Shopping Stereotype

Your Shopping Stereotype is Economical

Cheap. Thrifty. Frugal. These are all words that you can (and likely do) use to describe your shopping style. Why pay top dollar when you can get a bargain? You love to save money, and you're really quite good at it too. You're most likely to be found shopping in discount stores, but you also know how to rock the clearance rack at top-end places. People are always complimenting you on your finds, and they can't believe how cheaply you get everything.

What's Your Shopping Stereotype?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

The ex can still see my posts through his alterego?! / YAY, JEREMY! / Appendix

I called Eric back after my nap (and after he sent me an email intimating that I should bring a "big group" snack... meh!) - I didn't know if I'd fall asleep, but I did. He wanted to know if I was going... of course! Then he wanted to know whether I could get there on time.... considering I was apparently early, I could and did. Eric picked me up, saying that a passing bus should have been the one I was on. I said he was late, and he pointed at the time - fine, it said 6:15. I ranted about his adding Korey's alterego (back) on Facebook: Eric said, "I had him on there before! [to my assumption that Korey threw a hissy fit over something] Yes... I got mad at him, and he deleted me!" I knew it was someone whom I thought of as a devil, but I had too much respect for Eric's friendship to say that Eric should just not have added him back. Knowing Korey, that would have created way more drama than strictly necessary! We went to Superstore to get cheddar (no grapes!) and Subway for dinner... I picked up some aluminum foil since I'd forgotten about it this morning, even if I don't use it much.

When we got to church, we went upstairs to find Dylan playing the keyboard. I had to go downstairs and stand in the kitchen to eat, since I didn't want to get crumbs all over myself. Benedict saw me from the fellowship hall, so we waved to each other. Pastor John came in and we exchanged greetings. I got out of the kitchen when the Chinese fellowship had started their praise and worship night, and went back upstairs to say hi to Dave, Yvonne, and Christon. Dylan, Eric, and I figured that Jen should tell the fellowship about the program since we weren't consulted about the change in plans. After our worship, I said hi to Harmony and Deb before going to my small group. Jeremy hadn't been to the lounge since it was changed over, so I said that it wasn't the seniors' lounge anymore. Johnny said that he'd been sleeping when we tried to call him a couple weeks ago... GOOD JOB, making Cindy all flustered and nervous! She was that way tonight, too... she was a few minutes late, and apologized profusely. Meh, it's just a few minutes! Dylan, Deb, Lesley, Johnny, Albert, Carmen, Vicky, Eric, Kevin, and Jeremy weren't THAT worried! :P

We had to go around the table and affirm each other - Eric thought that I should be affirmed in the fact that I can put up with a lot of teasing, and can scream as loud as my sister. Crazy man! I apparently made people laugh when I said that I didn't know Vicky very well (so couldn't really affirm her, haha), AND when I said that Lesley was leaving us soon, hahaha. When Cindy asked Jeremy for his birthday, he pointed at me and said that she should have asked ME... thanks, dude. It was good seeing Jeremy out on a Friday, even if he does have work tomorrow - I've missed his humor! Discussed humor, laughs, crosses, accounting courses, apples, poems, multigrain Pringles chips, insight, memories, significant events in the past six months, Germany, and more. We had refreshments in the foyer... everyone joined in! Pretz, orange slices, apple slices, hot chocolate, crème brulée and dessert courtesy of the Chinese fellowship, Pringles chips, sweets, cheese, and other stuff.. oh my!

Told Andrea that I'd gotten her email, but life was a bit crazy. She apologized that she didn't invite Eric or Jeremy (who MIGHT be going to Jon's gig) to the dinner, but she and Chuck were going to invite everyone to the ceremony and lunch. I understand that parents have a say in the guest list, as well... at least she's inviting Jon, Steph, and Harmony! Made Sunday plans with Eric: it doesn't matter to me if he has to be there early! Talked to Grace and Dianne about Richie's farewell - it's going be on the night of Sunday, April 11. I knew I couldn't afford to go to the dentist this month ANYWAY! Asked Emily Lam who the Daniel Fellowship guy with the glasses was - his name is Isaac, and we shook hands. Said hi to Joey, Jason, and more people. After a while, I saw Eric high-fiving Mr. Creep in goodbye... I definitely wanted to offer the poor guy some of my hand sanitizer, haha! Dianne said it was good that I wasn't carrying around a heavy bag - I didn't HAVE to, today! Harmony said that Jon was at a CD launch party... not surprising! She said that the chapel should be upstairs at Holy Trinity, and it should be pretty simple - okay then.

I surprised Jose by wishing him a happy belated birthday - hey, we TOLD him that I remembered everyone's birthdays! Wesley asked when Jose had told me... in October, so about five months ago! Richie just laughed at us, heh. After a while, I asked Eric whether we could go now... he said that "my pal" wasn't around, so I didn't have to be antsy. HA, HE IS NOT MY PAL! We finally did leave a while later, and we heard Stanley telling Margaret / Hien / Quan that blueberries give you diarrhea... oh my. Eric and I mainly talked about my vision, how far away things had to be for me NOT to see them (since I didn't recognize Vicky waving at us in the parkade), Moist, Batman and the Joker, guessing, DARKWING DUCK, no "Speedos and tie" show tonight (Eric has a pair, from swimming club), CAPRICA, LOST, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and more on the way home. Interesting times, hahaha. Ada finally sent me a reply to my message asking for a ride... phew, she can do that tomorrow!


Trivia fact for Saturday, Mar. 27: How long is the adult human appendix? Usually between three and four inches.

Milk and Cookies / We're Waffling!

Barry picked me up before 11, but I was awake enough for it. Picked up a whole bunch of stuff at Save-On, including a black Sharpie and a cheap notebook for my Canada bag. Good thing I'd found some hand sanitizer and lip balm for it around here yesterday, thus saving me some money. Ramen, Shira, and Jason got their Easter candy (Cadbury micro eggs!) and cards - at home, I found a farewell card for Richie, plus my last three Easter baptism cards. I can use those for Cordia, Lanie, and Jen! In a bid for snacks which are more easily sharable, I opted for the only two flavors of Pretz that the store had: two boxes of salad Pretz, and one bigger box of tomato Pretz. Hopefully, Eric can eat that more readily than Pocky / Cadbury eggs (my first two choices), but it'll be up to his own judgement! I looked at the ingredients, and it doesn't contain sugar as such... but does have glucose-fructose. Whoops!

Got lemon meringue yogurt, blackberry yogurt with vanilla, a lot of chicken / turkey / beef pot pies, a fajita combo "Smart Lunch" for my dinner tomorrow before Jon's gig, two bottles of Brisk fruit punch and lemonade (one for the gig tomorrow), antibacterial soap, bottled water, frozen veggies, bacon-ranch Pringles chips / multigrain cheddar Pringles chips (SUPER STACKS with 100 chips in each can!), Dr. Pepper, soup, clam chowder, pasta, a "light and refreshing" blackcurrant / peach drink, a surprise calculator gift for Auntie Ying, bread, bananas, and chocolate milk. My "budget" went all to hell when I saw two new (to me) flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream: Milk and Cookies, and "We're Waffling." However, I did save money on some toilet paper that's supposedly good for the environment! And now that I'm home, I can't find the soap - what the heck?!


