It was basically a ride to the YMCA and back... SNOW!

As Spoz used to say: DAMN YOU, KILLER SNOW! It'll be here for the next few days, too!

Ada picked me up a little early, but she had to collect her son Sean from swimming at the YMCA. We discussed the snow, but it wasn't sticking to the ground in Richmond. We crossed the bridge into Vancouver, where we found out that it was a different story there. At the YMCA (with Sean exclaiming "SNOW!"), we decided to just head back home in case the weather got any worse. I gave her Melia's number to call, and Melia said that it was fine. On the way home, someone called Ada to say that Awana was cancelled fifteen minutes before it was due to start. Probably a good decision, which didn't surprise us at all. It's like there's this demarcation line at around 57th, where the good weather ends and the bad weather (rain / snow) really starts! The further south you go, the better the weather gets! I almost slipped / lost my shoe after exiting the van - yikes! Good thing I had a grip on something: next time, I should wear my sneakers! Time to curl up with a good book, or just relax here in warmth!

Your Pilgrim Name Is

Faith Cushman

What's Your Pilgrim Name?

Random Bzoink survey / Quiz Galaxy "in love"

Lisa (Rachel's sister) added me on Facebook - sweet!

A little about you
Basics..
What is your name?:	Leslie
Age?:	31
Birthday?:	Sept. 17
Last....
Thing you ate?:	A bacon-ranch Pringles chip.
Last Website?:	Gmail.
Last IM?:	Talia.
Hug?:	You'd think I'd remember, especially since it was awkward!
Kiss?:	Korey.
Song you heard?:	Red Rider, Lunatic Fringe.
Time you laughed?:	Yesterday at Steamworks, probably over something Eric or Jeremy said.
Time you cried?:	Earlier today, while telling Dan about my recent low points - he understands more than most.
Love...
Boyfriend / Girlfriend / Crush?:	I have a boyfriend.
If Boyfriend / Girlfriend, do you love them?:	Yes, I do love him.
If crush, do they know? Do they like you back?:	N/A - the last crush I had ended badly!
Fave thing in the opposite sex?:	Smile.
Personality or looks first?:	Personality.
Describe what you look for?:	A sense of humor, trustworthiness, understanding, nice hair / smile / eyes... the list goes on!
Have you ever....
Bungee Jumped?:	NO!
Done something with the opposite sex (kiss, etc.), then regret it?:	Perhaps. ;)
How do you feel about it now?:	What's done is done... no use wasting energy on it.
Have you talked about it?:	Yes.
Have you ever been out of the country?:	Yes.
Out of state?:	Out of province, yes.
On TV?:	I don't think so! (although there WAS the time Street Cents filmed our Math class in high school...)
In a guy or girl....
Fave eye color?:	Brown or blue.
Hair color?:	Brownish, or maybe even blond.
Funny or serious?:	Funny.
Touchy-feely or not?:	It depends whether the "touchy-feely" is appropriate for the time and setting!
Current....
Clothes?:	Blue-and-white sweater, blue pants, and underwear.
Mood?:	Still a bit sad.
Makeup?:	None.
Hair?:	Um, black?
Location?:	In front of the computer - silly survey!
Random
How you feeling right now?:	Sad, but overall okay.
Why you feel how you do?:	Thinking about my sharing, and about Korey.
Enjoy this?:	No, I don't enjoy my mood right now, thanks.
What's new?:	Nothing much... I need to eat something soon. Yay, humdrum life! :P Oh, Ada just called to say she needs to pick me up earlier for Awana - that works for me!
Take this survey | Find more surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

You are in Love!
You love the person that you are with, and it will last a long time.
'Are you in Love?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Well, I know I hope so...

WTF wouldn't really be an acceptable abbreviation for Missions Fest... 25 years strong!

Went out to mail some important stuff (yes, finally) - it cost less than I thought it would, but it's only really a local mailing. Then again, it isn't five OUTLANDER books to New Mexico (Christine - occipitaldruid) OR two Harry Potter books to Russia (Katya - katzk) - those cost a LOT! I recall the parcel to Russia cost $96 including cost of the books and bookmarks - most of that was shipping alone, OMG! But I was glad to do it at the time, of course. :)

Got to Canada Place in plenty of time to meet people, and in fact bumped into Martin as soon as I'd found my way to the packed food court. He took me to where Raymond was, and we discussed getting two tables - afterwards, we talked about the church AGM on Sunday (no voting for HIM!) / our weeks / creepiness on Facebook from people you didn't know (very well) / serving in Benjamin / Pacific Grace. Bumped into Steph (carried my drink), Vanessa (those ski pics were fun!), Danielle, Melia, Mike (Mei Lin had made colorful bags), Margaret (high-five!), Andrew (Tim Horton's iced cap or coffee?), Daniel, Michelle (deflated soccer balls for Ugandan kids?), Dylan, Calla (lectured her about not eating since breakfast), Golden, Hilary, Chung, Lanie, Phil, Grace, and Joey. Thanks to my friends, I was able to get two pieces of Flying Wedge pizza (bacon cheeseburger and cheesy rom) and iced tea... then get to the exhibition hall without getting lost! We discussed cookies and "wedding ring" shots - the Ricky's contingent were in real danger of running seriously late since their order took FOREVER to arrive. (and they called it an EXPRESS Ricky's - hmph!)

