I disagree with punishing the kid for just having fun!

When Henry picked me up in the rain, he said that the Passion concert last night was awesome! I'm sure that having 10,900 people singing along to Chris Tomlin or whoever would have been pretty powerful! I had seen his picture of the crowd at Rogers Arena, and said "WOW!" to myself, haha. He asked about my week, so I knew what to omit from the story, haha. (same as when Chrystal asked later) When we got to church, Elaine had lost her voice from screaming yesterday at the same concert. Benedict / Martin / Victor / Hilary / Sabrina / others had been at the same event. Hilary / Martin / Michelle / Golden all had crazy ribbons and such in their hair, and of course people took pictures!

First, I witnessed an incident of parenting which I disagreed with. Little Isaac was obviously being exuberant and having fun with his friends, so tossed his Awana handbook into the air. He managed to catch it, but then his dad Andrew took it away. ("It looks like you don't want this!") A minute later, Isaac started crying, and his dad took him out of the room for a while! There is no need for the kid to associate fun with tears, you know? If it had been a BIBLE that he was tossing around (assuming he could do that with a heavier book), then I could see where the reproof would come in. I wanted to tell the kid that what he did wasn't WRONG, but of course didn't want to interfere with someone's parenting. Yes, the Awana handbook is important and needs a bit of respect, but is it THAT important over your kid's sense of fun?!

I interacted with Olivia, Anne (who hid behind her mom Sophia), Gabriel and Ian M. (their dad David says Rosenda is coming back on Monday from the Philippines), Amos, Harrison, Erin, Nina, Emily, Gerard, and other kids. When there was a lull in the number of kids (and we'd moved the table to another part of the room - Mike said this was weird, and Emily M. also commented on it), I ensured that Daniel could read Chinese - he said that the notice was about music lessons! As Scott said later, I'd just ask my brother if I wanted those! After I got a free used yellow file folder (Sean's) for Eric's printout and stuff, Chrystal said that there's a new supervisor at her workplace; it doesn't affect her since it's a different department. Helped Chrystal count cash, said hi to Chris, Sabrina said she wasn't sick, and Golden asked if I were cold. Auntie Vivian brought in a few space heaters; it seems that the church's heater was broken! Perfect timing... NOT! When I got home, I laid out my clothes strategically since I assume it'll still be broken tomorrow. Hopefully, little Mattias provides a distraction again from Mr. Creep! The kids started rehearsing their Christmas song ALREADY!

Stanley said that an especially fizzy grapefruit drink from the kitchen could be described as spicy - nice! I got a bunch of leftover crackers, some with Japanese seaweed. Ada said she couldn't give me a ride home, but had talked to Henry. He was busy showing Nina / Carley / Emily / Gerard some photos and videos from last night's concert, and then he was trying to make them NOT smile or laugh. Ada then brought over a huge box of Maynards candy for us to use later: Fruit Mania, Swedish Berries, Peach Fuzz, and Sour Patch Kids! She was going to use it on Halloween, but they didn't get any Trick-or-Treaters! Her sons Ian and Sean were proud of their haul from Kids Night, though: "Look at our huge bags, Mom!" Chrystal and I totally thought we should Trick-or-Treat next year, even though we'll get heckled! "But we're just really tall kids!" "Sure... *slams door* " Then we wanted pizza since the kids are having a pizza day in a couple of weeks, but I didn't order any when I got home since I need to save money for the future! I'm having spicy Caribbean rice instead, man! On the way home, I noticed that at least one house had their Christmas lights on already - SO EARLY!

Dream of refrigerators, dogs, frogs, Veggie Tales, and baby Todd / Sandwiches

Had a dream where I remember having to clean out refrigerators on each floor of an old house: they were labelled "John" / "1989" / "1990" / "1991." My mom didn't want me to junk any of the contents, or she'd get very mad. Jon and Steph were sent to watch me do this, and tried convincing me that Dad really wanted a golden retriever in the house, along with a jumping green frog. I wasn't having any of it since I was still somewhat afraid of dogs, and then Dad brought the animals home to stay. Wai-Mui (who was our neighbor in this dream) got wind of my feelings and decided to help. She said that her husband Uncle Dorian really would like willing help with the baby (Todd), but we first had to wear bright yellow shirts with an anti-bullying message in red by Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber on them. Since we loved Veggie Tales, we were up for it. We saw little Priscilla (about four) in the house, and the dream ended when we were playing with the kids. No idea why I had it... Wai-Mui is married to Rick in real life and lives in Burnaby, we don't know anyone named Uncle Dorian (who looked like Carson's dad!) or baby Todd, Priscilla is really almost 12 (a Christmas Eve baby!), and Dad has often joked that he'd poison a dog if Mom got one.

I woke up a bit before my alarm, but after it went off, I still stayed in bed. Then I checked my phone to see if anyone had called me - Michigan had called (and they just did again!), and so had Henry at about 12:25. So I called him back; turns out he wants to be there early, so will be here at 3:15 or so. Good thing I set my alarm, haha. Christon and Martin are in for the Vespers choir thing, I see. Jen wants to have another Bad Movie Night on the long weekend, preferably with a Mystery Science 3000 theme - she's discovered that it's no fun watching these "bad" movies by yourself. My reaction was "UGH! MORE TIME WITH PEOPLE!" Hahahaha. Since I have no time to eat, I shall run on SUGAR!!!! *devilish laughter* (and Henry called at 3:25 - perfect timing!)

You Are Reasonable

You're the type of person who makes sound and logical decisions. You are very down to earth. You're a bastion of sanity in this insane world, and people know that they can count on you. You aren't likely to get swept away in the moment. You have both feet firmly planted on the ground. You are modest and humble. You always keep your ego in check and sometimes wonder why others can't do the same!

The Sandwich Test

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

Softly wanting Roy, Vespers and Advent, location, Taylor Swift, and SCRAM

Interesting rack of the night: WANTSROY, against Kathy T. [read this as "wants Roy"]


High-scoring word of the night:

SOFT (108 points) - against Millie F. [3W, 4W]


Jon emailed us about some Vespers choir thing for Advent; since it's on December 5 and a Sunday to boot, I think I'll just take the time for myself as usual. Also, thank goodness Billie seems to understand that the location for our hangout needs to be changed since my bus pass is still lost! Maybe the time needs to be changed as well, but I never know if we're going for lunch until we actually do! Haha, I guess I'll call her in that event!