Edit: I found the soap... it was in with the Pretz! And my turkey pie is totally deflated after I microwaved it. What the heck is wrong?! Ugh. Time for a nap!

Sharing with JUST our group! / Horse breed

Too sunny, so I'm up early. Decided to change my mind as far as snacks go, and bring something more easily sharable with just our group, so Mr. Creep or Raymond can't get their dirty hands on those. :D [I don't care about Randal, haha]


Edit: Scott says his boss wants him to work early on Sunday, so he won't be able to attend The Engine and The End's gig at the Holy Trinity church. He wants me to take loads of pictures - I'm not the picture person in the family, haha! But I'll tell him how it was, for sure! I also just got Leslie's (sexnseafoam) Philippines postcard in the mail - sweet!

You Are an Arabian Horse

You are passionate and intense. You are well known to be a little fiery and wild... you can't help it! You aren't mean-spirited. You just believe that rules should be broken. You like to run free and do your own thing. You are really quite gentle and docile if you aren't pushed. You are exceptionally sensitive and intelligent. You get along well with others, and you're generally quite patient. You don't tolerate anyone being abusive or incompetent, though!

What Breed of Horse Are You?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

Damn right! Very fitting!

Me, the Crime Library, NOT walking all over Eric, and nicknames in common

High-scoring word of the night:

ME (102 points) - against Darrel S. [5W, 4L on M, hook off KA to make AM]


I've been reading the Crime Library tonight... good times! Called Auntie Ying earlier while doing that and laundry, too. Talked about fish, Dave Wong, her neighbor, my non-relationship with my mother, appreciation, my sister thinking I'm walking all over Eric (if anything, KOREY is doing just that with his repeated requests to borrow money from him - I don't think his behavior's changed), her aunt / Chrystal's grandma, prayer, dancing, Aberdeen mall, the care home at work, and more.


Trivia fact for Friday, Mar. 26: What nickname did hockey great Bernie Geoffrion, boxing champ Ray Mancini, and tennis phenom Boris Becker have in common? Boom Boom.

Leaving for Taiwan again, spicy seaweed, dessert Pocky, and clam chowder

Just before I was thinking of getting ready to leave, Corey buzzed me for the last time from Fort Collins in a year or so:

[13:58:12] mrptptpt: well, I'm about to leave, I think
[13:58:51] AlenaBrolxFlami: stop scaring me!
[14:02:15] AlenaBrolxFlami: leaving in the snow? well... like, leaving leaving? or just stepping out? and if you're leaving leaving.... have a SAFE trip in your business class
[14:14:40] mrptptpt: like going to Taiwan leaving
[14:15:44] AlenaBrolxFlami: yes, I figured that... although for some reason, I thought you were going to leave tomorrow
[14:20:10] AlenaBrolxFlami: well, I'm about to leave here myself! I have a doctor's appointment, so take that! :P
[14:25:07] mrptptpt: sounds fun :P talk to you from the other side of the world where people are shorter :P
[14:25:50] AlenaBrolxFlami: haha... yeah, maybe tomorrow my time or whenever. it'll work :P
[14:27:00] mrptptpt: I get there Saturday morning there, so probably Friday afternoon here
[14:27:11] AlenaBrolxFlami: Okay, that makes sense.
[14:28:28] mrptptpt: watch for your package

Then he signed off, but that was fine. I was technically late to the appointment, but the Canada Line is still very good. After that, I went to Big Crazy: got three packs of spicy seaweed in the 100-pack, Golden Wheat Spicy Beef noodles in a four-pack, and three (dessert) Pocky boxes. I think I'll like milk and coffee, chocolate and cheese, and double chocolate! Then I went to White Spot for some clam chowder, and read some of the newspaper. It was definitely raining by the time I got home! I'll have to buy some Easter cards and egg packs for Ramen, Shira, and Jason tomorrow too, but that should be okay.

51 emails?! / Scott and Jon's gig / Heavenly Name / Shmoos

Got up today to 51 emails... I was very surprised, but most of them were from Mandy and Facebook. Scott had sent me a message, wanting to know if I were going to my brother's gig on Saturday. I have no idea what he's talking about, although I do know Jon plays in a band. Guess I'll ask Jon at some point, since (as usual) my Gmail chat is out, and I'm too lazy to log out and back in again! I guess I shouldn't use transit as an excuse since I was so INDEPENDENT yesterday, haha.

Oh wait, now I do. Jon has a Facebook post up, stating that the gig is at 7:30 at a local church. Should be enough time to eat and transit there... or maybe I should just transit there and THEN eat. I don't know! Scott probably wants to see me again, which is fine... I know I'd like to do that after ten years or so, haha!

Your Name is Pandora Ophelia

Simply heavenly!

What's Your Heavenly Name?

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

Trivia fact for Thursday, Mar. 25: In the world of science, what are shmoos? Yeast cells preparing to mate. In doing so, they develop tips that grow toward one another, and morph into elongated pear-like shapes. These resemble the Shmoo in the Li'l Abner comics. This continues until they fuse into one.

At least I got my own way tonight...

Got out of the apartment in time to take out a bunch of money from one bank's ATM, and then deposit some of it at another bank. Then I went to Sears, and finally found some "inexpensive" non-microfiber undershirts after a while of looking. Too bad I'm rarely in the market for panties, because those seem to be more prevalent! I got a free newspaper on the bus, but I still had to kill time before the dinner. Went to Excelsior to have some noodles with bok choy, plus a bunch of water; for some reason, I was really thirsty!

At the Canada Line, I noted that it was almost 6... it didn't help that I'd just missed a train! Oh well, at least I got to Lin's before 6:30, thanks to a 99 UBC bus that stayed at the stop till I got on. My brother and dad weren't too impressed with my not replying to any emails, but I choose that way of sanity for myself, although I do own that replies would be good. (they made the reservations already - got home to find that Jon had called me at 6:10) Jon had done a bunch of stuff today, and joked that I'd bought underwear... actually, he was right! Of course, I did the respectful thing and said hi to Grandma / Auntie Eva / Uncle Percy / Auntie IT. (that's her name!) We had SIU LONG BAO, surfboard noodles, and a good soup with veggies!

We talked about dodgeball, Erin, sodium, produce shopping, my supposed "walking all over the honorary Ng, Eric" ... and processed stuff, Sunrise Service, health, stuff "for my own good," appointments, moving, family dinners, the "leakages" story, reactions, Jeremy's lunch being late, Mr. Creep (I DO NOT THINK HE IS A GOOD GUY!), cheesecake, Ceci and Angela coming to town, Chantal getting her birthday card, holding hands, hip-hop culture, small group, change of plans (might make it easier to share?), and other stuff. Apparently, Mom really wants a grandchild, but it's not happening anytime soon! She's relaxed her standards if she just wants her daughters to have boyfriends and not husbands... Jon and Harmony aren't going to have kids anytime soon, though! (he joked that I should talk to Korey again - NOT HAPPENING!) She was being melodramatic and saying that ALL her friends were grandmothers... not Auntie Christine or Auntie Teresa, although Auntie May now has six grandchildren! (four boys and two girls)

Speaking of Auntie Teresa, apparently she offered to look after Grandma for a week in May. Mom says she didn't say anything to her about it... yeah, sure. Grandma now gets permanent rock star treatment at her bank, since she has the manager's card - she didn't want to line up at the regular place, but went to the financial planner side instead! (she loves the safety deposit box) Mom said she had two bags of stuff for me - I said I was going to take the bus since I had to go to London Drugs, and she said they could drop me off. Nope, I like doing things my own way - it's safer! The reaction I got: "Will they allow you to carry that on the bus or Canada Line?!" I've carried more than that before, and I've seen people with suitcases / hiking knapsacks before... she's just dumb! Heard some guy singing Green Day at the Brighouse Station - Jasmine would like that, haha. Got home and consigned some stuff to the Salvation Army bag: a pink sweater (not my color), a black bling sweater (not my style), Cathay Pacific socks, a white sweater which wasn't my style, and more. For now, I'll keep the Ralph Lauren jacket with non-zippered pockets, the red toque, a jean jacket, and maybe a couple of T-shirts.

