Frozen yogurt, heaven and hell, badminton, medicine, and more!

Teunis and Krista went for a walk instead, to the grocery store - I declined on account of the rain. I figured I'd do my laundry after Awana too. They came back later, and we talked about tomatoes / politics / pumpkin pie filling / hiking NOT being a good idea tomorrow / Korean rice / fish / dried fruit, Asians being cheap / T&T and local buying / Canadian beef / Chinese markets / allergies / homeopathic medicine / British and Dutch stuff / Prince Charles / acupuncture. Called Steph to bug her for a brief while since she was at work - she said hi to Teunis, haha. Maybe she'll see him at church one of these weeks! When Krista left, Teunis was telling me about his new tablet which he could use for calligraphy and general drawing on his mini laptop - it actually looks pretty good! Henry called a few minutes later, so I was on my way out to meet him. We talked about the chilly day, MissionsFest (he didn't go), and crazy traffic on the way to church.

At church, we said hi to Uncle Joel before going into the fellowship hall. From there, it was the usual Awana simmer-down craziness... I said hi to Sophia, Olivia, Anne, Maxine, Joshua, Chrystal, Golden, Daniel, Stanley, Margaret, Alan, Stella, and a bunch of others. Told Golden and Chrystal about my week - you bet it's a good thing that my visitor enjoys cooking for us both! Auntie Rebecca gave me a $5 Tim Horton's gift card that she forgot to give me around the holidays: with my not being there for six weeks, I'm unsurprised! Golden said that he had a craving for frozen yogurt - of course he's not going to go all the way to Timothy's in Steveston just to get some, but I told him about it anyway. It might be a bit tough to get some in stores this time of year, however!

Later, I watched Ian and Sean kick a couple of balls around while listening to Henry / Sabrina / Billy / Mike / Victor / Margaret / Cynthia / Mary / William / Stanley talk about Henry's girlfriend (SFU), William's D7 camera from Burnaby North, cool guitars, the Chinese New Year fun fair next week, bowling at Brentwood for the older kids, and more. Reigan told us that he has to give his mom a Valentine's Day card... "or maybe that's Mother's Day!" His older sister Jinny was looking at videos on Martin's phone, haha. After about 40 minutes, Ada finally showed up to drive us home - Ian had badminton at 8:30, he said. He also returned my MYSTERY / SUSPENSE / INTRIGUE book to me, saying he hadn't read it - that's totally fine!

It was a mostly silent ride for about half of the way home, then Ian noticed that his brother was crying, so let us know. Sean had questions about whether strangers were bad people (not necessarily - you do need to be careful), heaven and hell (you aren't going to hell if you believe in Jesus - no need to worry then!), the criminals with Jesus at the cross, judgement in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament, and more. (remember: all answers appropriate for age / religion / condition) Ian just said that he'd figured out how long the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt by doing some simple math involving Moses' age and such - his mom and I would never have thought of that! Interesting car ride, as usual... got home, made dinner, and did laundry while throwing stuff away. Also called Mom to see if she had a (preferably) metal ladle - she did, so I should be getting one tomorrow. No more using cups as scoops for food as Teunis had to do a few nights ago!

Pretty backgrounds, hunting and fishing, and Krista being here

Last night, I talked to Teunis about WOW / pretty backgrounds / the Northern Lights / Eric's "hunting and fishing dailies" in WOW, plus the "Lunar New Year Festival" stuff. When I got up today, I found that Krista had tried to enter the apartment in the usual way, then had called Teunis on Skype. (and had left me Gmail chat messages - definitely wasn't awake then!) I was just getting up, and then had a shower - afterwards, I apologized to Krista, but at least she had Teunis and the laptop for company, haha. We talked about Andrew (who just added me on Facebook), Teresa, music, the Beatles, mothers who think they own you just because you came out of them, Canada / the US, beer / alcohol, Molson's, microbreweries, beer at sporting events vs. yeasty beers in bars, possibly going walkabout / watching movies for laziness, and more.

