well worth the wait

Black Friday is my favorite day of the year, hands down. The early mornings/late nights, the hustle and bustle of crazed shoppers, the unbelievable deals... I've been looking forward to this day for two years now, and boyyy this year sure made up for missing it last year (Shanghai doesn't celebrate Black Friday, haha).

Luckily, my brother found this "outlet" mall 30 mins away from our new house, so at 11:30PM, still suffering from food coma, we packed some leftover food, a few blankets (in case we wanted to sleep in the car) and headed out. Traffic wasn't too bad, and we made it into the mall by 12:05! It felt like there was a mass exodus happening as people filled the mall. Our first stop was Banana Republic, where the whole store was 50% off!! (Yay.) The line was nonexistent at first, then quickly grew to wrap around the store... And so the waiting began...

I'll spare you all the riveting details of our waiting in lines at places for hours upon hours, but I just wanted to share that we shopped for 7 straight hours at the mall, then went out to Circuit City, and finally came home by 9AM. I pretty much pulled an all-nighter shopping.

Glorious.

so deceived

** Edit**
MAN. The deception never ends. I thought Redemption was 4 hours over a period of 2 days, but it turns out it's only 2 hours. And yesterday was it. Karashiiiiiiiii :(

I'm a HUGE fan of 24. I've followed all 6 seasons faithfully, so I was bummed that the 7th season was going to start after such a long wait -- January 11, 09; that's 19 months of waiting! I was talking to George about 24 about a month ago, and he asked me "did you see the new 24 trailer?! It's crazy! Jack's in Africa as a missionary, there's a female president, etc..." I immediately went to 24's site and watched the trailer, but was totally confused when the trailer had none of those things. It showed an alive Tony Almeida instead, which in of itself is pretty shocking anyway.

Then last night, people were talking about 24 and its 2-hour premiere tonight. I was yet again super confused, since I was sure it started in January... but I tuned in anyway, and as I was watching the 1st hour (by myself, so lonely....) I was getting super into it, like the old days. For some odd reason though, there were commercials advertising "24: Redemption" out on DVD starting Tuesday. I was like.. "how in the world can they offer a whole season of TV before it's all over...?!" So I googled "24: Redemption" and lo and behold, I got this from wiki:

24: Redemption (previously named 24: Exile) is a television movie, bridging the gap between the sixth and seventh seasons of the TV series 24. Set in the fictional nation Sangala, Jack Bauer finds himself caught up in a military coup while trying to find somewhere he can 'be at peace'. Meanwhile, in the United States, it is Inauguration Day, where President-elect Allison Taylor is being sworn in to office.

The movie aired on November 23, 2008 and an extended director's cut is scheduled to be released on DVD two days later.

OH. EM. GEE. THIS ISN'T SEASON 7 -- IT'S A TV MOVIE!!!! I FEEL SO DECEIVED!!!! I came into tonight expecting a whole season out of it, and now I just have 4 hours of bliss. How did I never know that Redemption was just a television movie?!?!?!?!? What the heck.

It's okay though. Jack Bauer is still my hero.

PS - Someone. Please. Watch 24 with me. It's not fun getting excited and scared all by myself.

stressed|desserts

So.... I was sick a few weeks ago with a cold, and this past week I've been feeling nauseous and lightheaded really randomly. I get my sleep (6-7 hours?), drink my water, eat my fruits & veggies, so I can't blame my bouts on malnutrition. Jooho (wow two entry-mentions in a row!) thinks that I have Leukemia, which really is no joke...

Jooho: i dont want to freak you out

but

this one person

Jooho: was sick

for a month

on and off

12:05 AM finally went to the hospital

and he found out that he had leukemia

which had weakened his immune system

youve been getting repeatedly sick for like a month now

That was about a week ago when I was blowing out blood (TMI, I know), and yesterday this is what he said:

Jooho: GO TO THE HOSPITAL

12:39 AM me: nooooooooooo

12:42 AM Jooho: sigh

fine

but if it turns out that you have leukemia

im gonna go over to the hospital

and then say "I TOLD YOU SO"

and leave

Jooho: without leaving any condolences

12:43 AM haha


Well. I didn't go to the hospital... but I really honestly don't think I have Leukemia. I think it's just stress. A lot of it. According to webmd, there are actually a lotttt of effects of prolonged stress on the human body, including:

• The immune system. Under stress, the body becomes more vulnerable to illnesses, from colds and minor infections to major diseases. If you have a chronic illness such as AIDS, stress can make the symptoms worse.
• Cardiovascular disease. Stress is linked to high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), problems with blood clotting, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It is also linked to coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure.
• Muscle pain. People who are stressed often have neck, shoulder, and low back pain. This may be caused by constant tension in the muscle because of stress. Stress also affects rheumatoid arthritis.
• Stomach and intestinal problems. Stress may be a factor in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.
• The lungs. Stress can make symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worse.
• Skin problems. Stress can make disorders such as acne or psoriasis worse.

Boooooo. Something's gotta change, b/c I'm sick of being stressed. I don't want to die of heart failure...

Anyway. The title might not make any sense yet, but now you know that 'stressed' spelled backwards is 'desserts'!! Ironic, because WM is giving me a lot of stress. Heh.

"Man tries to pay bill with spider drawing"

Jooho sent me this article, from here, and at first when I saw the title I was a bit like "why are you wasting my time with this?!" but then I was pleasantly surprised to find how hilarious this actually is. Apparently it's true too... Enjoy!!

Below is the complete email conversation that Adelaide man David Thorne claims he had with a utility company chasing payment of an overdue bill.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.19pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account

Dear David,
Our records indicate that your account is overdue by the amount of $233.95. If you have already made this payment please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Wednesday 8 Oct 2008 12.37pm
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Overdue account

Dear Jane,
I do not have any money so am sending you this drawing I did of a spider instead. I value the drawing at $233.95 so trust that this settles the matter.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.07am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Overdue account

Dear David,
Thankyou for contacting us. Unfortunately we are unable to accept drawings as payment and your account remains in arrears of $233.95. Please contact us within the next 7 days to confirm payment has been applied to your account and is no longer outstanding.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 10.32am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Overdue account

Dear Jane,
Can I have my drawing of a spider back then please.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.42am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Overdue account

Dear David,
You emailed the drawing to me. Do you want me to email it back to you?

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 11.56am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account

Dear Jane,

Yes please.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Thursday 9 Oct 2008 12.14pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Overdue account

Attached

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 09.22am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Whose spider is that?

Dear Jane, Are you sure this drawing of a spider is the one I sent you? This spider only has seven legs and I do not feel I would have made such an elementary mistake when I drew it.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.03am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Whose spider is that?

Dear David, Yes it is the same drawing. I copied and pasted it from the email you sent me on the 8th. David your account is still overdue by the amount of $233.95. Please make this payment as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.05am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Automated Out of Office Response

Thankyou for contacting me. I am currently away on leave, traveling through time and will be returning last week.

Regards, David.

From: David Thorne
Date: Friday 10 Oct 2008 11.08am
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

Hello, I am back and have read through your emails and accept that despite missing a leg, that drawing of a spider may indeed be the one I sent you. I realise with hindsight that it is possible you rejected the drawing of a spider due to this obvious limb ommission but did not point it out in an effort to avoid hurting my feelings. As such, I am sending you a revised drawing with the correct number of legs as full payment for any amount outstanding. I trust this will bring the matter to a conclusion.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 2.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

Dear David, As I have stated, we do not accept drawings in lei of money for accounts outstanding. We accept cheque, bank cheque, money order or cash. Please make a payment this week to avoid incurring any additional fees.

Yours sincerely, Jane Gilles

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 13 Oct 2008 3.17pm
To: Jane Gilles
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

I understand and will definately make a payment this week if I remember. As you have not accepted my second drawing as payment, please return the drawing to me as soon as possible. It was silly of me to assume I could provide you with something of completely no value whatsoever, waste your time and then attach such a large amount to it.

Regards, David.

From: Jane Gilles
Date: Tuesday 14 Oct 2008 11.18am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Whose spider is that?

Attached

I'm a WHAT cupcake?

There's this silly quiz I found on someone else's blog, so I decided to take it to see what kind of cupcake I would be. The questions and answer choices were really stupid, so I don't see the validity of this quiz.. but then again, how "valid" can a cupcake quiz be? Anyway... here we go.

The Dozen Cupcakes Quiz

Pancakes and Syrup Cupcake "you won't believe it: a pancake cupcake topped with maple buttercream, available with or without a piece of local bacon" You are very laid back and very traditional. You like to spend your free time lounging around in flannel pajamas, sipping hot coffee and reading by the fireplace. Nothing much perturbs you, and you settle household disputes through "family conferences" around the kitchen table. Family is important to you, and during the holidays, your house is always full of relatives!

Fun quizzes, surveys & blog quizzes by

5 stages of a cold

You know how there are 5 stages of grief? Here are my 5 stages of having a cold, gathered from firsthand experience in these miserable past few days...

Stage 1: Sore throat -- it starts off as an itching and may even grow to difficulty of swallowing, but if you feel this, better take your airborne now before it's too late!!

Stage 2: Runny nose -- stock up on tissues b/c you'll be blowin' through them in no time

Stage 3: Stuffy nose, coughs, and headaches -- put some lotion on that dry nose, and get accustomed to lookin' like rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Doing homework probably isn't the best idea, either, since it'll take 100x as long to complete simple tasks. Try not to make too much of a ruckus' in class with those loud hearty coughs. hehe

Stage 4: Nausea -- I don't know why this has to happen. Completely unnecessary in my opinion. Alison recommends eating "jellow"... yes, "jellow"....

Stage 5: Halluciations -- I kid you not, when I was lying on my bed trying to get over stage 4, my body decided to send a message to my mind to tell me that it felt the bed shift (even though there's absolutely no reason for my bed to). Welcome, dear friends, to stage 5...

the best of the 22 reasons

For Catherin's surprise party, we had people sign a poster of "22 reasons why we love you." Here's the highlight of my day:

"Cos your muscles are bigger than mine. -Joe"

I legitly laughed hysterically for 5 minutes straight when I read that. Hahahahaaha....anyway,

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY CATHERIN!!! :D

にせんきゅうのクラス

I'm slowly realizing more and more just how powerful yet how difficult showing the love of Christ can be... This is a love that is everything 1 Cor 13:4-8 describes. It is a love that doesn't hold on to past hurts, can melt away the hardest exteriors of stone-cold hearts, will trust even when all things point to defeat, has the power to unify even the most unlikely bunch, and most importantly for me now, always hopes and always perseveres.

God, it's so hard to persevere with this kind of love... please renew my hope and my faith that You alone have the power to bring change.

quarterfinalist

WM is a quarterfinalist, baby! WHOO, one step closer... but still many more steps to go.

The next round consists of pitching our idea to to a panel of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, (next week!) and a final venture summary (due Dec 1st). We find out Dec 9th if we are a semi-finalist candidate, and after submitting a first draft of our full business plan on Feb 20th, we will find out on Feb 25th if we are an official semi-finalist... Many more revisions of the business plan later, finalists are announced on April 17th and then the final pitch-off for the $75,000 is on May 1st...

H'oh crap. I'm nervous. Please pray for us...

*sad face*

Is this what brokenness feels like?

help me believe....

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18