My subconscious almost left me alone with my mother! / Bake Sale Items

I had a dream where I was going around with my sister and my mom. We were trying to choose a good cheap cake for Harmony's birthday. Went to the Chinese bakery on Keefer, and I found their biggest cake available - it had a couple of tiers with a few layers each. It was also dark with lots of sugar sprinkled on it... so I told the employees to write "HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY, HARMONY!" on the cake. I even wrote it out on a blue bulletin, then looked around for Eric for some reason! A while later, my sister was going to leave me alone with my mother while she picked it up... thank goodness I awakened! The trigger HAS to be this dinner tonight - no other one at all. Good thing this is the last dinner I'll attend this year, maybe! (I only do it for people I really love)

I have realized that my bus rides are now "free" - yay for the bus pass paying for itself! Also just made a doctor appointment for tomorrow at 3... it certainly works! Might as well, for tax credit certificates and such, whatever those happen to be!

You Are Brownies

You are outgoing and friendly. You don't let yourself stress too much - there's too much life to be enjoyed! You are easy on yourself and those around you. Even if you eat the whole pan of brownies, it's really not a big deal. Your friends can always count on you for a smile or a laugh. You rarely judge or criticize. You are sweet because you realize not everyone's perfect. You don't try to be perfect, and you love yourself even more for it.

What Bake Sale Favorite Are You?

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

Oxidating, fibs, and Uncle Ben's rice

High-scoring words of the night so far:

OXIDATE (342 points) - against Margaret C. [two 3W, 3L on X]
FIB (146 points) - against Pearl R. [two 3W]

Plans for tomorrow: hot and sour soup, $60 in "other" account, $75 in savings, pay Shaw bill, non-microfiber undershirts from Sears, and actually go to the "family dinner" which is combining dinner with Auntie Eva and someone from Singapore with Harmony's birthday.


Trivia fact for Wednesday, Mar. 24: What image remake did Uncle Ben - long the face of Uncle Ben's rice - undergo in 2007? After 61 years, he became chairman of the board in company ads.

I'll eat Albert Yip and lobster pills! (Engrish menu) / Ugly orange suitcases

Found this mildly Engrish menu via Katherine:




[17:25:01] mrptptpt: I got a new ugly orange suitcase today :P it may not look pretty, but it will be easy to spot on the luggage carousel :P
[17:25:19] mrptptpt: it's not that ugly really, but it's quite orange on most sides :P
[17:29:25] AlenaBrolxFlami: HA. at least it's bright... although it will also be easy to spot dirt and grime on the suitcase, if it's that orange!
[17:50:29] AlenaBrolxFlami: *picture paste*
[17:55:34] mrptptpt: I had a good Engrish menu in Taiwan. they were nice enough to bring me a menu in English, but it made no sense, so I just had Jane's aunt translate for me from the Chinese one
[17:55:50] mrptptpt: nothing too funny that I saw, just a lot of nonsense
[17:56:49] AlenaBrolxFlami: damn, you should take pictures of this stuff!
[17:59:24] mrptptpt: mail Leslie's package tomorrow, mail Leslie's package tomorrow, mail Leslie's package tomorrow
[17:59:32] mrptptpt: I'm going out, so tell me that when I get back :P
[17:59:54] AlenaBrolxFlami: if you're going OUT, mail it NOW :P (and if you're going out, I'm taking a shower)
[18:01:07] mrptptpt: no way, it's snowing like crazy
[18:01:27] mrptptpt: I'm only going to Wal-Mart and back, it's pretty straight on a main road to get there, it should be okay
[18:01:49] mrptptpt: it's not very cold, so it's just slush everywhere. it's gross out there
[18:04:05] AlenaBrolxFlami: and the weather will be better tomorrow? :P
[18:04:23] AlenaBrolxFlami: and here it's slightly sunny
[18:05:39] mrptptpt: I hope, I still have stuff to do tomorrow
[18:12:52] mrptptpt: so remind me to send your stuff :P
[18:12:55] mrptptpt: I'll be back

Equations, questions, Henry, Billie, microwaves, poo, crazy Colorado snow, effort, and chocolate

High-scoring words of the evening:

EQUATION (220 points) - against Yannick L. [two 3W]
QUESTION (100 points) - against Itamar R. [5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


Henry called me earlier, which made me wonder what he wanted on a Tuesday evening. Seems like he has something else going on this Saturday, so won't be going to Awana. At least there's notice for me to call Ada, hahaha. (or - more accurately - send her a Facebook message since there was no answer on the phone!)

I also want to hang out soon with Billie (and others?), but when the microwave is being a poo, and I need to pay bills.... yeah, not gonna happen this month! Guess I could reschedule my dentist appointment... and mailing a card to Tara (her mom) is totally doable! At least there's one thing I can do, heh.


Corey's weather report:

[19:26:07] mrptptpt: oh man, that fucking sucked. it's snowing like crazy, and I could barely see where I was going and I was sliding everywhere... then I get to Wal-Mart, and see a place to turn toward it.... yeah, that's the damn on-ramp to get on the interstate... the absolute last place I want to be... so I had to drive to the next exit and drive home very slowly through town, while hoping I didn't run out of gas (I was on empty the whole time)... so I didn't even get anything done
[19:26:32] mrptptpt: I stopped at the grocery store by my house and found one thing I needed, and 100 Grand bars for you............ that's it for today, fuck that
[19:27:12] AlenaBrolxFlami: I was wondering how it went, actually... man, that definitely sounds sucky!
[19:27:18] AlenaBrolxFlami: but thanks for the bars
[19:33:58] mrptptpt: so you better love these 100 Grands :P that was like an hour and a half of risking my life, and I didn't even get the things I needed
[19:34:13] mrptptpt: so remember that effort when you get them :P
[19:35:06] AlenaBrolxFlami: I shall indeed remember the valiant effort when I get those
[19:35:14] AlenaBrolxFlami: and yes, mail my package tomorrow - reminder.
[19:36:42] mrptptpt: I will, if I can find an envelope :P
[19:36:53] mrptptpt: and you need prank call DVDs remade, right?
[19:41:10] mrptptpt: *pastes my address over a few messages to make sure it's correct*
[19:43:58] AlenaBrolxFlami: oh, okay... and yes on the DVDs and the address :P
[19:50:15] mrptptpt: I just opened up a Mr. Big... those things are kind of like 100 Grands
[19:53:22] AlenaBrolxFlami: that's good then... I could go out and buy some right now, but I'll wait till Friday :P
[20:04:55] mrptptpt: well, we'll see if the DVDs fit... they're going to be pressed up against a side... guess I better put them in a case (if that fits)
[20:05:42] mrptptpt: I have to wait a really long time for all my prank calls to copy over the network from my laptop (I'm trying to get everything in one place and my laptop has the most complete set) to my new 2TB gigantic drive I'm going to take with me
[20:08:28] mrptptpt: so remind me again later to do this :P I have everything else in the envelope (which is addressed), so we're most of the way there
[20:09:57] AlenaBrolxFlami: you're nuts, but whatever works

Dream about the effect of multiple deaths and shootouts / Scribbled Circles

I had a dream which detailed the effects over the years of multiple deaths and shootouts on one day in a family. I've probably been watching a lot of crime shows lately, haha!

