I highly doubt that Margaret is in love with her own brother, Jordan...

I thought I had a bit of a fever, so took a hot shower before napping briefly under warm blankets. When Henry picked me up, we listened to the pre-game show on Team 1040... I wasn't sure if we'd miss the start of the hockey game because of the park outing, but we did. Then I saw a C94 pass us by - oh sure, come when I'm not even LOOKING for you! *grumble* He still has some phlegm even though HE'S over being sick - I hate that stage of recovery! At the park, I greeted Sam and Emily while Jordan and Thomas were doing something really imaginative with a yellow ball. "Luongo gets two minutes for slashing, so Raycroft is in net!" Hahaha, sure! Chrystal says that they play well together... well, if she'd seen what Jeremy and I did last week, she might revise that opinion! She says that her parents went on a cruise this morning, and Emily is going to their aunt's place since it's closer to work... gotta love having the house to yourself for an entire month, man! Sean told me that he went to Jupiter, and Rachel says that she's been deep-sea diving... gotta love the kids' imaginations!

Jordan asked Margaret whether she was in love with her own brother - THAT IS SO WRONG! Mike was NOT impressed, to say the least! Rachel also said that she was tired because of Chinese School at 9, then Mandarin School at 12, then the park outing... sounds BUSY! Said hi to Frances, and Rosenda told me a little more about her anxiety attack the other day. No more coffee for you! Of course, her husband is teasing her now with "Let's go to Starbucks!" hahaha. Interacted with Olivia (she's never been on a real horse), Amos, Harrison, Esther, Anne, David, Evelyn, Eric, Hannah, Amanda (who left her pink jacket behind - I told Emily that I'd take care of it since I see her in toddler Sunday School tomorrow), both Ians, Gabriel, Ada, and others. Henry could give me a ride home later since I didn't see Ada after all the kids had their snacks of chips / raisins / oranges / marshmallow chocolate / water / juice. Gave my mini-orange to Donald, haha. Auntie Kam asked me whether I was out of school yet (Zoe's mom is so adorable!), and I watched as the guys wrapped Martin up in the tarp when they could finally get all the air out of it. Henry and I listened to the hockey game on the way home - 32 seconds into the second period, the Canucks scored again! CRAZY! Now it's 5-0!

Sunny weather, rainbows, butts, house color

Seems to be sunny enough to have the Awana park outing later this afternoon, and I should dress accordingly!

Got up today to one message from Corey, and two from Jane's niece:

[01:41:49] Corey: the dinner?
[01:41:49] *** Auto-response sent to Corey: I am currently idle.
[01:45:23] *** "Corey" signed off at Sat May 01 01:45:23 2010.
[02:10:09] *** "Corey" signed on at Sat May 01 02:10:09 2010.
[02:55:45] Corey: jhhhhjgnmhgbvn:'(kjnnhbgbhg
[02:57:08] Corey: kjj4567890-hghh hhuuujujuhuju


High-scoring word of the afternoon so far:

TENANTS (150 points) - against Trisha-Sky B. [5W, 2W]

You Should Live in a Red House

You are adventurous and have a passion for life. You want to explore new places. You crave love and everlasting romance. You want to deepen your intense feelings for another person. You don't worry about what others think of you. You are who you are, and you've given up trying to be someone else. You are quite persuasive. You know how to get your way whenever you want to... and you often want to!

What Color House Should You Live In?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

Waltzing through the chlorinated ranks! / Short teaching notice!

High-scoring words of the night:

WALTZED (288 points) - against Lori E. [3W, two 2W]
RANKS (425 points) - against Donna P. [two 5W]
TERRA (126 points) - against Veronica D. [5W, 4W]
CHLORITE (120 points) - against Trisha-Sky B. [5W]
GHOUL (250 points) - against Yvonne C. [two 5W] {same name as Cousin Yvonne, and in Surrey and from Richmond!}


This is what happened when I told Corey to entertain me:

[21:31:24] Corey: you entertain me, I've done my entertaining for the day (well, not yet... I have to go meet a student later to see about private lessons)
[21:32:23] Corey: last night, while we were out drinking margaritas and beer, the school called me to do a Saturday morning class... so like 10 PM, they asked me to teach a 2.5 hour class at 9:30 the next morning............
[21:32:48] Corey: which I just got back from, and it probably sucked... but one of my activities took up half the class, and got me through it at least :P
[21:33:23] Corey: they couldn't understand much of what I said, but that activity kept them busy, and they had things to read. they wouldn't talk about things at all (the point of them being there is to practice speaking, mainly)
[21:34:20] Corey: but, they pay me right after class, in cash, after sub classes, so that's good :P they didn't pay me for my private class yet... I have to wait until next month for that
[21:37:45] Flami: oh yeah, oops
[21:38:42] Corey: the main problem with teaching on short notice is that you kind of have to prepare material that will last that long :P and that's the longest class
[21:41:01] Flami: well, at least the stuff got you through the class
[21:41:26] Corey: but that's the class where the teacher is leaving........... so likely if they give me a class, that's it :P
[21:41:53] Corey: and they won't talk, and it's hard for them to understand me
[21:42:07] Corey: the other teacher could help them out with Chinese... I can't
[21:45:10] Flami: yeah, seems difficult, I know


Trivia fact for Saturday, May 1: What great Thoroughbred was honored as Horse of the Year a record five times? Kelso. He held the title from 1960 to 1964.

C94 eluding me AGAIN, hanging out with Billie, TMI, gross bound feet

Billie called me at 1:30 to say that she was there early; since she forgot how to bus to my house from Richmond Centre, I said I'd be out pretty soon. Thank goodness the bus stop / walking doesn't take too long! (but the C94 ALWAYS eludes me in the late afternoon!) I had to look for her at the station, but it was good - we hugged hello, and said it was good to finally hang out! The last time we'd done so was her birthday in January. We went to Specialty Chicken and Wonton House, where we discussed chicken fried rice / hot and sour soup / bitter melon (NOT "bitten melon!") / (dis)trust / taxis / doctors / surprise parties / Mexico / the government and taxes / Grandma / Mom / her mom loving a new boyfriend, and talking too fast / Shaina embarrassing herself while drunk AND sober / Alana / Scott / Austin / Rodrigo / trips to Victoria / other friends / GIRLS NIGHT meaning NO BOYS / writing / STAR WARS / Patricia / Sean / Patrick / Jeremy / Chris and his awkward questions (nobody wants to know about the length of a character's MEMBER!) / love life / Joel / Ramona.