Once we went into the hall, we knew people were saving seats for us. Waved to Janette and Jason over someone's head, and nodded at Jon / Ivan / Sam / Christon / Jeremy ("two pounds of candy" isn't necessarily "two hundred candies?!") / Sarah / Emily L. (let's note all the key changes in the worship songs, and drum along to them!) Bruce was an amazing speaker - the Motilone tribe can learn from us, but the reverse is also true and very humbling! I've heard him speak before, but there's always something new to learn. Tonal languages, indeed... bananas and grubworms, oh my. After the talk and announcements, I talked to Phil / Grace / Steph / Tony for a bit before we headed to the booths. Grace was amused by the "ugfart" nickname I gave Jon when asking if he'd spent time with Grandma today since I couldn't - yes, it IS important to spend time with your elders! (maybe there'll be a Sunday Dinner at their place sometime next month!) Saw Andrea in the hall, and she mentioned a restaurant that her sibs and she'd been to, along with my brother - no, Jon didn't tell me anything about that, but that doesn't surprise me! Steph said that she was busing to Viv's because she (Viv) has a teaching job interview tomorrow - on a Saturday, of all days. Might as well prep, for sure! She told Jon to look after me and make sure I didn't get lost - good idea!

We had the recurring experience of bumping into Mark (Manhon), Ivan, Sam, his brother Jeremy, Andrew, Michelle C., Rich, Isabel, Emily, Joey, Mike, and others from our church. Also saw Ray (chicken in a pot?!), Jonathan Chan (he says Tony doesn't scare him), Lesley, and Connie (Eunice takes penalties in hockey?!) - Jon and Jeremy bumped into a LOT of Campus Crusade people too! Reminds me: we were amused when a speaker said that one reason for the Campus Crusade name change (to POWER TO CHANGE) was because "crusade" didn't go over very well with the Muslims! Jon called White Guy #1 to see where he was, and we eventually found him after Tony essentially learned that the Masons are evil. Eric and Jeremy were wondering what abbreviations would be cool at a missions conference, inspired by the OMF sign. "OMG? WTF? Okay, maybe not WTF since this is a church conference and all..."

Looked at some more booths before some of us headed over to Steamworks - it's our tradition now, I guess! Discussed credit cards, how red / drunk I really was ("Tomato Girl"?!), nachos, the bill, pizza, how my vocab and speech are the first things to go ("mice breeded? mice brode? MORE WATER being not understandable?"), "chugging" my espresso stout (Jon: "I'm making you get the lightest lager possible next time!"), saying hi to Lucas, basketball, karate, water, jokes, and more. Got home at about 12:30 after a rousing car discussion on knives, stepping stones, morbid fantasies, mad cackling, going into the wrong washroom (that hasn't happened since a swimming jaunt, OR the Old Spaghetti Factory experience YEARS ago with Dawn and Steph - even worse, there was someone IN there!), and more. Now it's time for bed - I hope this espresso stout doesn't keep me up much longer! Water, it is!

Cheesecake, instant noodles, Sukiyaki... make the insanity stop!

Things I did NOT buy today from the store, even though I wanted to: my usual quantity of microwaveable meals, Dad's cookies, a whole cheesecake (more economical than the halves), a cheesecake half (I eventually contented myself with a mini cherry cheesecake), a strawberry cream pie, sausages, Valentine's (sugar) cookies, depilatory products, and more. I saw Nissin instant noodles in the Asian aisle, and was instantly transported back to childhood - Mom would buy those all the time. Now they have seafood, curry, miso, and Japanese-style udon (Sukiyaki, which reminds me of the 4 AM song) - of course I had to buy those! I also saw some bacon-ranch Pringles, which is what I'd been looking for at Shoppers ever since I originally saw them in June! Had to buy two of those, as well as two of the Four Cheese [cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, and cream] kind... I'm a sucker for new flavors! (an advertising / marketing person's wet dream, I know :P)

I also noticed a little kid (not more than two years old or so) who stopped RIGHT IN FRONT of my cart, and seemed to be looking at it in pure unadulterated wonder! He said "MILK!" and I smiled at him and responded "Yup, I have milk here!" Then he went off in his mom's direction, but not before saying "ME TOO!" (he was drinking milk from a sippy cup / bottle) I said "COOL!" before going on my way - ah, little kids are SO cute! :D

The Nestle water bottles have a new ECO design: sweet! I also bought some frozen juice, thirty oatmeal bars (maple and brown sugar / cinnamon roll / oats and honey), mini-cans of soft drinks as a Starbucks caffeine substitute (it's CHEAPER!), and the Chili Cheese Lime Doritos that I've been looking for. Since I saved money by not buying a bunch of stuff, AND by purchasing a bunch of stuff on sale, I'm quite accomplished and proud. Now I need to go out again and spend more money on postage and such, but it can't be helped. If you want things in a box, I'll fill up the box even if I should have gotten a smaller one. I should be on time for Missions Fest tonight... must exercise restraint, haha. Got home to a phone call from someone whom I don't feel right talking to when I haven't finished the stuff he wants me to do. Oh well, I'll probably talk to him later... and I know better than to think that a certain Facebook status message is directed at me! (it's heavy to think that someone would die without me!)

I'm not Italian or Irish, though sometimes I wish I were!

Myles (my brother's girlfriend's brother) just added me on Facebook. This amuses me greatly for some reason, haha. I've also added Angela B. while I was at it.

Also, the current Gmail ad for me is "DATE A COUGAR! FEMALE COUGARS ON THE PROWL!" Nothing I've browsed for the past while has had a cougar theme, so this is most perplexing. I'm sure my sibs and Eric would have something to say about this, though! :P


Survey from Tracie via Myspace bulletin:

Nine things about you:

1. Are you single? No.
2. Are you happy? In general.
3. Are you sad? Maybe a little.
4. Are you Italian? No.
5. Are you pregnant? No.
6. Are you black? No.
7. Are you cold? No.
8. Are you Irish? No.
9. Are you white? No.

Nine facts:

1. Name? Leslie.
2. Nicknames? Sarne, Les.
3. Birth place? Vancouver.
4. Hair color? Dark brown.
5. Current hairstyle? Short.
6. Birthday? September 17.
8. Favorite colors? Black, purple, blue.
9. Are you right- or left-handed? Right.

