Let's all live to be 900, even if we die!

I went outside at 3:30, and didn't recognize Ada's van at first. When she hailed me, it sounded almost exactly like my mom. That was scary! (I had to wonder if all Chinese moms sound the same, haha!) At church, I got into the Awana duties while updating my offline journal... less stuff to do at home, heh. Amos had an essay to do, but I told Andrew and Jason to put stickers in the Sparky birthday cards! Ethan was almost terrorizing Mike - I asked Mike if he liked sunflower seeds, and he shrugged. Sean was going around eating Cheerios, so Lanie and I reminisced about eating them when we were kids ourselves! He dropped some on the floor, and one even went down his shirt - ah, messy kids! Talked to Emily a bit about her weekend so far and stuff - yay for catching up!

Ian was telling a bunch of people that he was on "Number Nine," so I asked him what was up. He told me: "I'm on Number Nine! See?" I saw a "Section 3" on his page, so asked him to point out where the NINE was - turns out he meant PAGE Nine in his Awana Skipper handbook, haha. Kids are hilarious! (he'll be seven in July) Here's an amusing exchange between Ian and Justin Au:

Justin: She (Hilary) is seven and a half, but I'm taller than her!
Ian: How old are you?
Justin: I'm seven! I am taller!
Ian: Do you want to be 900?
Justin: *thinks* No, I'd die by then! Do YOU want to be 900?
Ian: ... no. I don't want to die - I'll live forever!

After Awana, Sean cried because he felt his dad didn't give him a proper goodbye. Eventually, John said Sean could go with him since he had room in the car, although he was taking people home too! I'd given him half a Japanese cracker earlier - YUMMY MSG! (one little girl told me that she liked them, haha) In the car, Ian kept going on about healthy food and wishing he could buy Japanese crackers - he likes watermelon (my sister once ate a WHOLE ONE), grapes, and a bunch of other stuff. "I wish we could buy these crackers - maybe when we have little food at home!" Hahaha, of course Ada told him that she'd think about it!

Sushi at SUI SHA YA

Eric and Korey picked me up for lunch at SUI SHA YA at Lansdowne. We talked about [deep-fried] gyoza, [raw] fish (Grandma's favorite!), teriyaki, tempura, sashimi, yams, rolls, songs, AMERICAN IDOL, Chapstick, babies, Ryan / Alison / Jeremy / new baby coming soon / Coke, green tea, glass and DEFENESTRATION, Jen and Karen being awesome, Chrystal, snow, Dylan, Eric not drinking alcohol OR eating cake (NO SUGAR!), pink lingerie (NOT Eric's thing), and more. When I got home, Korey called me to chat - he was also looking for the Coquitlam Ikea phone number - 411 costs money, for sure! I had 46 emails waiting, and deleted 20 of them. I'll get to them later or tomorrow... maybe...

SIXTEEN BABIES AT ONCE?! OH MY!

Had a weird dream when I finally could get to sleep - no idea about this one. I can bet part of it is from Chinese New Year (shark's fin soup!), Korey having to work a lot, my asking Jen where Dawn was (out with Eni?), and Chinese New Year / the Super Bowl in general.


My friends and I had to help this poor woman figure out what was wrong with her. She knew she was pregnant, but wondered why she kept getting noticeably bigger with each passing day. We consulted a doctor, who said that there wasn't much we could do for her - she would die soon without an expensive operation. Horrified at this news, we sought other opinions from the highest in the land - every one of them returned the same verdict. After we found someone willing to do the operation for free, we requested attendance at the event. Lo and behold, the woman had SIXTEEN fetuses inside her! We marveled that it was one more than the current world record for quindecaplets (15 at a time), and the doctors had medical documents and everything of this extraordinary event. They included souvenir drawings of the position of the fetuses inside her body, rather like a sketch of multiple heads with numbers on them. (like the legends accompanying large groups depicting a sketch of the picture, plus a number on each head - with an indicator as to which number goes with which name - I hope I'm explaining this okay!)

After that, it was time to go to a ball pit, kinda like the ones they (used to?) have at the Richmond Ikea. (I played there till I was past eight!) We knew we weren't supposed to let my parents know that K was there, so we made up all sorts of inventive elaborate schemes. Somehow, the ball pit was connected to a large room where the Super Bowl was going on. We had lots of chips and snacks - by the time my mom did know that K was around, she didn't mind at all. Strange, but good for us! She even baked K some apple pie - how sweet of her! (we thought she'd FREAK!)

From there, we went to a Chinese restaurant where it was Chinese New Year. We saw Auntie Angela and a whole bunch of church people there. Celebrating this event meant that we had to go through the arcane ritual of jumping on our intricate brown chairs, so we did that. (this would supposedly rid the coming year of an influx of bad spirits and demons) Everyone did that except me and K since we couldn't. By the time I returned from the washroom, K was gone! I asked a 50-year-old brown-haired waitress whether she had seen him, since Eni had taken his place at the table. Turns out she was looking after the kids, and had seen him rush out quite suddenly... he told her to tell me that he was on his way to work. The Caller ID on my phone showed that he had tried to call me, but was unsuccessful. I slowly woke up from the dream, realizing that my boyfriend was (in reality) still here in town, even if only for a few more hours... that was very comforting! Gotta see what the plans are for today - I hear they involve sushi, beds, mattresses, and maybe Ikea!

I didn't get my blue sparkly shirt on Robson Street, Jeremy!

Went to the bus depot kinda early, especially considering that Korey was half an hour late - he didn't even come on the bus at 5, but had a specialist appointment beforehand. So his cousins drove him instead - it works! We took a cab to the church, and discussed getting my books back tonight (among other things like Valentine's Day) - well, I hope so!

Saw Chris Lam on our way to Pho, where we saw Eric T. and Stanley. Eric, Chris, and some others decamped to a nearby table since they were actually having a meeting. Korey and I discussed a bunch of stuff; later, I saw Kenneth and Daisy come in and order takeout. Good to see them! Then Mark came in, so I said hi to him - did the same with Sam's brother Jeremy. (he's a TALL 13-year-old who I don't necessarily hang out with!) Stanley told me about guitar practicing, a LORD OF THE FLIES mock trial, and school - good times. While I was talking to Christon at the front, Jen and Karen arrived finally when we were practically finished eating. Steph came in later, and expressed surprise that Korey was in town - she went out, only to return in a few minutes to buy Pho because Dad had forgotten to pack the dinner which Mom had made for her. (she was annoyed, but then Dad hasn't been feeling well...)

Jen, Karen, Korey, and I discussed friends, life, Dan Savage (blunt and humorous!), Karen's brother Vance, Jen's boyfriend Greg being 38, guys sleeping in the same bed (Christon slept in the armchair on the Stateside trip with him / Jon / Ray / Nate because he knows Jon moves and HE himself kicks!), sharing a bed in general, brothers, etc. Steph said that she had to share the same bed as my mom once on a Maritimes trip (not the one I went on!), and she found herself thinking "Get off me, woman!" when she was locked in a bear hug!

