Dying is not a sin, kids! (but kicking someone in the butt IS...)

Henry picked me up with good timing, and we chatted for a bit about the beautiful day before we just listened to music. When we got to the parkade's elevator, I found myself pressing the button for the second floor again: yikes! Little Olivia L. waved to me, and showed me her necklace with a piece of stone on the end. She said she got it from her mom: very cool. Her cousin Ian M. showed me this rather bright yellow bandage, and said hi. They're so cute! Later, I asked both of them to do me a favor with birthday cards for Sophia and Gabriel: I referred to Sophia as Ian's aunt (which she is) - first time I've ever done that! Of course, they both gave them to Grandma (Auntie May) to hold later... I expected them to do that, haha. Shared chocolate with Auntie Vivian - the dark stuff is GOOD!

Apparently, I wasn't the only one not at Awana last week, so that was fine. For some reason, we had a LOT of extra money today for dues: I know there were a few people who wanted change for $20 bills, but having over $120 is very definitely NOT normal since everyone got change back! Asked Margaret if she knew who was getting baptized next week: her, Jessica, and Tina. Sounds good, so I'll prepare three of the cards for Easter! The kids had interesting ideas on what sin is, after Melia told them that it's anything BAD: "Is dying a sin? How about kicking someone in the butt?" (Jordan, Eric, and Matthew were trying to be dramatic / interrupt everything, as usual) Gladys' sister Olivia was there early, so we shared an amused laugh. I greeted Mike, Danny, and everyone else. I helped Julie and Ian L. with the Awana store, too. David was there to help, as well - sweet!

After Awana, Chris quizzed little Sean on various math questions: I agree that he's definitely getting smarter! He even knew what 50x10 was! (according to his dad John, funding will be REALLY cut once he turns six) Chris asked Sean what his dad's name was, and got no answer. Apparently, he gets anxious when asked to review something (Bible verses, in this case) every day. He's a cute kid, and even talked to me about things: "One yellow and two red [gummies... mango and cola]!" I asked Ada and John to drive me to the pub: it didn't help that we didn't know quite where it was, even with the map!

Ian and Sean kept playfighting in the back, and I learned to ignore most of it, haha. When we passed by the Sikh temple, Ian asked: "Are we even in Canada anymore? Wow! We're in Disneyland!" His dad told him that it was an Indian temple, heh. When we passed Ironwood, Ian kept exclaiming: "EWWW! This is Garbage Land!" Upon passing the old Fantasy World, Ian said: "That looks like a beach with garbage on it! I don't want to go there!" Good idea, kid... good idea. Then he wondered where we were going: "Where is she getting dropped off at?" Hahaha, a friend's birthday party! Sean said that he'd do something in 30 minutes, at 7:28... and also that tomorrow was Sunday, and that meant Sunday School.

Finally found the pub, and I was MOST appreciative of the ride there! Went in the LOUD pub and heard Vanessa shout my name - met a few of her work friends, and actually said more than two words to Kyle. Discussed Taylor Pyatt's girlfriend dying in a cab crash in Jamaica, nachos, various alcoholic drinks (I got a Guinness with my prime rib special), Teunis, Krista, Erik, the DUCK FART shot, moving, hockey, Naslund, Bertuzzi, darts at the Ladner legion, cheap beer prices at said legion, Cantonese, Hong Kong, jalapenos, doctors, smoking, the small condo, cheesecake, Victoria, ice fishing, Fort St. John, Regina cold, and more. The Canucks lost 5-3 to the Oilers, and nobody from our table won a 50-50 draw for $351. Vanessa's car dropped me off, which was fine with me!

Dream: A hairbrush as an oral hygiene tool?!

Ugh... this temperamental beast just restarted when I was in the middle of editing things!

High-scoring word of the day so far:

TANTRUM (120 points) - against Angie G. [5W]


I had a weird dream in which I was looking after Ian and Sean in the old toddler room, and they were having fun playing with cars and Legos. Sean actually made sense when talking to me and his brother, which was good. A white girl with curly blond hair was also there, drawing. She was somehow related to Rachel's grandma... maybe she was Rachel's friend, but this was never fully explained in the dream. She was wearing a black shirt that Chris T. gave her, and asked me whether she'd still be in Sparks since she was seven years old. Once I answered her (yes), Rachel's grandma came to pick her up. Then Ada picked everyone else up, and we went to a hotel room. I found myself having to pick the bathroom door's lock, and then brushing my teeth with Original Vanilla toothpaste on a green hairbrush with rounded black bristles! WHAT THE HECK.

Have also confirmed things with Vanessa H. for tonight - apparently, one of her friends drives a cab, so I might get that as a ride home without charge. We'll see... since I'm me, of course I had to get all the crazy possibilities out of the way! ("It's barely 1 PM, dude... you can't POSSIBLY be drunk / high already. Psst... it's a bit late for April Fools jokes!") Apparently, there's dancing and a live band - she says I'll have fun, but I'll see.


Facebook quizzes taken from Flora, Shannon, Mandy O., and David W.:

Leslie took the Are You a TRUE Pacific Northwesterner? quiz and the result is Pure Pacific Northwest Product. You understand intimately the life and loves of the Pacific Northwest. If you haven't lived here your whole life, you have the soul of a lifetime resident.

Leslie took the Which TV Mom are You? quiz and the result is Clair Huxtable. You are extremely professional, and have a high-paying, prestigious career. You really are supermom, and balance the upbringing of your children with your demanding career perfectly. You even find time to go out on dates with your husband! (HA HA HA HA... AS IF!)

Leslie took the How many kids will you have? quiz and the result is 2 Boys and 1 Girl. With your daughter being the middle child, she might feel that she isn't as important because she isn't the eldest or the baby of the family, so make sure to pamper her! On the other hand, make sure to keep your food pantry stocked up because your boys will eat everything in sight once they're a bit older.

Leslie completed the quiz "How Sarcastic Are You, Really?" with the result Abnormally Sarcastic. People can't tell if you're angry, happy, or constipated. You probably make jokes that no one understands, and you think it's because they're stupid, and not because sarcasm isn't always funny. You might be joking all the time, but since it's in your nature to test different levels of sarcasm in people, you probably don't laugh much. Everyone thinks you're smart, but also kind of an ass. (Hahaha! I love this result. :D)

Yummier game!

High-scoring words of the night so far:

YUMMIER (1138 points; two 4W, two 2W), GAMEY (117 points; two 3W) - against Arthur S.
RESAWING (154 points; 2W, 4W), SIGHLIKE (122 points; 4W) - against Doug S.
FOXES (194 points) - against Sue L. [5W, 2W, hook off RAJA for a plural]


I actually REMOVED at least 200 tags from my Wordscraper archives entry so it would be way easier to load! This is good until the NEXT time I have to do this... *sigh*

Poo nugget for this weekend: Doo You Know? - Beans, Beans, They're Good For Your Heart. The More You Eat... Venezuelan researchers have used their knowledge of the healthful effect of bacteria ("probiotics") to engineer beans that cause less flatulence. By mixing beans with two species of Lactobacillus, they found that rats had 88 percent less raffinose, a gas-forming compound. GI illnesses, heart disease, cancer, and now, beans - the list of possible applications for probiotics keeps on growing. The question remains: Do these beans taste good in a burrito? Skeptics predict that the genetically engineered beans will take on a more tangy flavor akin to that of sauerkraut and sourdough bread, foods that employ a similar pre-fermentation process.

It's okay if you're gay if you pretend we're going to get engaged!

This thing just restarted - AGAIN!

These are from my copy of America's Dumbest Dates: Over 500 Tales of Fumbled Flirtations.

Undercover Investigations

"What I learned from Dwayne's boat is that it's possible to make love while you're seasick." - Brandy, age 24.

"He always sleeps at my place. He keeps a toothbrush and fresh underwear there. But he won't wash a dish, change a lightbulb, or take out the trash. He eats, makes love, sleeps. Showers. Uses all my stuff. And when he leaves, he takes the newspaper with him." - Leslie, age 26.

"Right in the act, Sheila bit my lips. Hard. I mean, chewed on them. The woman drew blood." - Austin, age 44.

"Stacey wouldn't stay over unless I changed the sheets. She made a fuss about it, so I pulled last week's sheets out of the laundry and put them on the bed. She said I had to change the sheets. She didn't say the sheets had to be CLEAN." - Neil, age 21.

"Jim was a magician. Every place we went, he performed. At the hockey game, he entertained the bleachers before the game. At dinner, the whole restaurant. Theater. We never had a conversation. It was always a show. Unfortunately, bed was a show, too. Now you see it, now you don't." - Barbara, age 41.

"When she fell asleep, Eileen wrapped her body around mine in a stranglehold, like a python. I was afraid to move because I didn't want to wake her up. But I finally had to remove her, peel her limbs off me one by one so I could move. No sooner had I freed myself, rolled over, and settled down than she slid across the bed and engulfed me again. At one point, she was lying on my face. I had to force her off me just to BREATHE. Of course, she remembered none of this. She said she had a great night's sleep." - Mort, age 30.

"Before he would come to bed, Trent had to brush his teeth. Then he used his Water Pik. Then he gargled. I lay there, listening to him complete his program of oral hygiene. This was NOT a turn-on." - Taylor, age 31.

"We're all undressed, beside the fireplace. I think we're going to make love. He pulls out his backgammon set and asks me if I've ever played nude backgammon. Apparently, there's nothing like it." - Pam, age 25.

"Seth had no sex appeal. He was a sweet guy, so I kept on TRYING to be attracted to him. But the more I tried, the less I was. He bent over backward to please me, said he'd do anything I wanted. Which is part of the reason he had no sex appeal." - Kate, age 36.

"She emails me sexy messages to my office. My secretary howls, and passes them around." - Conrad, age 33.

"I'm taking a douche in his sink. All of a sudden, the sink comes out of the wall and crashes to the floor, with me in it. He and his roommate hear the crash and come charging in, saying: "What's wrong? What happened?" I'm lying on the floor with my pants around my ankles, my behind in what's left of the sink on the floor. Not to mention the water or the pipes." - Latisha, age 23.

"She passed gas and ran into the closet, hid behind the clothes, and refused to come out." - Harry, age 28.

"We're reading together in his room. His roommate and his girlfriend start making loud panting noises in the next room. Then they start groaning, moaning. She's screaming his name. Then she's just screaming. He said to ignore it; they weren't really having sex. They were just trying to encourage us to have it, to get us in the mood." - Laura, age 20.

"We went out to the country and parked along a river. The car got steamy, so she opened her window, and - instantly - 94,000 mosquitoes flew in. By the time she could roll it back up, the car was infested, and we both had bites from head to toe. I took off, driving like crazy, stark naked, opening the windows and hoping the air would push them out. She was screaming. I was swatting. I had bites on my butt, my eyelids, my mouth, places I don't want to talk about." - Randy, age 21.

"We'd made love and I was about to roll over and go to sleep when Ben got out of bed, knelt, and said his good-night prayers. I guess it was charming. But it sort of surprised me. I felt kind of out of place; I didn't know if I was supposed to join him, or what. I pretended to be asleep." - Charlene, age 31.

