We're champions in everything but NHL hockey, it seems...

Caught up on blogs: Dawn has rants about certain things going on in her life, plus the tap water situation. Steph's changed her layout to BC Lions colors (bright orange!) and has a post about our good sports teams showings in football / baseball / soccer / WHL hockey... we're not NHL hockey champions yet! *sigh* Vivian has Sarah McLachlan lyrics (yay for no Christmas lyrics! :P), and a rant about spoiled bratty kids with high-tech gadgets and a severely underdeveloped sense of appreciation for the gifts they DO get. YOU WANT STOCKING STUFFERS ON TOP OF YOUR IPOD, KIDDIES?! NOT IN THIS HOUSE! GET ADOPTED IF YOU WANT THAT! (heh)

Dave loves his ball mouse (NOT IN THAT WAY, YOU PERVERTS!), and now thinks that his old English teacher's assessment of his being "morose" is correct. Maybe he'll be exuberant in ten years if his blog's still around, heh. Spoz has stuff about his weekender road trip: sounds like good times starting at the Enigma Bar, all right!

Meh... I guess I should call Henry to tell him about the detour, but I'll be seeing him at 3-ish. It's not like I don't have his phone number, and I kinda DO want to be courteous... after I make some lunch? Actually, I'll need to take a shower and such so I'll just leave it. (crap excuse, I know) Maybe I should bring something for William's entertainment, but I'm not sure I want to cart around heavy books all night. If only they made mini-versions of Ripley's books... hell, I'm not even sure how heavy this 300GB thing is gonna be! Dang, I knew I should have asked Eric about the weight of an average hard drive on the way to church last night... too late now!

Note to self: Take the bus right after Awana ends, or see if I can get a ride to Kingsgate Mall. Explain things better to Jeremy when I do meet him later on. I don't think he understood a lot of what I said to him last night on the phone, heh. You'd think I'd be better at this by now, especially since I know him somewhat. Go figure. *rolleyes*

Hot pot night!

I'm not really supposed to be on now as per Eric's orders, but I had to update and catch up. After this, I'll be a good girl and turn this thing off. I was going to say that there was no whining, but it's just started after this thing's been on for about an hour... I guess that's pretty "good," relatively speaking!

Went to the mall this afternoon since I had more stuff to mail out and buy. The post office was cash-only since there was trouble with the credit / debit card cables, so I went to the bank first. Good thing I ended up spending way less than last week on postage, bottled water, toothbrushes, raspberry and juniper hand sanitizers (those were ON SALE HALF-PRICE ENDING TODAY!), mushroom noodles, and a screwdriver from the dollar store! (thanks for the tip, Jasmine!) Got to the community centre around 6, and Eric pulled up within a couple of minutes. He wasn't convinced of my sanity, but whatever. He's just weird. :P

Complained about the road / bridge being frickin' busy, got gas even though he had 10 litres left (he wasn't getting it at 103.4 earlier!), and listened to Team 1040 coverage of the Canucks. Willie Mitchell hit someone in the head, so the talk was about the new NHL and how Ron McLean hates it / wishes that obstruction was still allowed... Colin Campbell had words right back at him! Then we have this young backup goalie that Vigneault threw in against Nashville... all sorts of fun there, not. (losing 6-0?)

When we got to church, we found that there were three simultaneous worship practices going on, and certain people had to be in two places at once! (Sunday, Floodlight tomorrow, and tonight's worship) I elected to go downstairs to see what was going on there: I went to the bathroom after Danielle did, figuring that it was a good idea. When I came out, Nathan was looking for me with Teunis in tow. I explained to Nate that I'd been in the bathroom - we're such good friends that we can talk about that stuff, haha. Good thing he was early, although I thought he'd just wander down to the basement, silly person that he is. I can imagine how it would have gone if I weren't there: "Hmm. Her stuff is here, but she's not... hey, Jon! Where'd your sister go? Eric and Jer! Where is Leslie? You don't know?! Uh... Cordia, check the bathroom!" Haha. Daniel says everyone in his family is going to Hong Kong at different times, heh. He was editing an essay before emailing it to a prof: good strategy! Teunis took one look at the laptop and was transported into nostalgia, hehe.

Talked for a while with Teunis after I handed him his Christmas card, which I was going to mail if he didn't come out tonight: seems he's doing stuff with snakes and the eternal programming servers or something. He showed me this cool picture of a Komodo Dragon: I looked them up online once, and those can be dangerous! Wandered off to the kitchen so I could give Danielle her and Citrus' Christmas cards, and got a hug for that - I also wanted to see Steph's reaction to the Komodo Dragon, which was JUST what I was hoping for! She didn't seem to like it much, haha. Heh, I'm a bad hostess since I kept wandering off places... but he got to talk to Billy, Stella, and Connie at first - so that was fine. Babies Benjamin and Megan are so cute! Ben's so curious about stuff, too. Very cute kids. Connie gave her sister Winnie their birthday cards from me: no problem that she forgot temporarily! Winnie knows I always remember!

Gave Vania and Karen Choo their Christmas cards before I sat down. Yes, of course Teunis could sit by me... I wasn't going to sit by Martin when I hardly know the dude! Hot pot was certainly interesting, with all the food and the community aspect of it. Talked to various people about things, and it seemed Teunis was enjoying himself. Saw Fidela, who's home on American Thanksgiving weekend... of course I had to hug her hello! She told me that the Bathroom Reader I gave her is in front of her mirror every day... at first, Jenny thought it was one of those page-a-day calendars. Nope, although I did have one of those a couple years back now...

Sam, Joey, Mike, Lucas, Darren, and their friends looked like they were having fun with their huge pot of food. Alan made various comments about Vivian / permission / the Committee / Eric / the food throughout the dinner, while Vania thought the opera music sounded too depressing. Jon looked at the CD and joked about changing it to the New Pornographers... of course, Jen went right along with THAT suggestion! Someone brought an ice cream cake out and people joined in singing "Happy Birthday" to Jon: sparkler candles looked way cool! I later had to eat Eric's slice since he can't eat that stuff, so wandered over to Randal and told him about the great sacrifice I was making, har har. It was pretty funny when Daniel started interviewing baby Megan on the microphone: "Where's Uncle Yoda? Are you a Bush supporter? Does your father know about your politics?!"

