Friday, January 31, 2003
happy birthday shannon!! (15 min ago)
guess who i met tonight? :) :)
Thursday, January 30, 2003
Finally A Non-football Post
So anyway, about the Super Bowl, I forgot to mention something. Shania. What's up w/ the lip syncing? Did she really think she could get away w/ it? Or does she not care? That's pretty much openly saying that she admits she sells CDs not w/ her musical talent but w/ her looks, especially when No Doubt and Sting go on stage afterwards and actually sing. I don't really care what she does on her own time but the Super Bowl organizers shouldn't have accepted that.
Super Bowl halftime music seems to really fit the team that’s behind at the half lately. Last year the Rams were stuck in a moment they couldn’t get out of. This year the Raiders, man, did they ever feel like women. I’m Just a Girl was dedicated to Rich Gannon, no doubt. And Sting helped the Raiders send out an SOS which , much to their chagrin, was never answered.
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
i'm here!
lol. enough of this football! even i'm starting to fall asleep. ;) i promise to post something decent soon!!
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Super Bowl Rap-up
I thought Simeon Rice should’ve gotten the Super Bowl MVP. Sure the interceptions were key points in the game, but I think the game was won behind the line of scrimmage, on the Raiders side. Rice was in Gannon’s face all game. Quite the difference between being pressured all game and having all the time in the world against the Titans the week before. Of course, having your center go AWOL before the biggest game of your life doesn’t help. Speaking of which, has anyone seen Lyds?
Just how good are the Bucs defense? Well, despite what they might think, they’re not better than the 2000 Ravens were. Not even close. Ravens D simply over powered their opponents. I mean, they went months w/o having a touchdown scored on them. Now that’s superior D. As for the other great defenses (Pittsburg, Chicago), I wasn’t around for them so I wouldn’t know, but from what I gather from those who were, they too were better than the Bucs.
So begins the ½ year w/o NFL football.
Monday, January 27, 2003
Hm.. I don't know where Lyds disappeared off to. I'll keep posting.
Pirate Bowl
So much for a good game. Steve, Andrew.. no argument this year on how good the Super Bowl was. It was pretty dry. Too bad the Raiders didn't show up until the 4th quarter, and even then they stunk. MVP Rich Gannon, what happened?
Sunday, January 26, 2003
Super Bowl XXXVII
Wow! What a hyped up Super Bowl. No black QBs but could you ask for a better story line? Gruden vs. his former team. Was he worth the price? Best offense vs. best defense. In other words, the classic unstoppable force vs. the immovable object match up. The way I see it:
If Bucs win
- Gruden proves his worth
- We get to see Sapp run his mouth off
- We get to see Gramatica dance like a fool
If Raiders win
- Proves the team is worth more than the coach
- Gannon and Brown will get some satisfaction
- All the old men Raiders can retire on top
Either way sounds good to me. Hope the game delivers to the hype.
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
spiritual musings
here are some of the quotes i've been mulling over in the last while. stuck in my head from songs sung and books read. phrases that grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.
"... our first concern must be to please him; any benefits for us will be secondary."
~ a book from euge on worship (i forget the title/author)
"...pour contempt on all my pride..."
~ isaac watts, when i survey the wondrous cross
"...every blessing You pour out i'll turn back to praise..."
~ matt & beth redman, blessed be your name
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
living at home
i have now been living at home for more than 3 wks. time for an evaluation. surprisingly enough, this time living at home has been much more peaceful than it ever was b4 when i was living at home for the summer. ppl ask me why and the only difference i can think of is that there was that wk of christmas and new yr's inbtwn. i didn't move in and start work right away... i had time to relax and veg and go out and see friends. perhaps it's also cuz this time i know it's permanent. there's no turning back. no moving out again. and so my attitude was different. at the beginning, i made an effort to call if i wasn't gonna be home for dinner, i tried to be considerate... in my own selfish ways, tried to be at home more often. it helped that i didn't wanna go out much and would rather stay home and organize the mounds of paper i've accumulated over the yrs. :) it's nice to finally be in one place for more than 8 months at a time. i'm tired of moving in and out. i'd like to stretch out and dig in my roots somewhere. funny how it's back at home... another home. something else i've learned about living at home is not to take anything too seriously. or personally. the "big deals" are not that big of a deal, take it easy. i've never been one to hold grudges for long. so i'm letting my "strong type b" personality kick in... and relax. laugh. life is too short to be angry. or bitter. or to let things bother u.
