Textbooks, word searches, echinacea, India, new Facebook friends, and inventions

Alana, Billie, and I got up around 2 - not a surprise since we went to bed at 4:30 AM after having pizza and discussing various subjects. I saw Tara cleaning, and said hi. Billie and I exchanged my word search books for Philosophy: The Quest for Truth (7th Edition) [Louis Pojman, Lewis Vaughn] / Canadian Writer's Workplace (Canadian Sixth Edition; includes 2009 MLA update card) [Gary Lipschutz, John Roberts, Sandra Scarry, and John Scarry] / The Psychology of Women (Sixth Edition) [Margaret Matlin] - not bad for an initial $20 outlay (at most), since I got at least $200 worth of books for free! I guess I'm a nerd, but I like it! There was a book about politics / power / government, but I'm not really into that stuff... besides, we were both concerned that my bag would be too heavy!

I left soon after discussing coffee and Pepsi / Honesty Boxes with Alana, and managed to catch all my buses on time. There was a time that I thought I'd taken the wrong Skytrain at Braid Station, but I was on the right one. Went to Superstore since I had a little time, and bought echinacea as an impulse buy since I'd had it at Billie's - I couldn't wait two days to have it cheaper from the next-door pharmacy, with this cold! I also bought two cans of No-Name rich and chunky chicken noodle soup, Ricola cough drops (green tea with echinacea), 12 granola bars (my thinking was I'd eat one or two if I got hungry during Awana because I hadn't eaten since 4 AM), and 90 metres of No-Name plastic wrap. Would have bought birthday cards for Grandma / Chantal / Corey too, but didn't want to waste more time just looking at the available selection!

Went to Awana, where I guess I was technically late, but it was okay since Auntie Vivian was nowhere to be seen. (she came in a few minutes after I had settled down and waved hi to Golden) Saw Sophia, Olivia, and Anne - yay! Was surprised to see my parents' friend Alan there, helping with the older kids. (I guess I'll talk to him later about that...) Joey was there too, and I learned he was subbing for Martin, who's in Hong Kong for a month. Chrystal said something to me about the Awana points, so I guess we ARE taking new things into 2010 and beyond if it works out. After Sparks Handbook Time, Sean and Thomas ran into the room and just PLOPPED on the concrete floor - I didn't know Handbook Time was THAT exhausting, haha. Melia gave me some blank index cards, which disappeared into my capacious Aldo bag.

Ada saw me and wished me a Happy New Year: she goes to India on Thursday for two weeks on a work-related trip, so John will be taking the boys. Sounds fine to me! Talked to Eric afterwards about Facebook - he says he told his little brother Matthew not to get an account. (Eric's 11, and his brother is probably nine) I warned Matthew that I'd be keeping an eye on him, haha. Auntie Rebecca wanted to know why I wasn't "at fellowship," so I thought she meant MissionsFest. Turns out she meant the Awana get-together, which I totally forgot about, what with getting sick / Billie's party. She offered me a plate of leftovers, so I took one from the kitchen; it was the only one with veggies on it, but it also had sweet and sour pork - I don't think I should eat it right now, but I did have cake and Jello last night...

John drove me home, and wondered why I had a lot of stuff. I told him that I'd been at a friend's house, and asked where Sean had been. Apparently, he was tired and wanted to sleep. He also learned a new excuse: "I have a headache!" Of course, his dad didn't think that was true - do kids who are six GET headaches?! (possibly) Got home to find that Alana, Patrick, Patricia, and Sean had added me to Facebook - cool! Called Diven to ask if he could give me a ride to church, citing an "odd" (to him) reason - luckily, he could be my rescue again. NICE!

Went out again to London Drugs to see if I could find a "step-on-me" garbage can - they used to have them, but not anymore. They did have a "sensor" garbage can which can tell if your hand is near the lid, but $100 is way too expensive for a wastebasket! Got a bigger storage container than the ones my mom gave me, rationalizing it as a one-time useful purchase. Also got the aforementioned birthday cards, but didn't get Minute Rice despite seeing it on sale again. (Hien would like that, haha) But now that I'm running out of Nin Jiom, I'll probably go there again tomorrow and get those things.

You Are Hip

You are definitely not a hipster, but you are often on the cutting edge of trends. You are proud of your taste. You like what you like, and you never try to show off how obscure or ironic you are. You are into good food, good music, and good fashion. You are well known for your discoveries. You don't mind if the things you love eventually become mainstream. You may be hip, but you don't have a complex about it!

Are You a Hipster?

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

Trivia fact for Saturday, Jan. 9: What did French mathematician Blaise Pascal invent in 1655 while unsuccessfully attempting to create a perpetual motion machine? The roulette wheel.