While Randal and Teunis were talking about the history of the Mongolians or something, I wandered over to the corner where Citrus / Mike / Darren / Ryan / Sam were flicking playing cards at each other. Mike accidentally hit me with one as I was walking over, and apologized. Not a problem! Eventually, Eric started collecting the cards that were flicked our way so they'd eventually run out of them. Jeremy was telling us about a Tetris documentary that he'd seen recently: Russian government, scientists, and even a ringtone on his phone! Eric was convinced that Jer played video games in secret, hahaha. Jon was chest-slapping the guys who gave it right back, and Angus almost wrestled him to the ground. Mike thought that my friend looked like Penn of Penn and Teller ("those two guys that do magic?! huh?!")... little guy (Randal) talking to a big guy, haha.

It got cold suddenly, but Jon says that the church is even colder at 9 AM on Saturdays during prayer meeting! Yikes, and I think it's cold when I go in for Awana in the afternoon! Stanley, his parents, and Hien's mom came to clean the church: they got our attention by turning the lights off and on, and told us to talk upstairs / outside. Seems Teunis thinks our group is pretty lively: he should meet Jackie and see how hyper she is, haha. Apparently, Karen told him to keep in touch with me because of the Fellowship Christmas meal on the 10th. (which Eric can't go to because his company party is on that SUNDAY! ... one of Steph's parties is on the 8th, so she won't be at Fellowship that day) Hmm... I guess I'll see on that one. If she invited him, then I'm sure it's fine if he goes! He left soon afterwards, so I went back inside. Jon was talking to someone on the church phone for some time, but we got him out eventually. One of the reasons why he didn't want to tell me about Harmony is because he thinks I'm "nosy." Not so much, no. :P

Some office Christmas parties are early, even before American Thanksgiving! (Dianne and her parents are in New York right now visiting their aunt, so Cindy's essentially by herself!) We also spent some time discussing arrangements for tomorrow night. The parents have Zion, so who knows if they'll drive Steph to the Whip. Since I am challenged when it comes to bus route knowledge in this town, I didn't really want to go too far out of my way. Steph suggested I call Jer up and ask to go with him from his place: that carried the danger of his thinking I'm utterly stupid. (or maybe that's my bad thinking again...) I didn't want to get to the restaurant REALLY EARLY, since the host is notorious for being LATE! (and he has a brunch tomorrow at some café near Jeremy's... he seemed to like the "beer at various ages" card, though)

So I got home, thought about it for a bit, and called Steph back to say that I'd take her suggestion. Then I called Jeremy to ask what he was doing tomorrow at 6:30-ish, and got the expected answer. He tried telling me which bus to take, but since I might get lost (or I'm just paranoid), he agreed to meet me near his place... I'm impressed! That works for me since I like having people around whom I can talk to, AND who actually know where they're going... nice comfort, that. :P (I wouldn't know, even though Main is a major street!) NOW it occurs to me that the mall is closed at that time, so we can't really meet inside near the Buy-Low / Shoppers. UGH. At least it gives me some safety and security to have him with me, as lame as that may sound. :P (I'M SPEAKING ON A PURELY FRIENDSHIP BASIS HERE, FOLKS!) Oh well... now all that remains is to somehow convince Henry to make a quick Renfrew / 22nd detour tomorrow afternoon! It shouldn't take TOO long to pick up the thing, although I hope it's not heavy coz I'll be carting it around all night!

My siblings think Teunis is cool since he's easy to talk to. Good thing there were people he knew at the dinner! Too bad I didn't really talk to him as much as I might have, but he wasn't standing around looking lonely, to everyone's credit. We also spent time talking about Joshua from South Calgary EFC... as long as he's not a Flames fan, it'll be FINE! Now I hear there will be snow on the weekend... EEP! I do not do well in snow, but I'll manage somehow. (I hope) Also, Steph thinks that Martin kinda looks like Cindy and Dianne's brother Tony... maybe a little bit, but not much.

Hard Rock Café Baked Potato Soup

Hard Rock Café Baked Potato Soup

8 Bacon slices - fried & crumbled
1 cup Yellow onions - diced
2/3 cups Flour
6 cups Chicken stock - hot
4 cups Potatoes - baked, diced & peeled
2 cups Heavy cream
¼ cup Parsley - chopped
1½ teaspoon Granulated garlic
1½ teaspoon Salt
1½ teaspoon Red pepper sauce
1½ teaspoon Coarse black pepper
1 cup Cheddar cheese - grated
¼ cup Green onions - diced

Chop bacon; reserve. Cook onions in remaining drippings over medium high heat until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps; cook for 3-5 minutes, until mixture just begins to turn golden. Add chicken stock gradually, whisking to prevent lumps until liquid thickens. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, chopped bacon, parsley, garlic, basil, salt, pepper sauce, and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes; do not allow to boil. Add grated cheese and green onions, heat until cheese melts smoothly. Garnish each serving as desired with chopped bacon, grated cheese and chopped parsley. Makes 8 Servings.

Expensive meals, motherboard fans, perfect life

Steph tells me that Jon's birthday dinner looks to be very expensive... o_O

The Whip restaurant gallery
They didn't give the Whip very good reviews!
And NYALA looks VERY $$$$ ... be careful!

Hey, my stuff actually arrived in England! Sweet!

Eric wants me to meet him at C+J at 6. That can certainly be done. Someone else might be late, but as long as he gets there eventually! Says the HWInfo program has a fan monitor, otherwise I need to open my computer case up and listen to what fan is making the noise. It could be the CPU fan.. or GPU fan or case fan. The lack of a working fan is going to fry the processor or something, so we'll see what this program says. Apparently, it's ridiculously hot! He suggests powering down from now till tomorrow morning and see what the temps are like then, as motherboard fans may be hard to come by. All right, after I email someone and make placeholder posts elsewhere. (though it'll be crazy busy to keep up with stuff!) Well, a dead phone's nothing to worry about, really... let's hope I can get Henry to make a detour. o_O

Your Life is 55% Perfect

Your life is pretty normal - sometimes great, sometimes not so great. You have a lot of good stuff going on. Your life may be more perfect than you realize.

