PIZZA PARTY and bumps on the head courtesy of Victor

When Ada called me this afternoon, I was certainly ready to brave the snowy elements outside! I was at the entrance when she got here, and it wasn't terrible... though with more snow expected tonight or tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised if this bad winter will be foreshadowed! Ian was busy talking to his guy friend Jackie about some show and asking questions about it; the two older boys (in the way of siblings and friends everywhere) ignored Sean when he tried joining in. Ada said that everyone was at the store buying things and changing their tires - not surprised! Ian forgot my name again, and then thought it was Natalie... I wish! He said that Andrew was scared of me - I've known that for months! Jackie was apparently scared of Jordan, and Ian said that John could be scared of Jordan - there's a definite size difference there! At least the road conditions weren't too bad... although we were surprised when we saw this big orange sign stating that Broadway / Rupert was closed for this weekend. I just called Eric about that, who was watching the game with his family - exchanged polite small talk with Veronica, who knew when Eric wanted the phone, haha. Yes, I know that's exactly where our church is... we had to go up Renfrew past the McDonalds to get to the parkade!

There were plenty of kids in the fellowship hall when we got there; Jackie said something about binoculars in his belt, and said that we were late. Only by four minutes, and that was because we had to detour around the road closure! I said hi to Chrystal and Golden; Golden agrees that he needs a friend like Chinese Eric, haha. Told Chrystal about the menu for tomorrow's dinner: cheesecake and chili and salsa! Yes, I do drink beer occasionally! The smell of the Superstore pizza from the kitchen was making us hungry; it made us want to order some when we got home! She doesn't see many people go out for pizza anymore; it's all delivery NOW, haha! Luckily, Sabrina planned it well so that the leaders could also have some, although she HATES estimating how much food you'd need to feed 150 people! (that's why she'll never be a chef - she likes cooking at home) Talked to Cynthia ("SO MANY CHILDREN!"), Margaret (sprained ankle?), a lot of the kids, and others. Auntie Rebecca gave us some shrimp candy from Beijing, too.

Rosenda says her mom is okay in the Philippines; good to hear! Daniel came in late from checking out winter tires at Costco, and then talking to a friend for half an hour; yup, sounds like Jon, all right! It's funny to see others get annoyed when they wait for you, like my mom did any number of times for my brother... not so amusing if YOU'RE waiting, though! He, Chrystal, and I talked about the cold weather; one of his work colleagues smokes, and totally quit smoking when they were in Winnipeg because it was WAY TOO COLD to go out for a cigarette! At least we're lucky here in Vancouver, even with the nasty winter predicted! Victor says he's going for pizza tonight, too - his aunt can't cook, heh. Saw little Ashley, who had obviously enjoyed some pizza! Pepperoni, supreme, deluxe, olives, cheese, and more... but no Hawaiian! Afterwards, Victor accidentally gave me a hard bump on the head while trying to get at a toy ball, and asked if I were okay - I said "Yes." in a curt manner, yikes! I'm fine NOW, of course - good thing he was concerned! On the way home, the older boys ignored Sean again in favor of questions about characters and happenings in DRAGON BALL Z (Goku? Starmaster?! Doctor?!) - this time, Ada said something. They paid attention to him long enough for him to ask a question, haha. Sean apparently thinks that Ian and Jackie are different; probably so! He told me that he had three pieces of pizza and two cups of pop - nice! I managed to have four or five!

Snow, rock gardens, park rangers, colorful batteries, cruises, and kids' books

I had a weird dream which involved going about in the trampled snow with Ada, her sons Ian and Sean (who loved throwing rocks from a huge rock garden pile at a pink wall with the other kids), and their grandma. My sister came up and wanted to show me something on TV at her place, so we all went there. Once she and I were alone, she modeled a tan park ranger's uniform for me, and said that she'd gained weight. We heard something go through the mailslot, so everyone investigated: the usual pile of mail, and several colorful batteries! (red and blue and yellow - they actually looked like small massagers!) Someone decided to order pizza after we all danced around like maniacs; one of the bugs from A BUG'S LIFE (which I've NEVER seen) showed up, and challenged my sister to eat just one tiny crumb of pizza from a corner piece without disturbing the rest of it. She could eat as much as she wanted later on, of course... so she tried this and failed, while the bug was able to do it. Not sure why I had this dream - there IS the kids' pizza party today (Eric wondered why I seemed so excited about it last night :P), plus the snow outside... other than that, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!

Speaking of the snow and my sister, she called to see how I was doing because of the snow. I told her that I had rides from both Erics tomorrow to church / Jon's Sunday Dinner, and probably wouldn't be going to Monday's dinner because of the weather / snow on the ground. (my night vision is crap already...) She said that if I needed to call around for rides today because of Henry's dentist appointment, I should confirm the SIDE DOOR with whoever it is; I'm on it, since I won't have to walk so far! Good thing the church is covered AND has the parkade, although I know white Eric feels bad about actually taking up space in the parkade on Sundays, even if there is a side entrance! We also talked about my weird dream, Lisa / Jon / Harmony, and US Thanksgiving being confusing for us even if it IS a big thing down there! She also said to be careful with the laptop, since they CAN overheat - with this cold weather, I think that's less of a concern! Yes, I know they overheat because of USE and not the weather... and I've just heard that it might be -7 overnight with flurries tomorrow! Not surprised that homeless shelters are practically full lately! (but they do have "survival kits" for those who - for whatever reason - prefer to stay on the streets!) A while later, I got Ada to give me a ride; yay!