Nine things about your life:

1. Do you have feelings for someone? Romantically, yes.
2. Have you ever been hurt emotionally? You bet....
3. Have you ever broken someone's heart? Probably.
4. Have you ever liked someone, but never told them? Yes.
5. Have any of your relationships been mistakes? No comment.
6. Are you afraid of commitment? I don't THINK so...
8. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Probably not.
9. Do you like someone? Isn't this a nuance of #1? YES, DAMMIT.

This or that:

1. Summer or winter? Summer.
2. French or Spanish? French.
3. Cats or dogs? Cats.
4. A few best friends, or many regular friends? Many regular ones.
5. Television or Internet? Internet.
6. Pepsi or Coke? Coke.
7. Wild night out, or romantic night in? Romantic night in, I guess - I'm not feeling the "wild" part! :P
8. Money or happiness? Both would be nice.
9. Night or day? Night.
10. AIM or phone? AIM.

Ten "have you ever?":

1. Been caught sneaking out? No.
2. Been skinny-dipping? No.
3. Done something you regret? Yes, but life is too short for those sometimes!
4. Bungee-jumped? No!
5. Kissed in the rain? No.
6. Finished an entire jawbreaker? Yes.
7. Wanted an ex-boyfriend / ex-girlfriend back? No comment.
8. Kissed in the snow? No.
9. Wanted to kill yourself? Not really...
10. Wanted to disappear? Yes.

Eight preferences:

1. Smile or eyes? Smile.
2. Light or dark hair? Light.
3. Hugs or kisses? Hugs.
4. Long hair or short hair? Long.
5. Romantic or spontaneous? Romantic.
6. Hook-up or relationship? Relationship.
7. Swinger or straight? Straight.
8. Trust or faith? Trust.

Ten lasts:

1. Last phone call you made? Eric.
2. Last phone call you received? Steph.
3. Last person you hung out with? Nathan, Jon, Jeremy, Adam, Jillian, Brad, Dave, and Fred.
4. Last person to kiss you? Korey.
5. Last person you tackled? I've never tackled anyone!
6. Last person you instant messaged? Talia.
7. Last text message you received? N/A.
8. Person / people you went somewhere with? Jon, Jeremy, and Fred to the Whip for espresso stout cask night; Jon, Jeremy, and Nathan to Nate's to watch WHITE.
9. Last thing you laughed about? The crude analogy in WHITE about getting it up only when you're successful.
10. Last person who said "I love you" to you? Korey.


1. Do you wear a name tag at work? Where? Haha, no.
2 . What kind of car do you drive? N/A.
3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell? Depends on my mood, but cheese is definitely essential. ;)
4. Have you ever had a garage sale? Not me personally...
5. What color is your iPod? N/A.
6. What kind of dog do you have? N/A.
7. What's for dinner tonight? Don't know... random food court stuff from the Trade and Convention Centre if all goes according to plan.
8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? Espresso stout at the Whip on Sunday.
9. Last time you were sick? About eleven days ago.
10. How long is your hair? To my shoulders.
11. Are you happy right now? Meh, I guess I'm okay... probably a bit apathetic too!
12. What was the last thing you said? "What?!" (to Eric)
13. Where did you go last? The mall.
14. Do you drink beer? Yes.
15. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? No.
16. What is your favorite keychain on your keys? None.
17. What was the last movie you watched at home? Does it count if I watched it at Nathan's? White!
18. What is in your pocket? Nothing.
19. Who introduced you to your boyfriend / girlfriend / husband / wife? I met K through Eric.
20. Where do you hurt? Right now, nowhere.
21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No.
22. What DVD is in your DVD player? None.
23. What's something fun you did today? Took a shower... WOOHOO! :P
24. Who was the principal of your high school? Mr. Retallick.
25. Has your house ever been TPd? No.
26. What do you think of when you hear the word 'meow'? "Meow Mix, Meow Mix, we'll deliver!"
27. What are you listening to right now? A Twisted Tune about low-carb diets.
28. Drinking? Minute Maid orange juice.
29. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart? The cheap snacks aisle! (but I won't be like Christon and have a huge armful of 88-cent candy, haha!)
30. When is your birthday? See above.
31. What's the area code for your cell phone? N/A, but it would be 778 if I had one.
32. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? Koret / Jax.
33. Is there anything hanging from your rearview mirror? N/A.
34. What kind of milk do you drink? 1%, usually.
35. What are you going to do after this? Eat breakfast and then worry! :P
36. Who was the last person you went shopping with? I hate shopping with people, so I don't have an answer to this.
37. What kind of car do your siblings drive? Toyota!
38. Do you like pickles? Yes.
39. How about olives? Yeah, black ones.
40. What is your favorite kind of gum? Minty stuff!
41. What is your favorite kind of juice? Orange.
42. Do you have any tan lines? Nope.
43. What hospital were you born in? Vancouver General.
44. Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? Of course! It was Plu Dorcey... she was awesome!

Vermont, Backstreet Boys, and newspaper giving

Why do I have the Backstreet Boys in my head? Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely, indeed... o_O Certainly makes me think of Kate, so I'll send her a Facebook wall post, haha! Steph's also emailed with good news - truly excellent!