How Perfect is Your Life?

You Belong in New York

You could be an "it girl," if you wanted to be... Just be a little more outgoing and let people see how great you are. You've got what it takes - you just have to put it out there!

Are You An "It Girl"?

Great American Cookies White Chunk Macadamia

I probably shouldn't be up now, but I did a lot of editing work involving certain entries. Wonder if I should email someone...


Great American Cookies White Chunk Macadamia

When Arthur Karp shared his grandmother's favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with Michael Coles, the business partners knew they had a hit on their hands. They opened their first Great American Cookies store in 1977 in The Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, Georgia. Now with more than 350 stores in the chain, these cookies have quickly become a favorite, just begging to be cloned. The chain bakes the cookies in convection ovens at the low temperature of 280 degrees for around 16 to 17 minutes. But since most of us don't have convection ovens and may have a hard time getting the oven temperature to this odd setting, we have made some adjustments. Just be sure when you remove the cookies from the oven that they appear undercooked and only slightly browned around the edges. This will give the cookies the perfect chewy texture when they cool.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut flakes, finely minced
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces solid white chocolate, cut into chunks
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed.
2. Add the coconut, egg, milk, and vanilla... mix well.
3. In another bowl... combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until dough forms. Mix in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts.
5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.
6. Measure out about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and form a ball. Drop each ball of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Do not overbake! Cookies should come out of the oven appearing slightly browned, yet undercooked. When cooled, the cookies will be soft and chewy like the original. Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

Screwdrivers, people who don't call me back, quizzes

Note: LJ Strangers with Candy Flat Point High years / spirit of LJ Christmas / LJ theme song blogquizzes. (by Lara, Josh, and Lindsey)

To do tomorrow: GET A SCREWDRIVER from London Drugs. Seriously. Corey yelled at me tonight from Texas and said I should get a 6-in-one with things for the bits. ("SO GET A SCREWDRIVER........... they are NOT hard things to obtain! :P I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. If that's a drug store... they probably have screwdrivers, as does almost every other kind of store... pretty much any place will sell one with a bunch of different bits that should fit most things... just get one of those") I found a "6 in 1 Helping Hand" at the London Drugs website that should suit... I hope they have it at the store!

I wish a certain someone would call me back. Yes, I realize people have lives and all, but that would really help in letting me know if I need to budget more than I do already. Then again, I should stop second-guessing myself. At least Eric's figured that the problem is probably a fan, which I know I should take care of... and at least I haven't lost any money!

You're most like a cat!!

************************

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Optimus Prime

you will save all the robots.......

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The one word that describes you is FABULOUS

You are the leader in your circle, the first to try new fashions and discover new music. You are admired and envied.

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.... don't I wish!

what is your destiny?

Become a pothead

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You are Citrine

This important member of the quartz family is specifically for the navel chakra. Its yellow ray stimulates activity in all the physical systems. Citrine energy is like that of the sun; warming, comforting, penetrating, energizing, and life-giving.

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Spelling / Manitoba / Evan / Jon / Great American Cookies Snickerdoodles

I got a perfect score on the MacAdams Spelling Test. :D

Who the hell is calling me from Manitoba?! If they want to waste their long-distance minutes or whatever, that's fine... but honestly, three calls in the last few days?! I don't know anyone in Manitoba, much less anyone whose phone number is 204-927-2271. Sigh.... one of those reverse lookup directories would be really good right about now... although I think they just called me again judging from the crackling on the line when I picked up! (reminder: only pick up after TWO rings!)

Hey, Janina says she and her kids got my Christmas cards and postcards. Apparently, the card was really funny. I forget which card I sent her, but it was probably the "Santa Makes A Tragic Wrong Turn Over Tokyo" one. That featured a green monster eating the sleigh and reindeer... "mmm, venison!"

Evan finally emailed me back. I'm not going to make a comment on how he almost wrote the name of his town as "Stupidville," haha. It just struck me as funny... or maybe he knows something I don't about the stupid people there! :P But that might happen to me too if I just woke up! He also says that Canadian addresses look weird and always freak him out... maybe it's the postal code, haha. Reminds me of what Sarah Moore asked me on 3.18.2003 when she was wondering how to make a US-Canada phone call: "How do you call Canada? Your phone number looks the same as ours do down here!" Just dial like a regular phone call with the area code! :P

Jon FINALLY told us about his birthday arrangements: no Sailor Hagar's pub in North Vancouver on Saturday, phew! Nyala Ethiopian Restaurant at 7 (4148 Main St, right at Main / King Edward), followed by drinks / food at the Whip Restaurant Gallery at 10 (209 E. 6th Ave, basically Main / 6th Ave)? Geez, that's some expensive taste right there. Oh well, I'll see what I can do, haha.


Great American Cookies Snickerdoodles

Rather than trying to beat the competitors - especially if they have an exceptional product - Mrs. Fields Famous Brands waves the cash at 'em. With the acquisition of Great American Cookies in 1998 by the company that made chewy mall cookies big business, Mrs. Fields is now peddling her baked wares in more than 90 percent of the premier shopping malls in the United States. That's how you make the dough! One of the all-time favorites you can snag at any of the 364 Great American Cookies outlets is this clone of the classic snickerdoodle. Rolled in cinnamon and sugar, it's soft and chewy like the other cookies, and will seem to be undercooked when you take it out of the oven. When it cools, it should be gooey yet firm in the middle. And a couple bites will make you wonder: "Got milk?!"

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Topping
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
2. In another bowl... combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.
5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.
6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon / sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.
7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled, they should be soft and chewy in the middle. Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

Changed Celebrity Names, Zodiac Dolls, Girl Confessions, Quizzes

Courtesy of Janina: Lots of celebrities' changed names

Sabina found a site that she thought I might like, since she thinks it's cute and knows I like copy-pasting stuff into my journal: Create your avatar at Zodiac Doll, choose your zodiac sign, and paste it on your personal webpage / blog / profile. Whenever you visit your page, your horoscope will be updated with the latest information.


