Since when is "no tattoo" a medical issue?

Eric picked me up late, saying that he'd gotten another call right after he told me that he was on the way. So just tell the person that you're on the way out to an important function, and will talk to them later! Simple, if a bit abrupt. He tried breaking out some Christmas carols after I told Vivian that we'd be late. I wasn't having any of it, and instead asked what he did when he got home last night: he'd read two chapters of THE WATCHMEN, to which I contributed that I heard it was a movie featuring a naked blue guy. Then we got into the speed of sound / exceeding the speed of light since we were late, and also whether I was losing it even more: who knows. He said that Russ Baker Way was indeed where I thought it had been, but on the other side of the road: although it did lead to the airport, it wasn't where I thought it would have been. Yikes!

Saw a woman with a puke green sari (?) and head covering around Main / 49th, and commented on that. Then we talked about Chris L., rice cookers, and my food combination of spaghetti / cream of mushroom soup / veggies / salmon. He was weirded out by that, and thought the wild rice and pork would be better for it... perhaps so! The meeting went all right, and I tasked myself with buying cards and stamps for an initiative we're hoping to start. Left early to go to Awana, which turned out to be a good thing since Chrystal wasn't here. I like how I can go into "kid mode" after a meeting: it's really cool. Good thing Kevin came downstairs so I could ask him when the next meeting was: it works for me!

Saw the registration form for a new kid: apparently, her medical issues include "no tattoo." I don't get that at all! Said hi to a bunch of the kids (Ian, Sean, Carley, Emily, Jordan, etc.) and did my usual stellar work while Auntie Vivian was telling someone else about a list of church programs. Eric T. changed into a good-looking dark blue official uniform with lots of shiny buttons since he had to leave early to go to a ball: one of his friends just got into VPD, which is good. Jordan saw Eric in his new outfit, and actually SALUTED him, hahahaha! I talked to Mike, Sabrina, Margaret, Julie, Bob, Hannah W., and others as well... went home with Ada (complaining about the time change tonight) after scarfing down a bunch of cookies. Sean was all over the place: "12 is better than 6! 11 is good! Red is stop! Yellow is stop! Green is go! Monday! Piano new book!" Hahaha, gotta love that kid. :D

Poo as a SNACK?! / Family Feud

High-scoring words of the day so far:

BAGNIO (160 points) - against Alvina H. [two 4W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
ADMIX (518 points) - against Michelle S. [2W, two 4W, hook off RUE to make RUED]


I had a weird dream where Julie C. was using an OBSCENE amount of white foamy hairspray to make herself look good. Then again, Jon was used to eating frozen veggies and roast beef in the bathtub before he took a shower. Mom just went into the bathroom no matter if someone else was in there showering, and there were rotating picnic table lunches. William was one of the servers for these lunches, and always made sure the old people were properly appreciative of what we were doing for them. Weird dream!


Poo nugget for this weekend: Poo As A Snack - Many animals eat poop on a regular basis. These include rabbits, rodents, gorillas, dogs, and several insects including dung beetles and flies. Some animals eat poop because it contains vitamins produced by their intestinal bacteria. These animals are unable to absorb these vital vitamins through the intestinal wall, but can get them by eating the poop. Herbivores such as rabbits and rodents eat their own poop because their diet of plants is hard to digest efficiently, and they have to make two passes at it to get everything out of the meal. As they say: If at first you don't succeed... try, try again! (you should see the picture for this one: a rabbit sitting atop a pile of poo pellets!)


From Sharlene via Facebook note:

LET'S PLAY FAMILY FEUD!!! You can't use the same answers as the person who sent it to you. Remember: If my answers are dumb, it's because the person before me had the good ones, hahaha!!!!!


1. Name something you use in the shower? Shampoo.

2. Name something a football player wears under his uniform. Padding.

3. Name something people hate to find on their windshield. Bird poop.

4. Name something a man might buy before a date? A haircut.

5. What is another word for blemish? Scar.

6. What is something you cook in the microwave? Leftovers.

7. Name a piece of furniture people need help moving? Couch.

8. Name a reason a younger man might like an older woman? Maturity.

9. Name something a dog does that embarrasses its owner? Pooping in someone else's house.

10. Name a kind of test you cannot study for? A virginity test. (you don't want to know how I find out such things, hahaha!)

11. Name something a Boy Scout gets a badge for? Art.

12. What is a phrase with the word home in it? "Eaten out of house and home."

13. Name a sport where players lose teeth? Hockey.

14. Name something a teacher can do to ruin a student's day? Yelling at the student in front of his or her peers.

15. What is a way you can tell someone has been crying? Red eyes. (around here, that might be a symptom of pot use, but anyway...)

16. Name a bird you wouldn't want to eat? Crow.

17. Name something someone would wear with a hole in it? Underwear.

18. Name something that gets smaller the more you use it? Pencil.

Make sure you send this back to me... can't wait to see your answers!

"Is Eric Jewish? He has a big Jewish nose..."

I went to the mall in the afternoon, and decided to treat myself to Tuscan Chicken Pasta from White Spot (an old relationship memory) / Philippine dried mango (got one for Corey too) / satay beef jerky / spicy Szechuan beef jerky / extra hot five spices beef jerky ($4 a bag, and $11 for three at Yuen Shing) / three "Four Cheeses" Pringles chips / one Reduced Fat Original Pringles chips (on sale for $1.50 at Shoppers, which I didn't notice till I paid for stuff) / some tape. Filling out the customs form at the post office (because I had to mail Bridge Mixture / Rockets / Smarties / Christmas bells / a birthday card / heart stickers to Corey) took more time than I'd anticipated, so I called Eric to make sure he knew that I was running late. At least, I thought I'd called him... I must have dialed the wrong number, thereby wasting a quarter at the pay phone! To top it off, I caught myself walking to the WRONG BUS STOP when I was late already - good job! Didn't help that my original bus was late, either! Yes, I am officially losing it.

When I got to the usual intersection, I rushed to Eric's car from the bus stop, and breathlessly told him what had happened. He said that it was a good thing he was 22 minutes late since I was 27 minutes late - when I got home, I found that he'd called me a few minutes before I actually showed up. We talked about people being tied up, kidnappings, the nine-year-old who was pregnant with twins, sports, the food person for tonight's meeting (neither of us, I thought), random things, Bridge Mixture (NOT from the river!), whether Corey could just buy chocolate in Colorado, and more. Since he doesn't know what that is, I'm going to have to buy another package to show him at least, because he can't eat it. There were no annoying clumps of grass when we parked across the street from the church, thank goodness. Eric had left his cellphone inside the car, which was bad since we were stuck outside the church! Clara came up to me while Eric was getting it from the car; she called Auntie Rebecca (who wasn't there), and then Raymond - he opened the door just in time for Eric to show up.

I got a seat by Sheena, since I couldn't sit by Raymond or Jeremy because a certain other person was there! (I noticed Alan talking to him a lot - BAD!) Johnny was into a discussion about meeting people at Chapters - that might work. Dylan was talking about Deb a lot, heh. I gave Martin his birthday card, which he thanked me for. Talked to Sheena, Vivian, Jen, and Teresa about plants and gardens / St. Patrick's Day / the impending snow: the tables seemed to be split by gender, yikes. Jon came into the WARM fellowship hall later to chat: he asked what kind of program we were having tonight, and I said that we were having an AGM. He looked at everyone eating Chinese food from Kent's Kitchen and drinks / oatmeal raisin / chocolate chip cookies from Safeway (thanks to Kevin), and remarked that we had a good turnout. I joked that we had drawn everyone in with the dinner, and he said that we had manipulated people. Hahaha, maybe so!