Facebook quizzes taken from Hannah W. and Robin:

Which Taylor Swift song are you? Leslie got Fifteen. You think that you have it figured out, but sometimes you have to lean back and look at the bigger picture. But your most defining quality is that you are an amazing friend, and don't usually let your friends down. You are there for people, even if they aren't always there for you.

What Jedi Class are you? Leslie got Jedi Consular. A Jedi Consular focuses their study to The Force, using it to great ability. They are often used as ambassadors and healers, and some (by becoming attuned to the "Unifying Force") may experience visions of the future. Consulars are unparalleled force users, able to perform amazing feats of power. Consulars most often have Green Sabers. Jedi like Yoda are amongst the Consulars.


Trivia fact for Saturday, Nov. 6: What are emergency shutdown buttons routinely labeled on control panels in nuclear power plants around the world? SCRAM.

Thanks for getting me out of the shower, but I still feel like being a hermit!

I got a notice which is all in Chinese - WTF?! Good thing I have friends who can read Chinese; maybe I'll get Victor or someone to translate this tomorrow! Decided to take a shower at 6:50, but heard knocking at the window when I got out. Since I didn't want whoever it was to see me naked, I put some clothes on before investigating the disturbance. Seeing nothing at the window OR the door, I checked my phone: it was Eric, trying to get me out of the apartment. *sigh* I ate up a minute and a half with the "I thought you enjoyed going to Fellowship!" reason which he gave me, plus my rebuttal to that. Too bad for him that I said I'd be five minutes leaving the place! (had to get some candy to share, my stuff ready, etc.)

On the way to church, he brought up Mr. Creep and Randal - I don't want to hear it, man! He is of the opinion that Korey doesn't talk to Randal anymore, since HE still talks to Korey and he doesn't seem to bring him up anymore. As for how much influence Korey really had over Randal, I guess that's up for debate... but since I don't really want to know, I'm not asking Randal! I said that I had to set my alarm to get up tomorrow, and he looked horrified! (same as when I said I'd have to do it for Thursday's Committee Meeting at 3!) We talked about my supposed lack of a routine (it's called 5 AM bedtime for the past few days - bliss!), the hot and cold air effects, his "sacrifices for the Kingdom of God [so, NOT a game like I was thinking!]" in "putting up with my random rambling," my doing him a favor because it would be SILENT in the car with just himself, my not having my wallet, Randal, Jen, Trish (Harmony's friend Patricia), not many people going by "Patty / Pattie / Patti" these days, my having toilet paper, whether I visited my grandma this week (no - I think my parents picked her up today), Steph, Lisa, stealing Randal's prayer, sharing candy with the group (which includes Randal), my being "drunk," whether he could delete Mr. Creep's name from that printout (no; it wouldn't be his original PDF file - whiteout has a use in this case!), and more.

When we got to our usual room (after I failed at slamming his car door), everyone was in circles and praying... MR. CREEP WAS THERE! UGH! I got a chair, but wasn't sitting near him if I could help it! (of course, he HAD to be in the middle of the room...) Instead, I made Connie and RAYMOND (HA!) move for me - I didn't care if Raymond gave me a very wide berth! In my group, Harmony smiled at me for some reason. (Cindy kept doing that through Bible Study, too - very unsettling!) When Dylan was doing the announcements, it was funny how he forgot that Jen was a member of the Committee! "If you want to serve on Committee next year, just ask one of us - me, Eric, Kevin, or Leslie." "What about me?!" "Oh yeah, and Jen too. Sorry about that." Hahahaha! As we were walking to our respective Bible Study rooms, I asked Yvonne what time she'd finally gotten to sleep yesterday. (she had a status up at 2:15 AM about not being able to sleep because she'd consumed bubble tea past 6 AM - "when will I ever learn?!") She said 3:30 AM - yikes!

During Bible Study, Randal / Kevin / Dylan / Deb / Eric / Cindy / I talked about the Philippines, durian / mangosteen / jackfruit / papaya / pineapple, the beach, seafood (Dylan doesn't like fish), weddings and karaoke, gin / juniper, Regent lectures (RANDAL?!), politics / scandals / "family values" / Canadian vs. American politicians, Svend Robinson, transsexuals vs. homosexuals, nuns, and more. I wondered what the heck happened to my voice as I had to read a few verses - it was just not like me! Bleh - maybe I should bring water next time! While I was attempting to exit the room to go to the washroom, I somehow almost tripped over the handles on my bag, which was on the floor! Deb and Cindy asked whether I was okay - certainly! When I got back, I mouthed "I am such a klutz!" to Cindy, who said I wasn't. Damn CP! I also noted that Randal took a Coffee Crisp from my bag of assorted candy - meh. He also said something about not wanting to read secular books anymore - why read those when you can read about Christian things and actually read the Bible?! This is the second time in a week that someone's said such stuff in my hearing - the other time would be Henry saying the same thing about secular music and its message last Saturday. While I can appreciate that secular stuff does have its own (detrimental?) message sometimes, it can't be ALL EXCLUSIVE!

When we were FINALLY done at 9:55 (when we were supposed to end at 9:30 - prayer and unrelated discussion about struggles take up more time than we think!), I was going to make a beeline for outside when I saw Christon talking to Mr. Creep. No, thanks! Instead, I got to hear all about Kevin's car accident: seems he was driving Mr. Creep to the Skytrain Station from church the last time he was in town a few weeks ago. Kevin got rear-ended on the way back! I had to ask whether Mr. Creep was in the car with him; upon receiving a "no" answer, I just couldn't restrain myself from exclaiming "DARN!" (Eric seems to think I could have, but despite all the training I do, I COULD NOT!) At any rate, I hope Kevin recovers quickly, and didn't get into another accident tonight while driving him to the Skytrain station! Yes, I saw them get in the elevator together a few minutes later. SEE? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRIVE UNDESIRABLES!

