First-round Game 5 elimination?!

Chinese Eric got here shortly after 5, and we discussed Henrik Sedin (1-0!) / Jon / Nathan / Facebook / Philadelphia Flyers / the eliminated Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings / white Eric and hanging out / the city's mood / deficits. We talked about Ryan Kesler / triple overtime in a game being murder for the East Coast / Jared being the former spokesman for Subway / Roberto Luongo / Steph being at the game / John Shorthouse on Team 1040 vs. CBC commentary / the Guinness Book of World Records. Of course he could have some peanuts / iced tea while opening my orange juice and having his own water! We went to Subway during the second intermission, and discussed Veggie Delight / egg salad / Italian Tomato / chipotle sauce / bread / onions / cucumbers / olives.

Went home JUST in time for an L.A. tying goal, which eventually led to overtime! Talked about Nathan being in town, our mothers' reactions while watching hockey, scoring chances, shots on goal, the changes which could come in the off-season, and more. However, it ended really brutally... 2-1 five minutes into OT. UGH, BITTER! Discussed "SEEKING STANLEY," post-mortem calls, Cliff Ronning, the Vegas wedding and timeline, NHL.com, gum, player lines on the ice, the language debate in Montreal (Pierre Gauthier), the police, reactions to the loss, hanging out with Jon pre-baby, SERVANTS, parents, and more. Got him to sign the guestbook, anyway... *sigh* At least we can hang out in future, hopefully with Nate and Jon!

Berman, vibrators, Calla NOT Kayla, binoculars, Auntie Grace, and Green Village

Surprised Eric this morning by answering the phone with "Wedding Forum - how may I help you?" Hahaha! We discussed many things on the way to church: weddings in general, good friends, Christian music / static / the Shell Busey home improvement show / 99.3 the Fox, his meetings after church today and next week, religion, funerals, morbid stuff, wedding shows, TLC, things working out after all ride-wise, how I was "drunk" / "getting married," flipping through a Henri Nouwen devotional (of ALL the reading material I could have chosen?!), and more. Since he opted to jaywalk when we parked, I went to the crosswalk and avoided an awkward encounter with Randal. I know it shouldn't be, but it still kind of is for some odd reason. As it is, he said "Morning" to me when I exited the Sunfire since he was passing by; I just said "hello" in response.

Got into the sanctuary, said hi to Joanna and Priscilla on the other side (it IS Spring Break!), saw Enoch, then noted Paul's presence. I was determined not to let him have the power to ruin my day, so reminded myself of that. Thank goodness he didn't sit close by, although he did say hi to MY friend Jeremy, whom I am protective of! (Jon also said hi to him) Talked to Nathan W. about his folding the bulletin in creative ways, and noted Jon talking to Jeremy about French Press coffee (incentive to attend Sunday School) and the Whip later. Gave Jon his envelope from Berman and Grace, and noticed that Pastor Bob mispronounced Calla's name as "Kayla" - I'm not even sure HOW that computes in his mind! There was also a very brief question and answer session after the offering; Eric later told me that the plan was to make it a regular part of service. Oh dear... more excuse to leave early!

Made sure to say hi to Grandma and tell her that we'd be going to dinner with Jon tomorrow, even though she won't remember. Auntie Eva wanted to make sure I knew the plans - yes, of course! Went into the fellowship hall and said hi to Deb, Auntie Soo, baby Ava, Adam, Andrew, Lawrence, Amanda, and others. Yes, my parents get back tomorrow from their South American cruise! Checked with Jon about stuff tomorrow, which was fine. Went upstairs and said hi to Mel, Frances, Micah (who wouldn't hold hands with his little friend), little Joanna, Benedict (who said the sleepover went as expected), Martin, Sarah C., Mei Lin, Auntie Vivian, and others.

Saw Jessie, Lanie, Rachel's grandma, new kids named Jared L. (3) and Natalie (1), Ashley (gave her a Kleenex when she cried), David, Evelyn, Ramen, Shira, and James at Toddler Sunday School. Played with toys, cars, Legos, binoculars, and puzzles; also indulged James wanting to touch the subtle bling on my blue sweater, and his seeming need to hold my hands. Learned that Ashley is allergic to hand sanitizer, which does happen. It was fun, and I had missed that whole thing.

Afterwards, I checked with Jon about his teaching at the HOHOHOs, and he figures that he'll start at 3 and be here at 4:30. All I gotta do is tell Grandma not to cook anything at least 20 times tomorrow afternoon, hahaha. Doesn't matter if Jon's invited Eric to the Hog Shack / hockey game plans, although we shouldn't count on Big G to pay for the whole thing! I said hi to Pastor Edward; when Auntie Grace (with Uncle George) spotted me, she gave me a big hug hello! (I'm sure Dave and Tiffany are doing well) Went to Green Village for lunch with Grandma, Uncle Eric, Auntie Brenda, Auntie Eva, Uncle Percy, and Auntie Paula - yes, I can understand Chinese!

After Auntie Eva filled up at the gas station (then bought oranges and milk at the nearby Safeway), she took us back to the townhouse. Grandma took her purse into the washroom - like I told Steph on the phone later, WHO'S GOING TO STEAL IT?! She also forgot where her room even WAS in the house. *sigh* Now she's cleaning while I'm watching UNTOLD STORIES OF THE E.R., KING TUT TOMB STORIES, and more. Some poor guy on this show has a vibrator stuck up his ass, and insists on anonymity. Good luck with that one! (especially since you need a gastroenterologist and anesthesia!)

Hmm, I think my feelings have changed!

Spent an interesting day with the K-Man: talked about Jon / Harmony, cereal, noodles, Karen Lew, Vivian Lew, Karen Choo, Vivian S., context, compliments, "our songs," and many other things. Went to Eric's to watch the Phoenix hockey game (which we won 3-1), and while K watched the Pussycat Dolls on TV, I looked at Eric's pictures of his cousin's baby Isabel (seven months with a good name!) - he also had photos of Uncle Daniel's computer innards, haha. (GIGABYTE is a company!) Had Cornish pastries and vegetable pies courtesy of Veronica - she even gave us some chocolate hearts "for the lovebirds," hehe. Afterwards, Eric kindly took us to Save-On Foods so I could get some stuff: thank goodness I had just enough money for garbage bags and things like that! (discussed exaggeration, Eric's fingernails, hockey plays, high-fives for goals, Heidi the cat, messenger bags, etc.) I know for a fact that K loves me! I like cuddling with him, that's for sure. At home, I talked to Karen since she'd called twice: we'll get together next week instead of this week!

Thinks I seriously cheat at Scrabble just because I cover up the triple-word scores... haha, no. Says he likes WWE divas: I can kinda believe that Jerry Lawler, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and others are still around! Candice Michelle does show courage in coming back from a brain injury, and some other girl had fractured her clavicle. Some guy named Santino even poured Coke all over Jerry, and took his Subway sandwich: Jared Fogle was at the match, haha. I was way too tired to get up when Korey called me to the computer once - Lisa wanted to talk to me, apparently. Maybe next time!

Jared's Customers_Suck Posts / Ethnicity Survey / KFC Potato Wedges

Well, I *thought* I was going to get an early night in for once since I actually felt tired at 12:35 AM or so. However, my body had different ideas... this is why I got up at 4:25 AM instead of sleeping. Thank goodness I'm at home (unlike the LAST time I couldn't sleep!) so I can be semi-productive on the computer here. There's rain / wet snow outside, but I plan to stay home today anyhow. :D

Ah, here's something I can get into... satisfies my OCDL tendencies well enough, haha. Jared (smokedglass7429) asks if we RandomThought denizens can link his customers_suck posts for him. Sure, why not... I'm up now, haha! Might make interesting reading later on, too! ;)

First post... we can TELL that your phone has water damage, and your warranty is VOID and NULL because of it!
Teenagers and their mothers
We can't un-swap your phone since it has water damage... and don't assume we'll get you pissed off, either!
Don't bug me to fix your phone when I'm off the clock!
We can't help you with that because you're not on our service! Don't throw a hissy fit when I tell you there's an appropriate store a few blocks away!
Cingular employees are not your personal servants!
Don't drop the F-bomb in the store when there are children around!
I don't NEED to help you for three hours just because I used to be your bartender / waiter!
Correct responses to "How are you today?"
White trash and black trash
Overhead and days off
Old people and death
Pink phones and recalls
Don't stare at me and just expect me to help you!
No price matching online!
Don't complain about the pricing of the phones!
If you can't understand our simple automated menu, you don't NEED a phone!
Call me "pumpkinhead," and I won't help you!
I don't care if you leave the company!
I threw three people out of the Cingular store today!
I had a damn relaxing day at work watching TV and snacking!
I'm refusing service to you because you're a homophobe!
Upgrade bitch, part 1
Upgrade bitch, part 2
Which phone is more popular?
Self-Checkouts
We're closed on Easter Sunday!
We are CLOSED... hello! I even let you into the store to verify this!
Online Comic
Don't shout your phone number at me!
You can read numerals in English or Spanish, right?!
I'm not going to steal your credit card number!
Cell phone etiquette
Phew... you got upgraded unexpectedly!
Racial profiling at the Cingular store! (255 comments... that got him flamed for WEEKS on a different community!)
Don't put porn on our computers yourself!
Little labels for every accessory?
My pen exploded, covering you in blue ink!
Stop making comments about my weight!
You need a walkthrough on a Blackberry tutorial?!
I *knew* she was going to return her Blackberry!
I hate Saturdays!
Ugh... I hate dealing with hippies!
You're not supposed to look at your account on MY screen!
Oops!
My ideal company and its policies
Thanks, love you too... whoops, I so did not mean to say that to the customer!
Blanket spam email... corn-infested poop cube?
Cingular policy
Why are we open on Memorial Day?
Closings and coverage
It's so funny that this is what you get!
I MUST HAVE A PHONE BECAUSE I'M IMPORTANT!
You're not entitled to a free phone!
I won't do that for you when the manager's not here!
We're not OPEN yet and you want me to do WHAT?!
Washington Post interview
Price tags
Dig through the trash for me, will ya?
I don't WORK there anymore, lady... get a clue!
I don't have to pay tax!


Ethnicity survey, from Candy via Myspace bulletin:

Australian
[] You wear flip-flops all year.
[] You call flip-flops "thongs," not flip-flops.
[x] You love a backyard barbie.
[x] You know a barbie is not a doll.
[x] You love the beach.
[x] Sometimes you curse without realizing it.
[] You're a sports fanatic.
[] You are stacks tanned.
[] You're a bit of a bogan.
[x] You have an Australian something. (thongs, shirt, phone sock, etc.)
Total = 5

Italian
[] The Sopranos is a great show.
[] Your last name ends in a vowel.
[] Your grandmother makes her own sauce.
[] You know how a real meatball tastes.
[] You know a lot of Italian songs.
[x] You have dark hair and dark eye color.
[] You speak some Italian.
[x] You are under 5 feet 10 inches.
[x] Pasta is the best food in the world.
[] You talk with your hands.
[] You are naturally tan.
Total = 3

Hispanic
[] You say "member" instead of "remember."
[x] You speak a little Spanish.
[] YoU TyPe lIkE ThIs On Da CoMpUtEr. (EWWWW! NEVER!)
[] You are dark-skinned.
[] You know what a Bodega is.
[x] You talk fast.
[] If you are a girl, you have had highlights or dyed your hair.
Total = 2

Russian
[] You say "villain" as "Vee-lon."
[x] You get short-tempered.
[x] You know of somebody named Natasha.
[] You are white-skinned.
[x] You get cold easily.
[] Snow is fun for you.
[] You get into contests often.
[] You can easily make do with the cold weather.
Total = 3

Irish
[x] You think beer is the best.
[x] You have a bad temper.
[] Your last name starts with a Mc OR Murph or O' or Fitz, or ends with a ly / on / un / ani / ry.
[] You have blue or green eyes.
[x] You like the color green.
[] You have been to a St. Patrick's Day party.
[] You have a family member from Ireland.
Total = 3

Black
[] You say "nigga / nukka" casually.
[] You have nappy hair.
[] You like rap.
[] You talk with slang.
[] You know how to shoot a gun.
[x] You like chicken.
[x] You like watermelon.
[] You can "sing" gospel.
[] Your parents said they found you in the jungle in Africa.
Total= 2

Asian
[x] You have slanty eyes.
[x] You like rice a lot.
[] You have played the piano.
[x] You have family from Asia.
[x] You laugh sometimes covering your mouth.
[x] Most people think you're Chinese.
[] You call hurricanes "typhoons."
[] You go to Baulko.
Total = 5

German
[x] You like bread.
[] You think American chocolate would be better with less sugar.
[] You drink your soda without ice.
[] You speak German.
[x] You know what schnitzel is, and you love it.
[] You are Catholic or Lutheran.
[x] You hate it when stupid people call you a Nazi.
[x] You went to kindergarten / preschool.
[] You're over 5 feet, 6 inches.
Total = 4

French (This isn't French! It's Canadian! Damn stupid ignorance!)
[x] You like / play / played hockey.
[x] You love beer.
[x] You say "eh."
[x] You know what poutine is.
[x] You speak some French.
[x] You love Tim Horton's.
[] At one point, you lived in a farmhouse.
[] You watch Degrassi.
Total = 6

The one you have the most points in is the one you are. Repost this saying "According to this test, I am..."
I am French, but it's really frickin' CANADIAN!!!!


KFC Potato Wedges

The Colonel was in the kitchen one day and had an idea what to do with the potatoes that he had, so he came up with the Potato Wedges. The used to be made fresh, but due to the invention of the frozen fry, they are sent to the stores frozen and ready to cook.

shortening for Frying
5 Baking potatoes cut into Wedges
1 cup Milk
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon MSG
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
dash of garlic powder

Preheat shortening in to 375°F. Cut the potatoes into 16 to 18 equal-size wedges. Mix the egg and milk till well blended in a big bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Put some potatoes in the milk and egg, then into the flour mixture till well-coated. Fry in fryer for 3 minutes. Remove from the oil and allow them to sit for one minute. Then cook them again for 5 minutes, or until cooked. It may take up to 6 minutes.

365 Stupidest Things Ever Said: January 2007

These stupid quotes are from The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said Page-A-Day Calendar 2007.

Page-A-Day Calendars


Monday, Jan. 1: Fascinating Autobiographical Insights

"The past has been a big part of my life." - Paul Burrell, former butler to Princess Diana


Tuesday, Jan. 2: Now WHAT Chapter is This Again?

"That's a chapter, the last chapter of the 20th, 20th, the 21st century that most of us would rather forget. The last chapter of the 20th century. This is the first chapter of the 21st century." - President George W. Bush, on the Monica Lewinsky scandal


Wednesday, Jan. 3: Why Kids are Tough Interview Subjects

Host of Baby Races to a little boy: Say "Hi."
Little boy: Hi.
Host: Oh, there ya go. We're going to play a great game down here called "Sit on It." You ever play at the sandbox or the beach and all kinds of stuff?
Little boy: I'm gonna go potty.


Thursday, Jan. 4: Could You Whistle A Few Bars?

"Do you have a recording of Astrud Gilberto singing The Girl From Emphysema?" - customer at a Times Square (New York) record store


Friday, Jan. 5: Just Another One of Those Cheese Poems

ODE ON THE MAMMOTH CHEESE WEIGHING OVER 7000 POUNDS

We have seen thee, queen of cheese,
Lying quietly at your ease.
Gently fanned by the evening breeze,
Thy fair form no flies dare seize.
- poet James McIntyre, from the book Very Bad Poetry


Saturday, Jan. 6: Astronauts and Basic Needs

ASTRONAUT TAKES BLAME FOR GAS IN SPACECRAFT - newspaper headline


Sunday, Jan. 7: Zoo Patrons, Not Much Smarter than the Average Bear

Will we see animals on the tour?
How long is the 35-minute bus tour?
You have signs all over with maps that say "You are here." Why don't they put that on the handheld maps so we can figure out where we are?

- questions asked of a San Diego Zoo tour bus driver (thanks to Barbara Glaeser)


Monday, Jan. 8: Noisy Dwellings

"I sold my house and moved into a pandemonium." - Toronto mayor Allan Lamport


Tuesday, Jan. 9: You Should Have Dined In

Takeout order taker: May I have your name, please?
Customer: Bill.
Order taker: John?
Customer: No, Bill.
Order taker: Dion?
Customer: Bill.
Order taker: Jill?
Customer: No, Bill. Do you know Bill Clinton?
Order taker: Yes.
Customer: My name is Bill, like in Bill Clinton.
Order taker: Okay, Dill Clinton. May I take your order, Sir Dill?
- exchange on the phone at a Manila takeout restaurant


Wednesday, Jan. 10: Actor's Thoughts About Crucial Planetary Preferences

"I've always liked Saturn. But I also have some sympathy for Pluto because I heard it's been downgraded from a planet, and I think it should remain a planet. Once you give something planetary status, it's kind of mean to take it away." - actor Jared Leto


Thursday, Jan. 11: Judges Who Are A Little Too Persevering

Judge: I know you, don't I?
Defendant: Uh, yes.
Judge: All right. How do I know you?
Defendant: Judge, do I have to tell you?
Judge: Of course. You might be obstructing justice not to tell me.
Defendant: Okay, I was your bookie.
- recorded in court testimony


Friday, Jan. 12: Very Stupid Answers

Game show host Ron Lange: Give me the definition of the word "innuendo."
Woman #1: Unending.
Man #1: Uh, that's the capital of Greece.
Woman #2: It's an Italian pastry.
Man #2: The end of the end.
Woman #3: Something that happens in bed.
Man #3: I know that one. It's a Greek suppository.


Saturday, Jan. 13: Kung-Fu Threats

"Yah-hah, evil spider woman! I have captured you by the short rabbits and can now deliver you violently to your gynecologist for a thorough examination." - English subtitle for a Hong Kong kung-fu film


Sunday, Jan. 14: Three-Footed NFL Receivers

"Upon further review, the receiver gained possession of the ball and, after getting both feet down, dragged his other foot on the ground before going out of bounds." - referee during a Bengals-Patriots game (thanks to Jeff Dafler)


Monday, Jan. 15: I Scream For Ice Cream

Raw Horseflesh Ice Cream
Lettuce Potato Ice Cream
Shark's Fin Noodle Ice Cream
Goat Ice Cream
Deep Sea Water
- ice cream flavors available at Ice Cream City, Tokyo


Tuesday, Jan. 16: Agents... Alas, All Too Typical

Talent agent Lew Grade: Twenty-five is ridiculous. I can get you forty. Who's your agent?
Actor: You are.


Wednesday, Jan. 17: Thanks Soooo Much, Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT: I've been diagnosed with abnormal liver enzymes, but my doctor failed to explain what this means. Can you help?
DEAR READER: The liver, one of the body's most vital organs, carries out multiple complex varied functions... The mostly bourgeois subways laughed however five angst-ridden fountains abused Quark, Minnesota towed one bureau, yet five Jabberwockies tastes one cat. Batman ran away, then the fountains quickly tastes one mat.
- from the Kokomo (Indiana) Tribune (thanks to Vicki and Charles Gott)


Thursday, Jan. 18: Slogans That Don't Quite Make It

BE HALF AS FRESH AS THE DAY IS LONG - slogan on tampons, Japan


Friday, Jan. 19: Racy Bronzes

896 COLIN: A bronze of a young blacksmith wearing only a leather apron, his tool in hand. Signed and bearing a foundry mark, 13½ inches high. - H.Y. Duke & Son auction catalog


Saturday, Jan. 20: Fascinating Football Facts

ILLEGAL MOTION: Movement by an offensive player before the play starts. There are movements that are allowed, but the illegal ones are not. - from the Better Homes and Gardens "Football Primer," on BHG (thanks to Frank Yates)


Sunday, Jan. 21: See, Marion, It's Kinda Their Job...

"What right does Congress have to go around making laws, just because they deem it necessary?" - Washington, D.C., mayor Marion Barry


Monday, Jan. 22: Oh Gosh! He Was The First Man on the Moon, and Now He's Won the Tour De France!!

99 CONGRATULATIONS NEIL ARMSTRONG ON WINNING YOUR 9TH TOUR DE FRANCE
- ad by a 99-cent shop in the Las Vegas Sun


Tuesday, Jan. 23: Royal Freudian Slips

"In my opinion, he will make a great king. He is a young man wise beyond his ears." - industrialist Armand Hammer on Prince Charles


Wednesday, Jan. 24: Maybe You've Got To Get Past Page 5

"What is the name of the memory book you just got me? It's a book about memorizing. It's a memory book." - actress Carmen Electra, to a male companion, when asked by the New York Daily News what book she was reading


Thursday, Jan. 25: Contestants and Letter Identification Problems

Weakest Link host Anne Robinson: What word beginning with "A" is another name for the white of an egg?
Contestant: Yolk.


Friday, Jan. 26: Care To Rephrase That? Department

Female TV news anchor to male weatherman, regarding snowfall amounts: "Where's that six inches you promised me last night?" - on a Nebraska news show (thanks to Stu Roach)


Saturday, Jan. 27: Not Great Reporting About Reports

"The report speaks for itself. It's a very good report. It's a very long report. I haven't read the report yet." - British Member of Parliament Keith Vaz


Sunday, Jan. 28: VERY Big Cities

"I'm looking forward to playing the Timberwolves. I've never been to the city of Minnesota." - Denver Nuggets player Carmelo Anthony (thanks to Craig Downey)


Monday, Jan. 29: Gender Confusion

WANTED: BOY WAITRESS
- sign at a restaurant in Baguio, Philippines


Tuesday, Jan. 30: Great Senate Majority Leader Moments in REALLY Caring

"Get some devastation in the back." - Senate Majority Leader Bill First (R-Tennessee) to an aide during a photo op, while visiting tsunami-ravaged Sri Lanka


Wednesday, Jan. 31: Forgive Us, But We're Not Quite Getting Your Point, Bobby

"When it rains, it snows." - Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden

Testimonials about me from various people / Indie and alcohol quizzes

LJ Testimonials: 16
GJ Testimonials: 24
Total Testimonials: 40

Here are testimonials that various LJ and GJ people have written about me:

LJ people (16)

1. Chris Hewitt (pianodude34): "In the love of meeting LiveJournal, I also became acquainted with a glowing_dragon. Her personification of the name "Tatiana" with "Wanderings" is sheer love. Her persistency of replying to comments is addicting, and altogether glowing_dragon is worthwhile." (April 5, 2005... Tuesday)

2. Andre (unsuspended): "Happy Birthday i??????? (Happy Birthday, Internet!)" (April 5, 2005... Tuesday)

3. Caitlin (harlicat): "glowing_dragon changed my life! Before I knew glowing_dragon, I was sad and alone. Now I am happy. Buy one today!" (April 5, 2005... Tuesday)

4. Ronnie R. (hopefulworeason): "glowing_dragon is as much fun as you can have with two bricks and a bag of sand!" (June 23, 2006... Tuesday)

5. Alex (indefinitetheca): "Because without the underscore, glowing_dragon would be pretty lame!" (June 23, 2006... Tuesday)

6. Alicia (dopshoppe): "glowing_dragon is so funky, her journal should come with a Speed Stick!" (June 23, 2006... Tuesday)

7. Jenna (atomic_goo): "When our grammar and spelling is off, glowing_dragon is always there to save the day." (June 23, 2006... Tuesday)

8. Jared Watts (smokedglass7429): "glowing_dragon has crabs... and clarified butter." (June 23, 2006... Tuesday)

9. Desiree (sunshine2607): "glowing_dragon rocks my bubble tea!" (June 23, 2006... Tuesday)

10. Janina Schmalfeldt (pinkfloyd63): "glowing_dragon always has the last word!!" (June 24, 2006... Saturday)

11. Chris Hoskins (dingo727): "glowing_dragon is the hottest LJer I've never seen a picture of." (June 24, 2006... Saturday)

12. Jasmine C. (surrey_sucks): "glowing_dragon is one of the most OCDL people I know!" (June 24, 2006... Saturday)

13. Jon (weatherguy80): "She is the queen of commenting." (June 24, 2006... Saturday)

14. Sara (axbesm_starr): "glowing_dragon is more fun than a barrel of monkeys *and* the best thing since sliced bread, all in one exciting package." (July 13, 2006... Thursday)

15. Billy Schmalfeldt (fdolarhyde13): "glowing_dragon cured me of my crabs!" (July 13, 2006... Thursday)

16. Matt To. (yaymatt): "You rock, and are definitely the queen of leaving comments. If you ever leave the beautiful confines of Vancouver (not that I know why you would) and are on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, let me know and we will go eat spätzli. (recipe in French) *spinhugs* xoxo" (November 28, 2006... Tuesday)


GJ people (24)

1. Emma (draugr): "Whee! This girl has the coolest icons I've ever seen. I mean, just look at her default icon. And plus, she is very sweet, and funny, and just all-around awesome. <33" (September 6, 2004... Monday)

2. Bob (urbad2): "A relatively new friend, but a doll! Talented, intelligent, loving, caring, humorous, just full of life. She has been a joy to know, and has become a wonderful friend." (September 28, 2004... Tuesday)

3. Ruben Fothergill-Brown (_manifesto): "Man. You're REALLY cool. And. I like you. And. Stuff." (October 17, 2004... Sunday)

4. Candy B. (xsimplyperfectx): "This girl rocks my socks... get to know her - you know you want to!" (December 19, 2004... Sunday)

5. Mary O'Malley (x0secrets0x): "You rock, I swear you make me feel good a lot. Thank you for being a good friend, honey." (December 24, 2004... Friday)

6. Cassie Needham (august_nbethany): "Testimonial #6! Wooo!! You rock, way to go!" (December 30, 2004... Thursday)

7. Billie E. (mrgrim): "This girl rocks. Plain and simple. If I didn't add her, I wouldn't be laughing as much about some things as I would be now that I have! ♥ <3333333 mrgrim" (January 7, 2005... Friday)

8. Nicole Mackowiak (yakusoku_shouri): "You have such a good heart and are always willing to help everyone out... Plus, you take so many quizzes, no one else has to look for them.. Thanks!!!~" (February 15, 2005... Tuesday)

9. Emma (sarcasm_): "I love you like a fat kid loves cake! ;*" (February 15, 2005... Tuesday)

10. Mareah (lies_that_lie): "Aw. I love her! She's sweet, smart, and funny. She listens and has such a big heart. Everyone should add her as their friend. :) ♥ Mareah" (March 13, 2005... Sunday)

11. Chris W. (garould): "Hilarious! A wonderful personality and I agree with another user, her icons definitely made me smile and laugh. I also applaud her for being able to cope with her CP. I love you!" (March 20, 2005... Sunday)

12. Jeremy S. (jremymb): "I love reading her entries. She is very entertaining and has a great personality. Reading her entries always keeps me up to date in current events and also quizzes. <33" (March 23, 2005... Wednesday)

13. Mareah (cuddles___): "She's cute and fun and knows how and when to listen. I love her so much! ♥ Mare" (April 10, 2005... Sunday)

14. Courtney R. (bjornskjold): "I love reading Leslie's (I hope I spelled that right!) journal. She has a great sense of humor and always has fun quizzes and stuff in her entries. Plus, she's a Virgo, which automatically makes her awesome." (April 30, 2005... Saturday)

15. Kyle Napier (oncewas): "Leslie is DEFINITELY cool as Hell and even though her entries are long as f*ck - they're definitely entertaining and mind-provoking, something definitely lost in society! Way to go! Everybody add her!" (June 15, 2005... Wednesday)

16. Tobi (candiies): "Leslie is really funny and awesome! Even though her entries are a little long, they are definitely worth reading! She's the best! ♥" (August 14, 2005... Sunday)

17. Carmen (female_anatomy): "You're a funny person with great entries. I'm glad I got to know you and am looking forward to knowing you more! ♥" (October 20, 2005... Thursday) (and then she took me off her friends list on May 1, 2006 [Monday] for no reason that I know of... go figure!)

18. Faye R. (im_just_a_girl): "Such a lovely, sweet person and great co-moderator with a really good, frequently updated journal too. I'm really glad to be her friend. xx" (February 12, 2006... Sunday)

19. Jade (itmakesmesick): "Your entries may be long, and there's lots of 'em! But they're all great and I enjoy reading them. And you find all the best surveys! I'm glad we are GJ friends. =]." (June 20, 2006... Tuesday)

20. Cat (falsemirrors): "I don't know you very well, but I already know that you rock. I love reading your journal, and you always have lots of quizzes to steal. I hope that I can get to know you better. ♥" (July 9, 2006... Sunday)

21. Kathy L. (kat15lee): "Her name says it all... she's a flamer, but a very entertaining one. Thank you for always replying to my comments. And I love reading your journals, they're a hoot!" (September 22, 2006... Friday)

22. Kaitlin O. (norsk): "The flammiest flam ever. [P.S. So sorry I like never comment on your entries at all. :x]" (October 31. 2006... Tuesday)

23. Billie E. (murse): "Leslie, dearest!!! I am so glad to have met you both in this website and outside it... we have some fun times and should go out more!! You're like the older sister I've never had, and you get me. Here's to more adventures! ♥ Billie" (November 18, 2006... Saturday)

24. Candy B. (candyxpants): "A wonderful Canadian gal! Lovely recipes, too! :)" (March 20, 2007... Tuesday)

---

RQ Testimonials: 49
Random_Musings Testimonials: 6
Total Testimonials: 55

Here are testimonials that various GJ people have written about my communities:

RQ 2

1. Marylynn R. (yinyangscurse): "A complete space hog in the friends page, and sometimes a bit drama queen-esque... but often entertaining, and sometimes even thought-provoking!" (July 23, 2004... Friday)