"The next morning, as I'm waking up, Mel asked me if I'd mind if he cross-dressed." - Mary Beth, age 28.

"Lying in bed, Lois asked me if I was rich. I told her I wasn't. She sighed and was quiet for a while. Then she said, "I guess it's all right. Rich guys are mostly jerks, anyhow." I was falling asleep when she spoke again, and asked whether I thought I *might* get rich, someday." - Keith, age 28.

"Bob and I waited a long time before we actually went to bed. Tension built up and I was nervous. Clumsy. My hands were clammy; I fumbled and got the zipper stuck on the fabric, and I got a hook caught. I bumped teeth with him, moved the wrong direction, had no rhythm, no coordination, no grace at all. He finally managed to get the deed done, but I was afraid it was so bad that he'd lost interest. I looked at him and he burst out laughing. Rolling. He laughed: "Well, Rachel, at least the first time is out of the way." Tears came out of his eyes." - Rachel, age 31.

"Anna is tiny. Petite. A pixie. But when she sleeps, she snores like a freight train. No, more like a charging rhino. It's sudden; the whole bed shakes. Hell, the whole HOUSE shakes. And then, it subsides gradually, so you drift off to sleep again, and then - bam! - here comes the rhino again. She has no idea. I asked her if she knew she snored. She got offended - I mean, seriously mad." - Brad, age 29.

"Stan said he wanted to brush my hair. I thought, How sweet. But he meant ALL my hair." - Adrian, age 22.

"Martha sleeps with a pile of pillows between our heads. She makes love with her head turned away, and tells me never ever to breathe on her face." - Jonathan, age 27.

"Trevor loved his dog; maybe I should feel complimented that he talked to us both in the same way: Sit. Lie down. Roll over. Come." - Liz, age 38.

"Quentin talks in his sleep. I don't mean grunting and mumbling. I mean he talks. He says bizarre things - sits up and announces a baseball game, play by play. Tells unseen drivers to get off the road. Answers me if I talk to him, and ALMOST makes sense. I'll ask him if he closed his car windows, if he wants me to set the alarm, or if he's still awake. He answers: "Yes, sure." I've asked if he actually has no idea what I'm saying because he's sound asleep, and he's said: "Yes, sure." When I'm staying over there and can't sleep, I talk to him. It's quite entertaining, and beats counting sheep." - Myra, age 32.

"Ed does not sleep. When I spend the night, it's awful. He tucks me in and sits at the computer for an hour or two, messes around in the kitchen, does his laundry, vacuums, watches TV. He says he needs only three or four hours of sleep a night, that he does his best work when others are sleeping. I, on the other hand, need three days to recover for every night I spend with him." - Clara, age 40.

"As he was about to come, William yelled in my ear: "Tally ho!" In falsetto." - Alexis, age 33.

"It was our first time together. I was nervous, and there was no chance I was going to have an orgasm. But Jeff wouldn't let himself until I did. It was a matter of pride. I told him that it was okay, that I'd be more relaxed next time - just go for it. But no. He's relentless. He works. He tries this. He does that. I'm dying, embarrassed... and the more he tries, the less chance there is of it happening. Meantime, the man is sweating. Sweat is literally raining onto me, into my eyes, my mouth - I'm drowning in it. I figure it's a matter of survival, so I scream, I shake, I tremble, I moan. He grins. He's real proud of himself, When it's over, he sighs and says he told me that he could do it... and never to doubt him again." - Paula, age 29.

"She wanted me to videotape us in bed. She got out her camera and tripod, and set everything up. This was fine with me until she laughed: "Someday, when you're famous, I'll be able to blackmail you." She swore she was joking, but that was the end of that." - Paul, age 27.

"He read an article about women faking orgasms, and bragged to our friends that no one's ever faked with him. He has no clue. I'm good. I'm real good." - Randie, age 28.

"I told Margaret I was gay. She said that was okay with her, as long as I took her out on Saturdays and pretended to her mother that we were going to get engaged." - Ed, age 34.

"Peter rolled off me, crying out in pain. Doubled over. He asked if there were sharp edges on my diaphragm; he said it felt like teeth were biting him. I wondered if he had a disease or a urinary problem, and made him see a doctor. When the doctor said nothing was physically wrong, Peter examined my diaphragm to make sure that it had no cutting edges. His doctor told him to see a shrink. I still don't get it. Peter had been married, has a child, yet he still seems convinced that women can have teeth in there." - Yasmine, age 29.

"Gordon admired my body parts and compared them to his. He sighed that he wished he had mine. "Look at your legs; they're so smooth. If only mine were like yours." He suggested I leave some makeup and lingerie at his place, so I wouldn't have to carry it with me on our next date. I asked him if he'd use it in the meantime. He just smiled." - Julie, age 31.

"He dyed his pubic hair. He said it looked better blond." - Jill, age 32.

"In bed, Carol whispered that she used to be Carl. She'd had the operation. She used to be a man. She asked if I could tell." - Bill, age 47.

"The man had shaved every hair off his body. From his eyebrows down, he was bald as a baby." - Jennifer, age 27.

"We were lying in bed, and Roland asked me if I'd ever done gerbils. I asked him what he meant. You've never seen a woman get into her pantyhose as fast as I did." - Emily, age 25.

"He asked about other men I'd been to bed with. Was he better? Bigger? Built as good? He wanted a report card. No, he wanted a spreadsheet, comparative data." - Charity, age 26.

"We went to her place. The bathroom counter was covered with four toothbrushes and a display of designer condoms. Courtesy supplies, she called them. Scary, I called them." - Adam, age 40.

Kisses with a pierced tongue?!

I got ready for NOTHING tonight, I see. Eric apparently forgot to call and say he was sick... hmm. *shifty eyes* That better not be a cover for "I'm actually with someone else right now..." UGH!

These are from my copy of America's Dumbest Dates: Over 500 Tales of Fumbled Flirtations.

The Kiss

"A kiss is a promise. It's a hint of what's to come. It's also how I decide if anything IS to come." - Tyler, age 25.

"Mike was afraid to kiss me goodnight. He stood at my door, shifting from foot to foot, saying that he had to go home. I tried to make it easy; I tilted my head up, stepped closer to him, parted my lips. Nothing. Finally, when my head hurt from tilting, I gave up. Just as I backed away, he lunged and dove to kiss me - and missed, knocking me backward into the wall. It was like dating Clouseau." - Celia, age 59.

"When you're out with a woman, sooner or later, there's this silence. The pause. This eye contact. That's when it's time to make a move. Gloria stared into my eyes, searching. The silence grew. I leaned forward to kiss her, and she said that there was a glob of something in my eyelid, and asked if I had a cold." - Dave, age 37.

"Griffin declared that with AIDS and all, it was necessary to be completely open. Then he proceeded to tell me his entire sexual history. But after I heard the details of all his exploits, I didn't want to go out with him anymore. Hell, I didn't even want him to sit on my sofa." - Jean, age 34.

"I couldn't get between her and Puffy, her cat. We went into the den to watch a tape. I sat on the sofa next to her, put my arm around her. She snuggled Puffy." - John, age 32.

"He licked his lips before each kiss. We're about to kiss and he licks his lips. It was snake-like, reptilian. Also wet. I backed up. Kiss aborted. Impulse lost." - Suzanne, age 32.

"Allen told me that he was a v-v-virgin and that he only s-s-s-stut-t-t-ered wh-when he was t-t-turned on by somebody. He d-d-d-didn't th-think he c-c-could go on if he couldn't get s-s-someone to s-s-s-sleep with him. I told him it was a good t-t-try but, as far as I know, he's still stuttering." - Jen, age 30.

"He talked about women's hands, how much he appreciated long manicured nails and graceful slender fingers. How they enchanted him. How certain women wove sexual spells with their fingertips. How good hands turned him on. I sat on mine till my fingers got numb. When my drink came, I was afraid to reach for it." - Judie, age 34.

"The woman purred. I mean the way a lion purrs after it's eaten an elk. Dangerous." - Leroy, age 33.

"Under the stars, I tilted my head, parted my lips, and closed my eyes, anticipating our first kiss. He planted his top teeth right below my nose, his bottom teeth on my chin, and dug them into my skin. At the same time, he jabbed at me with his tongue. I pulled away, and there was an embarrassed silence. Then he apologized for not being a good kisser since his tongue wasn't long enough." - Amy, age 23.

"He used breath spray before kissing me. And afterward, as he left my apartment. And in between kisses, whenever he could sneak a spritz, like every five seconds." - Tina, age 28.

"Dave loved his looks. Every chance he got, he admired himself in a window or a mirror. When we kissed, he tried to position himself near a mirror so he could watch." - Donna, age 29.

"She punctuated each kiss with a loud, wet smack. Mmmwchwaaa. The way my grandmother kisses me." - Miles, age 24.

"Moaning was her thing. Who knows why; certainly it had nothing to do with the level of our activity. The minute we made body contact, she'd moan. She was loud, and like a horn. I mean, I thought volunteer firemen might go running to the station." - Mitch, age 31.

"When I looked in the mirror the next morning, I had a hickey the size of a golf ball. It took about a month to go away. I was afraid she'd marked me for life." - Bob, age 24.

"In the middle of a movie, Cathy leaned over and started licking my face, like I was an ice cream cone. I turned to look at her, and she started licking my lips. My face was covered with spit." - Hank, age 24.

"Cassy kissed with food in her mouth. Like, she couldn't take the time to swallow; she had to kiss while still chewing. This didn't work for me, but it wouldn't have been so bad if she'd been eating something good. But secondhand tuna didn't work at all." - Jeff, age 31.

"She wanted to kiss big in public. And she had to be linked to me, attached like a tick. Her arm was intertwined with mine the whole night. She wrapped herself around me. If I moved, she moved. If she didn't want to move, I couldn't." - Beau, age 23.

"JoEllen was nice, but she pierced her tongue. I found that difficult to kiss with. And I didn't think I had the right to ask her to remove the metal first." - T.J., age 23.

"Sunny automatically French kissed. I thought it was premature; I don't think you should French without an engraved invitation. But she pried my lips open with her tongue and forged ahead, relentless." - Matt, age 32.

"Her earlobes were lined with studs. It made them hard to nibble. Who wants to suck barbed wire?" - Seth, age 24.

"When I kissed Donny, I smelled food. His mustache kept an aromatic record of what he'd eaten that day. All I could think of was barbecued pork." - Dusty, age 33.

"Steve had a big, bushy mustache. He also had sinus problems or allergies, was blowing his nose the whole night. Then he wanted to kiss. All I could think of was the germs in his mustache." - Julia, age 43.

"Penny was not timid with her tongue. She cleaned out my esophagus. Stole my half lunch. I mean, she had me nailed." - Derek, age 23.

"She had a bad cold, maybe coming down with the flu. Then she expected me to kiss her. I walked her to her door, and she lifted her face and puckered up, waiting. I had no choice but to kiss her. Besides, shaking hands might have been worse: they say hand-to-hand is the way most germs are spread." - Jamal, age 24.