Jon came in later to say hi to various people, and greeted Korey with "Hey, K-dawg! How's it going?!" I asked whether he got my message - he had, and consulted Christon on his impressions of a play where there was a bit of audience participation. Then he told Steph that Wednesday's Chinese New Year dinner was rescheduled to Sunday: "As in TWO days from now?!" we said in almost perfect unison. It works better for Steph, and it works better for me too because I won't be out four nights in a row! (instead of Tuesday to Friday, it'll now be Sunday / Tuesday / Thursday / Friday) Not that I couldn't handle being out four nights in a row (because I'm sure I'll have to do that and more in future), but I like some breathing room if available. ;)

I went to church before K did, and took attendance downstairs while saying HI to Megan and her new boyfriend Andy. It was hilarious when Karen introduced Megan and Calla, although I guess she'd have no way of knowing that they too grew up together in our church! Confirmed stuff with Eric; Korey came downstairs, then went out with Jen almost right away. I said hi to Raymond, who joined the feather dusters group on Facebook. Korey came back in and sat down by me, holding my hand - so sweet. I must have had some sort of sad expression on my face when I looked toward Randal's side of the room for attendance-taking purposes, for K put an arm around me and whispered that it was all right. Gave both Jen and Korey cinnamon gum - Pho breath and smoking breath are NOT good, for sure! Said hi to Ivan after Randal returned my books to me FINALLY!

Went to Bible Study, where I noticed that K wasn't in our group.. that's okay, since I figured he'd gone with Eric's group. Talked to Jeremy, his CRU friend Teresa, Dylan (his brother has a Romanian girlfriend?!), John Hui, Cindy, Andy, and Megan... teaching kids is hard, especially if you have to keep lying to them, and exclude ALL holidays! (can't do Eid, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas ["WINTER concert"], Chinese New Year - it's all or nothing!) Held the doors for Jon as he exited the basement with his arms full of cups - Martin thought he needed help, but he didn't.

When we ended at shortly after 10, I crossed the room to give Steph some tax thing to give to Dad... Korey was sitting by the piano and having an awesome time talking with Jen. I occupied myself with talking to Chrystal about snow / Awana / last weekend, and to John and Jeremy about my blue sparkly shirt that cost $10 from London Drugs. Told John to guess how much the stylish shirt was, and warned Jeremy not to tell him - I didn't get it on Robson Street or for $100 at the Night Market, that's for sure! (the lowest he went was $5, and the highest was $50) Jeremy acknowledged that he liked that shirt, and wondered just how many clothes London Drugs sold, haha. Too long since I've seen John - he did pop in for twenty minutes or so at the "chicken tagine" Sunday dinner nearly three weeks ago. Of course, he remembered me then from popping in at Bible Study during September in the 40 Days of Community! Said hi to Martin, Connie, and others: weekend plans, emotions, drains, Awana, work, and reading!

While K was doing something else, Stanley finally kicked us all out of the basement - Steph wondered what K was doing outside all by himself since it was cold. I was about to go grab him (I had his stuff, after all) when he came back inside - he wanted Jen and Karen to join us for bubble tea, but our car was already full. (unfortunate...) Talked to random Resonate people, and enjoyed Steph duplicating Citrus' eyeroll and pose! A bit later, K said he was going to the car in the back parking lot, so I walked with him. We said bye to Dylan as I reminded him that the Committee meeting would be on his birthday - he's said he doesn't mind! After we discussed some stuff, Steph and Eric walked up (with Jon lagging behind), and yelled at us to STOP STEAMING UP THE WINDOWS! Ha ha ha.

Ivan and Sam were going to a Hastings / Willingdon bubble tea place, so our car went to Dragon Ball after fitting everything into the trunk. Steph and I didn't order anything - she's in TRAINING MODE, and I figured K wouldn't mind if I had some of his pineapple-blueberry. K went outside for a bit of a walk - I told Steph that I was joining him, so we walked to the nearby 25 UBC bus stop. We held hands and talked about more stuff - that was cleansing and gave me some peace! My sibs and Eric came out with bubble tea; Jon jokingly plotted our bus route home (25, 98, 401 / 407) before we went back to the car where my sibs caught up on his life as we went home. I know there are things I myself need to work on too, and I remain hopeful.

Nose treasures in sandbox?! EW! / Dream of underground! / Farting

Yes, I am seven years old. :P
Saw this on the latest posts page, and couldn't help reposting, haha.

lâcher un vent - to fart (literal: to break wind)

Present Tense: (fart)
Je lâches un vent
Tu lâches un vent
Il / Elle / On lâche un vent
Nous lâchons un vent
Vous lâchez un vent
Ils / Elles lâchent un vent

Past Tense: (farted)
J'ai lâché un vent
Tu as lâché un vent
Il / Elle / On a lâché un vent
Nous avons lâché un vent
Vous avez lâché un vent
Ils / Elles ont lâché un vent

Future Tense: (will fart)
Je lâcherai un vent
Tu lâcheras un vent
Il / Elle / On lâchera un vent
Nous lâcherons un vent
Vous lâcherez un vent
Ils / Elles lâcheront un vent


Jon sent us an email about Sunday Dinner - none this week because of the rescheduled AGM and the Super Bowl. Next week, Calla will also be cooking as a change of pace from squash, AND it'll be at Phil and Grace's place! That will definitely be a treat! Building up friendships with a core group is good, of course - I just like chilling with people whom I *know* I can trust, haha. Says there'll probably be one before Reading Week so the uni kids can make it out. Nathan seized upon "uni kids," and said this: "Those are some very large and hairy kids playing in the church sandbox. For some reason, I have this picture of Christon sitting in the sandbox, picking his nose and eating the treasures inside it or something. Funny picture." ... thanks, Nate... that's just the visual I need while eating breakfast! :P (I love Nate, but some things are just not meant to be contemplated!)


So I went to bed REALLY early last night since I was pretty tired... would you believe before 10:15?! I had to do my body a huge favor, and this TREAT TO MYSELF was it. I don't know WHAT it was (reading the feather dusters group?), but I had a pretty insane dream:

* It started out at church, with a play being put on by some of the kids with ADULT help. Eunice and Jon were a married couple in this one, and plates and knives were required for the set-up as part of the first scene. We all had scripts in our green bulletins so we could follow along; I dropped mine, and Uncle Johnny smilingly retrieved it for me. Dallas was there in a suit, Jeremy was drumming (which I thought was cool), Steph was an usher, and Lesley told me to get a cast-iron heavy duty frying pan just in case. I went and got one that looked like the one my mom had (or still has) - that thing was SO HEAVY! Steph tried to give me another bulletin when I already had one, but I told her to give it to someone else.

