The Legoland Convention

My friend Michael surprised me last night and took me to see Pedro the Lion! S0 great. There was a band called Tilly and the Wall who had a girl tap dancing on a piece of metal instead of drums and some chicks with kick ass voices. It was great. Man I want to be in a band!

I now live in the lounge. Call me there if you are trying to get a hold of me. You should all know the number. But do not leave messages there yet. We still have our old voice mail box. That should change soon. Ah, so much space for two of us who have been crammed into tiny rooms for the entire last year. I'm looking forward to this month.

I think I believe that it is better to keep quiet a lot of the time. I see a lot. I hear a lot. I know what is going on most of the time. And I can talk a lot. But if it doesn't involve me, I keep my mouth shut. Sometimes I wonder if this is a good idea or not. I do have opinions about a lot of things. Often I don't express what I disagree with unless I am asked about it. But I do have lots to say. Maybe I should speak up more regarding other people's lives. Maybe not. I really do not know???

So, apartment hunting was fun.  Heather was really nice, Brian was not.

Today, I saw at least three girls who looked like Rachelle Freeman.  She's not in town, is she?

I heard an Alan Jackson song today.  What ignorance he shows.  Aren't you all glad he makes you look ignorant too?

Sara-Lynn, I do not know at this time if I can make the berry party.  But you're right, you would make the best date.  If I go, will you be my date, hehe.

IT102-101B Light, IT120-101B Dark.  What's the difference, who can tell? 

Sugar is water soluble.

What did the Jewish guy say to the black guy?  "Increase the peace, yo"

"Damn the torpedoes!  Full speed ahead!" - Admiral Farragut

 
"I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man;
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran.
But I know Jesus, and I talk to God,
And I remember this from when I was young:
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us,
And the greatest is love."

"Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?"

Date: Tentatively August 14th
Place: The Lounge (a.k.a. Room 205 Morrison)
Time: Evening
For whom: All who miss hanging out in the old place, or who just want to have  a good time and eat some berries
Description: A party with lots of berries, to make up for the lack of berries at the Abbotsford Berry Festival
R.S.V.P. to Sara-Lynn - Is there a better date?  What kind of berries will you be bringing? 

I just watched the best foreign film I've ever seen.

It's called "My Sassy Girl"
I think it's Korean.

I have never laughed out loud, sighed out loud, and almost cried all while watching the same movie on my own. 
It was so funny and cute and beautiful.
We must watch it.

I like it this much and I only saw the second half.

Guys, can you please pray for me this week.   It's just been a rough one.  And if you could also pray for my friend Miriam and her family.  Like, a lot.  That would be rad. 

My car died today.
I spent 150 dollars on it in the last three days.
And it died anyways.
I want us to be friends.
Maybe my car just wants me to pull the plug.
I can't do that.
I love that car.
More accurately . . .
I can't afford not to love that car.
I swore at it today.
I swore a lot today.
And today was my youngest brother's birthday.
I will not exist for three days.
Then,
Sara-Lynn and Moey, and Dan, will see me.
Then I will not exist for a much longer period of time.
Much longer . . .
If I write prose line by line
can I call it a poem?
This would be one of those poems
Modern,
but conservative.
Like a good church.
Where people talk to each other and wear nice things and date sometimes.
Then go home.

Maybe church should be home.

He he he he he he he!  Awesome!!!

Avast! Speakin' o' pirates, thar be many thin's t' be discussed.  First o' all Slynn, me beauty, congrats on joinin' pirate ranks, but unfortunately, lasss can't be pirates.  I have been doin' some research into this issue, and it appears t' me that lasss be not pirates, but wenches.  Now, many o' you out thar may be sayin' Arrr!, at this point, but this be not meant t' be insultin' or disrespectful in any which way, but you all know me, and usin' words appropriately and correctly be very important.  It's kind o' like how all people be called 'man' in a general sense, but females be called 'woman' on a specific sense.  However, all that aside, congrats again on joinin' t' Summit Pacific pirate crew, whatever your role may be.
 
