I guess I could be Santa with this Santa hat, yeah...

In the afternoon, I got worried when Henry hadn't called by 3:40... so I called him, Ada, and Melia with no answer (technical difficulties?) - shortly after, he called me to ask if we had Awana today! Turns out he was in the usual spot - we got delayed even more by an accident featuring a totally destroyed car! (told him that I heard his sister has to move with her two girls...) Listened to all Christmas music on the way over, but at least it wasn't total schmaltz! Told him that I'd be elsewhere for the next two weeks; when we got into the church, the kids were practicing their song for the annual Christmas presentation. Chrystal and I complained about the cold fellowship hall - it was warmer in Henry's CAR, man! I understand that the church wants to keep the heating bill DOWN since we're at a deficit for that, but still. Even at home, it still seems cold when you turn up the heat! Of course, you don't want to turn it up TOO high, and I'm not even talking about the heating bill here!

Talked to Nathan when I saw him outside; he wondered about the Awana game time, so I told him what was going on. Said hi to Emily, Andrew T., Golden, and some others. Andrew H. called me "Santa" because of my Santa hat; Auntie Vivian joked that Michelle's mom wanted to borrow my Santa hat tonight. Conor told me that he completed a lot of sections - YAY! Afterwards, I took both extra packages of seaweed crackers, and said hi to Sean and Ian. On the way home, the boys talked about swimming / games / the length of time between now and a certain date / dinner and the DS / Christmas decorations. Interesting times, indeed!


Edit: HAHAHAHA! My mom emailed me her version of the Christmas newsletter for me to proofread. Good thing, too - it needs some of that treatment! I shouldn't be laughing, but "whether" for "weather" is just too funny! She also described Harmony as Jon's "finance" when I think she meant "fiancée"... HAHAHAHA!

Iceboxes and homeless people needing to be INSIDE!

My place isn't so much of an icebox anymore since I turned up the heat right before I went to bed, so YAY for that! Probably a good thing, since it's going to be -7 for the next few days... let's move all the homeless people inside!

September Says That You Are Open-hearted

You are a very idealistic person. You have so much compassion for the world that it can be a bit overwhelming at times. There are so many things that you want to do to make a difference. It bothers you that you can't do them all at once. You are quite creative. You are especially good at thinking up innovative solutions to problems. You may have high ideals, but you also have the tools to achieve them. You are practical when you need to be.

What Does Your Favorite Month Say About You?

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

Having to be friendly is something I don't like... DOWNTIME RULES! (potluck)

I mailed off a bunch of cards (somehow losing one in the process?!), and bought hand sanitizer / Walker's shortbread in festive shapes from Shoppers Drug Mart - I figured that was just the thing for a Christmas party. Luckily, Jen likes that kind of thing too! On the way to church, Eric said I was trapped because he'd agreed to give Geoffrey a ride home... and then he later agreed to give Maisie a ride home too. Normally, I might not have minded so much, but I was rather worried about the state of the things in my fridge! He said that maybe the TV could be salvaged, even though they hadn't done anything to it yet. Well, I do not want my ex having a chip in it to broadcast images of himself to me, as Eric was joking about. Said he'd forgotten the candy, but I still gave him the Almond Roca bag (the bag I put it in was apparently broken) - I joked that my bag was lighter by two grams, haha. Told him that the room HAD felt lighter when Mr. Creep had left Jeremy's - Eric thought it was just that I was so nervous. NO, MAN - IT FELT LIGHTER FOR A REASON UNRELATED TO MOLECULES AND DENSITY! I was worried about it being icy later on as we went up to the church - he still parked outside, though. Approaching the church, we saw that the parkade was indeed open - sigh.

Went into the COLD fellowship hall, plunked myself down in a chair, and started reading a Bathroom Reader. Jen enlisted some people to help her make snowflakes as they discussed Google and various other subjects. Phil wondered what I was reading - of course it's another Bathroom Reader, haha! Mr. Creep said hi to me just as I'd registered his presence in the room a little later, so I ignored him and kept a vigilant eye on my stuff even though the room was bigger. Talked to Janette (Powerpoint mistake in forgetting to change slides!!), Karen Lew, Vivian, Lincoln, Christon, Dianne, Dave, Yvonne, Deb (the Häagen-Dazs bars being worth the added expense!), Dylan (movies and plans), Teresa (she thought Shally's name was Christina!), Kevin (gave him a card), Jeremy (he also got a card - Kelowna / "spare" envelopes / crazy work and school / sparkling apple juice in lieu of anything alcoholic), Harmony (Jon's whereabouts), Jon (haircut and lards at airport and the CROWDED Alibi Room yesterday for 100 beers), Teresa (swimming), Jen, Janice (Christmas), Rich, Richie, Jose, and others. It wasn't too bad a time, especially since there really wasn't any program other than eating and a bit of worship. I managed to startle Geoffrey, haha... I asked him whether he'd be going home with us, and he wondered if I were Eric - actually, I'm insulted! Later, Jen wondered how the coleslaw was, and Randal described it to her as "dirty socks." Overhearing this, I wondered if it could really be THAT bad, and he told me that he could only have two bites of it - okay, THAT is bad! I didn't have any because I had no more room on my plate!