"Letisha keeps her eyes open the whole time. She stares. It's weird." - Eric, age 24.

"It was like she was imitating some movie, some soap opera, doing lavish French kissing and impressive moaning and groaning, fancy moves. I just wanted some simple, basic lip-to-lip. But I got this stage performance." - Ron, age 32.

"Penny chews gum while she kisses. I stole it from her, and she got furious with me." - Peter, age 39.

"Charlene made kissing into a chase. Her mouth traveled. I kept trying to catch up with her, but she was always ahead of me. Her mouth was on my cheek, I turned my head; too late - she was on my neck. I scrunched down; she landed on my ear." - Bill, age 34.

"She put so much pressure on her lips that I needed to ice my mouth when I got home. I mean, she has some strength there - must exercise those suckers." - Dwayne, age 27.

"I didn't realize there are some lipsticks that just don't rub off. I'll never hear the end of the day I went back to the office after lunch with Reggie." - Bud, age 36.

Margaritas and falling over / Shredded pork is NOT cocoa mix!

High-scoring words of the day so far:

FAT (107 points) - against Beverley H. [2W, 5W, hook off WADE to make AW and TA]
JEAN (271 points) - against Geraldine B. [two 4W]
OCEAN (200 points; two 5W) - against Kim A.
INDOW (200 points) - against Itamar R. [4W, 5W]

Erik's inviting me to movie nights... one at the last minute in Surrey of all the places, and one on Chrystal's birthday; interesting! If CITY OF LOST CHILDREN is anything like what I think it might be, then I'm in! Of course, I'm probably WAY off, though... but it IS French with subtitles. Ooh, fancy! I've also heard that Taylor Pyatt's girlfriend has died while on vacation in Jamaica - that is sad!

Corey got the Mars Bars (dark chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel) / Mirage Bars / Wunderbars / Aero bars (peppermint, milk chocolate, dark chocolate) / Tim Tams (classic dark) / Coffee Crisp / blank cards / king-size Smarties / shredded pork / shredded wild Pacific salmon that I mailed last Thursday.

[16:28:28] Corey: hey, I got a couple dirty envelopes that look like they were run over by cars! why do you run them over in cars before you mail them?
[16:29:13] Flami: learning about martyrs: I what?! I have never run anything over in a car. Next random question, please?
[16:29:54] Corey: well, the last one you sent looked like that too :P you can see all the little bubbles because the area between them is clean, while the bubbles are all dirty
[16:30:29] Corey: the customs form is almost gone on one of them :P
[16:30:43] Flami: um... what exactly did you get?
[16:32:02] Corey: and one doesn't have the Canada Post sticker with the postage... it does have half of a cancel mark, though
[16:32:27] Corey: what do you think I got? :P you sent more than two things?
[16:35:27] Flami: list, please.
[16:36:01] Corey: uh, one envelope that was run over by a car, and one envelope that was run over by a car and doesn't have the postage sticker and the customs sticker is all mangled
[16:36:20] Corey: I'm surprised they delivered it without the postage on there...
[16:36:35] Corey: you can see half of the cancellation stamp, so it was obviously there at one point
[16:41:31] Flami: so did you get everything?
[16:43:12] Corey: well, I don't know, I haven't opened them yet. I thought they were just for looking at
[16:43:49] Corey: are you trying to tell me that envelopes contain objects and I should be opening my mail?
[16:43:59] Corey: I never realized that.... wow
[16:46:00] Flami: DO IT NOW
[16:47:50] Corey: but I'm still trying to figure out why mail from Canada gets run over by cars
[16:48:15] Corey: probably wasn't literally run over, but it's been in some dirty dirty trucks or something
[16:48:36] Flami: and how should *I* know?!
[16:48:50] Flami: just open the damned things... I'm DYING to know!
[16:50:32] Corey: then I guess I just shouldn't open them
[16:51:03] Corey: if you're already dying, it'll be too late when I open them... and then it will all be a sad reminder of a fallen comrade, and will just depress me
[16:51:14] Flami: I didn't say I was literally dying :P
[16:51:30] Corey: but you yelled it in all caps! that's serious!
[16:52:16] Flami: in that case, why didn't you obey me when I said DO IT NOW ?
[16:53:17] Corey: because it's already too late, unless opening them will save your life
[16:56:15] Flami: yes. that is what I am saying.
[16:56:49] Corey: WELL THEN, I HAVE YOU RIGHT WHERE I WANT YOU!!! HA HA HA! MEET YOUR DOOM AT MY HANDS!!!!
[16:57:32] Corey: so uh, how long does it take to die from non-opening of envelopes? I need to know when to leave the room, so you can make a daring escape with only seconds to spare... so I can yell CURSES! and stuff, and wonder why you've evaded me yet again
[17:02:04] Flami: you've been watching too many crazy superhero movies
[17:03:34] Corey: I haven't watched a superhero movie since Iron Man, I think. I'd watch Watchmen, but there's no DVD quality copy out yet, and I know they fucked the ending up...
[17:04:14] Corey: I have the new Wolverine movie in workprint-form, but I haven't watched it yet.
[17:06:54] Corey: okay... first on the list in your quest to make me fat and not exercise is a bag of Maltesers
[17:07:40] Corey: Aero.. also Nestlé... maybe Nestlé doesn't like making money in the USA or something
[17:08:04] Corey: DER VUNDERBAR
[17:08:19] Corey: Martian candy
[17:09:08] Corey: uh... and I think this is what you put in as an extra... it's a bag of powdered cocoa mix or something that claims to be pork. what on earth do you do with that? :P
[17:10:16] Corey: envelope labeled CD that doesn't feel like it has a CD in it.. and it's SEALED WITH TAPE SO I CAN'T OPEN IT! :P we'll get to that later, I guess
[17:10:44] Corey: Mirage.. also by USA-hating Nestlé
[17:10:56] Corey: bubbly chocolate, huh?
[17:11:25] Corey: three Coffee Crisps, again by Nestlé.. I'm seeing a pattern here
[17:12:24] Corey: another Aero, with the package almost torn open (everything else seems like it's in good shape, nothing seems broken or anything)
[17:12:33] Corey: another Wunderbar
[17:12:40] Corey: a dark Mars bar
[17:12:43] Flami: salmon?
[17:13:20] Corey: and another dark Mars
[17:13:51] Corey: more Maltesers, smaller...
[17:14:06] Corey: yet another Wunderbar...
[17:14:41] Corey: and nine fun-size Mars bars
[17:14:53] Corey: and that's only the first envelope :P jeez, this is a lot of candy :P
[17:16:15] Flami: THAT IS NOT POWDERED COCOA MIX!
[17:16:26] Corey: I KNOW THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MEAT
[17:17:00] Corey: okay, dinner time, but there's a thingy of Salmon that can't make up its mind if it's Canadian (maple leaf) or Chinese
[17:17:52] Corey: so you'll have to tell me about these pork and salmon thingies
[18:27:34] Flami: uh... you eat them, you dork!
[18:28:08] Flami: you can sprinkle it on congee... but I guess since you don't have that, you can just eat it out of the package with a spoon :P
[18:36:52] Corey: congealed what?
[18:44:49] Flami: you've never heard of congee?! this, I find hard to believe.. you were in TAIWAN, dude!
[18:47:20] Corey: where I can't read names, and they don't know English names
[18:49:25] Corey: that doesn't sound very Chinese, though
[18:49:38] Flami: look it up on Wikipedia
[19:14:30] Corey: so it's rice porridge


Edit: He finally decided to open Envelope #2:

[20:19:00] Corey: so, shall we inventory envelope two?
[20:19:46] Corey: another Mirage.. another smaller bag of Maltesers
[20:19:56] Corey: Aero
[20:20:15] Corey: another Mars 2 pack
[20:20:46] Corey: Tim Tams
[20:21:09] Corey: and an envelope labeled (2) meaning I opened them in the right order apparently, and the other one was labeled (1), not CD :P
[20:21:41] Corey: kind of squished Wunderbar
[20:21:45] Corey: Coffee Crisp
[20:22:01] Corey: Aero
[20:22:10] Corey: Aero
[20:23:01] Corey: Smarties (despite being basically the same thing as M&M's, Smarties are pretty good! I think they're slightly bigger, which seems to make a difference somehow)
[20:23:16] Corey: bent Wunderbar
[20:23:44] Corey: and 7 little Mars bars
[20:23:48] Corey: the end!
[20:24:06] Corey: okay, now I can open that candy store I mentioned a few days ago :P
[20:24:59] Corey: you didn't need to send nearly THAT MUCH stuff, but thanks. it all looks like it should be good, and I've definitely been interested in trying Tim Tams
[20:57:10] Corey: it's not dangerous :P all they'll do is take it away. it's risky if it's something expensive, of course
[20:58:17] Corey: I'm sure if they found you sending drugs or guns or something, you'd find yourself with a nice visit from whatever Canadian group is like the FBI there... but some sort of food they don't allow isn't going to get you in trouble
[21:06:00] Flami: did you tell Jane this, when she sent you that watch?
[21:06:36] Corey: probably. they didn't confiscate anything then, though.
[21:07:00] Corey: I think they just randomly check boxes, but I'm sure there's more to it than that.
[21:30:13] Corey: Mars Bars seem to be about the same as Milky Way
[21:30:45] Corey: "It was first manufactured in Slough in the United Kingdom in 1932 as a sweeter version of the American Milky Way bar which Mars, Inc. produced in the USA "
[21:31:07] Corey: it doesn't seem like it's exactly the same, but pretty close
[21:32:12] Corey: this also says we had it until 2000, and also says a completely unrelated Mars bar was sold here until 2002
[21:32:34] Corey: so I'm not sure if the one in 2000 was that with a wrong date or what, I doubt there were two things called a Mars Bar
[21:33:46] Flami: I don't think that's the case, no...
[21:35:40] Corey: I think they're talking about the same thing, it says it turned into Snickers Almond.. the US one had almonds too, apparently
[21:35:50] Corey: so do you have Milky Way there?
[21:36:17] Corey: "The American version of the Milky Way bar is made of chocolate-malt nougat topped with caramel and covered with milk chocolate, and is equivalent to the Mars bar sold in other countries. The non-U.S. Milky Way bar, on the other hand, is not topped with caramel, and is therefore similar to the American 3 Musketeers bar."
[21:39:23] Corey: most of the comparisons are to the UK, not Canada, but it looks like..
Milky Way here = Mars elsewhere
Three Musketeers here = Milky Way elsewhere
[21:39:31] Flami: we MUST... I think.
[21:41:34] Corey: well... the main candy bars here are stuff like Milky Way, Three Musketeers, Butterfinger, Snickers, Nestlé Crunch, Baby Ruth, Twix, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups... various Hershey chocolate bars...
[21:43:28] Corey: Wikipedia says Kit Kats are Nestlé, except in the US where Hershey makes the same exact thing with the same name, under license... Nestlé must not be allowed to do business here or something, geez
[21:49:15] Corey: apparently we have the Wunderbars here... it's called Starbar, and was then changed to "Moro Peanut," and it's not advertised or promoted, but has a strong fanbase. I've never heard of it. Wunderbar is the Canadian name
[21:49:24] Corey: and in Germany
[21:51:13] Corey: I guess that name makes sense for Germany, but they probably don't call candy bars "bars" so it'll just look like it's called "Wonderful" to them.. surely the name is supposed to mean that AND something more like "Wonder [candy] Bar" in Canada
[23:08:06] Corey: well, I'll have to find some Colorado stuff or something :P
[23:20:32] Flami: since I don't know what that would be, it sounds like a good place to start :P
[23:31:06] Corey: well, if you like tea, we have a pretty good company for that here
[23:37:09] Flami: what's it called?
[23:39:28] Corey: I've told you about it, and I don't think you have it. Celestial Seasonings. started and still located in Boulder, Colorado
[23:40:52] Corey: I took Jane there when she was here last time. they have a mint room for storing all their mint stuff that goes into mint-flavored tea... they had it so full that we couldn't really go in, but just standing in the doorway, it was REALLY intense... that'll clear your sinuses out right away
[23:40:55] Flami: we do have Celestial Seasonings tea... I told you about it
[23:41:04] Corey: you do? :P
[23:50:56] Corey: well, you suck then!
[23:51:06] Corey: for stealing one of my main Colorado ideas :P
[23:52:09] Flami: cheh :P
[23:55:24] Corey: well..... there should be some chips, hot sauce for sure... I should go to one of the hippie natural food places. they have a lot more local stuff
[00:03:36] Flami: that could be a good idea...
[00:03:58] Flami: of course, I don't think we have CS white mango tea...


