Alarms at 9:30 AM on Saturdays are FAIL! / The Popsicle Test

I was awakened by Teunis' alarm at 9:30 - FAIL. He thinks HE's exhausted from the last couple of days? So am I! At least while he was here, he helped with the AVG Virus thing, while recommending something called AVAST. I know he likes to spend an inordinate amount of time with Kaili in her pirate world, but REALLY? Then again, I just Googled it; seems that's really the name of the anti-virus program.

You Are Quirky

You live primarily inside your own mind. You happily spend a lot of time thinking. You dislike mundane details. You resent having to do chores. You have a delightful and colorful inner world. People would be stunned if they could see inside your head. People may see you as strange and shy, but they know little about you. You are actually an incredibly fascinating person.

The Popsicle Test

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

NOT pretending about effort / Good shower timing / James!

I didn't know that Eric called at 4:40, but then he messaged me at 5:30 to ask if I were home and ready to go. I just pretended that I wasn't home, and got messages to call Sam or Ivan if I weren't pretending that going out was an effort. TRUST ME, IT IS! He had worship practice, but I know exactly where we're meeting off-site, and refused to go to Randal's tonight at any rate. Good thing I could stay home and have some of the chickpea stew with Chinese sausage and veggies for dinner!

Teunis got home fifteen seconds after I'd taken a shower, and wanted me to turn down the video game music while he figured out his laundry - well, I had to hunt up something else as background noise! Then we had A DISCUSSION about that, which didn't end too well. *sigh* We did talk about monitors, fixing Kaili's laptop, and chocolate. I just edited some tags, and now Matt has his own tag! Thank goodness I got to talk to James about stuff, too!

NOT going to Randal's place since I'm too tired ANYWAY! / My brain / 21 days!

Christon sent us an email saying that we'd be joining Randal's group for Bible Study, and will be going to his place. I'm actually glad to have an excuse NOT to go since I'm too tired after not being able to fall asleep till 4 AM, and being awoken by SOMEONE'S alarm at 6:15 or so. (got up at 10:45) Also heard that Yao Ming is retiring after eight years in the NBA - too many injuries! Paid my phone bill, too.

Your Mind is Focused

You have your eye on the prize, and your mind is like a trap. You love having a single focus. You are highly determined and motivated. You know what you want, why you want it, and how you're going to get it. Distractions are invisible to you. You never let yourself get off course. Once you've made up your mind, you won't change it. Period. You are well known for your stubbornness.

What Is Your Brain Good At?

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Kenny and Siobhan bantering: noodles, gum, and videos!

Talked to Vanessa on MSN about the weather and venting, heh. Teunis got home and we discussed electronics, cowboys vs. rednecks, Jasmine / noise / her ex Christian, chemicals, gum, drugs, 420, air fresheners, (rose) perfume, the past, pickles, Kaili recording people and calling it a video game (REALLY?!), Davie St. and gay people / abuse, cups, cookpots, rice, his bike, doing the dishes, houseware, and Calgary / Andrew / bulls / Edmonton / Flames / Oilers / rivalry. Talked about Fort St. John dating culture (people only date people who are already dating others?!) / Jordan / Scott / Alicia, statuses, bachelor suites, the Skytrain, grocery stores / CHOICES / SAFEWAY / SAVE-ON, dating for me, country music, Led Zeppelin, and more. Talked to James on YM about Rush albums, Subway, and videos - YAY!


Amusing Facebook status thread:

Cap'n Leslie -
Housemate FINALLY got into a new place! Wishing him all the best! James, Vanessa, Siobhan, and others will be interested in this news, I'm quite sure. :D (thanks for your prayers, Jon C!)

Siobhan - Congratulations, Leslie... congrats, housemate... good luck to you.

Leslie - Thanks!

Kenny - there goes the problems with gum from now on, eh Leslie? :P

Leslie - HAHAHAHA! Thanks for the laugh, Kenny! Oh yes... no more of his giving me the stink-eye should I choose to chew gum or eat noodles, or whatever else he thinks I'm crazy for doing!