Now listen up, land lubbers, September 19 be "Talk Like a Pirate Day" and we would all do well t' observe this.  For more information, http://www.talklikeapirate.com.  That be all.
 
 
"Most days are like all of the others,
Go to work, come back home, watch TV.
But, brother, if I had me druthers,
I'd chuck it and head out to sea.
For I dream of the skull and crossbones,
I dream of the great day to come,
When I dump the mundane for the Old Spanish Main,
And trade my computer for rum.  ARR!"
 
"T'me, Yo Ho! Yo Ho!
It's "Talk Like a Pirate" Day!
When laptops are benches, God gave us wenches,
And a sail ain't a low price to pay!
When timbers are shivered and lillies are livered
And every last buckle is swashed
We'll abandon our cars for a shipfull of ARRRs
And pound back the old grog 'til we're sloshed.  Yo Ho!
 
-Has anyone seen my keys?
-Just off the coast of Florida, matey!  ARRR!
 
Don't pick up yer phone and say "Hello,
Your ten 0'clock meeting's delayed,"
Ye scrunch up yer face and ye bellow
"Avast!  Ye've been bleedin' BELAYED!"
 
Ye can't keep all this fun to yourself, I bet
So sing "Aye," "ARRR," and "Ayy," every man!
We ain't got a grasp of the alphabet,
But a damn good retirement plan!  (raucous laughter)
 
T'me, Yo Ho!  Yo Ho!
It's "Talk Like a Pirate" Day!
Whatever's in fashion is in for a thrashin'
And bein' polite is passe.
When it's every man duty to grab his proud beauty,
And let out a hearty "Yo Ho!"
And if this offends you, hold your breath as we sends you
Ta Davy Jones Locker ya go
 
-Where is Davy Jones' locker, anyway?
-Right near Monkee Island!  Arr, aye, arr...
 
We'll tell every banker, "Heave to and weigh anchor"
Buy latte with pieces of eight.
We'll fight to be chosen as Cap'n or bosun
The loser, o'course, is worst mate!
 
When we hoist Jolly Roger, the landlubbers dodge her,
We'll fill them with loathing and fear
We'll plunder and pillage each city and village,
Or at least clean out Wal-Mart of beer.
 
-Ahoy Mateys!  Welcome ta "Iron Chef Pirate"  Let's see the secret ingredient.
  It's barnacles!
-Oh ho, thar be some cutting-edge cuisine
-Awwk!  Awwk!
-Hold still, Polly!  I need this for me salad.
-Avast there, me bucko!  Ye need carrot shavings.  CARROT!
-Hey, Cap'n, I be on Atkins.
-And you!  WHAT are ye doin' with that salmon?
-I'm grillin' it on a hunk o'cedar, what d'y'think?
-Ye can't do that in a Japanese Stir-fry, ye bilge rat!
-Oh Ho!  Ye never heard o' "wokkin' the plank?"
 
There ain't no computin' or mornin' commutin'
No "Parking Lot Full" signs for me.
No lawns to be mowin' or bills to be owin'
I'm knowin' the pull o'the sea.
 
The fresh salty brace of the wind on my face,
Through hurricane, sunshine, or squalls.
I'm keepin' my eye on the distant horizon,
Verizon can hold all my calls!
 
To wear a red coat full o'buckles
To earn a few duelling scars.
Well at least we can get a few chuckles
By filling the office with ARRRs!
 
And maybe we'll never get closer
Than watchin' them on the big screen.
So here's to old Errol and Depp as Jack Sparrow
And every damn one in between.
 
T'me Yo Ho!  Yo Ho!
It's "Talk Like a Pirate" Day
That time in September, when sea dogs remember
That grown-up still know how ta play!
When wenches are curvy and dogs are all scurvy
And a soft-wear patch covers the eye
Ta hell with our jobs, for one day we're all swabs
And buccaneers all 'til we die!
 
So hoist up the mainsails and shut down your brain cells,
They only would get in the way.
Avast there, me hearty, we're havin' a party!
It's "Talk Like a Pirate" Day!
 
Yo Ho!