Leslie just took the Are You A 70s Girl Quiz and is 92 Percent 70s Girl.

Facebook quizzes taken from Kelly, David L., and Morgana:

Leslie took the what alcoholic drink are you? quiz and the result is margarita. You're fun and nice. You love to stay at home and rest as much as you like parties.

Leslie completed the quiz "HOW MANY DRINKS DO YOU HAVE BEFORE FALLING OVER?" with the result hardcore drinker. You are a full time alkie and can drink with the best of them! Take pride in being up there with the big boys. You would have no trouble with drinking the pub dry, and still moving on to another boozer. Well done. (Ha ha ha... erm, this result is DEFINITELY NOT ACCURATE in any way! No, sir!)

Leslie completed the quiz "What time period should you be living in?" with the result Revolutionary. The world saw many revolutions in the 18th century, the bloodiest being perhaps the French Revolution (feel like grabbing a pitchfork and storming Bastille or a nobleman's estate?). However, the American Revolution displays exactly what kind of dedication, perseverance, and loyalty Americans have. During the American Revolution, patriots fought a long and difficult war against Britain, and after six long years, finally won their independence. A fellow revolutionary could count on you to cover their back in a fight and keep spirits high. You are loyal, hardworking, and dedicated to friends and family.

Dream of jelly cups / Walmart and Target pranks, anyone? / Murder irony

Had a dream where Helen C. was giving me, Auntie Fonda, and little Rachel's grandma a lot of jelly cups to eat while we were in Eunice's old house. We were also signing various birthday and Christmas cards: Mark Hainsworth (whose birthday is actually on the 12th), Uncle Richard, Hon, and various others whom I haven't seen in years. Jon noticed a stack of Christmas cards addressed to various people, but I recognized the names from our parents' Christmas card list. The dream just ended when we were busy trying to corral little Gabriel and Nathaniel! Weird... I know I have cards for the little boys, but not sure what would trigger it unless it was my prepping twenty cards with greetings and stickers last night!

Corey linked me to various pranks last night... Walmart Porn CD Prank #1, 12 Things You Can't Say In Walmart (NOT SAFE FOR WORK OR MINORS), Target Pranks - CD Prank & Banana Suit Dancing, It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!!! (I LOVE THAT DANCING BANANA!), and Target Stereo CD Prank.

Janina told me just now that she got the Tim Tams on Monday; not bad if I got them out last Thursday, I suppose. Now it's time to ask Corey if he got his packages yet... we'll see.

I love this example of irony, for obvious reasons: In 1900, prison inmate Charles Justice came up with a way to improve the restraints on the electric chair while performing his cleaning duties in the death chamber. His idea was to replace the leather straps with metal clamps in order to secure the inmate more firmly and also reduce the problem of burnt flesh. Justice might have wished he had kept his mouth shut. After his release, he was given the death penalty after being convicted of murder. How was he killed? In the same electric chair with the metal clamps that he had previously suggested! (source: my Trivia Today newsletter)

You Are Rosemary

You are stable and grounded. You may take a slow, steady approach to life, but you're a survivor. You are an intellectual and very rational. You can see things from a logical, detached viewpoint. You are successful, but not particularly ambitious. You have a way of letting success come to you. You tend to be a bit understated and modest. You let your accomplishments speak for themselves.

What Herb Are You?

Beans and polio

High-scoring words of the night so far:

BEANS (144 points) - against Bo K. [two 4W, hook off POLIO to make BE / EL / AI / NO]
FESTAL (132 points) - against Kari-Lynne C. [4W, 3W]
RAISED (122 points) - against Jacquie C. [two 4W, hook off WART to make SWART]
JAILS (108 points) - against Alice P. [3W, 3L on J]
YAWNS (117 points; two 3W), DOJO (136 points; 4W, 3L on J) - against Greg B.


I told Vanessa H. that I could make it to her birthday thing at the pub, and she thinks that someone can drop me off at home later - AWESOME. Good thing they have food options in case I can get John and Ada to drop me off at the Steveston Hotel right after Awana! If not, I'd probably be having the food options anyhow - yay for dinner? Hahaha.

Facebook quizzes taken from Jemima:

Leslie completed the quiz "What do your eyes say?" with the result Deep Thinker. You think deeply about things going on in the present, past, and sometimes even future. You often drift off during work or class and start thinking about other things. You always hide what your thoughts form your friends and it often takes a poke or a snap of the fingers to bring you back to reality. Your eyes often portray a different personality than you are. Your eyes are a different part of your soul.

Leslie took the Are you a good friend? Do your friends like you? quiz and the result is you are a good friend! You are not a excellent friend, but a good one! (Just because I don't let people walk all over me, judging from these questions?! I say PHOOEY! :P)

Poo nugget for Friday, Apr. 3: Borborygmus - The onomatopoeic term refers to the rumbling sound coming from your belly as gas moves through the intestines. Better known as "stomach rumbling," borborygmi are often associated with hunger because they are caused by the migrating motor complex, a wavelike movement of contents down the GI tract that occurs only in the fasting state.

Bumblebees are cute and fluffy?!

High-scoring words of the day so far:

JERRY (115 points) - against Myrna M. [5W] {the name Myrna reminds me of Myrna Valdeavilla, who was in Palmer with me!}
SLOUCHER (138 points) - against Melissa R. [2W, 4W, hook off BOON for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
VINERY (152 points) - against Yvonne S. [2W, 4W, 2L on V]
ELECTRIC (102 points) - against Angie G. [two 2W]
KAURY (136 points) - against Sara H. [4W, 5L on Y] {reminds me of Pam Pabla's middle name}

Christopher R. added me, but I don't know why. I'll ignore it especially since I don't know him, haha. Apparently, he and David L. know each other, though.

Facebook quizzes taken from Tina and Gretchen:

Leslie took the what would be the best nickname for you?? quiz and the result is Bumble Bee. Cute and fluffy... XD

Leslie took the Sex and the City - which one are you? quiz and the result is Carrie Bradshaw. You just want to be happy, and are seeking love through your busy life of working and friends. You are up to date with the latest fashion trends, and always have time for your special girlfriends.

Dream: South African fashion designers in a plane crash?!

I had a dream where I read that 41 of 46 South African fashion designers were on a plane that CRASHED. The room I was in started to tilt dangerously until I saved myself from death by opening my eyes in real life! After recovering from that one, I went back to sleep and had a dream where I had to look after Sara Metcalf and Shannon Norman in the shower. They got rather snippy at me when I suggested that we close the door for some privacy from the guys going in and out of the common room next to the bathroom, but I did it anyhow. Then they wanted me to fish their clothes out of the tub where they'd thrown them in a fit of pique, right before I got some cake for the rest of our friends. Dunno where THAT came from, either!

I've figured out that Vanessa's outing is for her BIRTHDAY, so I guess I should make more of an effort to show up, haha! She didn't tell me this, but I have used my powers of deduction. Also, I should ask Corey about some stuff later, like whether my IP address can change.

Facebook quizzes taken from Morgana, Chris R., and Jessica:

Leslie just took the "What kind of soul do you possess?" quiz and the result is Dreamy soul. You have a dreamy soul! You can often be caught daydreaming in class, and sometimes have a blank expression on your face due to it! You love to sleep and fantasize about things. (HAHAHAHA. No comment!)

Leslie took the Your ideal job quiz and the result is Doctor / Nurse. You are keen on finding a cure, and enjoy saving lives and helping people. When someone is hurt, you are first to help out and diagnose the problem, so grab the gloves and get operating!

Leslie just took the "What do your Hands tell about YOU???" quiz and the result is Fire Hand. People with this shaped hand tend to be active, outgoing, and often extroverts. They are excitable and emotional. They like to be in charge and control other people. Fire-handed people tend to have a lot of injuries and accidents.

Leslie completed the quiz "What type of Starbucks drink are you?" with the result Green Tea Frappuccino. People really don't know that much about you until they take the first sip. You don't seem that tasty, but you turn out surprisingly nice and sweet. You are a little shy, and keep to yourself. If people chose not to get to know you, they are truly missing out.

Your Ego is Small

You are quite humble. You try not to spend too much time congratulating yourself. You're proud of who you are, but you're also secure. You don't need to brag. You see yourself and others in a pretty realistic way. You appreciate strengths and faults. You respect people and believe that you can learn from them.

How Big Is Your Ego?

Someone else I used to know would probably get QUITE a different result. HA!

Adwoman eating zigzag nachos at quays on weekdays!

High-scoring words of the night so far:

WEEKDAY (153 points) - against Angie G. [4W, hook off ZAS to make ZA / AY]
BRAXIES (230 points) - against Michelle H. [3W, 4W, 3L on B, hook off HOPE for a plural] (and she deleted the game because I didn't play within two seconds!)
ZAS (224 points) - against Jacquie C. [two 4W]
COILERS (160 points) - against Chantelle B. [two 4W]
ADWOMAN (135 points) - against Barb G.-G. [5W]
NOMEN (300 points) - against Barb G.-G. [two 5W] {different game} (a good deficit-erasing word!)
POPSIE (110 points) - against George M. [4W, 2W, hook off QI for a plural]
QUAYS (100 points) - against Anne S. [5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
NACHO (144 points) - against Kari-Lynne C. [3W, 4W]
ZIGS (350 points) - against Alex R. [5W, 4W]
FEDORAS (322 points) - against Jock M. [two 4W, hook off TOOTH for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}

I played QIS off George M.'s QI - yay for quirky coincidences!

I've caught myself losing it over the past few days: running across the road when there were cars some ways off, uncharacteristic typos, and ALMOST putting my container of shredded salmon in the fridge when it was meant to go into the cupboard! HELP!

Leslie's Cajun Name is Ambrosia Boudreaux.

Leslie just took the "What Dragon Best Describes You?" quiz and the result is Dragon of Time and Space. You like to stand back and watch time go by in a peaceful nature. You don't like to fight, but if there is a disturbance in the peace, you will do everything in your power to get rid of it.

Taken from Jemima, April, and Katherine:

Leslie just took the "What and where are you in Vampire society?" quiz and the result is Bloodline: Shadowblood - Title: Assassin - Rank: Hunter of the Ruling Class. Your Blood runs black and vile. Though not an official member of Vampire society, you are the most sought after most valuable of Vampires. Your Bloodline is rare and old, and your numbers are few from lack of breeding. Your passion is the art of death, and you constantly train and hone your skills, spending hundreds of years at a time in isolation. You work for who pays the most, and your wealth rivals the richest of Lords. The Emperor himself calls upon your unique services to remove an overambitious Lord or annoying Count, though the Emperor himself is often a target of your fellow Kin.

Leslie took the "What is your Indian name?" quiz and the result is Black Cat. You're really small and sneaky.

Leslie took the What 2008 Hit Song Are You? quiz and the result is Low. She hit the floor, next thing you know, shawty got low, low, low, low! You're Low! You are the catchiest person in town! People just love you! At first, they may think you're lame, but when people get to know you... you are well-loved! Your legacy will live on! Hit the floor! (Ew! I don't even LIKE this type of music, Florida's or otherwise!)

Leslie took the What nationality are you? quiz and the result is French. You like the Special and Magnificent! Whatever it is... if it is outstanding, you like it. Just watch out, because others might think you are arrogant.

Leslie took the Which type of woman are you? quiz and the result is Lovely Lady. You are lovely and caring. You help others and spread out a lot of sympathy. Your life aim is to serve the people. But your weakness is that you forget about yourself, your own needs. All your time is held back for your friends and family. You are always there for people in trouble. Ready for any emergency. You make a lot of sacrifices just to be a good human. But every woman has her needs, her longings, and a destiny. Don't lose yourself in work or curing other people's souls. You will have your own problems in your life. Another problem is that you don't say your opinion when it's right and important to say it. People trample onto your soul if you are always so kind and lovely and helpful. They will play on you. Though you should try to relax more and enjoy your life, you should not lose the gift that was given to you to help others. Not everyone is created this way. You are unique and rare!

Poo nugget for Thursday, Apr. 2: Bowel Transplants - On April 5, 1967, Dr. R. Lillehei at the University of Minnesota performed the world's first intestinal transplantation. Most commonly done for diseases that result in shortening of the bowel ("short-gut syndrome"), intestinal transplantation is still a relatively rare procedure, with only a hundred or so performed in the U.S. each year.

The Buck and Ear?!

Bingo of the evening so far:

ANAEROBIC (185 points) - against Babs G.

High-scoring words of the evening so far:

BABEL (275 points) - against Adri M. [two 5W] {and then she deleted the game... dunno why since she had plenty of multiplier squares available!}
ANAEROBIC (185 points) - against Babs G. [bingo, two 3W]


I heard those crazy kids at Youtube decided to turn everything upside down for a portion of the day... nuts!

Facebook quizzes taken from Natalie and Gretchen:

Leslie completed the quiz "What Muppet Are You?" with the result Rowlf. You are a calm and quiet person, but this does not mean you are overlooked. You are easygoing and a fan of the finer things in life. Your artistic flair leads you to appreciate the arts, especially music! People are drawn to you, and enjoy your sense of style. Your hospitality is flawless, as you love entertaining friends. ("The finer things in life," eh? Reminds me of what Raymond put on that card, haha.)

Leslie completed the quiz "Which Grease Character Are You?" with the result Didi Conn-Frenchy. You are a well-loved person who is always willing to have a laugh. You have the best fashion sense out of all your friends, and don't care what people think. You will knuckle down and do your work, but you will pass from one job to the next. You have the best laugh and have the looks of a little girl. You always smile and have many friends. You don't hide away in the corner, and are not afraid to be yourself. You have many talents such as piercing ears or smoking a cigarette in a special way. You are very supportive and a shoulder to cry on. All your family and friends think you are a WOMBABLUBA AWOMBAMBOO.

Leslie completed the quiz "Which Shakespearean Character Would You Be?" with the result Hamlet. You are Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, of whom was said, "Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intelligent, educated, and prone to over-thinking, you are torn by your own conflicting philosophies and fears. Given a questionable task, you question every aspect of your quest. Should you just play a part or direct the action? Whom should you believe? Whom can you trust? Is it even worth it? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shakespearean kindred spirits: Richard II, Marcus Brutus, Jaques, Prospero, Paulina, Lear, Hal.

Leslie completed the quiz "Which Sesame Street character are you?" with the result Oscar. You are usually grouchy and you don't like to leave home. But when it comes to your pet, you'd do anything for them. (... Oscar the Grouch?! YIKES. I say the questions on the quiz were way too limiting! :P)

Vanessa H. just invited me to the Buck and Ear on Saturday for drinks. Now I have to figure out where it IS (12111 3rd Avenue; at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Moncton), although she says it's somewhere in Steveston, and I can take the 401 there. I may or may not go, depending on how tired I am after Awana!

Rice update: I decided to make the entire bag of Uncle Ben's Natural Selections rice, and the finished product fits into a large soup bowl, which is nice to know for when I buy that again. Corey and I were also discussing Final Fantasy II.

[15:11:45] Flami: learning about martyrs: have you ever heard of a Final Fantasy character named Cloud Strife?
[15:11:53] *** "Corey" signed off at Wed Apr 01 15:11:53 2009.
[15:11:54] *** "Corey" signed on at Wed Apr 01 15:11:54 2009.
[15:12:55] Corey: did you just send a message? I heard it from the other room, then logged in on the computer I'm actually on. if it wasn't you, I have to get up and go look at it! :P
[15:11:45] Flami: *paste of earlier message*
[15:16:59] Corey: why, yes, I have!
[15:23:25] Flami: why?
[15:23:42] Corey: why have I heard of Cloud?
[15:25:10] Corey: he's the main character of Final Fantasy VII
[15:25:45] Corey: which is about the most popular game in the series.. it was the first one on the Playstation. I liked the Super Nintendo ones better myself...
[15:26:58] Flami: I think I almost finished Final Fantasy II, but that was about it for me.
[15:28:32] Corey: III was really good
[15:28:54] Corey: also, II and III are called IV and VI now :P
[15:28:57] Flami: (hang on... inspecting burbling rice)
[15:29:36] Flami: but why?!
[15:35:08] Corey: Final Fantasy 1, we got
Final Fantasy 2, we didn't get (NES game)
same for FF3
FF4 was the first Super Nintendo game, and since we didn't get 2 or 3, they renamed it to Final Fantasy II here
[15:35:28] Corey: we didn't get Final Fantasy 5 either, so Final Fantasy 6 came out here as Final Fantasy III
[15:36:21] Corey: then Final Fantasy VII came out on the Playstation and they kept the real numbering, and almost all of them (except FF III - Japan) came out as remakes on the Playstation with the proper numbering
[15:37:09] Corey: FF III was never released in English anywhere, except on the Nintendo DS recently, but totally redone in 3D and stuff. there's fan translations of II, III, and V though.
[15:38:11] Corey: Final Fantasy V was one of the first complete fan translations, done since it was obvious we'd never get it over here... then several years later, they started releasing them on the Playstation and Square themselves released it in English... and did a lousy job compared to the fan version that was already out :P
[15:39:07] Corey: maybe you remember all the item names being short and not making much sense in FF II.. that's because there were only like 8 characters available for the names, so everything had to be abbreviated...
[15:40:29] Corey: the amateur translation hacked things up to allow for more room, so all the names are complete and nice looking, and they hacked in extra space to have enough room for the full script instead of having to condense it like the official translation did... (Japanese takes up fewer characters than English, and the games have a finite amount of space)
[15:41:09] Corey: Square should have just paid the guys that did that to use theirs instead of making their own, because the kids with spare time on their hands did a much better job...
[15:47:43] Flami: man, the numbering is a bit confusing, but I guess it's understandable
[15:48:13] Flami: I do remember the item names being kinda nonsensical... hackers!
[15:51:51] Flami: hey, Google has a drop-down menu now!
[15:54:26] Corey: and an AI cyborg thing that's going to take over the world
[15:55:57] Corey: and apparently Youtube was upside down or something.. it's not now, but recent comments keep talking about everything being upside down
[15:56:18] Corey: and I don't see any drop-down menu
[15:59:02] Flami: I heard about the Youtube thing
[15:59:09] Flami: go search for something in Google...
[16:00:02] Corey: yeah? same as ever...
[16:08:13] Flami: you don't get a drop-down menu with result numbers?
[16:11:00] Corey: that's always been there
[16:13:53] Flami: so how is it that I only noticed it today?!
[16:18:49] Corey: I don't know, but that's been there for quire a while now
[16:19:02] Corey: I never use that though, I use the Firefox search bar thing

Hackers as an April Fools Day joke?!

This thing just restarted - UGH! According to a few of my friends, it's snowing up at SFU. Man, I'm glad I didn't choose today to go out! People have TRIED to trick me, but I didn't fall for it. I am proud. :D

The fat naked lady who pooed all over herself apparently ate herself to death. Why am I not surprised? (no pictures!)

Spoz apparently had his blog hacked, but I found out that it was an April Fools Day joke!

Error 502 means server congestion:




What the heck are unresolved pongs and undeclared missing SOCKS?!




Error 400 rears its ugly head:



Facebook quizzes taken from Kitty and Tina:

Leslie took the What musical chord are you? quiz and the result is Octave. You are an octave. When there's too much empty space, you come in to save the day. Although quite boring on your own, you add flair and style when thrown in with the right phrasing. Don't go solo, as you'll get old quickly and people will lose interest. With a friend, you feed off each other, and the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.

Leslie took the Will You be Rich When You're Older? quiz and the result is Pretty Good. Well, you're not rich, but you've got more money than average. Good Job!! Nice House!!

Leslie took the when will you get married? quiz and the result is 32. This is a good age to get married. (THIS QUIZ LIES!!!!)

You Color Your Life With Intense Warmth

You are a down to earth, stable person. You can be relied on. You enjoy the outdoors. There's something about being in nature that makes you feel really blissful. While you are responsible, you aren't boring. You have a lot of flair and style. You enjoy creative projects of all sorts. You're a very visual person.

How Do You Color Your Life?

Joan of Arc, Balrog, Hades, and surprise poo!

If any of you prank me today, I'll seriously cut your heart out and serve it to you for breakfast!