You Should Go on a Mediterranean Cruise

You're the type of person who likes to shake things up from time to time. You're always looking for a new kind of fun. You'd like to put a twist on your typical vacation routine, without going too far off the map. You are stylish, sophisticated, and worldly. You're ready to experience the sights and tastes of Mediterranean port cities. A whirlwind vacation through Europe is exactly what you need to break out of your routine!

What Type of Cruise Should You Go On?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Trivia fact for Saturday, Nov. 20: What famous children's book begins with the line, " 'Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast"? Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White.

Infants cannot dance in public halls! (strange laws)

More strange laws from Bathroom Readers! These are from WISE UP! and EXTRAORDINARY BOOK OF FACTS:

It's against the law to slam your car door in Switzerland. Good thing Eric and I don't live there; if they still have this law on the books, we (and our friends) could have gone to jail 3000 times over for doing just this to the grey Honda because it had to be done!

Melbourne, Australia, has an 8 PM curfew... for cats.

A Memphis, Tennessee, ordinance bans frogs from croaking after 11 PM.

In Wilbur, Washington, you can be fined for riding an ugly horse.

In Atlanta, it's illegal to tie a giraffe to a streetlight or telephone pole. Dogs are okay.

Whale harassment is a federal offense punishable by up to $10,000 in fines.

A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in Indiana.

In St. Louis, Missouri, it's illegal to drink beer from a bucket when you're sitting at the curb.

Snoring is legal in Massachusetts only when all bedroom windows are closed and locked.

Kentucky citizens are required by state law to bathe at least once a year.

It's illegal to ship live mice through the U.S. mail.

In Downey, California, more than two police officers are prohibited from gathering at the same doughnut shop at the same time.

In Kentucky, it's illegal to marry your wife's grandmother.

In Yukon, Oklahoma, it's illegal for patients to pull their dentist's teeth.

In Sarasota, Florida, it's illegal to wear a swimsuit while singing in a public place.

In Oklahoma, you can be fined for making funny faces at dogs.

In some states, it's illegal to dance to The Star-Spangled Banner.

It's against the law to drink beer in Cedar City, Utah, if your shoelaces are untied.

In Zion, Illinois, it's illegal to give a lit cigar to a dog, cat, or other domesticated pet.

In Fairbanks, Alaska, moose are banned from mating within city limits.

In Florida, it's against the law to hunt deer while they're swimming.

It's against the law in Utah to fish from horseback.

Wearing a necktie in some parts of Iran can get you thrown in jail.

Paris law forbids spinning tops on sidewalks... and staring at the mayor.

Nineteenth-century Scottish law required brides to be pregnant on their wedding day.

In England, it's against the law to sue the queen... or to name your daughter Princess without the queen's permission.

It's illegal to put graffiti on someone else's cow in Texas.

Technically, you must have a hunting license to catch mice in California.

In Cleveland, Ohio, it's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.

In Brooklyn, New York, it's illegal to let a dog sleep in your bathtub.

It's against the law to run out of gas in Youngstown, Ohio.

In Los Angeles, it's against the law for infants to dance in public halls.

If you've just eaten garlic in Gary, Indiana, you must wait at least four hours before you can attend a theatre or ride on a public streetcar.

In Rochester, Michigan, anyone swimming in public must have their suit inspected by a police officer.

In Massachusetts, it is illegal for a mourner at a funeral to eat more than three sandwiches.

In Elkhart, Indiana, it's against the law for a barber to threaten to cut off a child's ears.

In Xenia, Ohio, it's a crime to spit on a salad bar.

It's illegal to drive without a steering wheel in Decatur, Illinois.

Swedish law prohibits trained seals from balancing balls on their noses.

In Athens, Greece, you can lose your driver's license for being "poorly dressed" or "unbathed."

Penalty for stealing a rabbit in 19th-century England: seven years in prison.

It's against French law to reveal the true identity of a member of the French Foreign Legion.

By law, all Washington, D.C., taxis must carry a broom and a shovel.

In Louisiana, it is illegal to gargle in public.

It's against the law in Jefferson City, Missouri, to tie a boat to the railroad tracks.

In Winchester, Massachusetts, it is illegal for a woman to dance on a tightrope... unless she's in a church.

In Florida, you may not pass gas in a public place after 6 PM.

In Switzerland, it's illegal to flush a toilet or urinate standing up after 10 PM.

In the town of Summerside on Canada's Prince Edward Island, it's illegal to borrow or lend water.

In Cuba, you can be jailed for three days if your house burns down,

It's against the law in Madagascar for pregnant women to eat eels or wear hats.

In Paraguay, dueling is perfectly legal... if both parties are registered blood donors.

Speeding-ticket fines in Finland are based on the driver's income.

Canadian law prohibits anyone from boarding a plane while it's in flight.

Law requires that farmers in England provide their pigs with toys.

Roger Tullgren, a man from Sweden, gets disability benefits for his "heavy metal music addiction."

In Glasgow, Scotland, it's a crime for a man to bug a store mannequin.

The law in Teruel, Spain, forbids taking hot baths on Sundays. (Cold baths are okay.)

In Reykjavik, Iceland, it's illegal to keep a dog as a pet.

If you curse within earshot of a woman in Egypt, the law says you forfeit two days' pay.

In Equatorial Guinea, it's illegal to name your child Monica.

Yes, you should have gone with me to get books! / NO SNOW ANGELS!