* In the back, Rosenda was taking care of all the babies and toddlers.. her niece Olivia looked older than two and a half in the dream! Some of them were in blue-and-white checkered baby carriers, and all of them seemed to be quite content and gurgling. Mom playfully bumped Uncle Eric against the table of bulletins and news, and I had to explain to Rosenda that they were best friends since high school.

* When the play came on, I went up to the front to assist. Brian Lau (an Awana kid) executed his part perfectly until he came to where he had to hope around on one foot and wince in pain - in the play, he'd had boiling water poured there, and his feet looked like the bound feet of Chinese women in those OLD pictures and art. (foot-binding, EW!) I told him to hop around and look really disgusted and hurt - that did the trick!

* After that, my family went home. There was a huge underground parking lot, where there was plenty of room to work on stuff. Turns out R was working on constructing things for my family's townhouse - it involved a piano and several incidentals. Jon and everyone else around (friends, neighbors, etc.) was friendlier toward the other worker ("Shy Steven"), and insisted on knowing everything about him. Shy Steven eventually warmed up to us, and was incredibly talkative - SO GOOD AND REFRESHING! My mom offered them something to eat and drink, while Steph took me out for lunch in the underground parking lot's cafeteria. (don't ask, I don't know) She then had MY mushroom soup, but it was fine - Dad handed ME a cheque for $227.01, and not her! He told me to wait on endorsing the cheque (it was unused funds from a David Fellowship expense account) until I was in Pastor Edward's presence - good idea!

* A while later, the workers were waiting for the bus on a grassy area. R was waiting for the #20 Downtown, but a strange blonde-haired woman gave him the wrong directions (on purpose?), so he ended up heading back to the underground parking lot. We were out then, so he was definitely out of luck. He took the correct bus back home, which was fine - we didn't want stray workers hanging around and getting lost! (the neighbor told us about it when we got back, haha)

* Mom tried to find a backscratcher for me in the aisles at home (WTH?), and couldn't find one. She and Dad were getting ready to go out again, so she invited me to go to Dallas Supermarket with them; maybe we could find one there! We went to the underground parking lot's cafeteria before going to the store, and then we saw Uncle Peter (using his mom's wheelchair?) and Auntie Ying there. Steph yelled at me to sit at their table, and so I did. We had a great time, talking about things before we left. That is where the dream ended... not sure why I had it, but it was mainly cool.

Korey's name isn't Corny or Courtney! / Interesting survey

My mom has found two new ways to mangle my boyfriend's name: "Corny" and "Courtney." Hahaha, it's really "Korey" - which she DID get right a few times. I can't believe she thought that I'd had a falling-out with Rich / Rachel / Jeremy. Nope, that's never gonna happen! (I hope?) She told me not to worry about it - oh, I'm past that now. Hopefully, I can put it BEHIND me. Heh, I find I'm writing in more CAPS like Eric does - guess that shows I miss him! (Sarah Moore - lel - made that observation years ago about how I seemed to write like Spoz, haha) We are having two Chinese New Year Dinners - can't have it on Monday because it's "garbage day" and DIRTY (according to my grandma... unsure of reason... ah, wacky old-school Chinese culture!), and can't have it on Tuesday since Jon has night school at Regent. So it's Wednesday for shark's fin soup, and Thursday at the townhouse with Dallas and Nathan. (email Dallas yourself, Mom - it's YOUR place and YOUR invitation!) At least I finally have an answer to the Committee email after 29+ hours of it sitting in my inbox! Circumstances totally not under my control, man...

Also, my ears are hurting in remembered pain. I've been reading the FEATHER DUSTERS Facebook group wall, and I've flashed back to my most vivid childhood memories! AIYA! ("kneel down and pull on your ears!")

Random Trivia Generator, AKA the Mechanical Contrivium

I typed in my ex-friend's name for laughs, and this is what I got:

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Randal!

1. Randal is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature!
2. Humans share about fifty percent of their DNA with Randal.
3. Research indicates that Randal will be attracted to people who have recently eaten bananas!
4. If the Sun were the size of a beach ball, then Jupiter would be the size of a golf ball, and Randal would be as small as a pea!
5. Snow White's coffin was made of Randal!
6. The original nineteenth-century Coca-Cola formula contained Randal.
7. Randal can remain conscious for fifteen to twenty seconds after being decapitated.
8. Randal can not regurgitate!
9. The first American zoo was built in 1794, and contained only Randal.
10. Half a cup of Randal contains only seventeen calories!

Your Score: Hieroglyphics

You scored

You are Egyptian Hieroglyphics! Monumental, ornate, and even in technicolour! Your users contributed virtually all ancient knowledge on inks, dyes, and writing surfaces - to the point where the popular reed of Papyrus became the universal name for organic, manufactured writing surfaces in the western hemisphere for thousands of years. Proud, upstanding, and dignified.

Link: The Which Ancient Language Are You Test written by imipak on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(imipak)

Survey stolen from Chrissy (argh4itchytasty) -

When was the last time you were up all night? The time a few weeks ago where I couldn't sleep because I was thinking too much about certain things.

Do you screen your notes and / or comments? Sometimes, yes.

Do you think more or act more? I'm eccentric, therefore I act more. (another good answer which I had to keep)

Do you listen to your intuitions, feelings, and tingly sensations? I try to... sometimes I don't. :(

What's a word people should use more often? DEFENESTRATION!

Do you listen to other people's advice? It depends on the person and the advice. (SO true!)

Do you prefer silence or talking? It depends on who, when, what, and where. (yep, very true!)

Do you trust psychology as a valid science? Yes, kinda.

Have you ever been to see a ballet? No.

What frustrates you? A lot of things!

Do you brush your teeth three times a day? No... twice, probably.

Do you live in reality or in your own little world? My own little world.
Do you hide things about yourself from others? Of course.

Is quiet contemplation important? Yes.

What things do you feel like everyone is entitled to have without working for them? Freedom of choice. <- Have to agree with this one. (as do I)

When was the last time you told your parents you love them? I have no idea.

Is writing an online blog, journal, or diary more about being honest about feelings or entertaining your readers? I'm honest about my feelings! Sometimes I guess I entertain the readers...

Do you answer the phone when it rings, or do you check to see who is calling first? I usually check, and then pick up if I feel like talking to the person.

Have you ever fasted? Yes... 30-Hour Famine memories, baby! (ah, PJs...)

Why are some things so hard to say? Because sometimes things don't come out how you originally intended.

Does your personality change over time, or will it always stay the same? The core personality will usually stay the same, but I'd like to think the outer part will change over time depending on experiences and circumstances.

What overwhelms you? Depends, really.... too much stress, too many expectations, and not enough downtime!

What was your last nightmare about? Someone inserting his way into a group of MY friends, and then proceeding to hack them all to death with a sword which had been used on grubworms previously... :( (there's a reason why I don't post ALL my dreams on here... :P)

Do you trust your instincts even when other people tell you that you are wrong? Sometimes... I like being different, but my instincts are all right! I like pleasing people sometimes too, so that may affect it.

