Saturday, September 23, 2006

Saving time, insanity, blog catch-up with ice cream and homework

Wikipedia's list of works in irregular time signatures

I called my sister to tell her that she was insane: there's no way I'm sleeping over there tonight just so she can save a few minutes' driving time tonight and tomorrow! As I told her, I like my aspirin and I like my bed! (doesn't matter if I'm amused when I sleep in Jon's bed when he's not home... I told Ryan that he was at the Regent weekend retreat last night!) For some reason, she misheard that as "I like my @$$hole." Why the heck would I say THAT?! On the one level, that's gross... and on another level, I wouldn't like those people at all! She told me to call Eric on his cell phone to see if he could give me a ride tomorrow morning then: fine with me! There are certain things that I don't want to deal with when I'm like this, and extended time with people is one of them!

After thinking about it a while (and reading Mandy and Candy's replies... heh, I like the rhyming names of these friends), I sent an email to Karen stating in no uncertain terms that I wasn't going to attend the Mad Greek dinner. The words I used weren't as strong as I perhaps would have liked (I was originally going for the "you are all insane if you think I'm in for the dinner!" angle), but the message is there. I won't include various uncharitable thoughts I had in that email or even here (darn having to edit my previous entry's security level!), but suffice to say that I won't stand for people not hearing my opinions out. (Boston Pizza was met with an outright "EW!" for goodness sakes... Earls would have been better!) Yeah, I might not usually be this "rude," but I won't stand for compromise in this situation! No, it's not all about me... but I don't really care right now! (I could include a bunch of invective, but you're lucky I won't!)

Caught up with blogs too, just in time to leave! Dawn's been addicted to certain TV shows (real estate, anyone?) and has been to De Dutch Pannekoek House. (if only THAT were an option here for the Friday thing!) Dave has a quote about being funny and avoiding scrutiny, and photos from his trip to Ottawa and Montreal. Spoz has an extended weekender entry... what the heck is he doing out on a Wednesday night / Sunday afternoon, indeed. (no sense of decency, hahaha) Weird people at the Peace Festival, weird band antics, bizarre pictures... it's all there!

Apparently, he had rum raisin / caramel toffee ice cream as a double scoop or mixed... interesting stuff, if not something I'd try myself! Steph's been told that one of her worship postures looks like she's going to reach out and grope someone (questing for the Holy Spirit, my eye!), and can't believe this is her final week EVER of wearing contact lenses! (she's going to an Elton John concert next Wednesday!) Vivian got 12th row Mariah Carey tickets, and has verses from Joel up there too. She also has a HEART comic up: "Homework is indeed the sad necessity of a good education." Too true... especially if she's about to dole it out to students herself!


You Should Wear Diane Von Furstenberg

Classically feminine and effortlessly chic



You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times...
You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings.
Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you.

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Dreaming of toy sharks, men, and children

I still hate it when people assume things for / about me, so I'll have to decline going to the Mad Greek. It's not far enough away for me to feel like it IS a getaway... if we were simply looking for restaurants in the area (like I was with Eric H. that time), it would be fine. But we weren't... just because Billy and Stella like Greek food doesn't mean we have to go there. They weren't there last night, so they don't get a say! Sure, they might get thought of, but that should be it! (in my hormone-laced opinion, anyhow!)

At least I had a fairly nice dream this morning. I was in a circular building that kept on whirling: every time I went into a room, I'd pick up something from that room to use in other parts of the building. For some reason, it was Awana, and I saw Michael and Amanda with their kids Ethan and Seren. Someone told me that Ethan and Seren didn't get their Christmas gift bags from the club last year, so I was assigned to get them from the Cubbies room in the "About Me" section. (I hope my subconscious isn't confusing the toddler room with Myspace! o_O)

I picked the gift bags up (along with a toy shark), but apparently Michael and Amanda had already left. So I decided to put the gifts back for another time, and then was flagged down by a crying kid. Her name was Blair (weird since I used to know a guy named Blair Arbuthnot... although my mom's contractor is named Blair), and she and her little girl friend Blythe (as in Gilbert?) were playing with Harry Potter / Barbie dolls and Transformers when one of the boys crashed the party and took away the Harry Potter dolls / Transformers, After wondering aloud why boys would want to play with dolls, I went with her to talk some sense into the boys. Along the way, I could hear the sound of many horses in another section of the building: when I put my hand up to those windows, I got the impression of horse hooves across my hands, even though the sled / carriage in the snow wasn't there!

Then I talked sternly to the boys, and noticed a shy older man there. I shall refer to him only as T, though he reminded me of Jim Hall. He wanted to be around me as I did stuff, so I agreed. We held hands as we looked at the weird chip displays: there were blue and grey chip bags with weird flavors such as Earth (this one had rocks in it!) and Slate. After a time, he confessed that he had feelings for me, but I was due to head up through the circular floors and check for question marks. He hugged me and asked whether I'd like to see a show with him: of course! Then he said, "Good... you're seeing a magic show with me!" After he kissed me lightly, I had to go up... and thus ends the dream. No, of course I didn't want it to end.. but the stupid phone had to go off. *grumble*

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Harry Potter, wedding songs, chumps, soulmates, and more!

Damn redrum and pain! Here are some more quizzes from Quiz Heaven to distract me, hopefully...





Which HP person are you??

Ronald Weasley
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com


Not Molly or Ginny... eh, I can live with that!






Jess' Wedding Song Generator

White Wedding
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com


That can fit... although Billy Idol's sister is still with this guy she had to marry in a shotgun wedding deal, and he's not with his then-girlfriend anymore! (irony at its finest, haha)






what will kill you first

base jumping, "are you sure you tied it down?!"
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com


Not likely, since I never want to try that sort of stuff! :P









You can be a chump sometimes!
QuizHeaven.com
You are not bad, but you have your moments being a chump. You sometimes think you have to match your shoes and your hat, but then you don't!
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com







Who are you?

A talking tree
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com


Haha, that would be so cool if it were true!






What Kind of Music are You?

Bluegrass
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com










provider.
QuizHeaven.com
You like that they provide the security and luxury, while all you have to do is enjoy it. Spoiling you is what make them happy. They love to show you off and to make you happy. They work hard, play hard, and fall in love hard. They would walk to the end of the earth for you. Treasure this love!
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com







What makes gay people gay?

The people who think they're cool, but they're not
Take this quiz at QuizHeaven.com

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Blood everywhere! / Boston Chicken Squash

As usual, I was running late tonight... but thank goodness Eric was at my door, haha. Once we got into the car, I warned him that I wasn't in my best mood... but then proceeded to go crazy as TEAM 1040 was discussing the Canucks' preseason game in Anaheim. (which we lost 5-1!) He bugged me about my new age, and I told him that I'd kill him if he mentioned my being a man again, which he thought I was being sensitive about: damn right I am! He thought that I needed to take some medicine which wasn't Advil so I'd be less of a crazy woman... I dunno about that! :P Although he was right about my being angry / pissed off... I told him that he didn't really want to know WHY, however! Once we got to church, I went to eat some Pho: Hunter saw me there and said hi as he was heading out, so that was cool.

Afterwards, I went to the church basement (narrowly forgetting my long shirt vest at Pho) since I thought I'd see my sister. She presented me with Part 3 (and the final part) of my birthday gift: a huge plush toy dragon thing which I could wrap around my neck like a scarf, as Sheena pointed out. Isabel had seen those somewhere, and Michelle and Janette loved it! Steph told me that my group was next door, which I vaguely recalled from the email. So I went there and explained the dragon to Jeremy and Eric, who got a laugh out of it. (Vivian thought Steph had given it to me earlier, and I was just bringing it to show people... "You're STILL getting presents for your birthday?! Man! Where are those pictures? I'll just look on your blog... it's easier that way.")

Bible Study was okay (Kevin thought the print in my new personalized Bible was small - I agree!), up until we discussed where to go next week. As I thought, it would be in Richmond... but it's at the Mad Greek restaurant very near my house, and I *just* had Greek food (at the Trocadero) on my birthday! Petty, I know... but I'm going to take advantage of my bad mood. ;) (Randal suggested Earl's at Lansdowne Mall, and Vivian suggested Japanese food NOT at Richmond Sushi... man, I wish I'd gone with those!) I know I'm being unreasonable by thinking that I don't care about Billy and Stella LOVING Greek food (thankfully, I didn't SAY anything about that), but it's my hormones and I'm not responsible! :P (I said I could walk to the restaurant once we figured a location out since Karen Choo was originally going to drive me, but Andrea said she'd pick me up... whatever works!)