Kenny - pfft. it's rather simple (in my opinion it is, at least) .. picky bastard, allow me to introduce you to my friend, Mr. Fist. :D

Siobhan - You should go chew an entire pack of Bubblicious and blow huge bubbles and pop them loudly... make a big pot of noodles and slurp them loudly while watching a hockey game with the volume way loud..... and dance around the living room with the radio up loudly!

Leslie - I love both you people, but be careful - he CAN read this!

Kenny - nah, i dont mean it to him personally. it's usually my gut reaction to people like that, is all

Leslie - Or I could just add any video game / techno music to Siobhan's mix... unfortunately, I've never been able to blow bubbles TOO proficiently, which is probably a good thing for Housemate. I don't want to know what he'd do if faced with people who blow bubbles constantly - probably prick them with a knife!

Leslie - Kenny: Haha! I knew what you meant, so it's okay! Be right back - searching up LOUD CRAP on Youtube... :D

Siobhan - Well, my suggestions are basesd upon things I heard he had issues with and thought you were crazy, as you said yourself, for doing.... so, if he has a problem with me... so be it. All the best to him in his gum, noodle, and hockey-free new home.

Kenny - hockey free? damn, don't let the hockey fans get near him.. :/

Siobhan - I know, right?!? ....

Leslie - Oh, he does eat noodles himself - he just doesn't slurp them, and thinks it's rude to do so. While I can see that up to a point, it's CULTURAL to me to slurp noodles! Kenny can probably verify that for you!

And yeah... he had a REAL PROBLEM with the Canucks' playoff run this year. It wasn't so bad in April, but once it got to May and the Canucks were playing the Predators and the Sharks? (and I'd have chips almost every time I was home watching the games) Yeah, that was NOT his favorite time of year, mainly because I'd be playing hockey commentary for seven hours of every game day! (pre-game, the game, post-game)

Siobhan - I knew about the slurping noodle thing. I understand that it's a polite thing to do, to show that you are enjoying them or something along those lines... Was having noodles with a friend one day... told them to stop slurping their noodles... they told me they were supposed to... I was like... OK... and slurped mine, but then I could hear my parents in my head telling me to knock it off... So they slurped, and I didn't... hahahahahahahahah​a

Leslie - Hahaha... yeah, I can totally see that happening! At least you're not evading the sound entirely!

No more word facts! / Renaming tags / Tropical fruit flavor

Decided to cool it on the word facts and such - not sure why I keep typing them out every week, and I've felt like it's been a chore / obligation since March. Now if I could only do that with certain other things in my life, that would be excellent! Just renamed a bunch of tags, too! Checked my Facebook feed to learn that Teunis FINALLY got a place, and he can move in on July 29 - GOOD. I CAN HAVE MY SANITY BACK!

Your Tropical Fruit Flavor is Mango

Your heart is carefree, wild, and irresponsible. You let your heart lead you, even when it leads you astray. You love freedom above all else. You think everyone could do with some liberation. If someone plays hard to get with you, it makes you all the more interested. You love a challenge. You love to talk for hours - whether it's sharing a story or teaching someone something.

What's Your Tropical Fruit Flavor?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Word Facts for July 2-8, 2011

Word origin for the weekend of July 2-3, 2011: when in Rome - Augustine once asked his fellow priest Ambrose, "Should we fast on Saturday, as they do in Rome? Or on Sunday, as they do in Milan?" Ambrose replied, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Milan, do as the Milanese do." The fourth-century bon mot became an instant success, and both priests are now famous saints. The expression continues to be used in many languages (including English), often abbreviated to "When in Rome..."

Word origin for July 4, 2011: Roger Wilco - In the shorthand used by radio operators in the United States during World War II, "Roger" represented the letter R and stood for the word "received," as in "Message received." "Wilco" is an abbreviation of the phrase "will comply." The phrase thus means "I have received orders and will obey them." It has been a staple ever since, though the code was revised in 1956 with R now represented by the word "Romeo."

Word origin for July 5, 2011: arsenal - An "arsenal," meaning a naval shipyard / munitions warehouse / place where weapons are stored, is taken from the Arsenale, a shipyard built in Venice (Italy) in 1104. Its name (in turn) comes from the Arabic dar as-sina'a, which means "house of manufacture" - a factory, in other words.