He later said he was going to an all-night prayer vigil at Regent, and I asked if he were going to stay up all night as he had during previous editions of the vigil... once, he stayed up till 6 AM! Well, he COULD, but it wouldn't be a good idea since he has to teach tomorrow morning at 11 or so! My sister dropped in a few minutes later, so I seized the opportunity to tell her that she was weird. Apparently, her response of "You should see the OTHER videos I have of you! I'll put them up!" was QUITE intriguing to the girls - oh no! I guess at least it's not Youtube, but still. (I've checked the videos she's put up: me snorting on the Alaska cruise, me play-fighting with my brother in our stateroom, and Mom working it with a hula-hoop at home!)

The AGM went okay, even if certain people did want to discuss things. I don't know why I ever LIKED the person in the first place, but that means I'm over him. If certain other events (my ex constantly telling me bad stuff about him) didn't happen, I'm sure it would have come to pass anyhow. Finally got a chance to talk to Raymond about JACK BAUER (let's Taser the phone while contravening presidential orders and almost killing someone by torture!), not understanding certain things, characters being shady, his busy no-fun week of DRUDGE, getting on Facebook at lunch since he didn't want Sam to think he didn't want to be FB friends with him, Joey getting him into Mafia Wars (yup, I know that game), money, and more. It was cool, even if I did have to tap him on the shoulder. Jeremy told various people about the beer and cheese night: Vivian thought Jen said the cheese was sweet, when she was really referring to the beer! I thanked Kevin for bringing the food, while Vivian earmarked the leftover cookies for tomorrow's meeting and Sunday School.

Some people clustered around Vivian's laptop to watch Beyonce Knowles perform with Hugh Jackman at the Oscars - someone else thought it was a recording, but was corrected: it was YOUTUBE! Let's just say Beyonce shouldn't do Etta James stuff at all since she doesn't have the right kind of voice for it. Alan took the leftover food home, which I was glad to see. Talked to Danielle about her busy life (Denver! Regina! dissertation!) before she simply HAD to go home and sleep - she apologized to Cindy and Vanessa, but I don't think it was a big deal to them. Cindy ranted (for her) about the Vancouver School Board's name change to be like Calgary - why spend all those tax dollars on changing it everywhere when you could pump it into the hot lunch program that all her students need?!

Made sure that Eric got gas on the way home - no, we didn't have to wait for Jon to get back from Regent, and my sister's working! Talked about fighting monsters, some guy who took FIVE MINUTES to fill up his van with 60L of gas (the tank was slow, but we still got IMPATIENT!), skating, spending time with people, falling on your butt, ice, and other things. I had a rant of my own about Dylan pushing back our meeting, and then not being able to make our re-scheduled one tomorrow since he and Deb have to go taste food. *sigh* Methinks I should remind them that I have to leave before 3:50 tomorrow so I can go to Awana right after the meeting, but they'll know soon enough. Hehehe. :D


Here are a few bits of hilarity to end this entry, from the "different" woman Teresa:

1. "Are you sure you're all Chinese? You're so good-looking! ... do you think people will know that your ancestors [we thought she said INCEST] were mixed?" (to Andrea... she and I shared an amused look)

2. "My cell phone is STOLEN! There was this new girl Susan in the drumming class, and she was sitting right by my purse. I tried to get her away, but she wouldn't move. Now I can't find my cell phone... I think she took it!" (repeated a LOT for 15 minutes straight; she eventually found it when it rang halfway through the meeting)

3. "Is Eric's last name really Li? I thought that was a Chinese last name. What's his last name? Is Eric Jewish? He has a big Jewish nose... what about Jeremy? What's HIS last name?" (sparked by an error on Dylan's Powerpoint... Andrea, Connie, and I just shared amusement over those comments!)

I also like the new sign in the washroom: "Please do not wash kitchen utensils here!" Well, we have no kitchen for now, so I dunno where else we're supposed to wash 'em!

Three of my worlds have collided in a dream!

High-scoring words of the day so far:

FOX (110 points) - against Verna C. [5L on X, hook off TOGA to make TO]
VAMPY (120 points) - against Maisie S. [5W]
HOSEN (236 points) - against Sandy Q.-M. [two 5W]
GANJAS (144 points) - against Diana G. [two 3W]


There's no Awana next week because of spring break! Instead, there's a free skate for the Awana leaders... free or not, I'm not going just to NOT skate. I'll stay home instead! Much better for me, haha.

I had a dream which many would consider a nightmare, because it involved three deaths. This is also a dream in which three of my worlds (Wordscraper / Our Place / real-life friends and family) collided - I like Jeremy's use of that term when he saw Ricky from Math Club at our church! Alice, Pat, and Karla are my Wordscraper friends; George and Candy are my Our Place friends; and Harmony / Jon / Jeff / Citrus / Steph / Auntie Bessy are my real-life friends and family.

It started out quite normally at someone's big house, where we were having a good time UNTIL Alice came over. She wanted us to do some grocery shopping for her RIGHT THEN AND THERE. Harmony and Jon sighed, resigning themselves to the inevitable. We were at a supermarket when Pat showed up with Karla in tow - seems they wanted us to find a liquor store, and nothing would do except that we find it for them right then. (sense a theme with my Wordscraper friends?) Luckily, Jon knew of a liquor store that was a few blocks down from the flower shop across the street. After we went there, we saw George and Candy with their stepdaughter, who decided to join us as well. We had a good time perusing the wares for sale, and imagining what it would taste like. Jon got to impress everyone with his alcohol knowledge, haha.

Later, we went to a chain supermarket and were in the produce department - who should we run into but a very scruffy Roberto Luongo, looking through various bits of cabbage! (Vancouver Canucks goalie) We said hi and then continued on our way. A few minutes later, we suddenly heard a scream from the produce section. We looked at each other and wondered if there'd been another murder, and whether Roberto was responsible or dead. We found him dead - his lovely hair was in a pool of blood. With this death on our hands, we decided to go to the police station ASAP.

Jeff, Citrus, Steph, and a few senior police types were there to hear our story - we even saw Auntie Bessy in the waiting room. Alice was acting mighty strange, so a female corporal took her in for some "questioning under a blanket." Steph was there to take notes, and made a point of documenting the noises she heard from under Alice's blanket: "I hear noises that sound like hitting, but the corporal knows what she's doing." Everyone else was wandering the institutionalized hallways of the police station when we suddenly heard a commotion from a floor up above.

Seems George and Candy's stepdaughter didn't like being delayed in this manner, so took it out on them. She was yelling at them ("WHY DO I HAVE TO BE HERE?! I HATE YOU!") - before other cops could intervene, she took a Colt .45 out of her purse and shot them both. Needless to say, she was also taken in for questioning and a psych evaluation after the cops cleaned up two more dead bodies. Turns out Pat had urged her to this act of homicide, so he was in for questioning too! That was where the dream ended: NO IDEA why I had it, unless it was because I talked to Candy on the phone last night! Yikes.

You Are Accepting and Open

When You Are Comfortable: You are enthusiastic and flexible. You are open-minded. You prefer to learn from others... not judge them. People see you as kind and cooperative. You are very supportive when friends are down on their luck. When You Are At Your Best: You are a carefree, adventurous person. You love excitement, and you enjoy being in a changing, dynamic environment. People find you to be funny, generous, and competent. You're well spoken, and you know how to wow people with your words. When You Are in a Social Setting: You are philosophical and opinionated. You have quite a few pet causes, and you're always adopting a new one. People see you as clever and smart. You know a lot, and you love to talk about a variety of subjects.