Awesome birthday times at Billie's!

I got lost on the way to Billie's because the C28 wasn't going where I expected it to go. Finally realized my mistake at Port Moody Station - and of course it was raining HARD! On the way back up, I recognized the streets that the robot voice was calling out - Honeysuckle Lane, Bobcat Place, and Grizzly Place - yay! I was about 40 minutes late, but it was a small party. Met Billie's friends Alana, Patrick, Sean, Scott, and Patricia who appears to be Sean's girlfriend. Watched hilarious Youtube videos, which we did NOT find boring... but then Billie's mom Tara thought that we'd be bored to death. Actually, Billie's grandma wondered why we weren't eating the potato salad - you don't EAT ART! (there were "flowers" made with green and red veggies)

We went to another room where we played Sean's game of ZOMBIES: I actually thought it was pretty interesting! Dog zombies, human zombies with a head in their hands, and more - very different, which was refreshing. I won by a stroke of luck, although Sean thought I was being evil since my strategy was to surround him with zombies - nope, it's just the normal NG feistiness, haha! I had to clarify that I didn't hate him, heh. Ate Persian rice and tea for dinner: it was excellent, although I had two helpings because I hadn't had an actual meal since Wednesday night at my sister's. We talked about movies and Billie's presents (red dragon bling bag! / London shirt / $280 / a sweet drawing / more stuff) until her parents wanted us to have cake. I shouldn't have attacked the cake with the others since I still have a cold, but it's too late now. We decided to NOT have plates, haha - just fork away! Did the same thing with the red Jello, but (in Scott's words) it defeated us!

Talked about old TV shows and "must-see" movies / XKCD comics for a while - it was nice to meet her friends, for sure! Scott even hugged me goodbye, which I wasn't expecting! (Billie wasn't expecting it either, since she says Scott is usually quite shy) I'd heard so much about Patrick that it was cool to see him in the flesh, hahaha. Now Alana, Billie, and I are just talking about oblivious people - like, blocking someone on Facebook and MSN should send you a pretty clear message that YOU ARE NOT WANTED! (not "TRY HARDER TO GET IN THEIR GOOD BOOKS!") Also watched STICK FIGURES ON CRACK, FRED, Kirk Cameron and the ORIGIN OF SPECIES, Demotivational Posters, Fail Blog, Friends of Irony, various Youtube channels, and more. Good times! Oh, and Billie just told us that Sean and Patricia are openly friends with benefits - Alana and I assumed they were dating because they were holding hands under the table, and being affectionate!

UNIFORM LIMA TANGO INDIA MIKE ALPHA TANGO ECHO GAMMA ECHO ECHO KILO MIKE ECHO MIKE ECHO

Sierra Tango Oscar Lima Echo November Foxtrot Romeo Oscar Mike a_phoenixdragon:

India Foxtrot Yankee Oscar Uniform Charlie Alpha November Uniform November Delta Echo Romeo Sierra Tango Alpha November Delta Tango Hotel India Sierra, Charlie Oscar Papa Yankee Alpha November Delta Papa Alpha Sierra Tango Echo India Tango Tango Oscar Yankee Oscar Uniform Romeo Juliet Oscar Uniform Romeo November Alpha Lima.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Mike Echo Mike Echo.

Throwing away old pillows and such / I need SOME structure...

Feeling no better and no worse than yesterday (although coughing has started to make its appearance known), which I guess is good for Billie's party later! I threw away some germy old pillows and pillowcases in the laundry room garbage when I went up there to do some laundry after I showered.

You Need Some Structure in Your Life

You're the type of person who makes a plan, but doesn't necessarily stick to it. You like to have things roughly organized. However, you always are open to new experiences and change. You don't like too much chaos, but you also don't like to be stuck in a rut. You like to strike a happy medium. Whenever things get too routine, you like to shake it up a little, even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone.

How Much Structure Do You Need?

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

NICE phone calls! / Elvis Presley stamp

Have talked to the Billie on the phone about stupid names, crazy (ex-)friends, her birthday party tomorrow, dogs, and other things. Also called Auntie Ying - SHE believes I'm sick even if I just sound slightly stuffed up! Honestly, some people Billie and I know are kinda... not all there. o_O

Trivia fact for Friday, Jan. 8: Who is pictured on the bestselling US commemorative stamp ever issued? Elvis Presley. The 29-cent stamp was issued in 1993 on Presley's birthday, January 8. More than 124 million of the 517 million commemoratives that were sold have not been used for postage - they're being saved by collectors and Elvis fans, according to the US Postal Service.

Just because I'm generally healthy doesn't mean I don't get sick!