Girl Confessions, from Candy via Myspace bulletin:

If you're female, mark all those that apply to you and post as "Girl Confessions."
If you're a guy, do the same and post as "Guy Confessions."
REMEMBER TO DELETE THE OTHER PERSON'S ANSWERS!!!

Girl Confessions
[x] I'm straight.
[] I'm gay.
[] I'm bi.
[] I'm kinda easy.
[] I do wear makeup.
[] When I walk by mirrors, I can't help but look.
[] When I walk by mirrors, I like what I see.
[x] When I walk by mirrors, I hate what I see.
[] I wear a bra to bed.
[] I wear boxers / boy shorts to bed.
[x] Occasionally, I sleep naked.
[] I wear toenail polish.
[] I have cried at a movie theater.
[] I've purposely talked to a guy my boyfriend didn't like.
[x] I love chocolate-covered pretzels.
[x] Getting a flower makes me smile, especially if it's for no reason.
[] I've wrecked a car.
[x] I can't put mascara on without opening my mouth.
[x] I'd do anything for that special guy.
[x] I get jealous easily.
[x] I love hugging.
[x] I've gotten a detention.
[] I've gotten suspended.
[] I've gotten expelled.
[x] I love to laugh.
[x] I like rock.
[x] I like death / grind / black metal.
[] I like rap.
[] I like techno.
[x] I carry a purse everywhere.
[x] I carry a bag everywhere. (if my knapsack counts, haha)
[] I'd be lost without my cell phone.
[x] I'd be lost without my iPod / mp3 / CD player / computer.
[] I own / did own a Spice Girls CD.
[] I own / did own a Britney Spears CD.
[] I own / did own a boy band CD.
[] Football isn't boring.
[] I love athletic boys.
[x] I love skater guys.
[x] I love punk guys.
[] I love gangsta guys.
[] I love emo guys.
[x] I love gothic guys.
[x] I love guys with long hair.
[x] Guys are confusing.
[] I've cheated on someone before.
[x] I've been called a slut.
[x] I've been called a bad influence.
[x] Lip gloss is better than lipstick.
[] I can't leave the house without makeup.
[x] I just don't like to be in front of people. (sometimes)
[] I play video games, even when there are other people around.
[x] My friends are the best, and they're important to me.
[x] I would do anything for my friends.
[] I am going out with a certain someone right now.
[] I am not going out with anyone, but I am with someone.
[] I smoke way too much.
[] I drink way too much.
[] I have a tattoo.
[] I have piercings other than my ears.
[x] I have been to more than 5 concerts.
[x] I have a stuffed animal(s).
[] I have cheated on someone just to make them dump me first.


Guy Confessions
[] I'm straight.
[] I'm gay.
[] I'm bi.
[] I play video games.
[] I wear boxers to bed.
[] I've slept naked.
[] I've thrown rocks at a girl's window.
[] I've drank because I felt like it.
[] I still beat my buddies up.
[] But, of course, they never beat me up.
[] I've been in a fist fight.
[] And won.
[] I own a car.
[] I own a truck / SUV.
[] My friends and I make fun of each other.
[] I have a job.
[] I currently have a girlfriend.
[] I think about a girl.
[] Girls are complicated.
[] I get jealous easily.
[] I'm cocky.
[] I can dance.
[] I've forgotten to return a phone call to a girl... or a few.
[] I'd do anything for my / a girl.
[] I tend to be shy around some girls.
[] I've acted like an ass on purpose.
[] I play hard to get.
[] I aspire to one day be like the guys from Old School.
[] I'm in love.
[] I've honked at a girl going down the road.
[] I've hit on a girl in public.
[] I've asked a hot girl that I just met for her number.
[] I've cheated on someone before.
[] Sports overrule everything.
[] I like death / grind / black metal.
[] I like rock music.
[] I like rap music.
[] I like emo music.
[] I like techno at parties and listening to my mp3 player / CDs.
[] I like techno only at parties.
[] I can't stand techno.
[] I've been expelled.
[] I've been suspended.
[] I've gotten detentions.
[] I wear / have worn eyeliner because I wanted to.
[] I have a tattoo.
[] I have piercings.
[] I smoke way too much.
[] I drink way too much.
[] I respect what she has to say.
[] And yes, I actually care about how her day went.

THE HOTTIES OF GREEN DAY!

You're a wildass party kid. You've loved music and making it since you were 5. I bet you're a hottie. :)

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Which Sexy Star are you? [Nov. 2006]

Angelina Jolie

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Which rockstar will be your future husband? [girls / gays only]

Matt Good

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What will be on your gravestone?!

If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion.

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YOU ARE SKELETOR

You are the evil monster maniac war demon SKELETOR! You spend your time fighting Dolph Lundgren and trying to look pretty! (ever since that horrific face-melting incident)

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You are... a best friend Sue!

Best friend Sues aren't as common as the others. Either they are their eventual love interest's childhood friend or they get to know them, and through quite a bit of angst and accidental kisses, you find you both love each other. You are kind, pretty, funny, and charming.

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Who is your ideal footy boyfriend?

Wayne Rooney

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Straight as a board

You love the ladies! There is no way you're gay! And if you noticed that rhymed and you're laughing, then retake the test!

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Actually, I don't love the ladies (at least in THAT way), but whatever. :P

Ashley Tisdale

You killed Ashley! How dare you!

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Scandisk, fans, not panicking, GrandMa's Peanut Butter Big Cookies

Eric got online earlier to make some devious suggestions, and also advised me to run ScanDisk. From the results of that (no aborted scans here), he told me not to panic about my hard disk dying. Maybe the whining sound IS coming from a fan... even if he can get me a 120GB for much cheaper (with little to no shipping and handling), I might still get this 300GB deal. (it's not from an auction, like he thought) When's the next time I'll get a deal like that, I ask you?! I just hope that the hard drives don't depreciate over time like cars do! Not that we think I *need* 300GB, but who knows!