Went out to complete a mission... at least I got some birthday cards, honeydew bubble tea at Tazza, a Valentine's Day card, a shirt, White Spot fajita salad, and certain gifts like candy? I'll definitely mail stuff out tomorrow, for sure! There was a man who gave me his newspaper when he overheard I wanted one - nice! Maybe I'll try assembling this box myself... oh my. Thanks to my knowing the bus schedule for a certain stop, I got the bus ON TIME instead of waiting! :D

Got home to a weird phone call from Vermont: 802-681-4148? Then I also had a phone call from the person who's been taking up most of my brainspace lately - eh, I'll call him back later since I don't want to bother him. Called Steph to see what was up for tomorrow: she sounded annoyed, so I let her go. Told Mom that I have stuff to do tomorrow, so can't accompany Grandma anywhere - hopefully, Jon calls me back since I need to talk to HIM!

Cards Received, 2007

Valentine's Day 2007

card from Janina - total surprise, with cute puppies and such!
Britney Spears card from sister - cheesy, yet CHEAP in a good way!


Birthday 2007

Karen Choo: "Dear Leslie: What we have is unique. We've known each other and been sisters in Christ at the same church even since we were both taller than Eric, Jon, and Steph! We're original members from Daniel Fellowship. I know you're a person of few words, but I know you care. I really do know. Thank you so so much. It means a lot to me. I too enjoy our casual meetings at Pho. I am so happy that you have such a wonderful blessing in your life - the Christian love and friendship of a sincere, kind-hearted, fun, creative, original Christian guy. I think Korey is terrific. He is worthy because he sees you for what you are: a rare, precious treasure whose heart burns quietly yet passionately for Christ, his Church, and his people. Leslie, you're a straight-shooter with a sense of humor, and a loyal friend. I treasure our friendship. In Christ, Karen. BIRTHDAY WISHES FROM IVAN, TOO! He said he loved your B-Day cards. Me too. You never forget. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LESLIE!" (Eric and Jeremy were most amused by the cupcakes and shiny stickers!)

card from parents

Uncle Y.C., Auntie Catherine, Chung Yan, and Karen: "Happy Birthday, and God bless always!"

card from David Fellowship

Citrus: "Happy 31st, Leslie! Hope you have a great B-Day and continue to trust in God for everything that you do! Best of wishes in this new age! Hope you like your gift coz it's something you'll like! Happy Birthday! Citrus." (he drew a tiny orange, hahaha)

Danielle: "... or you can invite the zoo to your party! Hehehe. :) HAPPY 31st BIRTHDAY, LESLIE!! Hope you have a fantabulous year! Now that you have a boyfriend, we should get together and complain about them together! Hehe. :) I mean... *cough* praise them together!" (Citrus didn't much like that last line, heh)

Vivian S.: "Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I wish you all the best in the coming year. Cheers! Aren't the ice cream face stickers cute?! :D"

Randal: "Dear Leslie, I have been having a rather chaotic time lately, so I have not been able to buy you a birthday gift yet. I'm not sure what to get you, but it will be a surprise - especially because I will be giving it to you on a day other than your birthday. Maybe every day should be your birthday. Happy 31st Birthday! Randal."

Randal, belated: "Dear Leslie, Sorry for the belated birthday gift, but I told you I would surprise you... SURPRISE!!! Well, here is something that is not a surprise: You will always have a friend in me. You are young at heart, and there are so many ways to stay young at heart... Maybe you can take some notes and teach the rest of us a thing or two. God bless you, my friend! Randal."

Eric and Fay: "Hi, Leslie. I am so GLAD you invited both Fay and me to your birthday celebration tonight. (too bad Fay has to work tonight and is unable to attend, but she sends her greetings) It has been such a PLEASURE and FUN to know you over these past few years, and now that both of us are hooked up, we can DO that couple dating thing we always talked about! WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY AND FUN B-DAY!"

Cindy: "GOD HAS MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME... Ecclesiastes 3:11. (Like your birthday!) Dear Leslie, Happy Birthday!! It's awesome you're continuing your service in AWANA! I really miss working with you, but at least we're in the same Small Group. :) Have a great celebration, and talk to you soon! Blessings, Cindy."

Dianne: "Happy Birthday, Leslie! Thank you for your continued friendship, and smile every week, Leslie! Enjoy the upcoming year! In Christ, Dianne."

Eric M.: "Actually, that [elephants farting near fire] is the last thing I or anyone in the world wants. That would be the end of us all! I do hope you have an enjoyable birthday, though. Happy Birthday, Leslie! My gift to you will be RAM. RAM is short for random-access memory. Given your explanation of your cackling fits, you should have an abundance. But I guess it's not compatible. When I figure out exactly what is, you will get the actual silicon. Eric."

Nathan: "Hey, Leslie! Leslie! Leslie! Happy, Happy Birthday! May your craziest, most insane, psycho, messed-up, pathological, and kind dreams come true... may these gifts help you keep sane during the moments of insanity... Always, Nathan." (he drew a dancing dude stick figure!)

Andrea: "Dear Les, Happy Birthday! Thanks for always being such a caring, thoughtful, and sincere person - I really appreciate you and think you play such a special part in our church family. Thanks also for bearing with Chuck's and my goofiness - we like to share in our pals' happiness, but we can sometimes go overboard. Hope you enjoy your gift: a few of your favorite things - chocolate, book-buying, and a pic of you and Korey. Hee hee hee. With love, Andrea."

Chuck: "Happy Birthday, Leslie! Happy 31st! Hope you have an awesome day celebrating with family and friends! God bless you the next year as you serve Him. - Chuck."

Sheena: "Happy Birthday, Leslie! I'm so happy to be celebrating your 31st birthday with you! We've known each other for a couple of years now, and I'm very glad we're friends. You were one of the first people to me from the David Fellowship through your birthday cards. I hope you have a fantastic 31st birthday, Leslie! Love, Sheena. P.S. Couldn't fit 31 flavors, but I hope you like the ones I have here!" (she drew 11 cute mini ice cream cones, to go with my Evite title of "31 flavors for 31 years" - mint chocolate chip, pineapple, strawberry marble, peach cream, Rocky road, bubblegum, watermelon, raspberry, coconut, blueberry, apple)

Chalaine: "HEY LESLIE!!! So I've heard that someone is getting 'wiser' now. :) Anyways, I hope you enjoy your birthday, and that the year has turned out to be what you wanted. And even though there's an extra silly little '1' after the three, you'll always be young at heart. :) Love, Chalaine. You're not thirty-one, You're thir-TEEN-one!"


