Shabusen with Erin, Chris, and Darren: GOOD TIMES!

Steph picked me up at 11:10, after telling me that the SURPRISE SNOW wasn't that bad, and that she had to collect Esther first. We talked about Ivan, our family lunch in Richmond with Uncle William (the mechanic and NOT Lucas' / Hannah's dad) tomorrow, the new used family car, Jon busing / teaching, showers, shaving and getting ready, Mike, sweet guys, school, Esther's trip to Guatemala (school there for four months), Steph's stupid past self scheduling 8 AM Saturday dentist appointments, and Christmas plans on the way over. It was the Shabusen that we'd gone to in 2001 to celebrate the February birthdays: Eddie, Sarah, Hannah, Sean, Steph, etc. So cool to have the memories, especially of Justin L. barbecuing his sashimi since he didn't like it raw! Esther had to do that with hers today, but only because it landed on the table. Said hi to Quan, Isabel, Dylan, Darren, Ivan, and Jon - it was great catching up with people! Chris had tales of Carleton life - mead, people thinking he could hook them up with weed because he's from BC (uh... no....), skating on the Rideau Canal, staying out all night, 40% black people, etc. He says he knows someone who's half-Chinese, a quarter Jamaican, and a quarter Guyanese! Then Mark tried to say that he knew someone who was four different ethnicities - "she's half this, half this, half this, and half this!" Manhon, where are your math skills?! Haha, everyone laughed at him for it!

Told Chris about the funerals, and Joe wondered how the body could be kept that long - we probably don't want to discuss embalming fluid technology while we're eating! Mike jokingly thought that Joey could find a pirate or Johnny Depp on his Caribbean cruise, and I took a piece of chicken from Chris since he was holding it out on offer to the entire table. (Janette cheered me for that, haha - she also laughed at the number of things I was throwing to her on Facebook) Darren almost ordered 45 pieces of tofu - we definitely didn't need that much! Jon said that we should have invited Joyce to this lunch since she can outeat the guys at dim sum - SO TRUE! (Eric didn't know about it till last night!) Lucas and Tony showed up REALLY late because they'd gone to the wrong location downtown first! "So how long do we have to eat? An hour?" "NO! Fifteen minutes since it's last call! That's why we asked what you wanted to eat when you called us a million times for bus directions!" They even had leftovers from the other table! Nathan issued an open invite to the movie - not sure how many people took him up on it; I already told Eric that I might not be going. Chris and Darren were joking around with their friend Mel via phone - good times!

Mike told me that he'd come at my dad like a growling bear while he was answering the phone this morning - hahaha, Citrus gets to hassle him too these days as payback! Esther wondered to Lucas about his cousins - I know Joshua (who got married to a Mexican girl) and Caleb too! Financial advisors / godparents are cool, for sure - I love the color scheme downstairs at their house! Said hi to Angus (also saw Megan and Chung Ming) while going outside; someone asked him why it took him ten days to approve a trade request from the hockey pool. He'd been in Vegas, that's why! Discussed writing, Ireland, hockey, Robert Pickton, Christmas / Boxing Day shopping, the lack of snowplows in Richmond, the church cookbook recipes, making people look like idiots when telling them to do something to their ears, working on holidays, etc. It was a good lunch, for sure!

Steph remembers Elizabeth and her brother James - she and Karen Grace had skipped Fellowship once to watch THE EXORCIST at Silvercity once, and had seen me there waiting for Elizabeth with James. They'd had nightmares because of the demon-possessed girl, and vowed never to skip Fellowship again because they figured it was God punishing them! She said she was going to meet Kate for coffee - YAY! I still remember the time when Jon said that Kate voted Howie as the best-looking Backstreet Boy, hahaha. Kate didn't take very well to that, of course! Note to self: Get a solo picture with Chris or someone, tomorrow? Now, to do my Christmas cards! Sunday School breakfast tomorrow - YAY! Haha.

Just found out that, despite my stated earlier wish last week, grandma deaths DO come in threes. Or wait.. this is the fourth I've heard about, counting Joe W.'s grandma. Either way, this SUCKS! :(

Your Score: The Squirrel

You scored 69% domestic, 30% gregarious, 28% trickster, and 50% intellect!

Domestic, Solitary, Serious, Emotional: you are the Squirrel!

Squirrel people tend to be organized, thrifty, prepared for anything, slightly obsessive. Squirrel medicine teaches the benefit of good planning, looking towards the future, and conservation. The squirrel is a symbol of delayed gratification, resourcefulness, agility, and foresight.


This test categorized you based on four different axes of personality, which were then associated with a different animal. The four axes, as well as all possible results are explained below.



Wild / Domestic: This first axis categorizes you based on how much you are drawn to the outdoors, versus how much you are drawn to civilized situations. Domesticity has many shapes and forms, and varies from the joy of dolphins leaping next to a ship to the steadfast loyalty of a family dog.



Gregarious / Solitary: This axis measures how solitary you are. If you scored high, it means that you enjoy the company of other people, while a low score indicates that you prefer a more solitary lifestyle.



Trickster / Serious: This axis measures how well you line up with conventional trickster archetypes. People who fall into this archetype have a sense of humor and an excitable, highly chaotic streak. Scoring low doesn't mean that you don't have a sense of humor; it just means that you probably don't think dynamite is very funny.



Intellectual / Emotional: This last axis determines whether you are more emotional -- acting based on feelings and instinct, or rational and intellectual -- acting more on thought than on your gut feelings.

Wild	Gregarious	Trickster	Intellectual	The Hyena
Wild	Gregarious	Trickster	Emotional	The Otter
Wild	Gregarious	Serious	Intellectual	The Antelope
Wild	Gregarious	Serious	Emotional	The Wolf
Wild	Solitary	Trickster	Intellectual	The Weasel
Wild	Solitary	Trickster	Emotional	The Coyote
Wild	Solitary	Serious	Intellectual	The Raven
Wild	Solitary	Serious	Emotional	The Frog
Domestic	Gregarious	Trickster	Intellectual	The Fox
Domestic	Gregarious	Trickster	Emotional	The Dolphin
Domestic	Gregarious	Serious	Intellectual	The Horse
Domestic	Gregarious	Serious	Emotional	The Dog
Domestic	Solitary	Trickster	Intellectual	The Rat
Domestic	Solitary	Trickster	Emotional	The Ferret
Domestic	Solitary	Serious	Intellectual	The Cat
Domestic	Solitary	Serious	Emotional	The Squirrel

Link: The Animal Archetype Test written by crumpetsfortea on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(crumpetsfortea)

Your Score: B

You scored 70% on Grammatical Propriety!