You Are the Moon

Some may find you to be a bit harsh, but if anything, you are a realist. You are a loner, and prefer to keep to yourself. You are shy, but you're also naturally introverted. Those who get to know you appreciate your practical, no-nonsense approach to life. You may not be warm and fuzzy, but you are extremely caring in your own way.

Are You the Moon or the Sun?

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

MissionsFest 2011: Chinese Eric, umbrellas, eating NOW, and more!

While Teunis was telling me about Greek mythology and CLASH OF THE TITANS (bad movie trailers!), Chinese Eric called to say that he was here - I told him to just wait outside, since his coming in wouldn't really help! I got to see the new family car, which has a GPS built into it - very handy! We talked about letting things go, Nathan, advice, the wedding drama shows he'd seen (I'm not judging him!), saving money, fights, his mother, personal stuff, the terrible traffic (I don't think he was late on purpose!), Jon and Harmony, honeymoons, his health, Christian jokes, his wanting to go to church / Fellowship (but sleep wins out), and more on the way to Canada Place. He dropped me off at the door while he went to go find parking, so I used that time to grab him a MissionsFest guide and scout out the (very busy) food court! When he came in again, I convinced him that we'd run out of time to eat dinner, so we went to the plenary session early instead. We sat near the back so we could see people we recognized coming in - Christon, white Eric, and Geoffrey came in a few minutes later. After we'd kind of moved our seats, one of Jon's SERVANTS friends came in with someone from the group - I moved my jacket just in case, haha. Chinese Eric recognized Lesley when she came in with Joey (still on crutches) - I joked that she was the bane of my existence! Raymond came in later; thankfully, there were two empty chairs between us! (also saw Dylan, Deb, and Vicky)

Chinese Eric asked if Jon was coming, but received an answer from White Eric that he and Harmony were going to a play instead! He joked to me that he wondered what was more important... a (presumably non-Christian) play or GOD, hahaha! We settled down to listen to the announcements and music, as well as leaf through the guides before singing some worship songs. (he and I shared a "blessing hug" with plenty of space between us) When the speaker came on (the daughter of World Vision's founder), she was pretty good. Chinese Eric left to go to the washroom, so of course I watched his guide and umbrella for him! After about 20 minutes, I was a bit worried when he didn't come back! However, I knew that he might have to top up his parking meter as well. I had given him all the small change I had for that - only 35¢, and wished it was more. Some lady wanted to sit in his vacated seat, so I told her that it was taken... then she wanted to know who was sitting there! TRUST ME, LADY - IF THIS WEREN'T A CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE, YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'D SAY! I had to leave to go to the washroom myself soon afterward, then came back as everyone was exiting to make room for 1700+ young people!

Saw Dylan and Deb, who asked if I were going to the exhibits - yes, I was! I went around with Christon, white Eric, Geoffrey, and Raymond - said hi to Wesley at a booth, and also to Johnny looking around. We talked about the Fellowship retreat - no, we don't know anything yet as Committee members! (white Eric HAD to say hi to Randal as we passed him by...) Told white Eric that I was going to look for a garbage can, but in reality I went to the front foyer to see if Chinese Eric were there. He wasn't, but I did bump into Emily T. / Mike K. / Citrus / Stanley / other people I knew. Went back to the exhibit hall, where Christon was busily texting up a storm with someone - white Eric asked if I were ready to leave, and I said I was. He figured that I'd need a ride home if we couldn't locate Chinese Eric, and that turned out to be the case... we DID bump into him when we got out of the way of a bunch of young people, however. Chinese Eric had gotten something to eat since he felt as if he needed it, so of course his health took priority over driving me home... very understandable! He thanked me for taking care of his stuff, and white Eric for driving me home from the Skytrain station. I said I'd call him next week or something to see what was going on - good thing we located him, otherwise I'd be sending him a "DUDE, WHERE ARE YOU?!" email right about now, hahaha! When white Eric wondered if I needed to eat dinner too (since Chinese Eric and I had run out of time earlier), I said I'd just eat when I got home, even if we were in the food court now.