High-scoring words of the night so far:

FLOOR (135 points) - against Shelley R.-B. [3W, 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
QUITE (123 points) - against Lise M. [3W, 3L on Q]

I'd made a snarky comment regarding the UTC timestamps on LJ commentage, and received this helpful reply: If you set your time zone in Account Settings (Manage Account) -> Display, all comment timestamps will appear in your local time. FINALLY!

Facebook quizzes taken from Sarah G., Morgana, and Karla:

Leslie completed the quiz "Which historical female figure are you?" with the result Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc (in French: Jeanne d'Arc), also called the Maid of Orleans, a patron saint of France and a national heroine, led the resistance to the English invasion of France in the Hundred Years War. When Joan was about 12 years old, she began hearing "voices" of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret, believing them to have been sent by God. These voices told her that it was her divine mission to free her country from the English, and help the dauphin gain the French throne. They told her to cut her hair, dress in a man's uniform, and to pick up the arms. At the battle of Orleans in May 1429, Joan led the troops to a miraculous victory over the English. Charles VII was crowned king of France on July 17, 1429 in Reims Cathedral. At the coronation, Joan was given a place of honor next to the king. Later, she was ennobled for her services to the country. In 1430, she was captured by the Burgundians while defending Compiegne near Paris, and was sold to the English to be tried for witchcraft and heresy. Much was made of her insistence on wearing male clothing. She was told that for a woman to wear men's clothing was a crime against God. Her determination to continue wearing it (because her voices hadn't yet told her to change, as well as for protection from sexual abuse by her jailors) was seen as defiance and finally sealed her fate. Joan was convicted after a fourteen-month interrogation. On May 30, 1431, she was burned at the stake in the Rouen marketplace. She was nineteen years old. Charles VII made no attempt to come to her rescue. In 1456, a second trial was held, and she was pronounced innocent of the charges against her. She was beatified in 1909, and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

Leslie took the Which Lord of the Rings Character are you? quiz and the result is Balrog of Morgoth. You are full of anger and hate, and your temper will be your downfall. However, you have much strength and power. For those who question you will soon find out your true mystic. (Oh dear. First, I'm the closest thing to an Anarchist without actually being one [see yesterday's Political Ideology quiz result], and now this?! What the heck. At least these things aren't renowned for being the most accurate in the world! The name Balrog also reminds me of Street Fighter!)

Leslie took the Which Greek God are you? quiz and the result is Hades. Hades is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their father Cronus, he drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon, another brother, for shares of the world. He had the worst draw, and was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increase the number of dead are seen favorably. The Erinnyes are welcomed guests. He is exceedingly disinclined to allow any of his subjects to leave. He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisible. He rarely leaves the underworld. He is unpitying and terrible, but not capricious. His wife is Persephone whom Hades abducted. He is the King of the dead.


Poo nugget for Wednesday, Apr. 1: Sneak Attack - Synonyms: Ambush Poo, Chocolate Surprise, Deuce is Loose, Shart (POO OF THE MONTH!) [the picture has two legs and a pulled-down pair of panties: SURPRISE in the middle of the underwear!]

A 400-pound naked woman with poo and a non-existent child?!

Bingo of the evening so far:

SIMULATED (94 points) - against Sherry-Ann B.-P.

High-scoring words of the evening so far:

THEGNS (526 points; 3W, 2W, 5W, hook off JOE for a plural), AHA (122 points; 4W, two 2W, hook off BEAUX to make AH / HE / AA) - against Yvonne S.
POLEAX (288 points) - against Niki W. [two 4W]
TODAY (176 points) - against Geraldine B. [two 4W]
SKID (106 points) - against Sylvie P. [two 5W, hook off AMI to make KAMI]

Interesting rack of the evening so far: GLEANALE (against Linda B. - read that as "Glean ale"... not that you can really glean an alcoholic drink, but work with me here!)


Facebook quiz taken from Veronica H.:

Leslie completed the quiz "Which crazy bitch are you?" with the result Sylvia Plath. You are one intense bitch. You are almost abnormally introspective, but this is where your abundant creativity flows from. You love handsome brilliant creative genius types, but you pay the price when their egos and lustful ways cause them to betray you. You are a very intelligent classy lady with a black streak, and can be very emotional at times. You do have a bit of a morbid side; your words often lead you to be misunderstood as a dark figure, but that is just how you protect your soft mushy insides. (Hey, I read THE BELL JAR last summer - cool book! And yes, I am morbid. SO FEAR ME, YOU MINIONS! MUHAHAHAHA!)


Corey and I are talking about dumplings now:

[18:26:51] Corey: how about Pepsi?
[18:28:19] Flami: learning about martyrs: I don't have that
[18:32:38] Corey: I do
[18:37:42] Flami: and are you going to have some?
[18:40:40] Corey: I already have some right here! and a glass of water
[18:46:05] Flami: well, I'm going to have a dumpling and some off-brand Cola
[18:46:37] Corey: one dumpling?
[18:47:03] Corey: more like TAKE-A-DUMPling ha ha ha
[18:47:18] Corey: but you should have like ten of them... dumplings are kinda bite-sized
[18:47:33] Flami: I only have the one... but I do have perogies
[18:49:11] Flami: and this is a huge one
[18:49:42] Corey: wouldn't it be something else, then?
[18:53:17] Flami: Mother claimed it was a dumpling.
[18:57:07] Corey: I haven't seen big ones before... I guess I don't see why you couldn't make them bigger, but I haven't seen it
[19:06:31] Flami: trust me, it was flattened out, but still a dumpling.
[19:09:49] Corey: did you sit on it?
[19:10:11] Flami: now why would I ruin a perfectly good dumpling by sitting on it?!
[19:12:20] Corey: I don't know but someone flattened it apparently
[19:19:58] Flami: I didn't say that *I* did that!
[19:20:28] Corey: so who sat on it??
[19:32:30] Flami: as far as I know, it wasn't sat on!
[19:34:04] Corey: sat on is better than shat on
[19:38:45] Flami: too true
[19:40:00] Corey: unless the person that sits on it is a 400-pound woman that can't wipe herself anymore due to the reach it would require, and she's naked.
[19:40:09] Corey: then it's not really any better
[19:50:03] Flami: ... what kind of movies have you been watching lately?!
[19:51:19] Corey: no movies
[19:53:50] Flami: you are crazy
[19:56:10] Corey: there's a whole thingy on LiveJournal about someone like that... she lied about having a kid and shit all over the place
[19:57:43] Flami: since when do you read LJ?
[19:57:57] Corey: I don't, that's been linked all over the place though
[19:58:46] Flami: link?
[20:00:17] Corey: no idea
[20:00:34] Flami: okay.
[20:00:56] Corey: searched Google for "LiveJournal fat shit"

I'm just a little bit gross... it's okay!

I saw that there's an Easter Sunday baptism service as a Facebook event... now I finally have a use for at least some of the ten Easter baptism cards that I bought at least three years ago! I've asked Olivia if she knows who's getting baptized, but she isn't sure other than perhaps Margaret K. I may not make it to the service since I probably will make it to Sunrise Service, but we'll see.

Had a dream where the only part I remember is reading an article that Justin L. wrote for the Georgia Straight on an otherworldly planet called Blaooine. On this planet, the kids wore silver shoes featuring tags that said "HELLO! I AM CLEAN!" The mayor endorsed this practice and was quoted as saying that the planet environment was better in all ways because of it. Weird subconscious...

I went out just now for less than an hour in this windy world, and got myself 70 PaperMate FlexGrip Ultra medium ballpoint pens from Staples. The boxes were on sale for nearly $2.50 off the regular price of $10, which I didn't know about till I went into the store. Each box of eight pens came with two FlexGrip Elite ballpoint pens, which feature "anti-bacterial protection for your pen. The anti-bacterial technology is designed to protect the pen's surface, and does not extend protection to skin." Interesting stuff! I'm also glad I don't HAVE to greet anyone immediately upon my return home like I did last year: YAY!


Leslie just took the How Gross Are You Quiz and is A Little Gross. I am A Little Gross. You do a few things that are a bit gross, but for the most part you are just run-of-the-mill gross.

You Are a Sports Car

You're a wild one! You love thrills, and you tend to be very impulsive. You never quite grew up, and you have a very youthful spirit. You're flashy and are a total showoff. You love to be noticed. You are eager to take risks. You can be reckless at times... you feel immortal!

What Type of Car Are You?

Um, I don't know about this result...

Duck Fart Cocktails / March 2009 Bubble Tea Tally

This thing JUST restarted - UGH!

High-scoring words of the night so far:

FAVES (531 points) - against Steve L. [5W, 2W, 4W, hook off DARK to make DE and AS]
GAUM (176 points) - against Stephanie L. [5W, 2L, 3L on M] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
OVERSOLD (104 points) - against Carol W. [3W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
BIMBO (280 points) - against Beverley H. [4W, 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
AVID (231 points) - against Toni P. [4W, 5W, hook off WIN to make WIND]
OZONE (128 points) - against Yvonne S. [4W, 2W]

Just when I thought I wouldn't spend any more money, my 50 cheap pens from Shoppers are REALLY BAD and won't write half the time... I think I'll give them to the kids in Ziploc bags, since they won't really care. Better than throwing them away! Guess I'll have to buy a few boxes of the better-quality ballpoint ones (PaperMate FlexGrip Ultra pens) from Staples tomorrow, if it isn't raining or anything! NEVER AGAIN! At least I paid my phone bill, too. Lesley said something about an African drumming / food / awareness event at her school, which actually sounds good. Too bad it involves people, though... haha. :P

Corey's been calling me a Melvin, which apparently means "a total dork." Hmm. He's also said stuff about Nerf bats and dork machines, but at least I'm lots happier than I was at this point last year... YAY!


Facebook quizzes taken from Morgana and Flora:

Leslie took the "which Harry Potter character are you?" quiz and the result is Hermione Granger. You're smart, and have loyal friends. But sometimes you need to remember that life isn't just about books. So have fun, have a life, and be as good a friend as we know you can be.

Leslie took the quiz "Which Firefly character are you?" and the result is River Tam. You're a hyper-intelligent child of privilege, and discovered that the Academy in which you enrolled was more of a torture center than a school. No one knows yet what "they" did to you before, and you are still too traumatized to tell anybody. But you know deep down that Academy wants their experiment back.

Leslie took the "What kind of Warrior are you" quiz and the result is Bounty Hunter: Some of the most dangerous and deadly armed assassins of the galaxy.

Leslie completed the quiz "Your American Accent" with the result Northern Accent. Your accent is specific to New York State, the Great Lakes Area, and Western New England.

Leslie took the "Which element are you?" quiz and the result is Ice. Your element is Ice. Cool and collected, you enjoy nothing more than peace and quiet. You don't sugarcoat things... you get straight to the point.

Leslie completed the quiz "The Political Idealogy Quiz" with the result Very Conservative. You want as little government as possible. You're about as far right as you can be without creeping up on Anarchism. (Oh dear... I promise that this is NOT me!)