# posted bypseudotrend : 12:08 PM

Oh, I forgot to mention that I am going to retract what I said about being nice earlier.  The other day, I decided to try it...and I stood firm, and didn't act all apologetically when someone from the camp wanted something that I couldn't do.  Actually, she just wanted to borrow a knife from the cafeteria but the last group lost one they had borrowed and the pirates said that they wouldn't lend any out anymore.  So I told her no.  And she whined and complained and would not take no for an answer.  But instead of nicely giving in, I kept saying no.  AND THEN!!!  The pirate came out and in a shocking display of nicety (yes, that is my word) gave her a knife!  I could not believe my eyes.  The pirate, out-niceing me!  And he seemed quite happy, whereas I was not as happy as I would have been if I had of been nicer.  So...from now on, I shall continue to be nice...most of the time. 

So, the new pirate, Alan, has taking a liking to me.  He always smiles and says hello.  And he has started bringing me a bucket of soapy water and a rag before I even come ask for it every day.  I found out that he came from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.  Does such a place even exist?  I think it is a code name for somewhere in the Spanish Isles.  I had almost forgotten that I get to work with pirates.  The other day a student from Summit asked me how it was working with the pirates...specifically the guy with all the tatoos.  I did not realiize that they are commonly known as pirates. I thought that was something only few people knew about.  But this is the place where news spreads faster than fast.  So since I work with pirates, on such a regular basis, in such close proximity, it must stand that I am a pirate too.  It's only logical. 

"Could you imagine the effect on a youth attending a Stop Five Record writer's youth group should one have read the swearing?”

I personally think the youth might be relieved to see that their leader is a real person, just like they are.

"Kids look up to us. A lot of people will look up to us. And we need to be squeaky clean."

Okay now that's just begging for trouble. Squeaky clean? If you try to be a squeaky clean leader in a real church, they'll chew you up and spit you out before you know what's happened. You can never be good enough for some people, and there's no point in trying to keep up the appearance; it's just not possible.

"To the world, we are supposed to be a bunch of purists, and if we do anything slightly possibly wrong, they will point fingers at us and throw away all that is good."

Now that's true. The problem here is that the church has given the world the wrong idea about what it means to be a Christian. We are not purists and neither Jesus nor the disciples expected we should be. The world needs to see our hearts, and that can only happen when we start wanting to show them. If we're hung up with our own rigid rules, so the world will be.

As to swearing, it is certainly NOT a matter of sin (while in contrast profanity is, being the name of God). The sin here is the intent behind our words, not the words themselves. It's ridiculous to arbitrarily demonize the so-called 'swear words', when most have legitimate, non-offensive origins and modern day meanings. I'm not endorsing the frequent usage of these words, but in certain circumstances they can be a fount of expression. I can see two problems with swearing and language in general which need to be addressed.

The first is with their malicious use, as it is with any words used in such a context. What do we mean by our language? My comment to you the other day, "Thanks, pastor," was sarcastic and hurtful and I'm sorry I wrote it, but there were no swear words used.

The second problem is when the use of traditionally taboo words drives people to distraction when they should be focused upon God's message. Of course words aren't the only culprits in this area, action plays the same part; the issue is again with context and intent.

Where I think we get confused on this subject is in the area of etiquette. Swearing is certainly considered bad etiquette in some circles, and is indeed downright offensive in others. But let's not confuse etiquette with sin. For example it's considered bad etiquette to eat with your hands, and some certainly find it offensive, especially in the church. But is it sinful?

I could go on, but this is more of a discussion, not an essay. I hope you'll forgive me Andrew, for what I said before, and know that I appreciate your sensitivity on the subject. We are all made from different experiences and so we all have a unique perspective to offer each other on the things we talk about. If you hadn't been so determined I'd never have thought this swearing thing out.

I hope you get some of your problems worked out this summer, and anytime you want to talk about something, just throw it up on the board. You have my respect.

Maybe my tongue-in-cheek humour does not come across clearly when written down?  Must work on that. 

Okay, so I gotta throw in my vote with the ladies on this one.  I don't know why I felt like getting involved in this debate.  But I find it comforting that the girls refer to us as "Their guys."  I think maybe because I know they're looking out for us and such.  And because I have, on occasion, referred to them as "our girls."  So, that's my thoughts about that.
 