White Eric, Geoffrey, and I made our way to the Canada Line station from the Skytrain station, and got an airport train right away - it was an uneventful trip to the car, save for Eric noticing my reading material (Bathroom Reader #23) and observing that I wasn't in the bathroom! HAHAHAHA, YOU ARE INCORRIGIBLE! We drove Geoffrey home, and then made our own way home - yes, I let Geoffrey sit in the front for once! Eric and I discussed Robbie Burns Day (HAGGIS!), Teunis staying over now, cooking, Dine Out Vancouver with his parents, having to get up bright and early for sound duties on Sunday, my having the same problem that he does in trying to figure out HOW to do this, pork roast, amazing people, my reactions to his teasing, supposed "rudeness," and more. Ate some noodles almost immediately upon getting home, and feel better now too!

Buns for breakfast, and Chinese Eric arrangements... DOGGY PILE ON LISA!

Before having buns for breakfast, I called Chinese Eric to see whether he was still interested for tonight; upon not receiving an answer, I hung up. The phone rang just a few seconds later - yup, that was Chinese Eric! He had called me in the morning (when I wasn't up :P) to see about making arrangements for MissionsFest tonight, so I reminded him that we might need to eat dinner in the food court downstairs after we got there - he remembers that from years ago, which is good. Says his sister Erica has the car till about 3:30 or so, which is still fine if I told him to come here by 4:30 and call when he's close or something. This timeline makes sense because we have to get to the convention centre, find parking in the BUSY place, and eat dinner before 6! Then I called white Eric to see what HIS plans were - Skytrain definitely makes sense for sure! I told him what my own arrangements were, and he said that nobody had really replied about having dinner beforehand (as I thought - it's WAY too rushed with the earlier plenary session time!) - I know that, but still. I'll probably see him there tonight, along with a whole host of other people!

I've also learned that Kate is engaged to Al - YAY! Lisa will be at Chinese New Year dinner, apparently - DOUBLE YAY for seeing her again! (Harmony wanted to welcome her with an Ng-style doggy-pile, and I immediately seconded that suggestion!) However, I got ANOTHER call asking if this was Sports Chek - NO, DAMMIT! Too bad I have to leave the phone on to wait for Eric's call... *sigh*

Knee Socks

You Show Thoughtfulness

You are the contemplative type. You like to think everything through thoroughly and carefully. You are very conscientious and responsible. You take your time and make sure things are done right. You are neat and accurate in any work you do. You pride yourself on being detail-oriented. You are tactful and polite. You choose your words carefully to make sure you communicate effectively.

The Knee Sock Test

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

Word Facts for Jan. 22-28, 2011

Word origin for the weekend of Jan. 22-23, 2011: outback - In Australian English, the "outback" is the vast stretch of continent that extends between the cities on the country's costs. More colloquial, but largely unknown to Americans, is the expression "back o' Bourke," meaning the country that lies beyond a town in the northwestern corner of New South Wales.

Word origin for Jan. 24, 2011: firmware - "Firmware" is software that controls the lower-order behavior of a computing machine, a sort of analog to the human autonomic nervous system. A computer scientist named Ascher Opler coined the term in 1967. He wrote, "I believe it worthwhile to introduce a new word into our vocabulary: firmware. I use this term to designate microprograms resident in the computer's control memory."

Word origin for Jan. 25, 2011: Wal-Mart - In 1950, an enterprising businessman named Sam Walton set up shop for himself after having worked as a retailer for J.C. Penney, Ben Franklin, and other chain stores. In the next dozen years, he built a chain of a dozen Walton's Stores. In 1962, an assistant, Bob Bogle, suggested that the stores be rebranded with the name "Wal-Mart." Walton liked the idea, and the company's more than 6000 stores around the world carry it today, now branded "Walmart."

Word origin for Jan. 26, 2011: wombat - "Wombat," the name of a curious Australian marsupial, probably comes from a now-defunct language spoken by native people who lived near present-day Melbourne. It first turns up in an English explorer's notebook in 1798 referring to the animal, but its exact meaning is unknown. English-speaking Australians also called it "badger" after the unrelated European mammal.