What makes a novel a great read? Lots of description, lots of dialogue, and the fact that I want to read it straight through and enjoy the experience even though I should sleep or do other things!

Have you ever had a palm reading? No.

Are you very trusting of others? Depends.

Are you more verbal or visual? Verbal.

Do you trust people who tell you "trust me"? Depends... be wary of people who have to REMIND you to trust them!

Have you ever taken an IQ test? Yes.

In conversations, do you sometimes feel that you already know what will be said? Sometimes, yes.

Have you ever been to a show on Broadway? No, unfortunately.

Hermit / Floating brothel dream

Sometimes I think I'd be better off being a hermit. Less than 30 hours till a dose of much-needed humor and encouragement! (the last time I remember counting down the hours was when I was all excited about seeing Nick at Concert Band... YEARS ago!) In other news, I have a Facebook friend request from Nav Nijjer - I vaguely remember him, so why not? Haha, I should be a "stalker" more often for the nostalgia!

Something Nutty posted that provides insight for me: "[You] mak[e] comments without thinking about to whom you are speaking, with no regard for that person's feelings on some subjects. And you show animosity toward me every time we have any conversation that includes [that person]. Damned near EVERY time she comes up, you say to me, in a rather caustic voice, "Well, she likes you!". Like I can help that she likes me or that you feel like she has never liked you. Neither are under any of my control, yet you take it out on me. AND... I say nothing." I've been that way too much in the past. I should learn, definitely.


I had a weird dream last night... I was at home and suddenly, all the lights went out. Called Daniel, who came over with three aunties. K was also over; for some reason, he was a scruffy white guy with brown hair and a beard. He tried kissing me in front of everyone, but I demurred. Daniel fixed the lights, and then we all went on board a special cruise ship. Just how special was this ship? There was a special suite of rooms with very beautiful girls - that's right, it was a floating brothel.

After a few days in dream time, there was a big gathering of everyone on the ship. We were sitting on the floor, on the stairs, in folding chairs, etc. Someone came and told us that this floating brothel wasn't a good idea, and that it was moral filth. We'd all heard this before, but everyone who'd been associated with it repented. Then I became very concerned about a few puppies I'd left in the room next to the brothel. I unzipped my knapsack, but didn't find them in there. Went to the room where I'd left them (excusing myself to about a billion people), only to find they were dead! Jeremy consoled me while K was nowhere to be seen - he appeared a few minutes later and also tried to comfort me. Then the girl who had looked after the puppies (and other animals) came by; Jennifer had strawberry blond hair and a thin build, and was wearing a white T-shirt with black text on it. She pulled me into her arms and told me that it was okay to cry. I'd been holding back around the guys for some reason!

Nope, no idea why I had that dream.... o_O

Insight for the masses.... Tabasco Sauce!

Shark's fin soup at a restaurant for Chinese New Year, and inviting Nathan over to the townhouse the next night both sound good! Also, Eric Bin accepted my friend request on Facebook - I should add more high school people, haha. :D

	What's your Insightful Quote?
"Find the person who will love you because of your differences and not in spite of them, and you have found a lover for life."
– Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998, American Author and Expert on Love and Human Relationships
'What is your Insightful Quote?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Interesting for contemplation... *thinks*


I also liked this one...

	What's your Insightful Quote?
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
– Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
'What is your Insightful Quote?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Picture of me and the K-Man at the Red Robin's in Abbotsford on December 16:




Poems I saw on the Latest Posts Page... kate66 rocks!

EYES WIDE SHUT:
A cut, a wound, an intricate gash.
I'm crawling out of my skin, screaming inside at the top of my lungs...
My lungs caked with tar,
My throat filled with smoke.
Take me away.
Take these feelings, this pain, the memories...
It’s sharp, delicate, piercing, and glistening,
Begging to be touched even ever so slightly...
The crimson lines forming to droplets,
And in slow motion falling to a splash and streaking what is left behind.
And what is left behind is left scarred, hurt, and awaiting time to heal.
To heal the nauseous and sinking feeling dropping beneath my chest,
To replenish my nerves that ran through my veins ever so quickly,
Causing my fingertips to tingle and shake.
The fear of replaying this game is devouring at my flesh,
Closing me off to any opportunity that may shine itself before me once again.
But this feeling of rage, terror, and pain...
It lies not only in my mind but through every inch of my body.
And is screeching to come alive in the form of a delightful off-white snowy powder,
Or even in an everlasting dream.
It's a fight.
A fight to sit, endure, and embrace,
Until it ends and everything will once again be okay.
But how do you do that?
How long will it take?
Am I strong enough to surpass this?
... Will I ever be happy again?


FRAGILE:
Fragile, like a thin glass fixture balancing on the edge of a table.

Delicate, like the taste of an expense dessert prepared in Paris.

Brittle, like the crumbs from a cookie when it gets burnt.

Frail, like an ounce of coke lying in front of the drug addict.

Decrepit, like the 90 year old man who can barely walk.

Weak, like the girl who just had her heart broken.

Feeble, like the shy boy who never speaks loud enough to hear.

Dainty, like the overcoming beauty of the sun setting beneath the horizon.

Unsound, like emotional wrecks trying to pull their hair out.

Fine, like a painting that you could stare at for hours and always find something new.

Fragile.
Pain.
Sorrow.
Self-hatred.
Hurt.
Lost.
Broken...

NO TITLE FOR THIS ONE:
When a friend is feeling down and glum,
I'm here to offer my words of wisdom.
My advice is pure and intentions are true,
So you might refrain from a mind askew.
But in times when that person is me,
I forget those words that set you free.
So if you felt the way I feel now,
These are the phrases I'd suggest on how:
I'd tell you that "This too shall pass,"
That growth and strength will too amass.
The pain and fear will stand its ground,
But to escape it is much more profound.
The worst part has already been ended,
And your heart has begun to be mended.
And nothing happens without a reason,
So hold your faith until the season.
The past is over, so do not dwell.
And now it's time that you excel.
Do not resent, and do not blame,
To project your anger, you must refrain.
Forgive yourself for your mistakes,
And learn from them for your sake.
Keeping busy is a must,
To keep your mind off the dust.
And reaching out will do you wonders,
Because in isolating, you will plunder.
And when you lay your head at night,
Those thoughts resurface to your sight.
So pray for patience and for strength,
To dream again and for some length.
You say these things you already know,
But is there evidence for you to show?
And if there is, you're doing great,
What happens next will be your fate.
So don’t give up, don't be discouraged,
Because now there are others to encourage.
And when you surpass this, you will find,
You've become an inspiration for mankind...
So the next time I feel like questioning life,
I'll have these words to avoid excess strife.
Because this is what I'd want for you,
And someday, I want to love me too.


WASHED OUT:
Washed out, detoxed of the mind, body, and soul.
A thorough cleansing from head to toe to the very tips of my fingers.
I stand hollow and lifeless and not quite ready yet.
Yet.
The days ahead where the choice is made, a conscious decision...
The day I'm ready, willing, and above all, hopeful for what lies ahead to fil my hollow soul.
A choice, a decision, a willingness - to share a smile again that is full of genuity and truth.
But first, I must let go.
Let go of the false hope, the undying love, the memories fueling the faulty hope, the moments that are no more, the words that have resigned, the warmth of a secure place.
Let go of the pain that follows, the hurt that aches, the thoughts that linger, the hate and demeanor for myself, the tears competing with the rain, the anger for trying, the regrets of my actions...
Then, and only then will I be free to close the book of "What Was" and open another for "What Can Be."
But for now, I am stuck somewhere in between, lying lifelessly in Limbo - paralyzed and frozen.
Frozen with fear.
Simply waiting for courage, waiting for strength, waiting for this masquerade to end.
For a desire to stand freely and willingly...
Naked.
Allowing the rest of the world to see my true colors.

Dan is on Facebook?! / Mozart Effect

Dan Driol added me as a friend on Facebook - I remember that one Acting class we had where we had to construct papier-mâché masks. Very interesting, and another blast from the past!


I got both the "Mozart Effect" thing and the 36-question friend survey from the latest posts page:

Beyond the Mozart effect

A recent report says that the popular "Mozart Effect" is another charming urban legend. The bad news for the hip urban professionals: Playing Mozart for your designer baby will not improve his IQ or help her get into that exclusive preschool. Of course, we're all better off for listening to Mozart purely for the pleasure of it. However, one wonders whether, if playing Mozart sonatas for little Tiffany and Jayson could boost their intelligence, what would happen if other composers' music were played during the kiddies' developmental time?

LISZT EFFECT: Child speaks rapidly and extravagantly, but never really says anything important. [also called the ROSSINI EFFECT.]

BRUCKNER EFFECT: Child speaks very slowly and repeats himself frequently. Gains reputation for profundity.

WAGNER EFFECT: Child becomes a megalomaniac. May eventually marry his sister.

MAHLER EFFECT: Child continually screams - at great length and volume - that he's dying.

SCHOENBERG EFFECT: Child never repeats a word until he's used all the other words in his vocabulary. Sometimes talks backwards. Eventually, people stop listening to him. Child blames them for their inability to understand him.

IVES EFFECT: The child develops a remarkable ability to carry on several separate conversations at once.

GLASS EFFECT: The child tends to repeat himself over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

STRAVINSKY EFFECT: The child is prone to savage, guttural, and profane outbursts that often lead to fighting and pandemonium in the preschool.

BRAHMS EFFECT: The child is able to speak beautifully as long as his sentences contain a multiple of three words (3, 6, 9, 12, etc.). However, his sentences containing 4 or 8 words are strangely uninspired.

CAGE EFFECT: Child says nothing for 4 minutes, 33 seconds. (preferred by 9 out of 10 classroom teachers)


Friend survey

1. Are you currently in a serious relationship? Yes.

2. What was your dream / goal growing up? To be a teacher.

3. What talent do you wish you had, or had developed? Musical stuff!

4. If I offered to buy you a drink, what would you order? Hmm. I don't know. Maybe a Long Island Iced Tea - never had those before!

5. Favorite vegetable (not fruit)? Bok choy.

6. What was the last book you read? What did you think of it? Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia - I love biographies. This one was well-written, and I ended up learning a lot. (It was an impulse buy from the last library book sale I went to!)

7. What zodiac sign are you? Virgo, or Fire Dragon.

8. Any tattoos and / or piercings? Explain where. None.

9. Worst habit or character flaw? Right now, doubt and anger.

10. If you saw me walking down the street, would you offer me a ride? I would if I knew how to drive.

11. What is your favorite sport? I don't play sports... but I do like watching hockey.

12. Do you have a negative or optimistic attitude? (Be honest.) Optimistic, most of the time. Except when it comes to this one thing... :P

13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me? Talk for a bit, and then bond.

14. What are your hobbies? Reading, blogging, writing...

15. Tell me one weird fact about you. I've never had the chicken pox. Is that weird enough?

16. Do you have any pets? Nope.

17. What would your reaction be if I showed up at your house unexpectedly? Depends whether you'd interrupt my routine. Most likely, I'd invite you in!

18. What was your first impression of me? You were understanding of my situation at the time. :D

19. What do you think of clowns? They're all right.

20. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? Be thinner and not have these noticeable physical imperfections.

21. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience? Depends on my mood and what you wanted to do!

22. What color eyes do you have? Brown.

23. Ever been arrested? Nope!

24. Bottle or can of pop (or beer)? Bottles, since they usually hold more.

25. If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? Save it in the bank, although I'd probably spend some on books and such.

26. What is your most treasured possession? The 25th Birthday Scrapbook!

27. What's your favorite place to hang out? Nathan's basement!

28. Do you believe in ghosts (and the supernatural)? Not really...

29. Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Read, or waste Internet time.

30. Do you swear a lot? I shouldn't, but sometimes I do.

31. What's one of your pet peeves? Bad spelling and grammar.

32. In one word, how would you describe yourself? Quirky.

33. Do you believe in / appreciate romance? I guess so...

34. What is your current favorite song? Matthew Good, In A World Called Catastrophe.

35. What are your religious beliefs? Evangelical Christian.

36. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

I am so bored, it's not funny... stupid snow!

Man, I'm pretty bored. The snow is here, once again. Survey time! (stolen from Charlotte via Myspace bulletin) After that, I'll do dungeons / space adventures while farting around on Facebook. I've already deleted duplicate Fun Wall / Super Wall posts, and sent people various gifts. Yeah, I'm really productive... :P


1. What would you do if your ex showed up at your house right now? He wouldn't know how to get here, so I'm safe. We don't even think about the other!

2. What describes your relationship status? Going out with someone, for serious.

3. Where are you right now? Home... I may as well be snowed in!

4. What's the last TV show you watched? Young and the Restless. Why? I have NO idea... :P

5. What is your favorite animal? Dragons, cats, werewolves... :D

6. Who have you thought about most today? Nobody in particular...

7. Do you carve pumpkins every year? No.

8. Color of your underwear? Sea green.

9. Color of your shirt? Blue, black, and white.

10. Who's on speed dial? Don't use it.

11. Honestly, what would you rather be doing right now? Showing off my knowledge, haha.

12. What's your favorite season? Late summer.

13. Are you a bad influence? I don't believe so.

14. Would you do anything for someone else? Depends who it is and what they want me to do... not ANYTHING as a blanket sort of thing!