Nina (who is "Zoey Mak" on Facebook) added me to said social networking site - another Awana kid, haha. Nice, nice. I also called Henry to let him know that he wouldn't need to pick me up this Saturday... in case he wondered why I was busing out from my friend's house, I gave him the additional information that she lives in Coquitlam! No way am I asking him to pick me up from there, haha!

For some reason, I also called my mom to tell her that I hadn't been feeling well. Her reaction: "What time did you SLEEP?! Whatever... call us later..." It's like she didn't believe me, and her tone implied that I had PLANNED this! I do believe in resting if you're not feeling well! Just because I am generally healthy doesn't mean I will NOT get sick EVER... and the time I slept had NOTHING to do with it! I think I'll call Eric on Saturday night to see if I can get a ride - and if he forgets AGAIN, then I'm not sure what to do. Still, at least he would believe me...

Sick with my first cold since last spring / Yeast-free and vegetarian Vitamin C / Quizzes

Bleh. I thought I'd sleep okay, but my body had other plans for me since I couldn't. Was up at 4;30 AM because of sneezing and such, so decided to take some Neo-Citran. Then I went back to bed to have fractured dreams of my mom being melodramatic about READER'S DIGEST retrospective articles from 1988 or so. Finally got up at 12:45 and checked my phone: not surprised that Steph AND Grandma had called me. When I checked my email, I found that Mom had emailed me: "Big G is ANXIOUSLY waiting for you!" It was only 10:10 then, haha.

I decided to forgo spending time with Grandma in favor of REST, particularly with Billie's birthday party coming up tomorrow. (and the textbook / word search book exchange!) So I called to tell Grandma that I'm sick - she wasn't impressed that I hadn't answered the phone when she called, haha. I sounded sick to my own ears, unlike last night! Then I finally felt ambulatory enough to go to the next-door pharmacy, so I could procure some Vitamin C, and got the pharmacist to open it for me.

It was only $4, and it's yeast-free AND vegetarian! "This product does not contain any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, solvents, alcohol, gluten, wheat, yeast, dairy, or egg." On the way back in, I saw Bike Guy. We helped each other with doors - told each other to take care and such, too. Now I've taken a couple of tablets (technically an overdose :P), so I hope this cold will be knocked out soon! At least this is the first time I've even had so much as a cold since last spring, but if this is what I get when I go out for five days in a row, then I'd rather stay home... not pleasant.

Then I wondered why everyone was updating their Facebook statuses with just colors: white, pink, grey, black, nude, tan, etc. Jess says that it's the color of the bra you're wearing, and Karla says there's supposed to be a PM with it which isn't dumb. Confusing way (without the PM) to promote breast cancer awareness... Billie called, saying that her ex-friend Shaina is being obsessive again. Yikes!


Facebook quizzes taken from Shannon, Karla, and Michael:

Leslie took the "What kind of demented old lady will you be?" quiz and the result is Mean and Sassy. Full of piss and vinegar. When people talk to you, you will just scowl and snap back at them with a sassy comeback. It doesn't matter what they have to say... you just wish they would be quiet and leave you alone. You may have the mouth of a sailor, and you may even swing your purse if they get too close. Watch Out!!


Leslie's parents get a C- for originality.
Ranking: 'Leslie' was the 65th most popular girl's name in her birth year.
Rarity: 58% of girls had rarer names that year. (Grade: C-)
Peak year: 'Leslie' peaked in popularity in 1969.
Current rank: 'Leslie' is currently the 147th most popular girl's name.
Current name: Leslie's parents might name her 'Mackenzie' today (current #65).

Eww, "Mackenzie" - not a favorite of mine. I never liked my name, anyway...


Leslie took the What is your animal sign? quiz and got the result: Dragon. 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012. People born in the Year of the Dragon are energetic, humorous, capable, and idealistic. Their decisiveness can at times make them seem overconfident, but they do inspire confidence and trust. They are also quite excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. Their compatible signs are Monkey, Rat, and Rooster.

You Look Like a Cancer

It's likely you have a bit of a baby face. People think you're younger than you are. You have prominent cheeks and a very expressive jaw. You usually have a big smile. Your feet and hands tend to be a bit small compared to the rest of you. Not that the rest of you is all that big. You're probably a bit shorter than average. Like most Cancer people, you are probably incredibly compassionate and kind. You have a big heart. You are also shrewd, intuitive, and wise. No one's going to take advantage of you.

What Sign Do You Look Like?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

You Are a Doll

You've always been a nurturing person, even when you were too young to nurture anyone else. You tend to be very socially oriented. Other people matter to you, and you are very compassionate. You are naturally intuitive and understanding. You love people for who they are. It makes you feel valued to be needed. You like to have others depending on you, and you're always happy to lend a hand.