Of course, I brought up Dave's funny comment to my "I want to eat unborn babies" status. "Move over, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger" indeed, hahaha! Of course I had to clarify "eating Sunday lunch" for anyone else reading that status thread, hahaha. No babies, unborn or otherwise! I might be too chicken to send him a message about lunch, but I can definitely say "Speaking of eating, you'd better be there at lunch on Sunday!" Hahaha! Then there was his TMI status about his briefs, and Adam's TMI statuses about diarrhea and being horny! We spent some time at Chapters - I showed her LONDON, and then we laughed over various book titles and ZITS. THE SUICIDAL PLANET, really?! We saw some Bathroom Readers which I can't afford right now, and a marked-down Ripley's book with a picture of a bound foot in it - ew! After we had some gelato at the place near London Drugs (spotting durian gelato among many other things), she had to leave so she could see about her U-Pass. I vented about my mom always thinking my bus pass is free - there's a difference between things being FREE and things paying for themselves, you know! Good times!

FINALLY, Friday came! / Amusement / World Feelings

It's FINALLY Friday! This means I get to hang out with Billie later today! After some time, Dave finally showed up on Facebook in the form of a comment to one of my status messages - good thing it wasn't the emo one about weddings and babies, haha. It was just the one about eating unborn babies, and I can tell he's joking too. He better show up for lunch on Sunday, man... I can't expect Jeremy and Ivan to provide ALL my sanity, haha!

You Are Sympathetic Toward the World

You are a very kindhearted person, and you are definitely concerned about the world. At times, you feel like you have to take a break from caring... you get overwhelmed by your emotions. You may not do the most charity work, but it doesn't mean you don't notice all of the problems around you. Just continue to do what you can. Our planet needs more people like you - that's for sure.

How Do You Feel About the World?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Tawny fraps, grandson incest, hanging out, obligations, Megan's baby, Hawaii

High-scoring words of the night:

YEA (104 points; hook off LARKS to make AY / ER / KA), OKAPI (195 points; 3W, 5W) - against Jacquie B.
DIBBUK (450 points) - against Kim D. [two 5W]
TAWNIER (768 points) - against Janet S. [two 4W, two 2W]
FRAP (231 points) - against Darrin S. [4W, 3W, 3L on P, hook off NO to make NOR]


"I'm in love with my grandson, and we're having a baby." - WTF? At least she isn't physically having the child, but still... incest is incest!

Called Billie earlier... she doesn't have anything else to do tomorrow besides hang out with me, so we can probably spend unfettered time at Chapters! Of course, that depends on how long it'll take her to get home afterwards, too. Also called Auntie Ying out of obligation - she told me of Edwin's wedding, a drama for non-believers, a special-needs seminar, hiking, and a bunch of other stuff I don't really care about.

I got an Evite from Winnie about Megan's baby shower on June 26. I'll file that away later, I guess. Although this baby shower WOULD give me a nice "out" from Chung Ming's dinner on the same date... the shower's at 3, and the dinner's at 6. I'll see when the last Awana date is, and decide accordingly. Someone just suggested that I combine the two, and eat the unborn baby - now, THAT made me smile for the first time all night. HEHEHE, I LIKE MURDER!


Trivia fact for Friday, Apr. 30: What are the only two mammals native to the Hawaiian islands? The Hawaiian monk seal and the Hawaiian hoary bat.

Baristas and fate! / April 2010 Bubble Tea Tally

Bingo of the afternoon:

BARISTAS (252 points) - against Lisa K.

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

ROTAS (216 points; two 3W, two 2W), SPAWNER (5W, 2W) - against Evelyn D.
BARISTAS (252 points) - against Lisa K. [two 4W, hook off FATE for a plural, bingo]
DOCKAGE (195 points) - against Demetra K. [3W, 5W]
HEARTY (135 points) - against George M. [two 3W]
OVERSAD (146 points; 4W, 2W), PATTY (112 points; 4W, 2W) - against Rose-Marie P.
ASCOT (339 points; two 5W, hook off VEND for a plural), KNAVE (350 points; two 5W) - against Lori E.
ENVENOM (210 points) - against Wendy H. [5W, 2W]
DISROOT (275 points) - against Charisma A. [two 5W]


I'd be at the library now, but I just missed a C94 TWICE in a row! I swear, Translink is on CRACK! Hey, Marie added me on Facebook - sweet stuff there, haha.


MONTHLY BUBBLE TEA TALLY, APRIL 2010 (1)

strawberry @ Big Orange (Tuesday, April 13)

Retro Pattern Test

You Are Unique

You are original and a total nonconformist. You take a lot of pride in doing your own thing. In fact, you can be downright defiant at times. You don't like anyone telling you what to do. While you are a rebel, you are also extremely tolerant and accepting. You think people should be themselves. You are laid back and easygoing. You refuse to participate in the rat race, and you're better off for it.

The Retro Pattern Test

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Troy, Ivy, Celia, impatience, best novels

High-scoring words of the night:

TROY (157 points) - against Ivy F. [two 4W, hook off VARY to make OVARY]
COOKERY (118 points) - against Ivy F. [different game] {4W, hook off SILT to make SILTY}
ZONA (180 points) - against Alice P. [3W, 4W]
RAISER (165 points) - against Celia M. [two 5W, hook off UKE for a plural]
VERTS (137 points) - against Jennifer W. [two 4W]


Had a good chat with a friend tonight... yay! Wish it were Friday already, too... one day closer to Saturday, and THAT'S one more day to Sunday! Park outing and friends... that is going to be GOOD!