You Are Trustworthy

Of all the types, you are the most responsible and loyal. You take your duties seriously. You thrive when you are able to do something practical and productive. You hate to waste your time. Some people say that you are a bit neurotic or cautious, but you believe it's better to be safe than sorry. You do your best to live a engaging and important life. You want what you do to matter.

The Scribble Circle Test

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

I'd like to go to a school with funhouse mirrors! / Large dog?! / WASP

More relevant Taiwan conversation:

[18:51:26] AlenaBrolxFlami: will it be spring in Taiwan?
[18:52:44] mrptptpt: I think it'll be spring everywhere, except for those upside-down weirdos in the southern hemisphere
[18:58:06] AlenaBrolxFlami: haha... I know a few of those people right now.
[19:09:37] mrptptpt: sounds like summer is the one to stick around for. it's probably hot as hell there in the summer, but the fruit is supposed to be really good then
[19:09:56] mrptptpt: mangoes and pineapples, and probably lots of other things I don't know about
[19:15:24] AlenaBrolxFlami: what does Jane say about the summer weather?
[19:16:19] mrptptpt: she complains about it being hot sometimes, but not too much
[19:16:39] mrptptpt: we'll see.. hopefully the school has air conditioning :P
[19:19:58] AlenaBrolxFlami: that would be good :P
[19:23:53] mrptptpt: well, it's pretty fancy inside... I'm sure they do
[19:24:11] mrptptpt: they have funhouse mirrors, a giant floor piano... indoor slides...
[19:24:15] mrptptpt: well, maybe they don't have air conditioning after buying all that crap
[19:49:47] AlenaBrolxFlami: sounds more like an amusement park than a school...
[19:51:01] mrptptpt: their first floor / lobby area kind of is
[19:51:30] AlenaBrolxFlami: interesting!
[20:09:20] mrptptpt: interesting as fuck
[20:12:32] AlenaBrolxFlami: no fucking in the school, you hear?
[20:23:30] mrptptpt: why not?
[20:31:00] AlenaBrolxFlami: you could get fired
[20:31:23] mrptptpt: well, I'll have to be careful if that kind of opportunity comes up
[20:31:31] AlenaBrolxFlami: .... WHAT?!
[21:57:36] mrptptpt: hey, Google Maps has streetview for Taiwan now :P I can "drive" around my school
[22:03:53] mrptptpt: not sure if that link will have you pointed in the right direction, but turn around until you see the big building with castle stuff, and a big inflatable arch with whales on the top :P
[22:11:13] AlenaBrolxFlami: hold on... watching show about woman who was gunned down in cold blood
[22:20:18] mrptptpt: I found Jane's house too, by attempting to "drive home" from FE'21 (a department store place)
[22:20:47] mrptptpt: I got lost, but knew the general direction and found it on the map by finding a park next to her building :P
[22:21:04] mrptptpt: looking up her address didn't get me anything
[22:24:02] AlenaBrolxFlami: that department store place reminds me of Forever 21 :P
[22:32:01] mrptptpt: it means Far East :P
[22:32:27] mrptptpt: and there's a link to see it, and the train station which is next to it


Chris Lam emailed the Awana leaders, asking us to think about serving in August for two weeks as Vacation Bible School helpers. Last summer's pictures looked pretty cool, but of course I'm not going to make a decision based on that alone! I probably won't do it unless someone in Richmond is definitely doing so.

Laura also emailed me back, guessing that she should mention that her dog is a rather large breed, a Mastiff-X. She also says that she's not looking for anything long-term, as she wants to move before September - possibly in June or July. I guess she did want to split the rent, but I dunno about it now. I'll see what happens if she calls me tomorrow... and I just got another reply to my ad, which said nothing except "if you're still looking for a place to rent, I have one - email me back." How about NO?

Trivia fact for Tuesday, Mar. 23: When it comes to computers, you know what a bug is... but what is a WASP? A Wireless Application Service Provider - which allows customers to access Web-based services with a variety of wireless devices, including personal digital assistants and smartphones.

Let's kill the probation officer while pretending not to be a mole, Dana...

CTU is reeling from the EMP, but the search lights on their rifles seem to work. I guess they're on battery power. There's some talk about drones crashing, but Arlo thinks they have some time before that happens. Bubba makes a big deal about making sure they don't fall out of the sky and cause any damage. You know, unlike those nuclear rods that can cause 100x as much damage. But who cares about them? Dana says Kayla Hassan is done with her medical. They did that in two minutes? Man, our health care system is already going downhill as a result of Obamacare.

Apparently, all satellite surveillance was routed to CTU, so NSA can't help Jack out with their surveillance. See what happens when you centralize intelligence gathering? If this had been before the Patriot Act, then the FBI, CIA, and NSA would all have their own satellites. Samir's henchman says CTU is "blind, deaf, and dumb." Well, he's certainly right about the last one. Tarin seems conflicted, but Samir assures him that he did the right thing. That's easy for him to say. He didn't get to know her like Tarin did.

An "Agent Henderson" is supposed to escort Kayla back to the UN. Hopefully, it's not Christopher Henderson. That would be a serious demotion for him. Kayla doesn't understand this EMP stuff, and that makes two of us. Well, she can watch Broken Arrow if she needs an explanation. The terrorists are handling their rods. They're also preparing their nuclear material for transport. They see an unmarked black SUV carrying Jack, Cole, Owen, and some guy we don't know. Jack and Cole have trouble getting reception on their phones, and Jack realizes that they're walking into a trap. That's a pretty big assumption. Maybe they just have really bad service.

Shootout at the East River. Tarin Id's Jack Bauer, and says he was one of their best agents. One of their best? That doesn't really do Jack any kind of justice, does it? Then again, it's slim pickings. Tony, Nina, and Henderson were all traitors. Michelle, Mason, Buchanan, Curtis, and Edgar are dead. Chase and Doyle are inactive. Erin Driscoll is at home mourning her daughter. Pretty much, it's between Jack and Chloe. Anyway, Samir and Tarin make a run for it, get into their motorboat, and get away with the rods. Jack sees a call box on the other side of the dock. Going for it would expose them to Samir's snipers, and would result in certain death. So I'm betting the unnamed fourth agent (who we'll call Agent Ricky for the time being) will be the one that bites the dust.