After I went to the washroom, Eric asked me about some blood on my shirt. I thought he was lying, especially when he joked about my murdering the landlord: "There are many reasons to do so - they turned the heat off, they messed up your toilet..." Thank goodness Jeremy didn't say anything... I dunno what I'd have done if he DID! He did give me a grin while banging on the drumset, heh... that was cool. When we got to church, Eric tried convincing me that what he said was TRUE and that it was quite noticeable... so I got him to hold my stuff while I went to the bathroom to check it out. Yeah, it was true... it was on my "Yes! I am totally out of control!" vest, but not on my "POISON!" shirt! (that was the one good thing, since I'd just washed that one this afternoon!) =/

I must have looked pretty pissed off when I came out of the bathroom, because Eric asked if I believed him now... yes, I did. With a few muffled angry sounds (I was at church, remember), I stuffed the vest into my backpack. Then we went upstairs since Steph's group wasn't done yet. I confirmed with Henry that he'd pick me up around 3 tomorrow, accepted one bag of Nai Chiu's chips (which he dropped on the floor), and had to give Jeremy a little smile when he told me: "Leslie, I hate to break the news to you... but you have SNAKES ON YOUR SHIRT!!!" Haha, I know that! (if I was feeling better, I'd have laughed outright!) Then Eric told me that my undershirt was longer than my shirt, just like it was a few weeks ago... uh, that's not my fault, haha! (at least it was only a tiny bit longer, rather than the inch it had been last time!) Dylan, Karen, Vivian, and others were going to the Congee Noodle House afterwards (Jeremy got a ride home from them)... we declined because of Steph and wanting to go home ourselves!

Then we talked to Christon, Karen Lew, Daniel, Michelle, Anthony (who wanted Anita T. to find him on her birthday card), Danielle, Citrus, Cindy, Cordia, Ryan, Karen Grace, Steph, and Margaret. Eric recognized Cordia's piano playing as something from FINAL FANTASY 7, and was bemused when Steph / Karen Grace / Margaret constantly tried touching each others' calves! Both Sheena and Cindy asked about my party, which was nice of them. Cindy told me and Eric that she didn't quite have a cold, but it was still kind of annoying... otherwise, she's busy with stuff!

The ride home was filled with references to gas stations, the Greek dinner (Eric's group is playing pool), suggesting that I eat before going to dinner / ordering something smaller or different because of the expense and relative Greek food overdose, blood / guts / gore / dismemberment, love, discreetly getting a cake for 10 people (Danielle can't since she'll be in PoCo all day), leaving Awana early (of *course* I'll tell Auntie Vivian... I should also tell Henry too!), my butt, my "not answering the phone" (I don't like how it sounds!), and such. I'm just apologizing to Eric for having to hear certain things (even if he's known us for 20 years), not because he doesn't have those things! Haha, good times. (Corey's also looking for Danzig stuff that's been mislabeled... eep!) I decided to wash the shirt with a bunch of other stuff in cold water... when I called to tell my sister that, she and my mom both seemed amazed that I knew to wash it in cold water. Uh, I may not know a lot of things, but I *do* know THAT much! :P In fact, I just took my clothes out of the dryer (two loads of laundry today, ugh!), and the blood is gone even though some items are still damp. I don't know WHY they're damp... but if they're that way because someone grew tired of the noise while they were trying to sleep, and stopped the dryer in mid-cycle... I'll KILL!


Boston Chicken Squash

Categories: Copycat, Vegetables
Yield: 6 servings

2 Butternut squash; halve, long, remove seeds
Margarine or butter
Salt
1/2 cup Brown sugar; packed
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spices
4 tablespoons Butter or margarine; melted

Preheat oven to 400°. Place squash cut-side down on Pam-sprayed shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until fork tender. Wipe cut surface with a little butter and sprinkle with salt. Return to bake cut-side up about 10 minutes longer or until browned and soft. Scrape out the meat into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, honey, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and butter. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Return to oven, covered in foil, just to keep warm until time to serve, 325 for 30 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers for about a week or freeze up to 4 months.

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Friday, September 22, 2006

BS Outings / Cars on fire / Quizzes

HAHAHA. I just got another lame-sounding email from the usual suspect: For next Friday, Sept. 29th, the program will be Bible Study Outing night. The Courtship and Dating Talk has been rescheduled to Friday, Oct. 6th.

Please discuss your outing plans with your Bible Study group and have a wonderful time building more beautiful, precious Bible Study group memories together, next Friday, Sept. 29th. Your presence matters so, of course, attendance will be taken. :)

Wishing you a lifetime of priceless memories with your dear Bible Study groups! Be pretty for Jesus!


I don't believe in "keeping it pretty," but that doesn't mean I believe in "keeping it ugly," either! Then again, I don't think I'd characterize certain things as beautiful / precious / dear. Not that those things aren't important to me (because they are), but I dunno... but I can predict that my group will most likely be meeting in Richmond! (We did the Cactus Club thing in May, and the Milestones thing eight weeks later for Randal's birthday... thank goodness I'll have more money available by then, if not a bus pass! Where the heck is that thing, anyhow?!)

Oh yes, I should get Eric H. to replace the shower curtain the next time he's here for a hangout thing. I could do it myself with the one that Dawn's family gave me a long time ago, but I'm afraid I'd screw that up. Thank goodness I forgot about getting him to replace it the last time he was over (on Tuesday) because of the sprayed toilet water incident, otherwise I'd be so pissed off right about now! ("DAMMIT! THAT THING WAS NEW!!! WHY DIDN'T I HOLD OFF ON IT TILL LATER?!?!")

Eric M. just called... he says he's on his way now, so I have to be ready at 6:30. Good thing I have money for Pho if he has to be there early tonight! (still don't know what I'll do about the bank thing, however...)

The sports car quiz below reminds me of this icon I have: Spoz took it one night when a car was on fire in his neighborhood, haha. (it used to be my default icon for a while there, too...)




You Should Be a Cherry Redhead

Sexy and dramatic, but still sweetly feminine. Perfect for getting out of the hair color doldrums!



You Should Drive a Corvette

You don't just like to drive on the road, you like to own it. You live to intimidate other drivers with your car's muscle power!

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Candy's birthday card, replacing things with toilet water, very basic French mistakes

Hey, I got a birthday card from Candy today! The card said: "A person should act like a mature adult by the time they reach 30... do I hear 40?" and she added a winky. Haha, I dunno... but there are some times when I act like my teenage friends / acquaintances, and some times when I act like (sadly) a toddler. :|

It's a good thing that the bath set gift from Vania / her mom / Auntie Fonda was still wrapped on the bathroom counter yesterday! However, I think I'll still replace my sponge / mugs / toothbrush! Ewww, toilet water! I think I'll do my laundry right after I take some aspirin here, as well...

You all know that I can be quite the spelling / grammar Nazi in English, right? Well, I can also be one with French if I feel the need to. No, I am not a fluent French speaker by any means... but even a little French kid would cringe at this one!

I bought some Western Family Crisp Wheat Squares (like Triscuits) from Save-On Foods a while ago. On the box flap, it said "Lift here. To reclose, press in flap." The French translation reads "Soulever ice. Pour refermer, rentrer la patte." Uh yeah... I've forgotten a bunch of the French they taught us in high school, but even *I* can tell that it's supposed to be Soulever ici! o_O

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Richmond Crew Emails / Boston Chicken Spicy Rice

Are you perverted?

"You are 80% not perverted and 20% perverted. That is too low! You must be lying!" (hahahaha... I dunno about that result...)

Eric sent me and Steph a reply, saying that leaving / being home by midnight sounded good to him. She has the car and is driving, so that's what will happen. The alternative is spending the night in PoCo, and he's right... nobody wants to do that!

Jon just emailed me back about Terry: no, he didn't say anything (much less a yay or nay) on the offer to cook. I know Jon won't be there this weekend since he's at the Regent retreat, so if Terry's there, I'll talk to him about it. (or Jeremy can too, since I sent the whole thing to him just now with my reply to Jon... Jon wanted me to make sure Jeremy knew about it, and this is the best way to do so!)


Boston Chicken Spicy Rice

Categories: Rice, Copycat
Yield: 6 servings

1/4 cups Raw Rice-shaped pasta
3/4 cup Minute rice
1 tablespoon Pimiento; chop fine
1/2 teaspoon Dry minced celery leaf
1 teaspoon Dry minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon Dry mustard
14 oz Can chicken broth
1/4 cups Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients. Stir often and bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste if desired. Keep warm in top of double boiler, over simmering water, to serve within an hour. Refrigerate leftovers covered. Rewarm gently in 3 to 4 days. Do not freeze.

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Thursday, September 21, 2006

Birthday Celebration 2006, in pictures

Here is that picture post I said I'd make!

Also, I've figured out the solution to my sushi dilemma: suggesting it to Eric H. for dinner the next time we hang out might be a good idea. ;) (Archie comics are cool, also!)

Randal: "Here are a couple of photos from Leslie's birthday dinner. The quality is not very good because they were taken with my cell phone - I guess camera phones are only good for Sasquatch and Ogopogo sightings."

Steph: "I suppose I should follow Randal's lead. Here are some shots that I took - but I won't attach too many, or I will flood your inbox! Enjoy!"


Danielle looking at me holding up my new personalized Bible from Karen... Eric's arms are in the way, haha.