What Do Your Initials Say About You?

Mixtures, GROOVY FOOD, and bloody poo

Bingo of the night so far:

ORANGEADE (93 points) - against Jermain M.

High-scoring words of the night so far:

SPOOKED (138 points) - against Sarah A. [3W, 3L on P, hook off ASHTRAY for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
ZANY (171 points; two 3W), BERYL (256 points; two 4W) - against Cathy S.
CYANIDE (255 points) - against Shelley R.-B. [5W, 3W]
VOYAGES (144 points) - against Itamar R. [two 3W]

Called Steph earlier since I remembered her friend's birthday is today; it's not weird to give him that wish since I've met him twice before. Later, I called Eric, but Ron said he'd have to call me back; my first thought was that he had better not be spending time with certain people! Said that I'd have to meet him at the usual place tomorrow (having the Fellowship AGM) at 6:30, which works for me as I have to mail Corey's birthday stuff to him before I forget entirely. (mostly food items like Bridge Mixture and possibly dried mango, so maybe I should get a box for those after I bring tape along)

I asked Eric whether we had a Committee meeting on Saturday, and he says he didn't know - I just got an email from Dylan confirming this, so I WIN! (two major meetings in two days - lovely...) Left a message on Henry's cell; added that if he didn't get the message, I wasn't responsible! Was merrily doing my own thing when my phone rang again: it was Candy, wanting to talk about Sarah G. coming / interesting drink recipes / being myself / FAMILY RESTAURANT (some Food Network show) / bowling at the early hour of 9:30 AM / her friends in a local St. Catharine's band called GROOVY FOOD and their music / Avon stuff / lotion / dogs / whatever else was on her mind. I didn't mind that at all, only I was trying to multi-task as usual. Worked a little less efficiently than usual; at least I didn't have someone bugging me about typing while on the phone! Hahahaha... now it's time to have roast beef, veggies, noodles, soup, and fire oil!

Poo nugget for Friday, Mar. 6: Dr. Stool Says - Sunday Bloody Sunday - On rare occasions, you may look down at your droppings and see traces of blood. These Rambo Poos are no laughing matter and could represent several different problems, from benign (hemorrhoids) to serious (cancer). If you see blood in the toilet after going to the bathroom, call your doctor. Synonyms: Neapolitan Poo, Uh-Oh, Chocolate Sundae with Strawberry Sauce.

Baffle the Nazis! / Decent stovetop rice

High-scoring words of the evening so far:

WIFTY (112 points) - against Vivian R. [4W, 3L on Y]
BAFFLE (102 points) - against Karla M. [3W, 2W]
AZON (150 points) - against Kerri H. [5W, 2W]
NAZIS (160 points) - against Hitomi S. [5W, 2W]
FILLE (141 points) - against Tammy T.-C. [5W, 3W]
JAW (256 points) - against Linda K. [two 4W]
FAIREST (599 points) - against Linda K. [5W, two 3W, hook off VUG for a plural] (different game)
PRIZE (138 points) - against Betty L. [4W, 2L on Z]

Interesting rack of the evening so far: OHIOLIED (against Karla M. - read that as "Ohio lied")

I tried cooking the wild rice blend on the stove according to package directions: it was pretty decent, so YAY for that! Still, I prefer a rice cooker only because I grew up with one.

Creepy Craigslist ad of the night: mature man, 51 years old, without children. I would like to meet young people to feel what it would be like to be a dad. If you are without parents or treated badly by your parents, we should meet for a coffee and chat. Somehow, I don't think that it is really what he wants. Sure, it's in the "strictly platonic" section, but if you want to meet young people to feel what it would be like to be a dad? Yes, I am well aware that people have parental-like relationships with their mentors or co-workers, but really!

Hitting deaf people / Writer's Block: Deal or No Deal

Writer's Block: Deal or No Deal
What's on your list of dealbreakers when it comes to romantic relationships?

Abuse, being rude to / about other people, porn, talking excessively to other women (NOT JEALOUSY), smoking, drugs, not having good spelling / grammar...
View other answers.

Had a dream where I was writing down various names of Tragically Hip and U2 songs [none of them corresponded to real life], and trying to find a ride to an important event. Then I was reading a book in which various slang items ("chocolate, caffeine, and café au lait") were explained - somehow, they all had to do with hard drugs. Don't ask why I had the dream: I've been hearing a lot about Tragically Hip and U2 lately, but that's about it!

Okay, who the heck BLINDSIDES a DEAF guy with a CROWBAR?!

FORT WORTH -- A store cashier struck a deaf customer in the head with a crowbar after he mistook the man's silence for rudeness and disrespect, police said. The cashier, Ricky Benard Young, 20, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The customer, Cody Goodnight, 31, suffered "a large knot" on his head during the incident, which occurred Saturday at the Family Dollar Store at 4117 E. Lancaster Ave.

"I can't believe someone would hit him for not speaking," said Goodnight's mother, Kay Goodnight. "When you're deaf, you don't make a point of starting conversations with people."

Young's defense attorney, Mark Price, said Thursday that he was recently assigned the case and declined to comment. Kay Goodnight called police after her injured son returned home from the store late Saturday morning. When officers arrived, she translated her son's story to officers using sign language, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a police spokesman.

Cody Goodnight said he had walked several blocks from their house to the Family Dollar to buy a soft drink for his 5-year-old son. Inside the store, he put the soda on the counter to pay. The cashier tried to speak to him, but got angry when Goodnight didn't respond, Goodnight told police. The cashier threw Goodnight's change at him, scattering it on the floor.

As Goodnight picked it up, the cashier hit him in the side of the head with the crowbar, Goodnight said. Officers went to the store, where Young immediately asked if they were there about what "happened earlier," Sullivan said. The cashier told officers that he had tried to start a friendly conversation with Goodnight but that Goodnight wouldn't acknowledge him.

At one point, Young told officers, Goodnight mumbled something that Young thought was racial in nature, Sullivan said. Young told officers he struck Goodnight because he thought Goodnight was going to assault him. After officers told Young that Goodnight was deaf and unable to communicate verbally, Young responded "Oh," Sullivan said.

"Upon further investigation, it appeared the suspect became frustrated when the victim wouldn't respond or acknowledge his attempts to converse," Sullivan said. "He became outraged and struck the victim in an unwarranted attack." The store's surveillance tape was erased or taped over before the officers got there, Sullivan said.

A corporate spokesman for the Family Dollar Store did not return a phone message Thursday. Cody Goodnight was treated at the hospital for his injury, but still has pain in his head and neck, Kay Goodnight said Thursday. Deaf since the age of 2, when he suffered a high fever, Goodnight speaks in guttural sounds -- "deaf speak," as his mother calls it.

His stepfather, Barry Adair, said Goodnight doesn't like talking to strangers. "He gets embarrassed because people make fun of the way he talks," Adair said. "He's not trying to be rude or unfriendly. You just can't understand him unless you're around him a lot."

Emily Robinson, a Fort Worth deafness resource specialist, said that while it is unusual for a deaf person to be attacked, misunderstandings are common. People sometimes take deaf people for rude when they are unresponsive, she said.

"It is a really big problem," Robinson said. "Businesses should be professional and sensitive to deaf people. There are training workshops about the deaf culture and what to expect in interactions with us."

You Are Vanilla

You are a delightful, friendly person. You are optimistic about life and people. You are enthusiastic and energetic. You enjoy everything you do. You are cooperative and flexible. You get along with people from many walks of life. You're not a showoff. Instead, you're more likely to help other people shine.

Are You Chocolate or Vanilla?