SO MUCH FOOD: pumpkin pie, cheese, turkey, five kinds of chicken, pasta salad, yams, ice cream, kale stew, mashed potatoes, squash, green grapes, and more! Jon told me to throw away the cream-based / meat-based stuff when I got home, and to sniff the milk and such - he also told me to chill, but I was incapable of doing that. He was also talking to that "dope / represent" dude about the Downtown Eastside, and excused my apparent unfriendliness by saying stuff about my fridge... thanks, now I *have* to be friendly! No, I'm not saying Eric is my chariot either, but I'd had enough people time for the night! Sometimes I just want to shut down even when I'm with people, hahaha. It was COLD outside, but we got gas and such before dropping Maisie and Geoffrey off - when Geoffrey said that he worked for the Ministry of Transportation, I instantly reduced that to its acronym, and then thought of something naughty I read about a certain celebrity and that acronym meaning something rather SEXY in Britain. Of course I had to laugh! Eric wondered whether I was okay - yes, but I refused to explain it to him afterwards. Talked about "Daniel," "see you on Sunday," my being weird, and other stuff. Dude, I like time with my friends... and no, the power being back on was NOT evidence of my neighbors' multiple portable generators! To be safe, I threw away a bunch of stuff which wouldn't get eaten anyhow!


Poo nugget for this weekend: Sour Milk - The early twentieth-century observation by Russian scientist and Nobel Prize winner Elie Metchnikoff, that rural Bulgarians who consumed fermented milk lived long lives has led to the widespread consumption of sour milk. Metchnikoff hypothesized that the lactic acid bacteria present in fermented milk conferred health benefits. Soon after this observation, doctors across Europe began prescribing sour milk to their patients. One hundred years later, healthful bacteria are still found in many dairy products, including fermented milk like kefir.

It's SO DARK when a power outage happens...

When I got up today, I was happy that I'd actually made time to get my things ready by the door while I still had power. It was SO DARK in the hallway without lights that I had to feel my way along the wall till I reached the hall with the side door. I wasn't going to try my luck with figuring out where the front door was in the dark, after all. (nothing like actually being blind, but...) Yes, I actually WALKED to the library! It wasn't FREEZING, and there is no snow on the ground either! When I get home tonight - providing the power is back on - I need to throw away the milk, butter, and anything with a 2009 expiry date in my fridge! Dunno about the freezer contents, although most likely the ice cream / banana bars / other stuff will have to go too. :(

When I get out of here, I should go mail Christmas cards and postcards to Karine G. (karineinthepool) / Kadri K. (bad_habit) / Kirsten F. (jambosana) / Torey D. (rubbished_chico) / Heather L. (mileena) / Jonne B. (jonne_bunny) / Diane S. (the_fuzzy_bunny) / Heather C. (catgoddess) / Amber K. (randomlancila) / Kelli (neonrose5) - should be doable before or after I get hand sanitizer, depending on lineups!

Your Fashion City is London

You are casual, funky, and even a little cheeky. You don't take fashion very seriously. Your look is very urban and possibly even a little punk. You wouldn't be caught dead in a suit... or even a polo shirt. You are interested in trends and fashion movements. You are willing to take big fashion risks just for the fun of it. You shop everywhere, and you're definitely not hung up on labels. If something looks good, you'll buy it - especially if it's on sale!

What's Your Fashion City?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Auntie Ying and the Canada Line, clothes, Edwin, Karen Grace, Women's Group, and more!

When I called Auntie Ying at 10:15 after writing a Christmas card for Amber (), Uncle Peter told me that she was in the shower. After 11:40, I figured she could have gone to bed. However, she called me back just minutes later, saying that her husband had forgotten to tell her that I'd called! She talked to me about clothes not fitting, Edwin, Karen Grace not wanting to go to church since she's mad at God for letting her dad die of cancer (which is understandable), their mom Auntie Susan (not to be confused with Vivian and Karen's mom), line dancing, Bible Study Fellowship, having lunches with the younger people again, Alan and Polly, Christmas plans, and other things. I didn't know Phil and Grace were going to Hong Kong and Taiwan with Grace's family! Auntie Ying said that she could come see my place before Christmas... er, it's kinda messy, haha. Never mind that I won't be here for two weeks! She says I can think about a good date, since she has taken the Canada Line before along its whole route... oh, phew! My mom would be apt to say that it's too far for her, but I just won't tell her - she's lost the right to know what I'm doing every minute of every day!