Word origin for Jan. 27, 2011: posh - Something "posh" is fancy and shiny, and it usually bespeaks wealth. Many dictionaries speculate that the word is an acronym for "port out, starboard in," referring to the location of the most expensive cabins on a ship. Much likelier is that the word is merely a London East Ender's pronunciation of the word "polish."

Word origin for Jan. 28, 2011: Astana - "Astana" is the capital of the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan. Its name, in the Kazak language, simply means "capital." The city became the nation's administrative headquarters in 1997, a few years after the former Soviet republic became independent. The former capital was Almaty, whose name means "father of apples," after the hundreds of apple varieties grown there.

Preserved lemon peels and Salisbury steak with Godiva chocolate!

Before Teunis left to game at Kaili's place, we discussed his finicky laptop (NEVER CLOSE IT!) / his thanking me for doing the dishes in the sink (which he was going to do) / that Ugandan gay rights activist getting beaten to death with a hammer / math as music / the chili / pork roast from 100 Mile (amazing friends - I agree!) / cell phones as tools / people becoming too dependent on technology. I used the time to prep my notes, shower, write, and have Salisbury Steak / Godiva chocolate. When he got back, we talked about Kaili / Cat / health / scheduling / silly fun music videos / System of a Down / the postcard I got from Kadri (bad_habit) / coffee / baking with preserved lemon peel / CALVIN AND HOBBES / imagination / expiry dates / fluffy yeast / tea tree shampoo (thanks to Itamar's comments about it on FB) / Australian things / DRAGON AGE.

Donnie messaged me to say hi, haha. (yes, I figured he was drunk...) He was surprised that I don't like girly movies (THE NOTEBOOK being the example he provided) - no intentions of seeing that one, trust me!

French Fries!

All I remember of my dream is that Mattias was in it, and Chinese Eric was grabbing my hand as we went out the glass door quickly! Hahaha, I don't know what that was about!

You Are Belgian Fries

You are an optimistic person who enjoys being in a crowd. You love the energy of a city. You are hard-working, but you also play hard too. You are the type who often needs a midnight snack. You are open-minded, and you do your best to just enjoy life. You are not easily annoyed. You feel like you've got it pretty good, and you're not going to do anything to rock the boat!

What Kind of French Fries Are You?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Never had them!

You're NOT an auntie... or ARE you? HAHAHAHAHA!

When Teunis got up, I told him about Krista's message; we also discussed sushi rice, pork roasts, the pork chops, pancakes as a way of using up eggs, soy milk, health, DRAGON AGE characters, habanero / chili / jalapeno / Bell peppers, pizza, nuts, tomatoes as a sweet fruit (who knew?), peaches, strawberries, and foreign concepts. Also talked about sourdough, nicknames, the Yukon, his coffee grinder, pain, sourdough alcohol, fire oil, taste, SNOW WHITE, WICKED, MIRROR MIRROR / Scott / Alicia, butter, spatulas, margarine, glass-top stoves being BAD to cook on, TWO FAT LADIES (they got on instantly!), the improved bathroom fan, expiry dates, and more.

Later, I called Chinese Eric to remind him about Friday and MissionsFest - he was actually home and awake, haha! I told him that if something accidentally happened like last time we hung out, someone would probably drive me home... ah, the advantages of hanging around a big group! Since the plenary session starts earlier this year (6 instead of 7?!), I told him about that as well. He says he'll call me tomorrow night to arrange things, which definitely sounds good! Depending on what we plan, I'll certainly have to call white Eric! Since Teunis was busy playing games, he had no real context to the phone conversation, and actually answered my question to Auntie (Eric's mom) as to whether Chinese Eric was home or not... HAHAHAHA! For some reason, I'm way too easily amused!

Jeremy, Dutch ancestors, NOT being Jen's boyfriend, and real birthstones

After a while of just doing things on our respective computers last night, I asked Teunis if he'd like something to drink - sure, he said. Somehow, that turned into a discussion on relatives and friends, Christmas baking with dried fruit (which he never got to do at Rhiannon's since she was cleaning every day - YELLING!), NEEDING to get out of there, bad Christmases, health problems, soy milk (just open the new 4L jug!), storage, hot chocolate, sourdough, yeast, Nutella, almond butter, hazelnut butter being a gift from his mom, Jeremy and his own Dutch ancestors, drunk driving ads, and more. It's just good being with someone in silence, hahaha.