Eric and I had to talk to Cindy about her upcoming road test, Richmond / Ryan Rd. / her brother / Religion Boulevard / temples, speaking Italian and such, Remembrance Day committee duties, 2% more girls than boys being born, Mr. Sketch markers lasting a long time (Laurentien doesn't), Grover and Old Spice (I did indeed post the parody!), Facebook, his parents being away to see his brother in Seattle (cars!), and more. Deb said that her sister and John Law had another baby boy recently (Matthew and Nathan!), to which Eric said that his friend Josh had his first kid which was a boy, and Cindy said that Karen had also had a boy. Cindy's niece is one for the girl count, though! Apparently, someone thinks that baby Denise isn't feminine enough because she's tall and such - LEAVE THE KID ALONE! Reminds me of one of Winnie's patients, who had nine girls and one boy OR eight girls and two boys. Cindy's had classmates who had similar large families!

When Christon came up to talk to Eric about something, I cut the discussion short by assuming he'd had dinner. No, I hadn't had time to eat, given that I was in the shower thinking it was Thursday when he got to my place! Luckily, he FINALLY got the message that it was time to LEAVE... but then Dylan had to delay us even further by talking about preparation for the Committee Meeting. DO IT ON SUNDAY! We were FINALLY home free in the elevator! I was very happy about that, haha!

On the way home, I asked whether Eric knew something I didn't. He said he didn't know that Mr. Creep was going to be in town, and figured that Mr. Creep didn't like being in town on holidays. Then he wondered why I didn't just tell him on the way over that I hadn't eaten, as he could have picked something up for me. Ha, then I'd have to pay him back... although at least he thinks I'm trustworthy in that aspect, unlike a certain person! We also discussed DARKWING DUCK, Dave being against me for some reason (or so I think), my being anti-social, thanking him at random, no Homestar Rummer Halloween special, CAPRICA being cancelled, Martin having to go to the Auto Mall, setting my alarm, Steph / Lisa / my parents, leaving LOVE on Steph's wall, CANADA'S WORST DRIVERS, DUCKTALES, flying, sending me an emulator (which worked on an ancient Pentium, he says), getting gas, and other stuff. He's right about my eating Mr. Noodles when I got home - and I have this bread from Monday that I keep forgetting about, so I'll also have that with some mushroom soup!

Shaved ice, Mr. Wolf as a new pastor, short people, cellphone colors

I had a dream which involved a whole lot of people crashing Erin's house, and the younger people sat in a separate room from our parents just to talk and eat a lot of shaved ice, among other snacks. We discussed the new pastor who would be coming into our midst, and Mr. Wolf (the pastor) had seemed very appreciative of the binder with pockets which had information on our church. Pastor John had even included some tips on how to deal with the shorter people in our congregation, telling him that he was one of the first parishioners to be taller than average, and advising him not to stare dead centre at anyone! The kids were sad to leave, of course! Maybe my subconscious is finally processing the resignation... and maybe telling me what to get for Eric's printout of Dylan's contact info. Perhaps I should also have told him to omit Mr. Creep's name from said list... oh well, I guess that's what whiteout is for! (and if Dawn reads this, she'll especially appreciate it!)


Facebook quiz taken from Karla:

What breed of dog are you? -- Basset Hound. My Result: Basset Hound. The breed that best describes you is the Basset Hound. You are sweet and gentle. You are peaceful and enjoy relaxing often. You are a friendly person who enjoys being around others. You are mild and calm, and prefer to work things out rather than argue. You are often the person who will discourage a fight and calm someone down who is angry or upset.

You Are a White Cell Phone

You are sleek, stylish, and streamlined. You pride yourself on your uniqueness. When other people are looking to add bling to their lives, you prefer a simpler approach. You know that what's not there is often more important than what's there. You value quality. You are not a person of many words. You want what you say to be important.

What Color Cell Phone Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Facebook Addiction and Marvel Superheroes

I was going through this space adventure at 4 AM, and noticed that I could pick up duplicate items of things which I already had in my inventory, and kill already-dead enemies! No, I didn't escape the adventure and return. Weird glitch! Of course, I killed more enemies than what the end result shows! I also note that Sihem Krüger wants to add me on Facebook since he's seen my name around Failbook. No, I am not an admin (just a fan), and I'm not sure I'll accept the request!

Facebook quizzes taken from Adam and Spoz:

Leslie got a D+ on the Facebook Addiction Test.
Diagnosis: You are too cool for Facebook. You use it as a last resort, when you need a break from your action-packed, roller-coaster life.
Facebook Age: 2.3 years
Total Facebook Time: 158 hours
Daily Facebook Time: 11 minutes / day (D+)
Leader or Follower?: 272nd out of 363 friends to sign up for Facebook
Friends' Facebook Time: 22,651 lifetime hours
#1 Facebook Addict: Amy Lai (11,041)
#2 Facebook Addict: Sonya Young (6545)
#3 Facebook Addict: Chris Tse (5921)
==>:Your Facebook Addiction Test Results

Which Marvel Superhero are you? (Realistic) Leslie got Wolverine. "You're the best at what you do." You have had a past that keeps coming back to haunt you, but you fight it and win. You are loyal to those who you feel comfortable around, but you tend not to get too attached to them. Even though you might have some trust issues, it takes some time to crack your shell. Once someone gets in close to you, they realize that you are genuine and a worthwhile friend.

Soy aquatics, 3-1 wins, back to Opera, drunk authors, and knee surgery

High-scoring words of the night:

AQUATIC (247 points) - against Shelley R.-B. [two 3W]
SOY (110 points) - against Chantelle C. [5W used twice, 2W, hook off GROK for a plural]


The Canucks won 3-1 over the Avs tonight, and Cory Schneider is now 3-0-0; I'm sure Corey wouldn't really care if I told him that, but whatever! Since I'm tired of Google Chrome not remembering my cookies these days no matter what "solution" I use, it's back to Opera!


Facebook quiz taken from Kaitlin:

What drunk author are you? Leslie got Tennessee Williams. Drank away the fears of insanity, but not plastic caps. Choked to death on one at the age of 71.


Trivia fact for Friday, Nov. 5: How long after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery did runner Joan Benoit successfully compete in the 1984 U.S. Olympic trials for the women's marathon? Just 17 days. Benoit (now known as Joan Benoit Samuelson) was the top qualifier in her event, and went on to win gold at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Sleeping pills, Gwyneth / Evelyn / Teresa / Henry / poo, characters, and dragons

Okay, taking a sleeping pill at 4 AM is a bad idea, given that it somehow takes two hours to kick in. At least I got up when it was almost full dark outside! (not that I'm going anywhere anyway) The only part of my dream I remember is going with Teresa and Henry to pick up Gwyneth and Evelyn from a blue futuristic school, then trying to occupy the girls in the van while their mother and uncle had to work on a stone path scooping up poop! No idea why I had that one!


Facebook quizzes taken from Kaili, Sarah Rowlett, Candace, Gretchen, Nathan, Jen, and Scarlet:

Which Lord of the Rings Character Are You? Leslie got Legolas. You're agile and athletic, but also extremely serious. It's hard to make you laugh, but you're not cynical; rather, you tend to ponder things more thoroughly than others do, and you find beauty in nature all around you. You're an aesthete, but you appreciate physical prowess, and you're very skilled at whatever you do.

Leslie is The Fire Dragon in Chinese Astrology!
Dragons are witty, enthusiastic, popular, intelligent, and gifted, yet are also perfectionists.
Positive Traits: vibrant, magnanimous, charismatic, principled, self-sufficient...
Negative Traits: bombastic, dissatisfied, ruthless, demanding, opinionated, mawkish...
Zodiac Position: Fifth
Gemstone and Ruling Planet: Gemstone: Amethyst - Ruling Planet: Mars
Lucky Colors: Black, Gold, Green
Lucky Numbers: 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 21, 34, 35, 36, and 45.
The Dragon Lover: People love Dragons so much because they are generous, charismatic...


How many kids will you have? Leslie got 2 Adorable Twins. You will have 2 twins -- a boy and a girl! They will both enjoy doing their own thing!

How long would you survive on a deserted island? Leslie got You survive. You survive, but are stuck on the island still.

How Evil Are You? Dear Leslie, You are 58% Evil. You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side. Fear not, though - you are on your way to world domination. Conclusion: You are 58% Evil

Which Historical Leader are you? Leslie got King George III. The ugly king of England during the Revolutionary War: All he is, is a man who thinks he is the best, and only cares about himself. He declares himself as a rich man, but he is only rich by jacking money from everyone.

You Are Dorothy

You are a little lost right now, but you are slowly finding your way home. You are a kind and loyal person. You are the truest friend anyone could ever have. You have an active imagination, and you are intrigued by faraway places. You make friends easily. But at the end of the day, there is no place like home. You value your family and roots.

What Wizard of Oz Character Are You?

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

Stalks, moons, a bloody maxipad, Finland, being Chinese, and basilisks

High-scoring words of the night:

MOON (180 points) - against Millie F. [3W used twice, 4W, 2W, hook off BI to make OBI, hook off BABY to make NA]
STALKLESS (140 points) - against Jennifer F. [5W, 2W]
PRESOAK (495 points) - against Chantelle C. [two 3W, 5L on P, 5L on K]
COEDIT (225 points) - against Whitney H. [two 5W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


Nathan posted a weird Halloween costume from a friend: IT WAS A MAXIPAD, COMPLETE WITH RED BLOOD! Being me, I had to comment: "At least it's red and not brown!" His reply (which amused me more than the actual picture) was "Argh... Les!!! Haha, I suppose I started it, didn't I." He did, and knows me well enough to realize I will always make such comments! Jen thought it was disgusting or offensive, and shouldn't be posted on Facebook. CHEH! Dennis also thought it was in bad taste, but did figure that people would give you space if you dressed up as that or a penis... haha! I like that MUCH better! :D

I've been just scrolling through the latest Fellowship Committee emails since the Gmail notifier snippet or subject line usually tells me enough of what I need to know. Imagine my surprise just now when I saw my name in a snippet! I was like, "WTF? I haven't participated in these exchanges AT ALL, Dylan and Eric!" Turns out Eric was confirming what Dylan said about a contact list in August as per the minutes, and offered to print a copy out for my records. I said that would be a good idea, and thanked him. Then I realized that I'd forgotten to "reply all" (oh well) and that I forgot to apologize to Dylan. Oh well, it wouldn't have gotten to Dylan anyway if I just replied to Eric! Hahaha, no need to say sorry then! Maybe on Sunday which is the next time I plan to see these guys.


Facebook quizzes taken from Jasmine, Darren L., Darren C., and Kaitlin:

What country best fits you? Leslie got Finland! :D Finland (in Finnish: Suomi) is a republic located in Northern Europe, with a population of about 5 million. Capital: Helsinki. Official languages are Finnish and Swedish. Finland was part of Sweden until 1809. Finland has very warm summers and really cold winters. :D

How Chinese are You? Leslie got 50% Chinese. Typical American-Asian. Now go play Halo.


Trivia fact for Thursday, Nov. 4: Why are members of the basilisk lizard family commonly referred to as Jesus Christ lizards? Because of their unique ability to run on water when fleeing predators. Their weblike hind feet make this possible.

Gordon Campbell is GONE! / No Wordscraper nudging?! / Disco Balls

Gordon Campbell is now OUT OF HERE! Maybe he was forced out because of the HST, but at least he won't be leader anymore! I'm also surprised that none of my various Wordscraper opponents have nudged me in the few days I've not had time to make a move in the games, although I note that Janice L. and Amy M. got impatient (or something) and resigned. That doesn't matter, since it gives me a win by default... muhahaha! I'll catch up on that today, for sure!

You Party Like a Professional

When it comes to partying, everything is old hat for you. You may not party a lot, but you know how to conduct yourself with style and grace. You are never a rude guest, and you never eat or drink to excess. You believe in moderation. Your company is pleasant and always welcome. You probably get invited to a lot of shindigs!

