okay, Air Transat. Okay, people who take airplanes. We need to have a talk.

To Air Transat:
Your in-flight entertainment plan should definitely not have included Big Momma's House 3: Like Momma like Son, or whatever that nightmare was called. I did, however, greatly enjoy the periodic breaks for Spanish language lessons (me gusta los continental breakfast) and the Canadian trivia from 1991—which female singer had a mega-hit with the song "Black Velvet"? Now I know. It was Alannah Myles.

The main thing I wanted to talk about though, was the occasional cartoon you would put up that was just an airplane with a blinking light on the top of it, and a speech bubble saying "Who's driving this bird?". For one thing, it made me nervous about who, in fact, was driving said bird. For two, it made me really nervous that you guys also don't know how planes work. One of us should know that.

To people who take airplanes: 

like a town in the South of France

I am very committed to fully experiencing this year abroad. I want to do and see British things and learn British stuff and eat British food. It's why I'm getting fat (vegetables in England are illegal unless you put them in a pastry coating), it's why I snog gingers exclusively (Affirmative Snog Action), and it's why I try really hard to accumulate a brain-dictionary of British slang words.

My flatmates have been taking advantage of this interest in the British vernacular. They tried for an unreasonably long time last week to convince me that 'twinkledip' was Brit slang for vagina. Come on, guys. I know the English language is silly, but it is not THAT silly. Also, did we all take note of that seamless use of the word 'flatmates' in the above sentence? MAKIN' IT WORK.

Now, there are lots of funny and silly—and also real—words you can use if you want to sound wanky and British. 'Wanky' is one. 'Well' to mean 'very' is another. But the main one is 'nice.' Nice is the most important word in the British language, because it is basically their only adjective.

Consider this example. The quotation below indicates how a British person would describe these breakfasts:

'Nice.'

Library Listening Update:

Accidentally unplugged my headphones from my computer and blasted "Back to December" through the silent Rare Books Reading Room. I may have to leave.

For some context, "Back to December" is a heart-rending ballad about the age-old problem of what to do when you are careless with your TeenWolf boyfriend's heart. The answer is to invite him to your house, apologize for 'leaving his roses there to die', and ask about his family. Then tell him all you think about is that time you broke up with him. Romanz.