I found my keys in my wallet this afternoon! / Justin fell and hurt his head...

Henry and I met at the Dairy Queen, and we were off while listening to the Team 1040. We discussed whether a meal in someone's apartment could really be called "brunch," and his work shift today. When we got to church, we were lucky because we got an elevator that other people were too impatient to wait for! I talked to Chrystal and Golden about losing it, finding my keys in my wallet (which I only opened to exchange money), laundry money, almost putting away milk on the shelf instead, the kids, the Linkin Park logo, snacks, and more. Eric T. wanted to know if we had any jobs for a kid to do - Jordan forgot his book. I told Jordan that I had a job for him, and got him to refill my water bottle for me. When Chrystal said that she was leaving the room to photocopy the Truth Scripts, he wondered if she was going to make a million photocopies because that would be a WASTE, then asked me whether he could make photocopies of his butt / pants / hats / shirts. NO, NOT ON THE CHURCH PHOTOCOPIER! As for paper, it depends what is on the paper in the first place!

We noticed a commotion outside - Justin A. had fallen and hit his head on the ground! Jordan went over to the window and looked - he wanted to know whether Justin was still alive, and whether he was bloody! He sounds like he could be morbid, haha. Mike asked him whether his stories would involve killing people - yes. I'm not surprised! Selwyn came into the room and verified who I was - Grandma was on the phone. She wanted to know whether I was coming home for dinner, and what time I'd be coming home... I TOLD YOU ALREADY! Of course, I understand that she has memory problems... she told me to thank the person who got me to answer the phone, but it wasn't what she had in mind, haha. Interacted with Sophia (about Anne), Joshua and Keenan (money), David, Evelyn, Samantha, Dominic, Donald, Annie, Conor, and Aaron - Aaron was running a racket, wanting Conor to give him one Awana dollar in exchange for some gummy candy. I told him not to do that, so we'll see. Annie said that Conor wasted all his review stickers... no, he just put them in his handbook at the required places! Ada, Sean, and Ian took me home, where I had dinner with Grandma. Now I'm just relaxing! I know there's no Awana on Saturday because of the Victoria Day long weekend, so I can be re-acquainted with my place again, haha.

Brunch at Deb and Dylan's / Eric does NOT drive me everywhere!

Eric picked me up, and said hello to Grandma. He looked to see if the key was somewhere near the computer, but he said he couldn't see it. We went out, and talked about DARKWING (how should *I* know whether he's coming out to the brunch?!), French, flasks, THY DUNGEONMAN 3, PEASANT'S QUEST, wagons full of pancakes, having children, Homestar Runner, combing hair which wouldn't stay down, a joke "environmental surcharge," Facebook feed behavior, whether I'd looked upstairs (I had to no avail), why it was a good thing I didn't answer his phone because the call came from a restricted number (so it meant that someone I really DESPISE was on the other end), Mr. Creep, Freudian slips, Raymond's purple shirt, oranges, Pho, and more. Had trouble finding a parking spot once we reached Deb and Dylan's place, but it wasn't too bad. Talked to Deb, Dylan, Vivian (who crashed our brunch - brought vanilla ice cream), Carmen, Vicky, Albert, Kevin, Cindy, and Eric about travel, Cambodia / Vietnam / Asia / China / Angkor Wat / Europe / Barcelona, the EPIC Alaska cruise dinner, TORTURED FOR CHRIST, martyrs, Australia, moving out, Granville Island, driving / parking / chalk lines, koala bears being more vicious than they seem, pancakes / eggs / strawberries / Philadelphia cream cheese / the gadget Eric had to poach his eggs / orange juice / apple juice / milk / coffee / apple strudel / giant Costco muffins (nobody wanted to have one after Vicky said that they were 760 calories each and had 66 grams of fat), and more. Deb says that her mom made her US cousin cry over the phone when she said that Canada had won the Olympic gold medal hockey game - ouch!

Then we got into a discussion about whether the panda was in fact a bear, because Cindy says that she and her colleagues had been teaching the kids at school that pandas aren't bears even though we call them panda bears! Dylan looked it up on Wikipedia, and it turns out that they are in fact classified as bears! Cindy was devastated, so we told her that she could edit the Wikipedia article, haha! Under cover of the multiple conversations going on, I told Eric that my email to Jeremy had NOT created damage as he feared, so he thought that it really had - TRUST ME, IT DIDN'T! I don't think Jeremy is the type of person to hide damage of that sort, anyway. When it was time to go to Granville Island, Eric and I had to leave anyway. He had to go to Oakridge, so we went to EB Games to pick up what turned out to be a used METROID game of some sort for the Wii (I think?) - I noticed some blingy wallets while we passed through the Bay, oh my! It turned out to cost more than I thought for a used game ($61.02?), but I guess if you're willing to pay the price... Eric says that eBay prices are even worse if you can find it on there! YIKES!

He also said that the environmental surcharge was the price I paid since he was trying to get things done in a single trip... I certainly didn't mind that! We went to the Steveston Hotel to sign an anti-HST petition, which went as fast as we thought. Discussed DARKWING, 8:45 tomorrow (I'll tell Grandma it's 8:30), Jon, sound, grammar fail, slamming his car door, and more. Now that I am home, Grandma thinks that she wants to treat Eric to dinner - haha, we'll see. Henry called just now to get me to meet him at the Dairy Queen - I told Grandma that I was going out again to church (I said it was "kids" since I didn't know how else to explain Awana to her!), and she wasn't impressed. Then she thought it was Eric driving me again - nope! Oh, and I also FINALLY found some sleeping pills which I've been trying to find at my place for a few months - they were in my knapsack! And Grandma just forgot what I told her about being home for dinner at a certain time - AIYA!

Keys, brunch, and Paris

I told Grandma about brunch and about Jon taking her out on Monday lunch - she seemed okay with brunch, but thought I could then buy stuff for our own dinner. I don't want to hijack Eric like that, man! Explained the small group as "Fellowship," which then led her to think that we had a lot of Fellowship meetings... whatever makes her happy, I guess. Not sure how I'll explain tomorrow's lunch to her, since she might think we're ditching her if we shuffle her over to Steph... or she might think we won't take her home! Oh well, we'll figure it out. She's not impressed with my putting her key in my water bottle, haha. Eric called to say he's on his way, so fine. He might not have time to look for the key, though. Ah well.

You Are Energetic

Some people may consider you to be too shy, but you are simply thoughtful. You are a naturally brainy person. Ideas always excite you. You have very sweet and tender feelings about your friends. You truly miss your friends when you can't spend time with them. Novelty and variety recharge you. You are a true adventurer at heart.

The Paris Test

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Drowning in rainy weather / Animated streaks of yore / Single-letter elements

High-scoring words of the night:

RAINY (100 points) - against Joel E. [5W, 2W]
YORE (138 points) - against Susan V. [4W, 5L on Y used twice, hook off SCUBA to make YA] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
STREAKED (100 points) - against Anne C. [two 2W]
DROWN (120 points) - against Dana G.-G. [3W, two 2W]
ANIMATO (1100 points) - against Wendy H. [4W, two 5W] {a VERY LUCKY deficit-erasing word, allowing me to win the game handily!}


Trivia fact for Saturday, May 15: How many chemical elements on the periodic table are represented by a single letter? Fourteen. They are B (Boron), C (Carbon), F (Fluorine), H (Hydrogen), I (Iodine), K (Potassium), N (Nitrogen), O (Oxygen), P (Phosphorus), S (Sulfur), U (Uranium), V (Vanadium), W (Tungsten), and Y for Yttrium.

NOT my night because of keys!