I've taken up lying to people while I make their sandwiches at work.
Yesterday this guy ordered a veggie pattie.  So I threw what I thought was a veggie pattie in the microwave.  It was actually a sausage pattie.  So I told him that I have  a secret plot, through Subway, to subvert all vegetarians by making them unwittingly eat meat.  I think it could work.
 

mixing serious concerns with an acknowledgement of humour is a tough thing, maybe to tough for me. But whatever.
 
Sara Lynn- I never said Holly wasn't funny. I said she doesn't make many jokes around me. That is true. its cool though not a big deal.
 
obviously I noticed her joking about the hair, and provided a commentary with a mixing in of some new Jessica Simpson Flava (which has become Holly and I's favorite new conversation). This was a recognizing of her humour. come on.
 
Also... The strange guy comment was a double edged sword, to point out that yes she is funny and boys do appreciate it... maybe the new ones (stangers) more as she said, but whatever I think she is funny. still on that same edge was to encourage (give courage to) one of my favorite girls to find the man of her dreams, he might still be in the strange genre. The second edge was composed of an alloy completely fabricated by myself, I thought to be funny. stanger and stranger hoho ho. I am so funny. This is the kind of damage the sword is capable of doing.
 
But I can see how you would be distracted by the weilder who had allready made the second statement.
 
and to address the second statement. 
I think I made sense. it is not the term, but the threat of the reality therein that upset me.
 
I still don't mind that much being a chump, you can all think what you like.
 
Thanks for thinking regular Bryan is more funny... I don't take on the alter ego much, hopefully never, he is cocky and arrogant I think.
confidence should be held in check with the proper perspective. Ultra confidence is really just a lapse, not a succession.  
 
its not like I don't like Holly.
 
Bryan,
 
 

I'm sorry Bryan, but I would have to say I definitely agree with Holly on this one.  Holly is extremely funny in a charming way.  She does not crack jokes that are dumb, which may be why "our" guys do not find her funny.  But she is the queen of wit and good comebacks.  I aspire to be like her in that, though that is one of my weakest areas of all.  I do think it will be her humour that will attract the man of her dreams, whether you realize it or not.  And it is true that no one can match the funnyness of Laura Hooper, but she stands in a class of her own.   Holly is, by far, one of the funniest girls I know. 
In the manner of the terminology of "our" guys, I think you just misunderstand what is meant.   There is a clear distinction between the word "our" and the word "my, or mine."  "My" Dan, is completely different than "our" Dan.  You can be someone's guy and still be "our" Bryan.  It is not just a possessive thing (though sometimes, I must admit, us girls struggle with this).  But it does not exclude you from belonging to whomever else you choose to belong to.  And usually the use of "our" does not single out one person.  It is a collective in reference to the group of guys that we feel comfortable enough to call our good friends without worrying about any romance...though occasionally secret romances to come about...but that's a whole other topic.  It should also be noted that classifying certain people as "our" guys sets them apart from other guys.  It is an honour - one that not many people attain.   So if you still do not want to be called one of "our" guys, we shall refrain from using that term around you...however we cannot agree to stop using the term altogether, especially when we are together.  If you only understood how much pleasure we get from being around "our" guys when we are all together, this would make more sense.  And I realize that I am speaking on behalf of the other girls, but I think they would agree with me as well. 
Ultra confident Bryan is very confident.  But regular Bryan is sometimes way more funny, in my opinion. 
This is not a big deal at all.  I am at work and bored at the moment. 
A post on this blogsite is always open for comment.  Hence the reason I reply to your blog. 
True, Holly is not around enough stranger boys. 
But where are good quality stranger boys to be found? 
There are stranger boys to be found than you...though you may have to look a while. 
Growing hair takes a long time.  And the red is looking pretty good right now. 
Jessica Simpson?  Yes, perfect.  She should be the rolemodel for all us girls.  It's a flawless plan. 
Good use of the word chump.  Yes, you are.  But it made me smile.  And I do like smiling!

firstly: you don't make that many jokes
 
Secondly: I get what you mean by our guys, but the deal is that I hate that expression... I dream of being someone's guy some day, I have been in the past. And that is very different between what friendship I have with you. I am Bryan, Andrew is andrew, Dan is dan, Rob is rob etc... but the deal is I don't think any of them are yours' or the collective girls' (I am not in the complete know about this, some secrete romances may be going on???hehe). Don't include me in that saying  again... thanks.
 