Poo nugget for Tuesday, Mar. 31: Duck Fart - The Duck Fart is a cocktail invented in Alaska in the 1980s. Stories behind its naming abound, with the most popular being that the bartender who first served the drink likened the sound of the burp let out by the first woman who consumed the concoction to a duck fart. To make it, just mix one part Kahlua, one part Baileys Irish Cream, and one part Canadian whiskey.


MONTHLY BUBBLE TEA TALLY, MARCH 2009 (1)

banana @ Tri-Ty (Thursday, March 19)

Dying of paper cuts / PATIENT ZERO and biological weaponry

Tonight's episode of HOUSE was from the patient's perspective... very interesting! It was something about heavy poisoning from metal - yikes! There were rats in his buddy Dave's basement - the urine from there was infecting his liver, and causing it to shut down. ("You were dying of a paper cut!")

In 24, Jack got naked and we saw his scars. "This is not a reaction, I've had these scars," Jack said nonchalantly. Most of them were from the Chinese. Moss coordinated with Janis, and it seemed like he was set to invade Starkwood. Jon Voight was giddy like a schoolgirl at the sight of his new toy. Tony got beaten up, but refused to talk. Jon Voight decided to get involved and he channeled his inner Bud Kilmer. He offered Tony his life in exchange for information about what the FBI knows, but Tony didn't want Jon's life. Overweight Ron Livingston wanted to destroy the evidence while there was still time, but Jon Voight wasn't hearing it. Olivia and President Taylor drew up a list of replacement Chiefs of Staff, and President Taylor offered it to her on a provisional basis. How long until she turns on her mother? Moss was now Jack's best friend, apparently. He cleared Jack of any wrongdoing, and told the President that Starkwood was to blame. Meanwhile, Olivia looks VERY worried about this entire development. Hmmm...

Moss said that "Jack was right." Moss actually seemed broken up about Jack's condition as he told Renee. Of course, he was also a douche, as he chided her for not trusting him. Meanwhile, Renee looked completely devastated by the news and started to cry. Awww... Aaron is still in the White House, and Olivia called out to him. She wanted him to be her bodyguard, and Aaron was reluctant, at first. She talked him into it, though, and it looked like Aaron was back on the team. The president called a conference to see how deadly the bioweapon was. I must have misheard this part, but I think the pathogen is called the Yakov Virus. As in Smirnoff? I guess symptoms include dementia, dizziness, and irrational love for your adopted country.

More fun with Tony, as some Starkwood soldier who kind of looks like John Lynch tries to kill Tony. However, Overweight Ron Livingston grows a conscience and kills him before he can shoot Tony. ORL says he wanted immunity in exchange for telling the FBI where the weapons are. Is there anyone on this show who doesn't have immunity at this point? We got the results of Jack's blood work. Renee thought Jack was okay, and she looks relieved. But we find out that Jack had been infected, only the virus isn't contagious. He's Patient Zero now, and will probably live out his life as a guinea pig. Renee was sad and gets even more so when she sees Jack's sexy scars. Chicks dig scars, after all. They're getting some mileage out of that makeup job, aren't they?

Tony and ORL were on the phone with the FBI, and, for some reason, Tony stood in front of the open window blinds. Why didn't they draw the blinds first? President Taylor gave her go-ahead and it was time to raid Starkwood. She actually made her decision pretty quickly this time! Moss mobilized the troops and Jack wanted in on the fun. Jack said that they owe him this, and Moss seemed sympathetic. However, Moss refused and actually made a well-reasoned and perfectly legitimate argument about how Jack needed to stay back since they don't know when he'll start showing symptoms. Jack knew Moss was right and, finally, the two of them actually agreed on something. You know, other than the fact that Renee is a hottie.

Moss led the strike team to the Starkwood compound, and they landed without any resistance. They charged into the warehouse while Jon Voight seemed, surprisingly, calm about the prospect of his entire operation going up in smoke. That can only mean one thing... That's right, the warehouse was empty! Looks like ORL played them all. Now the only question is whether he did this on his own so that he could get immunity, or if this was all orchestrated by Jon Voight. The FBI got surrounded by Starkwood's private soldiers, and John Lynch was alive and well. Well, there's our answer. Looks like ORL is much more loyal and Jon Voight was a whole lot smarter than we thought. Anyway, the FBI weren't backing down, and neither were the Starkwood Soldiers. We have a Mexican standoff on our hands. Someone call Quentin Tarantino.

Dream of black chair parades and watering buttons / Twisted grammar icons

Bingo of the day so far:

NOTECARDS (114 points) - against Vanessa S.

High-scoring words of the day so far:

NOTECARDS (114 points) - against Vanessa S. [bingo, 3W]
ZAG (233 points) - against Margaret S. [5W, 3L on Z, hook off FAD to make FA and FAG] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
HEAD (190 points) - against Tiff M. [4W, 2W, 3L on H, hook off HANK / BE / BA to make HE / BAA / END]


Had a dream where flowers and weird buttons were taking over my LJ profile page: the
"WATER!" button did indeed provide liquid refreshment for the virtual plants, but the "BUZZ!" button only got bees to swarm / pollinate one or a few flowers at a time. Johnny, Martin, Nathan, Calla, and others were standing outside in the snow when Jon, Dianne, Hon, and their friends started parading black chairs around the plinth. This was apparently to express their joy that Sean and Tracy were back. What a weird dream! Bill S. has added me to Facebook: wonder what Janina thinks of that, haha. (exes!) Might add Daniel L. there, just so he can see the extent of my Grammar Nazi tendencies, haha. Sorry, Chrissy. :P

Saw these great grammar icons: the plunger and mace are SWEET, because I have a twisted mind. :D

You Are Stop

Compared to most people, you are very selective. If something isn't going your way, you're ready to put the brakes on it. You have a lot of options in life, and life is too short to do stuff you hate. You don't allow yourself to suffer or be bored. You just move on to the next thing.

What Remote Button Are You?

It be time for romping!

High-scoring words of the night so far:

RESCORED (158 points) - against Kathy H. [two 3W]
BRAZED (360 points; 3W, 5W), MASSY (837 points; 3W, two 5W, hook off MIDGET for a plural) - against Terry P. {then he deleted the game... MUHAHAHAHA!}
POINTER (288 points) - against Sara H. [two 5W, hook off Q to make QI]
ATAXIES (136 points) - against Vanessa S. [4W, 2W]

Interesting rack of the night so far: ROMPTIME (against Sara H.)


This Alexis Brie cheese doesn't seem as good as the one from the cheese shop, but at least it's still edible. I'd be pretty worried if it wasn't! Hmm, I'll look it up online - maybe the problem is one of ripeness. Ah well, live and learn... NEVER AGAIN! At least it was only a slice or so!

In an interesting and amusing bit of synchronicity, Chris W. and I were discussing Nelson's "HA HA!" thing on the Simpsons: he'd made a reference to "the full Nelson," and I thought he was referring to the HOLD. Then James was saying how Tyler B. said something annoying on a Random Thought post of his: lo and behold, it was a picture of Nelson's "HA HA!" Neato!

Facebook quiz taken from Tony: Leslie took the How accurate are the Facebook quizzes? quiz and the result is They're humorously wrong - most of the time! The quizzes are basically shots in the dark, with a rare hit every once in a while. You're not fooled into thinking that who you are and what you like can be defined by your zodiac sign or what you ate for breakfast this morning, or the fact that you haven't given deep thought to the lyrics of a certain artist's songs! These quizzes are basically silly little time-wasters while you're waiting for a response from a friend on Facebook! (HAHAHAHA! SO TRUE! Yet I take them anyways...)

Poo nugget for Monday, Mar. 30: Anal Retentive - The anus has a relatively high concentration of nerve endings and is an erogenous zone. Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, for example, describes an anal stage, in which toddlers derive pleasure from retaining and expelling feces. Their parents, we imagine, derive no pleasure at all.

Reminders of Costco and Peanuts

Saw Eric M. on MSN last night, and sent up a prayer for his sanity! Went to church this morning with Jon, Dad, and Grandma - I let Jon have a piece of Passion Berry Trident gum even if he thought that I was crazy. Talked about church stuff and a field trip to the Orthodox place. Once I got to the sanctuary, I talked to Karmie and her son Noah for a bit; also greeted Grace and others. Saw Raymond sit down behind me: he was the one who invited me to sit with him since he had to do something different this morning. Sure, why not? Talked about taxes, JACK BAUER, cosmetic physio for his finger, coverage, hamper stuff, and more... also exchanged dubious looks throughout service. Said hi to Jeremy, Michelle's niece Jenica, Uncle Peter, William, Hilary, and more people as well. Was distracted by baby Connor during the sermon, and I can't believe he's one year old already! I hugged Danielle in congratulations before she told Connor's sister Megan that she was her twin and that she had to call Danielle "Doctor" from now on, haha. All I did was ask Megan if she could count to thirty; she could, which makes her a smart almost-four-year-old!

After service, I talked to Andrew about THE POISONWOOD BIBLE and chocolate... then I talked to various people about cookies and the VERY fresh banana loaf on offer in the fellowship hall. Of course, little Joshua and Keenan went for the chips instead! I myself re-purposed a few of the cookies for toddler Sunday School, heh. Greeted Stella and Billy's baby son Noah, and heard that baby Mattias was sick today! A while later, Raymond and Andrea asked me separately if I needed a ride to the Orthodox church for the field trip - nope, since I had to go upstairs and help with the toddlers! That went well, and I now have Auntie Fonda's birthday in my database, haha. (only five days after mine)

I killed time downstairs by talking to Auntie Rebecca (gave her my criminal record check form), Christon, Louisa (in Gr. 7 already?!), Daniel, Phil, Grace, Cindy, Benedict, Vania (the flu sucks out all desire for chocolate), and various others. At least I looked after my grandma, even if she did disparage my Chinese ability to Auntie Kwai and her other friends AGAIN! Eventually, we went for lunch at Mui's with Susan's parents: I was amused that Uncle Ken kept saying the wrong things, at least according to Auntie Amy! (he was just saying things like how men were so different from women) She even made a "stop!" gesture with her hands, hahahaha.

They talked about Jon's wedding, seeing our new church, Susan's daughter Eden (interesting name...), menopause, the prostate, balding, pictures, grandchildren, testosterone, and more. It was a good thing I went to the washroom BEFORE leaving, since we went to Costco (that place is HUGE!) so Uncle Ken could show my dad some hair re-growth stuff; my mom ended up buying a bunch of meat, too. After that, my dad attempted to stop by Home Depot, but was foiled in his attempt to get a new stove element. My mom actually THANKED me for being patient (wow!), and then said she'd fix the loose stitches in my bling sweater, and get me some dumpling at Richmond Public Market... fine by me, I guess. The brief trip to the market reminded me of the countless cab trips I made to Peanuts (at the market food court) for strawberry-banana (or strawberry-blueberry) bubble tea last year. I think the first of those was probably around this time of year, too! Definitely remember the impatience I'd feel as time was very literally money that I'd have to pay, no matter if it were mine or someone else's! Finally got home at around 5, so it's a good thing there's no Sunday Dinner today... almost no time to fully catch up otherwise.


