Church is NOT an appropriate place to be naked, kid!

Turns out I had even less time than I thought to get ready, because Henry called me just after 3 - good thing I'd taken a shower, at least! (my hair felt much better) Apologized to him because he had to wait, since I'd put the rice in the microwave to cook. He said it was okay since he'd had to wait himself for chicken nuggets to finish cooking at his place... he'd just left them in the oven. I'd put my rice in the fridge, however... not sure whether I'd forget if I left them in the microwave! Discussed El Niño, this summer having a 35-degree average temperature (YIKES for the mice!), Dine Out Vancouver, my brother's saying that Chicken McNuggets contained 47 ingredients (one of which is butane?!), his finally feeling a little better, the Foods Sunday School class, and more on the way over.

When we got into the church, I saw Alan - apparently, he just got back from Asia. I seem to recall hearing about it from my mom, when she was trying to convince me to go to the Fellowship retreat: "Alan is taking three weeks off!" (implication being that I could take ONE MEASLY WEEK OFF) As it happens, I have no spare money to even sink into a weekend retreat, and I've been to a lot of those already! (like Dave was saying the last time we discussed it) Besides, next week is the park outing - FREE IS GOOD! Interacted with a bunch of the kids, including one who told me that if I followed him home and annoyed him (I was going to say "stalk," but realized an eight-year-old wouldn't know the word), he'd push me out the door and lock it so I couldn't do that anymore. Cute! Margaret helped me with some stuff, too. Jordan was just staring at Golden, so Chrystal and I asked him what was up: he then told Golden that he was hairy. Gee thanks, kid!

I made change for my coins from Jinny's $10 bill and other coins that were around, too. Chrystal, Golden, and I discussed being tired, school, the special Olympics coins, last week, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, movies, and more. Sean, Conor, Eunice, and Luke didn't want to play games - we made them sit out on chairs. When I was done my secretary work, I went over to talk to them. Conor showed me his new shoes, and said that he liked the color yellow - he hates purple, pink, and black. His brother likes red and black, but hates yellow / pink / purple. Eunice likes pink and purple - I thought so, since she is a girl! What surprised me was what she said about her brother: "Isaac likes pink, too!" Interesting...

Sean was also pretending to eat his uniform, so I told him that I didn't think it would taste very good. "I think it will! I want to be naked!" With that response, I had to tell him that church was NOT an appropriate place to be naked, and to wait till he was in his room at home with nobody around - naked is a PRIVATE thing! Of course, it's not like he COULD have eaten his uniform - at the rate he was chewing on it, it would have taken him YEARS! "I don't care what they tell you in HANSEL AND GRETEL - houses and clothing are not edible!" Then Sean said that he'd seen a lady with a jacket which smelled like meat - hahaha, I love the kids' imaginations! I told him about beef jerky underwear, which he wasn't impressed with. Conor tried kicking himself, hitting his own head, and hitting his head on the soft chair headrest... then said he wanted a glowing pair of sunglasses. I like interacting with this one, haha - and more tomorrow!

After Awana, I took a bag of leftover snacks containing (Japanese) crackers and some other stuff. Said hi to Emily, who said that Sam was home - good, I'll see him tomorrow! Sean was crying because (I assume) his team had lost. Ada said he had to calm down, which he did after ten minutes or so. Later, Sean told us not to get him lost, so I said that it would be hard to get lost in the church parkade! On the way home, Ian told me about this Bakugan toy / its abilities / his friend Terrence with a birthday party tomorrow (turning eight or nine) / Toys R Us / comparing his toy to his friend's birthday present, playing the game on the computer, and more. Sean just talked to himself, and asked me to spell "primary" for him. He also showed me his Bible, which Ian said he got for free... however, Ian had to pay money for his! Oh well, that's okay too! I thought about the places I could get a relatively inexpensive long-sleeved T-shirt to replace one of my own... LONDON DRUGS! Yes, I'll go there now and call Eric later!

Restarts, errors, and swimming pools

This thing just restarted! NOT IMPRESSED with the error that keeps popping up, too! I need to eat and shower before I leave, you know...

Edit: I wasted almost an hour trying to get it to go away by itself, so I finally Googled (battling the recurring window all the way!), and then disabled error reporting. Yes, I know this is bad. Still...

You Are a Very Lucky Person

You are steady and calm. You have a method to how you do things. You are happiest when you have an obstacle to overcome. You need to be challenged. You work at a pace that is comfortable to you. You can get more done if you don't burn yourself out. You are a very patient person. You stick with people and things for a lifetime.

The Swimming Pool Test

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

Fazing the smart aunt for a while / 7-2 win / Zoombags

Bingo of the night:

SMARTING (134 points) - against Tim M.

High-scoring words of the night:

SMARTING (134 points) - against Tim M. [two 2W, hook off CART for a plural, bingo]
OVERRUN (275 points) - against Patti F. [two 5W]
SWIVING (145 points) - against Martin W. [5W, 4L on W]
COATI (144 points) - against Xander W. [two 4W]
FAZE (228 points) - against Jenny H. [5W, 3W]
REPOT (100 points) - against Alice P. [two 3W, hook off AKA to make TAKA]
XI (104 points) - against Carmen J. [5L on X used twice, hook off COINS to make XI and IN]
AUNT (135 points) - against Abbey T. [hook off HOY to make AHOY, two 3W - one used twice]
AWHILE (154 points) - against Betty H. [4W, 2W, hook off ONE to make AE]

The Canucks won 7-2 against the Kings tonight, and lead the series 3-2! That's pretty good!

Trivia fact for Saturday, Apr. 24: In aviation slang, what's a zoombag? A flight suit.

Jughead and skiwear! / Dentist appointments / Staying home

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

SKIWEAR (304 points) - against Michael H. [4W used twice, 3W, hook off QUIP for a plural]
JUGHEAD (104 points) - against George M. [5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


Went to the dentist, where I learned about flossing and calcium deposits in saliva. Scraping teeth is oddly peaceful, except for the blood in the mouth! Then I went to Oakridge (it had started raining) in order to scout out Minute Rice at Safeway. They did have it, but not in the big boxes I'm used to. After that, I went to Zellers - they did have the big Minute Rice boxes, on sale. Took the wrong Canada Line train on the way home, which made me even more delayed. When I got home, I figured Eric had called me - he had, but not for the usual reason. He was calling from home, for one thing. Says he feels sick and will be staying home. Sounds okay to me (no certain things going on, haha), as I get more downtime! This actually dovetails quite nicely with my wish to stay home and have a break from Fellowship for once! Tested pot pies in the new microwave, and it worked in the expected way!

T-shirts

You Are a Basic T-shirt

You are a very humble, low-maintenance person. You find contentment easily. You are easygoing and very social. You like being around other people more than anything else. Some may accuse you of being lazy, but you just don't work any harder than you need to. You are happiest when things are kept casual. You think formality is a lot of unnecessary fuss.

What Kind of Shirt Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Almost everything is accurate, but I wouldn't call myself "very social" at all. I like my alone time. ;)

Sweeping Mojo, paying in cash, non-interactive students, and James Bond

High-scoring words of the night:

SWEEP (300 points) - against Tim M. [two 5W]
BESTROWS (104 points) - against Lisa K. [2W, 5W]
MOJOES (144 points) - against Judy T. [2W, 4W]


I left Corey a message asking how teaching went, so I got these messages when I returned home:

[17:24:15] Corey: well, remember how the other school got rid of me, saying "you don't smile enough"?
[17:24:48] Corey: the girl from the front desk at this place came in to ask me how it went after the class ended, and I said I thought it was okay, and her first comment was "yeah, I could see you smiling a LOT!!" :P
[17:25:11] Corey: so, apparently my smile is not the issue :P
[17:27:11] Corey: it was okay, though... I thought I prepared way too much stuff, but they wouldn't talk much (it's supposed to be a discussion class), so I ended up running out of material and time at exactly the same time. I don't know that it was amazing, but nothing bad happened or anything, other than less student interaction than I would have liked.
[17:27:29] Corey: they talk when they're directly told to, but if you just ask the class for an answer... yeah, right


So then I gave my input when he was there:

[21:40:01] Flami: yup, I remember that... I suppose your smile isn't the issue, at least not with this school.. or the other school WAS covering up...
[21:40:29] Flami: maybe they don't feel confident answering in English, but I assume that IS the point of the class...
[23:09:52] Flami: oh well, what can you do?
[23:10:11] Corey: work at this place instead? :P
[23:12:17] Flami: good idea, if they'll have you :P
[00:06:14] Corey: well, they gave me money last night....
[00:07:20] Flami: they pay in cash? (Trillian crashed)
[00:07:43] Corey: yep, apparently so
[00:08:33] Flami: nice! :D
[00:11:11] Corey: my salary is the lowest possible there right now, but I'm also not working legally yet since I don't have an ARC (work visa), so I'm not paying any tax :P so if they increase my pay (they said they would gladly do that if things go well, and / or students say good things about me... the pay is just lower since I have no previous experience), and then start taking tax out, I think it'll be about the same

Briefly talked to Auntie Ying as well. She has trust issues with her co-workers, who aren't as honest and open as she might expect them to be. Well, all I can say is welcome to the normal work environment! :P

Trivia fact for Friday, Apr. 23: What was the only theme song from a James Bond movie to reach the top spot on U.S. pop music charts? A View to a Kill, performed by the rock group Duran Duran for the 1985 film of the same name.

Jane, bananas, coughing, ovens, Brent, and loud talking

High-scoring words of the evening:

JANE (208 points; two 4W), SIZES (294 points; two 4W, hook off ROOT for a plural) - against Eric G.
FOVEA (117 points; two 3W), KEYPADS (130 points; 5W) - against Toni S.
CRACKY (126 points) - against Toni S. [2W, 3W] {different game}
OVENS (144 points; two 4W), SURFED (173 points; 5W, 5L on F, hook off QUINT for a plural) - against Alice P.
SHEETER (117 points) - against Lynn B. [5W, hook off MICRON for a plural]
BRENT (225 points) - against Lori E. [two 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
MOONBLIND (320 points) - against Erin W. [5W, 4W]

The library's closing, and the computer is going to kick me off again in three minutes and counting. I heard these people talking LOUDLY to each other in here, eating a banana, and coughing / sneezing a lot. Good thing I'm generally healthy, but I'll take echinacea at home just in case. Am definitely looking forward to tomorrow evening, haha.

Tearing woman!

High-scoring words of the day:

OUTGAVE (179 points) - against Joseph M. (2W, 5W, hook off HAN to make THAN)
INLACE (220 points; 5W, two 2W), SAX (102 points; 3W used twice, hook off KAZOO to make a plural), WANLY (155 points; two 3W, hook off E to make WE) - against Julie D.
TEARING (225 points) - against Kim F. [two 5W]
OFTEN (250 points) - against Toni S. [two 5W, hook off HORN to make THORN]
WOMAN (153 points) - against Kathy H. [4W, 3W, hook off YINS to make AYINS] {a good deficit-erasing word!}

Bingo of the day:

REITBOKS (80 points) - against Jeff P.

Interesting rack of the day: ANYCRATE, against Wendy W.


Went to London Drugs to see if they had any cheap Minute Rice, but they didn't. Ended up getting something else, though. Then I went to the library, which is where I am now... gotta go before the computer kicks me off. I'll just log in again under another card number. ;)

Simple exercises to practice English / Angels / Melpomene

I tested my strength last night, and barely managed to do the feat which I set myself - yay! Also tested the new microwave on Minute Rice, and it worked properly! WOOHOO!

Corey shared his exercises with me:

[01:08:57] Corey: well, I have to go teach my first-ever class in a few hours... I have to have two hours of material :P
[01:12:51] Corey: Fun / Funny

Write fun or funny in each blank space.

1. A: Did you have __________ at the park today?
B: Yeah, it was really __________!

2. Hey, that was a __________ joke!

3. I really like playing basketball, it's a lot of __________.

4. I had __________ watching the comedian, he was pretty __________.
[01:12:57] Corey: challenge yourself!
[01:13:12] Flami: I just did, remember?
[01:13:46] Corey: well, do it again by answering my questions, or I'll fail you
[01:13:58] Corey: Jane said they're kind of hard, so maybe they'll work today :P
[01:14:21] Corey: I have three sets of those. bored / boring, scared / scary, and fun / funny
[01:14:44] Corey: Jane confuses those all the time, so I figured they'd be good to teach :P
[01:15:24] Flami: I shouldn't laugh, but that sounds like a good barometer
[01:15:26] Corey: they give me absolutely no topic to teach, so I've been scrambling for the last couple days, trying to figure out how to fill two hours with no topic or apparent point to the class (other than to keep them practicing their English)
[01:17:47] Flami: I guess those exercises should be okay
[01:57:15] Flami: bedtime now - 2 AM. good luck with the teaching

You Are a Guardian Angel

You care deeply for your friends and family. Like a Guardian angel, you take protecting them seriously. Besides guarding the ones you love, you have your eye out for all of humankind. You are very compassionate. You are a natural caretaker, and you are very interested in social justice. You want to make the world better for everyone. While you are responsible and conscientious, you are also light-hearted. You are easygoing and even quite funny.

What Type of Angel Are You?

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

Trivia fact for Thursday, Apr. 22: What legendary actress is depicted as Melpomene, the Greek muse of tragedy, in a marble mosaic in the National Gallery in London? Greta Garbo.

Tropika dinner... more nasi goreng!

Karmie picked me up, and we discussed her friend who might join the Women's Group. If this friend does, I might have a ride for the next six months. Karmie's own schedule is kinda dependent on what her kids do in the afternoon, when she's done teaching them. We were the first ones to Tropika, and then were waiting for Shally - she didn't show up. Calla, Karmie, Maxine, Harmony, Connie, Auntie Bessy, and I talked about Jon teaching Maxine's niece, Joe's wedding (the flower girl was crying all the way down the aisle!), leftover food, the Fellowship retreat, Tim / Joshua / Keenan, adjustments, school, naptime, Toronto, Dave He's wedding, Stanford, hockey, goalies being INSANE, Taiwan, leaving your kids alone, and more. We had nasi goreng, Pad Thai, curry, and meat skewers - pretty good, and definitely within my budget thanks to coupons! Got home to find that Adam had deactivated his FB account for now - I knew this.

Immediate goal: AVOID AN EPIC FAIL!

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

MACAQUE (304 points) - against Tony M. [two 4W]
COWING (126 points) - against Linda O. [two 3W]
FUZILS (115 points) - against Rose-Marie P. [two 5W]
TIKI (250 points) - against Erin W. [two 5W]
HOTELMEN (104 points) - against Dori E. [two 2W]
OSSIFY (140 points) - against Mintford B. [5W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}

Karmie just called to say she just left her house. I'm going to avoid an EPIC FAIL such as what happened with Eric on Sunday, so I better get ready NOW!

Weird dream with Stanford and Eric's parents / New Microwave / Working

I had a weird dream where Eric's parents were going to church with us, but we had to pass a whole series of tests first. Jon and Stanford were with us, and were confused as to why we had to shovel a LOT of rocks / stones / dirt into the car trunk along with our bags before we went anywhere. Then Stanford talked to us about how he and Calla were planning their wedding, too. That's all I remember, and I'm not sure why I had that one!

Barry and I went to Superstore and the bank - discussed dentist appointments and food, plus I now have a new microwave. Yogurt in raspberry AND black cherry, chocolate milk, rice, butter, money, instant noodles, and more... hey, I still have SOME money. Called Hester about the smoke detector, and she said that she'd let me know when the handyman would come. As long as that happens, it should be okay.

You Should Work With People

You are naturally interested in others. You are caring and compassionate. You don't feel satisfied unless you are making a difference in someone else's life. You work well on a team, and you are good at both leading and following. You inspire and motivate others, and you find that they do the same for you. You find power in numbers.

What Should You Work With?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Frogs and Mark Twain

Went for a nap earlier since I felt really tired. Of course, this means that I am now up three hours later. Go figure! (I had some kind of dream, which I don't remember anything about) At least I've paid certain bills!

Trivia fact for Wednesday, Apr. 21: What was the name of the frog in the famous Mark Twain short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County? Dan'l Webster.


Edit two hours later: Why the hell is the smoke detector randomly going on and off in my apartment? I haven't used the stove in a while, and there is no smoke smell in here, either. This is definitely not helping my headache... :(

Lucky library vending machine quarters! / Drusilla and vampires

High-scoring words of the day:

OVERDO (176 points) - against Dawn C. [two 4W]
MISSPOKE (132 points) - against Doris E. [two 2W]
KAZOO (168 points) - against Julie D. [2W, 4W]
CABS (280 points) - against Kelly W. [5W, 4W]
AHS (139 points) - against Judy A. [5W, 4L on H, hook off QI for a plural]


I went to the library, and while I was browsing a shelf, I heard the unmistakable clink of coins being returned from the vending machine. There was nobody around, so I decided to check it out - I got three quarters, which will help with the laundry situation! Picked up HORNS by Joe Hill, as well. Now the library computer's going to kick me off in thirty seconds, so I'm going home! (Karmie also emailed me to say that she could pick me up tomorrow at 6:30 when both women's groups go to Tropika... I guess I'll be okay if I order something inexpensive, or pre-eat!)


Facebook quiz taken from Subena:

Leslie took the What would your Vampire name be? quiz, and got Drusilla. Drusilla is a seer with minor psychic abilities. She is also capable of hypnotizing people. Very sexy with a great hunger for blood.

