Summer Flu

I hate being sick. And the worst part is being sick during the summer when the weather is so nice. Ugh. I'm not feeling feverish anymore (I took drugs for that), but my throat is so sore, making it difficult to swallow. I guess I should go to the doctor so he can give me more drugs. Normally, I'd just tough it out and drink lots of liquids, eat lots of fruit, blah blah blah, to flush it all out of my system, but I don't think it's going to be that easy this time.

Ice Cream Flavor of the Day

orange sherbert

New Route

My co-worker showed me a new route as I was driving him home. Taking this route will definitely cut down traffic time. I probably saved 15 minutes by going on this new route, and although it doesn't sound like much, the less time I spend in rush hour traffic the better.

Blog Slacker Too busy to blog...

Forgive me fellow bloggers for it has been 4 days since my last post. hehehehe. =P

As much as I'd like to blog, it has been almost impossible to post my thoughts. Reasons being (i) too busy at work to get onto internet, (ii) no access to computer, (iii) busy social calendar hence NO TIME!

THURSDAY
• Dinner at Thanh Thanh Vietnamese restaurant
  
• sat outside and listened to fireworks in the background (they were on the other side of the building, so I couldn't see them)
  
  
  Random Thought
  Do most vietnamese restaurants do the double name thing? I know there's another restaurant in town called Tran Tran. What's with the double name?
  
  
  FRIDAY
• Irma, Matthew and I went to the Fringe to watch Friend or Faux - two plays about friendship - funny! :)
  
• "... girlfriends are like bras, intimiate and supportive."
  
• Irma and I walked around looking for a patio to hang out at. We ended up at the usual hangout, where strangely enough there was another "Irma" on the patio (except she was caucasian).
  
  SATURDAY
  
• Took advantage of the hot weather and went to the park to play badminton. I lost 4 sets to 1 only because the sun was in my eyes half the time. Oh well.
  
• Watched another foreign film called Songs from the Second Floor. This time it was Swedish. It had some funny scenes, but in the end, I didn't get it?

Mission 5: Walk to Dawson Bridge
Status: Complete

Irma and I walked all the way to Dawson Bridge. 30 degree weather, a banana beach booster juice (with energy booster), a green berry hawaiian punch slushie, and 3 hours later, we made it back to Irma's apartment. It was definitely a long walk, but it was good to be outside. Now all we have to do is complete Mission 2, and all 5 missions will be complete. Irma, I looked back on our missions, and we reversed missions 2 and 3. Our list of missions should look like this (not done in this order):

1. The Bridges
   
2. Hawrelak Park
   
3. "Up and down stairs"
   
4. "Blueberry Trail" (I don't know what to call this one - the one you did with Joi)
   
5. Dawson Bridge

So when should we accomplish Mission 2?

Re-cap of the past 2 days...


SUNDAY

El Espinazo del Diablo
I watched the foreign film, The Devil's Backbone at Metro Cinema. I'm not a big fan of subtitled movies (because I find that I don't understand the movie that well, since I'm reading instead of watching the movie), but this one was pretty good. Even though you had to read the subtitles, you could still follow what was going on. I guess you could say I'm expanding my horizons?

Random Thought
Don't you hate it when you have to go to the bathroom REALLY bad, and you're stuck in the car during a thunderstorm? The fact that it was raining, absolutely did not help me. I know I should've used the facilities before I drove home, but I didn't feel like going then.

MONDAY

No Cavities
I had my semi-annual teeth cleaning and I don't have any cavities. Yay! Although, I still have to be a bit more careful when I brush because of my gum recession. But from what my dentist told me, I am getting better. My dental hygenist also told me to get a pulsating toothbrush, which will help prevent me from brushing too hard and at the same time get those hard to reach places.

Fringe Festival
Irma, Irene and I went to the Fringe to (i) check out the street performers, and (ii) find out when to get our tickets for one of the plays later on in the week. As we walked past one of the stages, an acapella group from Saskatchewan/Alberta called Hoja was performing. They were pretty good and sang a variety of songs, from disco to country to OBG.