Trivia fact for Thursday, Apr. 29: What Pulitzer Prize-winning book was voted the best novel of the 20th century by librarians across the U.S.? To Kill A Mockingbird (1960), by Harper Lee. The 1999 vote was conducted by The Library Journal.

Stupid shit is going down in Taiwan Montessori schools!

Apparently, Corey is looking for more stuff to do in Taiwan:

[22:38:55] Corey: well, I have a cold and a job interview to teach stupid little kids stupid little shit where they probably want me to act like a clown or something.... the adult school that's a lot better than that is taking too fucking long to get my work visa and give me hours, so I'm looking for more things
[22:39:51] Corey: I have to do a demo with kindergarteners, which is illegal, but supposedly the actual job will be 6-10 year-olds, which is not illegal (6 is the legal age to meet foreign people here, apparently)
[22:40:10] Corey: I don't know how this shit will work... they apparently don't even know the whole alphabet yet
[22:40:53] Corey: and they refuse to give me materials to teach during the demo, and want me to prepare my own, which is fucking annoying. this place is a "Montessori" school, which is a fancy word for "retarded"
[22:40:57] Flami: ILLEGAL?! OH DEAR
[22:41:12] Corey: that style is to teach kids by letting kids choose what and if they want to learn
[22:41:17] Flami: from what I hear, Montessori schools let the kid explore whatever they want
[22:41:19] Corey: so the kids play games all day and don't learn shit
[22:41:39] Flami: yeah, that's about right
[22:41:51] Corey: if the kid is motivated to learn, that might be great. when I was that age, that really probably would have been better for me
[22:41:59] Corey: but...... for 99.9% of everyone else? hell, no
[22:42:21] Corey: and even for me even a couple years after that, no way! I'd play video games all day instead
[22:42:31] Flami: I know maybe ONE or two six-year-olds who are motivated to learn something... everyone else? nope. they want to play games or draw
[22:43:11] Corey: well, it's like communism.. it's kind of a good idea, but it doesn't really work since people ruin it really fast
[22:43:45] Flami: hahaha
[22:43:53] Corey: so we'll see.... sounds like a job babysitting little kids to me. I'd rather work harder teaching adults that will get something out of it
[22:46:22] Corey: this place is the school Jane's niece goes to, and it's also very very close to here.. I could ride a bike there easily, I think
[22:47:18] Corey: and I was very motivated as a 5-6 year-old, and school held me back... my parents tried to get me skipped ahead, but the principal said he didn't believe in that
[22:48:36] Corey: a lot of my friends then were older anyway, so it wouldn't have really been a big deal to be with older kids. so basically, I got pretty bored in class. they made some advanced math classes for me and a few other people after a while, but that was all they'd do to let us do better than everyone else
[22:49:23] Corey: I was reading stuff like Lord of the Rings in first grade when most of the other kids couldn't even read... and I was studying dinosaurs and astronomy and other things on my own... school was still trying to teach us how to count and read :P
[22:50:06] Corey: so a place that let me just go as far as I wanted with things would have been perfect for me... but they couldn't give me TOO much freedom, since it's still more fun to play and have fun than to do hard work
[22:50:23] Corey: that's the problem with those Montessori schools, they think it's wrong to push kids to learn
[22:51:00] Corey: I think it's wrong to push kids the way they do here in Taiwan, but it's not so bad at home :P they just need better programs for smart kids to pass up the normal idiots :P
[22:51:33] Flami: oh yeah, I was going to ask how riding the bike in the crazy traffic went :P
[22:53:12] Corey: actually, they did come up with IB, a program for smart kids, but they advertised it as being 4-5 hours of homework a night... so I said fuck no, I don't want to go to school all day and work all night too
[22:53:12] Corey: I haven't ridden it yet. I'll go out with Jane on the weekend and try it out some more
[22:55:00] Flami: AIYA. that much homework?! yikes... I'd decline, too
[22:55:31] Flami: they have IB here, too... my sister went through it (or was it her friends?) ... seemed like a lot of work and studying, at any rate
[22:58:03] Corey: they wanted me in that, but that's not the way to tell kids about it.... all they have to do is have classes with the same amount of work, but make the material more advanced if they can handle it
[22:58:49] Flami: that is certainly not the way to advertise it, no...


Edit: He came back, but didn't have much of a report on how things went...

[01:07:08] Corey: well, I went to the kids' school... I don't know if it went well or not since it was completely Chinese ;P Jane's parents did all the talking for me
[01:08:10] Flami: hahaha, nice :P
[01:11:52] Corey: I'm not really that interested in doing that, but that might be a more stable job with more hours... of course I still know nothing about the pay or the hours or anything, really
[01:12:43] Corey: and they have kindergarteners there, so maybe it's even illegal (it's a Catholic school actually, so I'd hope they have more morals than most around here, even though that's a weird religion :P)
[01:13:02] Flami: I'm guessing Jane's parents don't know enough English to tell you how things went...
[01:13:05] Corey: they told Jane it was 6-10 year-olds, but it sure looked like they worked with little kids with foreign teachers to me
[01:13:17] Corey: her dad does, but didn't tell me a lot
[01:13:26] Corey: Jane just called home to ask them about it
[01:14:31] Flami: so what did he say, or what did they tell Jane?
[01:15:06] Corey: Jane says that place will contact us later...
[01:15:53] Flami: sounds good
[01:18:04] Corey: I guess......... I can't say I'm terribly excited about this place now that I have a much better job dealing with adults, but we'll see...
[01:18:26] Corey: I tried to stay positive there, but I was mostly just waiting for them to quit talking so I could leave (I didn't understand anything anyway! :P)
[01:19:07] Flami: well, yeah...
[01:41:23] Corey: well, I have a lot of Chinese to listen to here... like during lunch and dinner and breakfast and everything else, every day :P I don't really like talking a lot, so it's sort of fine with me, though it would be nice to know what was going on more than I do now
[01:42:49] Flami: I totally understand

Welsh post sox horns and pads

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

POST (137 points) - against Demetra K. [two 4W, hook off GUV for a plural]
CANDENT (200 points) - against Angela V. [5W, two 2W]
SOX (122 points) - against Judy T. [hook off CRAWL for a plural, 5L on X used twice, hook off PLYERS to make EX]
MA (100 points) - against Meredith M. [5W used twice, 4W used twice, hook off EQUATES to make MA] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
CRWTHS (140 points) - against Janice M. [5L, 3L on W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
PADS (113 points) - against Maureen W. [3W, 5W, hook off RAY to make RAYA]

Also finished HORNS by Joe Hill - interesting reading about the devil!

Being disgusted

Up way too early because of the sun... UGH!

Note: Your Random Kingdom Hearts LJ Pairing Generator! Memegen, by Deathdesu.

You Are Disgusted Sometimes

You have a fairly thick skin. Something has to be truly revolting before it grosses you out. You probably weren't always this way, but you've learned how to toughen up. Good for you! It's fine to be disgusted by totally disgusting stuff. And you know better than to gross anyone out yourself. Given enough time, you can get used to the most nauseating of situations. You can develop an iron stomach.

Are You Easily Disgusted?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Steamed factory / Someone random thinking I'm cool / Clodhoppers

High-scoring words of the night:

ZAX (114 points) - against Susan O. [5L on X used twice]
DEFAMERS (184 points) - against Jamie W. [two 3W]
REJIG (248 points) - against Scott N. [two 4W - one used twice] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
BARYON (117 points) - against Marie T. [two 3W]
STEAMED (176 points; two 4W), VAWARDS (780 points; 5W, 2W, 3W, 3L on W; a good deficit-erasing word!) - against Darrin S.
FACTORY (1216 points) - against Steve T. [two 4W, two 2W]


Someone named Kevin Gormley added me recently... guess he thinks I'm cool because of the "they're / their / there" groups, haha. Better than Mark Hedgecock and Erica Hasselbach!

Trivia fact for Wednesday, Apr. 28: In the days of yore, what was the job of a clodhopper? He was a plowman - or farm laborer.

I only had to endure half an hour... that's all I could take!

I really did NOT want to go to my parents' place tonight for dinner. In fact, I procrastinated for a while before even leaving the house the first time. For some reason, I felt anxious when I was halfway to the bus stop, and felt I couldn't walk anymore. I turned around and went back home, intending to just stay there. But then I heard a distinct SQUEAK, so figured I should at least get out of here. I turned out to be officially one hour "late," but I didn't care as long as it reduced my time around my parents. When Mom started in on her typical "this is what you need to do when we're away, RIGHT NOW!" thing, it overwhelmed me... at least she gave me a key to the place! Auntie Teresa drove me to the seniors' community centre located a bit away from the Steveston Community Centre, and then back for dinner... yes, I needed the five minutes more! As long as I'm at the house on the 13th and leave by the evening of the 20th, it should be fine. Note to self: tell Eric and Henry about it in a couple of weeks because it affects my rides. I still remember that Eric understood the word "jie" in Chinese ("boy"), but not "gwei" ... hahaha, it's all good for White Man #1! (a few months ago, I was telling Grandma - while on the phone with Eric - that Eric would pick us up the next day for church at a certain time, and Eric wondered what I was saying!)

Dinner was fine, although I did a good job of seeming to be always looking at the clock as if I needed to be somewhere. I didn't, really - other than out of the townhouse! I said hi to Grandma and Pastor Fulton, of course. When I was done, Mom wondered if I wanted more to eat... this is where pre-eating comes in handy, so I don't have to spend a lot of time with her! Then she said "See you Sunday!" - I hope NOT! Pastor Fulton wanted to know if I needed a ride home, but it would have been kind of rude to insist / demand he get up in the middle of his meal to take me there and back! Mom also gave me two sweaters (which turned out to NOT be my style) and three hangers. Finally got out of there to take the bus to London Drugs, where I bought on-sale Fibre One bars (which I'd wanted to get anyway) / frog stickers for Conor / on-sale Frank's Red Hot sauce / Mango Madness Snapple to consume as soon as I got out of the store, because dinner was a bit greasy. Got home and showered before doing anything else.

Outdoor clefts / Not friends with the Upside Down One, AKA Erik!

High-scoring words of the early afternoon so far:

SLEAZY (170 points) - against Lesley R. [5W used twice]
WAE (111 points) - against Robyn E. [4W, 5L on W]
CLEFTS (168 points) - against Dolores B. [3W, 4W]
OUTDOORS (256 points) - against Grace A. [4W, two 3W]


Phew... the computer appears to be working okay this afternoon! Elissa (Raging Puppy) sent me a FB message, wondering how I was. She says that there's a guy from Vancouver in one of her classes, which is cool! (she's in Pennsylvania) Also asked if I were friends with the Upside Down One, known to me as Erik Gagnon / Lee, because she wants to find him on Facebook. She referred to the Upside Down One as "her," but I will continue to use "him" because that was the original point of reference! As it happens, I'm not friends with him anymore because of certain reasons. Oh well. Also noticed that Tara re-friended me on Facebook... all righty, then!

You Are the Funny One

You have a flamboyant personality, and part of that is being a natural comic. You are very observant, and you always have a joke ready for every person and occasion. You don't hesitate to point out when a situation is uncomfortable, and you are awesome at breaking the ice. Your sarcasm doesn't play well with every type of person, but your friends get and appreciate you.

What's Your Personality Like?

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

Flippy angina jaws, stupid obligations, slow computer, and nudges

High-scoring words of the night so far:

FLIPPY (104 points) - against Judi C. [4W, 2L on F] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
ANGINA (104 points) - against Millie F. [two 4W]
JAWS (130 points) - against Linda L. [5W used twice, hook off BENNE for a plural]


I figured that if I *had* to call my mother, I'd do it during a commercial break while JACK BAUER was on. Since I know she watches it rabidly, I also know she wouldn't want to talk past the break, which was only a couple minutes long in any event. Apparently, there IS dinner at the townhouse - I gave my excuse, saying that I had to leave early. She tried telling me that there were no dishes - THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE! I'd still rather do it over email, but there are times when I have to suck it up. *sigh* At least dinner is early? (apparently, Auntie Teresa is going to the airport or the community centre, and there are keys involved... I dunno, I wasn't listening!) Then Firefox decided to get really slow, so I installed Opera - no real improvement. Maybe it is the actual computer! Time to see who knows about hand-me-down computers!


Trivia fact for Tuesday, Apr. 27: Who originated the phrase "nudge, nudge, wink, wink"? Comedian Eric Idle, in a 1969 skit he wrote for the side-splitting British TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Ethan resigns, Presidents Taylor and Logan connive, and there is insincerity

Jack is trying out for his next career as a helicopter traffic reporter. It's actually a great move for him, what with his ability to avoid rush hour traffic. Two Air Force choppers close in on him, but Jack manages to land his copter, and climbs down a fire escape. He easily eludes the NYPD by disappearing into a crowd. Chloe thinks Jack is going to get Dana or die trying. That may have been the original title of 50 Cent's debut album. Chloe wants Cole in the field, and methinks Cole wouldn't be too devastated if Jack managed to get to Dana after all.

Warden Norton tells Taylor that she could be impeached for covering up the Russians' involvement. Really? I may not be an expert on Constitutional Law, but I don't think THAT necessarily qualifies as grounds for impeachment. Now, if she and Warden Norton had engaged in oral sex while she was still married to Henry, then that would qualify. He tries to convince her to back out of the deal and grant Dana immunity, but Taylor still wants world peace. I guess that's the inner beauty queen in her. His words seem to have an impact on the President, and she agrees to withdraw from the accord.

Taylor has a meeting with Logan, and tells him about her decision. Of course, Logan has a solution up his sleeve. He recommends detaining Dana as an enemy combatant, and recommends a private security firm to do the job. Is it Starkwood? That would be appropriate. He also recommends torturing Dana to "acquire and control" the evidence. His words seem to have an effect, despite Taylor's earlier objections to torture. Man, Logan is a bad influence. At this rate, he'll get the President to rename the Washington Monument to the Logan Monument by the end of the week. So, Taylor is pretty much a vacillating and weak president who lets the men in her life influence her decisions. That's the lesson to take away here, kids.

Jack is on "25th and Cleveland" – where the hell is that in Manhattan? The Upper North Side? Anyway, Taylor wants Dana transferred to a safehouse by a private security firm, and Chloe immediately starts to question the order before agreeing to obey. That's brilliant, put Dana out in the open for Jack. Jack goes on a shopping spree at some electronics kiosk. He buys a cellphone, and says he doesn't need the charger. That's right, Jack doesn't need electricity! Jack asks Chloe to help him out, and warns her not to go against him. Chloe starts to stand up to Jack, but realizes how stupid that is. Instead, she gives him the info and tells him about the private security firm. Jack then throws away the phone. So that's why he didn't want a charger. Hopefully, he didn't splurge on a Blackberry.

Meanwhile, Michael Madsen is in some apartment that has more electronics in it than Times Square. I would hate to see his monthly bill. Jack asks him for help, and Mr. Blond reluctantly agrees since he owes him. What did Jack do? Help him beat the rap for torturing and disfiguring a cop? Save his life and put him in witness relocation so that he could avoid the wrath of The Bride? The private security person calls Terry (Logan's aide), and offers to kill Dana and make it look like she was trying to escape. Terry hesitates, which shows he is no Walt Cummings. Walt not only would have agreed to it, but he would have proposed it.

Chloe meets with the private security people, and discreetly copies the transfer order to a flash drive. Dana freaks out when they take her, and she knows she's a dead duck. Oh well. That's why moles don't have a very high life expectancy. Hopefully, she didn't put too much into her 401K. Chloe starts to give the info to Jack, but changes her mind. She calls Cole and tells him to bring Jack in. Cole sympathizes with Jack, but Chloe maintains that she's under orders. Wow, the Nuremberg Defense sounds weird coming from Chloe. After all, following orders has never been her forte. Unless they're from Jack, of course.

Jack pays a visit to Michael Madsen, and he hooks him up with some serious artillery and gadgets. Jack calls Chloe, and she gives him the info about Dana. I smell a trap. Sure enough, Cole is setting up at the address Chloe gave Jack, and he seems confident that they can take him by surprise. Do I even need to say anything? Warden Norton finishes his statement about pulling out of the peace accord, but Taylor breaks the bad news to him. Man, he did all that work for nothing? I'd be pissed. Taylor fills him in on her dirty deeds, and Warden Norton is understandably upset. He tries to play shrink, and tells the President she's trying to compensate for losing her family, but she tells him to be quiet. Taylor puts her foot down, but Warden Norton decides to resign. Taylor is upset, but Warden Norton is like "I'm just listening to my doctors," and brings up the fact that she has Logan now. He then says that there's only room for one of them. See? He's just jealous.

President-select Hassan (because she wasn't elected – get it?) is putting the final touches on her ascension when Kayla comes to see her. They make up and everything's hunky dory in the Hassan household. You know, besides the fact that Omar is dead. Jack calls Chloe, and she plays along. He should be able to hear that she's on the floor, right? That should be a tipoff. Jack takes some weapons out of his arsenal, but only needs one fist to take out the guard stationed outside the warehouse. Jack gets the drop on the others inside the warehouse by using the unconscious guard as a distraction. He tells Cole to call Chloe, and tell her that they have Jack locked up. Cole should use a CTU duress code, and tell Chloe that he's in a flank two position, but he isn't that smart.

Cole ties up his men under orders from Jack, and the two of them have a sitdown. Jack says he knows Cole well enough to know that he doesn't want any part of this. Really? He knows this because they've spent all of less than a day together? They're like long-lost soulmates that connect on a spiritual level. Anyway, they decide to team up and blow the lid off this conspiracy. So now, Cole is the "Robin" to Jack's "Batman." Or maybe he's the "Gary" to Jack's "Ace." Warden Norton and Logan have a confrontation. Logan insincerely wishes Norton well, and Norton sees right through it. Norton threatens to come after Logan if anything ever happens to Taylor, and pulls an Aaron Pierce by calling him "Charles." Logan has the last laugh, though, and smirks as he turns on the TV to watch Taylor's press conference which is about to start. Well, that sure shut Norton up. No one does false sincerity like Logan does.

The mercenaries have Dana, and they threaten her unless she gives up her evidence. She says she has no evidence, but that's just going to make things worse for her. Bledsoe (the head mercenary) gets ready for some torture, and actually seems quite happy at Dana's intransigence. First up – the Tara Reid movie marathon. Taylor has her press conference, and reaffirms her commitment to the peace process. Warden Norton sees this, and walks away. Meanwhile, the mercenaries tie up Dana, and start using Chinese water torture on her. See? In this day and age of advanced torture tactics, sometimes the old classics still work the best.

Banana Wong?! / Excuses, Oasis, overpacking, money, no frog stickers, Billie

High-scoring words of the afternoon so far:

AHED (144 points) - against Ba P. [two 4W]
OLIVARY (120 points) - against Joseph M. [4W, 2W]
HERDED (192 points) - against Scott N. [two 4W]
OVERPACK (408 points) - against Anne K. [two 4W]
SURREAL (144 points) - against Michele M. [two 4W]
ALODIA (128 points) - against Robyn E. [4W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


I found some girl apparently named BANANA WONG on Facebook - mutual friends include Andrea, Justin C., Kenneth, Nathan, and Sean. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Reminds me of the time I met someone almost named Banana Brown on Facebook while playing Scrabble, hahaha. Completed 15 Wordscraper games yesterday, which ties the record for me.

Called Barry, and set up an appointment for Wednesday morning. Not my ideal time, but at least I have an excuse to leave early if there's a parental dinner tomorrow - yay! Went out in the rain and wind to London Drugs to return the black crew shirt, then bought Oasis juice for only 99 cents. (and pads) Also got dental floss since I couldn't open the one I got from the dentist on Friday. They didn't have the kind of pencil sharpener I liked, so I went to Staples to get that for the toddler Sunday School. After that, I went to the bank to deposit money before returning home.

I thought I'd purchased frog stickers for Conor, but that must have just been my imagination! I AM LOSING IT! That's all the going out that I can take! I put my Sunday lunch money in an accessible place when I got home, too... we'll see if there are any plans afoot since I'm too chicken to send someone a message about it. Billie says we're still on for Friday's hot and sour soup, so I'll get money for that too!

Roller Derby Name

I have the feeling that this week is simply going to CRAWL by... :(

Your Roller Derby Name is Ima Zombie

Whip it!

What's Your Roller Derby Name?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Crazy Taiwan traffic!

Forgot to mention that it was good talking to Lucas and Hannah today, too. Can't believe Lucas is leaving in August for five months!

[00:34:27] Corey: I wasn't even here! we were off at the bike shop :P Jane's dad apparently knows the right place to go for bike work... the shop he used when he was in school 40 years ago :P the old guy at this shop grabbed the bike, started spinning things and fiddling with the shifters, pausing briefly to spend like 2 seconds adjusting things here and there
[00:35:20] Corey: then he pulls out some cutters and cuts the brake cable, yanks it out, and grabs a new one from inside and feeds it back through the tube he pulled it from, squeezes the handle a couple times to make sure it works, and bam, it's done :P fixed the gears and the brakes in like... a minute?
[00:36:37] Corey: the rear brake was completely shot, it barely even worked, and it wouldn't shift to the high gears... apparently, this is a brand new bike (as in nobody ever used it), but it must have been sitting outside for several years or something since it's all rusty (the frame is fine, but all the gears and the chain and every bolt and other shiny metal surface is rusty)
[00:36:40] Flami: hahaha... that's great :P
[00:36:55] Flami: oh dear... I read "shifters" as "shitters"
[00:36:56] Corey: oh, and I didn't see the price, but it looked to be like.... a couple dollars
[00:37:02] Flami: wow
[00:37:19] Corey: everything I read online made it sound like I'd need to replace half the bike, and spend tons of money
[00:37:24] Flami: yikes :S
[00:37:34] Flami: that's probably money you do not have right now
[00:37:46] Corey: well, this bike was free
[00:38:17] Corey: Jane's parents mentioned to a neighbor that they should start looking for a bike for me to use to get to work, and they said: "oh, we won one in a contest and never use it... just take that"
[00:39:08] Corey: I'm kind of afraid to actually try using it to go to work... but I guess I should..
[00:39:26] Corey: there aren't bike lanes, and there are cars and scooters and motorcycles everywhere
[00:40:02] Flami: oh no... do you see many people on bikes there?
[01:20:20] Flami: DAMMIT! It crashed AGAIN! :P
[01:20:42] Corey: I forgot to send my last message....
[01:20:53] Corey: yes, there are bikes, but a lot more cars and scooters
[01:21:48] Flami: well, I hope it's not as bad as downtown traffic
[01:22:11] Corey: probably worse :P unless Chinese people drive like this in Vancouver, too :P
[01:23:08] Flami: well, not having experienced Taiwanese traffic myself, I wouldn't know
[01:23:35] Corey: well, surely you've heard the stereotypes about how Asian people can't drive :P
[01:24:24] Corey: that might be partly true, but if people learn how to drive in a place like this with this crazy style of traffic, and then move to the other side of the world and drive that same way, they'd be maniacs
[01:25:01] Corey: it kind of works here since everyone has the same style, but I think driving like that in my town would cause people to die
[01:32:13] Corey: well, do people drive in the lanes there? :P
[01:32:59] Corey: how do they turn left? do they just go headfirst into traffic so the oncoming cars have to stop or just hit you? :P that's the only way to really do it here... people won't let you in, and there won't be a break in traffic
[01:33:57] Corey: when turning, they switch lanes halfway through the turn and end up in a different lane.. or they turn when they're not in the turn lane... as all this is going on, scooters are going every which way, between lanes, to the side of lanes, once in a while on the sidewalk....
[01:35:54] Flami: that is truly crazy traffic, friend... people drive in the lanes here, for the most part... and most of them wait for the traffic signal before they turn left into the other roads... although I'm sure my sister has seen her share and more of crazy drivers!
[01:36:24] Corey: they don't have left turn lanes here... so the way they do it is really about the only way it works..
[01:37:29] Corey: Chinese people are pushy as fuck, and rude in crowds and in traffic.. complete "ME FIRST ME FIRST" attitude. they won't even wait for pedestrians crossing the street... they won't HIT them, but they will not wait for you to cross before they just go anyway, even if you're just about where you'd get hit :P
[01:38:15] Corey: in other situations, they're overly polite and friendly... but it's like the truth comes out when they're trying to get through a crowd or traffic :P totally different
[01:39:33] Corey: I complain about people driving at home, but at home, people will wave you through and wait for you if you're both trying to turn at the same time, or they'll slow down so you can get into a lane, or whatever... far, far, far more polite on the road. it would be pretty much unthinkable to drive through a crosswalk with people on it
[01:39:52] Corey: mayyybe a right turn after the people were definitely past that area
[01:44:30] Flami: sounds like insanity
[01:47:38] Corey: well, it all kind of works somehow, but I'm kind of afraid to ride a bike in that
[01:47:50] Corey: I'm afraid to ride a bike on the street at home... and we have bike lanes!
[01:47:51] Flami: don't blame you
[01:48:29] Corey: there are KIND OF bike lanes here, in some places... but they're for the scooters (which are like pansy motorcycles), so that wouldn't be great. most places don't have that

Mean rare sex, Golden, Jen, Round 2, earthquakes, mangoes, and Africa

Bingo of the night so far:

SCAPOLITE (110 points) - against Millie F.

High-scoring words of the night so far:

SAUGHY (115 points) - against Josephine S. [5W]
SOY (176 points; 3W, 4W, hook off QI to make QIS, hook off A to make AY), ELINT (304 points; 2W, two 5W, hook off TA to make ETA) - against Jim S.
EMEER (175 points) - against Eric G. [two 5W]
MIKADO (135 points) - against Lorraine R. [two 3W]
SCAPOLITE (110 points) - against Millie F. [5W, bingo]
WASTS (150 points) - against Kim F. [3W, 5W]
WAISTER (121 points) - against Cathy T. [4W, hook off ACE for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
MEANIES (480 points) - against Jo E. [3W, two 4W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
RARITY (110 points) - against Lisa K. [2W, 5W]
UNSEX (145 points) - against Angela V. [two 3W, hook off VEER for a plural]


Noticed that Golden is on Facebook again - yay! I was going to ask him about it this weekend, but didn't. Jen also sent us an Evite to her drinks-themed birthday party, which is apparently only lasting an hour on Sunday... haha, NICE! I'll see what Eric says about it - guess I will have to call him before Thursday, or keep an eye on the replies! Of course, it is after the retreat, so I dunno. The Canucks eliminated the Kings 4-2, thanks to three comeback goals... now they face either Chicago or Nashville in the second round! WOOHOO!

Corey told me: "I just ate lunch, and I went to a class (just watching) this morning. There was an earthquake, too... it shook the building gently for about 20 seconds? I don't know if it was worse somewhere else, but it was incredibly mild for us... nothing moved around or anything. Wow, 6.9 earthquake - that's a lot bigger than I thought! :P But it was in the southeast. (we're in the northwest) Well, it said this happened in the northeast Philippines.. so a big earthquake, but it wasn't close to us here. But that means the earthquake shook the entire country and ocean, and probably a lot of the Philippines, too! :P So... I'm glad the center of it was somewhere else. :P

"On an unrelated note, I just had a whole mango. Mangoes are good... most of the ones we get are from the Philippines. They're a bit different in Taiwan (there are Philippines ones here too, though)... pretty good stuff. There's mango drinks and stuff too, which are also very good."


Trivia fact for Monday, Apr. 26: What do Lusaka, Lomé, and Lilongwe have in common? They are capitals of African countries; Lusaka, of Zambia; Lomé, of Togo; and Lilongwe, of Malawi.

Gunshot wounds and bum crusties are acceptable lunch conversation!

When Eric picked me up this morning, he wondered if I wanted to be with someone. No comment on that, my friend! We discussed bling, the sudden DUMP of rain, traffic, and more. He jokingly wanted me to carry his skis in for him, but I didn't want to break them! Apparently, a bunch of people were bringing their equipment in early - good strategy! I sat in my usual spot, then hailed Jeremy - he was in the middle of telling Jon and Harmony that he'd done something extra for the boss at the end of a work day so he wouldn't have to go in today. Good plan, since he can probably use the time for studying since he has one last exam on Monday night before a week's break prior to learning MORE accounting! Moved my stuff to be near Jeremy - I greeted Citrus, who assumed that Steph was working. I assumed she was sleeping; with her schedule, I wouldn't blame her! As it happened, Steph was a little late - she told me that she'd done an epic BOMB, and then wondered why I wasn't sitting by Dave. He wasn't here!

We noticed a funny repeated announcement in the bulletin about students entering / in the midst of exams. Jeremy noticed it just as I was putting on my lip balm - it was pretty funny! Later, Harmony told me that my friend wasn't here today - trust me, I noticed! Went into the kitchen and bugged Hien about Minute Rice, which is fine as long as you don't microwave it! (but sometimes you gotta...) Talked to Danielle about Brent, Facebook, documentaries, and more. Asked Cindy how Jackie's grad recital was on Friday - it was phenomenal, she says. Put my stuff upstairs first before going back downstairs to talk to Auntie Catherine, who gave me a bunch of invitations - apparently, Chung Ming has gotten MARRIED, and is having an introductory dinner in June. WOW! I gave our parents' envelope to Steph, and handed Jon and Harmony's to her. Not sure if I'll make the dinner, but we'll see. I talked to Joshua and Keenan about Whistler... I think they're excited! Asked Ivan about a ride for next week - I don't mind if he has to be there early! He made sure that my number was in his new phone, and also made sure that he knew where I'd be - no fiascoes like in December, we hope! Attempted to give away some snacks I didn't like to Natalie, who wouldn't take them, but Priscilla did. I had one bagel and a coffee, which was actually labelled TEA.

Asked Geoffrey how he'd gotten to church, since I know he lives in Richmond - he'd taken the Canada Line to Broadway Station and met Uncle Hansel / Auntie Cathy. Also asked what his last name was - it's CHUM, like the fish or like the TV station. At least in Texas, he didn't get the "salmon!" thing all the time, heh. Steph said that there was a bag of stuff for me on Dad's desk - I figured it was mostly useless stuff, and I was right. After talking to a few more people (narrowly avoiding Mr. Creep), I decided to get out of there and head to Sunday School. Got distracted by the sight of little Mattias in a big comfy chair, so of course I had to talk to him for a bit - he liked it, Phil said. Oh yes, we can tell by his subtle expressions! Talked to Karen I. about her brother-in-law's wedding, too.

The class was even fuller than last time, since we had two new kids named Vicky and Kyle. Conor, Amanda, Amos, Donald (who was very good at putting things in the garbage can for me), Mattias, David, Evelyn, Ramen, Shira, and Harrison were there too. I figured that the new shoes in the crap bag didn't fit - oh well. Conor had a dragon shirt on - I told him that I had one too, but it was too cold to wear it... maybe in a month! He, Vicky, Amanda, and Donald were drawing up a storm! Conor wanted me to sign his Awana book for him once I reviewed a section with him (reading a Bible verse), but I told him that he should get William to sign it instead! Rachel's grandma said that Rachel thanked me for the birthday present I gave her yesterday - oh good! Amanda and Vicky (new friends!) talked to me about bossy people and knowing Chinese... yes, I know a few bossy people myself! I surprised Auntie Ying by giving her a calculator, which she's apparently never used before... hmm! Just read the manual, haha.

When I got downstairs, Isabel / Harmony / Jeremy / Jon / Christon were talking about comfort food. I wondered if anyone had figured out what to do for lunch yet... maybe a Korean place, or the Chili Pepper House. Unfortunately, my mom chose to intercept me - if Auntie Teresa wants to touch base with me regarding Grandma, just get her to email me so I don't have to spend time with you! UGH! But I did figure out why Mom called last week: apparently, Grandma had bought a big lobster. Better my sanity than a huge lobster! Jeremy isn't going to the retreat either, so it looks like I'll have a regular seatmate as company! Welcomed Sam back from Winnipeg, of course.

Eventually, a bunch of us went to Cho Sun BBQ House - talked about effective locations for gunshot wounds, running, massive meat in the pork lung soup, gross things, poop, wiping, Andrea's birthday party at Shally's yesterday, the medulla oblongata, spending money, Pho, ice cream, making the world go away, Kevin powerwalking up Rupert, burial plots, being mortal, fish and chicken NOT being vegetarian, and more. On the way home, Eric bugged me by deliberately mispronouncing a bunch of names (mostly Canucks and our friends) - and look, he's done it on MSN just now too. I mostly ignored that (and his MSN message), except to give him a couple of death threats. When he dropped me off before getting something done at home, I said that I hoped he got that out of his system in 12 days. I can ignore him just as well then, I'm sure... but I'd probably rather not! Of course, I was at liberty to change the subject - the Fellowship is doing a Frog Hollow Community program the week after the retreat, he says. Interesting... oh, and I also threw away most of the contents of the USELESS CRAP BAG, haha. But I'll donate the shoes to the Salvation Army, of course.

Stupid subconscious choosing my mother! / HARRY POTTER characters / Icons

NOT IMPRESSED WITH MY SUBCONSCIOUS. Why did I have to dream of my mother being all high and mighty over the fact that she could go up forest stairs when I couldn't?! I had to go with the rest of my family! UGH UGH UGH. And of course, this is the reason why I'm in a MOOD.

What do these Harry Potter characters really think of you? by frootloop215
Name
Age
Favorite Color
Harry	he wants to eat you
Ron	wants to shag you NOW!
Fred	wants to hit you with a bludger.
George	wants to play a prank on you
Charlie	wants to feed you to a dragon
Bill	wants you in his bed
Draco	likes you.
Crabe	thinks you're too young for him
Oliver	wants you on his Quidditch team.

What are your random icons? by mangoalix
Username
Happy icon
Sad icon
Funny icon
Angel icon
Cartoon icon
Anime icon
Misc icon
Who is most likely to steal your icon?	themeanyoshi

Patriot doormats, Aero Bubbles, shirt returns, free rusty bikes, and Nutella

Bingo of the night:

DOORMATS (586 points) - against Lisa K.

High-scoring words of the night:

PATRIOTS (157 points) - against Audra R. [two 3W]
DOORMATS (586 points) - against Lisa K. [two 5W, bingo, hook off RANK to make TRANK]
REVISORY (436 points; two 2W, two 3W), GRANDPA (234 points; 2W, two 3W) - against Chantelle M.
APNEA (108 points) - against Karen S. [3W, 4W]


I went to London Drugs, and was back home within an hour - pretty good for a Saturday night! Got two packages of Hawaiian Kettle Style Luau BBQ chips (on special) for $5, a package of Aero Bubbles also on special (saving $1.50), and a black crew T-shirt. I'll have to return the T-shirt as the sleeves are too long! Oh well, at least I tried! Since I'd given Eric more than 24 hours to recover from whatever was bugging him, I called to see whether he was feeling better. He said he was, which is good... I don't care if he plays music tomorrow or what, just as long as I don't commit another EPIC FAIL! At least I feel comfortable with certain people, up to a point. ;)

Corey just told me, "We're going to go try to ride a bike. They got a bike for me... for free! Someone they know won it as a prize and never used it, but it's rusty as hell. They must have left it outside in the rain for three years or something. So, hopefully it works. We greased everything up, and tried to clean it up as best we could... now to go try. :P" Well, he can tell me what happened later, since I need to go to bed pretty soon!


Trivia fact for Sunday, Apr. 25: What kind of nuts are in the Nutella spread? Hazelnuts.