Halloween 2007

Janina (mrshannibal): "Wishing that you have a super happy Halloween! Love, Janina."


Christmas 2007

Sheryll (sheryll): "Although I may not comment often, it's great having you as an LJ friend! Merry Christmas! Sheryll." (with Pirates of the Caribbean stickers!)

card from Jennifer H. (poeticgoddss)

Irene (sweetkitty): "Heya Leslie! I saw your post at Holiday Wishes on LJ, and I wanted to help brighten both your holiday, and your mailbox. I hope I've succeeded! (yea, I can't spell today) I wish you a most merry of holidays. Be merry and joyous! :)"

Ana (daphne426): "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

Julie (julie709): "Happy Holidays! :)"

Samara (mystic_notions): "Leslie, have a very merry Christmas, and may 2008 bring you only happiness and laughter. Best wishes, and take care."

Savina (bodha): "Dear Leslie, I've had to decide against sending you a postcard because all the bookmarks I wanted to send you asked for longish envelopes that are somehow too thin for postcards... what a cookie-cutter world. Instead, I got this wintery Hello Kitty stationery, which is hopefully just as nice.

The bookmarks are just a tiny part of our huge collection, which is currently rotting away in a box, indicating my sister's and my travels and countless visits to countless bookshops. And the little banana-filled chocolate guy is called Nikolo here. (Saint Nicholas, I think) On the 6th of December, he brings presents for the (good) children. As I recently found out, his companion is apparently only known in Austria (maybe Bavaria) - his name is Krampus and his day is the 5th of December. He has a sort of whip and is supposed to punish the bad children. These days, you mostly give Nikolo sweets to the good children and Krampus-themed sweets to the "bad" kids. (back in primary school, my class received just Krampus, collectively) By the end of winter, though, so-called "Perchton" (guys dressed up as frightening devils) go around in the villages and actually do sometimes hit people, and certainly scare little kids. They are meant to drive winter away, and so far, it has worked.

Anyways! You're obviously a good girl, and I hope your Nikolo isn't all smooshed. Have a very merry Christmas time! Yours, Savina. (bodha)" (December 1, 2007)

Janina (mrshannibal): "Hey - thought I'd enclose some fun things - I've really enjoyed our friendship. Much love and best wishes, Janina." (with 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 stickers!)

card from Kimberly (mo_love_99)

card from Marie (reebee) - it has her two dogs (Pockets and Zipper) on it with red-and-green Santa hats... SO CUTE!

Ginny (ginnyjf): "Hope your holidays are joyous! Zack loved his card - thank you!"

Gema: "Hope you have an excellent holiday season full of good cheer." (with random / cute fairy creatures, baby Mickey / Minnie / Pluto / Goofy / Donald Duck / cute teddy bears / alphabet letters / Christmas-themed / scrapbook corners with dolphins / hearts / butterflies / stars / flowers / happy faces / ladybugs stickers!)

card from Candy

Natalie (chibi_blackie): "Leslie: Facebook really is addicting, but I'm glad you joined. Don't worry about not being able to make 'crafty' cards. Less chance of screwing up, and it takes a while... like here. I hope you enjoy your ornament, and that you have a Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Natalie." (handmade calligraphy note with red sealing wax, and a personalized candy cane ornament)

Winnie, Kenny, and Megan: "Dear Leslie: Merry Christmas, and have a blessed 2008. Also - Happy Belated Birthdays x YEARS! I am always AMAZED at your ability to remember or keep rrack of everyone's birthdays, including Megan's! THANK YOU for ALL your birthday cards and wishes! Love always! Winnie, Kenny, and Megan!"

Eric: "Hi, Leslie. I'm writing this card to you in the opposite slant that you use! Next year, I'll write backwards siht ekiL. You're welcome for all the advice I have given. Hopefully, you don't actually take any of it. Merry Christmas. Eric."

Christina: "Here's wishing you the best this holiday season!"

card from John (snooooopy) with love and a demented Pac-Man ("GROWL! ROAR!" YAY, GINGERBREAD AND SANTA!)

Mandy D. (a_phoenixdragon): "Hello, Leslie dear! As I said, the card I received was gorgeous! And the invite stands over here, too, if you ever come by Louisville way! May your Holiday Season be joyous and the coming year a merry one, love! Snuggles and Kisses! Mandy."

Jennifer (tehgreenfairy): "Leslie! Thank you for always being so sweet. You are a great friend! :) Love, Jennifer."

Carmina (on_the_ground): "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008! Take care! I'm glad to send you a card again this year so that I can wish you a very good time these holidays with all the people that you care about. I also wanna wish you the best for the next year, and that it will bring just positive things to your life. Sincerely, Carmina."


Kadri (bad_habit): "Happy holidays, Leslie! May your holidays be full of laughter and joy! Unless, that is, you prefer your holidays to be quiet and peaceful, in which case I hope they are just that!

At the moment, it's totally un-holidayic (yes, I know that's not a word, but that has never stopped me) here in Estonia. I've also been informed that there shall be no snow for Christmas. I hope you will have better luck with weather. White Christmas has always been a dream of mine, but I suppose what with the global warming, it shall remain just that. Well, there's my wish to Santa - less global warming. I think there are no arguments from the general public on that.

It is funny - I am writing you for the third year, and I still don't know much about you! Bit strange, is it not? Well, it makes my job as a cardwriter (shush, I can call it it a job if I want to) a bit more difficult. For the life of me, I can't remember anything I write down. It's a curse because I had to write notes in my uni, and what I wrote down, I couldn't remember. Although if I'm honest here, I couldn't remember the things I didn't write down either - the difference being that there was no proof that I'd ever forgotten a thing. But the moment a card is sent, my brain erases the message from my backup files - also known as my memory.

Hm, well. I guess my ramblings make for an interesting change in the general flow of holiday cards. (I cannot NOT write a full card - I've tried.) But the general idea of the card is the name - to brighten your day, even if just by a little. And I'm sure, what with the Canadian winter, it could use some brightening. The winter darkness is hard to bear in the Nordic countries. Hm, say, do you have the Northern Lights there? Just curious. We usually don't, which is a pity. It might brighten the day / night. Snow would help, too. Or, a big fire sculpture on the lake once it freezes over again! Or the beach! And that won't happen before the Christmas trees are burned, which is sometime in January, after the Orthodox Christmas. Do you have any traditions such as that? And once again, I assume you'll reply. Well, drop me a line in the LiveJournal of one bad_habit. :)

Hope this card has made you smile, and thus the goal of brightening your day was accomplished! Happy holidays! Kadri. Tallinn, 2007."

Kitty (dutch_kitty): "A little bit late, but still with love."

Harmony: "Hope you had a good Christmas, and Happy New Year! I'm glad we get to catch up over the holidays. :) All the best for 2008!"

Kelli (neonrose5): "Hey, Leslie. I can sympathize with the last few months being shat to pat. For me, I completely skipped wishes - forgetting them - OMG, what a space. So I apologize for being late, but I hope you had a good Christmas. I wish you a healthy and happy New Year! P.S. The card was funny. :)"

Marilynn (headless_maids): "I hope you have an amazing Christmas and wonderful New Year. From your Christmas zombie, Marilynn."

Total: 47

What I got for Christmas 2007

What I got for Christmas 2007:

* Christmas card and Pirates of the Caribbean stickers from Sheryll (sheryll)
* Florida pelican postcard from Lindsay (yours_for_life)
* Christmas card from Irene (sweetkitty)
* Christmas card from Jennifer (poeticgoddss)
* Christmas card from Ana (daphne486)
* Christmas card and various stickers from Julie (julie709) [Easter, a penguin Blood Donor, a pink bear, dogs / fish scratchy]
* Christmas card from Samara (mystic_notions)
* letter, Hello Kitty / butterfly / happy face stickers, seven foreign-language bookmarks / chocolate Santa from Savina (bodha)
* Christmas card from Marie (reebee) - it has her two dogs (Pockets and Zipper) on it with red-and-green Santa hats... SO CUTE!
* Christmas card from Ginny (ginnyjf)

* Christmas card and 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 stickers from Janina (mrshannibal)

* surprise Christmas card and LOTS of random / cute fairy creatures, baby Mickey / Minnie / Pluto / Goofy / Donald Duck / cute teddy bears / alphabet letters / Christmas-themed / scrapbook corners with dolphins / hearts / butterflies / stars / flowers / happy faces / ladybugs stickers from Gema

* Christmas card from Kim (mo_love_99)
* Christmas card from Candy
* handmade calligraphy note with red sealing wax / personalized candy cane ornament from Natalie (chibi_blackie)
* Christmas card and two candy / cookies packages from Timothy Fellowship
* Christmas card from Winnie, Kenny, and Megan
* Christmas card from Eric M.
* Christmas card from Christina
* Christmas card from John (snooooopy)
* Sweet Chili Heat Doritos from Auntie Grace
* cute Christmas card from church with trinket
* blue Awana water bottle

* one pink-and-white toque, rhinestones spelling out WHATEVER, blue T-shirt, six Glitter Gel pens (Spaced-Out Silver / Lunar Lavender / Moon Beam Blue / Stella Yella / Orange You Out There / Cosmic Crimson), seaweed, blue jeans notebook, Vanilla Milkshake-flavored Whoppers, candy cane-scented skin juicer, and a $25 Chapters giftcard from parents

* Christmas card from Mandy D. (a_phoenixdragon)
* Christmas card and shark bookmark from Kadri (bad_habit)
* Christmas card from Jennifer L. (tehgreenfairy)
* Christmas card and cinema bookmark from Carmina (on_the_ground)
* Christmas card from Kitty (dutch_kitty)
* Christmas card from Harmony
* Christmas card from Kelli (neonrose5)

What I gave for Christmas 2007

What I gave for Christmas 2007

* lots of cards and stuff for my real-life friends!
* Natalie H. (chibi_blackie) - Christmas card
* Soleta - Christmas card
* Nyssa Eve. (giggles_19) - Christmas card
* Sheryll Eve. (sheryll) - Christmas card
* Shauna M. (sassinate) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Samara Mondor (mystic_notions) - Christmas card
* George and Candy Burns - Christmas card
* Rebecca Parker (outoftime) - Christmas card
* Kaitlin Olson (opaeth) - Christmas card
* Marie Smith (reebee) - Christmas card
* Irene Wolf. (sweetkitty) - Christmas card
* Jennifer Lynn H. (poeticgoddss) - Christmas card
* Zack F. (Ginny - ginnyjf - kid) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard (Disney and drawn Canada map! Yay for five-year-olds!)
* Brynn K. (irishvampire13) - Christmas card and Canadian nickel / dime / quarter / loonie / toonie
* Christina S. (argh4itchytasty) - Christmas card
* Jennifer L. (tehgreenfairy) - Christmas card
* Steve and Carol B. (Viper and nutty) - Christmas card
* Charlotte G.-C. (charshark) - Christmas card
* Audrey and Greg E. (gi_janearng) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Brian P. (tbone) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Amanda D. (a_phoenixdragon) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Julie S. (julie709) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Corey Tap. (dwcorey) - Christmas card
* Farrah Fong (lilaznffairy421 / farrah) - Christmas card
* Janina (mrshannibal) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* John Abbott (snooooopy) - Christmas card
* Marilynn Schm. (decaying_zombie) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Johnny Darby (johnny5salive) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Ana Rod. (daphne486) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Alessandra P. (dru_it) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Savina K. (bodha) - Vancouver postcard
* Frane K. (bodha's uncle) - Vancouver postcard
* Katya Z. (katzk) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Sara Wills (sparkle_bint) - Christmas card and Vancouver postcard
* Kelli E. (neonrose5) - Christmas card
* Korey - a card, Nativity candle holder, a journal notebook, and a $50 Earls giftcard
* Kitty (dutch_kitty) - Christmas card

My angel is the reason they'll never tear us apart!

I was just thinking of these three special songs!

Artist: INXS
Song: Never Tear Us Apart

I remember this video from Pop-Up Video! YAY!

Don't ask me
What you know is true
Don't have to tell you
I love your precious heart
I...
I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart

We could live
For a thousand years
But if I hurt you
I'd make wine from your tears

I told you
That we could fly
Coz we all have wings
But some of us don't know why

I...
I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never ever tear us apart


Artist: Monica
Song: Angel of Mine

When I first saw you, I already knew
There was something inside of you
Something I thought that I would never find
Angel of mine

I look at you, lookin' at me
Now I know why they say the best things are free
I'm gonna love you, boy, you are so fine
Angel of mine

How you changed my world, you'll never know
I'm different now, you helped me grow
You came into my life sent from above
When I lost all hope, you showed me love
I'm checkin' for ya, boy, you're right on time
Angel of mine

Nothing means more to me than what we share
No one in this whole world can ever compare
Last night... the way you moved is still on my mind
Angel of mine

What you mean to me, you'll never know
Deep inside, I need to show
You came into my life sent from above
When I lost all hope, you showed me love
I'm checkin' for ya, boy, you're right on time
Angel of mine

I never knew I could feel each moment
As if it were new,
Every breath that I take, the love that we make
I only share it with you (you, you, you, you)
When I first saw you, I already knew
There was something inside of you
Something I thought that I would never find
Angel of mine

You came into my life sent from above
When I lost all hope, you showed me love
I'm shakin' for ya, boy, you're right on time
Angel of mine

How you changed my world, you'll never know
I'm different now, you helped me grow

I look at you lookin' at me
Now I know why they say the best things are free
I'm checkin' for ya, boy, you're right on time
Angel of mine


Artist: Hoobastank
Song: The Reason

I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with every day
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

Now Corey and I are teasing each other about postponement of sending packages and procrastination. Taiwan trip stuff (February to March), Christmas, New Year's, Chinese New Year? Haha, it works for me! I need to mail stuff out tomorrow since I myself have been procrastinating on it FOREVER... yikes! At least I have downtime today!

Dream of Bowen, old ladies, and noodle anger

I had a weird dream last night... I wish my subconscious would be done with Christmas already!

Bowen had turned 21, and there were numerous slips of paper in front of him, each detailing at least drink that he MUST have! (he's really about 13 or so, and SO TALL!) After he'd had some, he sang his underwear song... but shut up as soon as my dad arrived with Gabriel's grandma, who was dressed in a purple and green outfit. My friends and I (including Gabriel / Margaret / Mike / Joanna) all went to a silver playground to get away from the spectacle of my dad and an old lady in an old red clunker of a car. Daniel hid us all in a tube, but my dad caught up with us.

Then we all had to go to dinner at someone's house, and my dad didn't like us laughing over what we found amusing. Jon had noodles, and saw the Christmas tree with its lights; he thought that some food items would make a nice tree topper. Thankfully, we convinced him to give those food items to a sick grandma. Auntie Ying thanked us for making the sick grandma's day a bit better since she wanted to see more happy people. That was where the dream ended. No idea why I had it - I'd seen Auntie Ying, Gabriel's grandma, and Bowen on Sunday, but that was about it. You'd think I'd dream about the kids in general... *sigh* Today is going to be a catch-up day, for sure!

Vomiting is NOT venting!

Misreading of the day: I read "venting is good" as "VOMITING is good." Either I need more sleep, or I need to not just scan things quickly because other stuff is demanding my attention. :P

I was also at McDonalds earlier - yeah, I know. It's bad for you and other such stuff - ew, blah, yuck! But I had to get fast food, and it's okay once in a while! Heard the INXS song Never Tear Us Apart, which is how I feel about my relationship - certain people won't do that to us! Also thought I'd lost my bus pass, but it had somehow been wedged in between the gum palette and the gum package in my watermelon / spearmint thing. Thank goodness - I was SO stressed over it, especially since it would have set a brand new record in terms of losing the bus pass and time! Yikes. Not good at all!

Went to the bathroom before I bused home from the Greyhound station, and committed my first act of "Sharpie vandalism" in the name of grammar - I used my purple Sharpie to correct the spelling on some graffiti in the stall. "Your bathrooms are GROSS" makes much more sense than "grouse," people! :P (there were comments about how the person should learn to spell / go back to school, but not an actual correction!) It's -6C outside... brr!

Discovered that Jason and William had added me to Facebook, as well as an Evite from Grace to Melia's bridal shower. February 17 at 3 at Melia's works for me! (she realized she has Awana on the 16th, so that date doesn't work!) Steph will come - lingerie and Melia, oh my!

I should listen to my body next time...

Note: What the Hell Happened Last Night? Kwiz Biz, by joneccleston.