I shared about Women's Group with her - she thinks it's good that I go to a small group for mutual encouragement. Yeah, I guess it's good for that, haha. Discussed Karmie, Harmony, Jon, Pastor John, church support, Jon's worship music being so lively, and how the twins' mom Linda was doing - Auntie Ying hasn't talked to her, so will do that tomorrow. (figures Linda is out of hospital now...) Then she asked what I wanted for Christmas - of course, a computer or such (DREAM WISH!) is out of the question, so I told her that I was fine with stuff. She thinks I'm content, which is kinda true... but any gift might get back to my mother, and I don't want HER questions all the time, either! It's good that Auntie Ying and I are part of a team, for sure... she says that Auntie Bessy has ordered the same sort of stuff for the Sunday School winter term, heh. Her idea is that we teach the kids Christmas carols like AWAY IN A MANGER... that might not be TOO bad, considering. I just hope it doesn't snow till Wednesday, maybe!


Poo nugget for Friday, December 4: Combating Farts - Alpha-D-galactosidase, the active ingredient in gas-reducing substances like Beano, is an enzyme that helps you digest the otherwise indigestible polysaccharides high up in the digestive tract. Thus, it prevents their passage into the colon, where voracious gas-forming bacteria reside.

A planned power outage tomorrow means I'm temporarily psychic!

I just went outside (SO COLD!) to throw something in the garbage, and noticed this BIG YELLOW SIGN from BC Hydro on the front door advising us that the power would be out tomorrow because they were maintaining stuff. Couple that with the news that it might snow tomorrow (according to Mel), and I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do! It better be back on by the time I get back from Fellowship! I'll probably end up going to the library for my Internet fix, haha. I think I better make plans with Eric TONIGHT since the power will be out tomorrow (and I'll probably be elsewhere), and prep SOMETHING for Sunday School before I call Auntie Ying later. Told Dawn about my "new" blog - she says she likes the updates, haha. She'll have more than a month's reading to get caught up on, then! (that is, once she finds a name that isn't taken!)

Edit: I just called Eric - when I said that the power was going to be out tomorrow, he asked "How do you know this, Leslie?" "Because I'm psychic - no, just kidding!" I wondered about snow or ice, and he said he hadn't noticed any at 5 PM... of COURSE he hasn't since he DRIVES everywhere! (well, maybe not) He said that the phone would still be on in the event of a power outage. True, but I won't be here if the power is out! Tentative plans: Cambie and Jacombs at 5:30... at least I don't have to buy dinner (only lunch), as it's a potluck! Good thing I'll have my Bathroom Readers for company if I don't talk to whoever else is around - and I probably won't!

Apparently, I have a brilliant first name... I can live with that, haha!

Got a rather colorful Christmas card from Alessandra (dru_it), a Christmas card / 80 Christmas stickers / eight "Made in Canada" stickers from Gena (dont_deny_me), and heart stickers / flower stickers / star stickers / a Tasmania bookmark / a P.E.I. postcard of a lighthouse at Sea Cow Head from Karine (karineinthepool) today in the mail. SWEET!

You Have a Brilliant First Name

You are a total brainiac who's very curious about the world. You are very interested in how things work. You are a bit of a mad scientist and even maybe an inventor. You're always coming up with something new and interesting. And while you have a lot of mental strengths, you're also quite physical. You like to get out there and see the world. You love to travel, and you think that change can be very exciting. As long as you have the freedom to do what you want, you fit in anywhere.

What Kind of First Name Do You Have?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Candies, ice, potlucks, snow, worship practices, toilet paper

I'm still awake, possibly because I'm a night person... and possibly because of the green tea that I had at Karmie's. Guess it's fitting, since we were discussing coffee / Starbucks / French Presses / related things as well.

HAHAHA, my email idea worked! Eric is going to give back the candies on Friday - he'd better not ask me to bus out, because it's starting to get ICY! Then again, if he really does have two worship practices in a row to attend, I dunno about the potluck - we'll see. I also hear from people that it might snow tomorrow - oh man. He also linked me to a few places that might take my computer monitors / TV for recycling, and says they'll perhaps help me. They should, otherwise I have no idea how I'll haul them down myself. 'Tis the curse of heavy items...

Poo nugget for Thursday, December 3: Doo You Know? - Everyone Needs TP - Toilet paper manufacturing is an enormous global industry. In 2007, U.S. consumers spent more than $3.7 billion on toilet paper, according to Information Resources. That does not include Wal-Mart stores, which do not report sales data.