What Childhood Toy Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

What kind of name is SASHAKAY SHAKER?! (75 minutes is NOT almost an hour!) / Flat

Almost went on the Canada Line to get to my sister's, but remembered that I should take the 430 just as I got settled in my seat! Thank goodness I actually caught that bus, as the stop isn't very far away and even I could make it with my walking speed! Got to my sister's on time, meaning that I was the first one there. Cindy and Chrystal got lost, but it was fine. Fidela, Steph, Vanessa, Cindy, Chrystal, and I had a good time discussing (crazy) email addresses, China, curry, pasta salad, unique names, "Fidela" on Facebook, "same name" syndrome, "FANG!", pork, blueberry pie, ice cream, frogs, cows' eyes, lame teenage stuff, quiche, Steph's furniture which arrived in the last two days, ghetto people, weird names, and other stuff.

Steph was at the airport at 6 AM in Atlanta, when she heard some girl with a pronounced accent in the next washroom stall, sounding way too perky. "HEY GIRL! DID YOU GET MAH EMAIL?!" Then there was the person she came into contact with: her first and middle names were Sashakay Shaker. "You ain't gonna give me no ticket! I'm gonna remember yo' face!" HAHAHA, OH MY! My sister's response to the first? "You're right - I'm not going to give you no ticket. I'm giving you A ticket." (double negative!)

Fidela's tapioca pudding was a little strong, but there was alcohol in the extract! I also had a Dark Ale from Winnipeg along with tea and other stuff. Talked about stress, teaching, mispronunciation of "umbilicus" / "penis," "75 minutes?! That's almost an hour!" (dumb American girls that Fidela and her brothers overheard while waiting for a park ride), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE the play, Steph's guestbook, her KING-SIZE BED, TV / Internet lacking now, and more. Cindy somehow mispronounced "Toblerone" as "Trombonerone," hahaha!


Trivia fact for Thursday, Jan. 7: Which continent is the flattest? Australia. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the reason is "its position near the centre of a tectonic plate, where there are no volcanic or other geologic forces of the type that raise the topography of other continents."

Hands-free devices, pens, pencils, and sweaters!

Steph called me from her new hands-free device. Of course she doesn't want to break the new law in place, especially since that would look BAD for her! Gave me some directions to her place, and says that Fidela or someone can drive me to Metrotown Station or something. Sounds fine to me, although I might be able to convince someone to drop me off at an actual Canada Line stop instead!

You Are a Pen

You are a very precise and detail-oriented person. You don't make many mistakes. You're the type who can risk writing in pen. You like making things permanent. You are decisive and focused. You know what you want, and you go after it. You like to be in control, and you don't really care for change. You like to count on yourself.

Are You a Pen or a Pencil?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

You Are an Argyle Sweater

You are contemplative, brainy, and serious. You don't take much lightly - life is too important for that. You are a very determined person. You don't let anything stand in your way. You think out your actions and act deliberately. You don't waste time, money, or resources.

What Kind of Sweater Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Hockey scores, World Juniors, gross doughnut burgers, King Arthur, and JUDGE JUDY

USA won the World Juniors 6-5 in overtime against Canada in the gold medal game... *sigh* But at least the Canucks won 7-3 against the Blue Jackets! David linked me to something on Flickr called the Luther Burger - Krispy Kreme doughnuts and bacon cheddar cheeseburgers?! EWW, SO GROSS! Chris H. (pianodude34) also said "Hey!" to me on MSN, but then signed off. Oh well.

Your result for Which King Arthur character are you?...

Farmer

You fail to resemble a particular character in the Arthur legend; you have little experience being a warrior or otherwise.

Take Which King Arthur character are you? at OkCupid

Trivia fact for Wednesday, Jan. 6: What name was originally proposed for the TV show that gained fame as Judge Judy? Hot Bench. Producer Larry Lyttle proposed the name, but was overruled by Judge Judy Sheindlin. The show first aired in September 1996.

Butterscotch ice cream, Bailey's ice cream, 2010 trivia calendar, pasta salad, mosquitoes, and more!

Got out of the house for my doctor's appointment - guess it went okay. Then I decided to head over to City Fresh Market to buy some on-sale noodles. After that, I stopped by Chapters to see if I could get a page-a-day calendar. They were all half-price, and I tried to select one which would be good for useless_facts as well as remotely interesting to me personally. I didn't get the one on weather, or 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said... I settled on The Original Amazing Trivia Facts Page-A-Day Calendar 2010 instead. Went to Save-On Foods, where I picked up one kilogram of pasta salad for tomorrow night, some on-sale zesty Orangina (which I've never had before), some Tostitos chips, some bean and cheese dip to go with it, on-sale butterscotch ice cream, on-sale Häagen-Dazs Bailey's ice cream, an irresistible on-sale JOY OF COOKING microwaveable meal in a bag (cooked braised beef with egg noodles!), and some turkey pot pies. I managed to walk to the bus stop with all that stuff, therefore saving myself some money - no cabs here unless absolutely necessary! (unlike SOMEONE...) Will make more mushroom soup to use up more milk before it expires on Saturday, too.

Trivia fact for Tuesday, Jan. 5: What state holds an annual three-day mosquito festival? Texas, in the town of Clute. The Great Texas Mosquito Festival is held on the last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of July. The 30th annual festival will be held this year.

Mom cannot spell "itinerary" at ALL!

Mom sent me an email with the subject "Thursday Italary." She really cannot spell "itinerary"... Firefox suggests "Italian," "Italy," "italic," or "italics."

Big G wants to go to her safety box and Super Store on Thursday (to buy Sensodex toothpaste 2 for $7.00). I think it's best for you guys to go to Super Store first and then use the transfer to go to the safety box and then have lunch and head home. She will buy lunch plus give you $20.00 and I will give you $10.00 worth of food or household goods like toothpast, canned salmon etc.

If you want to, you can sleep over tomorrow night. Steph is coming to our house tomorrow morning and then big and I are going to her place to check out. You are welcome to join us too. Just come over before 12:00. Call big to tell her you are coming over, do not scare her.

I can't sleep over because I'm going to Steph's party - but then I don't know who will drive me home later. Mom really means "Sensodyne F" toothpaste, hahaha. At least I officially have the house keys now, thank goodness. I'd get stuff now, but I don't feel like rushing myself to get to the appointment - LATER!


Eric emailed me back about the $200 computer specs, too. "eMachines don't have a good reputation, and these are refurbished models. I wouldn't recommend them. The specs are pretty limited for this day and age, though would probably satisfactory for your needs. I suppose we should figure out for sure if your current computer died or whether it is the screen." I think it's the screen more than anything, but I guess we'll see.

Jennifer, John, Michael, pest control, clocks all showing different times, and NIGHTMARES

I was in the middle of a dream about Jennifer L. (tehgreenfairy) divorcing her husband John to marry her friend Michael when pest control and Hester woke me up. At least they didn't say in my hearing that I didn't know what I was talking about this time! I did ask the pest control guy why they didn't bait the traps (being awake enough for that, at least), and he said that the problem would get worse if I added food to the mix. Well, we do want to CATCH them, don't we?! He thinks that I'm hearing the mice run in the walls and ceiling... maybe, but I do know when I hear things which shouldn't be there. However, he did put some more flattened traps down - of course not where I hear the mice, since it's kinda hard to get in there. Then they asked whether I'd seen mice in my living room - not for a while, but you never know! Oh well, at least I have that environmental health department number... we'll see when I get my hearing back later this afternoon! (hopefully)

After that, I decided to go back to sleep.. had a haphazard dream, which ended with all the clocks in my apartment being at different times. I thought I'd totally missed my doctor appointment (in the dream) since it was half-dark outside, and the computer clock showed 5:23 PM. The one in my room showed 11:40 AM, and the alarm was stuck flashing at 8:13 AM. What the heck?! At least I got up earlier than the last few days, which was my goal with help. Got a card from John A. (snooooopy) in the mail, featuring a hyper Snoopy on sugar cookies. HAHAHA, it DEFINITELY fits! I also somehow knew Eric would email us something, so I told him about the $200 computer's specs as he requested. Heh. I'll get salad later.

You Are Forgetting Your Clothes

You tend to be a very private person, and it bothers you to be overexposed in any way. You don't like feeling judged, and competition makes you feel rather nervous. You excel when you are able to do your own thing, without rules or supervisors. You need to operate on your own timeline. If you have to perform on someone else's schedule, it leaves you feeling naked and unprepared.

What Nightmare Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

It's "twenty-ten," not "two-oh-ten!" Buses shouldn't pull away JUST as you get to the stop, either!

I would have been on time to meet Eric had the 410 bus not PULLED AWAY RIGHT WHEN I GOT TO THE STOP! Yes, it was obvious that I wanted to get on the bus, and wasn't just passing by to get to the Canada Line or something. UGH! As it was, I got there fifteen minutes late - we had takeout lemongrass chicken from Pho, and got chopsticks from the kitchen when we got to church. Eric thought that I should make a New Year's resolution not to call Mr. Creep by that name, but it's too hard - and I always end up breaking what resolutions I have made, so it's essentially pointless! He also thought I was hopped up on brandy beans - not so, my friend! I finished them all in mid-December!

He also assured me that he was sane, and kept referencing the 12 days of Christmas. I know, but I really don't like taking time to get out of the Christmas season... seriously, yesterday was NOT good for me. It's not about the meaning, trust me! Discussed salad, Superstore, XS Cargo, the $200 computer and specs, and running pedestrians over. Saw Christon and Pastor John at the restaurant, so talked very briefly. I also informed Eric that I wouldn't be around this Friday for MissionsFest, split up between three places. I think Billie's birthday party is so totally worth it, especially if there's a sleepover! Before we left Pho, I told Eric to finish his tea, haha. I love that.

The meeting was a bit long since Pastor John / Dylan / Johnny / Kevin had to recap the past year, and do an overview of the roles and responsibilities for Jen since she's new. Lucky Vivian was thanked for her service, and got to leave really early since she's not sticking around next year. There was a discussion of MissionsFest, which I largely ignored since I'm not going. Actually, I couldn't hear half the meeting, but that should be rectified tomorrow afternoon. We did discuss some REALLY IMPATIENT person ringing the church doorbell seven times in a row (not Stanley, as Dylan thought - some worship team member instead!), Chung (which I misheard as "Chuck"), Acer (which I misheard as "Asa") having issues with not eating dinner, some guy's non-work email address starting with "8 plucky" (Jen and I had a good laugh at that), Living Waters / Frog Hollow / UGM, Wesley, Uncle Stephen, programs, Helen sharing, Karen, Lincoln, Dawn, Vanessa, Jon, Harmony, Deb, retreats, Calla, Christon's group and refreshments, small groups, huge numbers of new people, David, and more. Pastor John kept referring to 2010 as "two-oh-ten," which REALLY irritated me. It's "twenty-ten," DAMN IT!

On the way home, I told Eric about my busy upcoming week, and he bugged me about true love and touching David Wong's tiger shirt. Says his true love's name was mentioned during the meeting - YEAH SURE. Then he said that I'd made a noise when Raymond's name was mentioned - since I didn't recall doing that, I said that he was crazy. He said he wasn't making it up - whatever, man! I do know that when Dylan mentioned getting Randal to help with something, I said "if you HAVE to..." under my breath, though! Got home to find a notice from the management saying that they'd be here tomorrow morning "for treatment of mice in suite." Damn well better be!


When I was in the meeting, I thought that I should find a Facebook "tag picture" that had "new(est) friend" as an option, just so I could tag the aforementioned David Wong as that one. (Raymond would say that I am obsessed - FAR FROM IT!) After a bit of searching, I did! :D

Sexy people getting rejected! / Cards, appointments, and health feedback / BLUE

I had a weird dream which consisted of sexy people being rejected because they'd had sex already that day, fit people, and my friends doing crazy things. It's all I remember now, although I'm sure there was more. Got up to find a Christmas card from Jennifer L. (tehgreenfairy) in the mail... plus a phone call and an email from Eric, so I called him back - sure, I can do Cambie / Jacombs at 6:15, and we'll have Pho for dinner. Funny, since I just had it for lunch yesterday - but I'm not complaining! At least I have cash for it, even after buying pills, which I've been delaying for a couple of weeks! If only I could find the original bottle, though...

Also now have my sister's address, so I can figure out how to get there later. Made a doctor's appointment, too. Finally got some feedback from the City: I should call the Environmental Health Department at 233-3147 as they deal with rodents. Speaking of rodents, I should probably leave my phone on as I think "pest control" comes by tomorrow!

Your Favorite Color is Blue

You are a compassionate, empathetic, and sensitive person. You can truly put yourself in someone else's shoes. You're known to be very soothing and understanding. Your friends can always turn to you in times of need. You see the world realistically. You don't have any illusions about what is or isn't going on. You are wise and thoughtful. You don't rush to judgement, and you think things through.

What's Your Favorite Color?

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

The Brothers Karamazov / Whales and dolphins

Your result for The Which Karamazov Brother Are You Test...

Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov

Vanya, Vanechka, etc.

"Let it be known to you that I will always protect him. But as for my wishes in the matter, there I reserve complete freedom for myself. Don't condemn me, and don't look on me as a villain."

Ivan (Vanya, Vanechka, etc.) is the intellectual. The second legitimate son of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamozov and the first by his second wife, Ivan is a deep thinker -- too deep, perhaps. His religious views are controversial -- he professes atheism, but has trouble justifying his own morality without a basis on religion. Nevertheless, he is a good man, though he blames himself for his father's murder as he spoke his own views too freely in front of those who could not handle their implications safely. He made a name for himself anonymously, essentially doing freelance journalism, while paying his own way through the university. He slowly drives himself to insanity through self-inflicted feelings of guilt, however, finally breaking down completely at Dmitriy's trial. Luckily for him, Katerina has no problem with him staying at her house -- though whether to recover or to die, the book never says.