I should not have gone out today, even to Shanghai Wind for beef noodles. This is what happens when I ignore my body's need for downtime away from people in general. I saw John Jugovic on the bus - so random! (and his five-year-old son) He thought I was good at delivering papers and asked why I'd quit - too much stuff going on! No matter how tired / irritated I was from missing buses, I slipped into "kid mode" and talked very briefly to Jaden about Minoru / skating / swimming / hockey and such. (I know they live on Commercial...) I had Jeremy's "Pho Pho Pho Pho Pho Pho" and "Knife and fork!" ditties in my head - so amusing. :D (Korey had to visit, too...)

Cask night at the Whip - WHITE and espresso stout!

Jon and I bused to the Whip after 4, meeting Jeremy and some other people there for espresso stout - CAFFEINE and Black Plague! Fred came along, and most of the discussion at the table (Dave, Brad, Adam, and Jillian were the others) centred around beer (festivals) / brewing / Dix. Jeremy commented later at Pho Thai Son that I must have been the most alienated, although they DID ask what I do. Yeah, but it's okay - I can just be quiet like I normally am when people around me discuss things I don't have a clue about, haha. I should have sat next to Jeremy and not left empty stools, since I was flanked by two other people who knew a lot about beer (I was under the mistaken impression that they were brewmasters) - at least I didn't have any stool mishaps as happened once! After that, the three of us walked to Pho Thai Son to have dinner and meet Nathan. We discussed Pastor John's sermon - pride / seven deadly sins and blocking one out - we must have problems with anger, then! (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride)

Went to Nathan's, where we discussed stuff on Wikipedia while saying hi to Isabel in her room. Nate said that his dad had a steak for him, so that's why he only ordered egg soda and spring rolls at Pho - sounded good to us! We watched WHITE, which is about a man attempting to get his ex-wife back. Very interesting movie, to be sure - stolen luggage, a new friend referring to himself when he said someone wanted to kill himself, signs and endings, getting mojo back when successful (crude analogy), etc. I noted that Jeremy's head was on my jacket where I'd placed it on top of Nate's couch, but I didn't mind. Shared amusement and grins, and I know this is a friendship I'll treasure! Watched bits and pieces of ROBOT CHICKEN, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, and other random stuff while browsing Nate's bookshelves - lots of commentaries on Isaiah / Matthew and such. Jon had this priceless advice for a student: "Be like me, but don't really!" (haha - Nate and I were most amused!) Looked up movie analysis later, and left after Jeremy did - Jon and I kept up a good pace walking from Nathan's to the King Edward bus stop! At least I made it home before midnight, and it wasn't raining like it was last week!

Chasing kids can be FUN!

Went to church and discussed things with my family - then saw Eric T. carrying a bag of clothes, which he joked was garbage (laap saap) - oh my! (really for a clothing drive) Saw Ron and Veronica at church, so talked to them for a bit after saying hi to the kids and getting some water. Jon pointed out Nathan and Stanley on the worship team, whom they both recognized. Introduced the Richmond people to them (Ivan, his brother Nathan who beat Darren at Wii Boxing, Sam, his brother Jeremy), and joked with Joey that he was used to Jon beating him up. I sat in my more-or-less "usual" seat, and Karen introduced me to her boyfriend Lincoln. Said hi to Calla while noting that Jeremy was drumming - at least Daniel didn't have to fill in like he did last week? It was cool to have the different experience, though! The sermon was very good, on pride and certain other moral failings. Afterwards, I said hi to Christon and asked Jon about Dallas - nobody had seen him in a while!

Talked to Jeremy, Andrea, Helen K., Nicholas, Calla, Raymond, Martin, and others outside about random cooking / rice (a 40-pound bag on Jer's bike?!) / pasta as a staple / the garbage smell from the bin, which Jer had to move because of cars coming in to park. (we also saw Eric's mom in a wheelchair - she definitely needed the ramp!) Jeremy grinned at me and asked whether I'd heard about Jon's latest "escapade" in lieu of an actual Sunday Dinner: nope, but if he asked, I'll be there! It involved another cask night at the Whip, with espresso stout. Sounded very interesting, for sure! Apparently, we'll watch White at Nathan's later - even I've heard of the THREE COLORS Polish movies! (I think I watched one of them in a long-ago college French class) Said hi to Michelle C. and assorted others before heading off to Sunday School. Auntie Fonda told me about former employers trying to make her cheat / change scanned documents with Photoshop / her daughter Vivian being at ECBC now with comfortable friends.

Later, I saw Stanley and Hien trying to beat each other over the head - I think Stanley would win since he's taller than she is by a fair bit! Then I had fun chasing Noah around the basement - he tried hiding from me, but I knew just where he was. Don't worry; I knew he wasn't scared since he was laughing while we both dodged people - his sister Hannah told him to go with her a bit later, while I asked their brother Josiah how reffing was. Good thing he likes it! Said hi to Ryan, Darren L., Ethan, Gwyneth, Eric N., Louisa, Edward, Rosanna, and other kids while offering them jelly sticks: seeds, playfighting, and such - oh my! Gwyneth's mom has found a sitter for the kids - yay for Charis! When Teresa asked her daughter who'd given her the jelly stick, Gwyneth pointed at me and said "she!" Of course I have a name, haha: Ethan and Gwyneth both thanked me for the candy, while Ryan showed self-denial in letting his brother have the stick instead. (I only had two) Went outside and talked some more about cooking / baking / measurements with Calla / Jeremy / Jon. Almost scared Danielle, and went to Louis Garden with my family. Decided to go with Jon for the rest of the day, so hung out at Bump and Grind coffee shop on Commercial. Busing won't be that bad if there are no escalators involved, haha!

Condiments and their shelf life

Here's a great image I found via RandomThought!