Eric was late picking me up, and then I wasted a few more minutes trying to find my keys. Finally, I had to ask my grandma for hers! She wasn't impressed, of course. Once I got in the car, Eric wondered if I'd had the key yesterday - yes, but I can't remember what I did with it after I entered the house! Yes, I looked through all my bags and pockets: NOT THERE! We picked up Geoffrey, and then the car ride turned mostly silent. When we got to church, I realized that I'd somehow lost Grandma's house key! I waited till the singing was over and we were passing around a sign-up sheet to tell Eric, who said we'd look for it later. ARE YOU INSANE?! DO YOU WANT SOME RANDOM CRAZY TO PICK IT UP?! Jon sat behind me when he was done worship, and told me to tell Grandma that Monday lunch worked better for him - sounds good, if she doesn't ask me WHY he's doing this like she did earlier today! (noticing Mr. Creep's place in the chapel, I sat next to Jose a few rows up and over) I told him that he had mail at the townhouse (so does Steph), so he said to bring it on Sunday - sure, since I just put it in my Sunday bag. Then he mentioned that he'd leave early for a concert... NICE! He also said that he was signing me up for a service project - I will get stranded, and how would I know if Mr. Creep signed up for the same thing?! Want nothing to do with him!

Uncle Stephen's talk was interesting - covered Adam and Noah and coincidences, generations, wine, being naked, and more. When it was over at 9:30, I made a beeline for Eric, so we went to the parkade. Geoffrey noticed us leaving, and Eric told him exactly why we were disappearing for a while, so I said that it was too much personal information. After a lot of looking around inside the car, Eric finally found it after ten minutes or so. He was feeling around under the seat, and it must have fallen out of my pocket somehow on the way to church! Unfortunately, Uncle Rex and Auntie Christina saw me waiting outside the car, and asked what I was doing apparently alone in the parkade! I put the key inside my water bottle after dumping the contents out on the ground. Eric said that I'd accidentally swallow it... well, Grandma doesn't know Jack Bauer torture techniques, haha.

When we got back to meet up with everyone, we talked to Cindy / Carmen / Vicky / Christon / Deb / Geoffrey about tomorrow's brunch (which Eric IS going to), losing it in terms of memory, retreat money, guides, Facebook, oranges, missing Dianne in Halifax (staying with Dennis), baby names, Asian names, school stress, sarcasm, the story of Grandma's key, and more. Behind us, Dylan was making plans to have a meal with Mr. Creep - thank goodness that I had an excuse already in mind involving my 90-year-old grandmother! Also, thank goodness that Geoffrey decided he was tired... we left at around 10 after Eric briefed Dylan on Committee Meeting, and I said goodnight to Wesley. If you're special, you'll get that from me - if not, then I won't say anything much! Raymond was wearing purple... ugh, it's one of my favorite colors! The ride to Geoffrey's was mostly silent, though I couldn't contain my distaste at seeing apostrophe abuse on a green-and-white awning as we passed by a bunch of businesses. (A #20 bus was just stopped in the middle of a lane, also - weird!)

After dropping Geoffrey off, Eric and I went to Safeway to get brunch materials for tomorrow, and some stuff for his parents too: Post cereal, Shreddies, large Omega-3 free-range eggs, Tropicana orange juice, juice boxes, and more. Eric convinced me that I might have more chance of losing my water bottle in the store vs. leaving it in the car - when we got back to the car, he pretended to "accidentally" swallow the key inside the water bottle. In turn, I made a "slit-throat" motion, haha. (and no, he is NOT going to pantomime my spitting on the keys!) Talked about Dave, Dawn, DARKWING, grammar fails, Tim Horton's, Dave's misfortunes, what a cog tooth really was (a bike tire has cogs, and the teeth are the pointy things), leaving the brunch, BREATH OF FIRE II walkthroughs, Grandma wanting to treat him for lunch on Sunday (but we have plans of our own!), and more. At least it'll be daylight hours when I'm out tomorrow, so Grandma should be theoretically okay! She probably won't be too impressed if she hears I won't need breakfast OR lunch tomorrow, but that's how it goes! At least she remembered to NOT lock the top lock once it grew dark - but I still can't find my key! UGH! It COULD be behind the computer equipment since I'm sure I heard a CLINK yesterday afternoon... I'll get Eric to look tomorrow.

Ryan is a bluenose goth with fajitas! / Locks, Eric, Geoffrey, and microwaves

Interesting rack of the afternoon: RYANGOTH (against Joel E.)


Bingo of the afternoon:

BLUENOSE (238 points) - against Otis L.


High-scoring words of the afternoon:

BLUENOSE (238 points) - against Otis L. [bingo, two 4W, hook off AX to make SAX]
CASINOS (720 points) - against Penny M. [5W, two 4W]
FAJITAS (124 points) - against Millie F. [4W, 2L on J]
DOBY (240 points) - against Geraldine L. [4W, 5W]
MOSSIER (124 points) - against Susan R. [4W, 5L on M]
MACON (176 points; two 4W), IZAR (225 points; 5W, 3W) - against Wendy S.
PAROLEES (110 points) - against Chokee J. [2W, 5W]
COWPEAS (208 points) - against Berneil B. [2W, 4W used twice, hook off ZAP for a plural]
AHOY (120 points) - against Joel E. [5W, 2W]


Reminded Grandma again that I was going to Fellowship tonight - yes, it's just me and Eric in the car. I hope she doesn't think we're dating again, oh no. I told her NOT to use the second lock for the door tonight since I have to get back in... I don't trust her to remember that, though. Eric called when I'd apparently lost track of time, so when he asked whether it would be okay for me to get to the usual meeting place, I was surprised to find that it was 5:30! He also has to pick Geoffrey up, too... probably a good thing he doesn't have to be at church early, since he also forgot I was at the townhouse till he called. Also made sure that I wasn't trying to leave by bus, so I told him that I almost killed myself trying to get to the phone THAT time... yup, I was on the stairs, man! I just hope Dave is having a better day today, even if I don't see him! Then she thought I don't know how to work the microwave - trust me, I do... it's just that you don't tell me how long you want it for in a clear manner! Aiya!

Grandma just dropped the laundry basket on the floor haphazardly, and then she complained because my things are taking up very little space near the stairs. She also says she'll remember that I'm coming home later - we'll see... but then she says she'll lock the second lock anyway. WHAT THE. And once again, Grandma has taken a bowl away from me while I was scooping things FROM it. Just WAIT a few seconds - it won't kill you, and things are less likely to splash everywhere... AIYA! Grandma also thinks that I shouldn't leave dirty things on the table for more than a minute because "if you want to get married, all the men will be scared away!" She also says I shouldn't just not answer the phone... I highly doubt that her mahjonng associates are going to call her from a 1-877 number to invite her over for a game!

Auto trainers with sulfur / Mario is a little man!

High-scoring words of the morning:

AUTOED (200 points; two 5W), ICEMEN (192 points; two 4W), REBAIT (289 points; 4W, 5W, 2L on B) - against Geraldine L.
TRAINEE (200 points) - against Leslie M. [4W, 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
SULFURED (118 points) - against Robert T. [2W, 3W]
TOWNIES (120 points) - against Michele K. [5W, 2W]
INDUCT (220 points) - against Morgan W. [5W, 4W]


Tried explaining to Grandma that Jon might take her to lunch on Monday or dinner on Wednesday. She got confused, and thought I was talking about Sunday, which of course led her to think that Jon would be driving us to church. No, that ride is still Eric! *sigh* That, or she thought I was talking about Wednesday lunch when she'd be at senior Fellowship - nope. At least I amused her for thirty seconds by making her watch a SUPER MARIO Time Attack video - "oh look, it's a little person - why is he going into the pipe? CLOUDS!" Hahaha! Auntie Teresa called AGAIN - just go focus on your friends who are in town, seriously! UGH!

You Are Poker

You are a gambler and a big dreamer. You think you'll hit the big time someday. And while you do like to take risks, you like to believe you only take calculated ones. You are quite wild, but deep down, you're also a geek. Your mind is always churning. You don't allow people to see the real you. You are good at masking your feelings.