You are likely to be:

-Moral and philosophical, but not necessarily religious

-Intelligent and rational

-Hardworking, loyal to those you care about

-Hide your emotions, but that doesn't mean they're absent

Take The Which Karamazov Brother Are You Test at OkCupid

Trivia fact for Monday, Jan. 4: In the world of whales and dolphins, what is spyhopping? Rising vertically out of the water to check the surroundings.

Meetings, get-togethers, Grandma, sleepovers, and more... oh my!

For someone who relishes downtime, my week is sure filling up fast! Still, I guess it shall prove worthwhile... Steph's opened up her new place for the girls' 2010 get-together with me, her, Fidela, Melia, Cindy, and others. Perfect... I shall have to go out to Save-On and get some sort of salad tomorrow or the next day, for sure. I'll figure out how to get there later, haha. Since I had a date for the get-together, I decided to call Mom at 11:20 to say that I could be a good granddaughter since my schedule is free. Wow, and I still have to schedule a doctor's appointment sometime too!

Monday at 7: Committee Meeting (will make arrangements with Eric tomorrow sometime)
Wednesday at 6: 2010 girls' get-together at Steph's.
Thursday at 12-ish: Spending time with Grandma.
Friday at 5: Billie's birthday party in Coquitlam, complete with sleepover. (leave at 2:30 to get there on time?) [401, Canada Line to W. Hastings / Granville, 160 to Bay 12, C28]
Saturday at 4: Awana (I should leave Billie's at 2:35 to get to the church on time!) [C28, 169 Braid Station from Bay 11, Skytrain to Rupert Station - Millennium Line to VCC Clark]
Sunday at the usual time: Church! Don't know what I'll be doing later, but maybe going to lunch with people since Dave asked whether I was joining them - we'll see if I save money or not, heh.

The last-minute dinner is FOILED! / Jen

Mom called to see if I could make it to some last-minute dinner tomorrow night with Auntie Lana - I have plans tomorrow consisting of the Committee Meeting! Steph can't make it since she has to work, but Jon can. Oh well, maybe some other time.


Edit: Shally tagged two photos of me on Facebook from the Christmas party at Auntie Beatrice's last month, but I removed the tag on one since it showed me in mid-drink. Korey always said that I look like I was in the middle of sex when I sipped my drinks - that's not true, but I still didn't like that particular photo. The other one stayed, however.

Neurotransmitters and Michael Jordan!

Your result for Which neurotransmitter are you?...

Endorphins

The self-centered molecule

You belong to the class of neuropeptides known as endorphins - the body's self-made painkillers / pleasure chemicals! Spacey, blissfully unaware, and a definite hedonist at times. You may be good at soothing cells that are going through a tough time, but you're bad at just about everything else. Irresponsible, cluttered, and haphazard describes your lifestyle.

You have a propensity to contribute to addictions. As well, when others get too much of you, they tend to become itchy - make sure you give them space.

Take Which neurotransmitter are you? at OkCupid

Trivia fact for Sunday, Jan. 3: What did basketball great Michael Jordan always wear under his Chicago Bulls uniform for good luck? His basketball uniform shorts from the University of North Carolina. To cover his college shorts, Jordan started wearing longer, baggier Bulls shorts - inadvertently launching a basketball fashion trend.

Do we HAVE to sing Christmas carols in JANUARY?! Are you two DELUSIONAL?!

My parents were even later than they said they would be, but at least the banana-walnut muffins were fresh! Said hi to Grandma, anyway... got to service late, meeting Maxine's family in the elevator. I accidentally pressed the CLOSE DOOR button - when Maxine noticed, I said I wasn't awake yet... she knew how that was, haha. When I actually did go into the sanctuary, Randal was reading a Christmas-themed passage - and then we went into WE THREE KINGS. COME ON, CHRISTON AND ERIC! ARE YOU TWO DELUSIONAL?! (I understand that the Christian calendar's Christmas season extends into January, but did we REALLY have to sing Christmas carols?!) Of course, the sermon had to be Christmas-themed as well... *grumble*

I was very happy when service was over - said hi to Cindy and Dianne (who are back from China), Harmony (today's bag from Mom contained newspapers, muffins, and other things), Andrew, Jeremy, Hien, Karen Kwan, her dad Uncle John, William, Wes and a pregnant Esther, Chrystal (New Year's), Helen and her boys Nicholas and Cory, Joshua / Keenan / Tim, and others. Cory was wandering around with a tiny mandarin orange at one point - so cute! I scooped him up after he climbed the steps to the stage, while telling Joshua NOT to touch the drums. Having three kids would REALLY deplete your reserves of energy and patience, even if my parents did it! (haha, Helen pointed that out!) Noticed Martin talking to Mr. Creep near the kitchen, so tried to steer the kids away from that corner of the room for obvious reasons! Got too much coffee at first, because it was too hot for my knuckles to handle in a mug, so dumped some in the kitchen sink. (which reminds me of some vitamins that Nathan has - The Kitchen Sink, hahaha!)

Said hi to baby Mattias, who wanted the celery stick that I was eating right in front of him - sorry, baby, none for you! His mom Karen said that he knew it was food, and he wasn't picky! I bet! Kevin verbally reminded me of Committee Meeting tomorrow - yup, I remember. Hailed Dave when it seemed like he was done talking to Jose and Raymond ("Les!") - I actually barely touched his shirt because it had a tiger, haha! (whoops) He said that a respected graphic artist had drawn it; cool stuff! I asked how his birthday and New Year's had been - housesitting (which ends on Friday) and video games! He wanted to know what I was doing for lunch: I'd probably be with my parents, I told him. When I asked him in turn, he said that he'd either cycle or eat with the boys. At least this one isn't hanging out excessively with girls, haha! He mentioned reading through my Facebook profile, and finding it to be random. I told him that the NGS were known to be unique and quirky, hahaha!

Saw Lesley's friend Connie, and met her husband Alex and kids Christian and Kaitlin. (guessing at spelling) Asked Fidela what date the girls' get-together would be: we never get to see Becky, and she can't make it! Then again, Fidela's friend was supposed to visit her, but he's stuck in Portland since his passport is in UTAH! I guess that frees up her schedule... we'll see later on in the week, for sure! She wants somewhere central; while I had no idea on a specific place, I agreed that Broadway was good as a starting point for the variety and location. Made sure to talk to Sam since he leaves this week - we told each other to take care, even if winter break went by too quickly for him! Touched base with Jon (since I wasn't in the mood to talk to either Eric or Christon) - when I mentioned helping with the kids, he said that I should leave. I know, but I kept getting distracted!

By the time I went upstairs, it was 11:45 - yikes! Got to give away Christmas cards and candy canes to Conor (who hugged me a few times when I mentioned Jesus coming to his house), David, Evelyn, Margaret, and little Esther. Amanda said that in her picture of flowers, she had killed Transformers. I like the girl's morbid mind, haha! Amos just played with cars and such - the kids seemed to listen when I told them some stories, at least. (gave a candy cane to Rachel) Saw the twins' mom Linda, looking a bit thinner than a couple months ago, but that's definitely understandable! At least she's feeling better!

After that, I went downstairs, where Uncle Tom gave me a ginger snap. When Matthew Ma #2 came looking for $2 which he'd lost somewhere, I gave him my last candy cane when he remembered my name. Mom tried to give me a guilt trip about not accompanying Grandma to the second floor in the elevator because she forgot where she was going - nope, not buying that! Besides, she knows darn well that *I* would have no idea where to go - plus, I was running late too! Had Pho with my parents, and noticed that the restaurant had been renovated! At least I'm home early from church; this is a good thing, since I needed to pee when I got home! (if this is TMI, too bad :P)


Edit: I've asked Billie whether I can sleep over on Friday after the birthday party. Her dad has said that it's okay - apparently, her parents love having me over! Tara keeps saying that I'm such a good girl, haha. Either way, that's good - I just need to tell Eric tomorrow that I won't be going to MissionsFest, and I'll call Henry sometime during the week too.

Muffins, dream of Kaitlin / Tuesday / Matthew / sea life / Jamie, Madonna song

Mom apparently is going to be ten minutes later than she thought she'd be - excellent, because I am not AWAKE as I should be. Says she is making muffins, and doesn't want me to stand outside in the cold...

I had some kind of weird imagery again: a family going back hundreds of years, the patriarch named Matthew Martin as a little kid, trying to determine when "trendy" names were introduced into the family (Kaitlin? Tuesday?), sea life being around when a servant (Jamie) was banished, that same servant being accepted back YEARS later, and more. Crazy!

You Are Ray of Light

You are optimistic and hopeful. You can't help but see the light in every situation. You are able to see things from a more spiritual viewpoint. You have the gift of perspective. You respect the cycle of life. You know that you will experience both joy and pain. You try to realize that you are just a small part of something infinite.

What Madonna Song Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet