my fam had a hankering for dim sum last night, and so we went this morning. i think my mom went crazy, because usually we go for a good variety, but this time we (actually, i am the culprit. mom and bro were just watching the dizzying sight of so many people and the high high volume of noise and carts) ordered anything and whatever - and i didn't have my glasses with me, so things that looked good 5 feet away was actually tripe and chicken feet up close. i've had a lot of interesting food, but i just can't compel myself to try those things. we took this stuff home; it remains untouched. and even all the food we got wasn't enough; whatever we didn't see, we had to order specially to take home, and now that everyone's asleep, all that food is MINE! MINE!! aahahahhhhahahhaha!!!!! it will not exist anymore as of tomorrow morning, except in the memory of my stomach. did i mention i had four ferrero rocher for breakfast today, IN BED??? well, it was great. hazelnuts, i hear, are chock full of vitamins, even to rival vector cereal ;)

brought some old and new friends together tonight for dinner and drinks. it was just a great time. not only was i interrogated about my new relationship (it wasn't that bad. interrogation in my circle of friends means excitedly asking questions really fast one after the other and squealing in delight from time to time), but i became the target of all good-humored jokes, which was fun - thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! since i'm usually the purveyor of sarcastic (but loving) wit. or downright low-brow humor. i think what i love most about seeing my friends is that the conversation can be so humorous and calm and thoughtful and concerned and airy and flighty and serious and opiniated, all in the same conversation, the same day. no holiday is complete, of course, without the requisite CRISPY BEEF (!!!), and so that's where we were for dinner today. we got two orders for seven people, and it was gone even before the entire duck, which was brought out at least 10 minutes earlier. i tell ya, i pick the best dishes (yes, like the classic double-deep-fried-so-crispy-can't-even-see-the-beef crispy beef). have you heard that the nose knows? well my tongue nose! (that wasn't funny, was it? i rolled my own eyeballs at myself).

ah, i see that exams have dulled my sense of humor! no matter!

we headed over to the duke of york to meet up with some even older friends, whom i probably haven't seen for four years or so. it's interesting to see people come back as chiropractors and RCMP officers, to see how people have an unused MBA and have opted to teach kids instead. or to hear that another is going to be published by the c.s. lewis society. it's wonderful. it's always amazing to see what the choices are that people make in life, and it tells you so much about what they value. a friend of mine applied to teacher's college this year, and she asked me to edit a few of her entrance essays. it was so amazing to read about her experiences, and i was just so grateful to have been trusted to read this stuff and even comment on it. a great number of my friends, it seems, are teachers. i have full force faith that she'll be a great teacher.

ok. i'm tired. must stop verbal diarrhea.