Taiwan noodles, being happy somehow, and more rain

Got out of the apartment late, but I figured the bus would come earlier than it actually did. Good thing the Canada Line is fast, but I also just missed a train - saw it pull into the station from a couple blocks away, but couldn't make it. When I got to Aberdeen Station, Auntie Ying was nowhere to be found. I thought she'd gone to the mall, so started out in that direction - I saw a strange lady waving at me while I was on the stairs, and finally recognized her as Auntie Ying. Maybe Eric is right, and I need to get my vision checked!

We went to a Taiwanese beef noodle house near Northern Delicacy, and she thought I looked happy. She thinks I'm pretty when I'm happy - I can't really recall being happy about TOO much lately! (well, except for less stress and more time with friends) When she said that she had to meet someone named Auntie Hannah at Daiso around 2, I was inwardly relieved because then that meant our lunch date would have a definite end time. She talks a LOT, and I sometimes want time to get lost in thought. Discussed toddler Sunday School, Conor losing his toys from HOME (he shouldn't bring them), Harrison's pee-scare, focusing on the older kids, Jason, chamber music, Linda, David, Evelyn, Esther, Bible Study Fellowship, VCC students cooking, my mom calling me, Dave (I was horrified when she thought I meant Mr. Creep!), and more. The time spent with friends is totally worth it!

It was my turn to horrify her when I said that I was reading a book about the numerous ways we can die - FINAL EXITS is a good one, and I know Cordia / Jeremy / Citrus / Stanley think so as well! By the time we left, I had consumed beef noodles / broccoli / tea, and left fairly quickly. Auntie Ying caught up to me, and said that I was pretty fast - that's the point, to get some alone time in without appearing TOO rude! It was raining, so I decided to go home. I wouldn't be much for checking out the weed action at the Art Gallery this afternoon, haha. Called Barry, and set up a food shopping appointment for tomorrow, too. Now I have to be out in the rain again, since the library just emailed me to say that my hold (HORNS by Joe Hill) is finally ready to be picked up. Oh well! Steve will be happy - yay, Wrathchild!

Alice, Bex, Connie, Dennis, and spring!

Alice's friend Connie added me on Facebook - okay, then! Guess she saw my complaining about a Wordscraper creep, heh. I also unfriended Bex on there, since I'd been wanting to do it for some time. She likes Indian things, which is fine... but I have no connection with her, other than the blood games!

Your Spring Sense is Sight

You can't help but be moved by the beauty of spring. The whole world changes in front of you. You love every green shoot and every blooming plant. It's like a picture is being colored! You are artistic and very visual. If spring hasn't inspired you to paint or draw yet, someday it probably will. You always give yourself time to stop and take it all in. Nature is truly an amazing thing.

What's Your Spring Sense?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Teaching conversation classes

Corey asked me for help just now:

[01:07:57] Corey: I need class ideas! :P they want me to sub at a class tomorrowmorrow night (Thursday :P, it's Tuesday now)
[01:07:58] Corey: they didn't tell me anything about it, though... like what level the students are, or what kind of material they're working on, or anything
[01:09:20] Flami: that's crazy! how do they expect you to generate these ideas? out of thin air? :P
[01:09:45] Corey: well, I emailed them to ask about that stuff
[01:11:06] Corey: but if you have any ideas for simple sentences they can use to make little conversations (like about past tense or future tense, or the difference between commonly confused words, or anything like that), spill it!

you're the one that's always playing word games and stuff :P
[01:11:21] Flami: oh, thanks :P
[01:15:57] Flami: Choosing The Correct Word
[01:17:03] Corey: oh look, she has grammar links handy :P how surprising!
[01:23:31] Flami: that's called "Googling 'commonly confused words' " :P
[01:24:02] Corey: I found this.. it's games and activities to use for adult classes
[01:24:30] Corey: I'm reading through that for now. if Jane was here, I could get some ideas from her probably. she's off at another company, so I can't talk to her right now :P
[01:27:25] Flami: hmm... interesting exercise, which would get them to communicate and reason
[01:29:08] Corey: if you mean the first idea in the thread, yes, but if this is the class I did my demo for (same night of the week... but I really don't know if that's the class they want me for), that's probably too complicated for them. for the advanced class I saw, that would be great
[01:31:13] Flami: that's also what I was thinking, based on what you've told me about the classes...
[01:33:47] Corey: I spent 30 minutes in my demo explaining ten vocabulary words / drawing a family tree (the vocab words were all family things... sibling, spouse, family member, relative) / etc...
[01:34:59] Corey: so just preparing them to even be able to talk about stuff takes up most of the class :P looks like most teachers get them to review the vocab words at home, so they can just come in and talk about it. you're also basically trying to keep them entertained and happy in class, not actually TEACHING them (of course they won't be happy if they don't think they're learning anything, but they go there after a long work day, and don't want to just sit and listen to a teacher teach)
[01:37:30] Flami: yeah, that makes sense
[01:38:52] Corey: it does... but that means I don't know what the hell to TEACH them :P I can't just go in there and say "soooo..... let's talk about.... stuff... for two hours. Who's first?"
[01:40:51] Flami: oh, of course not... that would show a distinct lack of planning
[01:49:25] Corey: it's really really humid here today, it's annoying :P
[01:56:02] Corey: she hasn't replied to me yet about the class
[01:58:05] Flami: when did you email her?
[01:58:41] Corey: it hasn't been too long, I was out until like 2 PM. it's 5 now
[01:59:28] Flami: not too bad, no...
[02:06:16] Flami: hey, the psychic detective show! after that, I'm seriously going to bed
[02:19:47] Corey: why not a psycho detective show? that might be more fun
[02:22:06] Flami: I don't think they have those
[02:29:10] Corey: well, Sin City sort of does
[02:30:30] Flami: I watched maybe 15 minutes of that
[02:33:59] Corey: read it, don't watch it :P it's basically the exact same as the comic, but less cool
[02:34:38] Corey: it's shot for shot / word for word identical to the comic, except the cool art style isn't there since it's real people, and they censored it in places
[02:34:51] Flami: oh, okay... the show is over, and they're onto paid programming - outta here to bed. night.
[02:34:55] Corey: so they're kind of the same thing... the movie was fairly boring to me since I already read the comic
[02:35:21] Corey: there are also more comics than what went into the movie, but the movie has a lot of the big ones
[02:36:16] Corey: the movie shouldn't be THAT identical... set up some shots to look like the comic, sure, but it's kind of boring when it's literally the same thing, down to the camera angles
[02:38:21] Corey: it's probably better than all the movies that change everything that was good about something, but they should provide something new too :P at least some new shots :P

Blimey! Jolly soda in equivalent fonts, and popcorn kernels!

High-scoring words of the night:

JOLLIER (110 points) - against Judy A. [5W]
BLIMY (120 points) - against Sherry H. [4W]
AGOUTY (288 points) - against Shelley D. [2W, 3W, 4W]
SODA (148 points) - against Lori E. [two 5W, hook off YEAS to make YO / ED / AA] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
LOOFAS (160 points) - against Jennifer W. [4W, two 2W]
FONTS (120 points) - against Jo E. [4W, 2W, hook off STILT for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
BIVALENT (104 points) - against Sean R. [two 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


Trivia fact for Tuesday, Apr. 20: What are kernels of popcorn that don't pop called? Old maids.

Jack is so devastated by Renee's death that he commandeers a helicopter!

Jack stares at Renee's corpse, and he looks absolutely devastated. The nurse asks Jack a bunch of questions about Renee, and Jack realizes he doesn't know anything about her, like her next of kin and whether her parents are still alive. Probably should have taken things slowly... huh, Jack? Something else that's been bothering me about last week's episode. So, Jack jumps right into bed with her, even though she had sex with that Russian dude earlier in the evening? I didn't see either of them reach into their night-stands for some protection. Still, if I were Jack, I wouldn't worry. After all, if the prion variant from last season couldn't kill him, I'm sure the clap would be nothing more than a cold for him. Where's Emerson when you need him? He could bring Renee back to life, just like he did for Tony.

Chloe calls, and Jack tries to get info from her. They inevitably clash, and Jack wants to interrogate Sergei Bazhaev - the really bad Russian dad from earlier in the season. Chloe hesitates and tries to pull rank, but Jack's powers of persuasion are too much for her. Warden Norton is back on his feet at the UN and flawlessly groomed – he was in a wheelchair and in hospital scrubs less than an hour ago. He's not sure about this Logan deal, even though he was the one who brought it up. He's also not a fan of Taylor's "Let's give the ball to Logan and hope for the best" strategy. Way to be a Monday Morning Quarterback, buddy. Logan rudely interrupts Minister Novakovich's lunch, and Logan accuses the minister of colluding with the IRK hard-liners. Logan claims he has evidence proving Novakovich's involvement, and agrees to keep it quiet as long as the Russians come back to the table. Logan orders an espresso, and then stiffs Novakovich on the bill. Remind me never to go out to lunch with him.

Bazhaev is being arraigned in federal court, and the judge butchers his name, which is a nice touch. The lawyer points out Bazhaev's family in the crowd, and the judge retorts that he doesn't see his sons in the audience. This judge is awesome! Anyway, Bazhaev is visibly unnerved when he sees Jack, and I would be too. The judge helpfully clears the courtroom so that Jack can threaten Bazhaev. This judge needs to be promoted! I hear there's an opening on the Supreme Court... Jack says he considered Renee to be his family. That was kind of creepy. Anyway, he threatens to kill Bazhaev's family, and even borrows a line from The Godfather, saying that he'll tell his family Bazhaev said hello. I'd say something about how the writers are stealing again, but I won't because I always loved that line. Bazhaev sings like a canary, and tells Jack that the Russian government planned it all, and that Dana was the one who helped them. Jack promises to give Bazhaev's family protection, and he won't tell them Bazhaev said hello. That's kind of rude, isn't it?

Logan talks to his aide, and it's the guy who played Detective Terry Crowley on The Shield – you know, the one Vic killed in the pilot. What's with all the Shield alums this year? Not that I'm complaining, of course. I still think Michael Chiklis would have made a great villain this season. Taylor calls Logan, and tells him the good news that the Russians are back in play. Logan pumps his fist ecstatically, which is a little weird to see, but shows his humanity, I guess. Warden Norton wants to know what Logan did, but Logan's going to take that to his grave. Jack tells Chloe about the info he got from Bazhaev, and Chloe agrees to let Jack talk to Dana. She then tells Cole to keep an eye on Jack in case things get out of hand. I have a feeling Cole wouldn't be too upset if Jack beat the crap out of Dana. He might even enjoy it. You know, if Freddie Prinze Jr. were capable of conveying emotion.

Logan is in the garage, and he throws a fit about one of his secret service agents. He wants him reassigned. What was the point of that? I have no idea. Maybe he's a mole, too? Only a good mole since Logan is bad? I don't know... Anyway, Terry (that's what we'll call Logan's aide since I don't know his name) tells Logan about Jack, and Logan is understandably freaked out. Apparently, Logan doesn't want Jack to find out about Dana and the Russian government, and he is determined to stop Jack. "He almost torpedoed my presidency," Logan said. Uh, almost? That's selling him a little short, don't you think? Jack is back at CTU. He starts smacking Dana around, and Chloe wants Cole to stop it. Cole, however, tells Chloe to let Jack do what he has to. Do I detect a slight smile from Freddie? Nah, that's outside of his range as an actor. The light was probably in his eyes or something. Dana claims she has an audio and video file, and wants her immunity deal back. Jack then whispers in her ear that he'll find her if she's lying to him. Didn't he do the same thing to Nina in Season 2?

Mrs. Hassan seems to have the votes lined up and, apparently, the Kamistan congress will install her as the next president. The idea of having a bunch of designated electors vote for the president rather than the general population is an affront to democracy! I mean, how can you subvert the will of the people like that? What happens if Mrs. Hassan loses the popular vote, but manages to steal the election with help from these electors? Where did they get the idea for this electoral system anyway? Logan is watching Fox News when Taylor comes in to see him. That's appropriate. Logan tells Taylor that she needs to stop Jack, but Taylor won't do it unless Logan tells her the truth. Logan finally tells Taylor about the Russians, and she is not happy that he withheld it. Logan says he needed leverage, and Taylor's reaction is pretty amusing. "Leverage, sure. Like a sex scandal or financial malfeasance. Not this!"

Warden Norton wants to walk away from the peace process, but Taylor is hesitant. Logan tries to convince her to go through with the peace process, while Warden Norton tries to argue against it. They slowly move towards her until Logan is just over her left shoulder, and Ethan is just over her right. She listens to both men, and it's like in the cartoons where someone has a crisis of conscience, and they see an angel on one side and devil on the other. Here, Taylor is clearly conflicted by the angel on her right (Warden Norton) and the devil on her left. (Logan) Logan actually makes a very compelling case for continuing with the process. I'm starting to see why he was such a good politician. He even had me going.

The president finally calls CTU and she asks to speak with Chloe, not Jack. She tells Chloe not to let Jack out of CTU. If that's the case, then whatever you do, don't set up a perimeter. Taylor makes an impromptu speech, and thanks CTU for their help. "Despite your incompetence and utter lack of ability, we were able to avert nuclear disaster and bring down the bad guys. So, thanks for nothing, guys." Okay, that wasn't her actual speech, but it would have been closer to the truth than what she actually said.

Jack is in Bubba's old office, and Taylor asks him to stand down. She won't let Jack question Dana, and won't give her immunity. They have a heated discussion, and Taylor says she believes the peace process is "the greater good," parroting Logan's language from earlier. Jack asks whether Mrs. Hassan knows about the Russians' involvement, and Taylor demurs. Well, now we know one way Jack can wreck the peace process. She's going to have Jack escorted to an air force base so he can't cause any more trouble. Yeah, like those guys are going to be able to keep him in custody. She could just turn him over to the Chinese. They won't let him get away. Taylor tells Chloe to make sure security is airtight. Uh – she knows this is CTU, right? Jack is being escorted to a helicopter, but he easily disarms the incompetent guard. Anyone who is shocked by this should just stop watching the show. Jack steals the helicopter, and Chloe tries to reason with him, but he won't back down. No, he won't back down.

Thank goodness for Caller ID on my phone! / Clowns

High-scoring words of the afternoon so far:

EXAMINER (160 points) - against Jeff P. [5W]
GLANCED (144 points) - against Cherie P. [3W, 4W]
FOAMS (181 points) - against Alice P. [two 4W]


I found an old wedding invitation in my room, for Korey from his friends Jeremy and Jill. No, I don't remember if he told me that they were bad or what, but that invitation is now in the trash! Also, thank goodness for Caller ID... it's been eight weeks, but now my mom's actually tried to call me. If she thinks that I am taking her calls, she is even more insane than I thought!

Your Clown Name is Freckles Heckles the Clown

Cute, but also creepy!

What's Your Clown Name?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

Possible crushes, hated zones, FREE STUFF and detergent, walks

High-scoring words of the night:

HATED (291 points) - against Brooke T. [two 5W, hook off KOP to make KOPH] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
PELORIA (165 points) - against Cherie P. [4W, 3W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
ZONES (256 points) - against Karen S. [two 4W]
HARTAL (176 points; two 4W), EYES (105 points; 3W, hook off X to make EX, 5L on Y) - against Lisa K.
PURITANS (136 points, 2W, 3W, a good deficit-erasing word!), TROYS (120 points; 3W, 4W) - against Shelley D.

Earlier, Jeremy suggested that we Google "free stuff Vancouver" to be surprised at what comes up. He's right! But here's something that won't be on any website: I got another free (one-fourth?) bottle of laundry detergent, and this Mountain Rain one is from Arm & Hammer. Based on the compliments about my hats and my humor, and washing my stuff for me when he didn't have to, Billie has concluded that it sounds as if Dave might have a crush on me. Hahaha, maybe!


Trivia fact for Monday, Apr. 19: What Hall of Fame hurler issued a record 11 walks while pitching a complete shutout? Lefty Gomez, for the New York Yankees in 1941. Mel Stottlemyre came close to duplicating the feat for the Yankees in 1970 when he gave up 11 walks in 8 and a half innings, but reliever Steve Hamilton got the last two outs.

EPIC FAIL / "He was summoning me with his eyes!" / Japanese-Caribbean food

This morning started out with Epic Fail and Disappointment on my part, as I kept Eric waiting for a few minutes on a day when he could ill afford that. *sad* Luckily, we just rode mostly in silence after he communicated to me, and I apologized. He said that he was going to jaywalk, so I'd have to make the trek across the street by myself - okay then. Got inside the church, and smiled when I saw Harmony, even if I was a bit sad. I said hi, and told her that I had something for her - I took out the "Not A Chocolate Quitter" fridge magnet I got at the dollar store, and she did like it! Definitely her! She said that she'd bought her sister Holly a couple of board games for her birthday, since she seems to be into them now. Sounds like a good choice!

As I went into the sanctuary, I was still kinda focused on my EPIC FAIL, so didn't do anything except a very obvious nod when Mr. Creep greeted me for the first time in about six weeks. Whatever... I wasn't in the mood to either ignore or scold him. I saw Jordan and Thomas (Awana kids) with Mike, and said hi after I'd put my stuff down in a pew to wait till a bunch of people cleared out. Jordan told me that Mike had taught them to swear yesterday, and then he and his brother stepped on Mike's shoes a lot. Mike said that it was blackmail if they were going to lie to Melia and the whole church, and he definitely wasn't sitting with them after that! Jordan then asked me where I'd been yesterday - I told him the truth! Melia convinced the kids to at least sit by Phil, if not with the other kids and adults. When Martin T. and his friends FINALLY cleared out, I moved my stuff again to sit by Jeremy. He and I exchanged greetings, and then he asked whether yesterday's hockey game had gone into overtime. Seems that he could hear yelling from the apartments across the hall from him at about 10 PM... I confirmed that it did go into overtime.

Then we both saw Dave, and nodded at him in greeting. For some reason, he seemed to be looking straight at me, and communicating "COME HERE!" through looks. I shook my head, and held up three fingers because I'd moved my stuff already - this would be my third move in five minutes! I tried to communicate "YOU come here!" through a look, but that didn't work. Sighing, I turned to Jeremy and joked that I was apparently being summoned. He laughed, reminded me that we were creatures of habit and our usual seats, and gave me equally joking permission to go - I touched his leg in appreciation, and said I'd talk to him later. As I sat by Dave, I wondered aloud what I was going to do with him. Dave laughed and said something about being greasy which I didn't catch. I'll have you know that I took a shower this morning, dude! Maybe he just wants someone to bounce opinions off, or clarification when he couldn't hear - I don't mind being that person, haha... although these days, the verification of what he hears may not be 100% correct!

I spent the whole service being hyper-aware of where Dave was, and we tried not to touch each other too much... or maybe that was just me. Like, we barely touched shoulders or arms! I didn't even do any Sunday School prep during the sermon because he was trying to get some leg room (the curse of being tall?), and my bag was right by his legs. (I didn't want him to have to move, haha) When little Mattias made some noticeable noise on the other end of the pew, I looked over to see what he was doing. With that glance, I was looking into Dave's eyes... HA! I CAUGHT YOU! Breathing and sighing - sure! I didn't even nudge him to open his Bible when the passage was being read, as per my new vow. You bet I cringed at the guest speaker's pronunciation of "Joseph" again! Dave went out after the sermon briefly (I assume to use the washroom), and came back in right after the benediction. To give him some semi-privacy, I collected my things and then went out towards the fellowship hall. Grandma saw me on her way in, and asked why I didn't come over anymore - as I told Eric later, I don't have the language skills to tell her what happened!

I went into the fellowship hall, and put my stuff on the kitchen side of the room. Unfortunately, Mr. Creep was very nearby... I grumbled to myself about having to change my strategy every week, and put it on the other side of the room instead, saying hi to Karen and Lincoln on the way. Harmony said that she and Jon were taking bets on where I'd sit today during service, so I gave her a line which was apparently VERY quotable: "He summoned me with his EYES!" When she told Jon, he just about doubled over in laughter. I didn't care if Dave was within earshot when I explained that he seemed to be communicating with LOOKS, haha. I also asked her where Jon had been yesterday during the wedding... apparently, he'd double-booked himself and forgot to reschedule / cancel his teaching when he did a "yes" RSVP to Joe's wedding invitation! Hahaha!

The coffee pot was taken out, and so I waited for a good time to get some. Dave had some creamer in his hand when I decided to make my move, thankfully ahead of Mr. Creep unlike last week! Talked to Dave, Wesley, and Calla about Bible Study Fellowship and the experience with different leaders - Wes says his perception was quite different than Calla's due to the leader difference. Dave asked me where our off-site Bible Study was, so I told him that we'd still be at church, and explained why. I joked that I shouldn't call our group lazy, but it was more of a transportation problem than anything!

A few minutes later, we went to the kitchen separately to do something about our empty coffee cups. Auntie Catherine stopped me at the door, since she had something for me. I told her to hold on for a few minutes, and then Dave let me into the kitchen. He figured that we had to wash our own cups (which I confirmed), and offered to wash mine - I bumped his arm while saying thanks. Whether he saw Auntie Catherine talking to me or not, it was a nice kindness! I went out, passing Stanley on the way... turns out that Auntie Catherine found the yellow light top that she was going to give me for a late birthday gift. She hoped it fit - I just tried it on, and it does! After delaying myself a little more as I listened to Dave / Wesley / Calla, I finally left at 11:40 to go upstairs. I also talked to Martin J. about how he felt he didn't have enough time for stuff these days.

The toddler Sunday School was FULL with Esther, Amanda, Evelyn, David, Jason, Ramen, Shira, Mattias, Harrison, Amos, Conor, and Donald from Awana. I had to comfort Conor a couple of times when he was upset because Harrison was pushing him, Ramen gave me and Mattias some toy food, I showed Jason how to use a toy stethoscope, Donald said that he remembered seeing me at Awana, and I let Conor color his Sunday School homework (on the seasons!) before the lesson. When Harrison asked if he could do the same, I said that he had to wait - there I go, playing favorites again! Later, Harrison cried and said his pants were wet - Conor asked me why, so I told him to guess why someone's pants would be suddenly wet... he got it. I let Conor keep the teaching aid as usual, but the poor kid lost his robot's sword! As I told his brother Sean, I had seen it around, but had no idea where it was.

Conor had apparently also noticed that I wasn't at Awana yesterday, so I told him the truth as well. I asked if he'd missed me (Jordan would likely have answered "NO!" haha) - he said yes. Aww, so cute! Then he hugged Amos, who was upset because Harrison had accidentally jammed a toy car near / in his eye - ouch! When I went to guide him somewhere, Conor said OUCH, too - so I cut my nails when I got home. No wonder I knew not to shake hands with too many people today! Now that I think about it, Donald might have put the sword in with his stuff - oh dear. At least Jennifer (Amos' mom) offered a replacement from Rick's old collection! Of course, Conor wanted the same one - but we'll see! Auntie Ying wanted to know if we were still meeting for lunch on Tuesday - sure! She said 11, but I vetoed that in favor of noon at Aberdeen Station - hopefully, it'll be interesting enough!

When I went downstairs to the fellowship hall, it seemed that everyone had been waiting for me. Dave smiled and greeted me with "Les! Lunch at the Lion's Den?" Sure, why not? Harmony wondered if I were coming to lunch with them - of course! Note to self: When all these guys go on the retreat in a couple weeks, I should ask Dave to make sure he waits for me after Sunday School. But if he has plans of his own (or nobody does anything), I'm all good with busing by myself even with Sunday bus schedules! Stopped briefly to say hi to Grandma and a friend - Grandma asked what I was doing, so I said that I was having lunch with my friends. Dad asked how I was getting home - not with YOU! Of course, I didn't say that, leaving it at "We're going for lunch!" (indicating Eric's departing figure) Harmony said that she'd sent my "quotable" line to Steph, who gave it a thumbs-up. Thanks...

Jeremy hitched a ride with me and Eric, and wondered if I knew anything about cheap room arrangements for a bunch of Korean people coming over in August. I have no idea about $600-800 rentals, man... I'd say his friend and her family may need to look on Craigslist! It does seem as if certain shady arrangements would have a revolving cast of characters, but I would have little expertise on the subject. Then the guys discussed Web apps, MySQL databases, music archives, and more geeky stuff. We found the Lion's Den pretty easily, and decided to eat outside, running the risk (as we soon found out) of cherry blossoms blowing in our drinks and food! Dave got the first one in his water, while I got the second one in my own water - Jeremy actually had one in his bottle of ginger beer! ("Quick! Go buy a lotto ticket since the chances of that happening are slim!") The ginger beer was spicy, the Hot Pepper sauce was fiery, but Christon's goat curry was even more intense than that! Jen and I couldn't finish our roti - yay for leftovers! Dave turned out to be an eating machine - a Japanese pizza AND a teriyaki dish?!

Jeremy, Jen, Jon, Harmony, Wesley, Dave, Christon, Eric, and I discussed Japanese-Caribbean food / fusion / gentrification / neighborhoods / citric acid supplies / Whistler / kegs of ginger beer / whether Ryan would mind the fridge being taken up with the beer keg / Nathan and Portland / street food / retreating to our rooms / the retreat / nearby restaurants / politicians / "it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission!" / the HST / "Les... shift over!" / big-box stores / Peardrax / more stuff. At one point, Dave leaned over to me and said that he was just thinking about some G.I. Joe things he'd had as a kid. Later, he told me to remind him to get tie-dye T-shirts at the PNE... hahaha, if I remember! Not sure why he chose me to say those things to, but I guess I wasn't fully participating in whatever the general discussion was at the time! Almost everyone went in to hear the story of the Lion's Den, and we signed a calendar, like Jon said he and the parents did years ago. I passed Jon a takeout container for my stuff before going back inside. By the time I got back, he'd packed it for me - THANKS!

After we all paid our bills, we left Dave inside as the last person to do so, and wandered over to the bistro at the end of the block. Everyone was busy checking out the (expensive-ish) prices on the menu, and discussing whether it was reasonable for what you got... the general consensus seemed to be YES. Then Jeremy started laughing, so we wondered what was up. We could clearly see Dave standing outside the restaurant, obviously wondering what had happened to his friends since the table was totally deserted! It WAS pretty amusing! Eric said that he'd seen Chinese Eric at the hockey game yesterday - wow, way to tell us that you're back here, buddy! Jen wanted a refresher on who he was, so Jon did a pretty passable imitation: "Hey man! How's it going, man?!" Hahaha!

On the way home (spotting Dave in the Christon-mobile), Eric talked to me about burying feelings on certain people, and said that they wouldn't remain hidden for long. If this was a reference to Friday's talk, I got it. He also said that he'd seen my mom near Mr. Creep - I'd seen my mother as well, but hadn't talked to her. Resolved out loud to change my strategy when it came to my stuff - I swear, I'll put it upstairs FIRST before coming back down to join everyone! (like I did at the old church, when space was at a premium in the back parking lot) I told him about my getting to the coffee before Mr. Creep, and he thought that my mental state then was unhealthy. It even sounded like that to me when I was saying it out loud - yet it makes sense in my head? Go figure! As he dropped me off at home, I reflected that the Epic Fail was bad. Luckily for me, the CSC took a while to clear out! Then he sang the DARKWING DUCK theme song to me: of course I recognized it as what he played for me yesterday, but added that I would NEVER abuse Dave's phone number like that! Eric said that I could just call him when I was in trouble, unless I now planned on being "in trouble" all the time - I DON'T THINK SO! Did laundry when I got in, too.

Berries!

I took a shower this morning, despite the drain on my time. At least I don't have to worry about certain things now, haha. Eric just called, too... good timing!

You Are a Blackberry

On the one hand, you can be a bit rebellious and even somewhat naughty. You live large and refuse to do what you're told. On the other hand, you're quite sweet and even a bit sensitive. Those who know you well know that you can be fragile. Some people may be intimidated by you, but just as many people are drawn to you. You have a sparkling personality. You are confident in your uniqueness. You've never quite fit in, and you're good with that. You enjoy being one of a kind.

What Type of Berry Are You?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

History, Pauline, losing 3-2 in overtime, and the Greek alphabet

High-scoring words of the day:

SYNCHRO (180 points) - against Jackie G. [two 3W]
HISTORIED (194 points) - against Susan H. [3W, 4W]
NONJUROR (168 points) - against Larry S. [two 4W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
PAULIN (164 points) - against Judy A. [2W, two 5W, hook off IT to make NIT] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
OAKS (170 points) - against Colleen J. [2W, 5W used twice, hook off ZIT for a plural]
DONOR (1350 points) - against Gary D. [two 3W, two 5W]
TERRORS (512 points) - against Angela V. [two 4W, two 2W]
CZARS (115 points) - against Clayton R. [5W, hook off QUAY for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


The Canucks lost 3-2 in overtime to the Kings tonight... Adam wasn't impressed with a lazy penalty, and Tracy and Eric were not impressed with the refereeing in the game. Yikes!

Trivia fact for Sunday, Apr. 18: Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. What is the last letter? Omega. There are 24 letters in the Greek alphabet.