The Disco Ball Test

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Facebook and homicide icons / 4-3 / Tyrell / No Toffifee ever! / Red / Einstein

Two new icons, one selection inspired by Mandy and my own morbidity:

(Chicago Homicide mug - "Homicide: Our Day Starts When Yours Ends")

(Facebook "I like this!")


The Canucks won 4-3 against the Oilers tonight for their first road win, and Raffi Torres had his first career hat trick... yay! Here's something else: Tyrell is always a black name. Not to be racist, but we've observed that! Now I want a McRib, but I can't have one!

I tried the hazelnut / creamy nougat / chocolate / caramel Toffifee tonight: fifteen pieces to a box! It's almost impossible to get out of the silver inside packaging! Not sure I like the flavor combination, but I guess it's okay for a one-shot deal. The uneaten pieces are going to Harmony and Julie C. in Ziploc bags on Sunday! (Dylan also sent us an email about Wesley and Jose - at least they seem like good additions to the Committee!)


Facebook quizzes taken from Jennifer J., Patrick, Danielle, Mark, Darren L., Jessica G., and Kaitlin:

Which Harry Potter Character are you? Leslie got Harry Potter. You act before you think. This puts others in situations they might not wish to be in, but you always find a way out. You are considered popular, but don't feel as if you are / should be. You have a few close friends and would do anything to keep them safe, but sometimes your recklessness puts them in danger. You can sometimes come off as whiny and irritating to others despite your best efforts.

What color is your soul? Leslie got Red - The Conqueror's Soul. Tears don't move you; they are a pathetic sign of weakness. You are a natural-born leader, and power is your ultimate goal. You are headstrong, and your natural aggression and straightforward demeanor helps you reach your goals. You need to be respected more than loved. You have to be right, look smart, and have others' approval. Whites will avoid you. Blue souls either annoy you, or become strong allies. Yellow souls will bring you attention. Other red souls may become your rivals.

How old are you inside? Leslie got 20. You're pretty young, and you are active and married.

Which Fairy Tale Do You Belong In? Leslie got Janghwa Hongryeon jeon. This Korean folk-tale was a frightening ghost story that inspired movies such as A Tale Of Two Sisters and The Uninvited (a not-as-good American remake). The story is about two beautiful sisters whose father remarried an evil woman who abused them mercilessly. She did many cruel things, eventually leading to the girls being drowned in a pond. Their ghosts would appear later and kill every new mayor of the village, until one brave man saw a vision of them as ghosts. He avenged them by killing the stepmother.


Trivia fact for Wednesday, Nov. 3: Who did Time magazine pick as the 20th century's Person of the Century? Albert Einstein. In its January 3, 2000 edition, the news weekly described Einstein as "the genius among geniuses who discovered, merely by thinking about it, that the universe was not as it seemed."

Foam letters in a dream / No 2015 candy here! / Dragon Name / Voting

I had a dream about foam letters being on the front door of our old church, Ivan's brother Nathan giving stuff away out of his yellow knapsack, and general hijinks. Probably had it because I see Nathan with his yellow knapsack, and Shira looking at the foam Cubbies letters on the door of the Toddler Sunday School room every Sunday! Today, I got up to find that (as is usual these days) the computer had forgotten the cookies for passwords on a restart... ugh! Of course, David Wong HAD to comment on the "discount Halloween candy" status: "What do ya got left for the year 2015?" YOU ARE CRAZY!


My Dragon Name is Smerg the Evil Dragon.

You Should Vote Democrat

Your views are most closely aligned with the Democrat party. You believe that government can do a lot of good in people's lives, and you especially think the rich should pay their fair share of taxes. It's also likely that you have progressive values. You don't think the government should legislate morality. You may not like every Democrat or totally fit in with the party, but chances are that it is your party.

How Should You Vote?

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

Rockets, tattoos, World Series, hockey, sports, beer, and cheesecake!

As soon as I got outside, Jon was waiting for me - he wondered how I'd managed to lose my bus pass between the front door and my own apartment. HOW SHOULD I KNOW?! I did have it when boarding the bus to go home, obviously! We called Harmony to tell her we'd be home soon, and we talked about Mattias / Micah's baby pictures / drumming / all my new candy. He predicted it would all be gone in two days, but I have more self-control than THAT! One or two a day should be fine, haha. We picked up Harmony at home: she asked whether it was raining or had rained, so we told her NO. By the time we went out just five minutes later with borscht and beer in a box, it had started raining! Harmony said she saw my status about cheap Halloween candy, and was like "D'OH!" Turns out she was at Shoppers earlier, and forgot! Then again, Jon also forgot about it when HE was out shopping; tomorrow, it is! Harmony thought there wouldn't be any left: for her sake, I hope not!

When we got to Steph's, I gave her the two packs of Rockets; turns out that Lisa likes those, too. However, they're trying to start some new exercise regime today. Whoops! We had takeout Chinese food, strawberry cheesecake, beer (pumpkin ale / Red Racer wheat cream ale / barley wine), bread, and other stuff. Discussed the head of SERVANTS speaking at church, reactions, Mom and Dad, the Tees, going to Lisa's Ontario hometown for the holidays, the hospital, my bus pass (they think it's in the apartment somewhere - it's certainly not outside at 3:15 AM!), the definition of a "city," Wikipedia, Lisa getting a tattoo of a tree today, Angela / Ceci / Hubert / babies / Alan and Liz / their toddler Clara who was born the day before Angela and Hubert got married, Lloyd Robertson (better than Pat Robertson!), just telling people, Daniel / Michelle / Melia / Angus coming over tomorrow to watch the Edmonton game at 6, the San Francisco Giants winning the World Series over the Texas Rangers 3-1 (Edgar Renteria was the MVP), and the Canucks winning 3-0 over the Devils. We also talked about AGM sushi, just calling people, Kevin, grease, Wes and Jen NOT getting diarrhea from that Pho place because of Uganda / Africa and Toronto (Jeremy still hasn't gained back the six pounds he lost!), football (Randy Moss), basketball, hockey pools, injuries, point systems, Uncle Eric and Auntie Brenda being cheap, regifting sweaters, golden beets, Auntie Teresa, Auntie Gloria, and Auntie Christine.

Conversed about the long-ago "support group" being an excuse for gossiping, last year's Gudrun dinner, Grandma's poor memory (she won't remember anything you tell her if it's been a day past!), sitting on each other, (cheating at) thumb wars [NO ELBOWS!], underwear parties ("Who's pregnant or dating? If you can't say, that means THEY ARE!"), in-jokes, our being named after trees, slapping each others' butts, and more. Steph thinks that it also explains a lot if my tree name is "cigar tree" (she is oak; Jon is maple) - I don't know about that, man! I bugged her by squishing her toes, haha. She didn't like that, so I said that she WOULD like it! This escalated to "Hey, I'm putting my foot in your face. You WILL like it!" Steph even lifted me up! I guess Lisa now knows that our family CAN be crazy, haha! Jon and I had some water before we left, while I signed the guestbook once again; yes, they SHOULD just leave it out instead of in a pile on the kitchen table! I got the leftover bread and rest of the girls' Twix / Crunchie / M&Ms (milk chocolate, plus peanuts) / Snickers bars / Mars bars from their box of 100; yes, I also got some yesterday! Jon couldn't give me a ride home (but dropped me off at the King Edward Canada Line station), but topped up my change for bus fare - I guess it was okay to spend! At least I didn't have to wait long for a 407 from Brighouse!


Facebook quizzes taken from Vanessa H. and Patrick:

Which Disney Princess are You? Leslie got Belle. You are an intelligent young woman whose dreams are peppered with adventures. With your luck, however, you just might get one. Family is near and dear to you, and you would sacrifice your freedom so that they may have theirs. You base your judgement of people on their actions, though you are willing to change your mind if needed. You have lived on the periphery of socially acceptable behavior, so you're "odd but okay." Hopefully, these values and charms help you like they did your avatar.

What drunk friend are you? Leslie got Fake. You pretend to be drunk just to fit in with the crowd. You never have liked to drink, so you just fake it! One day, your friends will figure it out!


Trivia fact for Tuesday, Nov. 2: What is the longest possible time that an individual can currently serve as president of the United States? Ten years. Under Amendment 22 of the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."

Flying around like Nina / On-sale candy / Sid Vicious / Achievement / Panic

All I remember of my dream is flying around like Nina the bird in BREATH OF FIRE II, as well as going around the world map on the Grandpa Whale like you can do in the same game. My friends and I could warp to various towns, too. It's been MONTHS since I viewed those walkthroughs, man! Went to London Drugs and bought two on-sale packs of Rockets (for Steph), an on-sale box of 54 Kit Kats / Coffee Crisp / Aero / Smarties ($7 off?!), caramel / butterscotch Werther's Originals, a box of hazelnut / caramel / creamy nougat / chocolate Toffifee (which I've somehow never had before - someone in ONTD [crystalzelda] says I should have them!), a Mead Five-Star zippered pencil case (not what I was expecting, so substituted my Buffalo pencil case for a wallet instead while dumping the contents into the new one), two boxes of Whoppers (original AND Reese's Pieces!), and two boxes of strawberry / grape Nerds. Now I've somehow managed to lose my bus pass between the bus stop (front door?) and here... NOT WHAT I WANTED!


Facebook quiz taken from Steve L. and Kempy:

Which rock musician do you most resemble? Leslie got Sid Vicious. You are energetic and determined. You are prone to violent mood swings at times. Quick to lash out when threatened, you are just as quick to stand up for your friends. Your dream is an end to corruption and big business. Your ideal soulmate is someone you can fight alongside.

You Are an Achiever

You push yourself, but not too much. You believe that slow and steady wins the race. You have realistic goals and a good plan for how to achieve them. You work hard. You keep your eye on the prize, but you also know when to give yourself a break. You know that all work and no play is no way to live, and you definitely know how to have fun when the time is right.

Are You an Overachiever or Underachiever?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Trivia fact for Monday, Nov. 1: What famous American helped prevent a panic when the Wall Street stock market crashed for the very first time? Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, in 1792. As the nation's very first treasury secretary, Hamilton restored calm by having the Treasury buy federal securities to support the market, and urging banks not to call in their loans.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon with ethics, pork, and strange caring!

Steph and I went to a nearby pub after our Korean lunch to see if they did beer off-sales; they did, so she got 12 cans of Sleeman's Honey Lager for the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon later. The lady's first few options didn't sound appealing: Bud Light? Kokanee? Molson Canadian? Stella Artois? We talked about my dragon purse zipper breaking: no, I am NOT talking to Mom to see what she'd say about it since I can do SOME things without her! I think I'll just get a zippered pencil case or something from a dollar store or similar establishment tomorrow! At lunch, we'd been joking about how "great" it would be if Lisa came home from work to a houseful of naked people who were pretty much strangers to her - of course, that didn't happen! ("Are your friends going to be dressed up?" "I don't know... but they will be wearing clothes!") We got to the townhouse and put on some football; Steph commanded the TV to show Eric, haha.

Jon and Harmony got in after buying some butternut squash and such; I found out that Jon's teaching in Richmond tomorrow, so asked him for a ride. At first, he was mean and said NO... he "changed his mind" later, so we'll see! I got Jeremy to sign the guestbook, too. By the time Patricia found the house after getting lost like she is prone to doing, the cooks were hard at work preparing stuff in the kitchen! Steph offered me some extra mugs that she had in a box underneath the kitchen table; I initially said I'd look at my own supply of mugs when I got home tonight (since I'll be back tomorrow), but figured that I could just take some tonight since Eric would definitely be giving me a ride home! That way, I can avoid carrying those things home on transit tomorrow night if need be! She said that was good thinking, which I certainly CAN sometimes exhibit! (Mom's place has no shortage of kitchen supplies) We talked about pork, La Fin du Monde, Maudite, Imperial Stout, pumpkin ale, the BC Lions streaker a few weeks back, noise from fireworks, Lisa's copy of FREAKONOMICS, passports, applesauce, cannibalism (selling human meat as pork), apple cider, roasted root vegetables (NO EXCESS SALT!), the football game, the World Series, characters, Nathan, Tobias, nicknames, coffee grounds and compost, strong coffee, a Red Rain acai energy drink from Jon and Harmony to me, the Italy souvenir being a notebook with a bomb on it, the "Sexy Italian Pasta," park patrol, Christon's anniversary gift to his mom today (driving her to Future Shop?!), Wreck Beach, and more. Albert came in late, as did Eric - he said that BC had won the game this afternoon, where they'd played Michael Jackson's THRILLER.

The episodes were pretty funny: "She's not really my cousin?!" "My uncle has a worthless lemon grove?!" "She's not really blind?!" "I'm a never-nude!" "I'm in love with your brother(-in-law)!" "I'm firing her!" "We're manipulative and dysfunctional!" "I slept with your ethics teacher!" "I'm pretending to be handicapped!" "Make this insufferable Korean kid SHUT UP!" Jeremy says that the Korean kid (Anggyong - "Hello") has a real purpose later in the show; I believe him! He also says that it's funny watching the show again for the fourth time or whatever since you can laugh at certain lines or scenes which foreshadow things six episodes into the future! That, I can also believe! Steph and Lisa made me say "Trick or Treat" before depositing a bunch of fun size candy in my bag, haha. When it was just the close people (me / Jon / Harmony / Steph / Lisa / Jeremy / Eric / Christon) in the kitchen, almost anything went! During the course of the evening, I migrated from the couch with Jen and Patricia to the dining room table with Jeremy and the other guys - CLOSE PEOPLE! Also, YAY for Europe's THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

On the way home, Eric said that I could put my bag of mugs and such in his trunk since he didn't want them to fly around and break in the event of a sudden stop - sure! Then he called his dad to say he'd be home soon; I don't miss those "check-in" days AT ALL, man! He told me that he'd volunteered to lead this Friday (another BS program!) - hmm, I wonder if this means Randal is crushed by his new responsibilities if he needs a break already! I was sitting on the chair where he'd put his jacket tonight, haha! Eric said that Randal had moved on, and he can tell this by his demeanor... you can never be too careful, dude! He told me that they hadn't stayed a long time after Fellowship on Friday; since our definitions of "a long time" seem to diverge wildly on Friday nights these days, I asked him to clarify. "Two minutes! We started late, and ended late. [I noticed his almost-full tank of gas, reading the correct gauge this time] You missed out on my getting gas and a Future Shop gift card!" Then he asked ME for clarification about the liquor store near my place and the liquor store near the church... okay! He said we could take a different route: dark rainy weather makes for wet streets (no #4 / Alderbridge!), so it's not a good idea to take a steep road, especially not on Halloween night with drunk drivers around!

When he told me that Vicky had asked where I was "possibly because she cares," I termed that strange. "Well, I told her that you had some stuff to catch up on at home." We discussed DARKWING DUCK for a while: "He didn't answer his phone twice, and you call that a hint!? GIRLS ARE STRANGE!" Trust me, man! Apparently, Uncle Peter had been showing off non-online pictures of baby Micah before or after Sunday School today; well, I didn't get a chance to see them since I'd been busy with little Mattias, who seemed to like looking down at people or at the $10,000 wall through the holes in the stair rail thing! No, I have no idea where he was in service today, although I did note that he may have come up with his grandma when she had to pass the offering bag! Eric opines that I may be smarter than him at some things like grammar, but not pronunciation in French and Spanish, but Spanish is easy whereas English is hard. As he dropped me off, I said I'd see him next Sunday - he said FRIDAY! Probably not! When *I* said "Friday" (I meant "Sunday"), I noted that I was not really sober (not DRUNK) - he knows what I mean!

I led Mattias up the stairs by the hand today! / Korean lunch

I'll have to split today's events up into two posts! I was probably outside a few minutes early in the cold to wait for Eric this morning; he possibly decided to tell me an earlier time, which I can understand. We talked about WORLD OF WARCRAFT, Friday, DARKWING DUCK, insanity, "talking about how great Randal was" (right...), the BC Lions game this afternoon which they had to win in order to advance further into the playoffs, the Edmonton Eskimos, two kinds of hot air, my venting, next week's time change, his faking the hyper "cheery morning person" on the phone earlier, my week, "Dee-Jo" (which he always insists I'm saying wrong), and more stuff. When we got to the church, Stanley and Jon C. were talking about certain kinds of cymbals and sound; I paid little attention to the conversation. Once Nina, Emily, Gerard, and a friend came in, I gravitated toward them.

They talked about a scary movie (HOME SWEET HOME) involving the devil / elevators / children (Gerard - age 7? - was watching it, but he fell asleep), chicken pox (I've never had it [so I'll feel like dying if I ever DO get it], and neither has their friend or Gerard), chicken pox parties which parents hold these days, lotion, not scratching, hitting people with bags (little brothers are SUPPOSED to annoy older sisters!), and more. Once we entered the sanctuary (I saw Dylan and Deb back from the Philippines), Phil was telling Alan about his baby son Micah's facial expressions... especially when trying to fart, haha. It DOES seem uncomfortable when you're only two weeks old and trying to figure this stuff out! When Nathan got there, I said hi while checking out his religion-themed poster. Also greeted Jeremy when he came in to sit by me, haha. We finally learned the name of Mattias' new baby brother: MARCUS! I noticed a bit of a theme going on! Said hi to Steph, and noticed that a fingernail was annoying me because it broke! She has a nail clipper at home, which I turned out not to need because the broken part came off during Sunday School. I told both my siblings that Teunis might call them from Skype if he wanted to join us later. Talked to Chrystal, and told her that Awana had been fine yesterday!

Had a guest speaker who apparently had a cold, but some of us agreed later that it didn't seem like he'd lost his voice like he was warning us! I saw Acer in a subtle "Where's Waldo?" costume, and later saw his sister Calla upstairs back from her Hawaiian honeymoon. Made sure to look for Grandma - when I found her, she asked if we were going to lunch with her. I said no, so she thought we had Fellowship! When I said that Alan Yu would be taking her to lunch, she got confused and said she didn't know such a person! Yes, you do... it's Mom and Dad's friend! I left her to sit on the chairs with her friends, and was going to enter the fellowship hall when I got distracted by little Mattias with Auntie Lillian and others. Yes, he's a big brother now! This week, I didn't even make it to the fellowship hall like I normally do.

I said hi to Mattias, who kept pointing upstairs. Since I didn't see his grandma Auntie Catherine anywhere, I asked him if he wanted to go upstairs. He seemed to understand what I was saying, and nodded. Then I asked him if he wanted me to take him upstairs; you never know with little kids! Since he did, I took him upstairs by the hand at a pace appropriate for a two-year-old. That's okay, since sometimes I walk slowly ANYWAY! Good thing he recognizes and trusts me that far, haha. Eric T.'s dad asked where I was taking him, so I let him know. People said hi to Mattias on our way to the usual room, including Frances. Mattias wanted to check out the Grade 1 classroom (where Amos and Harrison were) because he knew there were toy cars in there! I saw Pauline with her son Conor, so said hi to them both. An auntie came in to give him five Hot Wheels / Matchbox / Fresh Wheels toy cars, which are apparently his favorite thing nowadays.

Ramen, Shira, Arthur, Ada, Ashley, David, and Evelyn also showed up for Toddler Sunday School; Jessie, Auntie Ying, and Rachel's grandma also showed up to help. Took the opportunity to explain to Auntie Ying why I'm not calling her anymore: I don't want to wake up the baby! For all I know, he stays up all night, but still. She understands! I made sure that Mattias had all his new toy cars at the end of the class, which was fine because he dropped them on the floor (and wanted me to pick them up!), and almost left the green one on a shelf in the room! Jessica came in and drew him a racetrack, showing him how to use it... and he did! His grandparents came in to see how he was doing, and thanked me for looking after him when I explained what happened.

Evelyn drew a "mountain," and I spent a couple of minutes "reading" board books with Ashley while she babbled about the pictures within. When it was storytime, Ramen seemed attracted to my sweater's bling, which only is effective when there's light around. Since I believe in telling kids why things work the way they do (if I know!), I told him about the light. The kids liked the sun streaming in from the window, and Shira tugged on my sleeve to get me to notice the shadow that the blinds cast on her chair; of course, I told her where it was coming from! At the end of Sunday School, Eric came upstairs to make sure that I'd do what everyone else was doing in terms of lunch pre-marathon since he was going to the football game later - he's so helpful when he's not bugging me!

I made it to the elevator just in time, and went downstairs to find Christon / Jen / Randal / Jon / Harmony / Jeremy / Steph trying to see what to do for lunch. Christon suggested a Korean restaurant near Cho Sun in the Samosa Garden Plaza; he didn't know the name, but said we'd definitely figure it out when we got there! We did - it was called Da Rae Oak, and was NOT Joy Joy House a few doors down! Since the Chinese congregation seemed to be having an epic meeting (as proved by the live screen feed in the foyer), Steph assumed that Alan Yu would have things under control when it came to Grandma! I went with Steph to the parkade (good thing the door was open!), and she said that Grandma was still a bit confused this morning when she picked her up for church from the respite centre. Grandma seemed to know that Steph wasn't visiting her, but did ask about the sign for the respite centre RIGHT AFTER WALKING OUT OF THE BUILDING! "Oh, what does the sign say? What church is that?" There IS a church about a block away (as I found out last week), but YOU JUST WALKED OUT OF THE BUILDING THIRTY SECONDS AGO! Oh well, it's Big G! She also yelled things out the windows for the pedestrians - UGH!

At lunch, we discussed crowded Asian markets / butternut squash / kimchi / pickled stuff / pork bone soup / leftovers which I took home later / substantial meals like Jen's (rice and veggies and meat and noodles?!) / their Sunday School material (which I tuned out) / the Halloween party which Jon and Harmony went to yesterday (interesting / lame costumes!) / side dishes / noodles / Jeremy's spicy stuff / the poor woman who had to do EVERYTHING connected with running the restaurant. When Jon congratulated Jen for finishing 85% of her plate, Christon and Jen were very confused because they'd heard "85% of your WEIGHT!" Hahahaha! Of course, I sat between Jeremy and Christon, and found that Randal might have agreed with me when I told Christon to start on his hot soup item first because it might get cold. While they prayed for the food, I kept a vigilant watch to see when the other food items might come - I'm not like some people who are really uncomfortable with public prayer in restaurants, but you don't want to keep the server waiting since that would be slightly rude! After lunch, Steph tried getting me to slap Harmony's butt since she's my sister now too. I don't think she'd approve! Jeremy just laughed at us, haha.

Hmm... this entry is already long enough. I think I'll continue in my next post... yes, I know I've had longer posts. Shut up. :P

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! / Hyper Spanish / No Starburst / Halloween Costume

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!

Well, I figured out why Eric called at 11:45 last night. He called me at 8:30, being all hyper and such. "BUENOS DIAS!!!! ¿CÓMO ESTÁS, LESLIE?!!!!!!" I asked why he'd called; says he has sound duty today, so wanted to let me know. HA, he was foiled by my computer being crappy! Oh well... at least I figured out what to do with this Starburst candy, which I won't really like: give it to the toddler Sunday School kids, hahahaha!

You Should Rock a Dinosaur Costume

You are a total brain, and it's likely that you have a very specific Halloween costume each year. Not only would you make a good dinosaur, but you probably already know what dinosaur you'd prefer to go as! For you, Halloween is a bit of a hobby. You plan out each year's festivities carefully. It's a big night for you, and you like to make sure that you get every little detail right.

What Halloween Costume Should You Rock?

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

The computer takes priority over calling people! / Annoyances / Witch album

Eric called me at 11:45, but my priority was getting this computer back into some semblance of acceptable online speed, and I certainly wasn't going to call him back at that hour! Meh, I'll figure it out in a few hours, I'm sure! My computer is being annoying, so that's why I need to stay up longer than I might on a Saturday / Sunday.


Trivia fact for Sunday, Oct. 31: What celebrity musician released the album Yes, I'm A Witch in 2007? Yoko Ono.