Eric picked me up, and started bugging me about the snow - he called it "my friend" and sang some wintery songs. Of course, we were listening to Team 1040... then I realized that there would be no more door fail with the white Sunfire, although (as I rediscovered in the parkade) they ARE wide! He said that there would be plenty of OTHER fail - oh, SHUT UP! Says that the Honda will be scrapped; yeah, that's what I figured even if he CAN get some money for it. We talked about bags, NOT stealing laptops, traffic, drivers, poop and sewers, Alain Vigneault and lozenges ("is that their gag for tonight?"), and more on the way to church.

When we got to the chapel, I saw Christon and Dylan - then I remembered about the care cards, which I went upstairs to get. Took the elevator back down before giving them to Christon, haha. Found out later that one of them was for Sheena, which I approve of. Uncle Stephen was already into his talk, trying to equate the Jacob / Joseph and 11 brothers story in Genesis to forgiveness and our current church issues. At least he does acknowledge it's a hard road, where the aggressor MUST take responsibility! (none of that's happened to ME...) There was some theological discussion later, but I agreed with Alan: we're only human, so cutting off contact might be the best thing we can do for our relationships and sanity!

Later, Dianne bugged Wes about signing the card for their small group since he probably couldn't pick Sheena out of a lineup! After I told Jen - by Randal - about the laptop and asked if she was coming on Sunday (she is!), I told him about my good week, because nothing spectacular had happened in HIS! He's so right that he needs a friend like Chinese Eric, hahaha! ("Wow! That's awesome!") Martin (who was going to take his car to his parents' place), Kevin, and others started talking about the projected snowfall; we didn't see any when looking out the window! We also talked about Jon, Harmony, surprises, SERVANTS, small group outing, service, Alan and Tracy not going home (but meeting Eddie and Eunice for bubble tea at e.tea on 22nd), chasing after people, and more. Dylan asked if I'd given the cards to Christon: he didn't remember about Christon's email till today, and it was sent on Tuesday! Meanwhile, Christon was talking to some new girl - BE CAREFUL!

Eric asked if I were ready to go - yup, because I only talked to people whom I knew to be good. In the parkade, he ate up more time by talking to Kevin about Committee things and Wesley - fine, I guess. On the way home, we talked about the certain snow in Richmond / his mom getting worried because his brother is coming up here in this weather for American Thanksgiving week (he should be home by midnight-ish if he left at 9) / our forgetting about US Thanksgiving / Chapters iRewards cards / Bathroom Readers / how he should have gone with me instead to get books / STARCRAFT / WORLD OF WARCRAFT / quests / Azaroth / whether Jon's thing was Saturday or Sunday / a mix of rain and snow as the perfect "favorite intersection" weather / making snow angels with Dave Wong (NO!) / snow shovels / control over the trunk. He also bugged me about the Advent calendars... that's my ONE concession to Advent! As for Holiday_Wishes, I still might do that - I just need one more item to round out the list. Eric also thinks that once you know someone, you always know them: he HAS heard "I used to know this person" before (of course), but thinks that should only be used if they're dead! HAHAHAHAHA, I don't know about THAT! We were talking about sociopaths and my not caring what other people think about my opinions of others... hey, I don't. It's ME! If you can't take it, LEAVE MY LIFE!

Dungeons, space adventures, the return of the Sunfire, and more Memegens

Dungeons: 21 YES, 10 NO
Space Adventures: 27 YES, 31 NO

The above is for my own reference only! Eric called when I'd just gotten out of the shower: he wonders if I remember the white car. Yes, I do... especially the time when the guys had to push it to the gas station on our way to the Yaletown Brewery! His parents got the car from Seattle since his brother now has a newer vehicle. SWEET! Unfortunately, I have to go now. Found out that Steven Wei added me on Facebook, but Fidela unfriended me for some reason. :(

Your Anime Girl Life by tinychopsticks
Name
Power / Weapon	Water Magic
Eyes	Green
Hair	Black
Hair Style	Tied at end
Clothing Style	Leather
Role	Loner
Outcome	You go out for more adventure

What kind of chocolate are you? by thekellsta001
your name
Choose	ChocolateIce creamCandy
you are

The "random band people from random bands" sleepover quiz by ph1shf00d
Name
Age
Color
Animal
Brendan (P!ATD) will:	Hug you
Justin (Motion City SOundtrack) will:	Fall asleep next to you
Billie Joe (Green Day) will:	Chew on your fingers
Travis (Blink 182) will:	Pierce your ear /nose
Gerard (MCR) will:	Ask you your favorite character from Star Wars
J.T. (Hawthorne Heights) will:	Ignore you
Pete (FOB) will:	Ask you out
You're going home with:	Justin

How will the Naruto boys act when you're around?^.^ by Yumi-chan
Name
Age
Colour (Gomen^^')	YellowOrangeRedPinkPurpleVioletLight BlueBlueGreenBrownBlackGreyWhiteSilverGold (not really colours, but who cares? xD)
Village
Naruto	He's acting like he would be the Hokage already, but it makes him look really cute :), he just wants to look good in front of you, but it doesn't work out very well...
Sasuke	Is acting cool like every day, but seems to be interested in you.
Kakashi	Acts like a father and wants to protect you from everyone and everything.
Lee	Is trying to explain the power of youth to you, but you're not very interested ^^'.
Neji	Is holding your hand for hours (without asking you o.o) and says that he'll never leave your side again (how cute*-*)
Shino	Wants to show you his bug collection. ^^'''
Kiba	Kissed you on the cheek while no one is watching.
Itachi	Looks at you for hours, and recognized too late that you're already gone.
Shikamaru	Says it's too troublesome to talk to you right now, and is watching the clouds.
Gaara	Wants to make you a "tattoo" on your forehead, just like the one he has.

WORLD TOILET DAY! / Christon and care cards / Fall spices

IT'S WORLD TOILET DAY!!!!!!!!! (according to the Bathroom Readers on Facebook)

Dylan sent me an email to ask if I could bring a couple of greeting care cards (from the batch I bought from Hallmark) for Christon to use tonight. My first instinct was to answer "Depends who they're for" (as in, NOT MR. CREEP!), but that wouldn't be very "decorum-like" [oh, the sarcasm!], so I just said that it would happen IF they were in the mailbox to start with in the first place. If not, Christon is out of luck!

You Are Allspice

You are not as complex as you seem to others. You really just like to keep things simple. People think you're something you're not. And you're getting a little sick of being misunderstood! You enjoy the company of others, and you appreciate people from all walks of life. You love to learn about different points of view. You seem familiar to strangers. People probably tell you that you remind them of someone else.

What Fall Spice Are You?

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

Reprising the black stout cheesecake! / Missile launch ID in laundry

High-scoring words of the night:

REVISAL (124 points) - against Nadine M. [two 2W, hook off YEN for a plural]
HOE (112 points) - against Millie F. [5W used twice, 2W used twice, hook off CRAFT to make HA / OF / ET] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
TAXIES (128 points) - against Judy A. [4W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


Jon's updated his Evite with the menu items for Sunday - comfort food for this time of year, indeed! Turns out that it starts at 6, but it doesn't matter if Eric H. comes here at that time, since it gives me less time with people! (white Eric would just roll his eyes and shake his head if he read this, haha) Not as ambitious as last year, which is probably a good thing - eight items was a lot of work for the guys!

Black Bean Salsa
Braised Red Cabbage with Bacon and Apples
Jer's Oma's Borscht
Spicy Pork Chili and Bean Stew with Brown Rice
Black Chocolate Stout Cheesecake


Trivia fact for Friday, Nov. 19: Which U.S. president left his authenticator ID for the nation's nuclear missile launch codes in a suit that was sent to the dry cleaners? Jimmy Carter.

Tim and structure, mailbox key, bathroom fan, RATS IN THE WALLS, H.P. Lovecraft

Tim sent us an interesting structure email; yay for good information! Hester and her husband came by to give me the key to my personalized mailbox... at least I didn't need to give them government ID to get it, like that notice from Canada Post said! While they were here, I let them know that I hear mice in the walls again (they're not outside as far as I know), and that the bathroom fan isn't working again JUST LIKE IT WAS IN THE SUMMER WHEN TEUNIS WAS HERE! Good thing they didn't come by last night, because I was hanging out with Eric and Erica! I'll have to get someone to help me put the mailbox key on my keychain tomorrow, otherwise I might lose it!

Sonya saw my status about mice in the walls and LIKED it (thanks...), while Steve L. gave me a link to The Rats in the Walls by H.P. Lovecraft, which I've never read. The story is interesting, although I don't know what to believe afterwards. Ancient familial curse of cannibalism, or real rats? Steve says it's a TAME effort, too... wah! This is what he says about less-tame efforts: "Pickman's Model, The Thing on the Doorstep, The Outsider, Herbert West: Re-animator, The Dunwich Horror. I could go on all day..." That site has the text of ALL the Lovecraft stories, apparently - woohoo! Never read one, for some reason... no excuse not to, now! :D

13.3 inches / Glasses cases / Cadbury Eggs and Mr. Big / Snow / Magazines

I was curious to see how big the laptop screen was - all I had to do was look on the receipt. 13.3 inches isn't too bad! Also found another glasses case (Ellen Terry), so I could buy Fit-Overs and put them there! While I was cleaning out a knapsack to make room for the laptop (make it less visible while I wait to get a real laptop bag), I found really old receipts from when I mailed Cadbury Eggs and Mr. Big bars to Corey in March, hahaha! I also hear that it's snowing in various parts of Metro Vancouver, thanks to radio and Facebook!

You Are an Entertainment Magazine

You love movies, music, and television. You are the creative type, and you appreciate entertainment done right. You also think that celebrities are pretty interesting. At the very least, it's an escape to read about their lives. You don't take celebrity magazines too seriously... in fact, you probably make fun of them from time to time. The fact that they're so outrageous is definitely part of their appeal!

What Kind of Magazine Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

New laptop settings changes, ClearType, large keys, gray art, Alcohol 120%

I used the new laptop for about half an hour to change settings such as the desktop picture (I'm not "Lorena" or a "pink Valentines" type of girl!), date, time, screensaver, and password. For some reason, I'm not connected to the Internet, but maybe this is what Eric was talking about with the international cable. Oh well, it's all good - I do appreciate that the laptop has really large keys, and something called ClearType which makes things REALLY legible! Dunno about this program called Alcohol 120% ...



Trivia fact for Thursday, Nov. 18: What American pop artist was celebrated at a 2008 exhibit that featured more than 130 of his paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints - all done in gray? Jasper Johns. The exhibit, titled Gray, was seen at the Art Institute of Chicago and at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

NEW LAPTOP! / Pho! / Birthday extravaganza on Sunday! / ERIC HO!

Eric and his sister Erica picked me up shortly after 7, and the first thing Eric did was to take the NEW LAPTOP inside - good idea, since it was pretty cold outside! He said it had 160 gigabytes, and it was a good brand: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I know your computer is slow. I don't give my friends cheap things (it cost $3000 in HK money - $600 here?), and you can ask White Eric about the brand! Gotta get the international cable from the hardware store, but it should still be on for three hours with the battery pack recharger! Oh, and this is the receipt!" Hey, at least this is a computer where I don't have to worry about what a certain someone may or may not have done to it in the past! :D

Went to the car, shook hands with Erica, and talked about the washroom night / Jon / Harmony / the birthday thing on Sunday (which he's going to - he's picking me up!) / pizza / Pho. I definitely don't think he's cheap for just treating me to Pho noodles and jackfruit BBT... the laptop was NOT expected! Erica likes snowboarding at Whistler and other mountains, and isn't really a hockey fan... she also knew Nathan from high school, and said that he was like a big brother to their group. That, I can definitely see! I know we lost 3-1 tonight, though. When we got to the $3.5 million house ("my dad can enjoy the fruits of his labor!"), his mom seemed happy to see me again; I agree that it's nice to see her again under less awkward circumstances!

It was nice just chatting with Eric about Jon and his birthday thing, Harmony, losing weight (220 to 165?!), Teunis NOT being a moocher like a certain person, his wanting to punch that certain person, having a LOT to update LJ / Facebook about next time he comes over (ten pages' worth?!), Citrus, white Eric, Steph, Nathan / "Lucille," Fay, Gena the beautician, Shanghai, health problems like cancer, specialists, lawyers, doctors, scheduling, patient-doctor confidentiality, Yeung-Yeung the cosmetician, and girlfriends. We also talked about the Olympics, parents, Dave, hockey (he showed me proof in the form of a program and a ticket to a Round 1 game against the Kings), salt, allergies to beef and sunlight (SO RANDOM!), "cosmopolitan" vs. "cosmopolitan," not remembering English (thank goodness for Macau!), his work stress, casinos, almost getting married, emergencies, smoking, rap concerts, contracts, Mr. Creep ("WEIRD SEXUAL PREDATOR!"), and so much more! He showed me a bunch of pictures: buildings in Hong Kong / China, Disneyland, restaurants, and other things. Eric said that he could work after being back for a week or so, but his mom thought he needed to rest. (she also thinks he shouldn't have salt, because that will aggravate his bodily reaction to stress)

We definitely still enjoy a good rapport; I joked that I knew my Biblical characters better than he did, since he thought one of the twelve disciples was named Daniel! I may not be able to name them all off the top of my head, but I do know there's not a Daniel in the bunch! Yes, he turned serious and said that he needed some religion... hey, MissionsFest is in January! Nathan always bugged him to go there, haha. Eric also gave me a tour of the basement - yay for heated indoor swimming pools and the overhead TV, haha! Of course I'll tell the guys about that! To be really polite, I also thanked his mom for the fish and tofu soup she offered, plus the veggies!

On the way home, he wanted to know what time Jon's thing started - no idea, but if he's here by 6, that should be good even AFTER he gets that cable from the hardware store! I'd have no idea what to look for, haha. He didn't realize that the house number was blocked, and thought that was annoying - true, but not much I can do! We also discussed beer and some lounge-type place near Jon's called Stella's. I told Erica that it was nice meeting her before Eric wanted to do the gentlemanly thing and walk me to my door. He bid me a good night, and said he'd see me on Sunday. When I got home, I called Jon - he and Harmony had company over (I could obviously hear it in the background), but I dutifully told him that Eric had gained 65 pounds! It's really the opposite, but all I said about THAT was "he actually lost weight because of job stress." Jon thought that Eric was pretty excited about the birthday dinner; yeah, he does seem to be!

Oho! Here's something which is armlike about the Beatles!

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

ARMLIKE (224 points) - against Lee J.-W. [two 4W]
OHO (206 points) - against Jordan G. [two 5W, hook off SAD to make SO / AH / DO]


Got weird comments today, which is always good! I'm excited to hang out with Eric and meet Erica / the parents! He just called from Erica's phone, too... good timing!

What do the Beatles think of you? by corey_bethy
Name
Favorite color	BlueRedGreenPurple
Favorite Beatle	JohnPaulGeorgeRingo
Paul Says:	What are you doing coming through my bathroom window?
Ringo Says:	You're a real cute bird.
George Says:	Huh?
John Says:	Yum.

Blocked bridges and bathrooms on cruise ships (ONTD) / New mail system / Eric Ho

I had a weird dream where a bunch of us were making preparations to leave a cruise ship since we'd returned to Canada. For some reason, I was sharing some rooms with white Eric, and we got almost all our stuff ready. While I was talking with my friends, I suddenly remembered that all our bathroom stuff was still in that room! However, the ship had a bridge in place between the common areas and the private rooms, and that was now "blocked access." I thought I'd be a sneaky ninja and see if I could go on the bridge anyway because we weren't in port yet. When I tried that, I was successful, but after getting our bathroom things, I discovered that the bridge had moved, and I couldn't get to the common area easily. (then I remembered that Eric T. had to have permission to get in the common areas via a door in the ship) The ship officials found me, and made me log into their message board, which looked like ONTD - everyone there was wishing I'd died in a fire! My parents came and got us, and my dad dropped me off a few blocks from the mall in the pouring rain. Not sure why I had that one!

When I got up, I noticed five calls from a blocked number: if that's Chinese Eric, he should know that the number is blocked, and I can't call him back! Not sure why he'd call since it isn't next Wednesday, but we'll see if the blocked number calls back! Harmony sent me an email - HAHAHA! I also got a notice from Canada Post; yes, I've noticed those personal mailboxes in the lobby for the last few days. Apparently, that starts in a couple of weeks. (although I note that 249 FEWER [not "LESS"] people walking on the floor and using the elevators doesn't seem like THAT huge of a deal!) Maybe this year, it'll be easier to deliver packages to me, so I don't have to fear mail delivery notices, haha! I also hear mice again - UGH! Also hear that we might get snow on Friday - SHIT! (although that does provide me a handy excuse not to go out, haha)

It WAS Chinese Eric on the phone - seems he thought our hangout was tonight, while I thought it was next week since that's what he said on Sunday! I recovered beautifully from my surprise - no, I don't mind going over to the family's new place to have Vietnamese food which he and his sister Erica will pick up, haha! Apparently, his mom thinks I seem nice since I gave / sent him birthday and Christmas cards, and we talk about things / give advice on issues / help each other out. I spent some time reminiscing about the "washroom friends! / comedy of errors" night, and he laughed... at least he remembers where my place is! It'll be good times, for sure! (I gotta shower well before 7, then!)

You Are a Crab

You can be an emotional and sensitive creature. Things get to you. You are a bit withdrawn and shy, but you're also willing to come out of your shell sometimes. You are quite flexible and easygoing if your trust is earned. You like to observe quietly. You move with the rhythm of life. You try not to fight anything.

What Sea Animal Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Micro-caftans, asthma and red onions, dogs and $12 million

High-scoring words of the night:

CAFTAN (340 points) - against Josee F. [3W, 4W, 2W, hook off LAVA to make AL / NA]
MICRO (225 points) - against Therese G. [5W, 4W, hook off WORE to make EM] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


Facebook quiz taken from Amanda:

Predict your future disease from your name! Dear Leslie Chi-Wah Ng. Based on your name, your Future Disease prediction is: ASTHMA. To prevent this problem, it's suggested that you consume a lot of RED ONIONS from now on. Eating onions helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes.


Trivia fact for Wednesday, Nov. 17: What was the name of the white Maltese dog that was bequeathed a $12 million trust fund by Queen of Mean real estate magnate Leona Helmsley? Trouble. Helmsley died in 2007.

Barry and heart tattoos

Finally called Barry on his cellphone, since I assumed he was still reachable there; turns out he doesn't really have an office number anymore, so his cell number IS that number by default. Nice. Next Friday afternoon it is, and maybe I can get my Christmas shopping done also!

Your Love is Unpredictable

Your love is hard for others to understand or anticipate. There's no telling who or what you'll love next. You find love and friendship in the most unlikely places. For you, it's all about chemistry and connection. You don't pay attention to friends, family, or society when deciding who to love. You always go with your intuition. It's rarely led you astray when it comes to matters of the heart.

The Heart Tattoo Test

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

Adults spitting and foaming at fences / Charizard / 4-3 losses / Vocal cords

Bingo of the night:

ESPIONAGE (86 points) - against Samuel S.


High-scoring words of the night:

FOAMING (100 points) - against Alice P. [two 2W]
FAQIRS (256 points) - against Carla M. [two 4W]
ADULT (140 points) - against Carla M. [5W, 4W] {different game}
UNFENCES (290 points) - against Jenny H. [two 5W]
SPIT (118 points) - against Shelley V. [two 4W, hook off ACE for a plural]
MICRA (176 points) - against Sohail H. [two 4W]
CUIF (135 points) - against Susan S. [5W, 5L on C]


Facebook quiz taken from Darren L. and Andrew Lai:

Which Pokemon best matches your personality? Leslie got Charizard. You're Charizard! You are a very stubborn person who hardly listens to others, and likes their alone time. Maybe it's because people always tell you what to do, or because you think they just don't understand you enough. Either way, you won't listen to what they have to say, and only do what pleases you. =]


The Canucks lost 4-3 to the Sabres tonight in overtime. Did a lot of editing on dungeon and space adventure entries, too.

Trivia fact for Tuesday, Nov. 16: What were the first land animals to have vocal cords? Frogs.

Rainbow Tagging / Gradient Tagging

Both taken from Mandy O., AKA italianbeenher:

Amorist phantoms on skidways with figworts in the hosed arcade! / Johnny Depp

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

STOGY (150 points) - against Sohail H. [5W, 2W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
AMORIST (153 points) - against Christina U. [two 3W]
PHANTOM (907 points) - against Keith M. [3W, two 4W, hook off NO to make ONO]
SKIDWAY (120 points) - against Linda D. [two 2W]
FIGWORTS (465 points) - against Susan S. [two 5W]
HOSEY (414 points) - against Adriane S. [two 5W, hook off HOB for a plural]
ARCADE (156 points; 5W, 3W, hook off HAIRY to make EH), OUNCES (126 points; 5W, 3W, hook off HAIRY to make OY) - against Keira L.

what celebrity are you destined to marry? by babiemenime
Your Name
Date You Will Be Married	February 26, 2088
How Many Kids Will You Have?	11
How Much You'll Be Worth	$7,264,367
The Percent of the Time You'll Be Together	59%
What Celebrity Will You Marry?	Johnny Depp
How Much Money He Makes	70,363,307,996

Dream of grammar tests, large families, Raymond, Connie, and Chris / High school

I had a dream where I had to look after a bunch of kids who were at a camp program. There was one particularly large family who had a LOT of kids, one for practically every year. (basically, the mom was almost always pregnant) The oldest kid, David, was about 12 or so. He didn't want to go hiking, so he had to stay behind with the counsellors in the forest. Jordan (in his green T&T Awana uniform) also showed up in the dream, and he didn't want to go anywhere either. They watched us take several oral grammar tests which were required; I remember thinking that it would be easier on the computer since distractions wouldn't be so much of a problem! One was on "your / you're," "there / their / they're" / "sell / cell." Raymond totally FAILED the tests (HA!), and Chris Lam (with his pet snake around his neck) said that I'd had perfect scores! A while later, we decided to go to a hotel with fancy black elevators. We saw Connie helping an old lady with a walker, so let her into the elevator first before going to the 84th floor. The dream ended when there was something funky going on with the elevator - strange! I know I saw Chris and Jordan on Saturday, and Connie last Sunday... but can't think of why else I might have had it!

You Were One of the Slackers

When you were in high school, you really didn't want to be there. You hated everything about school! You tried to do as little as possible to get by... your grades and attendance record prove that. You are probably somewhat of a late bloomer. Your lack of success in high school doesn't really predict much. You're the type of person who does best when you're able to do your own thing. And it's a lot easier to live that way outside of school!

What High School Clique Did You Belong To?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Photo play, calm Mark Twain, wives, accidental naps, and genericide

High-scoring words of the night:

PHOTOPLAY (100 points) - against Elizabeth T. [5W]
BECALM (135 points) - against Carol W. [two 3W]
TWAIN (160 points) - against Shari P.-K. [two 4W]
WIFES (146 points) - against Andrea D. [5W, 2W, hook off QAT for a plural]


I accidentally fell asleep earlier tonight, and still feel a bit tired... whoops! Maybe this is what I need to reset my sleep schedule, haha. Then again, considering that I stay up after naps, I don't know. Guess I'll see! I've almost decided that next year's edition of trivia will be in a "weekly digest" format, heh. Quan also says that I need milk to truly enjoy Kinder Bueno - I'll have to get on that, then. Hopefully, I can get Barry to do this!

Trivia fact for Monday, Nov. 15: What is genericide? The process by which a brand name - such as Thermos or Aspirin - becomes a generic name.

Turkey with Billie, earrings, Bathroom Readers, mythology, and postponement with Chinese Eric

Got out of the apartment perhaps later than I should have, but got to the Canada Line station at 2:20 or so! Billie had been waiting since 1:50 (oops), and had a guy ask her where Richmond Centre was! Um... try looking across the street, and it should be right there! Of course, her dad always says that sometimes it's easy to overlook painfully obvious things, which is true! We went to Shoppers Drug Mart first, where I bought some Kinder Bueno (hazelnut instead of milky filling is GOOD, says Quan) and five Advent calendars for me / Jon / Harmony / Lisa / Steph. (I wouldn't want to pay $10.50 or $12 for the Kinder or Lindt ones... or $70 for a 4.5kg bar of Toblerone!) She was in the mood for Japanese food, but I've had too much sushi over the last couple of days, so we went to White Spot instead. (Milestones no longer being around) Since I was craving turkey, I had a hot turkey sandwich (yay for stuffing and mashed potatoes and double gravy!), while she had fettuccine Alfredo with chicken - we shared a calamari dish, which she paid me back for later since it was on my bill.

We talked about Claire's, her work, Nicole's party, Joel, Christmas stuff, Fuji not liking Aaron, Cecilia, eating alone being perfectly FINE, creative writing class, genres, Ted Hughes / Sylvia Plath, Jairus, Ryan, exes, Patrick L., Patrick Q. and clubbing / sushi dinners, drinking, being hit on at bars (Sean was like WTF when he heard someone bit her on the arm!), Scott loving the JELLO ATTACK at her last birthday party (it was FUN!), massage chairs at Aberdeen going for $1000 (affordable for her), splitting rent, treating people to Korean food, Aaron and her actually wanting to spend time apart while in the relationship (makes a lot of sense!), Aaron's mom maybe moving to Montreal, keeping in touch via Facebook (it's easier!), a paraplegic friend of Aaron's, the British Properties / Maple Ridge, her future plans, Dave, and Chinese Eric. Also discussed Megan, Shaina, Jeff being insane ("I'll have no objection to your hugging or kissing me!" "..."), perverted Chris moving to Argentina for good ("stop inboxing me on innocuous status updates - everything you've said is HARMLESS for everyone else to read!"), the HST, my bus pass still being lost, water / iced tea, piercings, Aberdeen not really being walking distance from here, and more. Later, we went to Claire's to look at the funky earrings they had before going to Coles - hamburgers, peace signs, and many other crazy things! Talked about piercing little kids' ears (crying in pain!), Coles, V.C. Andrews, Justin Bieber having TWO books, Lauren Conrad having a book, Hilary Duff and more celebrity authors, the newest Bathroom Reader and The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology (Arthur Cotterell, Rachel Storm) [which I bought - yay for bargain books!], and more. After that, she had to get going: I totally understand Sunday bus schedules being annoying if you want to go anywhere!

Since I had some time before I had to get home (it was only 4:15 or so), I went to Sears in order to get a bra WITHOUT underwire (TMI - I know)... lucky thing they were on sale from $38.75! I actually liked the first one I tried on, which is a rarity! Also looked at the socks, but the JESSICA / TRADITION ones weren't thick enough for me, haha. Went to London Drugs where I did find two pairs of men's thermal socks for $7.99; I bought those along with twenty felts (I'll offload the yellow / peach / goldenrod ones on the Toddler Sunday School class), more Kinder Bueno, and Twix for comparison purposes.

Made it home at 5 (good thing I didn't buy any drinks - also good that it wasn't raining!), and noticed a call from a blocked number on my phone. Figuring it was Chinese Eric, I knew that I couldn't call him back (it shows up as a bunch of dashes on Caller ID) - I thought he'd call back since he called at 4:30. Just a few minutes later, I was proved right: I kinda thought something MIGHT come up, and it did. His Toronto cousin (who's in town only till tomorrow) wants them to get together for a big family dinner type of deal - totally understandable! Eric said he was "so sorry to cancel so late" a number of times, and I was like "It's okay!" (even though it's DISAPPOINTING!) Finally, I thought it would make him feel better if I yelled at him, so I called him a jerk and asked how DARE he cancel like that! Haha!

Since he wanted to confirm another hangout time, he had to wait for my Gmail to behave properly on the computer as I had to confirm the date of Jon's family birthday dinner. As I thought, it's next Monday - since I need the day of downtime, I said that anytime after next Tuesday would be fine. Next Wednesday evening it is, then! We talked about the blocked number being the new house's number, his bringing over three computers, another wedding gift for Jon and Harmony, the church's location, Jon NOT pastoring at another church, and more. A while later, it appeared that Lisa wanted me to add her to Facebook; I confirmed this with Steph via phone, who still wants her to slap my butt! I could hear Lisa in the background contributing various things to the conversation. Steph's not going to Jeremy's, but is going to Monday's dinner. Then Vanessa H. showed up on MSN to invite me to all-you-can-eat sushi... didn't she get my Facebook event reply?! NO! Haha.

Ambient mittens, Nina, Marty, Billie, and just missing the bus!

High-scoring words of the afternoon:

PITSAW (114 points; 5W, hook off BITE for a plural), WORST (120 points; 5W used twice, hook off PITSAW for a plural) - against Rebecca H.-F.
SHOALY (114 points) - against Lisa K. [4W, 2W, hook off AGO to make OS] {Knight}
CONVEX (144 points) - against Shari P.-K. [4W, 2W]
MITTEN (209 points) - against Pam B. [2W, two 3W]
AMBIENT (350 points; two 5W), DAKOIT (468 points; two 3W, two 2W), HOWL (160 points; two 4W, hook off HOOF to make WHOOF) - against Lisa K. {Katz}


Well, Kevin G.'s friend Marty Donnelly added me to Facebook, and so did Nina Sandhu! That's a blast from the past, haha! Billie called to say she might be a little late because she JUST missed the bus! Ugh, I hate it when that happens! You're leaving your house, and the bus is just leaving the stop! I told her about Eric M.'s headache and sleep troubles, which left me at home. More downtime is always appreciated, for sure! And she's just called again to say she might be on time after all, since she's at Langara and could be at Bridgeport soon. (we're meeting at Brighouse)

STUPID MALFUNCTION! / Personality color / PEANUTS character

I'm excited to hang out with both Billie and Chinese Eric later today! However, I've had a certain malfunction - stupid wire which now necessitates another purchase! White Eric called to say he's passing on church; good, then I can go back to bed! He wanted to know why I was scared of the phone; it disturbs my peaceful tranquility, but I should have it on after 6 tonight!


Facebook quiz taken from Gretchen:

What color is your personality? - PURPLE. You are very spontaneous; you have a quick and original mind that knows no boundaries. You are comparatively conservative and appreciate beautiful surroundings, especially in nature. You are relaxed and self-assured. You work well with others. You are a unique individual, and have unusual tastes, but you're quite comfortable among more conservative peers.

You Are Lucy

You are smart as a whip... maybe a little too smart for your own good! Other people tend to annoy you. You tell it like it is, and you're not about to spare anyone's feelings. You're very blunt. You are assertive to the point of being aggressive. You know what you want, and you're going to make sure you get it. Deep down, you're trying to be helpful. You give good advice, even if people don't want to hear it. You always shoot from the hip.

What Peanuts Character Are You?

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

Somewhat accurate...

Laying into debuts with Cheerio tenancy and knives! / Free blue coats! / Isaac

High-scoring words of the night:

LAYIN (150 points) - against Carla M. [5W, 3W] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
DEBUTS (240 points) - against Ardy C. [two 4W]
KNIFER (147 points) - against Julie D. [5W, 2W, hook off YOU to make YOUR]
CHEERIO (225 points) - against Sharon B. [two 5W]
TENANCY (324 points) - against Shelley V. [3W, 4W, 3L on Y]


Hmm... when I took my laundry out of the washer to put it into the dryer, someone had added a long blue Marjorie Hamilton coat (with interesting buttons) to my clothes! Kinda creepy, but also good because it ended up fitting me!

I learned something from Kevin G. and his friend Marty: An extortianate amount... ie. a "blarge" of beer... an onomatapoeic Omagh word... probably from the sound one would be making while into a toilet bowl after a session on the razz / lash / rip / batter / piss, etc... does that clear things up?!?... har har..


Facebook quizzes taken from Yvonne, Patrick, Melanie, Hannah W., and Patricia:

What wedding dress are you? Leslie got all sequins, baby. You love sparkles and can never have too much glitter!!! This dress is just right for you!

What hairstyle should you have? :) Leslie got Ponytail, with bangs and a bump. Ponytail, with bangs and a bump. Any color will be perfect for you.


Trivia fact for Sunday, Nov. 14: Which is the only one of the ten major categories in the Dewey Decimal System that doesn't include at least one book by the prolific Isaac Asimov? Philosophy, the category for which books are numbered in the 100s under the Dewey Decimal System, or DDS. But Asimov does have a video in the category, Humanism: Making Bigger Circles, which was given the DDS designation 144.