Word origin for July 6, 2011: girl - Before about 1300, "girl" referred to a child of either sex. The origin of gyrle, the first known form of the word, is obscure. It may be related to the Old English gierela, a sack-like garment that children wore, and that perhaps made them all look alike.

Word origin for July 7, 2011: fast food - In the late 1940s and early 1950s, America was car-crazy and increasingly covered with new roads and highways. Drive-in restaurants were common only in Texas and Southern California, but a new kind of food service was in demand. Enter "fast food," a term coined in 1951 to designate a meal ordered at a soda-fountain counter and carried away as opposed to eaten there.

Word origin for July 8, 2011: snarky - To be "snarky" is to be archly irritable or short-tempered. The adjective, once found almost exclusively in British English, dates to 1906. In the postwar era, Americans discovered the term and have happily used it ever since. ("Yeah, sure," a snarky person might say.) It originates in the old verb "to snark," meaning to make a kind of nose-trumpeting snort of the kind a disbelieving listener might make on hearing a preposterous claim.

臘腸 (Chinese sausage) / OUR FINANCES ARE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!

Teunis got home and we discussed OUR anger, grudges, our nerves, Spanish dishes, hearty stews (ANSWER THE HEARTINESS QUESTION WHEN I ASK IT!), onions, carrots, celery, eggs, frying the polenta which needs to be used within a week, dill, his (not) caring, assumptions, Chinese sausage or 臘腸 [lap cheong], diabetes, sugar, and starch. We also talked about his having almost three litres of chickpeas (which is a ridiculous amount) in a dented can, gum and "risk," having a toothbrush at work (?!), fennel seeds, protein, City Fresh Market, the box of assorted houseware in my room, plates, teacups, cookpots, glasses, overpowering stuff, tomato sauce, chili, spices, oregano, bay leaves, WD-40 / chemicals, dragons, his being very tired, and more.

Called Mom, who knows that Clement and Jocelyn got married since she was invited to the wedding; she also talked about Dad's birthday, Grandma getting confused, dementia, Facebook, how we knew that an email was forwarded, Youtube videos, Yazmine (why would I want to rekindle a friendship with HER?!), and Alzheimer's. She brought up Emily and Mike T.'s wedding, financial arrangements which are none of her business, Juliana and Mike K.'s wedding, matchmaking (Teunis and I do NOT work on that level!), working on Sundays, jalapeno cheese, and more. At least I managed to keep my cool during that conversation, since I do remember her looking at Jon and Harmony's financial ledger at their place! That stuff was definitely none of my business, and at least Teunis and I agree that we work out financial things well.

McRib, Lochlan, polenta, Chinese sausages, eggs, and bubble-wrap envelopes

I went out to the Richmond Centre McDonalds to try the McRib combo - "tender boneless pork rib" is pretty good in the BBQ sauce! Got fries and Coke with it, too; I heard the kid next to me ask his mom if Lochlan / Lachlan were a real name, so I told him that it was a Scottish name, and maybe his friend was from Scotland! After that, I minded my own business as they talked about VBS, friends, and Grade 2-6. Had a strawberry bubble tea from Big Orange, too.

Then I went to Save-On Foods / Price Smart to see if I could find an envelope so I could finally mail stuff to Dianne in Calgary; they don't carry stationery anymore (along with wine making kits and other things), but I did pick up on-sale eggs / polenta (which can be microwaved - HOLY SHIT, WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS BEFORE?! I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT SOME A LONG TIME AGO!) / tomato sauce (for said polenta) / Chinese sausage. I was off to London Drugs next, to get a small bubble-wrap envelope / happy face stickers for Dianne / more on-sale Rockets for Steph and Lisa. Got home at 2:45, and was glad to be out of the heat!

Vanessa, James, polenta, housewares, hot and sour soup with sausage, summer

Talked to Vanessa over FB chat about things yesterday, so that's good. Teunis got home and we discussed microwaving sausages, Chinese sausage, stomach bugs, diarrhea, needing meat, carpet vs. hardwood floors, dust mites / chicken feathers, diesel / gas / chemicals, fresh paint fumes, allergic reactions, stress, mouthwash, the place he looked at tonight (I hope he gets it), his being able to move right away, and the box of assorted houseware in my room. Conversed about his dad Hugh / Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies and his singing range / Stan Rogers / Great Big Sea / sea shanties from Newfoundland, rage / "risk," credit, Canadian music, Canadian Tire and storage bins, no Zellers, power outages, poison, polenta (cornmeal mush?), packing, old-time radio shows, his phone, worth, eggs, hot chocolate, durian gelato, and more. Also talked to James about various things, which is always nice.

When I went to sleep, I had a dream that I was making hot and sour soup with various frozen veggies and sausage in a HUGE room turned swimming pool. Basically, the room was my pot, and I could tell when the water boiled by testing the temperature with my body. The water boiled, and then the various ingredients shot out of the (large) pot area. I was trying to clean them up before people noticed what a waste it was, but I did eat some of the sausage! Then Christon came to pick me up in his huge van (he has a blue car in real life) - Deb was saying she wanted to marry Jeremy, and Ivan was saying he wanted to marry me. I was surprised, but then Christon made a reference to a past conversation and wondered if I wasn't with them at the time! I woke up at that point because people were talking outside my window.

Summer Means Warmth to You

You are a truly loving person. You are affectionate and warm-hearted. You are unselfish, humble, and altruistic. You get great joy from putting others first. You are tender and compassionate. You wear your heart on your sleeve. You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride. You are full of delightful surprises.

The Summer Test

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Jon Chan, prayer, Chinese Eric, James, olives, mushrooms, and laughter

Teunis got home and we discussed gum, communication, beets, redness, potato pancakes, sausages, hate, caring, chewing, video game music, moving to a new place, talking, flickering lights, boundaries, Rhiannon, and more prior to his going to bed. Hopefully, things are okay - who knows. I just hope he finds a new place soon for my own sanity!

Jon Chan said he was going around praying for things / people, so I did tell him about some things. Chinese Eric cheered me up just by sending me messages on MSN, haha - I told him when Nate was heading back (July 10 is SO CLOSE NOW; we SHOULD all hang out!), and he said he was busy with doctor's visits. Not surprised! Then James came online, too... we talked about Jon, Harmony, still being alive, diet changes, Europe, emails, venting, how I was doing after all, gross stuff, meds, and MORTAL KOMBAT. Also conversed about pizza toppings, olives, mushrooms, jalapenos, Canadian bacon, pineapple, the Jazz Fest, our days, the sunny weather, goodnights, Worcestershire sauce, spelling, and more. At least THAT was a good end to a crappy evening!

Some random person also tried to add me to Facebook - I DON'T THINK SO! Although I did just hear about the verdict in the Anthony murder trial - not guilty, eh? Hmm... something's rotten in the state of Denmark! Someone else also sent me a message claiming that I should start with my last name if I wanted to correct grammar - HAHAHAHAHA, WHAT THE HELL?!

You Are a Frequent Laugher

You are a pleasure seeker. You're a bit of a hedonist, and you enjoy the finer things in life. You are friendly and energetic. You love to laugh, and sometimes you have to hold yourself back. You are easily distracted. There's so much going on in the world, and you think focus is overrated. You like to try new things. If something doesn't work out, at least you gave it a go!

What Does Your Laugh Say About You?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

What Color Fireworks Are You?

You Are White Fireworks

You are an ambitious person, but you temper your ambition with compassion and cooperation. It's likely that you have climbed the way to the top of the social ladder. You are well-liked and respected by many. Most people don't know how easy it is to hurt your feelings. You may not wear your heart on your sleeve, but you are sensitive. You are quite opinionated. You can't help but have a view on everything, and you don't mind sharing it!

What Color Fireworks Are You?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Gyoza, dumplings, perogies, GOBLIN TOWN, Jose, Cake, Warrant, and James

Teunis and I discussed waffles, pancakes, recipes, ingredients, Jordan / Scott / Alicia / Andrew all being from Fort St. John, different words for snow, getting gas, chewing, traffic noise, maple syrup, De Dutch, Tolkien's GOBLIN TOWN (a nasty brutal song from THE HOBBIT which I'd apparently like), and chocolate eggs. We also talked about hot and sour soup, seaweed, not looking forward to stuff, potato dinner, people named Jan / Michel / Johann / Jose / Jesus, WOW, Kaili / DIVINITY 2 as an offline game, trends / conformity, his stepdad Jim, dumplings / perogies, using the Japanese word (GYOZA) for said dumplings (?!), Ukranian friends, tech support, stress, potatoes / nightshade / belladonna, and more. Then I got to talk to James on YM for a while about a variety of subjects like Cake / Warrant / personal stuff - always a good thing!

Clement and Jocelyn got married yesterday?!

When Eric picked me up, we talked about 134.3 as a "normal" gas price / no Sunday School today / brunch / Ivan, Sam, Deb, and Dylan as ride options from Richmond (but I want to be LAZY on Fridays if he can't make it!) / BC Lions tickets and games / Fellowship / blogging / Chris Tomlin songs and emotion / my being "drunk" / the DARKWING DUCK theme / NO physical contact with Mr. Creep / Christon driving to Seattle / STARCRAFT / hand sanitizer. Yes, I could have washed my hands again before I left, but that would have taken extra time when I was already running late! When I got to church, I read for a bit before Kevin handed me a bulletin; I also said hi to Jeremy, who had spent yesterday at Granville Island, and would spend today there too with his close friends Christon and Jon before going to Seattle with them and Eric for the whole week as a vacation! Said hi to Victor, and noticed that Vicky was now an usher - what the?!

The sermon made me cringe, mainly because Pastor Tom mispronounced "Zaccheus" - it must have been contagious because Christon did the same thing later in a prayer! There will be a grad banquet on Aug. 5, which should be interesting. We also heard that Wai-Mui was released from certain pressure-filled Mandarin ministry duties, too. I asked Jon and Harmony how their trip was: I bet they miss the Belgian beer and chocolates already, haha! Harmony is definitely going to appreciate the downtime this week with Jon not here, that's for sure! Told Jon that Ed and Joan got married the other day, too. Quan, Cordia, Jeremy, and I wondered what the heck was with the traffic jam at the back of the sanctuary - Jeremy said we should just get someone to text a person on the other side to get them to move, hahaha. At least Quan, Cordia, and I gave high-fives and fist bumps to baby Joanna! (and I also saw Wes)

After a while of getting impatient, I just interrupted Auntie Ying to ask how her trip was - it was stressful, but then her mom will be moving in with her in a couple of weeks from Toronto, for good this time. Why the lady didn't just stay here in January, I don't know! Maybe we can get together after Emily and Mike's wedding, haha. (her brother's getting a condo here, and Jessie will apparently be away next week) After saying hi to Gavin (who wanted to play outside in the sun), I asked Eric when he was going to leave - right then, which was perfect since I didn't want to wait around and waste my time or energy! We discussed FINAL FANTASY (4 / 7 / 9 / 10), CHRONO TRIGGER, DAY 9 and STARCRAFT, Stanley, poop containing alcohol, video game music, Christmas carols in JULY, bananas, the McRib being back at McDonalds, XS Cargo next to the Big Crazy and Dollar Giant near Memory Express, Rona, the big giant head (in a fence?!), and more. I discussed poor Fabian paying $70 for half a gas tank, mold in the air, vacuuming, sourdough, and more with Teunis at home before I found out that CLEMENT AND JOCELYN GOT MARRIED YESTERDAY!

Superpowers, beer, sound, Chrystal, RPG geekiness, craving excitement

Talked to James for a bit about superpowers and root beer on YM last night, and Eric says that he had sound this morning... thanks. When Teunis got home, we discussed "WHEN" in communication / the garbage / flour and food going bad / no Jazz Fest today / Kaili / Rhiannon / Brandi / having kids / social awkwardness / Chrystal / eating disorders / abuse / Jazmin / accounting / being open to stuff / RPG characters / Jordan / Andrew / Teresa.

You Don't Crave Excitement

You are modest and humble. You don't think you are better than anyone else in this world. You follow projects to completion. It bothers you to leave things unfinished. You want to live a peaceful life. You don't have time for toxic people. You take things one day at a time, and you do your best to live in the moment. You don't like to get too carried away.

Do You Crave Excitement?

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