Hey, pretty good. However, let's see if we can do better on that next paper, OK?

Link: The Mistakes My Students Make Test written by MTKnife on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(MTKnife)

You scored 100 good speller!

I hope you scored well! If not, please make sure to use the dictionary at your own will. Grammar is a fundamental part of our culture, so don't screw it up!

Link: The Spell Check Test written by texasangie84 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(texasangie84)

The jewels and stars mesmerize the babies, so that makes me happy!

Ivan picked me up at 5:30 yesterday night, and we were on our way to church. We'd both had fine weeks overall, and he's been going out a lot with his friends since they're all free now because of winter break. He's going to Winter Conference, so we talked about that for a while - he's been twice already, and likes the speakers there. Told him how amusing his sibs can be - he lives with them, so he's used to Natalie and Nathan's weirdness! Hillsongs provided a great soundtrack, heh. He always asks his siblings if they're able to stay up till midnight on New Year's Eve - they say they can, but end up falling asleep more often than not, heh.

Got to church shortly after 6, and saw Chris at the drum set - of course I had to hug him hello! SO GOOD TO SEE HIM! Dylan said he needed my amazing powers - sure, I'm always up to help my friends especially if I'm on the Committee! I got Dawn / Lesley / the "different woman" Teresa / Karen / Vivian / Calla / Martin / Raymond / Chung / Cindy / Connie / Andrea / Chuck / Jeremy ("yay for baby!" might be childish, but it's good!) to sign baby cards (SO adorable!) for Noah and Allison, and a condolence card for Phil's family. Maxine (who came up with her son Joshua) said she wasn't sure on the spelling of Anita's kid's name - so many ways to spell a simple name nowadays, especially with parents trying to be unique. Her niece is Kaela, not Kayla - it's a life forever dooming little girls (primarily) to making screwed-up faces and going "EW! THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S SPELLED! IT'S NOT ME!!!!" Haha.

It was definitely surprising to me to see Jeremy since I thought he'd be in Kelowna - his work schedule is crazy, since he's doing two jobs because an employee is sick. "I'll have the THAT kind, or I'll have what she's having!" was what he came up with for the punch served with dinner. Butter chicken, curry chicken, meat, salad, apple cider, and much more... it was good talking to people, for sure! No, I didn't see a certain someone, nor did I think it would be a wise decision to talk if I did! Saw Auntie Catherine, who asked if I've ever been to Hong Kong. When I said no, she joked that maybe she'd have to take me one day - sure, but it's expensive, and I'm too hak-hai! Martin thought he'd be late, but it turned out he was just in time for the food! Jon showed us the eggnog - Jeremy joked that it would be fun if there were a kids' eggnog and an adult eggnog, and those got mixed up. "Gee, why are the kids having such a good time, and the adults look totally hostile?!" Haha.

Little Keenan (who turned one last week) reached out for the stars on my Santa hat - no, it doesn't light up like Tim thought! He also liked the jewels on my red festive shirt, and I remembered how Megan had liked them last year! So mesmerizing for babies! Said hi to Megan with her toy recorder (who said hi back!), and also greeted her aunts Connie and Jenny. As I told Anthony later, I truthfully didn't really feel like celebrating the holiday, but the kids liked the Santa hat and the shirt. Who am I to disappoint the kids?! (which reminds me, I need to write cards and make up a candy package? YIKES!) Olivia, Benjamin, and other kids were running around looking at the Christmas tree and the candles during the service we had later - I noticed Ian wanted to follow his cousin, but was hesitant. Hannah was so good and just sat there in someone's lap! Cindy said that her kids had gone through all sorts of emotions this week, including being very hyper and jumping up and down! Vanessa can relate, for sure... they'll have to have a girls' night out, which means NO BOYFRIENDS! Steph unfortunately saw girls bring their boyfriends to girls' nights and get-togethers... NO GUYS ALLOWED should be pretty simple to understand. Guess some girls can't live without their boyfriends even for one night! *shakes head* It's ALL GIRLS for a REASON, people!

The dinner was good, though - Jeremy told us this story of a crazy (gay?) couple who'd come into his warehouse to pick up a furniture order. They immediately started messing around with his forklift, and even ANSWERED THE OFFICE PHONE when it started ringing! ("Hey, Jeremy! It's for you...") Finally, he told them to get out of his warehouse and he'd take the furniture out to them instead! They didn't leave, but they stopped messing around with stuff at least. We were all appalled at the lack of restraint! Calla noticed he was growing out his beard again - it has to do with work schedules, heh. (14-hour days?!) His parents already bought him a plane ticket, so he'll be flying on Christmas Eve, and getting back on Christmas Day - 20 hours is better than nothing, we suppose. Talked to Cordia at the piano about the morbid book I got her - she hasn't finished it yet, so I guess she let Citrus borrow it. She gets too much email as it is, so didn't bother signing up for the morbid facts list - Hotmail's spam filters suck compared to Gmail, I told her. Frances said her sisters Sophia and Elaine planned her baby shower specifically for when Elaine would be back in town - I bet she's excited too!