What Card Game Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Quivering grammar and paint / First female prime minister

High-scoring words of the night:

QUIVERS (126 points; 2W, 3W), VAUNT (150 points; 3W, 5W) - against Emma Grace F.
SAYYIDS (184 points) - against Cally P. [4W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
AMBIT (240 points; 4W, 5W), WREATHY (120 points; 4W, 2L on W and Y) - against Millie F.


Jon sent me an email to say that he could take Grandma and me out for either Monday lunch or Thursday dinner. Sounds good to me, if she doesn't forget what day it is! She was already asking me a lot whether tomorrow was Saturday, heh. Am also doing laundry, and I've finished those grape tomatoes which I was nagged about, thank you VERY much. :P


Corey and I were talking about voring (you don't want to know), and then he asked me this:

Corey: hey, Miss Grammar, what tense does a question like "how would you feel if you lost your credit cards?" use? :P it uses past tense words, obviously, but I think you call that present perfect... I can't find examples of present perfect written as questions, though, so I don't really know. I need to ask people to change things to that tense tomorrow, so I should probably figure out what it's called
kind of past tense form, but it's something that hasn't happened yet
me: I think that is the subjunctive, but I could be wrong
Corey: I'm not sure about subjunctive... most examples are stuff like "Were I blah blah blah" not "would you" type stuff
Corey: I think it's present perfect.. that uses past tense words
Present Perfect
Have you played football?
me: what a random question - not really :P
Corey: that's an example, not a question, you weirdo
me: oh... an example, you say...
Corey: well, I'm banned from the room for a bit, be right back
me: okay...
Corey: back. they're painting things in here
they put a new air conditioner in this room, and had to tear up the wall to do it... so now people are remodelling part of Jane's house, and while they're at it, they're fixing the wall in here
Corey: now the paint fumes are in her dad's room (across the hall)
me: lovely :P


Trivia fact for Friday, May 14: What was the first nation in the world to elect a woman prime minister? Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka), in 1960. The woman was Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

No, Grandma - Fellowship does not start at 7 AM, and Eric is NOT my boyfriend!

Grandma, on boyfriends: "Do you have a boyfriend yet? No? You spend a lot of time using the computer, so maybe you can find a boyfriend there! What about White Kid? Do you like him? Is HE your boyfriend? You need to hurry up and get married, so you can learn how to cook!" HAHAHAHAHA! No, my brother can no longer be the default Sunday morning ride option to church, because he and his wife live 20 minutes away by car. And no, you cannot just expect Auntie Paula to drive the same amount of time and then back because you want to go over there. I say that it's much easier to get "White Kid" to drive us to church since he lives but a minute away - yes, of course he has to go there too. She knows this - she's seen him there any number of times! And no, Fellowship does NOT start at 7 AM tomorrow - "night" was clearly specified! Horrifying Grandma can be amusing and annoying at the same time! Eric and I did agree a few years ago that 7 AM should not exist in our worlds! Grandma just told me that I shouldn't eat the whole bag of Backyard Barbecue Kettle chips - well, since it expired on May 1, I'll probably do that in two sittings!

Seems that Dave has had one of the worst Thursdays in a long time - Phil and I commiserated with him over losing his bus pass (he had to pay $40 for a replacement!), his flat tire, his cog breaking a tooth, and other things. At least he had a good chit-chat with a passing Indian-American from Chicago. He loves spontaneously long conversations on the street and out of the blue. Haha! Good for him, anyway... I don't know how amenable I'd be to that myself (given that I'm in the ZONE most of the time), but it depends on the person and such. Since Phil had already taken "Sorry to hear that," I had to be different... "It grieves me to read about this catalog of misfortunes!" is definitely ME.

Vanessa and Danielle (New York) can't make it to Dylan and Deb's on Saturday. Speaking of Saturday, Henry's phone number should not be showing up as "OUT OF AREA" on the Caller ID - good thing that I recognize the number! Definitely a good reminder to him as to location, and a reminder for me as to time... I hope I make it back by 3:15 if Eric is going! Or I guess we can always leave early, haha. Also spent time updating my Youtube playlist - BREATH OF FIRE II and various MARIO bloopers / hacks are now on there. :D

Dance with Apollo! / Russia and true crime, NOT saying "good morning" / ESCAPE!

High-scoring words of the day so far:

DANCE (120 points) - against Nathalie C. [5W, 2W, hook on OPE to make COPE]
APOLLOS (135 points) - against Angela V. [two 3W]
AYAH (108 points) - against Julie G.-H. [two 3W]
JIG (325 points) - against Lisa K. [two 5W]
MEGABITS (140 points) - against Cheryl H. [4W]


Got up this morning, and after two minutes at the computer to post a placeholder on my friends page and FB status, I was outta there. Auntie Teresa said "good morning" to me, but I really don't like the mornings - and I'm not kindly disposed toward her in any event because she used my personal item! Of course, I muttered a perfunctory "good morning" to her, which she said she didn't hear. Well, you're not my mother... and it's not MY fault you didn't hear it! I went up to Grandma and said that I'd be going out to the library - she thought I'd go to Steveston, but I ended up going to Brighouse anyway. First, I waited for the bus in the sun - ah, Vitamin D!

Went to Aberdeen's Daiso to replace my backscratcher - I'm very particular about these things. Then I went to Richmond Centre - had a nugget combo at KFC. Not the most healthy choice, but it works... I also had to get a peach bubble tea at Tazza. Went to the library, where I discovered that the "Oliver" computer blocks LJ! Since I still had to check my friends list and such, I found another computer. At least I could check FB and play Wordscraper on "Oliver," haha. ("Nilsson" and "Barnes" also block LJ, so I suspect this is library-wide... and of course, all the proxy sites I could find are blocked, too!) Eric and I have official permission to invite ourselves over to Steph's place for the JACK BAUER finale, so YAY! Spoz told us about a Youtube video entitled "Smell Your Own Breath" - NICE!

Borrowed Russka: The Novel of Russia (Edward Rutherfurd), Seduced by Madness (Carol Pogash), While They Slept: An Inquiry into the Murder of a Family (Kathryn Harrison), and Sniper: The True Story of Anti-Abortion Killer James Kopp (Jon Wells) from the library. When I did get home (missing Auntie Teresa as I'd planned), Grandma had locked the second lock, and told me that she'd phoned my house to see where I was. I'd told her that I went to the library, and yes, they did have food. (that's the truth - they DO have vending machines) I told her that I was going to Fellowship tomorrow, and she thought I wouldn't be home at all... hahaha, no. Then she wondered whether "White Kid" (Eric) had to work - this is AFTER work! Oh man, at least this next week will be free of overbearing people who have no concept of personal space! She keeps invading mine to touch my shoulders when there's no need to do that as she reaches for the Kleenex box! UGH!

Edit at 1750: Or maybe not, as she just called the house to see if I was home yet. I understand that she doesn't want Grandma to be left alone for long, but seriously. Guess I could have gotten away with NOT answering the phone, as my parents also have Caller ID, and my grandma can't read the words on the display. Would have saved me about a minute of her talking at me... trust me, I would NOT have gotten home at an unreasonable hour! I just wanted to get away from a most ANNOYING woman!

You Are a Thumbs Up

You have an upbeat and positive attitude. You really see the beauty in life. You'll say yes to any opportunity that seems even slightly interesting. You are in love with the world, and you really savor an adventure. You inspire others to be more fun-loving. Your happiness is unstoppable.

Are You a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Ha. That's a bit TOO cheery for me sometimes, but I guess it works. :P

Don't you DARE use my backscratcher! No concept of personal space! / Muppets

High-scoring words of the night:

ZARFS (136 points) - against Jenny H. [2W, 5L on Z]
HOPE (148 points) - against Angela V. [3W, hook off LOOP to make HO / OP]
REDROOTS (110 points) - against Nancy C. [5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
PONDERS (117 points) - against Leah B. [two 3W]
SORRELS (126 points) - against Jo E. [2W, two 3W]
PEON (112 points) - against Ellen L. [two 4W]
DECALOG (4846 points) - against Jimmy S. [two 4W, two 5W, hook off AN to make CAN]
JERBOAS (236 points) - against Susan V. [4W, 5L on J] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


I sent Corey a message about my whereabouts:

me: no, I have not fallen off the face of the earth - I'm at my parents' place since they're away
Corey: well, I had something big to tell you yesterday.. I got to try one of your favorite things in the world yesterday
Corey: oh, you're online again finally?!?!?! :P
me: hey, I had to spend time with my Grandma!
me: so what's the big food item?
Corey: how do you know it's food? :P
it is, but I didn't say that! :P
it smells very bad
me: ... and she JUST used my backscratcher! UGH. It's so personal!
knowing you, it would be food :P and no, I don't really like durian or stinky tofu :P
Corey: no, no... it's your FAVORITE
you love it
sorry, I had to go watch a kids' school, and the room also got taken over by construction people
me: you also remind me of my mom - goodness knows Auntie Teresa does, too much. she cannot sit still
Corey: I can't sit still?
I'm planning on sitting still now... it's hot out, and I had to walk to that school... and the school is hot as hell, too... and apparently, they don't turn on the AC until July
me: no... my mom will also do the "it's your FAVORITE - you LOVE it!" thing
Corey: well, I'm being sarcastic about it. I don't know if she is :P
and it IS stinky tofu or durian...... which one might it be? :P
it's the stinkiest of the two, I think
me: she probably thinks that if she says it enough times, I'll start to believe it - NO WAY IN HELL
don't you know the difference?
Corey: of course I do... I'm giving you a clue, ya bozo
me: okay
me: bedtime now - just for the hell of it, I'm guessing durian


Contrary to what Auntie Teresa seems to believe, I actually DO know exactly how to take the garbage out, even if it necessitates an extra plastic bag. Unfortunately for her, I'm faster at grabbing a bag / dumping the wet plastic bag into it / tying a knot / taking it out the door than she is at trying to stop me. Luckily, she told me where the downstairs thermostat is... turning the heat up just a bit will be thoroughly enjoyed. I'm actually counting down the hours until she leaves! Then, I can leave Firefox tabs open ALL DAY LONG without worrying that she'll read what's on them. Not that it'll be anything bad, but I like my privacy. Oh, and then I'll call Henry too. No more incessant questions! She also told me to get Jon or Steph to take Grandma to the doctor if she continues coughing - we'll see. And she just used my backscratcher without knowing it was mine and not Grandma's - she says she can wash it with hot water and soap, but I dunno. Good thing that they're only $2 at Daiso! It's a PERSONAL thing! At least she apologized... but it's still disturbing that she'll use other people's personal things without asking. At least I have an excuse, in that it's my parents' house...

On a lighter note, Grandma seems to like the talking dogs in a commercial on Chinese TV. Then she had this to say: "Oh, those white people. They like having dogs more than children!" Hahahaha! Grandma, on dinner: "Do people inside the computer ever need to eat dinner?" HAHAHAHA! I also met a girl via Wordscraper who spells her name Jinger - she says that it's the way her grandmother spelled it, but of course I think of the Duggar family first, hahaha.


Trivia fact for Thursday, May 13: What opera great appeared on The Muppet Show in a performance of Pigaletto accompanied by members of the Muppetopolitan Opera Company? Beverly Sills, who had a high-note duel with Miss Piggy.

Sixth relay of havoc with bodies!

High-scoring words of the day:

ARHAT (250 points; two 5W), ORBITED (240 points; 5W, two 2W), CLAMOR (104 points; 4W, 2W) - against Marie D.
RELAY (175 points) - against Joanne M. [5W used twice, 3W, hook off AMIA to make LAMIA]
SIXTH (110 points; 5W), KAINITES (103 points; two 2W, hook off RAG to make RAGE) - against Billie U.
RATH (180 points; 4W, 5W), VERSO (180 points; 4W, 5W) - against Liz B.
HAVOC (165 points) - against Helga S. [5W, 3W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
BODIES (104 points) - against Sandy R. [two 3W, hook off PROVE to make PROVED]
SLAY (136 points) - against Alex R. [2W, 5W, 2L on Y, hook off IN for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}

Don't lecture me as if I'm your kid! / Active imagination

Auntie Teresa lectured me about not taking the recyclables out immediately - it's not the end of the world if I want to relax and then take them out in a few hours, is it?! You're not my mother, so don't tell me what to do. She even predicted that I'd be annoyed by her pretty soon - oh yes, THAT is correct! Yesterday, she and Grandma went grocery shopping, and she spent at least an hour cleaning my mom's stove after they got home! Grandma kept telling her to relax and sit down, but she wouldn't: "Oh, I only have to do this one thing!" JUST RELAX - it's not going to KILL you! :P

Last night, she was watching TV shows, and I noticed that she wouldn't just stay seated during the commercial breaks. She wanted to brush her teeth or do other things, and she even explained this to me! "I don't want to watch the commercials, so I can use the time to get things done!" ANNOYING! True, I like efficient people, but not the efficient people who overtly make you feel bad about it. "You should exercise! Look at how much I'm doing!" Again, she reminds me of my mother, who would ALWAYS say "Mom's always doing something! I can't just sit and rest!" Yes, she refers to herself in the third person and the first person in the same breath...

She also called me downstairs after my shower, while I was watching TV with Grandma in order to spend time with her. It wasn't for any reason, other than to ask whether I'd be needing the light by the computer later. I can understand not wanting to waste electricity (or the heat bill - she was complaining that she couldn't turn the thermostat down, too), but TEN MINUTES IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU! Actually, she was going to turn it off if I wasn't coming downstairs. Ugh.

Then I briefly called Eric about stuff, and she wanted to know whether Eric was the person who drove me to the townhouse on Monday night! I said yes (I shouldn't have referred to him by name during that call...), and she said that was nice of him. Since this is exactly how my mom tries to get me to appreciate others, I ignored that. Not to say I *don't* appreciate others, but STILL. Later, she heard me laughing as I left a sisterly message on Jon's cell, and she wanted to know what was so funny! NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Auntie Teresa will be gone tomorrow afternoon, so at least there's that to look forward to! This is why I can't stand other people!

Edit at 2: She's been back for two minutes, and already has lectured me about exactly how much to put in the garbage (when she won't even BE here on Sunday!), and where to put it! UGH... more than 24 hours left to go... and she's lectured me about the emergency numbers. "In case anything happens when I'm not here, call Auntie Christine! Of course you need to tell your siblings too, but they're not as close!" ONE BIG GIANT ROLLEYES TO THAT ONE! Of COURSE I'd already know this stuff! Then she told me about the oatmeal with brown sugar that Grandma bought yesterday - I'll eat it if I want, not because you want me to! Now she's cleaning the fridge... and telling me that I need to eat the grape tomatoes later since Grandma won't eat them. LATER! NOT NOW! Yes, I know that food loses its freshness, but it doesn't have to be a big RUSH! I swear, I'm going to the library or something at some point! She also told me that she'll teach me how to make the rice in a clay pot - I'm sure I don't really care.

Edit at 1445: Grandma's back now, and she's also noticed that Auntie Teresa can't really sit down. Apparently, she was also going to bring her vacuum cleaner from home. While she might be good at cleaning my house, she would also annoy me. Ha ha ha. I've thought about it, and trust me: if I were away from home for two weeks, I probably would find it an invasion of privacy if my fridge and stove were cleaned without my express permission. Auntie Teresa's concerned about not putting things back correctly - SO DON'T DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE! Of course, I don't know whether Mom told her to clean things in her absence, but I'm guessing not. And I bet if I told her about this, she'd think it was very HELPFUL instead of the other way around! Bleh. Grandma tried calling her on it, and her response was "It doesn't matter if I wasn't told to do it - what else am I going to do, just sit around and be with you? I happen to LIKE doing this!" UGH! She seems to enjoy being loud and annoying, and enjoys leaving the screen door open all day and evening so we can freeze - AIYA!

You Have an Active Imagination

Your mind is churning and producing new thoughts all the time. You are definitely good at imagining. You can visualize events pretty easily, and you're not bad at thinking up new ideas. Believe it or not, you could be a bit more imaginative. All you have to do is give yourself permission. Spend a few minutes each day daydreaming. It's good for you, and who knows what might come of it?

How Active is Your Imagination?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Vaporizing vegetables, starfruit, cold liquids, TMNT bubble bath, helix

High-scoring words of the night:

VEG (115 points) - against Alice P. [5W used twice, also made BIRTHED]
ENMITY (228 points) - against Cat D. [2W, 2W used twice, 4W, hook off JAILER to make ER] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
VAPORERS (280 points) - against Berneil B. [two 4W]
TOYONS (184 points) - against Diane P. [2W, 2W used twice, 4W, hook off KAF for a plural]
HUGE (144 points) - against Alex R. [two 4W]
BREADING (625 points) - against Joyce H. [5W, two 3W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
VOCAB (135 points) - against Michelle L. [two 3W]
BEATIFY (155 points) - against Lorraine R. [5W, 4L on B] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
SIMONY (139 points) - against Lesley C. [4W, 5L on Y]


Had starfruit, grapes, chicken, vegetables, kiwi, apples, avocado, and salmon for dinner. Grandma's not impressed. Apparently, there is something WRONG with drinking cold water, and drinking milk (especially if it's cold) at any time besides breakfast / in the morning. *laughs* She is also not impressed with the concept of stores NOT giving you plastic bags (or charging you a small fee for extras) - and wasn't impressed with a reusable bag, either! "What about fish?!" Hahahaha! We lost 5-1 to the Blackhawks tonight, therefore cutting short the playoff run. I'm sure Eric and Christon are not in good moods now... not knowing the score, I called Eric to see whether he was going on Saturday. I'm okay with his not being sure, of course. My parents have "Awesome Warrior Dude" Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bubble bath - Nathan would probably like that, although I'm not sure whether to be amused or scared!

Trivia fact for Wednesday, May 12: Where on your body is there a helix and an antihelix? On each of your outer ears. The helix is the prominent rim around most of the outer ear; the antihelix is the curved inner elevation in front of it, but separated from it by a depression known as the scapha.

I'm glad he responded to my "unvarnished truth" email, of course!

I decided to email Jeremy about what happened with Raymond and Randal, and was perfectly fine if he didn't respond. I figured I could always ask him on Friday. He actually did respond, with points about my good character / Dave / empathy / Jon and Harmony. Of course, we both rock. :D

I'm going to need an antacid when I'm done with YOU! / Australian animal

Bingo of the day so far:

ANNOUNCES (102 points) - against Paula B.

High-scoring words of the day so far:

ANTACID (120 points) - against Lynn T. [5W, 2W]
BORSCH (128 points) - against Sandra B. [4W, 2W, hook off VOE for a plural]
KAINITE (108 points; two 3W), HOOVES (396 points; 3W, two 2W, 5L on H), JARS (160 points; 5W, 2L on J) - against Rebecca H.-F.
PROMOED (109 points) - against Regina S. [3W used twice]
QUIRE (144 points) - against Joel E. [two 3W]
JAW (375 points) - against Joel E. [two 5W] {different game}
DIAPER (108 points) - against Evelyn D. [two 3W]
JOSTLED (108 points; 2W, 3W), ANNOUNCES (102 points; two 2W, bingo) - against Paula B.


I definitely did not come here a few days early to get lectures, thanks so much. You may be a tough mom - as per Vernon and Serena - but I am not your kid. I do what I want, when I want. No wonder you and my mom get along so well, Auntie Teresa - you're both overbearing Asian mothers!

You Are a Crocodile

You are fierce and strong. You go after any prey that is in your sights. You have a take-charge personality, and you are quite dominant. You are not easily intimidated. It's likely that you've had to struggle for survival in your life. You've had to develop a very thick skin. You can be brutal, but you can also be tender. You tend to have two sides to your personality.

What Australian Animal Are You?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

That email definitely won't create damage! / Bob Dylan liner notes

Interesting rack of the night: FINEPANS, against Angela V. [read as "fine pans"]

High-scoring words of the night:

GOOFIER (108 points) - against Jennifer W. [two 3W]
REWINDS (150 points) - against Rachel G. [2W, 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
HOYAS (208 points) - against Nathalie C. [4W, two 2W]


What with making a peanut butter sandwich for dinner, deciding what to pack at the last minute, and finalizing my touches on posts, I thought I'd be late to meet Eric even though he didn't specify a time. I ended up waiting for him for about ten minutes - thank goodness I packed a book! Eric beeped at me, and of course made me sit on his Kleenex box! I told him that I'd had to send Jeremy a "damage control" email because of what Jon and Harmony had said, so he wondered whether they were joking, and WHY they'd tell him that! I don't think they were joking, and I don't know why they'd tell him that, especially since he'd had no idea what was going on. Then he said that the email might be damage CREATION rather than damage CONTROL; I don't think it will. Jeremy seems like the type of person to be cool with it if I ask him on Friday whether he got the email or not. Eric and I also discussed Randal, people pissing me off, whether I'd eaten food (I'd packed it), and other things before Jen called to ask whether we needed a lot of food because she had Goldfish snacks for us. I couldn't hear half of what she said - it's the reception!

We got to church, and Pastor John let us in. Johnny ended up not being there AGAIN, and Dylan was really tired from being up at 5 AM. I bet he couldn't concentrate on much, thus why he got Eric to take over. Kevin was counting a pile of money when we got to the lounge, and we joked that he really wanted the financial report to be up-to-the-minute! Discussed hiking (I might absent myself this year), programs, Jon, Andrea and Chuck's wedding affecting a program the night before, wedding overkill (Jen agrees - DON'T ALL GET MARRIED IN THE SAME YEAR!), small group outings (Eric later joked that he'd get Mr. Creep and Raymond to join our group, while getting Dave Wong and Jeremy to join other groups for the night - DON'T YOU DARE!), the retreat, sharing, Uncle Hansel, Randal, Elaine and Matt in China, missions, Vania's cousin Christine, Jon and SERVANTS, accountability, and other things. I'll definitely remind Christon's group about snacks later on. We were all surprised when we ended at 8:40, so Pastor John jokingly blamed it on Dylan... but last time when Dylan WAS here, we'd ended at that time too!

On the way home, I told Eric that I didn't want people like Raymond in my life, and he thought that Raymond had perhaps over-reacted. I'd agree with THAT wholeheartedly! Then he thought that I should send Raymond an email to say that I'm sorry that he felt that way... after eleven months?! You have GOT to be kidding me! I know he blocked me on Facebook because of the communication through over-tagging, and if he's smart, he'll probably have done the same to my personal email address! No way that I'm going to send him an email, and then ask him on Friday whether he got it or not... I don't want to be ignored, not even to confirm the fact that I'm still being ignored! He wondered if I'd pre-packed.. definitely so! Noted that it was now JACK BAUER hour (at shortly after 9), so I figured I'd watch the last half hour or whatever when I got to the townhouse, and then watch the first bit tomorrow online. Not sure what Auntie Teresa thought of the torture scene audio, hahaha. He forgot to go to Subway, but figured he'd just eat pizza at home - sounds sensible! Crazy times, haha. I made sure to thank him for stopping by my place briefly, too... although he did make me scream at him for his suggestions about how I could make innocent "casual encounters" more bearable with Raymond. I guess he doesn't have friends who go on a certain section of Craigslist all the time! (and I misread "promo" and "porno" again - doesn't mean I see "porno" all the time! :P) Then he wondered whether we could invite ourselves over to Steph's for the JACK BAUER series finale in a couple of weeks - I've just emailed her as per his suggestion, heh. He also said that the Kleenex box was mine because of my butt imprint - whatever! Stephen Ng is not Stephanie Ng, even thought the shape of the words is similar!

Mom and Dad also gave me some random stuff in a bag, and said that Grandma would give me money: Rice Works sea salt chips, fettuccine Alfredo Sidekicks, Chicken Sidekicks, Yamata spicy pea kernels (I'm assuming these are wasabi peas), Hevy D's light old-fashioned kettle popcorn, Uncle Ben's Bistro Express long grain and wild rice in mushroom flavor x2, Old Dutch multigrain chips, two cans of Vienna sausages, clean mint Colgate Total toothpaste, Trident Splash spearmint-watermelon gum, and tangerine-grapefruit Crystal Light. Auntie Teresa saw all this stuff, and lectured me about diets / exercise / junk food / consequences... ah, mothers! I'm not going to lie - the food will help when I get back home, that's for sure! Also noticed that Brian P. (tbone) is back on Facebook - I'd wondered why my friends list had one more person on it! Speaking of small group outings, Cindy's emailed us to "remind" us of a discussion we supposedly had about a month ago about a potluck brunch at Dylan and Deb's place. It starts at 11 AM (?!), and then she proposes that we walk around Granville Island afterwards. I don't even recall having such a discussion. With this (if Eric goes), Henry might not even need to give me a ride - we'll see. At least I'm at the townhouse, so I guess I could get something from the fridge for a potluck when Auntie Teresa leaves, like plenty of oranges! Looks like I'll have to call Eric before Friday if he doesn't RSVP to the email, haha. Then again, I've just thought that Grandma might not be impressed with my being out all day, so I dunno.


Trivia fact for Tuesday, May 11: What top performer won a Grammy for writing the liner notes to Bob Dylan's country-rock album Nashville Skyline? Johnny Cash, in 1969. The award was for Best Album Notes.

I'm going to get that SIM card from your stomach!

Cole is in handcuffs as cops bring him up to the construction site. He is showing no ill effects of his encounter with the explosive device, naturally. He identifies the body, and it looks like Dana is really dead. He seems sad. Or confused. As I've said, it's hard to tell with Freddie Prinze, Jr. Jack looks at the tape, and Dana is talking to the Russian sniper. (who has the worst Russian accent I've heard in a long time – I'm talking Rod-Steiger-in-The-Specialist bad) Anyway, it's clear that Dana really did love Cole, and wanted him left out of the plot – which Dana, helpfully, recaps on the tape for a) anyone who wants to blow the lid off the conspiracy, and b) anyone who skipped the last few episodes. Jack calls Michael Madsen, and says he's coming in. I was wondering what happened to him.

Jason (Logan's Lackey) is giving out orders and spins tales about Jack being crazy, insane, and a danger to the community. Well, he's probably right about that. Anyway, Chloe asks about why Jack was at the bank, but Jason dismisses it. Maybe he was applying for a loan? Chloe tries to talk to Arlo into forming yet another shadow conspiracy within CTU, but Arlo says no. He'll come around soon. Chloe can't do it by herself, you know.

Michael Madsen wants to know what's going on, and he sees through Jack's BS about wanting to bring everyone to justice. Finally, Jack comes clean and tells him that this whole thing is a revenge mission. That's good enough for Madsen, and he gives Jack info on the sniper. His name is Pavel Something-ov. Jack then asks for a secure line. Who's he gonna call? Not Ghostbusters, apparently. Instead, he calls the blonde reporter that hooked up with Hassan. She's back at work, and her editor is praising her for her very heartfelt tribute to Hassan. She praised him for his strength, vigor, and steady hand. She also talked about his skills as a president. Jack calls her and tells her about the video evidence, and wants her help in bringing the Russian Conspiracy to light.

Cole is back at CTU, and Jason starts to interrogate him. Cole asks Jason if he's part of the conspiracy, and Jason flinches. He tries to appeal to Cole by talking about their shared military history, but that doesn't seem to work. Jason then tells Cole that Jack used him, and Cole looks hurt. First Dana and now Jack. Cole needs to stop letting himself get used like that. Love yourself first, Cole. Jason gets a call on his Bluetooth (I'm guessing all bad guys on the show are contractually obligated to wear one), and finds out that Arlo has intercepted a call from Bauer to Reed. So much for that secure line. Jason then immediately pulls Arlo off the task, and tells him to hand everything over to "Eden" – Jason's hot aide. Chloe smirks knowingly in the background. Either because she knows she's about to get Arlo into her shadow conspiracy, or because Jason's aide is named "Eden." What is she? A stripper? Eden shows her skills by decrypting the call and forwarding it to Logan during the commercial break. That makes her twice as efficient as anyone working at CTU.

Jason is bullish about their chances of taking down Jack, and is quite proud of himself. Jason then sees Chloe, and wants Eden to make the room "less public." Maybe he wants a private dance? This isn't the champagne room, Jason. It's an office! One that might have a rotting corpse somewhere in the wall panels. Seriously, he hasn't started to smell yet? Chloe sways Arlo by asking why CTU hasn't put their agents in place, and contacted local authorities to apprehend Jack. Uh – maybe because they're utterly incompetent and completely powerless to stop Jack? Arlo finally agrees to help, and tells Chloe that Jason has everything completely monitored within CTU. Chloe pulls a page out of the Keanu Reeves playbook, and wants to patch a loop into the video feed so that she can talk to Cole. She only has 90 seconds to do this, however.

Cole is upset with Jack, and won't help Chloe. Guess that short-lived bromance is officially over. Chloe appeals to Cole's sense of duty, and Cole finally gives Chloe info about Madsen, although he doesn't know who he is. Logan is watching FOX News, and learns that President Suvarov is coming into JFK soon. He immediately calls Pavel, and tells him to take out Reed as well. President Taylor and President-Select Hassan are going over the notes of the agreement, and Taylor excuses herself to talk to Logan. "We have an operation underway to reacquire him," Logan says. I love the way these people use euphemisms. Anyway, Logan wants credit for his role, and Taylor agrees. She should have used the "You played a role" line that Logan used on President Palmer in Season 4. That would have been awesome.

Reed is at the rendezvous point, and she somehow fails to notice all the people talking in Russian around her. Jack tries to shadow himself behind a tall guy, but he soon gets made by Jason, who is watching the live feed. Jason freaks out and yells at the Russians to take him out, but they can't get a clear shot on him. Finally, Pavel thinks he has a shot, but wouldn't you know it? Madsen sneaks up behind him and neutralizes him. (see, I can use euphemisms, too!) Jason sees Jack leave with Reed, and he orders the Russians to take him out. Jack then draws them into a firefight, and I think the Russians haven't been this big of an underdog since the gold medal game in basketball during the 1972 Olympics. Jack easily escapes, and Jason is finally starting to realize what he's gotten himself into. Not so smug now, are we?

Logan is picking out ties (and he even has each one of them shrink-wrapped in plastic – surely that says something about him) when he gets the bad news from Jason. Logan is not happy about this, but Jason tries to spin it by saying that Logan still has complete deniability. Jason advises Logan to "distance" himself. Logan doesn't want to "distance" himself, and seems sick of the euphemisms. "You keep using that phrase! What does that mean?" he wants to know. Anyway, Logan is not about to retreat, not when he's about to rehabilitate his image in one fell swoop. Logan wants Jason to "neutralize" Jack. Hey! That's my euphemism! Jason and Eden seem resigned to failure, but Jason wants to give it one last go. He's going to take a CTU swat team and set up a perimeter around the store. That'll be his second mistake.

Arlo thinks he can figure out who Jack is working with, and I have a sinking suspicion he's going to tell Jason about it. Jack takes Pavel into a warehouse, and decides to have some fun with him. Reed is upset because Jack used her, just like he used Cole. He's just using people left and right, isn't he? He's just a big old user! Jack ties Pavel up and wants to know who he's working for. Pavel tells him to go to hell, but Jack shows that he still has an impeccable sense of black-comedic timing when says "You first."

Reed is watching the video footage while Madsen keeps an eye on her. Jack tells Pavel that Renee was more than a friend, but Pavel already knows that because he's a voyeur. Jack asks him about his performance, and Pavel says something to the effect of how Jack must be like Superman because he was faster than a speeding bullet. Jack takes exception to that, and starts beating Pavel relentlessly before stumbling backwards. Jack seems to regret his actions, and looks like he's on the verge of breaking down. Well, so much for that. Jack goes back to Pavel and starts slicing him up. He takes a page out of Madsen's playbook, and squirts gasoline on Pavel's wounds. Maybe he should try slicing off an ear while dancing to bad 70s music.

It's blowtorch time, but Pavel stands up to that, too. Finally, he grabs Pavel's phone and realizes the SIM card is missing. He figures that Pavel must have swallowed it, so he decides to perform some impromptu surgery. Man, the lengths people go to to avoid re-entering all your contacts. Jack gets the card, and calls the last number. It's Logan's voicemail, although it's the automated variety. That's too bad. I was hoping Logan would have a greeting like "This is President Charles Logan. I'm sorry I missed your call, but I'm busy engaging in treasonous activities and capital crimes that could get me thrown in prison for the rest of my life, or worse. Please leave your message after the beep."

Quivering enjoyment, patios, Tom Sawyer, ruptured testicles, and granting wishes

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

QUIVER (210 points) - against Carolyn Y. [5W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
ENJOY (450 points) - against Angela V. [two 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
AXLE (450 points) - against Kelly H. [5L, 4L on X, hook off VITA to make VITAE]
BAS (112 points) - against Pauline S. [4W used twice, hook off QUAKER for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
EYECUPS (500 points) - against Jackie G. [two 5W]
PATIOS (144 points) - against Geri S. [two 4W]
SATIETY (117 points) - against Michele F. [two 3W]
DISCO (149 points) - against Paula B. [two 4W, hook off TOE for a plural]
SAWYER (158 points) - against Melanie C. [5W, 2W, hook off PEER for a plural]
RHYMES (142 points) - against Terra T. [5W, 3L on H, hook off AMI for a plural]


I also hear that Sami Salo has a ruptured testicle - OUCH! Probably wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy! (or *would* I? Muhahahaha...) It also appears that Eric is granting my wish for easy transportation to the townhouse with three bags of stuff - HE TOTALLY ROCKS! Of course, I still have to bus it out as per our phone call just now, but that's fine - he'll pick up the stuff after the meeting. Dylan can't make it, HA!

Email and restart annoyances / Greek Name

This thing just restarted, AND restarted overnight as well! I was in the middle of writing an email to Jeremy about the whole Raymond / Randal situation (Jon and Harmony probably didn't tell him what REALLY happened), and the computer restarted on me! UGH! Have also realized that I'll miss JACK BAUER tonight because of the Committee Meeting - oh well, Eric's lived with it for a while. I can always watch it at the townhouse tomorrow, haha. (I hope)

Edit at 1230: Email FINALLY sent!

Your Name is Basilia Lotus Stavros

Flatter the sea, but stand on earth when you do so.

What's Your Greek Name?

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

Noodling loved witticisms and XI / Golf balls

High-scoring words of the night:

ODAHS (168 points) - against Rebecca C. [3W, 5W, hook off STAY to make TO / AD / YA]
NOODLED (2748 points) - against Kathy H. [3W, two 2W, two 5W, hook off YES to make DYES]
WITTIER (102 points) - against Milka S. [4W, hook off POP to make POPE]
LOVED (100 points; 2W, 5W), JOEY (125 points; 2W, 3W, hook off FROSH to make JO / OS / EH; a good deficit-erasing word!) - against Rachel G.
AVOWS (500 points) - against Angela V. [two 5W]
XI (116 points) - against Julie F. [hook off ZA to make ZAX, 5L used twice]
XIS (144 points) - against Lynn T. [3W, 4W]
IMPROVE (312 points) - against Sandra B. [2W, 4W, 3W]


[00:56:26] Flami: so how did the cake and flowers go?
[01:06:22] Corey: mu qin jie kwai le! (happy Mother's Day!)
[01:06:33] Corey: they liked them, of course :P
[01:06:44] Flami: haha... we did the same in Cantonese
[01:07:16] Flami: well, to Grandma anyway... she seemed to like the lunch we treated her to, and was MOST impressed when I chipped in $10 :P
[01:07:49] Corey: mu qin is good for pretending I forgot how to say it, since Jane starts saying "mooooo.... moooo..... moooooo..."
[01:07:55] Corey: oh, you're a cow? :P
[01:08:57] Flami: none of that in Cantonese... it's mo chun jeet
[01:09:10] Flami: hahahaha... crazy times
[01:21:45] Corey: sounds similar... "qin" sounds like "chin" :P
[01:22:31] Flami: hey, my friend's ex-girlfriend has the last name Qin! :P
[01:23:47] Corey: moo
[01:24:26] Flami: not moo
[01:25:28] Corey: Taiwanese high-speed train driver caught asleep at the wheel
AFP - ‎1 hour ago‎
TAIPEI - A high-speed train driver in Taiwan has lost his job after being caught dozing off while travelling at nearly 300 kilometres (190 miles) an hour,
[01:25:35] Corey: well, that's good...
[01:25:41] Corey: mu qin! mother!
[01:26:24] Flami: YIKES
[01:26:36] Flami: do I look like a mother to you?!
[01:29:12] Corey: a mother something
[01:36:01] Flami: and do you know the Mandarin for THAT? :P
[01:36:18] Corey: no...
[01:38:00] Flami: well, I am not a Mofo, although to hear a friend tell it, I am related to one ;P
[01:40:26] Corey: oh yeah?
[01:47:04] Flami: yeah, my brother was a holy Mofo last August, apparently :P


Trivia fact for Monday, May 10: Which U.S. president once quipped, "I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk, and a moose"? Gerald Ford, who was known to accidentally hit spectators with wayward golf balls.

Breaker, Five, Bellamy, and Major are NOT baby names! / 4-1 win / Ryan's Personality Test

I just heard of some more stupid baby names: Nine By Design may be a "good" reality TV show, but Breaker / Five / Bellamy / Major are NOT good baby names! UGH! The Canucks also won 4-1 just now against Chicago - forcing Game 6 could be a good thing. We're probably not going to win three games straight, though... the Hawks are NOT going to just roll over and die!

Personality Test by ryang0426
What do you think you are?	a Bitcha Hoea Pimpa Losera Jokeran Assholea Punka Rockera Gangstaa Goth
What have you been called most?	BitchHoePimpLoserJokerAssholeGangstaWiggerSatin
Which of these portrays you the most?	a Balla Booka Shopping Baga Guitara T.V.Scissorsa Bed
What is your name and age?
What person are you most like?
What is your favorite movie?	Spider-Man
What is your favorite song?	Van Morrison, Moondance

Sarah Michelle Gellar, from The Grudge? HAHAHAHAHA! I actually did see Spider-Man, and actually do like Van Morrison's Moondance!

Eight grams of sugar is NOT eight cups of the stuff / White Kid and I are NOT dating, Grandma!

Eric picked me up shortly before 9, and we were off. He hummed the DARKWING DUCK theme song, so of course I had to get him back for that. I said that I might go to the townhouse tomorrow evening, and he offered to drive me after the meeting - that works! Says I will probably have to bus tomorrow, which is fine by me. He told me about some WORLD OF WARCRAFT things involving assaults and orphans... hey, as long as he did those things to advance in the game or whatever, then it's good! When we got to the church, I told him that he could jaywalk - I ended up beating him to the front door by a few seconds, haha.

I found Jordan and Thomas talking to Chris, Sabrina, and Martin about breakups with girlfriends - we reassured them that there were plenty of other girls, and told them that Martin was NOT married! After we went into the sanctuary, Jessica and I talked to the boys about Vacation Bible School (two weeks long this year - no idea offhand of the cost), eight grams of sugar in a Rice Krispie Square NOT equalling eight cups, Bibles, and not eating things in the sanctuary. A few minutes later, Jordan told me to go sit down! Hahaha! I accordingly did, and then talked to Nathan a bit - it's sparse inside at 9:30 AM, that is for sure! Jon and Harmony came in a bit after Phil and Grace - after discussions of Jane's bridal shower, sickness, going to the Whip for Jen, sounding like a man, and other things (I do not NEVER get sick!), I decided to move anyway, despite what I'd told Nathan. I saw Richie back in town, so of course I had to say hi!

Dave didn't mind if I sat by him, so of course he noticed my dragon shirt and dragon cap: "Yo, that's totally GANGSTER! You could be like Ed Hardy!" he told me - sure, whatever you say! He asked how my week was, and then wondered if I was doing Sunday School - you know it, man! I asked if he were doing lunch with his mom, and of course he was. I'd wondered what our program was for this Friday, but the announcements answered that one for me: another talk by Uncle Stephen... SWEET! After service, I went to the fellowship hall - I wasn't sacrificing my dignity for coffee, so I went without. Saw Joshua and Keenan, so I asked if they'd had fun at Whistler last week - they did! Hien said that I should stop with the Minute Rice and cream of mushroom soup base - hey, it works even if it's not the most nutritious thing in the world! Also talked to Chrystal about crackers, then spied Helen K. and her two sons. Talked to Helen about Grandma and such while eighteen-month-old Cory found a new seat in someone's guitar case... he seemed to enjoy his cheese and crackers, too! Nicholas wanted to be a superhero like Joshua was with Stanford, haha.

I saw Andrea outside, so talked to her about the Evite and Elaine... not sure I can go to the bridal shower because I need to look after Grandma, but we'll see. Then she went to look for Chuck, of course... that's the problem with coupled people, really. Attempted to give away some caramel cookies to Priscilla, Gladys, Hannah, Zoe, and Natalie - I just threw them out when I got home! Said hi to Andrew and Adam while they were talking to Lawrence about hockey, then milled around a bit (greeting Karen Chan / Wesley) before going upstairs to Toddler Sunday School. (Lesley was talking to Maisie, who was standing up before service... very odd!) Conor, Ramen, Shira, Amos, Amanda, two new kids named Annika and Ellie, a new boy, Harrison, Mattias, David (sporting a large bandage on his head from an injury he sustained yesterday after Awana), Evelyn, and Esther were there.

The twins and Esther seem to understand more English now, because they answered reasonably to my questions, and said more than a couple words. I helped Conor with some spelling on his construction paper card, and gave stickers to most of them. Mattias is a bit too young to understand sticker goodness, though! He seemed more interested in the toys that his parents wanted him to put away after class, haha! Amanda loves drawing, and showed me her card - very nice!

After the class, I went downstairs to find Grandma waiting for Jon - they weren't around, so I called to see where they were. They came back in a few minutes, during which time I talked to Jordan and Thomas some more. Jordan asked how old I was, so I told him to guess... "twenty-something" is no longer an accurate description! When he DID get it, he said that I was only two years older than Roberto Luongo. Thomas didn't pay attention to the conversation since he was busy drawing fire on his worksheet of Elijah's house. I told Jordan about my grandma's age - he seemed to think that I should be standing with her, but she has friends! Then he asked me "How is your grandma still alive?!" to which I said that some people lived to over 100 years old!

Jon and Harmony decided where to go for lunch, after joking to Grandma that we'd have hamburgers / fried chicken / salad / pizza for Mother's Day. Steph joined us, and beat us inside the Chinese restaurant since parking was atrocious! We had to wait a long time for a table, in large part due to a communication flub-up... we should get the table first, not a party of eight! But we were repaid by watching some great Asian service in action: a waitress went up to someone who was dining alone at a huge table, and told him that he had to move! That would NEVER fly in a white restaurant, hahaha! Talked about my supposedly holding grudges, Mr. Creep (I refuse to acknowledge him when his name is spoken), Jeremy now knowing what went on with Raymond and Randal (I should do damage control via a phone call), Talked about my supposedly holding grudges, Mr. Creep (I refuse to acknowledge him when his name is spoken), Jeremy now knowing what went on with Raymond and Randal (I should do damage control via a phone call), and HO being a great last name for jokes.

We also discussed red flags (THEY started it - and I'm not going to end it! THEY PISSED ME OFF, AND YOU WILL PAY!), beer, Vernon and Sarah, Jon and Harmony needing to move again (their landlord's selling the house), the hick wedding in Agassiz, the week's plans, Pastor Fulton and Inner Mongolia, frozen soup, the epic Alaskan cruise, Nate staying up for the hockey game tonight, Christon and Eric being visibly pained by the hockey results even if they don't verbalize it, making conversation (but my life is NOT that interesting!), Fish Café (better to have my sanity!), the lards' anniversary, yin-yang, spicy food, and more. Steph made a comment about how I didn't even reach for my wallet when it came time to pay the bill, so I had the perfect retort: "That's because the $10 bill is IN MY POCKET!" Apparently, that impressed Grandma a LOT, who was noticeably less cranky than she was at the start of the meal!

After that, Auntie Teresa said that she had to go back home to take care of some stuff. While she was doing that, Grandma and I sat around and waited for her. Grandma then asked me whether White Kid (Eric) and I were dating since she's under the impression that he goes to my house quite often! I guess he goes there more often now JUST TO PICK ME UP / DROP ME OFF because of my safety concerns, but we ARE NOT DATING! Nor are we getting married (to each other) because we both need someone to cook for the other! Crazy thinking, man! The next stop was Pine House Bakery / a supermarket where Grandma bought me butter cookies, and Auntie Teresa bought vegetables. I told Auntie Teresa that I'd be crashing the townhouse tomorrow night since she's not sleeping in my parents' room - she wondered why my friend didn't drive me home after the meeting. Well, he DID offer... I guess he knows I dislike asking a lot of favors from him, especially after a certain discussion! Now I'm home and (thanks to Opera being faster than Firefox) have caught up on a lot. Whee! I also noticed that someone stuffed my $10 bill BACK into my pocket without my noticing - SNEAKY NINJA!

Three bouquets of flowers and a cake for people who aren't even your mother?!

High-scoring word of the morning:

ANYONE (144 points) - against Rebecca H.-F. [two 4W]


Corey sent me this message overnight:

[01:41:01] Corey: I just got three bouquets of flowers (cheap), and yesterday, we picked up a cake :P and those people aren't even my mother!!! they are mothers, though :P and they take good care of me

I'm definitely wishing Jeremy nothing but the best in the Sun Run today, that is for sure! Will look forward to seeing him the next weekend, haha. (if I don't decide not to go because of Grandma at home in the dark...) It's too sunny outside, AGAIN!

Edit an hour later: Eric called to verify the pick-up place... my place today, but not on Friday or next Sunday! I said he sounded sick, but he said he was just tired, and would be here at around 9:05. Sounds good to me!

You Are Considerate

You are a truly loving person, and you do your best to love as many people as you can. Some may call you a social butterfly, but it goes much deeper than that for you. You tend to be a big influence on other people, but you don't try to be. You just open your heart, and as a result, people are very receptive to what you have to say.

The Poppy Test

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

#1 MOM

High-scoring words of the night:

VAROOM (144 points) - against Lynn T. [two 4W]
ANOXIA (360 points) - against Aaron J. [2W, 4W]
ALIENER (112 points) - against Jennifer W. [four 2W]


I don't have to celebrate Mother's Day as such, but will probably have lunch with Big G. :D

Trivia fact for Sunday, May 9: On what TV sitcom did the star's mother have a car bearing the license plate "#1 MOM"? The Drew Carey Show.