All I remember about my dream was being Jen's boyfriend, and having her scold me about my rudeness to people like Erin's dad. "Two years ago, you would have apologized! You're still my boyfriend, but we could break up at any time! :(" WTF?! Krista sent me a message saying she's not up for spending money on Saturday - yeah, I should watch my own money as well!

Your Birthstone Should Be Aquamarine

Aquamarine brings peace and serenity - two things you value highly in your life. Like most aquamarine wearers, you're always looking to dig deeper. You aren't superficial in any way. You seek wisdom and truth. You believe that there is so much meaning to be found in life. You shun gossip and anything mean-spirited. You only have room for positivity in your life.

What Should Your Birthstone Really Be?

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

Krista, beans, Yemen, Os, SPACEBALLS, and parrots

Teunis came back with Krista at about 6:20 or so with a keyboard, four boxes of stuff from storage, lots of beans (vegetarian chili dinner with no tomatoes?), and lots of other things. Talked about guestbooks, food safety, Lent, Vanessa, Os and Tsawwassen, Lynn Canyon, the condo, hugs, can openers, rice cones, storage access, Kaili and London Drugs, tutoring, books, Transformers, Harrison, Lisa, SPACEBALLS, Rhiannon LIKING Indian cooking / disliking other strong smells, ghee, Stephen Harper / politics in general, Islam / rebellion / Yemen / terrorists, ASTERIX AND OBELIX / TINTIN / the Smurfs (French puns), pre-made rice pot crust in Thailand, meat / milk, BIOSHOCK / DRAGON AGE, Robin, people, and more. Conversed about woolly mammoths, bison, other extinct animals, Awana, Rhiannon's parrot (singing to it makes it stop shrieking), incompetence and The Peter Principle, Jordan, interesting music, Saturday gaming, quotes / aphorisms, hanging out on Saturday, being a park / forest ranger, hot baths, Vikings, more hiking on Sunday, their visiting Teresa and Andrew on Monday, laundry baskets, musical instruments, and other topics. She left just now, actually - two pairs of pants are COOL, man!

Hollywood Jobs

I got up 20 minutes ago, and didn't see Teunis anywhere... hmm! He had actually left me an MSN message to say that he and Krista would be in North Van, so I hope his pulled muscles at least feel better if they're going hiking! Says he'll be back later to organize more stuff, and adds "THANK YOU" at the end of this. Hahaha... whatever works!

You Should Be a Script Writer

You are verbal, witty, and expressive. You have probably always had a way with words. You are intellectual and brainy. You are well-read, and you will read anything you can get your hands on. You have a vivid imagination. You can create a whole new world inside your mind. You love challenges, especially when they involve learning new things. You love to step outside your comfort zone.

What's Your Hollywood Job?

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

Congee Noodle House, Memory Express, XENA, and NG lungpower!

Andrew and Teunis showed up shortly after I took a shower, and we talked about Rhiannon yelling at people for "stinking" / walking a lot with Krista resulting in muscle pain / Asperger's / Robin / commitment / gaming and Teresa / Jordan / Congee Noodle House (of COURSE I've been there!) / dog pee / Calgary, Nanaimo, and driving a bus / mechanics. Also conversed about printers / trailers / Memory Express / Hundred Mile House / NEVER living in Fort St. John / the Android / terabyte hard drives / drums / computer parts / shelves. Once Teunis got things set up online more or less, we discussed eating dinner / statues / traveling shrines / mocking people / lamps / noodles / hazelnut coffee beans / coffee grinders / a book on "Ancient China" / military beds / bedtime / cleaning stuff / Alicia and Fort St. John / unhealthy environments and defense mechanisms / the Canucks winning 7-1 against Dallas tonight. Also talked about cooking vs. eating out, Sony Playstation, tossing stuff out, people throwing your stuff away without permission, his server, decorations, XENA, Chicks in Chainmail [edited by Esther Friesner], Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was [Barry Hughart], weight loss, hiking, DVDs, CLASH OF THE TITANS, sushi, Korean food, Ikea pots, racism, WOW, the NG lungpower and shrieks, Marvel Comics, a character called Johnny Storm / The Human Torch dying, and more.