NSA is here, and I'm betting they'll play the usual role of the overbearing agents that get in everyone's way and slow everything down (à la Division). Of course, Bubba and the NSA guy immediately start stepping on each other's toes. Chloe is concerned about Jack, but Bubba is more worried about getting CTU up and running. Bubba does bring up a good point, though: "If anyone can take care of himself, it's Jack." Chloe pouts for effect, but it doesn't work on Bubba. I guess he, like everyone else at CTU: New York, only has eyes for Dana. You know, they should go to Miami next year so they can have CTU: Miami. They can even hire some guy who looks like David Caruso to play the head of CTU. Someone get Conan O'Brien on the phone.

NSA wants to rebuild the server from scratch. Chloe thinks she has a shortcut, but NSA guy is rude and tells her to make like a tree and get lost. Chloe pouts again, and that seems to have no effect on the NSA guy. She really needs to work on that. Finally! We get Renee! Woohoo! And it's not even my birthday. She's in Jack's apartment, but unfortunately, she has not been primping herself to look good for her man. Nor is she sprawled out on Jack's bed, waiting for him to finish saving the day. Oh well, she still looks good. Chloe calls and tells her that Jack is in danger. Renee springs into action, and don't we all wish we had someone who, at the drop of a hat, is willing to come save us from a bunch of terrorist snipers?

Dana takes time out of her busy schedule to talk to the probation officer Prady again. Conveniently, the EMP erased the videos he was looking for, so it looks like she is off the hook. Of course, since there are still 11 episodes left, I'm sure they'll drag this out even longer. Chloe tries to boss NSA guy around, first by being her usual charming self. That doesn't work, so she channels her best Jack... and pulls a gun on him. Awesome! Good to see that she's learned a thing or two after all these years. Like Jack, I bet this will have no adverse consequences for Chloe at all. Especially if she pulls it off.

Jack and his crew are still pinned down. Jack comes up with a plan for the four of them to cover themselves with cast-iron shields as they walk, in formation, to the call box. They have to stay in sync, though. Otherwise, it will leave the others exposed. The others agree, but Agent Ricky looks scared to death. They start moving, and sure enough, Agent Ricky freaks out and makes a run for it. He gets shot, and the others have to go running for cover. That's what you get for not listening to Jack. Agent Ricky is lying out in the open. He's still alive, but the snipers are using him for target practice. Cole and Owen want to go back for him, but Jack is willing to leave him for dead. Agent Ricky looks at Owen with the puppy dog eyes, and Owen falls for it. Owen runs out, and then takes one in the chest. Don't these guys know better than to disobey Jack? No silent clock for Idiot #1 and Idiot #2. Not like they deserve it.

Kayla is back at the UN, and has a tearful reunion with her parents. She apologizes to her father profusely. About running away with Tarin? Or about all the premarital sex? Bubba tries to get Chloe to come out of the server room. Apparently, tapping into the "trunk line" (whatever that is) could result in absolute disaster. Like flooding CTU with Sentox nerve gas. Or taking everyone back in time to Day 6. Just like the Hot Tub Time Machine. Chloe makes an impassioned speech to Bubba, and he actually goes along with it. Finally! It's only taken 13 episodes, but he's realized that listening to Jack and Chloe is the way to go. Hey, they keep surviving every season. Clearly, they're doing something right.

Chloe is working on the servers, and I'm betting all she does is press "CTRL-ALT-DELETE" a few times. Anyway, it works, and CTU is back up and running. Jack wastes time giving CPR to Owen when he really should have been going for the call box. Jack agrees to sacrifice himself for the mission so that Cole can get to the call box. No! I vote for Cole being the sacrificial lamb! No dice, as Jack makes Cole promise to make sure Bubba doesn't bring Renee back in. The law of action movie villains holds true as the snipers can't hit Jack, even though they outnumber him and have positional superiority. Jack takes out a few snipers before he finally gets hit. Luckily for him, he takes a couple of shots to his flak jacket. One of the snipers zeroes in on Jack's head and looks ready to fire, but not before Renee appears and shoots him. Sure, we all saw that coming, but it was a nice moment nonetheless. Renee is holding Jack as the choppers leave. Who says this show isn't romantic?

Prady goes over Dana's head, and tries to talk to Bubba. Instead, Dana comes in and confronts Prady. He promises to nail her ass, and that causes Dana to snap. I'm guessing she didn't like the way he phrased that. Prady could have used a better term, but Dana didn't have to strangle him with a wire as if she were Tony Soprano. She hides his body inside one of the vents, and I'm sure no one will notice that. In fact, I think that's where Jimmy Hoffa's body is buried. Well, this certainly makes her more interesting. I guess she's a psycho bitch who went off the deep end. I'm not sure I buy it, though. After all, she was off the hook with the video getting erased. There was no way the guy could prove his case, and I'm sure Bubba would back her up. Why kill the guy? Unless she's insane, in which case maybe she can do us all a favor and kill Cole.

Dana calls Samir, and it turns out she is a mole. Well, I guess that explains it. I'd prefer it if she were crazy, though. It would at least be more original than having yet another mole. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. CTU really needs to screen their employees better.

Pantyliners as an investment, and business class amenities

Via my sister, this is my mother on pantyliners: "When you laugh, you can have leakages! So it's a good investment at my age!"


Corey, on his upcoming year in Taiwan:

[16:18:57] mrptptpt: okay, need a job now :P I bought business class tickets for the international flight, too
[16:18:58] mrptptpt: business class all the way now :P
[16:19:29] AlenaBrolxFlami: .... are you crazy, or what?
[16:19:41] mrptptpt: no, I want to be comfortable :P
[16:20:26] mrptptpt: my knees hit the seat in front of me in coach... and if the person in front of me leans their seat back at all, it's right in my face. this should give me some breathing room. it was only a couple hundred more, and I'm already spending too much anyway even for bad seats
[16:21:32] mrptptpt: now I'm guaranteed a power plug for my laptop, some legroom, a nicer seat.. less people to deal with, better food and drinks... for huge international flights, I think that's worth it. I get that there and back
[16:21:48] AlenaBrolxFlami: you've booked your round trip already?! NICE!
[16:22:05] AlenaBrolxFlami: oh, okay... I wouldn't know, not being tall
[16:22:17] AlenaBrolxFlami: (and no short joke)
[16:22:34] mrptptpt: for the domestic flight, to LA, that's only a couple hours, and though I have business class on that too (because I had to, to get a non-horrible time), I don't think THAT is worth it. I still have to buy a ticket home from LA to Denver, and that will be coach :P
[16:24:17] mrptptpt: well, not being tall, you'd still be pretty squeezed in, flying in coach.. they're really jammed together, it sucks
[16:24:28] mrptptpt: anything better is usually way more expensive, though
[16:24:47] AlenaBrolxFlami: I thought "there and back" meant "to Taiwan from Denver / LA and vice versa" :P
[16:24:54] mrptptpt: so this is only a couple hundred more (on a ticket already more than $1000), so whatever, I have paychecks coming in the near future
[16:25:09] mrptptpt: maybe not the most economical thing to do, but it shouldn't hurt too much
[16:25:19] AlenaBrolxFlami: but yeah... I can't say I've been in really roomy airplanes before
[16:25:28] mrptptpt: now, if I wanted to go even better and do first class... that's like $4500... that's nuts
[16:25:48] AlenaBrolxFlami: doesn't sound like it would be too bad, no... and that cost IS nuts, and not really justifiable
[16:27:17] mrptptpt: first class gives you all the legroom in the world, and seats that turn into beds, and a ceiling that changes from clouds to stars depending on the time zone you're in, and fancy fancy food, a salad bar (A SALAD BAR?!?!!), and all kinds of crap :P
[16:27:40] mrptptpt: mine won't be anywhere close to THAT nice, but it'll be a lot better than coach
[16:29:17] mrptptpt: so now I'll need to work for a while before I even break even, but it won't take a long time...
[16:30:45] mrptptpt: oh, I was also worried that since I'm using a travel agent, I'd have to pay more (I did) to cover her fees and stuff, and thinking maybe I should just buy it straight from the airline to save what I could.. but her price ended up being $20 more than what was online, and she's been helping me out for like 4-5 days now, so that's perfectly okay with me
[16:31:11] AlenaBrolxFlami: clouds to stars?! WOW! what's wrong with a salad bar?!
[16:31:46] AlenaBrolxFlami: oh, all right... that's definitely not too bad
[16:32:16] mrptptpt: click the Interactive Demo button to see the stars thing
[16:32:38] mrptptpt: maybe there aren't clouds, I think it just has some sort of gradual mood lighting... but it's a starry night, at least :P
[16:33:19] mrptptpt: my stuff is in the Elite Class / Evergreen Deluxe Class link
[16:52:01] AlenaBrolxFlami: PILLOWS ON SEATS! YAY!!! (don't mind me - I just had some coffee at KFC!)
[16:52:30] mrptptpt: who gets pillows? me? or first class? :P I think everyone gets a pillow
[16:53:08] AlenaBrolxFlami: I saw it on the link you sent, and was like "YAY, PILLOW!" :P
[17:10:11] mrptptpt: pillows are good stuff, huh? usually, the airline pillows are little, and I don't like using them.. even in coach, the headrests on the international flights are soft and curve around a bit, so they're fine. if you use a pillow, your neck is up at a weird angle, since you're not actually laying down.. so that just gets in my way
[17:16:22] AlenaBrolxFlami: yeah, that would be annoying if it gets in your way