Dark peppermint, Advent calendars, journals, Elizabeth, Mary x3, and Noah x2

Took a shower, and then left early after resolving to do laundry when I got home. Went to London Drugs, and bought a "replacement" bag of on-sale Almond Roca for Eric's family - the idea I came up with in the shower was telling him that the hard candies were really for the kids, and I got mixed up while trying to organize candy at 3 AM one time, haha. Then after looking around for ten minutes, I found a Mead journal for myself and three different Advent calendars for Jon / Harmony / Steph. I should have bought hand sanitizer, but will later - also got hand cream, some BBQ Munchies "crunchy coated peanuts" which were supposed to serve as some kind of quick "dinner" (but didn't), two pairs of blue thermal socks with snowflakes on them (I need them - they might as well get bunged in with the rest of the laundry later!), and two on-sale boxes of Lindt dark peppermint pieces which I couldn't resist.

Went to the Canada Line, and was apparently in the wrong place because Harmony and Jen came up to me after a few minutes and said they were at some other stop which I couldn't see... whoops! On the way to Karmie's, we discussed Jon being at school / Steph's whereabouts / Christmas shopping (I'm finished mine already!) / writing Christmas cards / Jen's idea of homemade cards. Harmony thanked me for the Advent calendars, at least - I don't know if she and Jon will actually make use of them, but probably so! Told her that Mom used to give them to us when we were kids, but didn't this year at least. (she has too much other stuff on her mind...)

Walking to Karmie's from the bus stop didn't take too long, even if it was cold! We were the first ones there - Stella and Auntie Bessy came later. Had Stella's cranberry-orange scone cookies, green tea cookies, Karmie's walnut-raisin butter tarts with Splenda, and green tea / hot water as refreshments while we talked about Mary x3 / Martha / Elizabeth / being contemplative vs. being active or passive / the differences between us and our sisters. Interesting conversation... then it turned to childbirth, especially Noah's funny question he posed to Karmie today! "Mommy, does the baby come out through your bellybutton? Does it feel funny?" HAHAHA, no! It actually hurts a lot!

Discussed epidurals, water breaking, physiology, Billy, New York, Awana, the Homebuilders potluck, our church kitchen which is still not up to par, the Christmas breakfast, Kevin, my personalized Bible (nice memento of Karen Choo, whom we don't see much of anymore), home birth, how doctors will delay epidurals as long as possible (conservative approach), Winnie's new son born just on Monday, and Anita's daughter Allison. Auntie Bessy said she'd drive me, Jen, and Harmony home - Harmony said that she could just drop us off at the Canada Line, and Stella offered to take me home since at least she knew where I lived! Talked about HER son Noah, Benjamin, the Christmas trip to New York, seat-warmers, the mice problem, and life on the way home... good times!

Jonne, Heather, Patricia, Raymond, Diane, Kadri, and strength / weakness

I got a Christmas card from jonne_bunny (Jonne) today, so I guess she actually exists! Gmail had given me a warning on top of the email she sent me with her address, saying that this email may not be from who it purported to be, heh. The card is great - it features a dog peeing on a snowman, HAHAHAHA! Also fielded email from Heather C. (catgoddess) - I find it quirky that her address features two more personal names, Patricia and Raymond! I'm also sending Diane (the_fuzzy_bunny) and Kadri (bad_habit) some cards, haha.

Called Harmony to see if she was making it to Women's Group tonight - since it's a nice day, she thought she'd take the bus. I wanted her to meet me somewhere so we could bus to Karmie's together - I might get lost otherwise, haha. Luckily, she agreed to meet me right outside the Canada Line at 6:55... I can go to London Drugs beforehand and get three Advent calendars for her, Jon, and Steph then! (since I already have my own, haha) First, I gotta shower and such... being WARM will be good!

Your Strength: Curiosity. Your Weakness: Impulsiveness.

You are an innovative and progressive person. There's a whole big world out there, and you're interested in every part of it. You embrace change. You like being outside of your comfort zone, and you're always ready to mix things up. It's hard for you to stay still for too long, even if you have a good thing going. You can be impulsive to the point of reckless. You hate routine, and you can be quite undisciplined. You don't do well with authority... you're a rebel!

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Eric, Andrea, Women's Group, Harmony, Deb, HOARDERS, soft cheese

Sent Eric a reminder email about the computer monitors and the TV, referencing his dad as well. Then I fielded two emails from Andrea, one of which was a forward about women's group. She has to work late tomorrow, so can't meet then - maybe some other time, and we'll do it before or after Toronto for sure! Says to contact Harmony if I'm interested in going tomorrow night... I'll see about that, I guess! Deb also added me to Facebook, so yay! I also watched the HOARDERS show yesterday... so interesting!

Poo nugget for Wednesday, December 2: No Soft Cheese For You! - Listeria monocytogenes is a common cause of food poisoning. When infection occurs in healthy, non-pregnant adults, symptoms of explosive diarrhea and mild abdominal pain usually resolve in 24 to 48 hours. Infection can be much more serious in pregnant women, so expectant mothers are usually advised to steer clear of the common causes. Infection in pregnancy typically occurs after consumption of soft-ripened cheeses like feta / Brie / Camembert and can be quite serious, even resulting in miscarriage.

2009 Year in Review Meme

Meme fun: Take the first line from the first post of every month of the year. Repost it here as your year in review. (I'm discounting greetings and things like that :P) Yeah, it's been an interesting year!

I'm glad 2009 is FINALLY here! I hate to think in Internet memes, but I had to do it this morning because of my mother's rather obvious perm. The computer restarted sometime in the last seven hours - UGH. If any of you prank me today, I'll seriously cut your heart out and serve it to you for breakfast! Billie and I made Metrotown plans for tomorrow, Teresa (Gwyneth and Evelyn's mom) is envious of my top five desserts (Black Forest / Cheese Cake / Ice cream / CHOCOLATE / Tiramisu), and Korey just showed up in my email inbox because he "bought me a drink" from FUBAR. While I heard MORE MICE (go die in a fire!), I talked briefly to Eric H. earlier tonight - touched on Fay, Harmony, and his being here for about twelve days.

Off to the church barbecue to celebrate 142 years, even though I have a few Word Twist games on the go - thanks to Sam and Ivan for returning my calls! What a day I had to lead me into the first one of the eighth month! Yikes... Eric wants help with the RSVP info for Erin's reception which is in a week! Called my brother earlier to see what was going on with the "OPENER AGAINST THE FLAMES!" hockey game thing. My mom thought that I was meeting with Auntie Ying to prepare for toddler Sunday School during the week, which isn't true. Corey just thought he was being funny with his joke about how Customs confiscated my Christmas card.

MORE BULL! / Blocking Carol J. / STICKERS! / Caramel Brownies

I called Hester to see what she'd phoned me about - she says the pest control guy was here, but had no time to check my suite. What the hell?! Also, I am in the mood to block Carol J. from Facebook just because, and I got Heather L.'s (mileena) Christmas card today! She also included a note on some cat paper, BLOOM COUNTY Valentine's Day stickers, Disney stickers, "girly secrets" stickers, sparkly fairy stickers, romantic Valentine's Day stickers, TAZ stickers, and car stickers!

You Are a Caramel Brownie

You are a very sweet person. Even when you get yourself into binds, people know that your heart is in the right place. You're the type of guy or gal that people never forget. There is something "sticky" about you - you stick in people's brains. You act naturally. You let the world see who you are, flaws and all. You're a little chaotic and even messy, but you're okay with that. You can be a bit hyper and unfocused at times. You don't stay organized - but that's part of your charm!

What Kind of Brownie Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

I'm getting rotten teeth just reading this result. :P

Christmas cards, joking around, heart conditions, Gerard Way, Gift Poo

Corey just thought he was being funny with his joke about how Customs confiscated my Christmas card. Sure, he teases Jane a lot more (and she DOES have a heart condition), but some things shouldn't be joked about. When he quits falling asleep on me, I'll tell him about the dinner at Jeremy's - AIYA! Got a PM from Marie (reebee) saying that she got my Christmas card - good!

Are you and Gerard Way meant for each other? by bed_of_razors
Your name / Username
Age
Favorite Color
Favorite MCR Song	"Romance""Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For the Two of Us""Vampires Will Never Hurt You""Drowning Lessons""Our Lady of Sorrows""Headfirst for Halos""Skylines and Turnstiles""Early Sunsets Over Monroeville""This Is the Best Day Ever"Cubicles"Demolition Lovers""Helena""Give 'Em Hell, Kid""To the End""You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison""I'm Not Okay (I Promise)""The Ghost of You""The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You""Interlude""Thank You For the Venom""Hang 'Em High""It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Deathwish""Cemetery Drive""I Never Told You What I Do for a Living"other
Do you even know who Gerard Way is?	Of course, dammit, he's a sexy beast!No...I clicked on this quiz randomlyYeah, I kinda know.. he's okayGerard who?
Are you meant for each other?	You guys were meant to be
How many times daily you guys fuck	203
How many years you will be together	48
How much does he actually love you?	81%
What does he do to show his affection for you?	He repeatedly tells you how wonderful you are

Poo nugget for Tuesday, December 1: Gift Poo - Synonyms: Pollyanna Poo, Phantom Poo, Surprise Party, Shock and Awe, Flushless Folly, River Pickle. (POO OF THE MONTH!) [the drawing is of a smelly toilet with a gift ribbon around the bowl, hahaha!]

HOW DARE YOU JOKE ABOUT NOT GETTING YOUR CARD?!

Steph and I talked about sisterly things, banking, plans, and other stuff. Yes, she's crazy because she's my sister! We spent quite some time with Auntie Anita, then went to her townhouse, where the contractor thought she wanted ALL YELLOW and not purple for the second bedroom! Um, no... and he even had some purple paint at home, already bought! Not worth arguing about, but maybe it was the language barrier and assumptions on his part. Experienced her funny GPS, which mispronounces things as "Steve-VEST-ton" - HAHAHA. Got an unexpected dinner invite from Mom - curry beef sounded good. I was pleasantly surprised to find Mom not at home... and even Dad seemed in a relatively good mood. I heard that Grandma was confused because she thought my parents were arriving on a BOAT to Hong Kong, and heard that Dad thinks Jon has a drinking problem. I don't know about that...

When Mom did get home (gave me citrus detergent / noodles / jelly eggs / more chips), she showed me where all the food was kept for my stay there... it's a win-win situation for me! (but I get more of the win, hehe...) Checked my email / friends list / Facebook (Jon H. has re-friended me!), set up a Gmail Event reminder for my new account, and watched various TV shows on House Hunters (International) and hoarders - that woman's house was DISGUSTING! Steph drove me home, and moved my computer desk so I could see what was between that and the heater - just paper, some of which looked very chewed up. THAT IS NOT FOOD, MICE! She thinks I should clean my place - true, but at least it's not as bad as that hoarder woman! HER armchair decomposed!

Kaella C. (scapegoat) got my Christmas card - "I got your card a bit ago and I absolutely love it! The design on it is awesome! Thank you!" Of course, I forget which design it was (maybe the DECORATION WITH ORNAMENTS) - but it was good to know she likes it. Speaking of cards, I got home to a message from Corey: "your card came today! but...." So of course I had to ask what was up:

[21:20:29] Flami: what do you mean, BUT?!
[21:25:34] Corey: well, there's just a note from customs inside? is that a joke, or did they seriously confiscate your card?
[21:35:00] Flami: WHAT THE HECK
[21:36:34] Flami: are YOU joking?!
[21:43:03] Corey: that's what I said
[21:43:39] Flami: so what did the note say this time?
[21:44:19] Corey: just something about unauthorized materials
[21:45:00] Flami: .... it was a CHRISTMAS CARD, nothing else
[21:45:32] Corey: maybe you're on the watchlist or something now
[21:45:57] Flami: maybe...
[21:46:33] Corey: I thought maybe you wanted to play a trick on me and put your own customs form in there as a joke
[21:50:30] Flami: ha ha ha... I would never do that


Edit: He said he was JOKING?! WHAT THE HELL?!

[22:04:02] mrptptpt: I don't know if you're not replying, or if MSN is being crappy again, but I'll switch to this anyway
[22:04:19] AlenaBrolxFlami: I said that I would never do that!
[22:05:31] mrptptpt: then MSN isn't working
[22:05:49] mrptptpt: and yes, of course I am joking :D
[22:05:51] mrptptpt: ha ha ha
[22:08:48] AlenaBrolxFlami: ARE YOU FOR REAL?!!!!!!!
[22:14:33] mrptptpt: I am always for real
[22:17:44] AlenaBrolxFlami: so did you or did you not get a card today?
[22:18:03] mrptptpt: I did not get a card today
[22:18:15] AlenaBrolxFlami: why?
[22:18:48] mrptptpt: because I got it the other day, but I keep falling asleep before I can talk to you much :P
[22:22:44] AlenaBrolxFlami: and did you or did you not totally make up a story about it?!
[22:25:09] mrptptpt: what did I tell you? :P
[22:26:11] AlenaBrolxFlami: "I totally want to risk my friend's wrath!"

Bras and Italian

I had a weird dream which involved me going through tunnels, flying over a McDonalds, landing in their swimming pool with only a bra on (which said "EXIT ONLY" on the cups :P), discovering it was closing (all the employees were cleaning up and stacking tables together), and having some immature guys snigger at my appearance. Teresa showed up to offer me a ride home on her motorcycle, and that was how it ended. Also got Julie's card - julie709 rules, yo! Sister just called, so I should leave NOW.

You Are Italian

Ah, you are a true romantic. You enjoy all of the sensual pleasures in love: delicious food, soul-stirring music, a beautiful sunset... And you always seem to be able to find the words to describe each experience perfectly. You are a charming and seductive person. You just have that certain something that draws people to you. You are passionate about words. Words can easily inspire, delight, or anger you. It's sometimes all about how something was said.