i experienced what it was like to have someone close to me die last night. in a dream. it was freaky. i never wanna have to experience that in real life. not like that.
Monday, January 20, 2003
NFL Playoffs
Not a chance.
Sunday, January 19, 2003
NFL Playoffs
Could this be? Could we have an all black QB Super Bowl???
Saturday, January 18, 2003
tempura soup... with a twist
there's something disconcerting about gingerbreadmen-like figures staring up at me from inside my soup bowl. i like cute cookies, but... not cutely shaped fish paste. with green eyes, red lips and a carrot bow tie. what will they come up with next.
out of solitude
... comes the realization that ur worth comes not from what u have done, but who u are in christ.
... comes the ability to experience all the human feelings that allows one to empathize with those who are suffering, learning to care for others thru sharing in their pain... not simply offering a cure.
... comes an expectation of joy that although in this life, everything we do is tinged with sadness, there is a life to come where we will be continually filled with joy.
it's been a really great last couple of days. i came back this evening, refreshed and renewed, ready to face the world. the retreat was just what i needed after having run around for the last couple wks feeling like a chicken with its head cut off cuz i hadn't taken the time to do consistent devos since b4 christmas. isn't it funny how God always gives us just what we need. this was the first time ipg (international programs group, my dept) had gone on an overnight spiritual retreat. all the others in the past had been day workshops where they worked on vision statements and goals and objectives. i met so many fascinating ppl in the dept... all of them committed to serving the poor and oppressed, the majority having spent yrs of their lives overseas working among the poor. it was so inspiring and uplifting to hear their stories. i'm used to being one of a couple ppl in my circle of friends who have their sights set on serving overseas. ppl always comment on how it is such a noble desire and everything, but it's not at all. it's simply that this is the direction God is telling me to go. but being used to a circle where ppl are focused on the north american life and worldview, it was eye opening to be among ppl who's lives are focused on the developing world and what God is doing there. our speaker was jayakumar christian, a leader from world vision india, and a very wise and profound man. he spoke to us based on henri nouwen's "out of solitude". which is where the ideas of that first bit of my blog comes from.
from this retreat, one of the things i realized is the importance of regular reflection and solitude. and also that i don't do it enough at all. imagine reflecting on each wk... it'd make the following wk much more meaningful and productive. u'd have a chance to look back and re-evaluate and change things b4 it's too late. b4 ur life passes u by. i'm the sort of person who needs a lot of quiet time to myself, to think, to slow down, to regroup.
so... excuse me while i go and think about my day. :)
ps. thanx for being a great guest blogger, brian! cheap links and all. ;)
Friday, January 17, 2003
Lego Train Show
Don't have time to write anything ATM, so here's more cheap links to fill my blog quota til Lyds gets back. Here's today's.
Thursday, January 16, 2003
2 Quick Items To Note
Who cops the cops?
and
I wish I had hops. (I like the Mobley quote.)
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Hockey Talk
I was watching the TV the other day and I saw on the news the Ottawa Senators crying about being on the verge of going bankrupt and losing the franchise. They were asking fans to come out and help support the team and they showed footage of some poor sap at the box office buying a ticket. Now call me cold hearted, but I find it hard to find sympathy for millionaires crying about their money. Who cares if Canada loses all her hockey teams? I can’t afford to go to one anyway. If we really loved hockey so much, we would play for our own teams for lesser pay. I have no problems w/ lionizing our professional athletes and paying them millions, but I do have a problem when they cry about fans not buying enough overpriced tickets. If we can’t compete w/ American teams, then don’t. Wake up! The Europeans are on top and the cup ain’t coming home. Enjoy your gold medals Canada ‘cuz the NHL went south the day our Great hero did. If hockey meant that much to us we could always start our own league (à la CFL) and keep our talent home. Ottawa Senators, you get the STFU award for this week. Go (American owned) Habs!