I'll have some fried chicken with a side order of ditziness, please...

Called Laura just before I went out, and she said that she'd have to call me back tomorrow. Seems a girl who had seen her ad before it got reposted had contacted her to see the suite. Hey, I understand that these things happen - I asked how she was, to be polite and to maybe make a good impression, haha. Then I went out to get some KFC.. I'm turning into a ditz because I couldn't see the three-piece meal offered on the menu! At least they had some coffee, yay! Eric would say that I don't need any more caffeine, hahaha. While walking through the Staples parking lot (forgot about the bus stop location AGAIN - despite taking it ALL THE TIME!), I was surprised to hear my sister's voice: "Hey, pretty lady!" (whatever, man - at least it's civil, and I was probably overanalyzing NOT talking to her yesterday!)

I respect that she was driving Mom around, but still asked what she was doing in Richmond before I registered the fact that she was in Mom's car! (and before I saw Mom was in the front seat, studiously ignoring me - that's fine!) She asked where I was going - HOME, man! You think I'd go to Vancouver in sweats?! Even if she'd offered me a ride home, I'd have politely declined... I don't really want to be in the same car as Mom right now, and I don't care if Mom knows it by implication. When I got to the bus stop, I was reading a newspaper - a guy sat down beside me, and said hi. Normally, I might not like small talk... but "hi - beautiful spring day" seemed to cover it. That was okay, I think. Got home and found that Nathan's friend Michael M. had added me to Facebook - hahaha, I don't mind that since at least I know where the request is coming from! (as opposed to totally random ones) Now, if only I were taller and less awkward...

Wanting KFC, and witty T-shirts

Thanks to some comment thread on Nathan's Facebook about fried chicken, I now want to go to KFC and get some. Will have to watch my cash this month, for sure!

Your T-Shirt Says You're Witty

You have an amazing sense of humor. You can range from silly to dark to sarcastic. You are extremely playful and carefree. You try to inject fun into every situation. You aren't a slacker, though... if anything, you are competitive and aggressive. You strive to be successful and popular. You want to be the best you possible.

The T-Shirt Test

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

Billie, Speedos and a tie, and Penn Jillette's dubious naming taste

High-scoring words of the night:

REMOTER (495 points) - against Heather S. [5W, two 3W]
DAWTIES (208 points) - against Linda S. [two 4W]


Talked to Billie earlier about love, relationships, black people, hindsight, her upcoming trip to Israel (with a stopover in London), exes, boyfriends, grandmas, jealousy, family, people we like, and more. We're agreed that we like humor in people, but not if it's taken to the extreme where you joke about EVERYTHING, and can't be serious when the situation calls for it! Got an email from Dave to the whole small group, stating that he'd show up in Speedos and a tie just for Eric. Hahaha, oh boy. :P


Trivia fact for Monday, Mar. 22: What funnyman named his firstborn son after Dracula's dog? Comedian-illusionist Penn Jillette. He named his son, born in 2006, Zolten... noting that "it's my wife [Emily's] maiden name, and most importantly, it's the name of Dracula's dog." Their first child, a daughter, was named Moxie CrimeFighter.

Infectious behaviors and calling Laura / Marilynn

High-scoring words of the evening:

INFECT (112 points) - against Joyce Q. [4W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
BEHAVERS (100 points) - against Linda B. [2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
EXHORT (170 points) - against Micheline L.-L. [5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
DEPOSING (122 points) - against Douglas N. [5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


I finally called Laura back, but she was at work - of course, I apologized! She said it was fine, and that she had gotten my email. I understand if she hasn't had time to reply, but since I was out all day today, I thought I'd call as directed. Says she's off all day tomorrow, so I will call back then... probably after I call Barry to verify when a good time is for him to come with me to look at this suite. Jen reminded me earlier to make sure that we were compatible... yes, that's an important consideration! I also noticed that Marilynn (headless_maids) added me on Facebook - NICE!

Community garden shareholding, funny sarcastic humor, coffee coziness, and more!

Eric picked me up at around 9, which was about what I expected. Spent the ride over talking about our weeks, curling / ice sheets, the open house, morbid stuff, SEVEN, rants, finding words, Windows, Cordia, Citrus, and more. He said that SOMEONE would probably be at the church even at 9:25 - I brought up feeling defenseless, and he thought that I was afraid of going into church by myself. I know Eric isn't my PROTECTOR by any means, but it's nice for someone to have your back. Wouldn't say I was AFRAID since church is supposed to be where you SHOULD feel safe, and I'm not afraid of that person by any means. Got inside, and discovered that the Chinese morning service had let out already, so that was fine. Went inside the sanctuary, and found that Mr. Creep was sitting at the farthest row possible ALONE... I took my usual spot so I wouldn't have to move. (heard Quan saying that she wished she didn't have to move - I understand you!) Jon and Harmony gave me a wedding thank-you card... nice! During the service, Christon (as the announcement person) had to take things into his own hands as Eric (the worship leader) apparently forgot about the offering, haha.