What Language Are You?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

This one is right on the money! :D

Accidentally combining Advil and alcohol, and deliberately mixing chicken fat and onion pieces

Dinner was all right, although I was keeping a vigilant eye on my jacket to make sure Mr. Creep didn't touch it! I was fine with Randal sitting in the chair it was on, though. I gave him the card from his small group... something from me personally would be more than a bit awkward right now, I think, and I respect that. A bunch of us were full after only having a couple of things - I didn't even touch the salad! When my siblings and I got into discussing poo quite openly, Johnny wondered whether it was our normal dinner table conversation... oh yeah! Dianne said that the patients talked to HER about poo, and she wondered why they never looked at theirs - ah, the things you wonder about when you're in the medical field! She also told us about anal probes and stuff, haha. Andrea said that Chuck's introduced her to All-Bran Buds... I've tried those, but for some reason, they're not effective on me right away! Talked to Winnie to distract myself from trying NOT to look at Mr. Creep (who can't even get Christon's name right - calling him "Christian" instead - DEALBREAKER!), so now she knows more about me than she did before. Steph told us that her second bedroom (the one I chose LILAC for) is YELLOW... WTF, indeed!

Steph thought that I should go first at dinner since everyone was standing around with their plates and utensils (we thought we didn't have enough - Eric did not bring his picnic set this year) - well, I was not the oldest person in the room for once! I told her that in fact, I was NOT the oldest... Mr. Creep proudly proclaimed his age to the entire room, but I'm not sure if he went first. As long as I got my food, I was satisfied... Steph thought I shouldn't have asked Andrea to get my soup for me, but it was too crowded! She told us about the inaugural toilet use, and exactly what it consisted of - WE were fine with the conversation! I accidentally combined Advil and alcohol, but I didn't feel "interesting" for the rest of the night - phew!

Talked about Steph's work, Jen's Banana Republic discount, church things, Facebook, how Mom is on beer, and other things. Got to talk a little to Aaron, Karen, Vivian (I gave her a really belated birthday card!), Lincoln, Isabel, Jen, Ivan (who basically dropped by), Lucas (whose sister Hannah gets back on the 16th - same day as Sam), Joey, Andrea (who's open to hanging out on Wednesday before Women's Group if she isn't too busy), Lesley, Eric (I told him about the Chuck card debacle!), and certain others. After a while, I thought the room "felt" lighter... I told this to Jon and Harmony, who just thought I was drunk from three kinds of beer, one containing 16.3% alcohol. Hahaha... sort of, but it really DID feel as if a weight had been lifted! Turns out that Mr. Creep had left - ah, good! Now I could REALLY enjoy myself, hahaha.

A while later, someone brought out the chicken fat bowl, and Dianne actually wanted to try some. She somehow convinced Wesley and Randal to try it with her - Raymond wouldn't, heh. Hell, he wouldn't even try my candy a few months ago! I can understand chicken fat, but ONE PIECE OF CANDY?! As far as I know, he doesn't have sugar issues like Eric! Oh well. I went to the bathroom to do something after watching a couple rounds of "dip the vegetables into the chicken fat and eat it!" When I got back, I was prodded into doing that too. Chinese Rock-Paper-Scissors, it was! For the sake of a one-shot deal, I dipped my onion pieces into the chicken fat (not very far!) - Wesley just crammed his pieces into his mouth! Eric was out from the kitchen to see this happening... I wouldn't participate in any more, however.

After 10, Eric told me that he was leaving, and wondered if I'd get a ride with my sister. Since I wanted to hear the concluding two episodes of THE JONATHAN MYSTERY (SO GOOD!), I left after thanking people for dinner. On the way home, Eric wondered if I'd had any interesting conversations... meh, they were all pretty much the usual. We talked about how Bible Study had been on Friday, the new Richmond person, and that Chinese person who apparently thinks he's black ("you feel me?" / "this is dope!" / "let's represent!") - ugh. Eric said that not EVERYONE who uses those slang terms is like my ex... I know, but you should be at least BLACK to use them, in my opinion!

Then I told him that I realized one positive about the Mr. Creep situation - I am no longer the oldest in the group, although I never really FEEL that way. Eric thinks that I need to get used to his being around, since the question of his membership will come up as early as February - he's TOO EAGER! Yes, he told Dylan that he shouldn't have done that thing with the sign-up sheet, but still. Eric thinks that it was just a bad impression, but I think it's MORE! Then I reminded him of the junk lying around my place which needed to be RECYCLED... maybe over Christmas or something. Said he had to ask his dad, and to email him about it or else he'd forget - I'll do it this week. (and I just heard another mouse run somewhere...) Got home to MSN messages from Billie about remembering a weird dream, and from Dawn about whether I had a new blog. Bedtime now, even if it is "early."


Poo nugget for Monday, November 30: Be Thankful You're Not A Horse - The rectal exam is one of the most dreaded aspects of any visit to the doctor. This intrusive anal probing involves insertion of a gloved finger a mere three to four inches inside the rectum, and is performed to evaluate the lower part of the GI tract... in reality, it examines less than 10 percent of the total colon. In horses, the rectal exam is a bit more involved, as veterinarians don a rubber sleeve extending from the hand to the shoulder, and insert the entire arm in the poor horse's rectum.

Cory can walk now!