Thirdly: It seems to me that you think you are less funny, maybe that is the problem... confidence. Ultra Confident Bryan is very funny, or atleast he thinks he is, mostly he thinks he is.
 
Fourthly: is this such a big deal
 
Fifthly: do I have any right to comment on your humour
 
Sixthly: Maybe there are not enough stranger boys around you... (you say you are funnier when they are)
 
Seventhly: go find some stranger boys
 
Eighthly: Are there stranger boys than Me
 
Ninethly: JUST DYE your hair blond and grow it
 
Tenthly: Watch more Jessica Simpson
 
I'm a chump I know, but how are you getting here Saturday?  

its morning so I'm a bit more sludgy in the head than usual (its a word Andrew, get over it). So if I don't make sense, excuse me. What I would like to focus on today is my incredible wit that generally goes unnoticed by the opposite gender. I have finally figured out why. Oh I'm not saying that I don't get a laugh or two ever so often, but I have realised that I get them far less than I should. Here is why: I am about 50% funnier when there are no guys around me. I should clarify that I mean "our" guys. You know who you are. If its a stranger he's likely to be entertained by me. However, if the room if full of girls I will be the center of attention and have them laughing continually. I would argue even more than Laura, though the opposite is true in a mixed group. But really no one can compete with Laura because she's the funniest person we all know and she's completely unaware of it - which adds to her charm. Anyways, I figure this is a strange phenomenon. I'm definitely not intimidated by our guys. In fact I'm sure its been based on my wit the I've scored some boyfriends who were at one time those entertained strangers - though in highschool my long blond hair definitely helped. So the conclusion I've come to is that either our guys are incredibly unfunny (which we know is not true), or they have been conspiring against me and doping my coffee with unfunny drugs. So stop drugging my coffee boys, I want my wit back

Sunday, July 25 - Mesa Luna Lounge
7:00pm, $10
With:
*The Fullblast
*Big Collapse
*Alucard (for Monster Squad fans, that's Dracula backwards)
*Lights Below


"And all the girls walk by
Dressed up for each other
And the boys do the boogie-woogie
On the corner of the street
And the people passin' by
Just stare in wild wonder
And the inside juke-box
Roars out just like thunder"

"Come on out and dance
Come on out and make romance
The wild night is calling"

I do like pretty, soft feathers.

Today started off quite nice with a visit from Donkers (one of my favorite guys), with whom I went to the Berry Festival in Abbotsford. (Aside note: The berry festival was just a cityish street market and the whole time we were only given one free berry...and it was a raspberry at that - my least favorite).

When I came back, I had to go down and clean the gym yet again. Yes, the grossly disgusting P.S. Jones gym. Zenon was there, though, cleaning one of the side rooms and keeping me company. It was all going fine until he brought out a blanket he had found in the room. It was covered with dust and looked like it had been there a thousand years (well, at least for a long time). He brought it to me, pretending to throw it on my head, which I was so grateful that he didn't. I took it from him though and threw it into the garbage bag I had. Then I walked over to the other side of the room where he had come from, and there was something on the floor that had not been there before. I looked down, hoping it was not what I thought, and managed to say, "That's not a..." And Zenon was like, "Yes, it is." It was a dead mouse. One that had clearly been in the blanket he had been carrying and just fallen out. Now, I am not a screaming kind of girl (the kind that can be made fun of throughout the entire Spiderman movie), but I did most definitely let out a girlyish horrified sound of some sort. Not just at the fact of seeing a dead mouse, but because of the fact that I had touched a blanket that a dead mouse had been in. Fortunately, Zenon came to my rescue and threw it outside for me. As I thought about it after, I decided that it is quite appropriate for guys to be the heroes and not the girls. I just don't think that it is in us, despite our ambitions of grandeur. Sometimes, we just need to be rescued.

Then tonight I went down to the cafeteria and there was a new guy working there. He looks like he has not ever left the 80s. Tight blue jeans. A tucked in and bagged out black shirt. Long wavy blond/brown hair. And a big mustache. He's not even that old. And he is super quiet. His name is Alan, that much I found out. I do quite like interesting people.

There was a group of kids at dinner...about four little boys. Little boys are definitely my favorite. They all sat at the high chairs gulping down their food. They were probably about 8 or 9. And as they were finishing they looked at the clock. Then one boy (obviously the ring leader) was like, "Okay guys, it's 6:00. That means we have one hour for our secret " " and he made the quotation symbols with his hands, clearly not disclosing their secret plan. Then they syncronized their watches or something. And then they took turns leaving, saying that they were going to the washroom...and never coming back. It was pure genius. Oh how I love little boys. That was the most entertaining part of the day.

I also decided tonight that I am too nice. Not nice in a friendly kind of way with people I care about. But nice to complete strangers who I have no obligation to care about. You know when someone is trying to bend the rules or get away with something that is not allowed. Well, whenever that happens (and it happens quite a bit with my job) I become all nice and apologetic and am like, "I am sorry, you can't do that because..." instead of just saying, "No, you can't do that." I mean, either way the person is going to be ticked that I said no. Why should I be so nice about it? I noticed tonight that this is the main difference between Gord (the pirate cook) and me. He doesn't bother being nice. And I do. But seriously, are they even going to remember the nice girl or the mean cook from their brief visit at Summit?

And that was my day so far.

http://www.thefestival.bc.ca/

so heres the deal

its actually 10 dollars for the one day

which is usually 50 or so

but yeah Holly and I are defiantely going Saturday... its from like 10am-11pm
should be a real rad time... and over at Jericho beach

go to the sight for details
ummm... call me if you want me to try to get you tickets

you all know my number right

2 Things:
1. Thought you'd like to know that I prayed for you all today. Don't know why I thought I'd share. I guess its just encouraging to know people pray for eachother.
2. When is this folk festival?

When is this folk festival that you talk about???

The tickets for the three day event are usually like 70 dollars
i know how to get them for 10 if anyone would like to go


It will be seriously fun

later

Last night, Holly-Anne completely dominated me in the game of Speed. A game requiring speed, coordination and quick thinking. I think the score was something like 10-3. Congratulations Holly.

"Don't you look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I've got"

Consider me thine enemy? Give the word,
And I will die upon mine own sword.
Consider me thy man-at-arms? Thy sword unsheath,
And I will live and die to see they word unleashed.
Friend or Foe,
But by thy word or by thy hand, I dare
To laugh and fight and breathe the air.
And this I know, thine enemies beware.


"Love I get so lost, sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away, I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go, I come back to the place you are
And all my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside"

"In your eyes, the light the heat,
In your eyes, I am complete"

You know what I think? I think that too often we live our lives waiting. We think that if we just get to the point where we can do this, or be there, or have that, then we'll be happy and fulfilled. I read a little article once that was about a person just waiting for life to begin. But each time he thought life was about to be the way it should, there would be an interruption. This happened over and over until one day he realized that those interruptions - they were his life. I like that perspective. We don't have to wait till everything is "right" to live. Most of life is made up of situations that are not perfectly "right." That doesn't mean we can't live life to the full. I think I am preaching this to myself, but I think we would all benefit to remind ourselves of it again. I waited all year for Dan to come back from Korea. Now he's back and I find myself waiting for him to come here and not be in Kelowna. But even though he's not here, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself now. I forget that sometimes. And, yeah, this is just my situation. But I can't help but look around and see all sorts of people I know in the same sort of place. Waiting to go somewhere. Or to have a certain job. Or to be rid of a certain job. Or move on to the next thing. I say, let's stop waiting and carpe diem now. Can we give it a try? I know this is much simpler to say than to actually do, and I also know that a lot of you have this mindset already. I just needed to express it.