Eric M., Danielle, and Karen watching as Nathan shows me which passage to read in Olde Charlie Farquharson's Testament: Perry Sound Version... then he took it from me to show everyone else. This is what happens when you enjoy your own gifts to another person too much! ;)




Karen Choo and me with her card and big pink gift bag... I hate how my glasses aren't aligned with my eyes in the picture! (one of the many things which do not make me photogenic)




Nathan and me with the ice cream sparkler while they were singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me... as I thought, my hat obscures my face. Oh well, it's not like THAT's the focus of the picture! :P (and neither is Eric's hot water for his peppermint tea, which you can see in the corner)




Drinking a Corona with lime to match my hat... Eric suggested changing the angle so it looked better, and took the picture since he was sitting right beside me. (Steph was going to do a frontal view)

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Toilet problems, again! / Carpools to Citrus' place, anyone?

How appropriate that I'm listening to MOJO in the Morning's Towel Street Scam now... :OO: (this radio station dude takes advantage of Holiday Inn's towel amnesty day and shows up there in nothing but a towel, haha!)

Right now, I don't like my toilet. It wasn't flushing earlier, which I connected to the water maintenance being done today. But when it still failed to flush at 6, I poured some water in the toilet tank since the water level was really low, then tested flushing it a while later. That worked, but I may have jostled a chain or something in there since the bathroom and I promptly got sprayed with toilet water! (ewww, it's a good thing I have an extra white pouf since I don't want to use the purple one with toilet water on it!) I spent some time wiping up the impromptu flood, then attempted to call the assistant manager: apparently, she's changed her number! So then after reducing the amount of spray and complaining about it to Corey, I slipped a note into her mailslot. Hopefully, she gets that! Yes, I've put towels on the floor to absorb any water spills... they're damp now!

Then Eric got online to ask what my preferred email address is. After that, he insisted that I loved my toilet, and said that I was overanalyzing his question: "it's not as complicated as your relationship with your toilet, and I have now resolved your hate issues with it!" Uh, I don't think so! He sent an email about carpooling to Citrus' place, and then bugged me to answer the phone or his message about leading worship tomorrow / being at church early. When I got back from my shower, I told him where I'd been, and he thought I should come up with a more believable excuse! (aiya... that guy is lucky that I love him like a brother! :P )

He then figured that I disappeared every time he mentioned being at the church early tomorrow, since I was busy typing stuff the next time he asked about it and didn't answer right away. Not true, my friend! So then I checked my email, and found a few pictures from Tuesday night courtesy of both Randal (poor quality camera phone pics) and Steph that they'd emailed to everyone. Picture post to come, then! I also found email from Eric and Steph about the carpooling thing: Steph wants to leave by midnight since she has to (help) lead worship on Sunday, and doesn't want to sleep in. I answered by backing up Steph's assertion that I had AWANA and needed a ride from church at around 6 on Saturday. Eric said that he'd call me around 6:20 tomorrow and let me know for sure what time I'd have to be out. Good idea! (I think Citrus' birthday card - and the ones for both Anitas - will be late since Jon won't get a chance to sign 'em... or not, heh)

I guess I should be grateful that the darn toilet even flushes... o_O


Edit: Hester and her husband came to see what was wrong with the toilet not more than an hour after I dropped a note into their mailslot! They said to call next time this happened... well, I tried, and got someone saying that it was the wrong number! Apparently, it isn't... most weird. They also discussed stuff in a Chinese dialect that I can't understand at all, and figured that the pipe was kinda broken before, but not now. He asked if the note was mine, then connected the black thing somewhere else when I'd flushed the toilet to demonstrate where the leak was, but didn't wait till it had finished flushing! Aiyoh... at least it's fixed now! I guess I'll be doing laundry tomorrow / on the weekend... I could do it right now, but I'm too tired. :P

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Pirate legends, good advice, socialist or capitalist, pirate name

Gotta write this before the Blogger outage at 4... o_O

Ooh! Pirate legends and such! Very interesting!

Hockey is back on! Gotta love it, unless you're Danielle, haha. ;)


You Give Good Advice ... Sometimes

When it comes to advice, you usually have something helpful to contribute.
However, there's been times when your advice was a bit wacky!
No matter what, though, your heart is always in the right place.



You Are 56% Capitalist, 44% Socialist

While you are definitely sympathetic to a free economy, you also worry about the less fortunate.
Wealth and business is fine, as long as those who are in need get helped out too.
You tend to see both the government and corporations as potentially corrupt.



Leslie, your pirate name is
Castaway Joan
What is YOUR pirate name?

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The things I love which start with one specific letter...

Comment and I'll give you a letter; then you have to list 10 things you love that begin with that letter. Afterwards, post this in your journal, and give out some letters of your own.

(If you've done this before or are doing one, then tell me which letters you have already used, and I will pick another)

Mandy (a_phoenixdragon) gave me "Y," so here we go!

The Letter 'Y'

1. Yngwie Malmsteen
2. Yams (like at Thanksgiving)
3. Young Boys (as in the Lords of Acid song! :P)
4. Yaohan Centre (that place is cool for Asian stuff... and it's on Wikipedia!)
5. Yardbirds (the band)
6. Yayness! (stuff I like that makes me go "YAY!"... heh)
7. Yellow Drippings (from crab, not your nose! :P)
8. Yearly Service Pins (from Awana)
9. YVR (at least, if the airport doesn't cause me to be delayed...)
10. Yolks (that reminds me, I haven't had hot pot in a LONG time!)

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Reducing clutter, OKCupid tests, and Boston Chicken Saucer-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, at least I have all my info in certain documents saved. Yay for reducing paper clutter on my desk! :D


My score on The Almighty Chihuahua Identity Test:


style="font-size:18pt;font-weight:bold;">Ren
style="font-size:12pt">(You scored 33 Hilton, 23 Taco, and 42 Ren!)



Wow. You're certainly a unique dog. You have deep feelings for the people close to you, but you can turn around in a heartbeat and lash out at them. You also have very odd tastes — so odd, someone could devote a television season documenting them. You closely relate to Ren on the Ren & Stimpy television show.



Link: The Almighty Chihuahua Identity Test
(OkCupid Free Online Dating)














Seductive Snake

You scored 17 Intelligence, 10 Loyalty, 12 Upkeep, and 10 Playfulness!

Most Likely Owner: Pathetic male virgins who thinks snakes "turn chicks on."



Slithering up your owner's arm in a tight death grip of love, you are the seductive snake! While snake and cuddly don't exactly go together, that doesn't mean you aren’t a good pet for the right type of owner. This is because you are happy with the simple things in life: a heat lamp and a feeder mouse, and you're a content reptile. This makes you a desirable pet for some of the most sadistic types who like to watch live mice desperately try to escape your clutches. However, because you're one cool customer, you are less likely to give a damn about your owner and would probably eat them if you could unhinge your jaw far enough. This isn't because you are a bad pet, you're just smart enough to know a free meal when you see it.










My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 43% on Intelligence
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 5% on Loyalty
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 65% on Upkeep
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 21% on Playfulness




Link: The What Kind of Pet Are You Test written by Laurengirdler on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test














The Preferrer

You are 54% non-critical of a guy's and / or woman's appearance.

You may prefer that a person dress a certain way, or really want a great feature or two on them... but sometimes that can be all it takes for you to drop your jaw at the way someone looks. Take the lead singer of Evanescence, Amy Lee, for example. She has some modest curves and a semi-goth thing going on. For those of you into men, perhaps the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, has a bit of the bad boy image you've been looking for. If you liked my test, please rate it highly below, and feel free to send me feedback. Thanks!










My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 21% on non-critical




Link: The Importance of Looks Test written by Renegade_Master on OkCupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test



Boston Chicken Saucer-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies

Categories: Copycat, Desserts, Cookies
Yield: 1 serving

4 oz Nestlé's Milk Chocolate bars
4 oz Baker's German sweet chocolate
4 oz Dove milk chocolate
Cookie dough - use your own recipe


Melt 3 chocolates, stirring until smooth. Put into greased 9" metal pie pan and refrigerate until hard. Hammer into pea-sized bits. Store refrigerated until ready to use. Use 1/3 cups cookie dough, flattening to a 3-1/2 to 4" round. Bake at 375 for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown but not over-baked, or cookies will be hard as rocks when cooled. The cookies will look almost RAW at the end of 16 minutes if you make them big enough, and will continue to bake in their own heat as they cool on the sheets a few minutes.

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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

L reveals my sexual identity?! What the....

According to studies, the first letter of your first name reveals your sexual identity... What do you think? Repost this with the letter of your first name.


-A-
You are not particularly romantic, but you are interested in action. You mean business. With you, what you see is what you get. You have no patience for flirting and can't be bothered with someone who is trying to be coy, cute, demure, and subtly enticing. You are an upfront person. When it comes to sex, it's action that counts... not obscure hints. Your mate's physical attractiveness is important to you. You find the chase and challenge of the "hunt" invigorating. You are passionate and sexual as well as being much more adventurous than you appear; however, you do not go around advertising these qualities. Your physical needs are your primary concern.

-B-
You give off vibes of lazy sensuality. You enjoy being romanced, wined, and dined. You are very happy to receive gifts as an expression of the affection of your lover. You want to be pampered and know how to pamper your mate. You are private in your expression of endearments and particularly when it comes to lovemaking. You will hold off until everything meets with your approval. You can control your appetite and abstain from sex if need be. You require new sensations and experiences. You are willing to experiment.

-C-
You are a freaking beast. You are the sex master. You do what you want, when you want... and it comes as no surprise because everyone always wants it from you. You are definitely the best ever. Others should stop now to save the embarrassment.

-D-
Once you get it into your head that you want someone, you move full steam ahead in pursuit. You do not give up your quest easily. You are nurturing and caring. If someone has a problem, this turns you on. You are highly sexual, passionate, loyal, and intense in your involvement... and sometimes possessive and jealous. Sex to you is a pleasure to be enjoyed. You are stimulated by the eccentric and unusual, having a free and open mind.

-E-
Your greatest need is to talk. If your date is not a good listener, you have trouble relating. A person must be intellectually stimulating or you are not interested sexually. You need a friend for a lover, and a companion for a bed mate. You hate disharmony and disruption, but you do enjoy a good argument once in a while since it seems to stir things up. You flirt a lot, for the challenge is more important than the sexual act for you. But once you give your heart away, you are uncompromisingly loyal. When you don't have a good lover to fall asleep with, you will fall asleep with a good book. (Sometimes, in fact, you prefer a good look.)

-F-
You are idealistic and romantic, putting your lover on a pedestal. You look for the very best mate you can find. You are a flirt, yet once committed, you are very loyal. You are sensuous, sexual, and privately passionate. Publicly, you can be showy / extravagant / gallant. You are a born romantic. Dramatic life scenes are your favorite fantasy pastime. You can be a very generous lover.

-G-
You are crap in bed! (Remember.... I didn't write this!!!! HAHAHA!)

-H-
You seek a mate who can enhance your reputation and earning ability. You will be very generous to your lover once you have attained a commitment. Your gifts are actually an investment in your partner. Before the commitment, though, you tend to be frugal in your spending and dating habits, and equally cautious in your sexual involvement. You are a sensual and patient lover.

-I-
You have a great need to be loved and appreciated... Even worshipped. You enjoy luxury, sensuality, and pleasures of the flesh. You look for lovers who know what they are doing. You are not interested in an amateur, unless that amateur wants a tutor. You are fussy and exacting about having your desires satisfied. You are willing to experiment and try new modes of sexual expression. You bore easily and thus require sexual adventure and change. You are more sensual than sexual, but you are sometimes downright lustful.

-J-
You are totally f*cking marvelous!

-K-
You can be very romantic, attached to the glamour of love. Having a partner is of paramount importance to you. You are free in your expression of love and are willing to take chances and try new sexual experiences and partners, provided it's all in good taste. Brains turn you on. You must feel that your partner is intellectually stimulating, otherwise you will find it difficult to sustain the relationship. You require loving, cuddling, wining, and dining to know that you're being appreciated.

-L-
You are very romantic, idealistic, and somehow you believe that to love means to suffer. You wind up serving your mate or attracting people who have unusual troubles. You see yourself as your lover's savior. You are sincere, passionate, lustful, and dreamy. You can't help falling in love. You really enjoy stimulating yourself, though you are fairly new to it. You fantasize and get turned on by movies and magazines. You do not tell others of this secret life, nor of your sexual fantasies.

-M-
You are emotional and intense. When involved in a relationship, you throw your entire being into it. Nothing stops you; there are no holds barred. You are all-consuming, and crave someone who is equally passionate and intense. You are willing to try anything and everything. Your supply of sexual energy is inexhaustible. You are very social and sensual; you enjoy flirting.

-N-
You need constant stimulation because you bore quickly. You can handle more than one relationship at a time with ease. You believe in total sexual freedom. You are willing to try anything and everything. Your supply of sexual energy is inexhaustible. You are a flirt, yet once committed, you are very loyal. You are sensuous, sexual, and privately passionate. Publicly, you can be showy / extravagant / gallant. You are born romantic. Dramatic love scenes are your favorite fantasy pastime. You can be a very generous lover.

-O-
You are very interested in sexual activities, yet secretive and shy about your desires. You can re-channel much of your sexual energy into making money and / or seeking power. You can easily have extended periods of celibacy. You are a passionate, compassionate, sexual lover... requiring the same qualities from your mate. Sex is serious business; thus you demand intensity and diversity, and are willing to try anything or anyone. Sometimes your passions turn to possessiveness, which must be kept in check.

-P-
You are very conscious of social proprieties. You wouldn't think of doing anything that might harm your image or reputation. Appearances count, therefore, you require a good-looking partner. You also require an intelligent partner. Oddly enough, you may view your partner as your enemy; a good fight stimulates those sex vibes. You are relatively free of sexual hang-ups. You are willing to experiment and try new ways of doing things. You are very social and sensual; you enjoy flirting and need a good deal of physical gratification.

-Q-
You require constant activity and stimulation. You have tremendous physical energy. It is not easy for a partner to keep up with you, sexually or otherwise. You are an enthusiastic lover and tend to be attracted to people of other ethnic groups. You need romance, hearts and flowers, and lots of conversation to turn you on and keep you going.

-R-
You are a no-nonsense, action-oriented individual. You need someone who can keep pace with you and who is your intellectual equal, the smarter the better. You are turned on more quickly by a great mind than by a great body. However, physical attractiveness is very important to you. You have to be proud of your partner. You are privately very sexy, but you do not brag... you are willing to serve as teacher. Sex is important; you can be a very demanding playmate.

-S-
You are secretive, self-contained, and shy. You are very sexy / sensual / passionate, but you do not let on to this. Only in intimate privacy will this part of your nature reveal itself. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, you are an expert. You know all the little tricks of the trade, can play any role or any game, and take your love life very seriously. You don't fool around. You have the patience to wait for the right person to come along.

-T-
You are very sensitive, private, and sexually passive; you like a partner who takes the lead. Music, soft lights, and romantic thoughts turn you on. You fantasize, but do not tend to fall in and out of love easily. When in love, you are romantic / idealistic / mushy / extremely intense. You enjoy having your senses and your feelings stimulated, titillated, and teased. You are a great flirt. You can make your relationships fit your dreams, oftentimes all in your own head.

-U-
You are enthusiastic and idealistic when in love. When not in love, you are in love with love, always looking for someone to adore. You see romance as a challenge. You are a roamer and need adventure, excitement, and freedom. You deal in potential relationships. You enjoy giving gifts and enjoy seeing your mate looking good. Your sex drive is strong and you desire instant gratification. You are willing to put your partner's pleasures above your own.

-V-
You are individualistic, and you need freedom / space / excitement. You wait until you know someone well before committing yourself. Knowing someone means psyching him out. You feel a need to get into his head to see what makes him tick. You are attracted to eccentric types. Often, there is an age difference between you and your lover. You respond to danger, thrills, and suspense.

-W-
You are very proud, determined, and you refuse to take no for an answer when pursuing love. Your ego is at stake. You are romantic, idealistic, and often in love with love itself, not seeing your partner as he or she really is. You feel deeply and throw all of yourself into your relationships. Nothing is too good for your lover. You enjoy playing love games.

-X-
You need constant stimulation because you bore quickly. You can handle more than one relationship at a time with ease. You can't shut off your mind. You talk while you make love. You can have the greatest love affairs all by yourself, in your own head.

-Y-
You are sexual, sensual, and very independent. If you can't have it your way, you will forget the whole thing. You want to control your relationships, which doesn't always work out too well. You respond to physical stimulation: you enjoy necking and spending hours just touching, feeling, and exploring. However, if you can spend your time making money, you will give up the pleasures of the flesh for the moment. You need to prove to yourself and your partner what a great lover you are. You want feedback on your performance. You are an open, stimulating, and romantic.

-Z-
Sorry, there was no "Z" in this transmission. Catching "Z's" no doubt.

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Email address change, catching up, lists, quizzes, Boston Chicken Marinade / Basting Sauce

Finally finished catching up on friends pages! :D

I checked my email, and Eric did not email me that list. So at the end of my "thanks for coming out!" email to everyone who was in attendance last night (yes, even Nina), I reminded him to do so. ;)

Dawn's changed her email address, which I didn't know about... but I did change things pretty much immediately after I got that email. Andrea sent her apologies: seems she wasn't feeling well, and a family member urgently needed something to be typed up. Yeah, I can understand that.. it's no fun to go out if you're unwell, aye?


Both of You Wear the Pants

You and your guy seem to have struck the perfect power balance.
It's not that you don't disagree - it's just that you've learned how to compromise well.
You're both mature enough to know that you can't always get your way...
And usually, you're both adult enough to reach an agreement - even if that sometimes means giving in a little.


I wanted to answer this one based on the past... goodness knows I don't have anything now! :P


You Are 51% Passionate, 49% Compassionate

You possess an ideal balance of passion and compassion.
You definitely can get swept away and lose your head a little.
But you're rarely a fool for love!



Boston Chicken Marinade / Basting Sauce

Categories: Copycat, Sauces
Yield: 1 serving


1/4 cups Canola oil
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Paprika

Mix all ingredients well and apply to skin-side-up chicken in a single layer in greased baking dish or pan. Bake at 400° 35-40 minutes. Baste every 8-10 minutes during the baking time.

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Old Spaghetti Factory, dismemberment, BLACK DAHLIA, and steamy windows!

No, not THOSE kind of steamy windows, you perverts. :P (and it's NOT a Tina Turner reference, either!)

Since the Internet was being crappy when I tried to post this, I'll keep the original timestamp and stuff. Thank goodness I saved all my work in multiple windows in a pre-existing Notepad document! Now it's time for MAJOR catch-up and such... also, I gotta see if Chinese Eric emailed me a certain list. If he did, I'll update his blog with it. (there will be no overall present list right now, since Citrus has my present from him and Danielle... maybe I'll post that when I recover from the weekend!)

Chinese Eric arrived at 6:25, and he spent some time talking to me about Fay and movies (Beerfest / Jet Li's last martial arts film) while he tried to discreetly write my birthday card when I was busy on the computer. Haha, that didn't really work since I noticed he went to grab something and write at the table near the kitchen. Just before we left at around 7, Nina called to say that she was there already... man, so early and unheard of around my friends! o_O When we got there, he dropped me off in the middle of the road in front of the restaurant while he parked, heh.

Eric thought we'd be the latest ones there, but that dubious honor went to who else but Jon and Nathan! Then again, Nina left before we even sat down because she was under the mistaken impression that we'd actually be eating dinner at 7:15! Heh, not so around here with Chinese Time... maybe people will get there by 7:30 if we're lucky, and actually start eating maybe half an hour later! But of course I do understand that she had to look after her son and do other stuff... she gave me a gift before she left, and wished me a good one. Karen told me that Andrea couldn't make it; once I got around to talking to Teunis, he told me happy birthday from him and also from Jasmine. Yes, I knew SHE couldn't make it because she was having a tough time studying and such. Talked to Randal, white Eric, Jeremy, Steph, Dylan, and Danielle before we all were seated. Steph got this dragon art card from a Mexican chip bag for free, so she gave it to me: the guys spent some time looking at it and holding it up to the light. Apparently, that looked really cool... I'll have to try that sometime! (Jon said grace for the whole table and mentioned my ability to remember everyone's birthdays... everyone toasted each other after that and the Chinese HAPPY BIRTHDAY song)

Steph and I talked about certain maternal logic with Danielle: white Eric and Cindy are not good matches just because they're both tall, I'm not a good match with Rich simply because I won't have to change my last name, and Steph and certain guys have zero compatibility! (so hilarious!) Apparently, Danielle is my mom's favorite... that's cool with her! (we discussed Ralph Klein, too) Then Danielle and Steph discovered (again) that they really should have been sisters: they both like country gospel music, as does Melia! (new trio to replace Fidela / Steph / Vanessa as Britney / Christina / Shania?) Steph asked Randal if anyone ever called him Randy: nobody had, and he wouldn't want to be Randy anyhow... not with certain British connotations of the word! ("This is my friend, and he's Randy!" "Uh... okay... o_O") Then she came up with "RandMa" as in "grandma"... he preferred "Randy" to "RandMa," but it still wasn't his #1 preference! (Steph, Eric M., Jon, and Danielle wanted me to chug my Corona... "you'll have the whole movie to recover!")

There was a time when most of the table was talking about hockey / the Canucks / hockey pools, so Steph turned to Danielle (who really hates it when that particular subject is being discussed) and teased her: "Hey, Danielle... hockey's starting! Aren't you excited for Edmonton?!" So then she said: "Just when you think it's over, it starts again!" Steph relayed this to Jon, who was talking to Teunis about his truck and such: he tapped her on the head and joked that they'd discuss hockey all the time in front of her just to make her feel loved, haha. I'm not so sure she was impressed by that, but she knows it's part of life around us, like making fun of Alberta and their brown grass! ;) (we also sarcastically thanked her later when she announced to us that she had to pee, heh) Then I told them that Eunice's cousin Ellen had a phone in every room of her house, including the bathrooms.. Danielle thought that was hilarious! Steph asked about the twins Adam and Andrew: I told her that they'd wanted to give me birthday beats over the weekend, their 16th birthday was Sept. 20, and that one of them was in Awana. (they're cool dudes!)

When Teunis mentioned that he drove a pickup truck, Steph was instantly enthralled. This reminded her of Michelle being enthralled with the garbagemen / garbage trucks when she was a kid... she'd sit at the window and watch the trash guys pick up her family's junk, heh. (Steph loved Batman and Bruce Wayne when she was a kid!) Little kids are so weird... as in the story Jeremy told me and Nathan in the parking lot. (which I'll mention later) Steph insisted on buying me a Corona (to match my hat) and Danielle bought me a Bellini: of course, this led to a rash of jokes about keg parties and such. I had to explain that to Teunis, who appeared to be quite interested in what certain people were saying about table dances and beer keggers! Actually, I think he kept my siblings and Danielle entertained with stories about Dutch people, Greenland, and I dunno what else! (Steph wondered how he and white Eric knew each other: the Pho dinner at Jeremy's!) Jeremy brought up the charismatic movement, the Apocalypse, and beer: so interesting! There's also this SLB Denial group outing to bring back those satellite people: maybe it'll work!

We talked about my Engrish shirt / the "POISON!" snake-dragon shirt / my "Yes! I am totally out of control!" vest thing... hey, they're all blue! Then it was on to elements and Chinese zodiac signs: Nathan's a metal phoenix, and I'm a fire dragon... Steph thinks that makes total sense! Danielle wondered how we knew that, so we told her to Google that when she got home. Steph had the hardest time guessing what year Randal was born in: not Dog, Monkey, Pig, Rooster, or anything else she could come up with! Eric M. thought about it and guessed Tiger: that proved to be the right one! Then he wondered to me why they'd given him creamers for his peppermint tea: I told him to give them to Randal since he'd know what to do with them. Steph noticed this and alerted Jon (who was still talking with Teunis about stuff): Randal flipping over four creamers at once during Easter breakfast instantly made him my sister's new hero, haha. A bunch of people got into it with varying rules / skill / success levels, then Eric M. mentioned that perhaps I should open my presents with the downtime we had between ice cream and the movies: good idea!

Chinese Eric got me a card, white Eric got me a card ("How many cakes are on the card? 30! You're 240 in dog years or something now! No, I'm not like Eunice's parents who'd put 300 years old on the card!") and a $25 Chapters gift card which I may or may not use to buy another Bathroom Reader, and Karen got me a compact personalized Bible with case... not so easy to regift, as my sister joked. Jen bought me a decorative stone and sand set, and Nina had bought me this H2O Plus set of milk body wash / body lotion / shampoo / conditioner... in other words, something that a certain person I know would never use, heh. Randal got me a book by Eugene Peterson (NOT Eugene Levy!) called God's Message for Each Day: Wisdom from the Word of God, and Nathan got me Olde Charlie Farquharson's Testament: Perry Sound Version. (with Blessings bookstore flyers... "more than it appears," haha!) Too hilarious since I know my Bible relatively well, and we joked that he was enjoying his own birthday gift far too much since he was showing it off to everyone! Eric M. managed to fit everything into Karen's huge gift bag, which was cool.

After paying the bill and getting movie tickets (I got an extra $2), we went outside and talked while dodging buses... Steph asked me what the movie was about, so I said it was about an unsolved murder case. She thought that was right up my alley, so she further asked whether there was any dismemberment in it. Boy, was she surprised when I coolly told her: "Actually, yes... she was found cut in two!" (she liked how I told her that, though!) Steph and Jon went home because they'd been summoned by Mom to help out with cleaning up, and a number of others also did because of work and early mornings... it's weird seeing Danielle drive because the car's so huge in relation to her size! (half-kidding, sorta!) Both Erics, Randal, Jeremy, and Nathan watched the movie with me, though... we picked up Famous magazine, and went to the wrong wing of theatres at first! BLACK DAHLIA was pretty good, although it was kinda hard to follow at first... let's just say that things are weird and not as they might seem in that movie! (lotsa shooting, though!)

After that, Nathan drove me and Jeremy home: the windows were fogged with moisture, so Jeremy told everyone to stop breathing while Nathan drove the car in circles around the parking lot with the window open a bit. He soon discovered that we might get dizzy doing that, so we just stopped for a while and listened to Jon's trippy random music. Then Jeremy told us the story of when he was little (5?) and asked his mom why the car windows were foggy in the garage. She told him something about moisture, then went into the house to get stuff. While she was gone, Jeremy thought that he'd help by breathing on the windows: she had to explain that he was actually making the problem worse, heh.

We discussed late-night shows tomorrow (11:30?) by an indie / jazz band called Mother that Jeremy likes, and sleeping after work. The last time Jeremy slept / took a nap right after work, he didn't get up till his alarm went off the next day! (not enough sleep there... reminds me of the time I slept for 14 hours after last year's Summer Conference!) Nathan almost missed turning on the side street needed to get to my place, so I joked that he'd have me in the car all the way to Jeremy's... "Oh, by the way... I'm still in here?!" Heh, all good... Nate helped me get my stuff from his trunk, and Jeremy wished me a happy birthday again. Quite the good time out, haha. Yay for friends! :D

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Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Postcards Received, 1998 onwards

These are the postcards that I received from various people.

1998 (1)

Steph: "Hello! How are you? We went to Fort Edmonton Park today. Tomorrow, we go shopping! How is it being home alone? Mom says to water the plants! Yes! Did you wake up in time for church? I hope so! Bye!"


1999 (1)

Judy Gilbert: "Hi, I hope your transition to Seaport is going well. I'm enjoying spending time with my folks here in Switzerland. Take care. See you soon."


2000 (1)

Connie: "Hey Leslie, Happy Birthday! :) Sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate the big 24. Thanks for having us over to your place last month. Hope you like the present and that you're learning all you need to learn at David Fellowship! See you around. Love in Christ, Connie." (Veggie Tales, yay!)


2001 (3)

Elizabeth: "Hi Leslie. I didn't get a chance to talk to you before I left on a week's vacation to Whistler. (July 15-22) with the family and Lisa. Unfortunately, James had to stay behind and take care of our kitties. It really isn't the same here without him! We do talk every night, though. Anyway, we haven't done anything too exciting, as the weather's been rainy! Hopefully, things will perk up in the next couple of days. I'll give you a call when I get back. Take care and God Bless!" (July 17) [gorillas playing hockey!]

David and Elaine: "Dearest Leslie, You're a priceless friend who I treasure. Your patience and honesty as a friend truly encourages me to the extent that I often cannot put into words because the Glory of God and Grace of God that lives in you is indescribable. May these frames and photobooks be filled with people like you who desire to seek God, who desire to love God, who desire to spend eternity with each other (and most importantly, of course), be pictures of you and me!

I don't know if you remember giving me a bag of elastic bands, but you did at a prayer meeting! And well, just to show my appreciation, Dave and I (Dave figured out how to do it) present you with an elastic ball! :) If you need an elastic, take one off. If you need stress relief, you can squeeze it. Or if you just want to play with a ball, you can chuck it around. ENJOY! Love, Dave and Elaine Marr." (September 16)


Dawn: "Hey Leslie! What's up? Here's the postcard I keep promising. It's Shanghai, China, but I had to send it from Hong Kong. :( ... I *still* don't know your address to your place, so hope you receive this. Anyway, all the best! Talk to you later. Dawn." (November) (Shanghai Charm)


2002 (1)

Mom: "My high school friend Ann took me to Toronto's waterfront, called Queen's Quay. There, I also saw Uncle Edwin's sister-in-law. What a small world. From where we were, we had the best view of the CN Tower. Anyway, I might be home before you get this card." (September 10) (Skydome and the CN Tower... go to Been There, Saw That for more!)


2003 (1)

Steph: "Hi, Sarne! Greetings from Cavendish!" (Anne of Green Gables house plus Island Hymn)


2004 (5)

Jim (harryroberts): "Leslie! Hello there. Finally sending you something from me! You have a great way of dealing with life, and I wish more people were like you. Glad we are friends. :)" (Newcastle Bridges) (March 1)

Denise Eulert: "Dear Leslie, I live about 3/4 mile south of the Capitol, in an older residential area. I drive by the building often, but have been inside less than a dozen times. In 1966, a huge tornado nearly took out our downtown. The dome was damaged, but repaired. I love Topeka. It's my home, and there's no place like it. (obligatory Oz reference)" (Topeka, Kansas) (Oct. 4)

Katya (katzk): "Dear Leslie, MERRY CHRISTMAS! May it be a very wonderful day filled with love, hugs, presents, and white SNOW. :)"

Lisa (fallingforever): "Happy Holidays!"

Dawn: "Hey Leslie. Hope you're enjoying the holiday season! Well, here is a postcard from Taipei, Taiwan. The pic is of The Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall. The building housing it is quite massive. If you look closely, you can see the C.K.S. statue. It looks just like that memorial in Washington with a seated Abraham Lincoln. See ya! Luv, Dawn."


2005 (27)

KQ (sjenkins): two blank Singapore postcards

Dawn: "Hey Leslie! How are you these days? Well, just wanted to say a quick ALOHA from Waikiki, Hawaii. :) It's so beautiful here, and the beaches outrank English Bay's by far, haha. Anyway, wishing you all the best." (May 10)

Charlotte (charshark): "Hey Leslie! Here's a postcard that actually represents my area pretty well. It's usually not that green though, haha. Well, I hope you have an awesome day! Watch out for those Chrises! ;)" (August 26)

Dawn: "Hey Leslie, Just saying a quick HI to you from Beijing, and a THANK YOU for being the first to give me a birthday card, haha! All the best, Dawn." (October 18)

Vivian: "Hey Leslie! Salut et Bonjour de Marseille. This is a postcard of the Vieux Pont, kinda like the downtown of the city. Marseille is a fairly old city.. well, really old compared to anything in Canada. ;) Still, its population is half that of Vancouver. After a month and a half here, I suppose I'm pretty much adjusted and settled in Marseille. I really do miss home, especially on Sundays. How's everyone at church? Fellowship? The kids? I miss you guys.

I've been going to the E. Free Church here. Service is of course in French, but in fact, a lot of the congregation speaks English! They're nice and welcoming. I'm glad God brought me there. I hope you're doing well, and that I'll catch you on MSN one of these days! :) Do say HI to your family for me, please! Thanks! :) Take care and God bless! Love, Vivian." (November 4)


Samara (mystic_notions): "Greetings from WINTERPEG! I hope all your holiday wishes get granted. Happy holidays, and I wish you all the best for 2006!"

Christine (occipitaldruid): "These are our beautiful mountains guarding the north side of the city. We call them the Dragon spine. :) There's a whole story about the Dragon." (Organ Mountains, New Mexico)

Caroline (riadsala): "Leslie - I hope you're having a very happy day, and that all your holiday wishes come true! Cheers, Caroline" (Philadelphia)

Katya (katzk): "St. Petersburg is often called the Northern Venice, for it has plenty of water canals. But boats aren't the main transport here. :) Besides, it would be difficult to go around in winter because rivers are covered in ice. Same story in Canada, I guess. Greetings from Russia! Katya."

Katya (katzk): "This is St. Petersburg too, in watercolors. I have still to live my first winter here in Peter. I'm curious. I think all the parks (Peter has a lot of them!) will be entirely beautiful. They were in summer and in autumn. I love watercolor postcards. I can't draw and I can't buy original works, but I can have postcards! :) Katya."

Vivian: "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :) It's getting colder in Marseille, but unlike Vancouver, we haven't had rain in a while. As the holidays draw nearer, I hope you're taking time to relax even as you write up Christmas cards and do Christmas shopping. :) Report card time for the students here. Luckily, my job is not to grade them... just getting them to talk can be challenge enough! How's the fellowship? And the AWANA kids? I read up on your blog every so often.. thanks for the updates! Happy holidays to you and yours. God bless!"

Kadri (bad_habit): "Happy holidays, Leslie! I hope your holidays are peaceful and that you get to spend them with your loved ones. Say, why do people always insist that snow is white? Snow is hardly ever white, I think. Even on this card - pink! I guess saying it's white is the easy way out.

And no, I don't know what a normal holiday card looks like. This I consider to be fairly normal (both the writing and the card). Man, this card makes me want to go skiing. (I'm also betting that's not how you spell that!) I can't, of course - no snow at the moment. But as I'm out of space - häid pühi once again. May each day make you smile!"


Sheryll (sheryll): "Top right: The Alamo... amazing to wander through such history! Bottom right: San Antonio at night. Left: Riverwalk - especially beautiful when all lit up with Christmas lights. Odd to enjoy while wearing summer clothes, though!" (San Antonio)

Sheryll (sheryll): "The Alamo from the other card is actually the first in what is called the Mission Trail - a line of five Spanish missions. For some reason, my favorite is Espada. It is the least preserved of the five, and the farthest from the city." (San Antonio)


Charlotte (charshark): all nine postcards are blank!

* Virgin and Child with Angels: Folding Ivory triptych, with traces of polychromy... from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
* the Seine and Notre Dame from Paris, France
* the Legend of the Dogwood (having to do with the Crucifixion)
* the Big Hole River and the Pinter Peaks in the distance on Highway 43 between Wise River and Wisdom, Montana
* New York City
* an "artsy" one by Anne Taintor involving those word fridge magnets: "my garden kicks ass"
* wolves
* Seattle University fountain and Christmas tree at dusk
* yellow brittlebush and saguaro cactus by Canyon Lake on the Apache Trail in Arizona (should ask Corey if he's ever been there in his travels to visit his ex, heh)


Carmina (on_the_ground): "I don't have any beautiful cards from my city, so I send you a flyer I like from my fave Spanish band. They have the best lyrics and live sound in history, so it's an honor that they are from Valencia and that I've met them many times. They're really normal persons who sign all the CDs you ask them to... So I guess that's why they are also the best for me. [La Habitación Roja = The Red Room]"


2006 (10)

Dawn: "Hey Leslie! Hope that this card finds you well and enjoying that Vancouver summer weather! I just came back to Hong Kong after a trip back into China, only this time to the southern province of Yunnan, where there are a lot of rural villages / really old towns that still retain a lot of the life and architecture of a bygone era / where the most of China's ethnic minority groups live. Well, all the best... and I will see you in 604 soon! Love, Dawn." (August 9)

Dewitta (doublu): "Hey, glowing_dragon! Is this your first postcard from Singapore? I know that it says that the picture was taken in the 80s, but it was the only decent one that displays the Merlion. (THE tourist icon of Singapore) The landscape hasn't changed much, anyway, Just the obligatory increase of modern skyscrapers. :) Happy Holidays! LJer doublu. P.S. Wikipedia can help you out with MERLION because I'm running out of space here. :D"

Janina (mrshannibal): "Finding a postcard of San Leandro is very hard - so here's the town next to mine - sometimes I work at this place, too..." (Oakland's Network Coliseum, home to the Raiders and Athletics)

Savina (bodha): "Dear Leslie, I hope you like the postcard I've picked for you. It depicts Palace Schönbrunn in all its glorious cheesiness. Oh, yes, me - I'm Savina Kalanj a.k.a. LJ user bodha. And this palace is not too far from me... so in case I need some Christmas spirit, I drive down to the Christmas market there, avoiding the happily drunk and going straight for the sugar-coated apples. If it snows, that's even better... because the snow muffles all sounds and makes everything / everyone even slower by default. That, for me, is the Christmas spirit: something sweet and some quiet, and a little bit of cheesiness. That being said - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!" (Vienna, Austria)


Kadri (bad_habit): "Happy holidays, Leslie! Okay, so it appears that Estonia is lacking in the 'dragons' section. I figure our winters are too cold for them. (say, are dragons migratory creatures?) But here's a picture of my hometown for you. Pretty neat, huh? To the left is a good (but expensive) café. You can buy ice cream in the summer and sandwiches in the winter from the main building. And in the building on the right is a garlic restaurant. And yes, then there's the church. So, if you ever come here, you can find the place. (oh, a tip: to shorten your search, start from the Town Square) Oh, of course, if you come here... then let me know, I'll show you around. I don't actually know what to write on a 'holiday' card. I always tend to write what's on my mind, only lately I've come to suspect that might not be the case. I guess now it's too late to reconsider. :)

You know, since I just watched Dragonheart (well, it was on TV), I have a feeling that all dragons speak in the voice of Sean Connery. I'm sure that's not the case, though. Besides, how could they tell who they're talking with? Or who's male or female? And why do I think they'd speak the same language anyway. Ah, but do let me know whether you think they're migratory. I'm curious now. I hope your holidays are peaceful."

Amy Capuano (letmypidgeonsgo): blank New York postcard


Saara (sinnarn's friend): "GREETINGS FROM JAPAN! Hi! Thank you for the Christmas card! And thank you for the Totem Pole card, too! It was fun. I wrote my master's thesis about Kwakiutl masks, so I'm a bit familiar with the Northwest Coast art. I enjoy my time here in Japan, but it's a bit weird that there's no snow on the ground in December. If you want to visit Japan, I recommend the Kyoto area and all the old shrines and temples there. Happy New Year! Finnish: Hyvää uutta vuotta!"

Frane Kalanj (bodha [Savina Kalanj]'s uncle): "Zdravi bili. Be good. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Sv. Filip-Jakov is a small village on the Adriatic coast. It's the best place for me. Frane."

Frane Kalanj (bodha [Savina Kalanj]'s uncle): "Here is a view of the boat port in Sv. Filip-Jakov. All the best. Frane."

Katya (katzk): blank postcard of the Savior-on-the-Blood cathedral in St. Petersburg


2007 (4)

Corey (dwcorey): "Hi Leslie! You said you had a postcard of the CKS Memorial Hall, so you get one of the Taipei 101 building instead. We went up to the 91st floor, which is as high as they allow you to go. From up there, other tall buildings in the area look pretty puny. I'm sure you'll have talked to me plenty about the trip by the time you get this, plus I'm almost out of room, so you can get the rest of the trip info online! - Corey."

Randal: 2 cute postcards from the Jelly Belly factory in San Francisco from his bus tour... how sweet!

Lindsay (yours_for_life): "Greetings from Florida! ♥ This is yours_for_life @ LJ fulfilling one of your holiday_wishes to receive worldwide postcards! While a Disney postcard or beach scene might have also represented Florida, I thought nothing could compare to our wildlife! Happy and warm holiday wishes to you and yours! ♥, Lindsay." (it featured a pelican!)


2008 (4)

Janina (mrshannibal): two Oakland ones; the Network Coliseum (Raiders and A's), and a general Oakland one

Tracey (bttfbabe): "I've been here [Quechee Gorge in Vermont], and it is AWESOME! Definitely not for someone who is afraid of heights, though. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009! Tracey."

Karine (karineinthepool): "Hi, Leslie! Here's a great pic of a great city! Melbourne has great people, cool trams, and lots of public parks and gardens! Happy holidays! XOX, Karine." [Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Yarra River and skyline]

Katariina (valkeakuulas): "Hi! :) This is valkeakuulas from holiday_wishes, posting a card from where I live. It's not the greatest city ever like I believed before moving here from the countryside, but I adjust pretty easily. You see the church? It's built in the times when Finland belonged to Russia, and looks very Russian! The other Russian-looking building is Usponsi cathedral in the left upper corner. It's an Orthodox church. When you go in the upper right corner, there's a park area. Traditionally, uni students go picnic there on May Day. There are a lot of uni buildings in the pic, but I can't make out which is the main one! Anyway, I've grown to like the city. If you visit someday, I hope you remember me writing this card from the other side of the world. Yours, K."


2009 (3)

Kelli (neonrose5): "From our vacation at Niagara Falls earlier this year... enjoy!"

Karine (karineinthepool): "Hi Leslie! I think I sent you a postcard of Quebec City last year, so I thought this one would be a nice change! Unfortunately, my sticker stash is running low, so these are sort of boring, but I hope you like the bookmark! Merry Christmas! XOX, Karine." (a lighthouse at Sea Cow Head)

Casey (chickabimbo): "I'm on vacation here in Orlando, and thought I'd add in this postcard for you! Happy Holidays, and all the best for 2010!"


2010 (5)

Steph: "Yaz is Lard! Greetings from Roppongi Hills, Tokyo. Yaz would enjoy the heated toilet seats here. What a reality!"

Leslie (sexnseafoam): "Dear Leslie, Hope you're doing well! Wanted to give you a postcard that would only somewhat show the extent of the Filipinos Roman Catholic worship. It's all pretty cool to see. Except for Easter. Google it, and you'll understand. Take care, and see you on LJ! Leslie."

Didu (didu): "Holiday_Wishes greetings from Finland! The pictured bridge is called Jätkänkynttilä, and it's the prettiest bridge here in Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi (or "Roi" as I call it) is the Christmas town of Finland. You can find Santa stuff here all year round, not just around the holidays! Didu."

Shelley (always_bryn): postcard of the State Capitol Grounds in Richmond, Virginia

Karine (karineinthepool): "Merry Christmas, Leslie! Hope these [new fuzzy red pair of socks] will be nice and cozy this winter! XOX, Karine." [the postcard featured the Alberta Northern Lights]


2011 (10)

Kadri {bad_habit}: "Hello, Leslie! I fear the only holiday this card won't be late for is Chinese New Year, so happy Chinese New Year to you! It looks like you had a much better year this time. As a matter of fact, mine was also pretty decent! I got a new job which I like, I saw my friends a lot, and I got to travel in Europe. All was well!

I hope this year brings as much joy and fun as the last one. No, wait, more! Who wouldn't want to be happier? And I think it should contain at least one adventure. Oh, I plan to run at least a 10 km race in autumn. I'll be practicing for it and all! I took up running in... October, I think. I just wanted to see if it was as bad as I remembered from my school years. And it's not. It's fun. It's just that in school, you were made to run 5 km with no preparation on Day 1. So you ended up hating running - or at least I did. But if you start slow, then you can run 5 km after just two months without any trouble. And at least I enjoy it. It's good for me AND fun - what else could I ask for? Oh, so yes, I've taken it to be my mission to tell people this. The people out there running do mostly enjoy it, as hard as that is to believe. Couch 25k is a great place to start. Just saying. Just in case. ;)

Have a great year! Toodles! Kadri."