GrandMa's Peanut Butter Big Cookies

When these cookies are cool, be sure to seal them up real super duper tight in something like Tupperware or a Ziploc bag. That's the way to keep these puppies moist and chewy like the original GrandMa's Big Cookies. In fact, the real product claims to be the only national cookie brand that guarantees the freshness of the product or double your money back. That's very big of the current manufacturer, Frito-Lay, which purchased the GrandMa's Cookies brand from General Mills back in 1980.

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup Peter Pan peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture while beating.
4. Roll 3 tablespoon-size portions of the dough into a ball in your hands and press to 1/2-inch flat on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the cookies will not be chewy, and you may negatively impact the full enjoyment potential of the product. Makes 14 to 16 cookies.

Hard drive advice

Thanks to someone in RandomThought, I got this advice: "That's a really good hard drive and I'd take it. Now, if you already have a hard drive that's running Windows, there's no need to install it again on your new drive (and take up 1/3 of the space). You just install the new drive as the slave drive (and your old one would be the master with the OS on it which the computer boots from) and use it for a mass amount of storage. However, if you're planning on scrapping your old drive, install the new one as the master and make your old one the slave (it's a matter of swapping cables). Put Windows on it (find a disc, I guess. Have your friend burn a copy). Move everything from your old drive that you want to keep, then remove it. May I also suggest taking a magnet (or hammer, which is more fun) to it, just in case there's something on there that someone could use to destroy you somehow."

To me, that basically means that I'd have to get Eric or someone to install Windows on that beast with tools and advice, heh. Corey thinks it could just be the fans which cost like $5 to replace, but I'll worry about that later. Carol warned me that external drives wouldn't do any good if the main drive is dying, so I emailed the guy to ask about that. Thank goodness it's an internal drive that will fit into any desktop... I already have a case, which is a good thing. I'm figuring that I'd swap the drives (or get someone to do so) if it fits... then worry about memory sticks and fans later.

Eric's hardware help, hard drive, Always Have A Happy Period, GrandMa's Oatmeal Raisin Big Cookies

I was thinking about the computer hard drive offer, so I emailed Eric to ask him what he thought about my hard drive being one of two types, and what sort of memory sticks it would take. He replied later to tell me about Hardware Info, and suggested I download something that would tell him what he needed to know. So I did... apparently, my hard drive now would still be compatible with the offered one and wires. (maybe) I also just emailed the dude who offered it to me (gotta keep myself in the game) to ask him a few questions about it - brand, towers, stuff on it (if anything) - on my mind. Might as well do it via email, since I'll forget while on the phone. (I'm notoriously BAD for this, especially with people I don't know!)

Corey got on MSN from Texas since his dad managed to steal wireless access from a small spot at his grandparents' house. He reminded me that I needed RAM and not a gigantic hard drive. Yeah, I know... but the RAM can wait till later! This offer won't really stay around for much longer, or so I think.

Hey, the dude emailed me back already! Whoa. Apparently, it's a Seagate 300GB, 7200RPM drive with a 16MB cache, and it's pretty fast in general. He says there's no case on it, so I install it in my computer and I can do whatever I want with it. I'm thinking that it needs Windows and Firefox and some other programs, but I can probably get someone to do that for me if / when I get this thing! (I don't trust myself with installing Windows... actually, I have no disk for it!) At least I compiled a list of programs on my hard drive earlier tonight in preparation for this.

Always maxipads are cool and all, but their new slogan is NOT impressing me! "Have a happy period - Bonne et heureuse semaine"?! I don't THINK so! A good and happy week (literal translation of the French) isn't what I associate with that time of the month, thank you very much! UGH!


GrandMa's Oatmeal Raisin Big Cookies

GrandMa's Cookie Company was founded back in 1914 by Foster Wheeler, but it wasn't until 1977 that the company introduced the popular Big Cookie. This large, soft cookie comes two to a pack and is offered in several varieties, including oatmeal raisin. Now you can bake up a couple batches all your own with this spiffy kitchen clone. Just be sure not to overdo it in the oven. You want these cookies soft and chewy when cool - just like a happy grandma would make 'em - so take them out when they are just beginning to turn light brown around the edges.

1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups oats (not instant)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Combine 1/2 cup raisins with water in a food processor and blend on high speed for about 1 minute or until very smooth.
3. Combine this raisin puree with the vegetable shortening, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well with electric mixer until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pour this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix well until ingredients are incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup raisins.
5. Roll 3 tablespoon-size portions of the dough into a ball in your hands and press to 1/2-inch flat on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, or the cookies will not be chewy. Store in a sealed container. Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

Seeing your mother killed by a sand yacht

Today's Horrifying Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

A teenager told of the horrifying moment he saw his mother killed by a sand yacht on a crowded beach. Steffan Cruz was holding his mother Carole's hand when Adrian Warren careered into her at 45MPH, severing her legs and breaking her back. The boy managed to jump out of the way and ran to his mother, whose first words were: 'I'm a cripple, I want to die.' Steffan, 14, who was 12 at the time, said: 'I just froze. It just felt like a nightmare. I felt really lightheaded. You just can't believe seeing your mum like that. A part of me knew she was dying. I just tried to make her feel better, just to make her feel that she wasn't alone, I was there with her. I know I couldn't, but I have got this feeling I could have moved her out of the way. It was impossible, but I have got that sinking feeling inside me that I could have done something. They're the worst things because they haunt you. She was being brave because she probably knew she was going to die.'

Mrs. Cruz, 38, was dragged 100 yards along the beach by the sand yacht. When Steffan reached her, he grabbed her hand to comfort her. He recalled: 'First of all she said, "I'm a cripple, I want to die," and then we heard her groaning. I told her it would be OK and everyone loved her. Then she said she believed me and we said it was going to be OK, and then I kissed her and then she started wheezing. I thought she was just having a little bit of a problem breathing, but it turned out her lungs were collapsing. Her eyes just looked straight forward and I thought she was actually focusing on something. She didn't blink or anything and then her stomach was going up and down really rapidly, but there didn't seem to be any air coming out of her mouth.'