After service (I did notice Dave coming in late), Cindy asked me if I wished to contribute to something for Richie's farewell... this had to be hush-hush since Richie was a foot away from me at the time, haha. Dianne had sent people an email, which I did not get... oh well. I saw my mom wanting to talk to my sister, so I stayed away from her! As I went toward the fellowship hall, I could smell coffee - YAY! Chrystal said that I could put my stuff down by her... which was fine, but she was also talking to Mr. Creep. I'm more protective of my stuff, trust me. I had a cookie with the coffee, and Eric joked that I'd be REALLY hyper while teaching the kids later because of the caffeine and sugar. (I also told Jeremy that the coffee was hot this week, unlike last week - I was about to say "warm," haha!) Jeremy wanted to know whether I'd smuggled some Bailey's in to mix with my coffee - Eric sniffed it, and pronounced it negative for the presence of alcohol. I think I know better than to come to church on alcohol, despite my mother putting Kahlua in with the breakfast coffee a few times!

Noticed Dave talking to Josiah (about bikes, I presume - Josiah is interested in them too), so left him alone. Said hi to Audrey and a few others including Sonya, then talked to Helen K. and her sons Nicholas and Cory - Cory was the Jello Monster since he had it all over his face. At least he enjoyed it, I guess! Auntie Catherine apologized to me because she couldn't find the yellow sweater she was going to give me for my birthday - of course I can give her more time to find it, since I'm not an impatient person most of the time! After Dave conducted a phone call, I had to greet him with "You're crazy, man!" He said that I had some pretty funny stuff on Facebook - the sarcasm makes it humorous, he added. At least it wasn't awkward like I thought it was going to be! We discussed BMX in West Vancouver (what he did instead of curling), the fellowship retreat (neither of us are going, which caused Eric to make a certain suggestion later), dim sum, Sunday School, and more. It was pretty good talking to him - he observed that I looked pretty cozy with my coffee. Oh yes, for sure!

Grabbed my stuff and went upstairs after verifying that Eric would be back after the food class had a field trip somewhere. (talked to Maxine, Joshua, and Keenan about Sunday School attendance and materials) Ramen, Shira, Amanda, Harrison, Jason, Amos, Conor, David, and Evelyn were at toddler Sunday School today. Shira didn't cry a lot today, which is good... Ramen tried talking to me, which is better. Jason even came over to me while I was busy talking to Conor about his Lego toy - he had a Lego creation, which Harrison said was a boat. I took Harrison's newly-made paper airplane away from him since it was storytime, and Amos said that I'd rip it. Nope, I was just putting it in my pocket... but didn't give it back later, heh.

Conor was being silly and crazy with his toys, haha... I showed him the wedding thank-you card, and he asked why my brother and his wife would get married. I asked HIM why he thought they'd get married, and received this funny answer: "Hmm.. because they want babies?" HAHAHAHA! He also thanked me for the felts from yesterday, again - not a problem! When I tried telling them the story, Conor kept saying that the teaching aid picture (along with my new Bible) was his - IN A WHILE, NOT NOW! Later, Jason came over to me and took my hand while saying something to me in Mandarin which I didn't understand, but I could guess it had something to do with his mom since most of the other kids had left! David was so cute, trying to get him back inside the room when he had gone out the door to look for his mom! I went downstairs after that, studiously avoiding my mother - as advertised, my dad had something for me, which I have to make a doctor's appointment for. Should be doable!

Watched Ian and Sean chase each other around, then called Eric to see where he was - he wanted to know if I wanted to lunch at Jeremy's, so I said sure. Talked to Lawrence and Stanley in the meantime about blogging, Daniel Fellowship discussion, telling the story to the Awana kids, Mike knowing stuff about computers and such, Stanley knowing stuff about questionable sites, whether it was illegal to Tase little kids (probably!), Nathan being annoying by leaving the 7-Up out of the fridge, and more. (also asked Vivian who she was waiting for - ah yes, her dad... PARENTAL DELAYS ARE ANNOYING!) Dad wanted to know whether I was going with them... nope, because I had lunch plans! (I forebore to say that I didn't want anything to do with Mom, of course) Eric finally came back about fifteen minutes after I called him - I told Lawrence that it was worth the mental sanity to wait longer for my friends than my parents, hahaha.

It was a Sunday lunch with kale chips (oil / salt), broccoli soup, beet greens, apple slices in grilled cheese sandwiches, and beets in really intensely-colored syrup! Wesley, Jeremy, Jen, Christon, Eric, Jon, Harmony, and I talked about a bunch of topics:

* interesting books (dogs / cats)
* shareholders in community garden associations (canning and such, oh my!)
* Phil and Grace's previous landlord being mean (and my current ones not doing too much about the mouse problem - my Craigslist solution was discussed, too)
* Dave Wong not coming out for meals as often (money)... and the salty salad scaring him off, although this was the first communal meal since that time! (plus his eating LOT at lunch one time or two)
* helping to rinse dishes and such, plus the rain
* Lent and FEAST DAYS, thus the inclusion of Anarchist Amber Ale and blonde beer in a wine bottle, and Amber Ale cheese which cost $17.92 exactly at the cheese shop
* swing dancing and other plans
* Easter lunch and no Sunday School that week (location of lunch unknown... they have lunches or dinners every two weeks, Eric says)
* Sunrise Service (which starts at a later time this year - 7:30 AM as opposed to 6:30?), and the roundabout with Steph and Vanessa and Uncle Daniel (last year, the Accent Inn looked ready to call someone because they noticed them going around and around!)
* Uganda, roosters crowing at the crack of dawn with a LITTLE bit of light in the sky ("I WANT TO SLEEP! SHUT UP!") and apparently not stopping ALL DAY, Daylight Savings Time, Saskatchewan, and Arizona
* Harmony's new job, and her thanking me for the notebook gift - at least she's polite about it, heh
* Carmen and Albert, plus dogs


After making and eating the meal, we were surprised that it was about 4 PM or so. Mr. Creep wasn't there, thank goodness! Eric would argue (and did) that he needs to be humanized in my eyes... perhaps, but I know he's a person... he's just not my type of person! On the way home, Eric and I saw the orange polar bears - so interesting! Talked about plans, his brother Kieran and his surgery (I wanted to ask what it was for, but instead confined myself to hoping it went well - his parents are down there with him), his suggestion that I could spend time with Dave during the retreat weekend (I don't know... seems our money situations are equally precarious!), cheese, French, Mr. Creep / Mr. Potato Head, Sunrise Service (I'm good with going), my supposedly being "vague" when I said I was going to catch up on "stuff," and more. I told him not to include the words "male" and "members" in the same sentence again, and he said I needed to quit talking about questionable activities on the Internet, haha. (especially so if these male members start with D!) It was an interesting ride home, that was for sure! Now I'm going to watch the Paralympic closing ceremonies, which start around now - at least, according to Eric!