Refresh the yawning painters! / Use lace to clean yourself

Bingo of the night so far:

REBAITED (67 points) - against Itamar R.

High-scoring words of the night so far:

PAINTERS (200 points) - against Judy G. [4W, 5W]
FAGOT (176 points) - against Peter L. [two 4W] (a good deficit-erasing word!)
REFRESH (855 points) - against Leah G. [5W, two 3W] (a good deficit-erasing word!)
YAWNER (210 points) - against Shelley R.-B. [3W, 5W]
LOCOISM (117 points; two 3W), POUTY (280 points; 2W, 5W; a good deficit-erasing word!) - against Janelle I.
ATROPHIA (194 points) - against Allen K. [two 3W]
CLARINET (242 points; two 4W), CURIAE (216 points; 3W, 4W, 2W), DINGOES (275 points; two 5W) - against Brenda D.
ACROBAT (224 points; two 4W), PAGANISH (306 points; two 4W) - against Rhea M.


Poo nugget for Thursday, Mar. 5: What Would PETA Say? - Before the widespread availability of toilet paper, many other materials were used to accomplish a proper cleanup. In many parts of the world, the wealthy used animal furs and expensive materials such as lace, while those not as fortunate were forced to use leaves, sand, and even corncobs!

Is this a good offer? / Emoticon tagging

Hey, I may have found something which suits me on Craigslist - what a shock! The townhouse has a single-car garage for storage, two balconies, one off the living room and one off the kitchen. The place is fully furnished except the third bedroom. Included in the rent is Internet, laundry in suite, full digital cable, house phone with unlimited long distance to Canada and USA. Rent is $700 per month all inclusive. Across the road is the Terra Nova Mall, with Starbucks, Save-On Foods, and various other restaurants and shops. Also, we are walking distance to the dike. Yes, we are open to an April move-in. We are currently interviewing applicants. Does sometime this weekend work to drop by and check out the place?


Here's another "tagging people" picture with emoticons that I got from one of Gabriel's friends:

Dreams with cobbles / Affectionate happiness / February 2009 BBT Tally

Bingo of the day so far:

WORKINGS (174 points) - against Rosetta K.


High-scoring words of the day so far:

MOVABLE (212 points) - against Julie N. [two 2W]
QUARK (140 points) - against Verna C. [4W, 3L on K]
MAID (100 points) - against Vivian R. [5W, 4L on M]
WORKINGS (174 points) - against Rosetta K. [bingo, 3W, hook off TEABOX to make WO and OX]

I had a weird dream which involved Jon and Harmony making an official announcement with white cake and puzzles for everyone, and then Jon getting to tutor an Awana kid out of his handbook. In the dream, I was trying to find my way to a Chinese spicy restaurant with a dragon on the sign. But I got confused trying to navigate the cobbled lanes: thank goodness someone showed up and helped me! I was also trying to talk to Andrea about something, but Spoz stepped in and took her away from me. NO IDEA what that's supposed to mean!


MONTHLY BUBBLE TEA TALLY, FEBRUARY 2009 (2)

pineapple @ Big Orange (Wednesday, February 11)
mango @ Tazza (Monday, February 23)

You Are Affectionate

Your life is full of love and friendship - and you always have more to give. You have an open heart. You are willing to take that leap and put your faith in people. You see the good in everyone and everything. You are a very sympathetic person. The people you love make you very happy. You feel warmly toward those around you.

What Kind of Happy Are You?

Pierced soccer players / Braille Poo

Bingos of the night so far:

DAYTIMES (97 points) - against Richelle M.
OUTLAUGHS (75 points) - against Greer L.

High-scoring words of the night so far:

AMIGO (218 points) - against Karla M. [4W, 2W, 3W]
PIECES (600 points) - against Karla M., Sara H., and Alice P. [2W, two 5W]
QUARTES (114 points) - against Brianne B. [2W, 3W]
VEXATION (150 points; two 2W), ANTITYPE (114 points; two 2W) - against Mezza M.

Richie added me to Facebook; for a REAL blast from the past, so did Alan C. from elementary school! I will try the rice cooker tomorrow, really! Here's another "tagging people" picture:



Poo nugget for Wednesday, Mar. 4: Braille Poo - Despite the fact that all poo follows the same route through the GI tract before coming to rest in the toilet bowl, individual bowel movements can have markedly different textures. While some bowel movements are smooth and silky, others take on a more angular and bumpy appearance. Braille Poo can be identified by its rough and uneven texture. Synonyms: Baby Ruth, Porcupine, Rocky Road.

HANG DEANNA! / Amanda, Chris, and a million dollars (survey)

High-scoring words of the day so far:

HANG (186 points) - against Deanna W. [4W, 5W]
AAHS (160 points) - against Alice P. [4W, 5W]
JAVELIN (142 points) - against Lorraine I. [4W, 3L on J]
SAVATES (180 points) - against Tammy T.-C. [3W, 5W]


From Pat (and Miss R.) via Facebook note:

A nifty waste of time for you and yours! New and Improved! Let's shake it up, people.


1. Do you know someone named Amanda? Yes.

2. Do you know anyone named Chris? Yes.

3. Ever kissed anyone with a name starting with R? No.

4. Ever kissed anyone with a name starting with J? Technically, yes. (he preferred to go by a name starting with P)

5. Do you have any siblings? Yes.

6. Do you look alike? People say we do, but we just don't see it.

7. What color are the walls in your bedroom? White.

8. Are you named after a grandparent? No.

9. Are you a heavy sleeper? Sometimes.

10. Who did you last hug? Ian M.

11. Are you taller than 5'3? No.

12. Eaten a bug before? Not consciously.

13. Ever see a dead body other than at a funeral? No, which is too bad. (I'm morbid, so deal with it!)

14. Who do you love? Lots of people. [good answer!]

15. Who is your best friend? Dunno.

16. Who was the last person to send you a text message? A non-existent blob.

17. What are your initials? L**N.

18. Do you like to read? Yes.

19. Are you a jealous person? Sometimes.

20. What made you smile today? Something struck me as funny.

21. What did you do today? Played on the computer, made dinner, watched TV.

22. What did you do yesterday? Same thing, with the exception of laundry and a shower.

23. What's the first thing you would do with a million dollars? Save it in my bank account, and thank the good Lord that I'm not with a certain person anymore. (that's two things, but they go together!)

25. How many hours did you sleep last night? Eight-ish.

26. Who was the last person you had a sleepover with? Billie! My goodness, that was an EPIC night! (we were just reminiscing about it recently, ha)

27. Who's the last person that creeped you out? Some random dude who was STARING at me in the mall. Ewww!

28. Do you like your city / town / village? Sure, why not.

29. What jewelry are you wearing? None. Eric would say that I need to dig out my BLING, hahaha!

30. Anything fun happen today? Won multiple Wordscraper games.

31. Anything bad happen today? Not really.

33. Are you mad at anyone? Not right now... should I be? [good answer!]

34. What's the last thing you bought? Uncle John's Unsinkable Bathroom Reader #21 and a dragon bookmark.

35. Have you cried today? No.

36. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? I hope so. [good answer!]

37. Do you have shoes on? Nope.

38. What's the closest thing to you that is pink? Laughing Matters: Learning to Laugh When Life Stinks (Phil Callaway) and Uncle John's Curiously Compelling Bathroom Reader #19.

39. Do you get annoyed easily? Sometimes.

40. Are you photogenic? Definitely not.

41. Do you like to draw? Very basic stuff, usually.

42. Are you good at saving money? Depends.

43. What should you be doing right now? Calling places for rental prices.

44. Who's the sexiest person alive? No idea.

45. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings? No.

46. Is there a secret you've never told your best friend? Probably.

47. Have you ever told someone you hated them? Yes.

48. Have you ever changed your clothes in the car? Maybe once, on the way to someone's wedding eons ago. (Sam and Connie's? I really don't remember!)

49. What are you doing in 2009? Same old thing, I suppose. :P

50. What is your ring tone? Non-existent.

Dream of kids and iced tea / 13 Most Shocking TV Deaths

Note: AWRC LJ Blogalyser, and retitling usernames.


I had a weird dream where my sleeping quarters were on a hammock downstairs in a green-and-white tiled kitchen. My dad came downstairs and instantly figured out that I had the missing pillow and blankets. I told him that I'd had them for five and a half months, so it was stupid that he was only JUST getting around to finding out where they are, especially since they were in plain view of everyone entering / exiting the kitchen! Then we all had to go to a conference room with a white table. We had to help kids get iced tea in Styrofoam cups, and supervise their playing with toys - this had to be done even more quietly while Pastor Edward talked to us about stuff. I was in a corner with Michelle and Robin, and we had got the least amount of iced tea, for some reason. That was where the dream ended... hmm!


TV Guide compiled a list of some of the most shocking moments in TV where a character had passed away.

13. Dan Conner, Roseanne
Critics attacked the "Roseanne wins the lottery" story arc for betraying the show's everyman, blue-collar ethos. But Roseanne (the actress-producer, that is) had a plan all along: In the series finale, it's revealed that the whole shebang was the product of Roseanne Conner's fertile, writerly mind, a literary defense mechanism she created after Dan suffered a fatal heart attack at Darlene's wedding.

12. Terry Crowley, The Shield
Before you get all, "What about Lem and the hand grenade?" let us explain. Yes, Shane blowing his partner to bits was an amazing twist, but it came five seasons into one of the riskiest and most brutal TV series we've seen; we practically expected it. On the other hand, Vic Mackey popping a fellow cop to cover up his unit's misdeeds in the series' pilot caught us completely off guard, and provided a small taste of things to come.

11. Joyce Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This one got to us simply because, in the context of an otherwordly battle between vampires and slayers, Joyce's death by brain aneurysm is a little too real. Perhaps we just didn't think the writers would off Joyce so quickly after she had begun recovering from a brain tumor.

10. J.R. Ewing, Dallas
OK, fine. We know his death(s) were always survived or explained, but you have to give Dallas credit for basically inventing the season-finale cliff-hanger. Have you ever seen a "Who Shot Mary Alice" T-shirt? Thought so.

9. Adriana, The Sopranos
Just as it appeared that the Feds had convinced Ade to flip, her shocking demise came at the hands of so-called "nice" wise guy Silvio. She frantically crawled off-camera through autumn leaves, begging for her life, and then two gunshots echoed, silencing one of the show's vivid female portrayals.

8. Gary Shepherd, thirtysomething
While everyone was focused on Nancy's mortality as she awaited test results after cancer treatment, it was Gary who kicked the bucket after being involved in a chain-reaction car accident. Yes, the same Gary who usually rode a bicycle because he hated cars. Bitter irony alert!

7. Uh, Everyone, Six Feet Under
Even for a show that began each episode with a death, Nate's death a few episodes shy of the finale still packed a punch. In the show's chilling last six minutes, though, the narrative fast-tracks audiences through 79 years, showing how each of the protagonists departed the mortal coil. Talk about tying up loose ends.

6. John Locke / Jeremy Bentham, Lost
Just as John accepts his destiny to lead the island-dwellers known as The Others, it's revealed via flash-forward that Locke is the man in the coffin three years later in Los Angeles. Of course, death is a relative term on Lost (he has since appeared to have been resurrected), but seeing our favorite faith junkie lying in eternal slumber was perhaps more mind-blowing than watching the island completely disappear.

5. Mrs. Landingham, The West Wing
Similar to Gary Shepherd, the demise of President Bartlet's beloved, wisecracking secretary comes via a car accident at 18th and Potomac. In the first new car she'd ever owned. We think we'll stick to the subway.

4. Rosalind Shays, L.A. Law
Writers often leave loathsome characters on a show too long, but sometimes, they dump them down an elevator shaft when you're least expecting it. No, we're serious, Rosalind fell down an elevator shaft, just as she had silenced her own demons and found love with Leland. It was a jaw-dropper that would have had the Internet abuzz ... had Al Gore invented this here thing yet.

3. Dr. Lucy Knight, ER
Again, some might point you to the stunt-ier blockbuster death of Dr. Romano, who was pinned underneath a crashing helicopter, but Lucy's sudden and unexpected stabbing at the hands of a schizophrenic patient remains one of the show's truly haunting moments. Sadly, she made it through a surgery to treat her tissue damage, but still died due to pulmonary embolism and other complications.

2. Teri Bauer, 24
When you're in a high-profile national security job like Jack Bauer's, the wife and kids are usually among the first to be targeted for leverage. Even so, Teri snuck and killed and survived her way through Day 1 almost better than Jack. Until CTU mole Nina kidnapped her and shot her fatally in the stomach. Can we get a Jack Bauer "Damn it!" on that one?

1. Lt. Col. Henry Blake, M*A*S*H
More than 30 years later, this classic death is tough to top. After finally getting discharged from the Army and bidding farewell to the 4077th, Blake's transport plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. The show had a knack for balancing laughs with serious reflections on war, but it was never more emotional than when Radar delivered the sad news to the company.

You Would Be a Upstanding Superhero

You are alert and observant. You can see through people easily. You know who's evil and who's good. You need a lot of freedom in your life. You like to do your own thing, and you don't fit into any normal mold. You understand people quite well and often know what others are thinking. Because of this, you can get people to do what you want. You tend to feel apart from the rest of the world. You don't really fit in, and you don't try to! You are a true intellectual. You are thirsty for knowledge, and you are curious about the world.

What Kind of Superhero Would You Be?

Militia stanzas from Ava and Teresa / Celestial Tea / Poop decks!

High-scoring words of the night so far:

AVA (205 points) - against Lorraine I. [two 5W]
MILITIA (139 points) - against Jane J. [2W, 4W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
STANZA (134 points) - against Angela V. [2W, 5L on Z]
ZANILY (110 points) - against Luella R. [4W, hook off FLASH to make FLASHY]
BETONIES (105 points) - against Evelyn D. [5W]

Teresa Ly FINALLY added me to Facebook; phew! Corey and I were also talking about tea just now:

[00:22:20] Flami: the hamsterette: have you ever dunked six packets of sugar into your coffee?
[00:24:41] Corey: uh.... probably :P
[00:25:06] Corey: I don't drink coffee much, though
[00:32:43] Flami: that is a crazy thing to do
[00:35:28] Corey: do you do that?
[00:42:52] Flami: never
[00:44:04] Corey: how much do you use?
[00:51:35] Flami: maybe one
[01:02:47] Corey: well, it's still all bitter and gross then... you need at least a couple
[01:07:25] Flami: hey, I like strong Chinese tea... strong regular coffee isn't too bad, either
[01:07:56] Corey: well, tea doesn't need as much sweetening. I just put some honey in tea
[01:12:48] Flami: I've never really liked honey in tea myself
[01:16:32] Corey: you should have strong American tea! not Chinese :P we have Celestial Seasonings here, and they make a ton of really good ones.. lots of fruit-flavored ones, plus African red tea, plenty of types of green and white tea... Jane bought basically a whole carry-on bag full of that stuff to take home :P
[01:19:50] Flami: I tried Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea... it was okay. of course, someone else thought it tasted disgusting :P
[01:20:10] Flami: but I should try some colored teas too... I've tried green tea, white tea, and red tea
[01:25:05] Corey: well, that's a pretty standard plain one...
[01:25:35] Corey: they have mango tea, peach, orange... their white pear tea is really good
[01:26:02] Corey: my mom and Jane both like Madagascar Vanilla Red Rooibos tea
[01:28:09] Flami: you should send me some, haha
[01:28:31] Flami: well, London Drugs had Lemon Zinger... maybe I'll go there next time and see what they have
[01:28:37] Corey: their biggest seller is one called "sleepytime" that Jane seems to like, but I haven't tried that one
[01:29:53] Corey: I had to get some of them for my mom at the store at their factory thing... (which is like an hour away). they have a ton of flavors, and stores don't have room for EVERYTHING.... you can order anything from their website, but I think you have to pay shipping

Poo nugget for Tuesday, Mar. 3: Poop Deck - Despite assertions to the contrary, the nautical reference "poop deck" has nothing to do with where sailors relieved themselves at sea. It refers to an elevated ship deck located at the rear and comes from the French word poupe, meaning "stern." The poop deck's elevated position was ideal for both navigation and observation of the crew and sails.

Jack Bauer is on for TWO HOURS: Holding people hostage!

TWO HOURS OF JACK BAUER! Juma declared victory on a pre-recorded tape even as his own troops were fleeing the capital. An unidentified orderly administered Dubaku a lethal dose of something, and that necessitated a Code Blue - there was a phone call which distracted the nurse taking care of him. (Renee was on that, and informed Larry) Jack wanted Chloe to delete Ryan's name from some list to prevent him from consulting lawyers... the target was indeed the White House: HIGH VALUE AND HIGH TARGETS! Ryan Burnett met Ethan Kanin (the Presidential aide), and of course he's very much a bad guy! Jack interrogated Bill about Ryan Burnett at gunpoint; why am I not surprised? Then he strangled Bill, telling him not to fight it - WHAT THE?! Janis REALLY was insistent on getting Chloe to stream things to her own workstation - Chloe wasn't having any of that at all. Later, Larry heard Janis' recording of what Chloe told Jack about someone figuring out that she'd deleted names from the database, so he wanted Chloe detained. YIKES!

Senator Mayer met with the President, with Ryan Burnett in attendance - oh my. "Just excuse him as a witness: it's a message of thanks!" "Under certain circumstances, his actions are not acceptable since prisoners have DIED under his courtesy! If you pardon him, you're sending the wrong message to every interrogator!" Jack interrogated Ryan Burnett off the books! "I love my country!" *Jack Tasers him, then threatens him with neuromuscular damage when he raises the Taser's voltage* Says there's another attack, then Jack Tasered the phone when the President ordered him to stand down. Then people came through the door, and someone said that he had no call to interrogate anyone - "my conscience is clearer than yours - even if an attack is imminent!" The President then placed Jack Bauer under arrest, saying he should have presented his case to him earlier: "We didn't have time, ma'am." She also told Ryan Burnett that he would be charged with treason, and he said that he wouldn't tell her anything in this lifetime!

Renee said that she was in a warehouse basement with everyone being armed: Larry said he'd send backup. Janis wanted him to be apprised of something, but he had no time for that. "It sounds crazy, but I just saw Juma HERE!" "We're ten minutes away!" Of course, there's an entire guerrilla team in the White House - and nobody can get Renee on her cellphone, and Janis can't triangulate her location either! (because her phone got wet when she stowed away on the ship) Bill called Tony, who gave a deadpan response when asked whether Dubaku was dead. (Juma, to Dubaku's son earlier: "Your father won't be joining us after all.") The President's daughter Olivia unrolled maps of the place, and knew that there was an attack going on even as Renee was swimming in the water! (of course Aaron had to get her out of the building!) Renee saw the plans and she found what the target was. However, Dubaku's son sees her and immediately goes after her. She jumps in the river and he takes off in hot pursuit.

Someone was about to call the FBI to tell them information of the target once Renee got out of the water, but there was a sniper in the bushes. Bill saw Jack, and Jack wanted him to get the information out of Ryan Burnett, who was talking - Bill said he couldn't do it, however. Juma then killed someone by strangling him, then continued work on breaking into the White House. They saw a bunch of laser surveillance beams, but a guy on the inside can cut them for everyone else. Renee told Dubaku's son that his father is dead - the son is not impressed, and is about to kill her until Larry finally intervenes. Bill took the President's tracker off her (taking it away to create a diversion for everyone else), and then they were on their way to lockdown. The guerrillas took Bill as a hostage, of course. Juma cut off Jack and Bill's communications, taking almost everyone else in the White House hostage into a locked-down room.

Renee was upset that Jack was under arrest, but Larry had to tell her that the President was the priority, NOT Jack. Jack goes into McGyver mode and tampered with the security box with some wire from a nearby lamp. He deactivates it and General Juma is out of luck. Of course, he realizes this... Juma called some guy and threatened to render some shipment useless. The guy said that Olivia Taylor was in there, too - Juma found her after shooting Aaron (and she was captured before completing her signal), and threatened the President with her death, yikes!

The Vice-President hesitated to authorize the rescue operation, since it might not be politically tenable. President Taylor folded easily once Juma threatened to gut her daughter Olivia in front of her! Jack took his place next to Senator Mayer in the hostage circle, and the Senator gave him some flak for letting the President out of the room. Then Juma slapped her and said that she'd make the last statement she'd ever give. I think next week's episode is gonna be CRAZY.... I gotta watch HOUSE next week - a patient who says EVERYTHING he's thinking?! Wow!

Dream: Almost getting run over / Cheese list

Had a weird dream which involved Priscilla and Hannah having special powers where they could automatically pinpoint people's location using red dots: this came in handy when we were in an underground parking lot. Vanessa and Stanley were in a huge SUV, and almost ran me over! Auntie May told me to go shopping at a huge supermarket to rest myself, and I found some spaghetti and SPICY HOT macaroni in round packages. We were going across a bridge to find someone immortal, because the sunrise would lead us to him. But then I woke up! (no clue where that came from!) I took a shower and decided to do some laundry today when I got up. Finished one laundry detergent which I bought last July, and my Irish Spring Icy Blast body wash.

Here's the cheese list from last night at Jeremy's:

Canadian Maple Cheddar (Village Cheese; Armstrong, BC)
Migneron de Charlevoix (Maison d'affinase M. Dufour; Bale-St. Paul, Quebec)
Pacific Pepper (a spicy verdelait artisan cheese)
Zurigo 15% MF (Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser; Noyan, Quebec)
Le Napoleon (Fromagerie Blackburn, Quebec)
Oka Champignon (Aeropur; Oka, Quebec)
Smoked Gouda (Gort's Gouda) [tasted like smoked salmon only because that's what our mind associates SMOKED with...]
Britannia 5-Year-Old Cheddar (Aeropur; grand cheddar from pasteurized cow's milk)
Friesian Clove Gouda (Sylvan Star Farm, Sylvan, Alberta) - I liked this one!
Yoo Boo Blue (Hilary's Artisan Cheese; Cowichan Bay, BC)
Castle Blue (The Farm House; Agassiz, BC) [stinky like old gym socks!]
Bothwell Cheeses Two-Year-Old Maplewood Smoked Cheddar (New Bothwell, MB)
Mont-Jacob (Saguenay; Lac St-Jean, Quebec)
Sauvagine (Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf; St. Raymond-de-Portneuf, Quebec) [Jen liked Jon's French accent - she actually didn't know that Jon had been in French Immersion!]

You Are ONE WAY

When you're confronted with a problem, you know exactly how you want to handle it. You are decisive and act quickly. Once you get the ball rolling, you don't change course. You can be a bit stubborn at times, but you have reason to be. You're often right. You are unwavering and brave. You do what needs to be done, even if it isn't popular.

What Street Sign Are You?

Fourteen different kinds of cheese / Vanilla Poo

After Jon and Nathan glanced at a picture of a HUGE pineapple, we had a simple dinner of rice, veggies, and meat. Johnny came by about halfway through - then we started on beer (12%, Bushwakker with chocolate notes, light ale, and more... not the 22% one) and 14 different kinds of cheese. (yes, the guys overbought AGAIN!) Discussed the retreat, Woody Allen marrying his stepdaughter (they're still married as far as we know), Woody Allen's movies, online church ministries, the jazz festival, sports jackets vs. tuxes / suits, the erhu (a Chinese instrument), Dragon Ball combos, wedding planning, interesting weird music (Animal Collective? Beck's MIDNIGHT VULTURES satire? Weird Al?), and more. Memorable Beck lyrics from different songs: "I want to get with you and your sister / I think her name is Deborah..." and "Her left eye is lazy / She looks so Israeli / Nicotine and Gravy..."

Looked through Jeremy's CD collection, and he reminisced about how his mom had read the Beck lyrics - "it's SATIRE, Mom - he's not seriously trying to be a hip-hop / R&B artist!" Johnny half-wanted to listen to Air Supply, while Nathan noted that he'd bring Chicago CDs to the next dinner. I confused strawberry jam on an Animal Collective CD cover for pomegranates, while Nathan confirmed that seeing them live was AWESOME! All I had to contribute was my memory of calling Jon once when he was at one of their concerts, and wondering why the hell it was so loud in the background, hahaha. I knew he was out, but couldn't place the noise!

Somehow, the discussion turned to curfews and such. Nathan's mom used to call his brother Daniel to see where he was, and got this as a response more often than not: "Mom, he's right across from me IN HIS ROOM!" I never really had a curfew, but I never went out seriously late either. Jon kinda had one, but he pressed the limits of our parents' patience so much that they eventually gave up. Steph had one as well, heh. I remembered the time we went for karaoke and food after Fellowship: our mom was still up at 3 AM (because someone had called the house at 2:30 AM), and was less than impressed with my brother. She had noticed we weren't home yet, of course: "Where's my son? And where's my daughter?!" Oh dear. NOT good times at all, heh. Naturally, we understood later why she'd been mad.

Jen noticed the Magic Bra box, and at first wondered what it was before remembering that good time at the Night Market in late August - I also remember it because I discovered that Raymond was the right height for saying stuff in my ear without resorting to ridiculous contortions, hahaha. (Jon: "Jen, you have to get it for your birthday! Sarne, when's her birthday again?" Me: "Jen, watch out in early May...") Jon asked Johnny when his birthday was, and I said that I would know if there were any birthdays in between now and his - NONE! We all joked that Johnny should get it on or around Mar. 23, but Johnny said he'd leave it over here if that ever happened!

Johnny further explained that his future wife wouldn't think much of it, and it wouldn't be much of an esteem-builder for his future daughter, should he have one! Nathan said that Jen was the female face they needed at the market that night, otherwise the guys would have looked like pervs! He also reminisced about the time I had handed Eric the box for his birthday: Eric had blushed BRIGHT RED when he saw what it was, and instantly dropped it. ("Who are you people, and what have you done with my friends?!") Nathan said that it had been Raymond's idea in the first place, and then Jeremy wondered whether the Magic Bra was for support or enhancement. For some reason, this devolved into a discussion on Ricky Gervais and his man-boobs... yikes!

We continued the cheese tasting once Jon was ensconced in Jeremy's room talking on the phone with Harmony. Jen and Nathan both remarked on how thoughtful I was in taking slices to him three times: hey, I only stayed long enough to give him the cheese since I don't want to intrude on the conversation! Ray came home a couple of hours into the proceedings - it was good to see him again! Discussed Beck and his Scientology, plus his genius father: at least they're not total kooks like Tom Cruise / Katie Holmes / John Travolta! Someone found a copy of THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS, and commented that there was an equivalent book for girls - yeah, I've seen it in display cases! I'll list off the cheeses tomorrow: yes, I actually made a note of all our cheeses while Nathan took pictures. Then we laughed over how Nathan COULD look like an Asian gangster: bling, chains, wifebeater, a MAD look on his face, dying his hair blond...

Nathan entertained us by reading the short section on how girls should be treated; slightly later, Johnny started the exodus out the door. Jon mentioned that we had to bus home to Richmond, which caused Nathan to offer us a ride home since he thought it was still raining outside. It wasn't, but it was still kind of him to offer! Discussed extroversion vs. introversion, bachelor parties / stags (Kenny had to put makeup on and go to a spa, while Vernon had to wear a diaper), school, decisions, and other things on the way home. At home, I discovered that the computer had restarted, and also that I got a weird phone call from Kamloops: 250-374-5215, anyone?


Poo nugget for Monday, Mar. 2: Vanilla Poo - Chemist Mayu Yamamoto from Japan discovered a way to produce the synthetic compound vanillin from cow dung. Vanillin is responsible for vanilla's scent and taste and is, in turn, derived from the chemical lignin, a plant compound found in abundant quantities in cow dung. So now there are variations of poo that look like chocolate and taste like vanilla.

Random nudity in magazines? Oh my!

Steph picked me up to go to church, and we talked about Chinese Eric for a bit. Got dropped off in front of the building, where I had to tell Mom where the steps were - fair enough, since she wasn't familiar with the front area. Emily and Chrystal had watched CORALINE yesterday, and they said it was quite good! Had some time to prepare myself, and talked to Raymond for a bit too about movies and such. Reminded him that JACK BAUER is on for TWO HOURS tomorrow night! Shared a bunch of amusement, and his Bible - this was after I found that the Bible I used was missing most of the New Testament from Matthew 18 to 1 John. Pastor Edward said that his sister was a lover of Obama (um...), and that she'd been stopped in traffic once last September - turned out that Obama was the cause of it, and he'd waved to her. Andrea mentioned Daylight Savings Time to us, so Raymond and I both made a note to not show up for church at the wrong time! WE WILL KEEP EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE, hahaha.

Followed Hannah T., Hannah W., Priscilla, and Natalie out of the sanctuary while waving to Danielle and Michelle, and went into the fellowship hall. Said hi to little Keenan, who seemed shy - his older brother Joshua just wasn't too talkative, heh. Greeted their mom Maxine, who said that their Saturdays are quite busy: swimming, Awana, and other things all conspire to make it so. Eric said he forgot to pick me up yesterday for the Open House (Jon, on this: "Hahaha, what a guy!"), mentioned that Teunis and his friend Jordan had showed up there, and said that he wasn't going to Jeremy's later. Meh, I didn't mind staying out with Jon! Of course I'd let Mom know later, but I didn't know what was going to happen at 9:30 AM in the car. Oh well. Talked to Hannah L. about her lychee jelly - so good!

Talked to Jen, Raymond, Cordia, Henry ("the popcorn doesn't STINK!"), Sarah ("I could smell the butter from the STAIRCASE, man!"), and others before taking some butter cookies and heading upstairs. Auntie Fonda gave me a rice cooker: believe me, I tried paying her back for it, but she wouldn't hear of it - fine by me! We had a new kid with no English name, so I just called her "kid," haha. Watson actually held my hand when we went on the floor without shoes on - it is slippery! Amanda's big sister Hannah S. came in for a while, and constructed a Mega Block horse with eyes - kids are so cute!

Went downstairs to see what people were doing: Sam was leaning against the $10,000 wall and said that it made him feel wealthy. Mike said that the wall wasn't an extension of him, and told me that he'd had no clue what Candy was talking about in the Facebook conversation on the Diver photo - Sam had read it, he said. I knew what he'd meant ("snarky" referred to my own comment and not hers), and I reassured him of that. Mike said he'd had to Google a few words that Candy had used - heh, it happens! Eventually, my brother and I went to the old Green Village with our parents' friends Alan and Polly - good times, including a couple dishes which we'd never had before.

After that, Jon and I left (Dad told him to look after me, heh) and went to Donald's Market to buy veggies. Then we bused it to Elysium coffee shop (by the Cactus Club on Broadway / Ash) in the rain - we tried clover coffee from Ethiopia. (the blueberry-lemon one was a free sample), and I looked at HOBO magazine. The magazine smelled good, and featured Nick Cave plus random nudity in the photos - not something you'd leave lying around for your kids to find, for sure! Coffee came in wide mugs, plus some in Pyrex beakers with sturdy handles: NICE! Then we went to Mount Pleasant Cheese Company, and tried a lot of different cheeses (creamy! salty! gritty! really blue! rind-y!) while waiting for Nathan to pick us up. There were spices, cutting boards, wine jelly, olive stuff, many kinds of cheeses, crackers, bread, and plenty of other things to look at which went with cheeses.

When Nate finally showed up, we paid for seven different kinds of cheese before heading to the Whip to meet Jeremy: they were celebrating their third anniversary, so it was VERY PACKED AND BUSY! (Jon's seen it busier, though!) Jeremy got there just in time to hear some president dude give a short and LOUD speech thanking various breweries and such. We were wondering about cake, so Jon got us some - we saw sparkling candles, which was cool. Listened to Jeremy's ideas about water and good causes: the man has more sense than some other people I used to know: I say intelligence is definitely a good thing! Talked about people we knew in the context of wedding managerial duties - Nate definitely has the insight! Noticed some Obama paintings, which Nathan thought were initially of Will Smith, haha.

After trying some cider, yam fries, and cheese squares, Jeremy went back home while the rest of us went to Congee Noodle House to get some BBQ pork and white chicken. I was dead on in what I thought Jeremy meant when he mentioned the plain chicken; it was indeed the steamed chicken with ginger and green onion! Jeremy told us some backstory on why the restaurant had been closed for a while - our food inspector friend Kevin would have a heart attack if he ever went there as a customer, heh. Stopped in at Cuppa Joe to see if Nathan could find his Strong Bad hat: no luck! Jon had to do a LOT of convincing to Jen over the phone to get her to even make it out, but she did upon learning that Nathan would give her a ride. Then we finally went to Jeremy's, where Jon talked about frying the kale in rum or Scotch... oh dear! I saw the keys for the beer cellar, and checked some stuff on Jeremy's computer while the guys cooked a simple dinner. Looked up "Palliser" for the guys since I was on the computer anyway - and now I'm getting called to dinner. NICE TIMING!

I'm definitely not an anime nerd!

The computer restarted sometime in the last seven hours - UGH. I also got up half an hour before I needed to - double UGH.

Stolen from the hilarious V. (genkobar) via Facebook note:

ANIME / MANGA NERD

[] You watch anime.

[] You read manga.

[] You buy / collect anime DVDs or manga volumes.

[] You own some other form of anime / manga merchandise.

[] You have referred to an anime character as "hot" before.

[] You have cosplayed.

[] You have done so in public.

[] You have been to an anime / manga convention.

[] You have created / joined a fanclub for an anime / manga character.

[] You have created / joined a hate club for an anime / manga character.

[] You have squealed when you found out somebody had the same name as an anime character you knew.

[] You enjoy drawing anime.

[] Your friends know you as the "anime person."

[] You know that it is pronounced "mawngah" and not "manga" like it is spelled.

Anime / manga nerd = 0

ART NERD

[x] You like art.

[] You actually consider yourself an artist.

[] When using art supplies, their brand matters to you.

[] You have a favorite brand.

[] You have asked for art supplies as a Christmas / birthday gift before.

[] You give people your drawings as gifts.

[] People actually ask for your drawings.

[] You are / were known as "the art person" at your school.

[] Instead of just "brown" or "pink," you'd be specific: it's "sienna brown" or "blush pink."

[x] You have taken an art class outside of school. (Do those 1994 drawing lessons count? Remember those, Dawn and Steph?)

[] You have considered a career as an artist.

[x] Your school papers are always covered in doodles.

[] You have a favorite artist.

[] Your drawings have been framed.

[] You carry a sketchbook with you everywhere you go.

Art nerd = 3

MUSICAL NERD

[x] You play a musical instrument. (used to)

[x] You play more than one instrument. (used to)

[x] You actually really enjoy playing your instrument. (used to)

[] You've given your instrument a name.

[x] You've participated in an extracurricular activity for your instrument. (I guess Concert Band counts... right, Shauna and Trevor?)

[] You are known by what you play.

[x] You listen to classical music.

[] You have a favorite composer.

[] All of your friends are from your band / orchestra class.

[] You write music.

[] You've had discussions with your friends about music which cover your favorite composers / instruments / musical time periods / key...

[] You have considered a professional career with your instrument.

[] You are never nervous playing for other people.

Musical nerd = 5

VIDEO GAME NERD

[x] You play video games. (extremely occasionally...)

[] You own more than 4 different video game systems.

[] You've had debates over which system is the greatest.

[] You play video games every day.

[] You have played a video game for over 10 hours. (I haven't, but I used to know someone who did...)

[] You have songs from your favorite video games on CDs.

[] You love to talk about video games.

[] You memorize the release date for a new game.

[] People know you as the "gamer person."

[] You spend more time on video games than you do hanging out with friends.

[] Your gaming system is in your room.

[] You have preferences when it comes to what company your game came from.

[] You've had debates over which company is the best.

[] You keep playing a game until you beat it.

[] It makes you angry when you found out somebody looked up cheat codes on the Internet to beat their game.

Video game nerd = 1

COMPUTER NERD

[x] You use the computer every day.

[x] You have an account / username on some sort of social website.

[] You go into random Internet chatrooms.

[x] You spend at least 2 hours a day on the computer.

[x] You use computer faces.

[x] It is hard to go a day without using the computer.

[x] You spend time in online forums.

[x] In the forum / chatroom you use, you are known there by everyone else.

[x] You have friends you have only met online.

[x] You have actually met an online friend in person.

[] U cn ezly rd "txttlk." (UGH, NO!)

[] You have said "lol" or "omg" in speech that is not online. (I don't even like to say it ONLINE... sheesh!)

[x] You can type really, really fast.

Computer Nerd = 10

19 out of 70... see, I told you that I wasn't really a nerd. :P

Aeolian yoga and grief in the daytime

High-scoring words of the night so far:

ABOON (130 points) - against Jennifer M. [4W, 2W]
QUIRE (105 points) - against Wendy D. [5W]
YOGAS (105 points) - against Steve L. [two 3W, hook off RUIN for a plural]
AEOLIAN (125 points) - against George M. [5W, hook off TAP to make TAPA]
EYELASH (375 points) - against Diane D. [two 5W]
DAIMON (126 points) - against Sandy Q.-M. [two 3W]
FIESTA (284 points) - against Shelley R.-B. [5W, 4W, hook off RAM for a plural]

Interesting rack of the night so far: DAYGRIEF (against Yolande M.)