Chung said Karen was resting from having her impacted wisdom teeth out - good idea! We saw her later on, and she seemed to be okay - we all remember how Emily C. seriously looked like a chipmunk when she had hers out! Talked to Janette for a bit - I said that I was forgetting things now, and also mishearing things a lot. Warned her that this is what it's like getting old - Karen C. joked that this made HER seem retarded since she's older than I am. Later, she thought I was mad at her - that's not the case. I should probably email her to tell her the story once I'm done catching up on blogging. Talked to Billy briefly, and gently felt baby Noah's head - of course he's sleeping! Got some plans made with Ivan - worship practice, early 8 AM dentist appointments, etc.?! Nuts! Talked to Andrea and Chuck before they left for the airport - yup, Jon's a food guy! The cooking crew had been making stuff since Wednesday night - reminder to myself that I owe Rich and Jon money, for sure! Some girl named Elizabeth from the Chinese Fellowship said hi to me as I went up the stairs in search of something - good to know these people that I only see sporadically!

Later, Citrus / Danielle / Vanessa / Daniel / Michelle / Erin / Ben / Cordia amused themselves with the DATING FOR DUMMIES box that Citrus and Danielle got Steph for Christmas. (and the cute penguins for bath time!) "What do you mean, you thought of ME when you saw it in the store?! Erin has an Ottawa-based boyfriend now, so maybe I should go there since that's where all the nice guys are! Hahaha." They had fun reading out various tips for flirting / empowerment mantras / tactful excuses - it was especially great when Steph tried doing those things as someone read them out! ("Eye contact is sexy! Don't give out your number if you don't want another date!") Went downstairs for gingerbread, and said hi to Tony. He gets the blunt end of the holidays, and said he was going to work and then to the Shabusen lunch - we think he's insane, even if it's what keeps him going! Said hi to the pastor's kids, who were busy checking out the picture board at the back - no, it isn't the Fellowship, but various members of the church as a whole. Gotta get to know them better! Daniel told Ben that he and Steph can be very intimidating since they're both OUT THERE - I agreed, and told Erin what Teresa's name was when she asked. Teresa said hi, and then asked whether Anita was 43! Um, no... she and Jeff are older than I am, but certainly not HER age!

Eventually, a bunch of us went to Dragon Ball: good times with Rich, Dylan, Mike, Christon, Sarah, Isabel, Julie, Jon, Eric (who met us there), Tony, and Ivan! We saw a picture on Jon's phone of a bowl full of chicken skins - EWW! Jon combined persimmon and mocha - Christon and I found that the mocha overpowered the persimmon. Talked about Harmony, work parties, Granville Island, Dallas, life, holiday plans, and more. Was crazy on the way home, and Jon joked that he was trapped in the car with a psychopath at the gas station - I don't know about his assessment! I said it was the little caffeine in the bubble tea I had consumed, but Eric just thought it was a sign of something else. Not really, but think what you want to... got home, and found that Elizabeth M. had added me on Facebook. Cool deal. :)

Dream of pushing people underwater and being trapped!

I had a weird dream last night... I've given up trying to find an explanation for my subconscious!

* Jen and I went to a market where they had soup-flavored deodorant. We met Korey, Mike K., and others there, and had fun going around the various stalls. Finally, we decided to buy tomato / borscht / various other flavors of deodorant after trying to find K in the washroom. (we'd somehow lost him - how do you lose a tall black man?!)

* Then we went to this meadow, where all was verdant and lush. We met these little boys by the water, and were playing with them. When it was time to leave, we invited them to come with us. One of the boys had accidentally pushed one of his friends underwater, so we had to drape the friend over our shoulders. (he'd swallowed too much water and wasn't in a shape to talk)

* Our curious little group went to a Pho restaurant, where we then proceeded to witness to the waitresses while admiring the cilantro and green onions in the Pho broth! They seemed receptive, but then got scared because of insect trails of green / black slime. We let them alone after that, of course - no pressure here!

* After that, I went home to relax for a while. I had an IM program open on the computer, but grew tired of it after a while. Then I was freaked out when K messaged me within Linux (with "Kor" and everything!) when the program was OFF! The state of my computer didn't help matters, because the screen was all scrambled. Corey was attempting to talk to me, but figured it wouldn't do any good since I couldn't see anything!

* I attempted to go to bed, but then couldn't get out of it since the blankets were trapping me. When I did, it was dark out, and the electricity wasn't really working. I tried switching a light on, and it would flicker for a second before going out again. Checked my phone, and I heard a message from Korey through the phone - not the answering machine. It was something about Jeremy, bubble tea, and being in my own little world. Then Ivan W. called at 7:30, and I was afraid we were late already for a dinner. He said he had just finished work, and would pick me up soon. The dream ended right after I got off the phone with him...


Not sure why I had the dream, since I was definitely not thinking of the long-ago time where Alan said they'd lost Elaine while rollerblading by the Pride Parade. ("how do you lose a tall Chinese woman?!") I definitely don't want to push anyone's head underwater! (with maybe one marked exception, but even that would be in "joke" territory and NOT REAL) I'm not overly worried about missing Ivan's call, as I have my phone on. As for feeling trapped, I wouldn't say I do right now. He knows I'm loyal, and I know he'll always be there for me. :)

Had a nice discussion with T yesterday - I rather like the insight, even on an off-day for me! I got a card from Candy in the mail today - must remember to thank her for that. Also got a handmade calligraphy note with a personalized candy cane ornament from Natalie (chibi_blackie) - VERY COOL. :D

I got my new red bus pass in the mail today - YES! Got an Evite to Mel and Frances' baby shower on the 12th at 11: I should be in since the Marr residence is very close to the church, and I'm sure I can get a ride there for Awana from someone! Note to self: MUST TELL ADA! As for a ride to the event itself, that remains to be seen. It IS early days yet, after all. ;) (must RSVP by the 7th!) Also rearranged my Top Friends on Facebook, and got lovely reciprocation from Andrew - he IS a cool dude, haha.

Rides, surprise pokes, and Shabusen / 2007 Shame, Embarrassment, Lies

Ivan left me a Facebook message saying he could drive me on Friday, and will give me a call beforehand! Told my sibs, and maybe I should tell Vanessa too. Surprise of the moment: my old friend Elizabeth found me on Facebook, and poked me! Oh my. Speaking of Facebook, Erin has made Saturday's lunch into an event on there - of course I'll go! I've missed Erin, Darren, and Chris a lot! Now I'm off to do some long-overdue BootyBase upkeep... YIKES!


Year-End Survey: Shame, Embarrassment, Lies

1. Was 2007 a good year for you? Why? It was a good year overall since I got to meet new friends, and enter into a relationship with someone. Not that relationships are the be-all and end-all of life, of course. :P

2. What was your favorite moment of the year? Celebrating Jon's birthday at Jeremy's - let's squeeze 23 people in that apartment, and use a closet door / boxes / books as a makeshift table! :D

3. What was your least favorite moment of the year? Fighting a lot with someone / having another friendship die.

4. Where were you when 2007 began? At Kendrick's.

5. Who were you with? Harmony, Jon, Holly, Peter, Kendrick, Kevin, and a billion others... no, not really. :P

6. Where will you be when 2007 ends? I don't know.... possibly at Eric's, if the last couple of years holds true.

7. Who will you be with when 2007 ends? Eric, maybe his brother, and whoever else happens to be around. (maybe K?)

8. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions of 2007? I'm not sure that I ever made any, to be honest. Easier not to break 'em that way? Haha.

9. Do you have (a) New Year's Resolution(s) for 2008? Not really, although better communication with people is something I should work on.

10. Did you fall in love in 2007? Yes.

11. If yes, with who? Korey.

12. If yes, do they know? He does, and has professed the same.

13. Are you still in love with them? Yes.

14. You regret it? Not really...

15. Did you break up with anyone in 2007? Kinda-sorta!

16. Did you make any new friends in 2007? Yes, and they've made life interesting!

17. Who are your favorite new friends? Tony, Grace, and Dan!

18. What was your favorite month of 2007? June.

19. Did you travel outside of your country of residence in 2007? Yes.

20. How many different states / provinces did you travel to in 2007? I flew to San Diego and cruised back here. So... California?

21. Did you lose anybody close to you in 2007? Yes.

22. Did you miss anybody in the past year? Anita T., Sean, Tracy, Erin, Darren, Chris, Korey, and Eric H.

23. What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2007? Blades of Glory... so amusing!

24. What was your favorite song from 2007? Plain White T's, Hey There Delilah.

25. What was your favorite record from 2007? Bon Jovi, Lost Highway.

26. How many concerts did you see in 2007? Should I count the live music on the cruise ship as a concert? *laugh* Probably not... so none.

27. Did you have a favorite concert in 2007? I didn't go to any.

28. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2007? Depends on who you talk to, I suppose... but I didn't really drink a LOT of it.

29. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2007? I don't do drugs.

30. How many people did you sleep with in 2007? None.

31. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? Probably.

33. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2007? "You'll always have a friend in me!" Right....

34. Did you treat somebody badly in 2007? Yes.

35. Did somebody treat you badly in 2007? Yes.

36. How much money did you spend in 2007? About the usual amount...

37. What was your proudest moment of 2007? Letting someone see the real me.

38. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007? Admitting my worst mistakes to someone.

39. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be? I'd change my nervousness over asking P for a picture with her.

40. What are your plans for 2008? Ready for this? Being on Committee for the first time in five years, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it!

Saving money on Quality Street is THE BOMB!

Went out to redeem my Shoppers raincheck on three Quality Street tins - saving six bucks each on the lot was appealing, and I needed a present for K's mom in January anyhow! Got that, another fajita salad from White Spot (they're damn addictive!), another word search book even though I'm not close to finished with the other one, twenty postcards, four silver seal packages, bubble wrap, and a cute thing for the future. I also mailed stuff to Estonia and Spain! The postal clerk and the bus driver on the way home commented on my Santa hat... yup, I feel like Santa's helper! Haha. Also thought that pleasure is fleeting, and that it's a good thing I ate before returning home since the apartment hallways smelled like Chinese food. Makes me crave SLB with vinegar!

When I got home, I shouldn't have checked my email... Randal had a BAD misinterpretation of a morbid joking remark! Guess I'll have to process things from someone, for sure. Karen emailed me two minutes ago, and said that she was pleasantly surprised by a call from Korey. We SHOULD have lunch again in January, especially since she felt really encouraged and uplifted with our last one!

Cannibalism and meat pies! / Don't tell me to "cheer up," man!

Hahaha! Natalie left a Youtube video on my Facebook wall that involves making a meat pie out of me, Titus Adronicus-style. Yes, that means cannibalism. Interesting stuff! Janette's jokingly complained about my making a meat pie out of her, haha. Now I'm thinking about friends, as usual - and I wish I were better for someone. Also got a sparkly glittery Christmas card from Jane (gi_janearng) - YAY! I'm not a fan of the times when people tell me to "cheer up," since that isn't going to help with stuff. Not that I need / want to be unhappy all the time, since that isn't me. Sometimes you gotta be realistic... now, I gotta restart the computer because of a system update!

Sweet morbid PORTAL lyrics / Yay for Chinese Eric!

Eric messaged me with some sweet morbid stuff! Well, GlaDOS was controlling his computer, but I still thought it was cool. According to him, they are even freakier if you play Portal because the bleeping thing is talking to you through the whole game. I'll take his word for it! He agrees with me on certain things, which is good. I also had to scream at the screen when someone else said something about tequila, heh.

FINALLY got a chance to catch up with Chinese Eric, who's been out of town for more than a month - man, I missed him! Told him about what happened recently, and even he says to take the time I need - very much needed, for sure. New job offers, moving to a new place, hanging out after Christmas, getting sleepy from medicine, leaving him a message when I want (of course I will!), funerals, and other stuff - so good to catch up! :D

Lyrics to Still Alive (Portal Credits)

Lyrics to Portal credits

This was a triumph
I'm making a note here
HUGE SUCCESS
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction
Aperture Science

We do what we must because we can
For the good of all of us except for the ones who are dead
But there's no sense crying over every mistake
You just keep on trying until you run out of cake
And the science gets done and you make a neat gun
For the people who are still alive

I'm not even angry
I'm being so sincere right now
Even though you broke my heart and killed me
And torn it into pieces
And threw every piece into a fire
As they burned, it hurt because I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data make a wonderful line
And we're out of beta, we're releasing on time
So I'm glad I got burned
Think of all the things we learned for the people that are still alive

Go ahead and leave me
I think I prefer to stay inside
Maybe you'll find someone else to help you
Maybe black mesa
That was a joke, haha, fat chance
Anyway, this cake is great, it's so delicious and moist
Look at me still talking, when there's science to do
When I look out there, it makes me glad I'm not you
I've experiments to run, there is research to be done
On the people who are still alive

And believe me, I am still alive
I'm doing science and I'm still alive
I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive
While you are dying, I'll be still alive
And when you're dead, I'll be still alive
STILL ALIVE, still alive

Yay for surprise cards and sticker goodness!

Got a Christmas card with assorted stickers from Janina (mrshannibal) yesterday - how sweet! Santa / ANIMAL from THE MUPPETS - ROCK! / Joy / reindeer / snow / candy canes / doggy in present / dinosaurs / flowers / Sanrio's Little Twin Stars - I have a shirt with them on it! - penguins / random colorful things / roses / insects / shells / animals / fish scratchy / happy faces / RUGRATS / Scooby Doo are very much appreciated! :D

I also got FOUR cards in the mail this afternoon, which did a lot to cheer me up since I was having a bad day! Ginny (ginnyjf) sent me one which was green / white, and smelled good; she said that her son Zack loved his card, and thanked me. Hey, I like making kids happy! Kim (mo_love_99) sent me a card with a penguin on it, Marie (reebee) sent me a Christmas-themed family picture: it has her two dogs (Pockets and Zipper) on it with red-and-green Santa hats... SO CUTE! The last one from Gema was just a big bundle of awesomeness, especially since it was a TOTAL SURPRISE!

The card had cute snowmen / polar bear / Santa Claus / Christmas trees on it, plus drawn blue snowflakes. Then she included a LOT of cute stickers: random ones / cute fairy creatures, baby Mickey / Minnie / Pluto / Goofy / Donald Duck / cute teddy bears / alphabet letters / Christmas-themed ones / scrapbook corners with dolphins / hearts / butterflies / stars / flowers / happy faces / ladybugs. YAY! :D

Last night, K and Eric both bugged me about Pogo online bowling - I AM NOT PLAYING SINCE I SUCK AT IT IN REAL LIFE, AND WOULD BE WORSE ONLINE! Eric said that he'd given Dylan my MSN contact info last night, and thought I'd blocked him since Dylan didn't see me. ("before I tell him that you're always online, maybe you should add him!") I didn't see the authorization request till I viewed my buddy list, so I guess that's why Dylan didn't see me online. Oh well... YAY for proper capitalization and such! Also, Eric sent us an email about IMAX and I AM LEGEND on Saturday night - "yes, I *do* think that highly of myself!" Hahaha. Steph sent a reply saying that she'll be busy trying to avoid food poisoning at the Timothy Christmas dinner - good call. :P Stanley's replied to say that he's not going since he's IN Timothy. I don't know if I'd trust Stanley to cook much, hahaha.

Goodbye, Grandma... you will be missed!

I am not a morning person, but I'm not going to complain about that - it's about the support! Besides, it didn't take that long to catch up on the important stuff when I did get home. Finally got my FLAMING HOT CHEETOS after a month of anticipation, yay! The memorial service went as expected; I saw a bunch of people I hadn't seen in some time: Sean (who's back till the 30th), Sam, Pastor Glen, Lillian, Kittie, Kingsley, Jin, Wah, Norman, Becky, and Eunice's parents. Spotted Uncle Allan at the burial service later on - man, I haven't seen Edwin's dad in a LONG time! Memories were shared, and the eulogy was pretty good... everyone paid their last respects by prayer or bowing, depending on faith. My grandma tried to get me to bow, which I had accidentally done at some other funeral years ago. I just looked at Grandma in the casket and prayed instead. The DVD slideshow of pictures from her life was nice, to be sure! Looking back at Cindy kinda caused me to sniff, but hey - it's FINE. (I might be less composed overall on the 29th for Justin's grandma's funeral...) Grandma was a woman with a great chuckle, so of course the cousins would do stupid things in the past few years to make her laugh. :D

While waiting for the burial service to start, I talked to Jon / Daniel / Sean / Nathan / Michelle / Joey / Joe / Becky / Cindy / Citrus / Erin / Darren / Alan. Nathan said that the eulogy was pretty touching, and he could tell that the cousin was trying to hold back emotion. Tears would be understandable (who would blame her?!), but it would also make the words harder to hear! Sean said that he heard from "his sources" that I have a boyfriend now - he and they would be right! Too bad Sean won't get to meet him! Nate's going through some pain issues related to stress / posture / other stuff... Jon suggested acupuncture, and said that the medicine you took with that tasted / smelled really bad! Michelle's finished her exams, and is glad she has a break! Joe and I hugged hello, and then I talked to Darren about yesterday's dinner - Erin says that her boyfriend is really calm, which balances her out pretty well, haha. Joked that Joe would revive his archaeological career in a bit after having enough of the pastorate at Lord's Love! (Jon says that one of his students is FREAKED OUT that he knows his pastor, haha! Ah, little kids...) Went to the washroom, where I talked briefly to Auntie Ena and Auntie Fonda - apparently, I should say hi to Uncle Kevin (Fonda's husband) since he's shy. Maybe, if he remembers who I am! If not, I'm sure Fonda will remind him! Hahaha. We had a weird route through the cemetery to the graveside, as it took us through two steep mini-hills... Michelle and Vanessa had to help me as far as going up / down them went. Oh well, I have a reason, and my friends will be there for me! (I don't encounter too many problems with my CP, but that's one of them!)

At the burial service, we sprinkled sand on the casket. I talked to my friends for a bit, too: Citrus said people had left video game night at 11:30, Daniel says that Michelle thought one of Melia's cousins was a funeral director ("why does she like talking to the funeral director so much?"), and Michelle mentioned that Joe W.'s dad and Daniel's dad go to the Silver Palace on Main (where lunch was) twice a day. Daniel loves the discount, haha. Jon mentioned the change jar(s) at Nathan's, which he can use for coffee when he goes over once a week or so! Michelle says there's one at her parents' place, too! Then the discussion turned to whether Isabel's room there was messy or neat, considering that she only HAS the one room at the house. She does have her own washroom, too - she rarely ventures upstairs since she cooks downstairs, and can use the mini-fridge. Jon asked Auntie Doris whether she'd seen her daughter's room there, and emerged with a difference of opinion. When I pass through there on the way to the downstairs washroom, it looks all right - but then, I live in chaos pretty much. Jon and I have similar philosophy: things are easier to find in clutter until you can't find them anymore! We found certain aspects of our discussion to be really funny (such as Jon's looking like a Mormon in his thin black jacket - his thick ones are really not appropriate colors for a funeral! - suit, and cellphone in his blue knapsack pocket!), so had to tone down our laughter at the graveside.

I shared a special memory with Phil and Grace, who came over to chat with us as the casket was being tamped over with dirt, and air pockets were being eliminated. There was the time last year that a bunch of people came over to carve pumpkins; I wasn't doing anything, so I sat with Grandma. Eventually, she reached over to hold my hand - that was sweet, since it did show that she remembered who I was. I always did ask how she was, especially when she did go to service! Wish I had a picture, but there will always be that memory burning in my heart! (okay, now I'm waxing metaphorical here... a clear sign I should stop!) Too bad I won't see them till after the New Year since they're going to Texas for two weeks!

Went to lunch, and Michelle and Mike both told me that my brother had been looking for me - I found him when he came in the restaurant. People thought I was somewhere else, but I was still there. Talked about Joe W. being the #1 origami guy in the world since the previous #1 had died - HE was an old guy, haha. Uncle Andrew shared memories of us as kids when he first came to our church: Joe Y. would always draw in Sunday School, and Daniel almost ran him over trying to get somewhere. Pastor John talked to me about Amacon and Richmond Committee meetings, and also appeared to have a good time talking to Uncle Andrew about China, ministry, EMAS, history, nervous breakdowns, family life, and more. Sean asked Joey how his crew was - his sister Emily doesn't need any more math tutoring by Uncle Danny (neither does he), Ivan's in design, and people are generally good. Told Sean that New York apparently had strawberry egg tarts, and honeydew egg tarts - so say Jon and Harmony, haha. Lots of jewelry stores, too - rich people will go there, for sure!

Our table laughed when Sean requested meat from the next table over, and wondered what Norman was doing since he appeared to be texting someone! Daniel actually DID text his brother, who was at that next table, which led to a "Nathan's right THERE!" reaction from his wife. Talked about funerals, Daniel's dad keeping busy (he had three days off recently and didn't know what to do!), Citrus' RCMP application, Steph's interview tomorrow, the time when Daniel's mom passed away, T&T, Daniel trying to "get rid of" his dad by telling Uncle Andrew to take him to China with them, Jon being able to use the desktop computer in Daniel's old room since his dad won't throw it away (BUTTONS!), Surrey losing employees today (Cindy / Daniel / Mike H. / others), and other such things. Laughed about memories of James and Sanne's older daughter Saskia, and remembered that they would take over Daniel and Michelle's place while they're here for Christmas vacation. (they have a baby daughter, Jenna) Vanessa then used Pig Latin when telling Daniel that something was stupid - so amusing!

The lunch went till 3, and I hugged Phil and Uncle Peter goodbye - Auntie Kathy also thanked me for coming; of course I would! Got home to a call from Eric's number - Diven thought I was drunk again when I messaged him on MSN to say that I'd known what he wanted. *rolleyes* Turns out he was still at Citrus' at 10 PM last night, so I assume that was his mom looking for him. Korey messaged me to say he loved and missed me, and wanted me to call later. I did, and he said he'd been surprised when Mom said hi to him. Well, he HAD reached out by saying hi first, haha. Let him know about my dad's idea of relationship advice over Pho: "Don't let him touch you, since you need to nip it in the bud!" He's just being a concerned parent, I guess! I also finally listened to the new voicemail prompt - interesting list there. ("work, out with the lady, not near the phone, etc.") Kinda reminds me of Cindy Yang's "I'm not here because I might be in the shower!" voicemail prompt, haha. I'll definitely call him later when he IS home instead of rambling while he's out with friends celebrating his birthday! Actually, he just called again to see if I'd just phoned him a couple minutes ago and left a voicemail - no, that wasn't me. :P

Number memory, non-instant gratification, hilarious bathroom reactions

Eric asked Jon if Citrus' place (guys' video game night!) was long-distance. I know we make jokes about his place being SO far away, but Poco isn't long-distance from here! Haha, great amusement! Mom accidentally gave me Dr. Ruby's home number instead of her work number - whoops, heh. She also wondered why I knew that number by heart, and concluded that I must be good with numbers. Not really, but I did have this thing with phone numbers, as Karen Chan found out when I told her what Tim's old number was years ago, hahaha. I hope my grandma doesn't go to the doctor tomorrow, but she might want to get checked out for her fall. Some busing required, perhaps - who knows.

I'm glad that I am not letting instant self-gratification rule my life tonight. Yay for progress! :D

Also, let's just say that someone's horrified reaction to walking on someone else in the washroom was HILARIOUS! My brother and I just laughed and laughed, hahahaha! :D (got emails back from Calla and Andrea, who STILL spells "nursery" wrong, despite everyone else spelling it correctly... sigh...)

Pajamas are NOT the V-word, Mom! / Icons galore!

While having dinner, my sister and I tried to teach Mom how to say "pajamas." We were semi-successful. She had troubles early on when she pronounced "jam" as "jym," making the whole word sound like "vaginas." Eventually, we told her to call them "jammies" or "PJs." Then we reviewed "corpse," "Vietnamese," and "foie gras" with her. She did moderately well, and we were proud of her. Now, if only she can get "pajamas" correctly... and refrain from calling me her "darling lover." Then again, she hasn't told me to "kiss and make out!" anytime soon, which is GOOD! (she apparently confused hugging with making out one day, much to her childrens' consternation!) She also called K by his last name when asking how he was, but she does that with Katherine too - it's okay.

I apparently have to be ready at 9 tomorrow morning to go with Uncle Reuben and Auntie Christine to the funeral. For this reason, I passed on coffee. Guess I should sleep easily, now that I have nothing but the computer to distract me... the fact that I had less than five hours of sleep last night should "help." Maybe it was five and a half, but the same applies. I just hope someone isn't too upset! (Steph's gone to Viv's to do a mock interview, and has called Jeff - no name yet for the baby!)


Here are thirty-two icons I decided to upload from various places. :D




















I also took Eric's "Snoopy and Woodstock" icon, which is the last one above. Speaking of him, I ought to call the dude sometime soon! Maybe tomorrow night...

New babies, Advent calendars, people back for Christmas, sushi, and YOU!

Tried amusing my grandma in the car on the way to church by being playful. Apparently, she'd taken a spill this morning, which Steph at first thought was Jon being himself. Nope, it was Grandma - OH NO! She seemed okay, but one can never really tell with old people. Talked about Chilliwack, Vivian S., mock interview questions (Tuesday in Langley for Steph!), and more - Jon had been at the Whip yesterday with Jeremy, so I'm not surprised. Phil was the speaker today, and shared some memories of his grandma as she slid into dementia and such (pumpkin pie and sweet stuff) - that made me tear up, which I think will make me a wreck tomorrow at the funeral. Maybe not, but then Grandma wasn't even my own grandmother, and I guess I felt really warmly about her. Hugged Uncle Peter after talking to Anthony about avoiding job burnout and stress / screaming at the boss... yes, I'll miss Grandma for sure! Talked to Hannah and Priscilla briefly before asking Emily L. how Awana was - apparently, they'd had a really long practice with the kids yesterday. Waved to Randal, and talked to Maxine and her son Keenan. Sure, kid, let Mommy and Daddy break their backs while walking you around! He and his brother are so cute! Told Anthony that Keenan was about one, and Joshua wasn't quite two and a half. I know Keenan likes my Santa hat, for sure! Said hi to Auntie Esther - her sons Wesley and Chris are coming back really soon!

After service was over and we found out that Joe Wu's grandma passed away too, I saw Anita T. and Tracy - talked to them both briefly, as is my wont to make people feel welcomed home, heh. Anita's back for a month, and Tracy's back till the 30th - definitely good to see them! Went outside and said hi to Dylan before he rushed off to Broadway Church. Discussed the cold / twenty whole minutes for 7-11 coffee / skirts with Grace before she and Margaret went to Sev. Talked to Jeremy / Calla / Martin about bathing in beer or vodka, Greyhound bus drives, cheap flights from Toronto, very short flights (between the Hawaiian islands, here to Kelowna) which are 45 minutes to an hour and a bit (why bother serving meals when all you're going to do is ascend and descend pretty much straight away?), the date-rape drug being found in any saponified (unnatural) soap, whiskey, our Saturdays, the "best beer festival ever," Christmas plans, and other stuff. Then I saw Billy and Stella with their new baby and Benjamin in tow, so went to talk to them for a bit. Ben's not so bad with the jealousy as his dad thought he'd be, but I guess it's still early days yet since the baby's only a week old. Talked about his dad and uncles teaching him wrestling moves already (from the Ultimate Fighting Championship?!), and my sister told him that he could have someone to play with! Went to say hi to Hannah, Lily, and Lee - then said hi to Mike and Emily, who were waiting for Angus and Melia. Said hi to Melia and Eunice, then wondered to Angus why people were touching his coat and exclaiming over it - it's new, I guess. Greeted Uncle Sam briefly, and Eric said hi - things are going all right, thanks. Hugged Darren hello (he got in at 4:30 AM, and then was *told* he'd be playing for a service!), and did the same with his sister Erin - OF COURSE I'M IN FOR SHABUSEN ON SATURDAY!

Went to Sunday School, where Auntie Bessy gave us an Etch-A-Sketch and wondered when we could clean / throw away / re-organize the toys in the toddler room. No idea here, but I have no real plans - I may need to revise that, as my holiday schedule is filling up fast! Helped Brandon make approximately 20 Play-Doh gingerbread men, then helped him and his brother Terence in the washroom. They seemed enchanted by the "hay" for the manger, which was really wrapping string for gifts, haha. After that, I went outside to see Samantha being chased around by the younger kids - oh no! Waved hi to Andrew (who just asked how I was, on Facebook), asked Vivian for a gingerbread man, told Nathan that I did indeed eat the head first, said hi to Auntie Ping, and greeted Cindy and Chrystal while explaining Advent calendars to Ethan. Waved to Quan, Hien, and David - they found stuff QUITE funny at Pho lunch, apparently! It's good to hear Hien laugh loudly, especially! I asked what was so hilarious; they and Joyce just laughed and wouldn't tell me much. Rich said it was like people's eating habits and other normal stuff... SURE, Richie Rich! :P (he also said I could get a ticket from my sister for Friday's dinner - sure!)

Stanley offered me some Christmas M&Ms from this big tin that Grace gave him, and I heard Margaret playing someone's trumpet. Said hi to Dave's mom on the inside stairs - of COURSE I'll come over for Christmas Eve dinner, since it'll be good to see Dave again! (Tiffany's going away for two months, and obviously wants to see her family this year - she was here last year!) Always a good time over there, for sure. Went outside to hug Julie goodbye, as she's going to San Francisco for a while. Listened to Jon, Christon, Sheena, and Chalaine talk about possible cooking ideas (Curry, this time left overnight to let the flavors absorb? Stew? Recipes that Chalaine hasn't tried yet?) Eventually, my family decided to go to Pho. Spent some time briefly talking to Danielle about her parents getting into town and life being crazy, and thanked Vanessa for giving stuff to her dad for me. Went into the restaurant, where Steph thought I'd be talking to guys - no, but I was around them, sure. I only greeted Ivan for two seconds right before I came in, and the guys who were around me / Danielle / Vanessa (Ivan / Sam / his brother) are way too young for me anyhow! :P

Erin came to talk to us when Jon left our table to discuss stuff with the guys: her boyfriend's in town attending his brother's church, and will meet her family tonight. Of course he's nervous; I would be too, given the same situation! She asked how my own boyfriend was, and I said he was doing pretty well. Too bad he can't really come for Christmas or New Year's Day since he has this really bad schedule! She told me that Steph's Facebook video of me was a good one - I hoped that one had DIED, but apparently it got a resurrection from Steph deciding to put things on an external hard drive! It is the one that Jon saw on her Xanga, so he's not missing much there. I guess I'll have to see when Steph puts up certain other videos on there... AIYA. o_O

Figured that I might have to bus it out to church on Friday since we're unsure what Ivan is doing, so I'll see what happens! Ah, the miracle of Facebook wall posts! Talked about stress, moms effectively widowed if not in actuality, plans, sushi, and more. Told Jeremy that I'd finally tried his recommendation of #29 (the beef stew is GOOD!), and wished him a good trip to Kelowna since I won't see him till later. Returned to church briefly, and talked to Jason L. for a bit - SO GOOD TO SEE HIM! Went home briefly to decide what would be more appropriate funeral wear - no Santa hat, Variety shirt, or even beige shoes! Now I'm here at the townhouse - I shot off a quick email, and am now enjoying life. Kinda. :P(found out that the lards are going on another Zion cruise to Europe in May, hahaha)


My dad also just walked in here, and wondered what I was doing on his computer on the third floor. Good thing there wasn't anything incriminating on the screen! Phew! Cindy and Dylan sent us email about Maxine's thank-you card for our nursery toy sanitizing job a while back - she got all the parents and kids to sign it, so it must be cute! Kimberly and Charlotte both added me on Facebook too - yay!

Going to Chilliwack to celebrate a birthday...

Eric picked me up at about 5:55, and we talked about traffic / worship practice / Purell, lip balm, and gum NOT "getting gussied up" / the rain ruining my suede jacket (it wasn't raining when we set out!) / the exits / No. 3 Rd. Bridge out near Chilliwack (Yarrow and Cultus Lake / Lickman Rd. and Exit 116 (I'm not taking the name of the road as a command! :P) / plans / his radio's reception. It was mainly a quiet drive to the Chilliwack parking lot where we picked Korey up after 7:10, but that was okay. I was kinda tired, and definitely not hyper. (that would come on the drive home!) It was good to see K again, of course - he squeezed my shoulder and asked how it was going. I smiled, and said it was going well - he commented later on the drive into Abbotsford that I was really quiet. I was just doing my "staring off into the distance" thing that I do when I need to think or (in this case) get used to something. It's not that I didn't want to talk to him, but I knew that he'd need a chance to catch up with Eric too. They talked about babies, the bar, Willow Video Games, directions, the cousins' dogs, drama, Ryan, Alison, and more. We went to the Keg, but it was way too busy - Red Robin's it was, which appealed to my sense of nostalgia for the days when the Fellowship crew would eat second dinners! They teased me about parroting stuff that Eric said (I *always* do that with people, and I bet it gets annoying! :P), to the point where I mock-threatened them with a knife and fork. We had dry ribs, a banana milkshake (GINGERBREAD was seasonal!), chicken, fish and chips, burgers, and water.

When Eric left to go to the washroom, I took the opportunity to give Korey his presents - Eric teased us about hiding the bag when he got back, but it was okay. Then there was the time he went to grab his digicam from the car, and I showed Korey what was in there - Eric wondered why we always hid the bag when he got back! Some stuff IS private, I guess! I didn't mind when he teased me about the bling on my shirt. Talked about Ryan, Alison, wearing my Santa hat (which K liked, especially the five stars!) on New Year's Eve (I don't THINK so! Eric says K has to get used to my CHRISTMAS definition, haha...), sushi, friends, and the memories they shared from their history together - it was really nice. I didn't demur when K offered me gum, and I managed to smile when the guys joked about "World War 4" at his place if I ever visited. Eric thinks that K's cousin and I should both apologize, but maybe the cousin should make the first move. K said that they had to put their heads together and protect me since he doesn't want the cousin to eat me alive. The cousin will probably just sic the dogs on me, which would lead to a bad outcome for me personally! Discuszsed my REJECTED icon on Facebook - K thinks it is morbid, and his friends always ask why his girlfriend has such a picture on there. It's a cloud bleeding from his anus and drowining in the blood! :D (hee hee hee...) Maybe I'll change it later, haha.

We drove K home (encountering a police drinking / driving roadcheck along the way), and he requested a drop-off by the driveway as he didn't want to walk in mud - fair enough, but we noticed that he DID walk in some to get to the front steps! Interesting, indeed... he also needed to talk to each of us when we got home - fair enough! (WORLD OF WARCRAFT) I told him that I wasn't mad at him, and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder for most of the way to his place - holding hands also helped, I hope. We also saw a mansion where the owners had won the lottery - metal gate with French plaque, indeed! After that, Eric and I made very good time, arriving at home in an hour and 15 minutes. (that's how long it's supposed to take)

Discussed I AM LEGEND next weekend, remembering BLADES OF GLORY / THE PRESTIGE, New Year's Eve plans, Surrey, Langley, losing 2-1 to Edmonton in a shootout (UGH), the redundancy of "Mastercard card" (that made Eric frustrated - he turned off the radio in retaliation), chicken two nights in a row, proving Deborah's (filteredthrough) existence, butt jokes, steamy windows, Big Sugar songs, splitting stuff, needing to pee, threats of peeing on him / cleavering his skull, Oscar Mayer wieners (Reason for existence? To be eaten!), crazy stuff / insanity and entertainment, Riverview, and more. Good times, indeed. Later, Korey thanked me for the gifts even though he doesn't understand them - cool beans. :P (the Earls giftcard because he likes to eat out with people, the Nativity scene candle holder since he likes candles, the pink journal for noting down stuff he'd otherwise forget [Eric joked that I wanted it back in a year with his musings on me!], and the Christmas bubble bath because he likes bubble bath in general!)