Spoz and Nate, microwave and Armageddon, visas, booking flights, and speech

Dreamed that Nate hoped Spoz would do a killer job music-wise for his grad roast at Minoru Pool... what the heck?! The microwave is also making weird noises at me while defrosting a pot pie - OH MY. WE HAVE ARMAGEDDON! Eric just called, too - I can finish eating while looking forward to more true safety in a car. :D

I knew that visas were complicated things, but THIS complex?! This is what Corey told me on Thursday night, using Gmail chat:

7:49 PM me: did you fall asleep again?
8:10 PM Corey: no, I went to Sports Authority and FedEx
now I need to buy a plane ticket
8:13 PM me: at 9 PM?! Are you crazy?
8:14 PM Corey: no, the rates go up tonight, so I need to hurry up :P
me: haha... I was talking about going to the sports store and FedEx :P
8:16 PM Corey: FedEx is open until 9, Sports Authority until 9:30 :P
8:17 PM and I needed to get that FedEx stuff out today (visa application)
and Sports Authority since I was already out and checked if it was open that late :P
8:20 PM me: well, I certainly hope the visa gets approved
Corey: well since I sent them $131 for it, me too
and since I'm buying a plane ticket :P
8:21 PM well, if all else fails, I can always get in for a month, and hope they can get the work visa crap done in time... if you have to leave and come back to restart your visa, you can go to Hong Kong and turn around and come back, which isn't too long or expensive
8:22 PM so it MIGHT be possible to do it anyway...
well, by restart your visa, I mean the 30-day "no-visa" time... if you just show up with nothing, you can stay 30 days
8:23 PM the one I'm getting is good for 60 days at a time
8:24 PM me: that gives you a bit more breathing room
8:26 PM Corey: they'll change me to a work visa that lets me stay, but that takes like a month, and I don't think you can change a 30-day visa.. you need to have a real visa.. so I probably do really need this
8:28 PM me: seems like it, yeah... how long were you planning to stay there?
Corey: well... like a year?
8:30 PM we tell the government 60 days though since they won't give me a visa if they know I'm working there since it's not legal to do that on a visitor visa
8:31 PM but that gets changed once I start working.. they'll change it to the proper visa. it's apparently cheaper to do it this way since they'd have to get all sorts of work permit things prepared in advance and it would delay everything to come in on the proper visa. so you go on a visitor visa and start working right away while they prepare the work visa
and if that's in progress, it's okay to work on a visitor visa
8:33 PM me: ah, government...
8:50 PM Corey: the sticky part now is the Visa... it has to get back here by Thursday... I leave on Thursday. if they come through for me, they should have it FedExed back here like Thursday morning...
if I don't get it, I'll have to reschedule the tickets and probably pay a bit more
9:00 PM me: you leave on Thursday?! OH MY GOD. PACKAGE!
9:02 PM Corey: what package? I got the package :P
remember? :P
I need to send YOU a package :P
9:08 PM me: well, you better do it soon if you're leaving tomorrow
9:10 PM Corey: next week!
today is Thursday this week.. tomorrow is Friday, and also a very important day!
9:12 PM me: oh yeah? what's happening?
9:13 PM Corey: well, take a look at tomorrow's date, and guess!! :P
9:14 PM me: hmm... there's a curling even that I won't be attending
9:15 PM * event
9:26 PM Corey: would you want to attend curing events? that sounds pretty boring :P
curLing! (you started the typos here, so it's your fault!)


And here we have last night's conversation about booking the actual flight:

[20:43:09] mrptptpt: so I just finished paying for my business class ticket making my already expensive trip $100 expensiver
[20:43:46] mrptptpt: it was that, or have a layover in New Mexico and then a 7-hour wait in LA
[20:44:39] mrptptpt: I decided that wasn't going to cut it, plus there's only 45 minutes between flights in New Mexico, which means if it's late at all, there might be trouble, plus it's another opportunity for them to lose my bags or something
[20:45:56] mrptptpt: I had to change my flight from Thursday to Friday, and there's no fee to do that... but the right time was sold out, and the next best thing was hours earlier with a stopover... the next direct flight was 5 hours even earlier than that... not at all going to work
[20:46:15] mrptptpt: so it was have like 13 hours of travel BEFORE my long international flight, or just spend more money
[20:47:20] mrptptpt: well, the right time wasn't sold out, just the cheap ones. business class was still available. so in Denver, now I get to skip most of the security line, since I get to use the one for important people.. that might be good since Friday is a busy airport day
[20:47:52] mrptptpt: not worth another $100 for sure, but if I have to spend more to get the right flight, at least I get some perks from it while I'm at it
[20:48:39] mrptptpt: if I could spend another $100 for business class on the international leg, I'd do it in a heartbeat, though.. then I'd have a nicer seat, and power for my laptop :P it's like a couple THOUSAND more for that one, though
[20:56:05] AlenaBrolxFlami: yikes.... the logistics seem really complicated
[20:57:10] mrptptpt: well... they were, but now I just go from Denver to LA :P
[20:57:35] mrptptpt: I'm not sure where the super awesome security line is in Denver, though
[20:57:38] AlenaBrolxFlami: yes, but how long would you have to wait in LA?
[20:58:35] mrptptpt: I have 3 hours and something there now... I would have had like 7 hours, plus all the time wasted going to New Mexico, which is a couple more hours
[21:03:54] AlenaBrolxFlami: I guess that's not too bad in comparison
[21:03:56] mrptptpt: 3 hours is enough waiting. I have to get my bags and recheck it in on the other airline though, so I need to be there that early
[21:04:25] AlenaBrolxFlami: I'm just cutting my fingernails because I'm afraid of digging into Dave's skin if / when we shake hands, haha.
[21:04:28] mrptptpt: I can get that done in way less time than that, but they want the bags to be checked in pretty early
[21:04:46] mrptptpt: plus, the later flight is sold out, and was more expensive when it wasn't :P
[21:07:19] AlenaBrolxFlami: what?!
[21:07:37] AlenaBrolxFlami: you're trying to break my brain, aren't you?
[21:08:06] mrptptpt: not really.. what's complicated about this?
[21:08:36] mrptptpt: you go to the airline and check in, which gets you your boarding pass, and gets your bags sent to the plane
[21:09:14] mrptptpt: when you get there, you get your bags again :P usually, they'll be checked through to the final destination... but apparently this airline can't do that, so I have to take them over to the other airline myself
[21:12:19] AlenaBrolxFlami: I'm talking about "the later flight is sold out, and was more expensive when it wasn't"
[21:19:36] AlenaBrolxFlami: OH SURE. GO AHEAD AND MAKE THINGS AWKWARD BETWEEN US TOMORROW. GO RIGHT AHEAD!
[21:20:08] mrptptpt: it wasn't sold out earlier.... it was more expensive than the earlier time anyway, so I didn't want it.
[21:22:11] AlenaBrolxFlami: oh

You Are a Conjunction

You are a deep thinker, and you're always looking for the connections between things. You see the whole big picture as far as the world goes. You are good at developing intricate theories. In your view, we are all interconnected. The little things we do affect one another, and the results are pretty interesting. You tend to be a mix and match type of person. You like unusual pairings - in food, style, and in company.

What Part of Speech Are You?

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

Snuggies, book lights, batteries, and John Wayne

High-scoring words of the night:

CUP (225 points) - against Helga S. [two 5W]
MINCER (300 points) - against Heather S. [two 5W]
XI (112 points) - against Tamara P. [5W, hook on O to make OX]
SCREWING (145 points) - against Roberta C. [5W]


Discovered that Brian P. (tbone) unfriended me on Facebook - oh well. I also decided to finally use my Snuggie - I'm a bit short for it to work optimally, and it came with a book light which uses three AG13 button cell batteries. No idea where you'd get those if I need replacements!

Trivia fact for Sunday, Mar. 21: What headgear did John Wayne wear in all his films starting with Wake of the Red Witch in 1948? A toupee... often under his ten-gallon hat. Wayne removed the wig for some scenes in The Wings of Eagles (1957), when he played his character as an older man. He joked about his hairless pate in El Dorado (1966), with the line "Ride, baldy, ride."