Interesting new Quizopolis name generator, especially since I was talking about Barbies with little Amanda and Margaret at Sunday School. (my sister and I were NEVER Barbie-lovers as little girls!) I have NO comment on this random result, though! :P

Leslie's Barbie Name is Alcoholic Barbie.

Taken from Natalie: Leslie took the What kind of historian are you? quiz and the result is Gender Historian. Learning about the past through facts and quantative data is all very well, but for you, like Catherine Hall, or Leonore Davidoff, the real stuff of history is to be found in relationships, and where better to start than the fundamental social relation: the battle of the sexes? Women have been written out of 'HIS-story' for centuries, and gender historians, following on from their polemicist predecessors, the feminist historians, attempt to balance the scales by stressing the importance of the relationship between the sexes, and how the one cannot be defined by the other. This is important work, but recently, many gender historians have taken a new direction in their work, choosing to embrace the tenets of post-structuralism in order to problematise the concept of gender as pre-set, choosing to present it instead as fluid and culturally defined. Have a look at the work of Judith Butler if you want to explore new concepts.

Taken from Jane: Leslie took the What should your parents have named you? quiz and the result is Annie. You are nice, caring, and you love being with your friends. Boys drool over you, and you are hot stuff. (Hot stuff?! HAHAHAHAHA!)

She has all your clothes?! Man!

Eating my Activa strawberry-kiwi-cereal yogurt for breakfast... it's actually not too bad! Got up over half an hour BEFORE my alarm since it was too sunny outside - yuck. Oh well, gives me more time to just BE.

Facebook quiz taken from Michael:

Leslie took the quiz Which Greek God Are you? You are Hera, the goddess of marriage and wife of Zeus. Relationships are sacred to you, and therefore, you may be jealous at times. If you do get hurt, you take revenge. (HA, PERFECT! This is what someone never understood!)

These are from my copy of America's Dumbest Dates: Over 500 Tales of Fumbled Flirtations.

Giving and Receiving

"Hank bought me Godiva chocolates. I almost killed him. He's so insensitive. He knows that I'll eat them and blow my diet." - Brenda, age 22.

"Money's a language. If she lets you pay, it means she's submitting, letting you dominate. She's attracted to you, saying you wear the pants. If she insists on paying, she's either not attracted or doesn't want you to know that she is." - Mike, age 30.

"His shoes must have cost at least two months' rent, and he drove a Ferrari. When the bill for our dinner came, I wanted to be polite, so I offered to share. I was sure he'd say "No way. It's on me." But he said, "Fine," and put away his corporate credit card. I was trapped. What could I say, that I didn't really MEAN it, that it was just FORM, a matter of social correctness? The bill was $226. PLUS the tip." - Laurie, age 26.

"He brought his buddy on the date with him, and in the ticket line, he explained that he was paying for his friend's ticket and popcorn because his friend was saving for a summer trip to Europe, but that I'd have to pay for their own. I didn't mind paying my own way, but I did mind being the third wheel on THEIR date." - Kathy, age 23.

"We passed a gallery. Paul dropped in and bought a $4000 painting. We passed a men's store. He stopped in and got himself a $500 sweater. It never occurred to him to buy me so much as a stick of gum." - Wendy, age 35.

"I met Ned through the personal ads. He said he favored "equality between the sexes." Actually, he just wanted women to pay their own way." - Evelyn, age 34.

"How cheap was he? He didn't want to pay for a parking lot, so he parked on the street. And, guess what, he got a parking ticket. Stan cursed and said no way was he going to pay it. Then he put it on the windshield of the car parked behind his. I reminded him that the ticket had his license plate number on it. He said, "Yeah, but you never know - nobody reads parking tickets. The guy might just pay it." " - Nancy, age 23.

"When the check came, he asked me for $22.50. I said, "What?" He said, "That's half. Want to check my addition?" I had only a ten on me; I'd had no idea he'd want me to pay. When I told him, he offered to walk me to an ATM." - Sally, age 31.

"He let me pay for the second round of drinks. He wanted to rent tapes and let me pay for both of them. He bought us a medium soda and a popcorn to SHARE. He invited himself to my studio apartment to watch them; his place was too "messy." And then, he fell asleep watching the movie and I couldn't wake him up, I ended up trying to sleep on the floor while he snored happily all night on my bed." - Claire, age 23.

"For Valentine's Day, he gave me crotchless red lace underpants." - Molly, age 24.

"As soon as he came in, Dennis had to make a phone call. He used my phone for about twenty minutes. I figured he had to call his office. When I got the bill, I realized he'd been calling all over the country - New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado. If he'd had more time, he'd probably have called Japan." - Joie, age 33.

"Michael was careful with his money. He never wasted a dime: he figured the tip to a penny, and comparison-shopped for groceries. He'd go to three different markets to save a quarter on milk. And when he took me out to dinner, it was always to a place that offered two-fers. He paid for Valentine's Day dinner with coupons." - Betsy, age 23.

"I'd been dating Samantha for about six months. I paid for all our dates. I brought her flowers and bought her earrings when we'd been going out for a month, a necklace for her birthday. I brought her souvenirs whenever I went out of town. For my thirtieth birthday, she gave me an umbrella. An UMBRELLA." - Richard, age 30.

"Antoinette borrows my sweaters, shirts, sweatpants, and... poof! They're hers. She takes my socks and my jockeys, then keeps them. I have no clothes anymore." - Terryl, age 38.

"For her birthday, I gave her a blank check. I thought it would show her that I trusted her, but that I was generous. I thought she'd spend about $25. She spent over $400 - on jewelry. I guess I should be grateful; she could have bought the store." - Al, age 37.

"Everett asked me on a cruise and I thought it was quite romantic - until he explained the policy of ships basing their rates on double occupancy. He said that going alone would cost almost as much as taking me, so I might as well come along. He wanted to get his money's worth. I made sure I did." - Emma, age 63.

"Herb brought me a home-grown tomato. One." - Cynthia, age 28.

"In all the time I went with him, Lou never had cash. He borrowed from me for popcorn, movie tickets, parking, a newspaper, a candy bar, a beer. On my birthday, he took me to a flower shop and told me to pick out a corsage. The florist pinned it on and gave Lou the till. You guessed it. He offered me coffee, then asked me to pay. And he never paid me back. Leaving parking lots after a movie, he'd say: "You gotta ten? I'll give it to you next time." After a few months, I couldn't AFFORD a next time." - Rachel, age 23.

"She earns 30 percent more than I do and thinks that embarrasses me, so she figures out the cost of our dates and insists on paying 30 percent more. THAT embarrasses me." - Tim, age 32.

"The day after our date, Cheryl called to thank me for the flowers. Except I hadn't sent her any. And no, I didn't tell her that." - Dick, age 23.

"Frank argued with the parking-lot attendant that we'd been in the lot for only an hour and fifty-three minutes, not two hours. He accused them of rigging their meter. He demanded to see the manager and spent almost an hour fighting over seventy-five cents." - Hilda, age 48.

"We were gambling, playing blackjack. I kept winning, but my pile of chips kept getting smaller. Finally, I realized that Bob had lost all of his chips and was using - and losing - mine. He said I had no right to complain; he'd staked me my first twenty dollars." - Anita, age 49.

"For Christmas, Al gave me a picture of himself, framed. Like he thought that I'd really want THAT." - Paige, age 25.

"The car was towed while we were at dinner. I had to listen to her say that she told me not to park there. I had to take her home in a cab, then take a cab to the impound, and pay to get my car back. Altogether, with the dinner / cab / impound / towing, the evening cost over $300. She offered to pitch in, and I accepted her offer. She handed me $10. Ten dollars. She thought she was doing a good thing, especially since she told me not to park there." - Hal, age 30.

"I offered to pay half. He included not just the cost of pizza, drinks, and the movie, but half the parking, half the tip, and a portion of the gas. At the end of the evening, he told me how much I owed him, and offered to itemize everything if I had a question." - Amy, age 23.

"For my birthday, he gave me a bathmat and toilet cover. What would he give me if we got serious? A whole bathroom set, complete with shower curtain and towels?" - Jade, age 30.

"For my birthday, Bess gave me two tickets to a hockey game. For Christmas, she gave me gift certificates for two drinks at a pub and two dinners at an Italian place. Everything she ever gave me was basically for herself, a ploy not just to get me to take her out again, but to choose where we'd go." - Paul, age 28.

"Bill sent me cards with kisses and hugs from a secret admirer. Flowers, gifts. Of course, I thought they were from my old boyfriend and I went back with him, thinking he'd begun to appreciate me. By the time I found out Bill had sent the stuff, I was engaged to Frank." - Debbie, age 30.

"She offered to pay for the parking garage. Now, in her purse, she carries enough stuff to survive a nuclear war for six months. Not just money, credit cards, and keys. I'm talking about a Swiss army knife, a first-aid kit, granola bars, gum, Mace, toothpaste, toothbrush, mini-bottles of vodka and Scotch, antibacterial wipes, fresh underwear, decks of cards, a camera, a diary, condoms, makeup. And that's just what I REMEMBER. I had a lot of time to study it all while she searched for our parking stub." - Howard, age 35.

"For our six-month anniversary, he bought me a squirt gun. A squirt gun? Trust me, it got some use that night." - Jessica, age 24.

"I bought her a candy apple. She took a big bite and when she took the apple out of her mouth, her teeth came with it. Her bridge came loose, stuck to the taffy." - Warren, age 34.

"For Christmas, she gave me this horrible sweater with bears and pine trees on it. I returned it. Now she wants to know why I never wear it." - Ted, age 29.

"Hannah bought me really vile aftershave. She insists that I wear it, says it turns her on. That being the case, I go around smelling vile. It's worth it." - Miles, age 27.

"She gave me an awful, itchy patterned sweater. Just awful. So I took it back to Nordstrom's to exchange it. The clerk sneered and assured me that the sweater did not come from any Nordstrom's store. She must have bought it at some discount store and stuck it in a fancy box. Like what, the box makes the sweater less tacky? Like I'd like it if it cost a lot?" - Arnie, age 25.

"For my birthday, she gave me a goldfish. One." - Randolph, age 32.

"Joel gave me a gift certificate for 24 hours as a sex slave. No expiration date. We broke up about a year ago, but I'm hanging on to it. You never know. I may need to redeem it sometime." - Camille, age 21.

"Ida never gave anything but practical gifts. In the year I dated her, she gave me a teapot, a new pillow, a heating pad, and a grocery cart. I still use every single one of them, and they all remind me of her." - Dmitri, age 57.

"He told me that he gives all his dates the same cologne. He said it was amazing how it smells a little different on each of us. And he sniffed me to make sure I was wearing it." - Gladys, age 52.

"For my birthday, she gave me a box of decorator condoms. I didn't know what to say. Thank you? I'll enjoy them? They'll make me think of you? What?" - Jason, age 37.

"The only thing Paul ever gave me was his opinion. He was really generous with that. Gave more than you could ever use, want, or bear to listen to." - Phoebe, age 23.