I had a weird dream that Auntie Bessy, Pastor Fulton, and Uncle Richard were all losing their memory simultaneously, and it was up to me, Jon, and Harmony to save the toddler kids from their weird thoughts! We also tried using the art that I looked up on Google for the wedding to jog their memories - but had no luck. What the heck?!

Before going to church, I quickly wrote a Christmas card for Chantal, and gave it to Steph later. The ride over to church was all right - I got one apple, some apple juice, and two buns. When I got to church, I sat next to Harmony - there was no way I could have gotten a pew to myself, but that was okay. Connie liked my Santa hat, and Jen seemed to like it as well. Found out that redrum had started during service - yay for reinforcements! Talked to Helen K., her boys Nicholas and Cory (who loves stairs and can walk now!), Maxine, Tim, Joshua, Keenan, Citrus "on duty," Billy, Stella, Noah, Benjamin, Karmie, Vivian, Chrystal, Jon (who warned me that Mr. Creep was coming tonight... SO AWKWARD! DIDN'T YOU TELL HIM THAT THE MENU WAS SEVEN-EIGHTHS VEGETARIAN?!!!), Jeremy (who told me the saga of the broken dishwasher being fixed... old pipes and solder!), Anita, Allison (who gave me a high-five even if she wasn't impressed with my Santa hat and sparkly jewel shirt!), Steph, and others. Of course I watched Cory when Helen was talking to Maxine - even though I was holding an empty cup (which used to have coffee in it), I'd have dropped it if I'd seen he was going to take a tumble! Auntie Catherine said that we'd get together BEFORE her surgery, which is fine by me!

Went upstairs after a while, and presented Auntie Ying and Rachel's grandma with their Christmas gifts - apparently, it was their first of the season! Harrison talked to me right away, which was fine. Conor drew Christmas lights, Amanda drew hearts, and Esther drew flowers and people. Amos just played a lot and was hyper! When I went downstairs after that, Steph was declining Mr. Creep's invitation to lunch - GOOD! I learned that we WERE going to eat at Mui's, but Alan had come to see Mom - ah, the usual place! Dad was not impressed that Jon, Harmony, Jeremy, and Christon had all skipped Sunday School to cook and such... but what could they do?! The stuff HAD to be cooked, despite a five-hour marathon LAST NIGHT! (took Christon SEVEN HOURS to buy the ingredients)

We went to lunch with Alan, Polly, Auntie Ying, Uncle Peter, and Auntie Teresa too. Vernon and Sarah moved yesterday - AIYA, IN THE RAIN! Steph forewarned the parents that she wouldn't be eating with them next week because "people" had wanted her to lunch with them - when she declined for the fourth time or so, they were like, "You NEVER lunch with us!" Well, I will probably lunch with the parents - we'll see. They already want me to come over on Tuesday before they leave so Mom can show me where the food is and stuff - fair enough! After lunch, I took the bus to Kingsgate Mall - bought fifteen Vancouver postcards and a pair of scissors from the dollar store prior to heading over to Jeremy's. Helped stir the mushroom soup on the balcony and peel carrots in the kitchen - Jon doesn't understand why I like peeling carrots. It's like peeling SKIN off someone's FACE! MUHAHAHAHA!

Also helped Christon do a "Paid / Not Paid" list: Isabel, Dianne, Lucas, Andrea, Raymond, Hubert, a guest, Randal, Vivian, Karen, Lincoln, Eric, Jon, Jeremy, Steph, Christon, Jennifer S., Johnny, Joey, Wesley, Winnie P., Phyllis, Aaron, Ying, Lesley, Darryl (who's already here), and Tony are also coming. Talked about Ray HATING cilantro, the web community FOR people who hate cilantro, cooking, and other things. Cindy also sent me an email, thanking me for the "sweet" Christmas card I gave her and Dianne - "you're right... it's wonderful to have good friends! See you next Friday for our potluck - YUM!" Everyone's laughing because someone dropped the ladle into the LARGE mushroom soup pot... boy, they're ALL tired, haha!


Tonight's menu:

Apple Cider, augmented with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and lemon juice

Our famous Chicken a la King, made at last year's birthday dinner

Cream of (many different varieties of) Mushroom Soup

Thai Vegetable Curry (either Panaeng, green, or red)

Hearty Vegetarian or Vegan Lasagna

Coconut-grilled Kale, adapted from a recipe in Vij's

Winter Beet Salad

Astoundingly Delicious BBQ Tofu

Imperial Stout Cheesecake

You Are a Hundred Dollar Bill

You're money, and you totally know it. You have a very high self worth, so much so that some people can't deal with it. Even though you're clearly a very valuable and powerful person, some people aren't willing to accept you. You tend to hang out with your own kind. You don't have a lot of time in life for chumps or "chump change." The world is your oyster, and you have many opportunities. You're very lucky to be who you are.

What Dollar Bill Are You?

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!