Mrs. Cruz was pronounced dead in hospital about an hour later. Just before the tragedy, she and her son had been discussing how dangerous the yachts were. In police interviews played to the court, Steffan said: 'It must have been a couple of minutes before she got hit that she said that the sand yachts could go really fast. So I turned round and said that somebody's going to get hit by one of them one of these days. She agreed with me. Then a sand yacht came back down towards us and I saw it first. I don't think she saw it, and I told her to watch out. I jumped a few metres away from it and then it hit her. It came up behind her and she got hit right on the back of her legs. I don't think she even saw it coming. She came hurtling into the air and then, as if her legs went numb, she dropped straight to her knees. It was moving, so it took her underneath it, like a dummy or something.'

Warren admitted being preoccupied with his race when he hit Mrs. Cruz at St. Anne's, near Blackpool. Witnesses said the yachts were 'dodging' beachgoers, and one spoke of 'an accident waiting to happen.' Warren, a 49-year-old married lorry driver, was racing 12 others when Mrs. Cruz was struck by the wooden offside rear axle of the yacht - which weighed 37-stone with the pilot in it. Both her legs were 'virtually amputated' above her ankles. Her back was broken after being lashed by the securing wire which runs from the mast of the yacht to the offside axle.

Culled from: Daily Mail
Generously submitted by: Katchaya

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I must sadly inform you that Morbid Fact Du Jour will be on hiatus until November 28th while The Comtesse is away visiting her family in Catatonia. Please stay morbid in her stead!

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Horrific Hollywood!

David has a morbid heads-up from the latest James Bond movie:

"I don't know if you're a 007 fan or not, but there is a scene in Casino Royale that involves an exhibit of Gunther von Hagen's Body Worlds. In addition to being a good movie, it's fun to see some good morbidity thrown in."

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Morbid Mirth Du Jour!

Cavity juice is a strong formalin (formaldahyde) used in embalming. Here's a joke for all you would-be morticians out there:


Q: What do maggots do when you pour cavity fluid on them?

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A: The backstroke.


You can thank Jamie for that one!

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"My Brush With Morbidity" by number 9

"I was driving down I-75 with a friend of mine near Cincinnati, not paying too much attention, when traffic came to a screeching halt. I saw a woman standing in the middle lane (of three) frantically waving me to the left. I pulled off to the left shoulder to drive by the accident. A few feet past the woman, I saw a man lying face down in the left lane. As I got closer, I saw that the back of his head was missing. My friend who was sitting in the passenger seat let out an 'oh my God' gasp, looking down on the body from the window. I found out later that he had been thrown from a car by a collision and then smacked by a semi, knocking him out of his shoes (and skull). What I'll never forget is when driving by, I drove through a pool of blood leaking from his head. Every time I pass through a puddle, I hear the sound of blood splashing into my wheel wells."

Blood in the tracks, quite literally!


Nice semi-Bob Dylan reference. (Blood On The Tracks)

.... 300GB hard drive for $100?! HOLY CRUD!

HOLY CRAP! Someone just offered me a 300GB hard drive for $100! People (Candy, Kenneth, etc.) have been telling me that it's a damn good price, and that's what I've been thinking myself! I thought those things cost like three million dollars, which of course is exaggerated. Suppose I should compile a list of questions to ask the dude, like what's on the drive. (probably nothing) Was going to sleep yesterday, when he emailed me back after I'd expressed interest in the offer.

He also posted the offer on Craigslist, but I got first dibs on it, so I emailed back to say I was still interested. Might as well get the pre-emptive strike in first before hours pass, especially on things like this! Now, if only I could find memory sticks for a decent price around here... Of course, this would have to hit during the holidays when money is tight as IS... time to be ultra-cheap while food shopping! (noodles and bread and such stuff?) I may be a cheap Asian, but I recognize a good deal when I see one!

Wonder if it's safe to blow compressed air into the computer fan to clean it, or if I'll have to get screwdrivers to take it apart. I guess I'll have to see on both points, although I guess it wouldn't hurt to try the air thing now... or at least when I turn this thing off for safety reasons!

Hey, I got a Christmas card in the mail today from Julie! (julie709) That's very good! :D Speaking of Christmas cards, I just discovered one that I didn't know was buried in the pages of my notebook on Friday. Oh well, maybe I'll get it off to the person this week, or after December!

Stinging Morbid Facts / Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix

People have called me a troll in the past, but I wasn't making fun of someone's wishlist because I made some disparaging comments about her choice in names. It was mocking the NAMES, not the list. I'm sure if I had six kids, I'd love personalized ornaments or whatever she wished for... but I still stand by what I said. Some people just deserve to be made fun of. :P (those poor kids, with names like that...)

I saw something about crayons and flossing, and that reminded me. Today at the toddler Sunday School class, I noticed a RAW AMBER crayon: it looked darkish green. Then on the way to Nathan's, my siblings and I noticed a woman flossing / brushing her teeth while driving! Man...

Some of the football players today looked nice, heh.


Today's Stinging Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Earl Wells, 75, a retired zoo director, died in September 2004 after he was stung about 1,000 times by European yellow jackets when he fell onto their nest from a ladder while cleaning windows at his home. European yellow jackets swarmed Wells when the stepladder he was standing on to wash windows collapsed onto their underground nest. He was unconscious when paramedics arrived. He suffered cardiac arrest in the attack and remained in a coma after being resuscitated before finally succumbing to his injuries ten days later.

Culled from: The Associated Press
Generously submitted by: Katchaya

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I never knew that yellow jackets had underground lairs! See, MFDJ is educational as well as horrid!

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Morbid Sightseeing!

John has an excellent morbid sightseeing tip for the next time you find yourself stuck a few days in Florence, Italy. (Who knows? It could happen tomorrow!)

"The Specola museum in Florence, Italy is a most fascinating museum. It is a natural history museum and is laid out starting with insects and mollusks, then birds, fish, mammals (all stuffed, sometimes very weirdly) and ending with the most stunning wax anatomical models of humans and their parts. There is a book published by Taschen called Encyclopaedia Anatomica. If you ever find yourself in Florence, I strongly advise you go there. It's near the Pitti Palace."