Janina (mrshannibal): a "World's Bliss" Maui postcard, a "What Dreams May Come" Hawaii postcard, a Raven Images wizard with a crystal ball postcard, a fairy postcard, a "Don't Freak Out" postcard, a "Let's Turn This Into A Math Problem" postcard featuring arsenic poison into a beverage (HAHAHAHA!), and a "human body" postcard featuring an "eater" / Diet Pepsi bottle / "lack of Diet Pepsi warning system" (7)

Live (blackballoon): "Dear Leslie, Wintry greetings from Norway! :D May all the season's peace and magic be yours this December. You deserve it! ♥ Here's to hoping 2012 will be a kinder year than its predecessor. Live."

Karine (karineinthepool): "Hi, Leslie! Sorry this took so long. It has been a hectic holiday season. Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope 2012 is awesome for you! All the best, Karine."


Total: 75

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Binary / Octal / Hex site

A site that lets your translate your text into the Octal number system. They also have the same thing in Binary and Hex. Definitions: Octal: "Eight" My Homework! and Hex: Sweet Sixteen. Binary: it's digitalicious! (The binary number system (aka base 2) represents values using two symbols, typically 0 and 1. Computers call these bits. A bit is either off (0) or on (1). When arranged in sets of 8 bits (1 byte) 256 values can be represented (0-255). Using an ASCII chart, these values can be mapped to characters and text can be stored. It's not magic, it's just math!)

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Dream of meeting people at Milestones, and ignoring people in the washroom

Must remember: there's a Blogger outage at 4. I've decided to abandon the backdating project (for now?) because I can, dammit! Besides, I'm sure I could find something better to do with my time. ;)

Stupid people doing work / knocking on the walls next to me... It's not like I could sleep a whole lot! Maybe I'll take a nap later...

I had a dream which involved my meeting a whole bunch of friends at the Milestones by London Drugs. (only it was farther away in the plaza than in real life) For some reason, Jim Hall was included in that number... he's a schoolmate whom I haven't seen for YEARS, but I always liked his curly mop of hair. When I got to Milestones, I waited by the front of the restaurant to see if anyone else would show up. Then I noticed people waving to me, and discovered that Stella and a few others were there already! We talked for a while, played with toy cars, and colored the paper placemats with lots of crayons. I went to the washroom and had just ensconced myself in a pretty wooden stall with a red velvet couch when Auntie May came in to look for me. Given where I was and what I was doing, I chose to ignore her. When I came out, she had left the restaurant... and so had a bunch of others! I asked Jim where they'd gone, and he said that they'd gone to surprise me later. Then we spent some time together, and that was when I woke up... interesting!

Triggers? Dunno, but I always hate going to restaurants and not noticing my friends if they're around. I don't mind looking around for them, but sometimes I look like an idiot doing so, especially if I completely miss them. (then again, I was at a certain dinner last year where I waited for the one person I knew out of the crowd for 10 minutes, then gave up and looked for her... sigh! Jasmine should really have waited FOR me, dammit!) I hope that doesn't happen tonight!

Melia emailed me to say that she can't come tonight since nobody's home to watch her grandma. She just found out this morning, so I told her not to worry about it because I definitely understand. Someone needs to be home to look after Grandma, after all! For some reason, I want sushi now instead of pasta... weird, but perhaps I'll have that later! (always nice when someone pays for it, though... hehe, perhaps next year if Kisha Poppo's not contingent on a movie I wanna see!) Maybe I'll order something other than spaghetti with Mizithra cheese tonight, which is what I had at Eric H.'s birthday hangout dinner. (too much cheese, haha) Perhaps the linguini or something... knowing certain people, they'll encourage me to order beer, haha. Might do that too, who knows?

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Talk Like A Pirate Day / Captain's log and crying sessions / Lame emails / Boston Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

Grrr, I just lost two hours or more to editing tags / my browser freezing. Damn, I hate when that occurs! *grumble* (I'd probably be in bed by now if that hadn't happened!)

LJ is apparently getting into "Talk Like A Pirate Day," which is bugging me for some reason... although the eye patches on the heads are kinda okay. Must be an indication of an incoming biological process, then! (Crew Info on communities' userinfo, "Aye Aye! Sending entry to LiveJournal," Frank the Goat decked out in pirate wear / a wooden leg... ANNOYING!)

The "captain's log" thing reminds me of something that Vernon wrote in my blue guestbook once: "Hi Leslie! Another visit, another entry in the captain's log! Too bad there weren't that many people today. But I had a good time napping on the floor as well as praying." He, Daniel, and Keith did nap on the floor and couch in the living room that time... so Maxine, Anita, and I laughed at them when we were done having a crying session in my room over all our grandmothers. :P It was Maxine's birthday and hers was in life support in hospital, Anita's had just passed away not too long before, and mine was having health problems which kinda worried me. (that was the day I found out that Michelle had been telling Daniel about the Outlander series, too!)

Speaking of annoying things, I just found ANOTHER lame email from the usual suspect. At least this one didn't have brightly colored text, and only had a relative few words / letters bolded and in large type! Although I do have to wonder what the heck is up with that Old English... o_O (that quote won't remind me of Bible Study or anything associated with it... however, it may remind me of how I wish to do certain things, hahaha)

"Dearest Lovelies of David Fellowship:

'Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness,
close bosom friend' of thy Lord Jesus Christ,**
remindeth thee of the cool autumnal eve of this Friday,*
the 22nd day of pure of heart September,
when upon thou shall gather with thy Bible Study group,
precedeth by contacting thy leader to confirmeth thy attendance.

Keepeth it true and fair, or pretty for thy Lord.

In Christ,
K.C.

*This Friday, Sept. 22nd is Bible Study in the Education Building (or, where applicable, in thy kind neighbors' dwelling).

**The fairest of ten thousand loves thee more than anything. Go to thy cherished Bible Study group and love all dearly by Word and deed."


Boston Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

Categories: Pitzer, Pasta, Cheese
Yield: 6 Servings

3 cups Dry spiral-shaped pasta - Cook al dente, drain
2/3 cups Milk (2% or regular)
1 lb Velveeta cheese, light or cubed small
1/4 teaspoon Dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Place into top of double boiler over gently simmering water milk, cheese, mustard powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper in that order. Stir with whisk occasionally until melted and smooth. Stir pasta into hot cheese mixture and keep hot until serving time over hot water, up to an hour. (If it begins to thicken up too much, dilute with a little milk). Never put into oven or over direct heat as it will scorch and change the texture to a sticky mess. 6-8 side servings or 4 main-dish servings.

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Monday, September 18, 2006

Billie and Terry

Billie just let me know that she can't make it tomorrow, as both her parents are working. Dang, that sucks since I was looking forward to seeing her! I've talked to David S. for once, and at least he's doing well. Thank goodness I can bug Snoopy anytime, haha. (well, kinda...) Steph says that she and Eric will pick me up at church on the way to Citrus' place on Saturday, otherwise we'll be late. I should remember to tell Henry, then...

Terry also just emailed me back, saying that he'd been on a trip to Seattle to refresh himself. I forwarded it to my brother, and also replied to him. He doesn't find community at church or much continuity within our fellowship, either. To him, it's like we meet on Friday nights and nothing really happens after that. (Dragon Ball and other assorted outings aren't an example of such?! :P) On Sunday, he just goes to church and nothing really goes on afterwards. (it's called the Sunday syndrome, although I'm sure there are things going on later besides meetings and such!) He thinks it might be because people have grown up in the church, and then a sense of complacency has developed... but he doesn't know. Regardless, he often questions himself about why he comes out on Friday night. Lately, he even wonders why he's coming on Sundays. But he doesn't want to say or complain anymore than this... he thinks he may just need to have a fresh start and gain a new perspective in his quest to find a church home.

At least he really thanks me for my email in showing care and concern for him. He went so far as to say that it was certainly heartwarming! Well, if he ever wants to go to these dinners, he knows what to do. (contact me) Corey thinks he doesn't know enough people... that might be the case since he IS kinda new! Maybe I should see if Jesse is free tomorrow, although maybe not since I'm not even sure of his full email address. (I just saw it written on the back of a business card at Jeremy's!) But maybe it's on the dinner list, and I did save Jon's last email about that in case I needed the email addresses on it. (for personal purposes only, NOT SPAM!) I've checked, and it's not... oh well. Maybe next time I see him, I'll ask for it! Not sure that the email list has changed much since the first dinner anyhow, heh.

Ooh, it was Jay's birthday yesterday too. Should have given him pre-birthday wishes last week when I saw him online... oh well, maybe later!

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