Highlight (full moon moment):

Irma: I'm having a moment...
Hoja member: I'm having a moment
[Irma, Irene and I burst out laughing because it was like Irma was psychic or something. hehehe :-) ]

TUESDAY

Day Off
To me, a day off means a day where I can run around and do errands and stuff. My to-do list looked something like this:


• Get my dentist to sign my passport application as my guarantor (yes, I'm finally renewing it =P)
  
• Buy scrapbook for Paris photos
  
• Go to Kingsway to check out prices on contacts (because I have a rebate voucher)
  
• Submit passport application to Canada Place
  
• Pick up some flowers for Irma ("Happy Bunch")
  
• Lunch with Irma. Plan A was Mongolie Grill on Jasper Ave. But then we decided to eat somewhere that had a patio. Plan B, Joey Tomatoes. But then we decided we go there too often. So Plan C was to find a restaurant with a patio on 124th Street. No luck. Then we decided to go back to Plan A. After driving around in circles, we ended up going to Earl's, Plan D.
  
• Go to driving range with Irma. Irma wanted to try it out, so we went to Millwoods Creek and hit some balls. I gave her a few pointers, and in no time she was hitting the ball - better than me. ;-)
  
• Dinner at Irma's house.

And I'm happy to say that I did it all.

Quick Post

Just wanted to be one of the first one's to say:

Happy Birthday Irma!!

Undercover Brother

Seeing as I didn't want to stay home again (and on a Saturday night no less), I started calling some people to see what they were up to. First I called Matthew, but he wasn't home. Then I called Phoun, and him and Kai were going to watch it at the cheap theatre, so they invited me to come along. Hey, why not? I met them all the way in the north side and we watched Undercover Brother. That movie was funny! The only thing that distracted me from the movie was the fact that some guy in our row decided to carry on a conversation on his cell phone - twice. Ugh. I guess they don't know about the "Please turn off your cell phone/pagers during the movie" rule in this theatre?

Highlights:

• we came up with new names for each other: Phoun = Undercover Brother, Kai = Conspiracy Brother ("Did you hear that?"), and I'm Sistah Girl
  
• "I see white people..."

And the night continued on...

After the movie the 3 of us headed to Finnigans to meet up with Mark and Jay. They were playing pool for a while and about half an hour later, Joey and Ali came by. Phoun and Kai decided to play a game, but for some reason their game took so long. Partly because Kai kept sinking the white ball. =P. Phoun made some "solid" shots and finally finished the game.

La la la LA la la la la la...

After Finnigans, all 7 of us decided to go karaoke at this place on 99 St (I forgot the name). We got a big room and sang all night long. It was so much fun! And the cool thing was their playlist was pretty current. Unlike other karaoke places whose most current playlists only go up to about 2 years ago, this place had songs like: Hot in Herre by Nelly, Just Like a Pill by Pink, and Don't Turn Off the Lights by Enrique Iglesias, just to name a few. Apparently they update their songs monthly, which is why they have up-to-date music. 3 1/2 hours, a couple of sore throats, and a few sore cheeks later (from laughing so much), we called it a night. Whoa, I haven't stayed out till 3:00 am in a long time. And by the time I got home, it was close to 4:00 am. *yawn*

Key Songs:

• Always - Atlantic Star
  
• That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder
  
• Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
  
• Copacobana - Barry Manilow
  
• Blame it on the Rain - Milli Vanilli
  
• Let Me Blow Ya Mind - Eve featuring Gwen Stefani
  
• Hero - Enrique Iglesias (key line being "Would you dance, if asked you to dance...")

Home on a Friday night

I haven't been home on a Friday night in a LONG time. And now that I don't have any plans (since Irma went to Vancouver for a wedding), I don't know what to do with myself. I was planning to go to kickboxing, but obviously I'm not there. I was hungry and I didn't want to pass out in class, so I went home to get a snack. But now that I'm home, I don't feel like going out again. So much for "staying on track". I thought about going to the Fringe Festival, but it's too cold outside to be walking around. I could call Phoun and Kai, or Matthew, and see what they're up to, but I don't really know what I feel like doing. I've also thought about going shopping, but at the same time I don't want to go because there are too many people and I'll probably end up buying something. Ugh. I don't like being like this. I know I want to be out of the house, but I don't know where to go and what to do. Suggestions anyone??

"OK class, now the next lesson is..."

I was training 2 girls today, and I felt like I was teaching a class. ;-) They were both so attentive, and had a lot of questions which was good. I think that's the best way to learn about the job. I'm hoping they "pick things up" quick.

Back to Kickboxing

After not doing any form of "hard core" activity for the past 2 months, give or take (since I went to Paris, and then the school was closed for 2 1/2 weeks), I finally made it back to kickboxing. And I'm so glad I went. I feel SO much better now. More alert and revived! Now if I can just make it to the gym, I'll be back on track...

Inside Joke/Comment

Only my Panorama ski buddies will understand this: I saw Mr. Six Figures today while I was leaving work. Don't think he recognized me, but then he was with some girl. Possibly the future Mrs. Six Figures? hehehehe. ;-)

Girls Night Out

Irma and I met up with my friend Cheryl, who's been back from Tahiti for a couple weeks now (but is going back for one more contract (I think) at the end of August). It's been so long since I last saw her, so it was fun to hang out with her and her friend Lori. We all met up at The Druid and had a blast drinking and dancing and drinking and dancing and more drinking. ;-) I didn't have that much to drink, but by the end of the night my face was feeling numb. Hmmm, maybe drinks 6 and 7 put me over? hehehehe. =P

Highlights:

• mission of the evening: randomly choose a guy to dance with (didn't happen)
  
• keyword of the evening: peanut butter
  
• lunging and squatting
  
• guys in kilts (who I think came from a wedding that a friend of mine went to)

Random Thought

Why are online quizzes so addicting? What provokes one to do them? Maybe it's to learn more about yourself. But how much can you learn from a limited number of questions? For me, I do it for fun. It's more of an "entertainment" thing for me than anything. Plus, if I'm doing one, it's usually because I'm bored. [I have no life... hehehe. =P]

So, according to these quizzes (with the exception of the first one), I am a camping commando, dare to be different, part full/part empty, marriage material, enchanted explorer/honeymooner, dashing diva, puppy pal, "take your foot off the gas", la-la land lost, selfless saint, true 80's baby, top secret, roomie from heaven, kinda person. In short, "well-rounded". hehehehe. ;-)

What's better than, if not just as good as, espresso chip ice cream?

Espresso chip milkshake. =P

Although Rick over-blended it, so it's not as thick as a normal milkshake. So really, it's more of an espresso chip milkshake drink. Leave it up to a guy to screw up something as simple as a milkshake. Hehehehehe. =P

Sahara Sands

Louise and I went to Sahara Sands Meditteranean Restaurant to use the dinner gift certificate we got last week. The only catch was we could only order one of the pasta dishes. Either that, or take $5 off any other entrée on the menu. I opted to try something else, since I wasn't in the mood for pasta. So I ordered the 1/2 farough (sp?) which is basically a half chicken with grilled veggies and Lebanese bread (which is similar to pita bread). It wasn't bad, but it was way too much for me to eat. I ended up eating half of my half chicken and taking the rest home.

Credit card nightmare

Just when I thought a phone call to AMEX would do the trick... not quite!

I was supposed to go to Hawaii last November with Bern, Bev, and Gary, but due to a family matter, I was called out to PI. Plus, it just so happened that the airline that I was supposed to fly with to Hawaii filed for bankruptcy right after I booked the ticket. Anyway, I've been waiting for a credit on my credit card and six months later, I still haven't received it. I called AMEX to find out what the status of that was, since one of the agents I spoke to 6 months ago said it would take 6 months (or so) to get it straightened out. Well, it's not that simple. According to this other AMEX agent I spoke to, she said that they mailed out letters to cardholders who had Canada-3000-refund-issues and that the deadline to get in contact with AMEX was May 31/02. Huh?!?! I didn't receive any letter and I told her that. I almost lost it, but I kept my composure and explained to her that I didn't want to eat this cost. So now I have to get in touch with my travel agent (who supposedly sent in a claim to AMEX on my behalf), and get the documentation verifying that a claim was sent to AMEX. But even with this documentation, the agent said that there was no guarantee that I'd get the refund, since the decision can only be made by upper management. ARGH!! That sucks! I really really really hope that my travel agent has this info. *crossing my fingers*

Ice Cream Flavor of the Day Week

Espresso Chip (espresso ice cream with flakes of chocolate) YUM!

The Bourne Identity

I went to the movies with my parents tonight (being cheap Tuesdays and all =P -- plus, I was bored), and saw The Bourne Identity. I thought it was a pretty good movie and liked how the movie kept me interested. Just the right amount of action without being too violent. My parents seemed to enjoy it as well, but I kinda felt like the third wheel. Oh well...

[Sidenote: I like Matt Damon better than Ben Affleck. heheheh. =P]

Day Off

I like having a day off during the week because it breaks things up. Although I tend to get my days mixed up (because it's like a weekend for me today), but that's minor. So far, I have:

• gotten my passport picture taken (since I should renew my passport);
  
• looked at getting contacts, but my eye doctor's receptionist was being a bitch when she tried to squeeze me in before my eye doctor went for lunch (uh, I don't want to be rushed into my eye appointment). I even offered to come back another time and she started giving me this attitude and tried to cover it up by smiling? Well, let's just say I'm not going back there anymore. Which means I have to find another eye doctor. Ugh;
  
• bought some hair stuff at Safeway since it was 2 for 1.

And now it's off to my hair appointment...

Austin Powers

After going shopping [I didn't buy much - just a shirt, a sweater, 2 pairs of jeans, and a pair of shoes. =P], Irma and I went to Eaton Centre to watch Austin Powers with Phoun and Kai. This was my second time seeing it, and I still think the second one was funnier than this one. Just my opinion...

Another one of those Café Select evenings...

After the movie, we decided to head to Café Select for the traditional Sunday thing, without Joi (since he's in travelling in Asia) so his representatives were Phoun and Kai. We started out with a bottle of chilean wine (which seems the usual "yuppie-ish" thing to drink), and ordered the tomato and herb fondue and escargots. Yum! Since it was Kai's first outing with us, we had to "initiate" him, by introducing him to the art on display. hehehehe. :-)

Highlights:

• Survivor 1
  
• "What the world needs now, is love sweet love, la la la la la la la..."
  
• Fook Mi, Fook Yu, Fook On, Fook Off
  
• origami with cloth napkins
  
• "Huh? I don't get it..."
  
• playing Big 2 (I kept losing)
  
• Kai realized he's allergic to cats (or is he allergic to Irma? heheheh. =P)

Hey Irma, do you think Kai got traumatized? hehehehe...

Random Thought

Do you notice that whenever the weather is not favorable outside (i.e. raining, snowing, or just plain cold), the day doesn't seem to go as well as it would have, had it been a nicer?

I think it's just been a long week...

I got pictures!

Yay! I got Bern's pictures in the mail today! Yay! :-) I hope you get my pictures soon, if you haven't gotten them already. Now I have the full set with over 300 pictures. Man, we took a lot of pictures... Well, I can definitely say that I'll never forget the Paris trip (especially with 300 pictures to refresh my memory). Not that I could actually forget the Paris trip, but... you know what I mean. I think I need to get a better camera though, since Bern's photos seemed more sharper than mine.

Now the task is to put them all together...

I also got my dinner gift certificate

So I went to that "meeting" to check out what the wholesale travel company was all about. I took my friend Louise with me, since she wants to start travelling. Before we could get our dinner gift certificate, we had to sit through this presentation, where they give their sales pitch on this whole discount travel thing. Basically what it entails is that you pay a one-time fee up front (or you can finance it) and then you can travel anywhere at wholesale prices (for air and hotel), which is 50-70% below retail cost. Since I've done a bit of travelling in the past couple years, I'd say that this would be a good investment for me. Only problem is, I don't have $3,500 to pay up front. Even if I were to finance it over 3 years at a monthly payment of $120, it's just not in my budget, especially after the Paris trip. If I had known about this before I went to Paris, I would definitely invest in it (and maybe I could've gone to London with Bern as well). I'm just not sure how much travelling I'm going to be doing. There is no time limit with this membership, but of course I want to make sure it's worth it. I was so close to signing up, because in the long run, it would make sense. You do save a lot of money. But the issue is having the money to begin with, plus being able to take time off work, etc, etc. I mean, yes I'd like to travel, but I also have to be realistic. [Does any of this make sense?]

Anyway, one presentation, and 2 hours later, Louise and I decided not to go for it. As good as it sounds, it just wasn't affordable for me. And Louise didn't like the fact that she had to decide right then and there. The lady who did the presentation seemed to be a bit upset that we didn't sign up, but she did say that if weren't going to use the service, or if we were unsure, we shouldn't sign up. So we didn't. We did get our dinner gift certificates though. hehehehe ;-)