15. Have you ever been called a bitch? Yes.

16. Have you ever eaten pizza with sour cream? Might have, once upon a time or two...

17. How big is your room? Meh, it's big enough for me / a bed / two desks / a chest of drawers / a closet / piles of stuff everywhere... :D

18. Do you ever think people hate you for filling these out? Not my problem, since they don't HAVE to read them.

19. Does your best friend have a Myspace? No.

20. Whose page did you visit last? Dan's.

21. Last time you went out to eat? Does the church basement lunch count? Haha, probably not. I'll say the time I went to Shanghai Wind last Monday.

22. Who is your favorite character from Friends? Don't have one - maybe Phoebe.

23. Do you have your senior yearbook? Yeah.

24. Do you want to kiss anyone right now? Sure.

25. Do you have one or more N*Sync CDs? Ew, no!

26. What did you do last night? Read, talked to people on here, thought about calling people, did Blogger Friday Five backdated posts...

27. Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction books? Non-fiction, but fiction is good too. Reminds me, I need to read The Bell Jar one of these days... whiskey is apparently a must since the book is depressing. :P

28. What's your name spelled backwards? Eilsel.

29. Do you have a song by Kelly Clarkson in your iTunes library? No.

30. iPod or Zune? Neither.

31. Do you watch Family Guy regularly? No, but I should.

32. How do you feel about reality shows? Not my thing personally, but I can see where they'd be good for laughs.

33. Do you read trashy romance novels often? No.

34. What's the last thing you bought? Espresso stout / nachos / pizza from Steamworks on Friday - reminds me, I should pay Jon back. Maybe this weekend if I ever get cash...

35. What's in your CD player right now? Nothing.

36. What's your favorite movie? Forrest Gump - I wonder if Jeremy's seen it yet.

37. Another favorite? This is Spinal Tap!

38. Do you believe everyone has a soulmate? Maybe not.

39. Can you sing? Not really, but at least I have a bit of an ear for pitch unlike SOME people!

40. Do you play any instruments? Not currently, but I used to play clarinet and piano.

41. Have you ever been to another country? Yes.

42. Have you been out of the continental U.S.? Well, I do LIVE outside of the continental U.S., so... *sticks tongue out at U.S.-centric survey*

43. Have you ever torn your pants in public? No, thank goodness! (poor Nathan!)

44. Have you ever been to South America or Africa? No, but it might be interesting.

45. Do you know how to knit? No.

46. What do you want to eat right now? Something filling and hearty - STEAK! Haha. Or #9 Pho!

47. Have you ever written love song lyrics yourself and put them on Myspace? Hell, no.

48. What are you doing right now besides this survey? Listening to music.

49. Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone? Cold Stone because I've never had it before.

50. Math or English? English -- I hate and suck at math.

51. Facebook or MySpace? Facebook, but I guess Myspace is okay.

52. Have you ever thrown popcorn at someone and then pretended it wasn't you? No.

53. Rather fly across the States or drive? If I could have a leisurely road trip, I'd do that... but if I had to be somewhere, I'd just rather fly.

54. Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, Hulk, or Silver Surfer? Spider-Man!

55. Have you ever blown bubbles in your milk? Yes.

56. What do you think about the person who took this before you? Charlotte is AWESOME.

57. How many beers get you drunk? Two or three. Then again, I've never been DRUNK drunk!

58. Mood? Meh, my usual mix of apathetic and indifferent. :P

Everclear takes me back, man...

YAY! Korey says my box package came today, which is about right from what the post office said. Colorful toque, orange-and-black scarf, black mittens, two pounds of candy conversation hearts, Valentine's Day card with note, plus the THAILAND shirt for his cousin's wife - I'm glad it got there! He'd better not have read the letter yet since Cory is apparently still over there. Thinks I'm geeky - not really, since it's just Facebook quizzes! :P

Julie709 reminded me of this song. Wish I could listen to the CD it's on (So Much for the Afterglow), but I can't. That'll be the first thing I do when I get Windows back courtesy of Eric - not "if," but "when." I'm optimistic. :P (also, I need to see Sweeney Todd before it leaves theatres - it hasn't, I hope!) Thanks to Corey, I now have a torrent link to the movie in DVD quality!

HAHAHAHAHA... I love this list of things people have shoved up their butts!


Artist: Everclear
Song: Why I Don't Believe In God

I heard the truth about you
And it doesn't really read at all
Like the whipping stick you raised me with
A scared woman in a private hell
Hushed voice like electric bells
Strange talk about Edgar Casey
And the long lame walk of the dark 70s
Strange talk about Edgar Casey
And the long lame walk of the dark 70s

I heard the truth about you
Yeah, you
Oh mama, they woke me up
I was deep in an idiot sleep
I was just eight years old
Heard big words with a horrible sound
Why'd they have to call my school
Tell me my mother had a nervous breakdown

I wish I believed like you do
Yeah, you
In the myth of a merciful God
In the myth of a heaven and hell
I hear the voices you hear sometimes
Sometimes it gets so much
I feel like letting go
Sometimes it gets so hard
I feel like letting it go
Sometimes it gets so goddamn hard
I feel like letting it all go
Letting it all go, letting it all go
Letting it all go, letting it all go
Yeah, letting it all go

I ran away and went looking for you
Back to Culver City and the old neighborhood
Need to know if you were really gone
Need to know if you were gone for good
I ran through the projects at night
Hide in the dark from my friends in the light
Hide from my brother-in-law
Hide from the things he'd say
Said you weren't losing your mind
He said you just needed a rest
He said you'd be coming home soon
He said the doctors there would know what's best
Said that maybe I could go live with dad for a while

I know the truth about you, I know the truth about you
I know the truth about you, I know the truth
I know the truth, I know the truth, I know the truth
I know the truth about you

Mama, they woke me up, I was just eight years old
Sometimes it gets so hard, I feel like letting it go
Sometimes it gets so hard, I feel like letting it all go
Yeah, letting it all go, letting it all go
Letting it all go
Yeah, letting it all go


Speaking of songs I like, this one gets a nod because it's morbid. :D

Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Song: Curse of Millhaven
Album: Murder Ballads

I live in a town called Millhaven
And it's small and it's mean and it's cold
But if you come around just as the sun goes down
You can watch the whole town turn to gold
It's around about then that I used to go a-roaming
Singing La la la la, La la la lie
All God's children, they all gotta die

My name is Loretta, but I prefer Lottie
I'm closing in on my fifteenth year
And if you think you have seen a pair of eyes more green
Then you sure didn't see them around here
My hair is yellow and I'm always a-combing
La la la la, La la la lie
Mama often told me we all got to die

You must have heard about The Curse Of Millhaven
How last Christmas, Bill Blake's little boy didn't come home
They found him next week in One Mile Creek
His head bashed in and his pockets full of stones
Well, just imagine all the wailing and moaning
La la la la, La la la lie
Even little Billy Blake's boy, he had to die

Then Professor O'Rye from Millhaven High
Found nailed to his door his prize-winning terrier
Then next day, the old fool brought little Biko to school
And we all had to watch as he buried her
His eulogy to Biko had all the tears a-flowing
La la la la, La la la lie
Even God's little creatures, they have to die

Our little town fell into a state of shock
A lot of people were saying things that made little sense
Then the next thing you know, the head of Handyman Joe
Was found in the fountain of the Mayor's residence
Foul play can really get a small town going
La la la la, La la la lie
Even God's children all have to die

Then, in a cruel twist of fate, old Mrs Colgate
Was stabbed, but the job was not complete
The last thing she said before the cops pronounced her dead
Was, "My killer is Loretta and she lives across the street!"
Twenty cops burst through my door without even phoning
La la la la, La la la lie
The young ones, the old ones, they all gotta die

Yes, it is I, Lottie. The Curse Of Millhaven
I've struck horror in the heart of this town
Like my eyes ain't green and my hair ain't yellow
It's more like the other way around
I gotta pretty little mouth underneath all the foaming
La la la la, La la la lie
Sooner or later, we all gotta die

Since I was no bigger than a weavil, they've been saying I was evil
That if "bad" was a boot that I'd fit it
That I'm a wicked young lady, but I've been trying hard lately
O, fuck it! I'm a monster! I admit it!
It makes me so mad, my blood really starts a-going
La la la la, La la la lie
Mama always told me that we all gotta die

Yeah, I drowned the Blakey kid, stabbed Mrs. Colgate, I admit
Did the handyman with his circular saw in his garden shed
But I never crucified little Biko, that was two junior high school psychos
Stinky Bohoon and his friend with the pumpkin-sized head
I'll sing to the lot, now you got me going
La la la la, La la la lie
All God's children have all gotta die

There were all the others, all our sisters and brothers
You assumed were accidents, best forgotten
Recall the children who broke through the ice on Lake Tahoo?
Everyone assumed the "Warning" signs had followed them to the bottom
Well, they're underneath the house where I do quite a bit of stowing
La la la la, La la la lie
Even twenty little children, they had to die

And the fire of '91 that razed the Bella Vista slum
There was the biggest shit-fight this country's ever seen
Insurance companies ruined, land lords getting sued
All cause of a wee girl with a can of gasoline
Those flames really roared when the wind started blowing
La la la la, La la la lie
Rich man, poor man, all got to die

Well, I confessed to all these crimes and they put me on trial
I was laughing when they took me away
Off to the asylum in an old black Mariah
It ain't home, but you know, it's fucking better than jail
It ain't such a bad old place to have a home in
La la la la, La la la lie
All God's children they all gotta die

Now I got shrinks that will not rest with their endless Rorschach tests
I keep telling them they're out to get me
They ask me if I feel remorse and I answer, "Why of course!
There is so much more I could have done if they'd let me!"
So it's Rorschach and Prozac and everything is groovy
Singing La la la la, La la la lie
All God's children, they all have to die
La la la la, La la la lie
I'm happy as a lark and everything is fine
Singing La la la la, La la la lie
Yeah, everything is groovy and everything is fine
Singing La la la la, La la la lie
All God's children, they gotta die

My favorite BP server Megan has made it into dreams!

I had another weird dream last night:

* I received a message from my favorite BP server Megan, who said that it would be her last day soon, so we should all come by in the meantime for great deals. We tried to figure out a time - 10 PM didn't work because we wouldn't be out of Fellowship, and 11:30 PM didn't work because we might still be out then. So we settled on going the next day, and then being invited to her house for a huge party. The meal was AWESOME!

* My friends and I were in a very big ornate house with lots of rooms and a fantastic sundeck. Everyone got together into groups and plotted stuff in the various rooms. We explored Megan's huge house and found pictures of everyone on an altar. We wondered what this meant, and were told that the master of the house liked having pictorial proof of all his visitors - fair enough! I spent a lot of time interacting with Helen and Joe's baby Abigail, who was inexplicably called Carrie. Rich told me that she was warming up to people, which is a good thing!

* While trying to write messages to people on a tinfoil pan, we noticed that certain words were replaced by physical objects like a pumpkin / cake / frosting / trees. It reminded us of MSN and custom emoticons, and we loved that familiarity!

* Korey wanted to email my parents, so I helped him with it. He wanted to take them to task for not sending him any pictures of me, so he said that he'd seen pictures of me in an altar at Megan's house - they were the most beautiful things he'd seen, and he didn't know why the lards wouldn't let him see the family pictures!

* Then we all crowded into the huge TV room to watch a game show which was equal parts Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Some black woman was featured, and she looked very surprised when she guessed OMG correctly!


No idea why I had that dream... but I did get a great package from Janina (mrshannibal) in the mail today! A cute puppy card, two Oakland postcards, a Christmas card from her daughter Marilynn (headless_maids) which was returned to her since she put the wrong address on the envelope, a note with stickers on it, and maps of Oakland / the vicinity - very cool stuff! Thanks!

Invisible ice can be very treacherous!

Jon picked me up this morning, and I was immediately semi-comforted by the weird semi-familiar music he had on in the car because it sounded like something he'd put on during a recent Sunday Dinner. For my own amusement, I asked Grandma whether she liked it: "Eh... I can listen to it... it doesn't matter if I like it." Then we attempted to explain Wu-So-Lo's bike to her, asked if she'd like to go ice skating / skiing, and learned that she did DA-PI and went on a bike to the beach when she was a student. When we reached 33rd, police cars were blocking it off AND there was yellow police tape up: later, we learned that a 16-year-old boy had been stabbed to death in the park. Steph (who'd been sleeping over at Vanessa's) said that it must have happened / the police got on the scene in the ten or fifteen minutes after Dad had sailed through that intersection - interesting, but not COOL necessarily.

Got to church and was okay in the negligible snow. Said hi to Lily and Lee; also waved to their daughter Hannah. Later, I was amused because there was one Hannah in each of the first three rows. (baby Hannah, Priscilla's sister, and Pastor John's daughter) Eric arrived at 10:20, well after Steph had told Emily how to press buttons on her laptop, and after she'd told Stanley that she got more and more artistic every day. Steph also fixed my knapsack strap for me - thanks! Thought about trust and other things, while waving to various people. Darren was back, so everyone asked him what he was doing in Vancouver... we all like Ireland's idea of two-week semester breaks, haha. (later, Cindy said "You're HERE!" which Darren termed as positive since everyone else asked "What are YOU doing here?!")

After service, I should have stayed inside. Instead, I went outside and had almost made it to the back parking lot when I slipped and fell on some invisible ice. Martin, Dylan, Raymond, and Calla were ten feet in front of me talking about stuff, but I assume they didn't see me. So I picked myself up while silently cursing the weather, then turned around to go back inside. (Steph was sad later when she heard about this) Auntie Sarah W. (Jason and Amos' mom - this is important later in terms of differentiation) had seen me, and asked if I was okay - yup, and now I was going back inside! Talked briefly to Juliana at the front door before going to the kitchen to hang out with my mom, who was trying to sell coffee / hot chocolate. Unfortunately, Steph had forgotten to make an announcement to that effect! (Daniel's Resonate announcement had the added charm of little Megan saying hi, haha)

I told Mom that I wouldn't go outside again, but peeked out the back door instead. Emily L., Cordia, Quan, Joyce, and Stanley came by while Rich told Mom that the people hanging around outside were too young for coffee or were going to the 7-11 anyhow. (like Auntie Sarah C.'s son Jonathan - who's in Grade 10 now! Nobody believed it!) Jon hung out for a bit, and tried convincing Emily to have a tea leaf egg (Rich had two)... no, but she WOULD have filtered tea! I asked Stanley how his mom was on his way out: "As annoying as ever!" Haha, nice answer but not really. I had a coffee before Sunday School - since Auntie Fonda is sick, Auntie Bessy had shunted Amanda off to Michelle's class, where I helped. Johnny was inquisitive, and noted that her picture Bible was in Chinese, Noah talked more than I've ever heard him (I think he's warming up to me!), Evelyn told me about a Broadway Church kiddy concert she'd been to last night (she had a pink glowstick!), Sean was focused on pictures, Bianca told me about a birthday party, and Luke was pretty quiet as usual. Saw little Juliette again, too - Auntie May took her, heh.

After that, we had lunch in the basement. Rice, curry noodles, and beef noodles for three dollars... yay for bottomless plates! Talked to Cindy and Chrystal, and said hi to Uncle Patrick and Auntie Sarah. Steph, Eric, and I were all pretty much disbelieving when Uncle Patrick said that it had snowed five inches in Burnaby this morning since it was sunny in Richmond! Cindy and Dianne had healthy lunches that their dad made (they're moving in less than a month), and Eric had whole wheat pizza - Jon decided he'd rather have Pho. Discussed Gr. 4 / 7 / 10 / 12 exam assessments, Steph's birthday party (cooking on a Zion night?), Vanessa, whether we'd seen Randal (not since Sunday School!), digicams, and more. Dad came by to ask if we'd paid yet... we thought Mom was paying for us, haha. No, she isn't covering Uncle Patrick as well! (all light joking, of course!) Finished lunch really early, so went upstairs to where Darren was bugging Vania by playfully hitting her and trying on her bling diamond sunglasses. People tried to get wireless signal, heh. Steph said she'd email Vivian since they're AGM buddies. (live chat might not be possible since it's Monday already in China... she ended up writing on Viv's Facebook wall that we'd postponed the meeting!)

Sam was playing a hockey game on his laptop, and Mike was on his DS with Jeremy and Ivan looking on. I corrected Eric's grammar when he was talking about certain players "playing well" - Steph called me the "grammar police," hahaha! Offered sunflower seeds (which don't have INTENSE FLAVOR!) all around, only to be informed by Steph that we might need something to spit the shells into. Mike, on this tidbit: "Who spits out the SHELLS?!" Haha, I'd have offered him some, but DS and sunflower seeds do not really mix! I went to the library, where Hannah and Louisa were in the midst of drawing on the whiteboard with Sharpies - Nathan made the mistake of telling his dad that the fish, swords, mermaids, sun, princesses, and such were pure evil, oops. I like the kids' imagination! Talked to Christon, Martin, Michelle, the guys, and others - hockey pool talk, indeed. Sang a bunch of hymns while helping Eric find them (the traditional time-waster with something new besides THE CHURCH'S ONE FOUNDATION!), but STILL didn't meet quorum! We were eight people short, which Uncle Patrick and Katherine blamed on the weather - I quickly translated for Eric that we'd meet at the same time next week without quorum requirements, even though the translation was coming. After that, we sat through a "construction project progress report" led by Uncle Ken: wedding bungee-jumping, indeed. Flashlights at 4 AM and bright overhead lights are NOT the wrath of God, haha! Decided to keep the annual reports and financial statements for next week's reading, heh. (Vania was doing a paper on Confucius - oh my!)

Talked to Karen I. about a cool wedding invitation with a cake gift certificate inside - Indian tradition calls for it too! Said hi to Danielle, while figuring that Darren was maybe a bit nuts since he heard his name when nobody else did. Cindy asked how Korey was, so I told her that he was fine - guess I'll meet his family at some point, so we'll see. Then it was MY turn to think I was crazy since I heard my name from just behind me. Turned out to be Randal armed with a camera, and Dianne with a sheet of paper - ah yes, the Barnabas newcomers ministry initiative! Reading and writing make sense as hobbies for me, haha! When Mom heard that Jon was going to the bar (he had to pantomime drinking beer), she looked horrified and offered everyone free coffee instead before she had to throw it away! No, I wasn't going to the bar this week, heh. Discussed Sudoku, Korey's next visit, Valentine's Day and reservations, Awana, Melia's bridal shower, and more stuff with Steph on the way home. Saw Eric in front of us, too. Interesting times, even if it's going to be Super Bowl Sunday next week! Now to get to my email...

Which Lost Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

Who is Your Ideal TV Boyfriend?

Created by BuddyTV

Dream of blue sparkly shirts and concerts

I had a weird dream last night, but I still think I slept very well:

* Jon wanted to wear my blue sparkly shirt to a concert full of horns / saxes / guitars / banjos, and I told him that it was a girl's shirt. He didn't seem to mind, and said it would make him stand out. All the chairs and tables in a high school cafeteria were overturned to make room for the stage and the elite band - they sounded pretty good. We hobnobbed with the students and band members, taking in the choir while we did this.

* Ron and Veronica warned us against something bad at Halloween in a house full of Trick-Or-Treat bags. Karen Lew later confirmed it, and said there were ghosts and spirits everywhere.

* I surreptitiously turned on Steph's laptop with a billion start-up windows (featuring buildings and dunes) to close before she found out. Then I shut it down after furtively checking my mail - just in time since she came downstairs to do something on the computer. She didn't suspect a thing!

* Later, Steph and I made a tally of who called us: Ray, Dan F., a Virginia number, Richmond Gardens, "George Clooney and Gwyneth prank call," and more. Even a long-distance 604 number called us! We called them back in order of importance, but not the prank or Virginia. It was hilarious times with paper spread all over the floor for our notes on each call.

* I accidentally bumped into my mom when she wanted to use the washroom at 2:40 AM. Since there were two washrooms close to each other, I suggested she use the one with the brown wooden toilet seat. She wanted the one with the golden handles and golden toilet - I scooted in there first since I wanted to take a picture. She wasn't impressed, but I told her that she had ego problems as depicted by the posters on the wall. That didn't improve things, haha!

* I felt trapped in my blankets and pillow when I wanted to get up later to check the time and certain things on my computer screen. Try as I might, I could not get up! I felt smothered, but managed to get up a few times - then the blankets followed me and trapped me once again. No wonder I had trouble getting up with my alarm this morning!


No idea on this one - hopefully, I don't feel trapped by anything in particular! (maybe by Korey, though...)