Indeed, I love those old wax models, so I'm sure I would have a most enjoyable time here!

Museo La Specola

Encyclopaedia Anatomica

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Morbid Mirth Du Jour!

What's a serial killer's favorite pickup line?

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Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?

Thanks to Jill for the joke.


Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Here's a clone for the instant dressing mix you buy in the little 0.7-ounce packets. When added to vinegar, water, and oil... you get one of the best-tasting instant salad dressings around. But what if you can't find the stuff or it is no longer sold in your area, as I've heard from so many? Or maybe you want to save some money and make a bunch of your own? Just use the recipe below to make as much dry mix as you want, and save it for when you need instant salad satisfaction.

I've used McCormick lemon pepper in the recipe here because it contains lemon juice solids that help duplicate the taste of the sodium citrate and citric acid in the real thing. The dry pectin, which can be found near the canning supplies in your supermarket, is used as a thickener, much like the xanthan gum in the original product.

1 teaspoon carrot, grated and finely chopped
1 teaspoon red bell pepper, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon McCormick lemon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry pectin
pinch ground oregano

1. Place the carrot and bell pepper on a baking pan in an oven set on 250 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until all of the small pieces are completely dry, but not browned.
2. Combine the dried carrot and bell pepper with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Mix can be stored in a sealed container indefinitely until needed.
3. When ready to use, pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a cruet or jar. Add 3 tablespoons of water, then the dressing mix. Seal and shake vigorously. Add 1/2 cup of oil, and shake until well-blended. Serves 8 to 10.

My high school classmate now has a Grey Cup ring!

My siblings picked me up this morning to go to church, and I set Steph to work signing birthday cards. She did good work on them, since she finished just as we pulled into a parking space at church. (after turning on 11th to get to 10th, we noted that the construction for the "Canada Line" was now done... HAHAHA, poor Mom!) I went into the sanctuary and saw baby Nicholas, so said hi to him. His mom Helen invited me to take a seat, so I figured I'd sit with the babies this week. I gave her some birthday cards for herself, Nicholas, and our friend Lauren... and gave one to Maxine for her husband Tim since he was busy with toddler Joshua. After service, I went downstairs to park my stuff in the toddler room before going outside to give Margaret and Melia their birthday cards. Talked to Mike and Citrus about hard drives, who confirmed that new hard drives do cost less than $80 in this city: I hope my computer problem is just with the hard drive and not about the external tower case! Bugged Sam and Darren about their driving while Steph asked them about the hockey pool, then said bye to baby Hannah who just got over a cold. Asked what Jon was doing on Saturday, but he has no idea... if he doesn't remember my whereabouts that night, I'll KILL HIM! (Steph has Floodlight... sigh!) The wind was bothering Jeremy's neck, so he went to use other people as a windbreak: good idea!

Went to the toddler Sunday School, where I helped with the kids. Little Sean spilled crayons all over the floor, but there was nothing I could do about it. Auntie Fonda told the others that Sean wasn't quite like them, so that seemed to be okay. He seemed more secure with me since he felt like staying with me for a few minutes before going off to do other stuff. Little Amanda is really talkative in English, but we can't understand her babble! After that, I talked to the teens for a bit before I went upstairs to find my siblings, who were with my grandma and mom. I talked to the maternal units for a while before my sibs and I headed to Nathan's.

Found out that Erin's almost done at L'Arche, but is enjoying herself in the city, so may not come back till March. Steph said something about pumping herself up: Jon thought she meant country music (OH NO!), and I thought she meant breast implants! She looked at me strangely and promptly told me that Rachel remembered my big boobs... uh, thanks. They'd seen this dragon shirt in Seattle yesterday, but didn't buy it since they had none in my size... just the really tight stuff so it wouldn't fit me. But at least I know the general names of the NFL teams when they mentioned it on the radio, unlike Rachel: they were outside a sports store and noticed a sign cheering on the Seahawks, so Rachel asked Steph who they were, haha! We also discussed the general whereabouts of Chinese Eric: I can't do anything about his MSN act of "I won't talk to you," but he better make himself available if he wants to go to Jon's birthday thing on Saturday!

Nathan and Jeremy weren't at the house yet, but pulled up just as Jon was going to let us in. Jeremy started cooking garlic, oil, chicken, and marinade... then we all said hi to Nathan's dad, who helped us find various essential items like the rice cooker / lots of bottled water / cutting board. (lightly steaming broccoli isn't the recommended boiling for one minute, after all!) Jon noticed at least ten huge containers of cashews in the kitchen, and asked Nathan about them: his dad is going to give them to various people as gifts when the family goes to Hong Kong over Christmas, so they're untouchable! Well, we hoped that they'd been on sale when he bought them! I asked Jen about her blog: she found it weird that I couldn't get in. since she likes restricting reader access. She can write more freely if she wants, I pointed out. So then when I got home, I tried switching my blog to the new Google beta version: I can't, since mine is a large blog, but apparently I can do so later. FINE, THEN!

Jen showed up later, and so did Christon: he'd pre-ordered his new Nintendo Wii (Eric wanted reviews on that later), so had fun creating his own mini-me character. It comes with some games and one controller / nunchuks... you have to move the controller where you want your guy to go on the screen. We laughed at the "personal space" warnings, and the various options given for each facial feature in a character. (no lipstick or eyeshadow for the guys' characters since that's just WRONG!) Alan and Ricky came over separately in the middle of all this, and joined in the fun. Jon and Jen went to the liquor store (after checking out their hours online) to get some more beer to supplement Jeremy's homebrew, but were back in time for lunch. Jen misheard Jon saying something about Jer cooking upstairs as "Jericho," heh.

After a while, Jeremy told us lunch was ready: it would only cost $2 a head... cheap is good, and the way I like it! (especially with the state of my wallet these days!) We all ate downstairs and then pigged out on junk food and pop while watching the football game. During breaks, we admired Nathan's knives and swords from China: good thing he got those BEFORE 9/11! (he was taking one out to show Ricky, and stabbed himself with it, oops) He also has a mace or something by his old TV... wow! Steph checked hockey pool trades and stuff online, while Jon checked his email and other things too. I didn't get any kimchi since I didn't see it, but maybe next time! Jon and Jeremy had five bottles of beer between them, one being a beer which apparently was similar to cheddar cheese. No, we did NOT want that one... nor did Steph want Jeremy to breathe on her after he ate some dried durian slices! Steph said Mom contributed a little bag of Halloween candy: she told her that BC's color was orange, so the wrappers worked for the purpose of cheering our team on!

Someone found an old COSMO magazine lying around, and asked Nathan where he got that from: probably Michelle, haha. I spent some of the game reading that... it is SO focused on sex, heh. Some of the stories in the "Tell Us Your Steamy Stories!" section about cheating on your partner made me wonder what was wrong with some people. Interesting read in any event, but I don't think I'd subscribe to it or anything. Javier Glatt of the Lions reminded me of Harvey Glatman the serial killer, and that was only because the names are kinda similar! When the commentators mentioned that Bobby Singh would go in for somebody, my sibs and I all invoked RICHMOND POWER! I then told everyone that I used to know him in high school: maybe I'll bring an annual to show Jeremy sometime, haha. (Friday, maybe?) Heh, he even signed at least two of them! Interesting guy, for sure...

Steph made a joke about Double D (Dave Dickenson - starting quarterback of three, who has his first Grey Cup ring now as a starter) having bounce, but nobody heard what she said. So then she repeated it, but nobody was too impressed. Jeremy was more impressed when I went over and sat on my brother as he was checking out stuff online. Jon called Steph's attention to it, so she sat on me. I told Jeremy that he could see the sibling love and affection right here, haha. Sometimes they squish ME, so all is fair. The halftime show was pretty good, even if Nelly Furtado and everyone else were all wearing winter jackets since it was below freezing in Winnipeg! Christon agreed that it was better than the Montreal Alouettes offense! (even if the token Asian Jason Chiu was on the team) That brought back memories of last year's show for Steph: my dad was NOT impressed with the Black-Eyed Peas being risqué! "Who are these people? Hmph! I'll lock them up!"

The game was mostly won by field goals, although a nice touchdown or two would have been very nice. It was 25-14, so no 90-2 score like Nathan was predicting. No, it's not possible to have that score, but it was cool. (with the Ottawa Renegades, a score CLOSE to that would have been entirely possible!) Isabel got home a while before the game ended (Jen left midway through the second quarter), and promptly knocked over two piles of things in precarious positions around the room: hey, at least Nathan then found a CD that he'd been looking for! (he always finds something positive!) Alan burped a lot: oh my. At least he excused himself, and then was sleeping at random intervals through the game... but then he falls asleep anytime / anywhere! Jon and I finished Jen's can of Kilkenny, which had a ball in it for some strange reason. o_O

When BC won the game, we were so engrossed in watching the celebrations ("the Grey Cup snapped?!") that we didn't notice the time. The reporters got doused with champagne, and there were LOTS of people on the field: players, girlfriends, wives, etc. ORANGE AND WHITE! Mom called Jon to see where we were: he told her that we were leaving. Then he went upstairs to help rinse beer bottles when we were already late, sigh. We finally got going and made it to the Keg in 19 minutes: good thing we had no long lights, and a bottle of water for Grandma since the Keg didn't serve water-based drinks!

When we walked into the restaurant, a bunch of people waved at Steph. She didn't recognize them at first, but we went over: they were Rachel, her sister Lisa, and her parents. Turns out that it's Rachel's mom's birthday today, so they were celebrating. We talked for a bit (Rachel looks different in the dark restaurant?!) before excusing ourselves to find our family. Then we attempted to score some brownie points with Grandma by talking to her in Chinese, especially since Cousin Aaron stood her up again on Thursday. She wasn't impressed when Steph told her that she could accompany Jon while he did his homework at the pub: "Who drinks beer with their grandma?!" (some European people do...) We told her that "the tall white guy with the beard" makes his own beer, haha.

Rachel's family came over later to talk to us some more: Rachel's going to Fort McMurray in Alberta soon, whoa. Pat and Vanessa know her too, heh. After they left, we talked about the Harmony Bear that our parents got: Jon didn't even ASK them to buy it! She's coming in on December 19, and Dave's parents want us all to come to their place for dinner on Christmas Eve. Ack! LOTS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION! The dinner was cool, and the steak was good stuff. Now I'm just home attempting to catch up on my friends page. LONG POST.

I hate when my body refuses to sleep! / Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Note: LJ Criminal Scum blogquiz, by Wharf Rat.


Okay, lying around in bed for an hour didn't help even though I should be theoretically DROPPING since I got little sleep last night. I even told myself that TRYING to get some rest would be better than more computer time, but my body did NOT cooperate. Darn it!


Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Recipe By:
Serving Size: 1 Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Dressings, Copycat

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Teaspoon Basil
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1/4 teaspoon Celery Salt
2 Tablespoon Salt
1 Envelope Cup Of Soup Cream Of Chicken Mix
1/4 CUPS Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoon Water
2/3 cups Oil

Combine all dry ingredients. Store covered at room temperature. For dressing: Mix vinegar, water, oil, and 2 oz of the dry mix. Shake well. From: GLORIA PITZER's EATING OUT AT HOME.
*Also good as an Italian spice blend
NOTE: Yields One Serving

Which of the Hogwarts' founders are you? Name / Username: Favorite store: Shoe size: Accio founder! You are: Rowena Ravenclaw How much the other founders like you: 2% Are you very popular in the Potter-verse? False This Fun Quiz created by Amanda deLassus at BlogQuiz.Net

New news site! News collected from over 100 worldwide news sources

You date like you are 21 years old. You are a good dater. You still haven't narrowed down exactly what type of person you want to date, but you have a lot of experience with dating, and like to have fun with it. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

A lot of experience with dating?! Me?! HAHAHAHAHA!

In what alternate dimension would Leslie be most comfortable?

In a dimension where... Robots run amuck

'In what alternate dimension would you be most comfortable?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Yeah, sure.... and I like flying pigs. But only to eat their ears... :D