War Is Sell
I can't wait til they come out w/ the PS2 version.
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
hey kids, i'm off to a retreat for a couple days! guess what - i don't have to pay! hahaha. it's a work retreat! except there's NO WORK allowed! not even laptops. imagine that. it's gonna be all about spiritual refreshment. the theme is "transformational encounters with God." i'm loving my job! :)
anyhow, i'll blog when i get back. til then, i trust that my guest blogger will keep u well entertained. :)
cya!
Extra! Extra!
Newspaper competition seems pretty stiff these days. Advertisement for them runs rampant. The National Post is the worst. I really hate their ads. They've been bad since day one. It's the crappiest of the papers too. Utterly useless. Hello, I do not need T.P. w/ the poop already on it thank you very much. Conrad Black is the biggest tree murderer of them all. FYI, we have not subscribed to a newspaper in this household for years and years. I suppose if we did it would probably be the Toronto Star. Anyway, so yeah, newspaper competition is stiff and b/c of that I'm always getting calls from them asking if I want to buy their paper. Today it was the Globe & Mail calling. The guy was real slick. He just started reading of his spew. It was like a commercial had phoned me. "Sorry, thanks but I'm not interested", I said, interjecting where there was no break. And dude's so smart you know. "Is there a reason why you're not interested? We do have a 30 day money back guarantee." Having already told him I was not interested, I ran out of things to say, so I told him... "I'm illiterate."
lol. these boys crack me up excessively too!! i know, i've already mentioned them in the past, but i think they deserve another mention. :)
g.whoa!
g-ray
happy birthday, myko!!!!!!!!!! :D
i have been waiting for this day for very long now...look who has joined us!!!!! i love this boy!!! :)
Monday, January 13, 2003
Medulla Oblongata
Movies that I've seen that have references to the medulla oblongata in them:
- Fight Club
- The Waterboy
- The World Is Not Enough
it's about time i blogged!! ok, so first things first...
i like erica's idea of spotlighting ppl by having a blog devoted to ppl she appreciates. what an awesome way to tell ur friends what u love about them.. or just random ppl too! here's my version for tonight.
cath
if u recall, a couple blogs ago i said sometimes i forget how many amazing, inspiring, close friends i have. cath is one of those friends. that night we had had missions fellowship and cath shared about her medical missions trip to niger that she had gone on this past summer. i love cath. u know how there are friends that the moment u see, u feel a complete sense of comfortableness? ... and in a room full of strangers and acquaintances, when u walk in and spot them on the other side of the room u feel something like almost relief and wave of familiarity. cath is one of those ppl for me. i first met her in first yr at trin. i don't even remember the exact moment we met, but i do remember that she became a christian that yr and was quickly thrown into the thick of things, serving at tccf. in 2nd yr, we started to talk much more as my usual grp of first yr res friends all moved out. i remember many nights of emotion-filled talks in my room, cath sitting in my armchair and hugging my kerroppi. that beloved kerroppi head has seen many tears, much laughter and fervent prayer. cath is one amazing, bright girl. i've always loved her eagerness, genuine-ness, but most of all... her positive-ness. and that's what i was reminded of last sat night. in spite of all their sickness, struggles with adjusting to climate and culture, crankiness and discouragement, cath presented all her stories that night in such a positive light that one couldn't help but be in awe of all the wonderful things God is doing is niger. she has such a sweet, cheerful, entirely thankful attitude about her that shone thru so clearly as she excitedly retold all the stories she had heard and experienced. her enthusiasm was both contagious and endearing. i love cath!! :) talking to her never fails to put a smile on my face and a bounce in my step cuz she makes it seem like the world is a better place. :)
here are some fun facts about cath:
- her stuffed animals talk to her
- she likes to read multiple books at a time... she probably has more than 6 bks going at the moment. i wouldn't be surprised if it was more than that!!
- she has new pet fish named straw, berry, blue, b, e, and erry
- she has been following me around all these yrs - from trin to 1001 bay to the liberties! too bad she can't follow me all the way to scarborough!
ok, that's all for tonight. another night of way past my bedtime. >.< this work schedule thing is not agreeing with me!!
nite, y'all. :)
Friday, January 10, 2003
happy birthday, wongs!!!!!!!!!! :D
Hm.. I guess it's my job as guestblogger to be filling in where lyds goes absent. Oops. Anyway, here, have a buyer beware warning for today...
Jetsgo? Hell No!
Okay, I wasn't going to say anything before but since b.p. brought it up, well, Jetsgo is crap. Jasmine, my cousin, and cousin-in-law will all agree and can attest to that. Yes, the horror stories are true, so unless you want an airline horror story of your own to tell, do not fly Jetsgo. You'd think it was just poor luck if your flight, oh let's say.. took 17hrs to get to Vancouver from Toronto. When they add to that by losing your luggage on the return flight and then not having it show up til the next day, you might say, "I'm not flying this airline again". But when you hear these stories and then MORE negative stories about the same airline, well then, you're going to want to blog about it. Don't be tempted by cheaper fares. Save yourself the trouble instead. Why am I slamming them here? It's b/c I'm dumbfounded that it is actually this bad, that's why.
Thursday, January 09, 2003
hey guys... i've been too busy/tired to blog lately. sorry. i should be in bed in 10 min, but i still gotta shower and make my lunch for tmr. crazy commute aside, work is good. i'm really blessed. some things to share, but that will hafta wait. i'm still adjusting to this whole work schedule thing. 60% of my day is gone already! and that doesn't include sleep!! anyhow, i can't complain... thanx for the reminder, andrew. :)
my new great thing of the moment is books on tape. i "read" one whole book today! northanger abbey by jane austen. i'm gonna get lotsa reading done this term.. i have a feeling. next on the list is "the poisonwood bible". looking forward to that one!
okie dokes. i'm out.
nite!
Sunday, January 05, 2003
sometimes i forget just how many amazing, inspiring, close friends i have. tonight reminded me of that. :) i'll explain more l8r.
Saturday, January 04, 2003
Funk Soul Brother
Check it out now.
Friday, January 03, 2003
Happy New Year
Thursday, January 02, 2003
snooooow!! beautiful snooooow!!!!!
sometimes i think i honestly believe that the world revolves around me.
it's a rude awakening when i realize that it doesn't. every time.
strawberry fields forever!
break up
i've been following this girl's life for awhile and now i feel for her.
i wonder how often guys are like that - go on with their lives as if nothing had happened. and i wonder if they're feeling it inside. but just don't wanna show it. do they try their darndest to forget. or do they really not feel it? hmm. i suppose it does depend on the situation and the guy, but i tend to hear of this situation more often than the other, where the guy lies in bed for days not being able to think of anything else. except maybe in movies. any thoughts?
Wednesday, January 01, 2003
happy new year!
what a fun night. :) i don't think i've ever spent new yr's in a big crowd b4... well, other than at urbana, i guess. a bunch of us went to runyx at bay and dundas for some food (a place i've been wanting to check out in awhile. it's a wine bar/cafe. good food, nice night-ish atmosphere) and then headed to nathan phillip square for the countdown. we got stuck in a sea of ppl... and started shouting and dancing with them. :) fresh night air! and some crazy dudes walking on top of the archways above the rink. off to shannon's we went afterwards to chill, play cards, have deep philosophical talks, look at photos, read magazines and play word racer. [yawn]. now off to bed i go!