2. Angela (girlwiththehat): "I like questions. :)" (July 30, 2004... Friday)

3. Mia (miaroo324): "I love it... it's always updated and it's interesting. :)" (July 31, 2004... Saturday)

4. Kathy (zipzu): "Really nice to see what people will say." (August 1, 2004... Sunday)

5. Vicki (tigers_eye13): "This place is awesome! It's so great! I love it so damn much!" (August 4, 2004... Wednesday)

6. Kelly (blink_x_182): "A great community to ask stupid questions & get stupid answers. =) But it's an awesome community, nonetheless!" (August 4, 2004... Wednesday)

7. Whitney (whitnaaaaay): "Wow, I love this place... it's so fun just to answer random questions and get yours answered. :)" (August 5, 2004... Thursday)

8. Anasia (forever_unsaid): "This is one of the most interesting communities that's ever found me... you guys rock!" (August 11, 2004... Wednesday)

9. tinmanthegreat: "Prepare to have your questions answered!" (August 12, 2004... Thursday)

10. Mike D. (mrd488): "Awesome community. Very interesting, frequently updated!" (September 1, 2004... Wednesday)

11. Meg (magesticfaith): "I love Randomness, and I seem to get a lot of mental stimulation from all the random questions I get to think about and answer. This community is great!" (September 8, 2004... Wednesday)

12. Samantha (gettin_it_out): "This community is so much fun! You can ask the most random questions, and they always get answered! =] I love you guys!!" (September 11, 2004... Saturday)

13. Chicherina (chicherina): "Cool community... you should really join it. You get to ask all kinds of questions. Haha." (November 7, 2004... Sunday)

14. Mareah (lies_that_lie): "Very cool community. Any questions can be asked, and any questions can be added. Awesome job, guys! Mare" (November 21, 2004... Sunday)

15. Amy (dollyface): "Great time-waster, and mind-bender of a community. If you ever need to know something strange and bizarre, this place is a godsend." (December 5, 2004... Sunday)

16. Beverly (_tequilasunrise): "rq_version2 rocks my entire sock drawer." (December 7, 2004... Tuesday)

17. dead_letters: "Still not figured out how to post in it yet, but it seems great! x" (December 13, 2004... Monday)

18. Dana (candies2009): "I can't live a day without RQ2. It's awesome. Who needs friends when you have RQ? Dana" (December 31, 2004... Friday)

19. Shauna (morbid_otaku): "rq_version2 rox my sox! kick arse! \m/" (January 1, 2005... Saturday)

20. Amber (___amber): "<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<333333333 x 235583234" (January 9, 2005... Sunday)

21. Chastity (romanticidal): "Do random questions annoy you? *walks away* " (January 18, 2005... Tuesday)

22. Analiz (countrymusicrox): "this is a good community, keep asking questions" (February 25, 2005... Friday)

23. Tiffany (tifferz): "Great place to ask and answer any sort of questions. I ♥ this community." (April 5, 2005... Tuesday)

24. Liz (lizxo35): "OMG, I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY! YOU SHOULD SO JOIN!!! It's awesome how you can ask the most random questions, and get like a ton of answers! Some people are quite interesting, too. JOIN, PEOPLE!! <333" (April 11, 2005... Monday)

25. Mary W. (doyouloveme): "Basically, this community is like OMG the best!" (April 12, 2005... Tuesday)

26. Brittany (x_breakdown): "Much love to the mods! Love the random questions - they make me laugh. So keep asking, all you wonderful members... as will I! haha" (April 12, 2005... Tuesday)

27. akerlicious: "awesome community! ♥ ak" (April 30, 2005... Saturday)

28. nuclei: "This place's got all the answers, man. Really." (May 18, 2005... Wednesday)

29. Jessica (jessica218): "you guys are fricken sweet!!" (June 13, 2005... Monday)

30. Serena (phoenixxcore): "The most random community with the nicest random people around. :) random questions = love!" (June 25, 2005... Saturday)

31. anotherfable: "I have to say I am a very stubborn, odd person. But, at least here I can feel that someone agrees with me." (June 27, 2005... Monday)

32. Lindsay (cali_dreamin): "Gotta love it here. You should join now! :)" (July 19, 2005... Tuesday)

33. hits_ofsunshine: "This community is so much fun. I'm glad I found it! :)" (July 28, 2005... Thursday)

34. Desiree (arethekidssafe): " OMFG, this community has answered so many questions I have. I LOVE IT!!" (August 1, 2005... Monday)

35. Marie (_sweetmorphine): "RQ2 is like WHOA. There's always an interesting question. Never a dull moment. No holds barred. Some of the nicest, smartest, most fascinating people around. Nothing but love, randomness, and too much free time. LOVING IT! <3" (August 2, 2005... Tuesday)

36. Alex (_askingforit): "Takes up all my friends page. :P But it's a great community. There's always a question to answer, and any questions you have will be answered!" (August 11, 2005... Thursday)

37. Candace (limegreenangel1): "OMG, I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY SO MUCH! I CAN ASK WHATEVER, AND THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE TO ANSWER!" (September 5, 2005... Monday)

38. Jeni (killmelater): "Best mods and members on GJ." (September 7, 2005... Wednesday)

39. Lauren (loopylolly): "A friendly and close community. xx" (September 29, 2005... Thursday)

40. girrrlpleasedie: "Awesome community! So much fun! ♥" (October 15, 2005... Saturday)

41. Rinny (soylentgreen): "Best question community ever. The only reason I come to GJ." (November 4, 2005... Friday)

42. Mystique (trippin_breezy): "Constantly being updated, and always interesting. I love it!! :D" (November 12, 2005... Saturday)

43. migranes: "great advice, when i need it most. ♥" (November 21, 2005... Monday)

44. Abi (emo_snail): "00 random questions just got better" (December 2, 2005... Friday)

45. Sarah (danceswithwind): "Very useful, and totally awesome community ^_^ So join it =P " (January 3, 2006... Tuesday)

46. Margaret B. (biitchinbabi17): "This has to be the best community on GJ. It's very useful when you're confused about something. All you have to do is ask a question, and within at least an hour, you have your answer. You guys rock!" (April 17, 2006... Monday)

47. Jolene (fucksauce): "Best community ever! ♥ ♥" (July 31, 2006... Thursday)

48. Brittany M. (yourchemicals): "This place answers virtually EVERY question I ask, within the hour! :D It's amazing." (September 1, 2006... Friday)

49. Hayley R. (thesurgeon): "I've been a member of this community for longer than I care to remember (under many usernames ;D) There *is* a reason why I keep coming back, y'know?" (November 16, 2006... Thursday)


Random_Musings

1. Mandy (manda48): "Very cool community to just go and rant or rave about something random. What a great idea!! Being the random person that I am, I love it! Keep up the good work!! ~A <3" (September 23, 2004... Thursday)

2. Hope B. (wannabe_agent): "Random Musings!! w00t! It 0wnz you!!!" (October 19, 2004... Tuesday)

3. Brianna (thellort): "Wow, I think this community might be the best idea ever... Randomness is what I do best, it's great to meet other random people!" (June 24, 2005... Friday)

4. Aimee (harvest_falling): "Great site right here." (August 31, 2005... Wednesday)

5. Kaitlin O. (triptastic): "the place to put stuff people wouldn't normally think of, I suppose." (September 1, 2005... Thursday)

6. girrrlpleasedie: "great community ♥" (April 1, 2006... Saturday)

---

You Are 51% Indie

You're pretty indie, but you don't make a fuss letting everyone know. You just do what you like. You enjoy many types of things - from trendy to bizarre.

How Indie Are You?

You Are Beer!

You don't need to get totally wasted when you hit the bars. More of a social drinker, you just like to have fun with your friends. And as long as the beer keeps flowing, you're a happy camper. But don't mix things up: "Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker!"

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

Offline journals (Randal's pretty blue ocean!) / Typos and bad analogies / Plan changes

When I switch paper journals, I should make another one of these entries in LJ / GJ / Blogger!

Users on my LJ / GJ friends lists (past or present) who have been mentioned in my current offline journal (Randal's pretty blue ocean scene notebook) since mid-July 2006 till February 9, 2007:

Ben / Alyson Delgado (_brainsick_ / sufi87)
Steph Ng (canucks94)
Darren Morrison (dfrancis)
Chris Ho. (dingo727)
Corey Tap. (dwcorey)
Billy Schmalfeldt (fdolarhyde13)
Jim Anderson (harryroberts / rogermellie / kodyscott)
Jamie War. (jaebird)
Matt Ki. (jarethshair)
Eric Ho (lddude)
Farrah Fong (lilaznffairy421 / farrah)
Kaitlin Ol. (lordworm)
Billie Esma (mrgrim / murse)
Palmer Stevens (palmer_kun)
Jared Watts (smokedglass7429)
John Abbott (snooooopy)
Sara Wills (sparkle_bint)
Jasmine Cochlin (surrey_sucks)
Teunis P.

* plus a special mention of Ryan (museirain), because I talk to him all the time, heh


This morning in church, I noticed a very silly typo / error in one of the songs: Lord, You Have My Heat.

I got an email from Terry, who wants to know if I was there for the meeting about the barbecue after Fellowship: of *course* I was! Karen likes organization a bit too much, methinks. Simple things like organizing side dishes... are not quite so easy with her, heh. I agree with him that the barbecue is a good idea so we can get to know the other people more. Let's just hope we don't have too many leftovers next week, otherwise Karen will KNOW that her "false fears of leftovers" are indeed a true thing! (or we can hope for that anyhow, haha!)

Eric buzzed me on MSN about a change of plans: no longer Shanghai Wind for tonight, but some place at Aberdeen called Northern Delicacy instead. Okay, I can deal! He also asked me if I had Eddie's number: no. Then Jon buzzed me about the same thing... both these guys know I need to be picked up, in any event! Apparently, Shanghai Wind is booked solid until 8.


Got these "literary gems" from Jenn... they remind me of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest!

Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners:

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River .

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to. (Almost Shakespearean.)

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Your Delias Jeans Are

Reese Low-rise Boot

What Delias Jeans Should You Wear?

You Are 80% Control Freak

You are a pretty major control freak, though you may not know it. While your confidence is inspiring, your bossy ways tend to scare people off.

Are You A Control Freak?

Weird dream about killing people and mystery / Top 25 Books Meme

I had a weird dream that involved a bunch of my friends, like Cindy F. and Nick T. (Nick looked very much like a Botticelli Angel) Somehow, we had to kill people and figure out who was behind unexplained deaths. We eventually figured things out: hypnotism and stuff worked well. Very weird...

Your Moschino Summer Look Is

CHEAP & CHIC MOSCHINO

What's Your Moschino Summer Look?

You Are Most Like George W. Bush

So what if you're not exactly popular? You still rule the free world. And while you may be quite conservative now, you knew how to party back in the day!

What Modern US President Are You Most Like?

What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular overall books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

1984 - George Orwell

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien

Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular scifi books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien

Neuromancer - William Gibson

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

Dune - Frank Herbert

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

The Princess Bride - William Goldman

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

Pattern Recognition - William Gibson

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson

Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

The Stand - Stephen King

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular classic books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

Emma - Jane Austen

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Persuasion - Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

Dracula - Bram Stoker

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare

Hamlet - William Shakespeare

The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Jungle - Upton Sinclair

Candide - Voltaire, Norman Cameron

Complete Tales and Poems - Edgar Allan Poe

King Lear - William Shakespeare

Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular modern-classic books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell

Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

East of Eden - John Steinbeck

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular contemporary books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

Atonement - Ian McEwan

High Fidelity - Nick Hornby

The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The World According to Garp - John Irving

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon

Digital Fortress - Dan Brown

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture - Douglas Coupland

The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular non-fiction books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

Freakonomics - Steven Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond

Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson

Wild Swans - Jung Chang

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs - Chuck Klosterman

Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson

The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

Eats, Shoots, & Leaves - Lynne Truss

Dry - Augusten Burroughs

My Friend Leonard - James Frey (if not fiction!)

Moneyball - Michael Lewis

Girl, Interrupted - Susanna Kaysen

Getting Things Done - David Allen

Stiff - Mary Roach

In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson

Under the Banner of Heaven - Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular kids books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White, Garth Williams

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling

The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

Sabriel - Garth Nix

Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

Watership Down - Richard Adams

Eragon - Christopher Paolini

The Giver - Lois Lowry

The Once and Future King - T.H. White

Abhorsen - Garth Nix

Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle, Keith Scaife

The Witches - Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake

Time Quartet - Madeleine L'Engle

The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

A Little Princess: The Story of Sara Crewe - Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett, Robin Lawrie

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK


What have I read?
These are the 25 most popular non-English books at What Should I Read Next?

I liked it!

I didn't like it!

I want to read it!

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

Siddhartha - Herman Hesse

Dance, Dance, Dance - Haruki Murakami

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Haruki Murakami

Blindness - Jose Saramago

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami

A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami

The Stranger - Albert Camus

The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

The Outsider - Albert Camus

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg

Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami

Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel

South of the Border, West of the Sun - Haruki Murakami

Take the 'What have I read?' test now!
Eight different categories to try!
Buy your books at Amazon US or Amazon UK

Seeing Nina, Steph, and Vivian: ice cream and relationship / family discussions galore!

Today, I finally saw Nina after a few years.. it was good! We talked a bit about her failed arranged marriage in India to a guy who got progressively more demanding / aggressive with her when she and her parents initially wouldn't help him sponsor his parents to come to Canada from India. Once they agreed to do that, things got worse as he demanded more and more. Nina's parents (especially her dad) thought that he was a nice guy, and Nina thought he seemed like a nice enough person on the internet. The marriage seemed fine enough in the first couple of weeks or so, but then her ex started demanding certain things of her. She also got pregnant early on in the marriage, and says her son Dylan was the only good thing to come out of the relationship.

Her ex would say that he'd go to the gym with her when they got married, but he just ended up sitting around all the time. Now, I'm no health nut myself, but I think you should at least make an effort to do something if you promise your future wife you will... ugh! He ended up walking out on her after a really bad argument, and she hasn't seen him again. I was about to say "good riddance" when she told me that he came back to Canada from India with his parents (whom Nina's dad DID sponsor to come over here)! Now he wants access rights to his son: that sounds okay except when you consider that he never really asked her how Dylan was doing in the year and a half since he walked out on her!

So there are a lot of affidavits and court dates in front of a judge before this divorce is going to finally be over. Nina just wants it to be over, but it seems like her ex is dragging things out and accusing her of all sorts of untrue things (in front of a judge and lawyers, even!), which didn't work when they tried to settle things by themselves with legal representation. The judge said, "This couple absolutely cannot be together in the same room!" and Nina agreed... she never wants to see him again!

She showed me an old picture of Dylan, who for some reason looks like his father's brother. (now that I think about it, he kinda looks like a guy named Navin Bahadoorsingh that I used to know in elementary school!) He looks cute enough, and genes CAN do funny things... Nina has a cousin whose son looks like his (the cousin's) brother! Later, she invited me to her place in Surrey one day: maybe, since she did come to Richmond a couple of times for me! (she remembers my place as cozy, heh)

I vented about Stephen and told her about LJ (which I might link her to later on YM since she's never really been on the "chat lines," as she calls it) and the circumstances of our relationship. Guys' excuses are just BAD, especially if they involve satellites and such being all weird when they "try" to call you! Nina thinks the single life is better sometimes, as you don't have to answer to anyone, and get to do your own thing... she's just taking it slowly. If she finds someone, great... if not, she's doing stuff for her and her child! She was pretty depressed and isolated herself from her friends after all that happened, but got help and now feels so much better and positive about things! :)

Her brother Rick warned her about this guy, oddly enough. He's married now to his wife Sharon, and they dated for a bit before marriage. Yes, he remembers me and Yazmine... when Nina called Yazmine in an attempt to reconnect, Yazmine told her that she didn't talk to me anymore. That's right... over FIFTY CENTS! I told her that story as well... eh, it wasn't good. At least Nina has support from her family: in her culture, the family all lives together in a relatively large home, so it's nice that way.

We had a nice time chatting and catching up about family life: Jon and Steph graduating / working, Alaskan / Caribbean cruises, family weddings / reunions, etc. It was cool to see her again: maybe I'll see her again soon! On the way out of Metrotown, I got some black plum bubble tea at Little Tea House. I also saw little Rachel from the toddler Sunday School: that was a surprise! You see, I noticed a kid who looked very familiar with her mom: she wanted to go on the horse merry-go-round, so eventually her mom let her. I talked to her mom for a bit, telling her who I was: apparently, Rachel didn't really want to go to ballet or stick it out today. According to her mom, Rachel likes playing and eating: I think a three-year-old is a little young for an eating competition or riding real horses, but maybe she can get into sports when she's older!

Once I got off the bus in Richmond (reading more about the Green River Killer on the way :P), I went to the 7-11 near the townhouse and went overboard in buying Ben and Jerry's ice cream: New York Super Fudge Chunk, Tortoise Soup (which my sister really liked because of the unexpected saltiness), Half-Baked, and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. When I got to the townhouse, there was nobody home: my sister said she'd gone grocery shopping and then went to pick Vivian up. We had a nice dinner of beef tongue with pasta, jalapeno bread from Cobs Bakery, and broccoli. Dessert was a taste test of the four ice creams that I bought, plus the Smarties ice cream from Safeway. Since Vivian thinks she may be sensitive to dairy, she had some popsicles and Quality Street caramels instead. (those were my mom's favorites growing up)

We talked about maternal mushiness and hilarity (sparked by my sister seeing only "The Lover's Kit" on the "Book Lover's Kit" that my mom had left for me)... it's not good to ask your daughter if she'll be your lover! o_O Then we relived the "let's hug and make out!" moment... Vivian was horrified and amused, but not as horrified as she was when I brought up underwear parties! ("our preferred mode of dress is just underwear!" as per my sister :P) We also discussed how Mom thinks I'm out to kill the family just because I read true-crime (murder, mostly) books: I think I got it from her since she reads those too, although Mr. Spearman loaning me his copy of IN COLD BLOOD when I was taking Law 12 *did* help, hehehe. :D

Erin's aunt Eva called to check up on my sister, and Vivian's mom called to check up on her... they speak Spanish at home, which is understandable. Then Jessica called to see about the Grouse Grind tomorrow: the weather looks rainy! I told the girls more about what had happened during lunch on Sunday, and then Steph said that Nathan had made a perverted remark when they were at the Grey Cup game with Eric H. and Eric M. while she was complaining about Alex Auld's five-hole, hahaha. The more repressed you are, the more dirty you become when you let it all out! Steph also made various Tina Turner references during dinner, heh... those can be sexy enough in themselves! ;)

Vivian tried a bit of beef tongue, too. Steph decided to throw away some of the old ice cream that had refrozen after the freezer stopped working for a brief time... this is the only chance she'll get while the parents are away! She'll just tell Mom that the three of us devoured it, haha... Mom won't really look into it, as she's not a control freak who knows exactly how much ice cream is left in those tubs! Besides, it IS the truth: we DID devour ice cream... just not Breyer's mint chocolate chip and Breyer's light vanilla! :P (Vivian had a little bit of ice cream, but not too much)

Steph mentioned that she'd called Rich and told him that she would be doing the "Wheelchair in Motion" event. Rich misheard that as "I'm having a real emotional moment," and offered to buy her flowers or something, haha! Probably he was surprised that she was opening up to him that much! We discussed past church grad banquet roasts: Erin's Tina Turner roast of Steph was NOT well-understood by 95% of the people in attendance last year! Then again, neither was Nathan's "Homestar Runner: Strong Bad checks his emails" roast of Eric in 2004! (maybe three other people understood THAT one... Mom turned to my sister and asked what was going on and whether Nathan was crazy, haha!)

We discussed allergy shots and the time Jon had a big reaction right in the office after one of those times. Apparently, Vivian's brother Nathan (who's a year older than Steph) is a big WORLD OF WARCRAFT fan: Vivian and Jessica (the other sibling, in Gr. 11) tease him about his screen name and those of his friends on there! Vivian says that she had to discontinue taking Reactine for a while as per doctor's orders: she really looked like she was suffering! She fell asleep on the couch later because she took two Benadryl and four cortisone for said allegies this afternoon at 5:20-ish. Later, she said that she hadn't felt so sleepy at that time (9:30) since FOREVER ago... she likes staying up later!

Mom also left me some seaweed and "Delecta Bowls" (amusing pun!) of macaroni and such, plus the aforementioned "Book Lover's Kit" (haven't opened it yet). I took all that home, plus three of the Ben and Jerry's flavors (NOT Half-Baked) / Tropicana orange juice / the leftover jalapeno bread. I told Vivian about the time that I'd freaked out my cousins at the Congee Noodle House by eating an entire bowlful of spicy Chinese mini-peppers, haha. Good times! The three of us may have gone for one-litre bubble tea since Steph wanted to see me hyper on the yin-yang (I told them about how Eric could tell that I'd had some coffee on Sunday morning because of my crazy randomness), but we didn't: maybe some other time!

She's been spending a LOT of time with Steph when my parents are away: pretty much whenever she's not at work. We took Vivian home first since she was incredibly sleepy... I decided not to stay the night at the townhouse even though my parents weren't there. Maybe on Thursday to make things easier for Eric driving me on Friday night? (Steph has a Committee meeting at 6, which I heard about from Christon at Sunday lunch... so unless Eric has to lead worship at the Spiritual Formation program and thus goes straight to church from work, it should be fine!)

I also discovered that Jared had commented on one of my journals... Googling yourself DOES produce weird results, hehe. My sister and I agreed that balance between being out and staying home was important, too!

Offline journals (white binder #1) / Music survey / Freaky quizzes

When I switch paper journals, I should make another one of these entries in LJ / GJ / Blogger!

Users on my LJ / GJ friends lists (past or present) who have been mentioned in my current offline journal (white binder) since mid-July 2004 till mid-July 2006:

Robert Deaver (aesiron)
Josh Chase (aint_no_nothin / joshua_e)
Asa (apollotiger)
Rhett (bightchee)
Steph Ng (canucks94) (my sister didn't need to get an LJ till March 2004, otherwise she'd have been on the other list in the previous entry)
Charlotte G.-C. (charshark)
Monica Martinez (chibongo)
Rachel Bennett (cynicalsiren)
Tawny Havens (darktawnee)
Ryan Liam (de_stijl_)
Aaron Adams (declared_insane)
Darren Morrison (dfrancis) (Darren expressed interest in LJ in May / June 2005, otherwise he'd have been on the other list in the previous entry)
Corey Tap. (dwcorey) (I didn't know Corey had an LJ till November 2004, otherwise he'd have been on the other list in the previous entry)
Ryan McSweeney (eyeheartnewlife)
Alyial Kollidia (feduprainbowkid)
Chris Wetherell (garould)
Geo Adams (geoantada)
Catherine Anderson (geordiecat76)
Jim Anderson (harryroberts / rogermellie / kodyscott)
Jake Scott (hitman2682)
Patrick Hunter-Kilmer (iampunha)
Jamie War. (jaebird)
Richard Lor. (johhnymayhem)
Christina Anz. (lazeesod)
Eric Ho (lddude) (Eric H. expressed interest in LJ in August 2005, but we didn't get around to creating his account till October 2005... otherwise he'd have been on the other list in the previous entry)
Farrah Fong (lilaznffairy421 / farrah)
Caryn Russman (lonelysarcasm / allbymeonesies)
Stephen O'Daniel (lordreaibn / reaibn)
Mary O'Malley (maryomalley)
Matthew Stone (mbstone99)
Meredith Feuerbach (mentira)
Chris Barry (monkey_funkel)
Billie Esma (mrgrim)
Ryan Wetherell (mrsulu)
Chris Light (nezmet)
Palmer Stevens (palmer_kun)
Sam Anderson (p1r4t3_k1ng)
Chris Hewitt (pianodude34)
Michael Nelson (rubarabadom)
Cody Grunert (scotish_mox)
KQ Tan (sjenkins)
Steve Wright (sjwright)
Jared Watts (smokedglass7429)
John Abbott (snooooopy)
Sara Wills (sparkle_bint)
Ben / Alyson Delgado (_brainsick_ / sufi87)
Jasmine Co. (surrey_sucks)
Chris Sykes (tropiclands)
Matt (urban_squirrel)
Erin Men. (welfy)
Pete P. (why_a_duck)
Teunis P.
Steve Lord (wrathchild)

* plus a special mention of Ryan (museirain), because I talk to him all the time, heh


Here's a music survey!

List 10 musical artists you like.

1. Our Lady Peace
2. Big Sugar
3. Everclear
4. Radiohead
5. Matthew Good Band
6. the Apologetix
7. the Clash
8. Children of Bodom
9. Ministry
10. Bootsauce


What was the first song you ever heard by 8?: Follow The Reaper.

What is your favorite album of 5?: Underdogs.

What is your favorite lyric(s) of 6?: "I went to Al Gore / He said that Earth's life support has nearly been destroyed / No cure can be found / Sometimes I think this world's asleep...", Casket Place.

What is your favorite song by 7? So many choices... Lost in the Supermarket.

Have you ever seen 1 live? Unfortunately, no.

Is there a song of 4 that makes you sad?: High and Dry.

What is your favorite lyric(s) of 3?: So many choices... "I am a loser geek / Crazy with an evil streak / Yes, I do believe there is a / Violent thing inside of me...", White Men in Black Suits.

What is your favorite song by 9?: Worm.

How did you get into 2?: Eric M. used to bug me by singing Big Sugar all the time, so naturally I got into them for some reason. :D

What is your favorite song by 10?: Everyone's A Winner.

Is there a song by 5 that makes you sad?: Empty Road.

What is your favorite song by 1?: So many choices... Dirty Walls.

How did you become a fan of 3?: When the Fox played their songs on the radio all the time, I could relate to much of what Art Alexakis sang about. OMG CHILDHOOD / TEENAGE ANGST! o_O

What is your favorite album of 6? Ticked. (well, it's the only one Jon and I have...)

Which freaky subway person is Leslie?

The person who falls asleep on someone else's shoulder.

'Which freaky subway person are you?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Large families, people going offline, Janette, Eric, Q-bert, emails, Corey and Audioscrobbler

Mrs. Gwaltney adopted 26 special-needs kids. (Caressa Lovelie, Misty Angelita, Catherine Joy, Joshua Timothy, Tiffany Chantelle, Adam Emmanuel, Travis Andrew, Zachary Samuel, Emily Rose, Joseph Isaac, Skyla Danielle, Cherise Monique, Jordan Daniel, Starr Celestia, Chad Ryan, Katie Jeanette, Kyle Eric, Lisa Noelle, Matthew Curtis, Michael Jonathan, Sarah Shenelle-Joy, Sheena Rochelle-Rose, Priscilla Jane, Julianne Teresa, Antonio Dominic, Benjamin Joel)

The Arndts have 13 sons and one daughter.

Here are the Monteiths! (Richard Alan, Nancy Jane, Rebekah Lorraine, Christopher James, David Newell, John Edwin Monteith, Heidi Marie, John Charles, Abigail Rose Monteith, Joshua Allan, Ethan Oliver, Adam Richard, Michael Scott Monteith, Desiree Michelle, Zachary, Rachel Patricia (Monteith) Dusenberry, Geoffrey Aaron Dusenberry, Jared Richard Dusenberry, Stephen Mark Monteith, Daniel Boyd Monteith, Karen (Symonds), Bridget Marie Monteith)

I also completed Level 5 of a Bookworm game in only 11 seconds. Using a lot of yellow tiles in a word will get you places, as well as coveted blue sparkly tiles. ;)


I hate people who go offline in Trillian just when I'm going to send a message to the contact directly below / above them! The list shifts one up / down, and I don't notice. This is why I thought I was merrily typing away a "Friday plans" message to Eric... let's say I was surprised when PINK font came up in a reply saying "Sorry, I don't think so... I have to wait until Jason gets home from work." I quickly realized my mistake and explained things as well as who I was, since we don't talk on MSN much... whoops. Lucky thing she understood, heh. :)

Then I really did message Eric, who told me that he could give me a ride tomorrow... good thing, because now I can answer Karen's Bible Study email. (as well as email Melissa about her birthday, which I still have not done!) Eric told me that I was banging my head on the keyboard because I went all *keyboard smash* on him. ("shkdkjfhksdf") No, that wasn't the case, haha... it was just frustration at not messaging the right person the first time! Then he told me that I was like Q-bert: "that guy is always swearing away... Q-bert: $#@&!!!!" Hahaha, that's true!


A little earlier than the above events, I decided to ask Corey whether he was still alive. Before dinner, he'd told me that he'd talk to me after he met some girl in his group to basically do her work for her. :P He then responded with "Triple Corpse! Hammerblow!" While he had the right group (Children of Bodom), he had the wrong song. (really Northern Comfort by that time)

I told him that it was the second time today that he'd done this, since he started the conversation in the late afternoon with "evil comes and evil goes, just like the drugs in Mexico." (a reference to Thrill Kill Kult's Mr. and Mrs. Bottomless Pit) At the time, I was really listening to Blue Buddha by the same group, but I didn't say anything to him. He then said "Deadnight Warrior!" (wrong again.. it was In The Shadows by Children of Bodom) and then told me that he knew it wasn't what I was listening to THEN. "It's what you just listened to :P I was on last.fm looking at stuff, and you're on my neighbor list, so it's easy to see what you're listening to :P" Very true, haha. Now he's telling me about the new Tool album.. good times. :D

P.S. I know Audioscrobbler is last.fm now, but it's easier to keep consistency if I refer to last.fm as Audioscrobbler. :P That, or I'm too much an OCDL. :P