Sirloin tips thwarted; pork chops work instead!

Teunis came on MSN at around 5, and said that he was waiting for his friend Andrew (whom I have not met) to arrive with a dolly and a trailer to haul stuff... oh my! He said that Andrew and his girlfriend Teresa were both awesome people, as were their kids - good to know! I asked whether he ate sirloin tips; upon receiving a "YUM!" answer, I booked it down to the bus stop so I could take advantage of a "buy one, get one free" deal at Save-On which I didn't this afternoon. Turns out the deal was only on pork chops... but I was able to save some other poor soul from doing the same thing as I just had! While I was at the store anyway, I got another nail clipper for when I'm out in public (don't ask) and three more on-sale hot and sour soup mixes for an even number!

Once I got home, I was relieved to see that Teunis was still online - yes, he does eat porkchops (I'd return them otherwise) even if his own religion says not to... apparently, it's encouraged! Hahaha! Now we're just talking about Rhiannon having almost no fridge / freezer space, and his own binful of food which he couldn't really cook when he was over there! Guess we'll figure the cupboard space thing out when he gets here!

Godiva chocolate and tea tree oil shampoo!

Went to Save-On just now, and got on-sale hot and sour soup mix, on-sale Balkan yogurt, bananas, a dozen large eggs (on sale), two birthday cards (one for Tara), two Godiva dark / milk chocolate bars (thanks to Ellen), Jason's tea tree oil shampoo / conditioner (thanks to Itamar), Sidekicks ($1 each for the first four), and iced tea. I also got Orangina, almond milk with dark cocoa, a 4L soy milk, Rice Dream milk, a Salisbury steak microwaveable meal (RED MEAT), a pound of BBQ pork (ditto), eight beef pot pies (ditto), on-sale raspberry(-cranberry) cocktails, and frozen veggies. Since I couldn't find 50-100-150W light bulbs there either, I think I have to resign myself to getting a new lamp AND light bulbs from London Drugs sometime... maybe I'll get Teunis to help me with this at some point when he's not busy! (I can just imagine trying to lug said boxes home on the bus...) When I got home, I called Jon to say that he could keep the cinnamon for another week due to the heavy rain outside - I don't feel like going out in it again right now!

Doughnuts!

You Are Sensitive

You are very intuitive and insightful. You understand what's going on around you without needing to be told. You are naturally nurturing and caring. You look out for people, even if they don't ask you to. You tend to stay attached to those you love. It's hard for you to let go when you need to. You are in touch with your emotions. You know exactly what you're feeling and why you're feeling it.

The Donut Test

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

No church, no cinnamon, and Teunis!

After Eric called me at 9:25 to say he wouldn't be going to church as he wasn't feeling well himself, I called Jon and Harmony to tell them NOT to bring the cinnamon this morning! Jon thinks we can meet halfway - perhaps, or they can just hold onto it for another week, haha. (I can just imagine if they bring it to MissionsFest...) Then I slept in till 3:15 - lovely bliss! Later, I found that I couldn't open the salsa / pasta sauce / jam jars or Genesis Juice containers - good thing Teunis is coming tomorrow, haha. If he wants them, HE can open them! Hahaha! (well, maybe not so much the salsa as it has tomatillos in it, but *I* want it...)

Speak of the devil! He just showed up on MSN, saying that he could leave around 3. Sounds good if he shoots me a message when he does leave, and if he gets here around 5, it should be fine. Not sure what time Jon could be teaching at the HOHOHOs, but that's why I'll call him tomorrow when I get up! Good thing I'll set my alarm, then.

Best Friends

You Are a Loyal Best Friend

You are true to your friends, and that goes double for your best friend. You are trustworthy and faithful. Once someone is a friend, that person is a friend for life. You are hard-working and believe in persevering. You don't give up on anything or anyone. You make your friends feel stable and secure. You will be there through thick and thin.

What Kind of Best Friend Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist