We Are the Village Green Preservation Society

Due to all the awesome-ness that is going on in Winnipeg, I thought the blog was long overdue for a Canadian update. I must apologize profusely I do not have any pictures yet. I will get some tonight though at our Stake Wide Family New Year's Dance. Where do I begin? You'll be happy to know the Stephen and I have been working on our freestyle rap skills thanks to Flocabulary's website, which provides a good number of varied back beats for people wishing to practice their freestyle skills. Also, I finally got around to giving a good listen to German electronic music pioneer's Kraftwerk. Follow the link and melt in the presence of their awesomeness (especially once it hits around 1:05). Now for the best story! I just opened up my birthday card from Grandma Wood. I will now transcribe it word for word: "G'Ma, Twenty-five is a dangerous year!! Richard, be careful... very careful." I love my Grandma! Dear Mike, please stay in Utah unless this is just an opportunity you can't pass up. Follow your heart!

Auf Wiedersehen

Today I had an interview with my dad's company where I have the opportunity of doing my capstone project with them. Then the bomb came. If I was to do my capstone project with them they would want to hire me on a 6 month basis. Meaning my life in Provo would be over as we know it. I would basically go back to Provo at the end of the break, get everything organized and then drive home a week or two later. Only to come back for a little bit in April to turn in my project and graduate. I know I've been saying I'm ready to leave Provo but I just didn't think it was going to be this soon. I'm not going to lie I've been having a blast this year so far. Most likely it's due to the fact that I had a lot of easy classes this past semester. I still could do my capstone project at BYU with some professor there but I wouldn't be getting paid to do it. Man I hate making "grown up" decisions. 

Christmas in Winter-peg

It may be cold here, but I know you all wish were here with me and Stephen. Oh you're not convinced? Well, I think I'll just run around any doubters with my incredible string of logic. One, my dental hygienist uses "eh' after every sentence. Two, Stephen and I are cavity free. Three, Anglican Midnight Mass. Four, the Queen's Christmas Broadcast to the Commonwealth. Five, British Monopoly (wait for it, when you pass go you get 200 quid, that like 400 American Monopoly dollars). Six, Carebear's Christmas special. Seven, caroling around our neighbourhood, largely Jewish, with a dozen or more missionaries (tradition). Eight, it is cold. It's good to be home. Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring except for Mike Lau. That is why I decided to write a nice little Christmas post. I'm a sucker for the holidays, well except for that whole shopping thing at the overcrowded mall where it brings out the worst in everybody. I love the christmas lights, the christmas tree with all the loot underneath, pumpkin bread, chinese food (yes we incorporate our chinese heritage in our christmas dinner), stocking stuffers, Charlie Brown Christmas, etc. I think the thing I love the most is the time I get to spend with my family. Now that everybody is grown up it is rare to have everybody home at the same time. In fact the last time we had all six of us kids at home was last year at Christmas. And trust me when the Lau's get together it's always an exciting time. Last year while we were waiting to open our presents my sister was trying to see how high she could throw a stuffed bear in the air. Well on one attempt she threw it too far back and it landed up where you see it in the picture. And it's still there one year later. That's just one example but there are many more. I'm just glad I get to spend this time with my family. I hope everybody has a great Christmas and that we can really remember the real reason of the season. That is the birth of the Savior. So Merry Christmas to everybody and to Rich and Steve a Happy Hanukkah! 

les misérables

I have a 'les mis' shirt that I like to wear sometimes and whenever I do, somebody is bound to tell me, "I love your shirt! That is my favourite play." Than I say I like the play as well. Obviously! I have the shirt! Here is my secret secret though, I haven't even seen the play, read the book, or the cliffnotes. I just got the shirt because my Grandma Wood has a 'Les Mis' sweater that I really like so I bought the shirt at DI. So instead of me saying that I like the play as well when someone makes a comment, maybe I should say, "I love my Grandma".

the virgin blogger

This is my first post and I have to admit that I'm nervous...so I thought I would throw in a picture of Juan Carlos Casanova's six toes, and call it a success, cause who can deny the power of a six-toed Dominican? This foot belongs to the same guy that accidentally let a full gallon of chocolate milk drain out in the back of my car. Ole!

What really inspired me to finally write something, besides avoiding my homework, was my blind date today. As I'm writing though I realize that the most awkward situation that possibly could have presented itself is too exquisite to write down in words. If you want to know the story, you're going to have to ask.

I'll be your boat hand

Wouldn't it be something to work on a boat and explore the seas... I'd work as the chef maybe or the mechanic. I would wear sleeveless white shirts and be covered in grease, down in the depths with steam blowing out of pipes. And the captain would yell, "we need more power!", and I would hit one of the pipes with a monkey wrench and get more greasy and then the boat would go faster and I would chuckle to myself and say, "ah, she's still got some vigor eh!" If I was the chef I would probably joke around with the crew a lot and try to make gourmet dishes that would end up being funny. We'd all have a good laugh, and even though the crew would joke about the food, they really would enjoy it deep inside. Maybe one day...

Dear Hydrocodone, I will miss you

I have come to this realization... I love talking about my wisdom teeth. Although it has been extremely annoying not being able to open my mouth all the way or eat all the food I want, I absolutely love, and I mean LOVE, being treated like a sick puppy. I don't want to be too self-absorbed but I would melt in a puddle of happinness everytime someone would go "Aaaaaah, you got your wisdom teeth out." or "Aaaaaah, poor Ricky" or "Does it hurt? I can't believe you're at school." I'm going to really, really miss this week. Not only is my hydrocodone almost out. I'm halfway through my Mexican popsicles. I only have one can of Campbell's Mushroom Soup left. My stiches are beginning to fall out. It's over. So rather than fighting an addiction to painkillers, I think I'll be fighting an addiction of being coddled by those around me. It was great while it lasted though. I imagine being able to chew with my molars again will feel nice... I guess.

I Love Lisha

I am living the life. I am drugged up and watching the OC disc by disc. Please you have to take it away. I actually heard Mike say "I can't believe Marissa thinks she can get back with Ryan after she dogged him like that." And me, I'm even worse... I actually get up when the disc is over and physically put in the next one, with my own human hands. This is sad. Take it away... No, don't take it away. I'm so confused!

Why Lisha Why?

So as you all read Rich got his wisdom teeth pulled on Monday. Lisha being the amazing friend that she is brought over the OC for him to watch while he recovered. Well thanks a bunch Lisha! I'm going to admit this right now to everybody I'm watching the first season of the OC and I'm enjoying it. Yes that's right folks even though it sickens me to admit it I can't stop watching it. Of course it happens to be right during the last week of classes and this isn't good. I have so much stuff to get done and thanks to this it's not. So Lisha thanks so much for bringing the OC over and making me unproductive the week when I needed to be productive the most. 

My only chance to get high, and I blew it

I do not regret my decision to never get involved in drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. I love being Mormon, and if I was not Mormon I still wish I would avoid these substances. However, you can't help but get excited about getting knocked out with anesthesia when you have some kind of surgery. It is my only chance to feel a bit loopy and fuzzy inside. Yesterday, I had my chance. I got my wisdom teeth out, and boy was I excited about getting put to sleep. I even told the anesthesia person that I was excited and that I was going to stay awake as long as possible, because I really wanted to just soak this moment in. However, maybe it was just for the best. I like zonked out in less than 10 seconds... and I didn't even get the sleep medicine yet. I fell asleep as soon as they just put in the muscle relaxer. My theory is that I went out so quickly because since my body is all muscle that as soon as they put in muscle relaxer my whole body just went to sleep.

So that is what happened at the dentist. I feel a little let down. I just hope at some point today I can eat because I'm getting so hungry. By the way I need to send a shout out. Who doesn't love Michael Lau? He dropped me off, picked me up, got my medication, made sure I followed the dentist's instructions, made sure I was comfortable, and watched disc 2 of the OC with me. I couldn't ask for a better friend. And Lisha: Thank you so much for the ice cream pops, I can't wait to eat them today and just having you visit made me feel so good inside. And finally my brother Stephen: he got me a bunch of soup and yogurt. I wanted to eat some so badly last night and today, but (gack*) it just hurts too much. Also, thanks for returning Die Hard.

Tetris®

Tetris, derived from the greek numerical preface "tetra," is a falling block puzzle game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in June 1985, while working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre at the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow. Well my friend Pajitnov, you have addicted us to your electronic cocaine. For the past two days we have used every spare moment to beat the game at level nine, height five. So far, Michael is the only one who can beat it, obviously because he is Asian and thus more technically/block-fitting inclined. Stephen and Richard are still trying to reach the level of Tetris Master. It's getting a bit ridiculous. We now talk about the "Tetris God" and his relative pleaseure or displeasure as we play. Richard has created his own language called "Richlandic", which is English syntax sped up into gibberish. To quote Stephen's quiet but profound knowledge of the game, "The shape isn't just a shape, it's a color also." Oh ya, and before I forget, there is a dress code: Sweatshirts and lacrosse/basketball shorts, no socks. We also have names for certain moves. For example if you place a line horizontally that is called the "flat-liner" and moving a piece under another piece is a "shimmy." You why we are so dedicated, or should I say tetricated? Well answer me this, have you ever seen Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Metroid, the Princess, and Link playing Russian music while the tops of the Kremlin blast off into space? Well we have, and it's like having every happy childhood moment hugging you at the same time. Like a good solid hug with a slight "up and down" rub on the back at the end without any back patting.

Happy Birthday Richard Wood!

Richard Michael Wood was born on the Third of December in the Nineteenth Hundred and Eighty Second year of our Lord. Today we honor this Canadian! Even though his ancestors blew up all mine. Happy Birthday Rich!

Oh man, this is so emo

Moving in the middle of High School was difficult, luckily emo music was there to fill that hole. However, as we have all quickly learned emo is kind of lame or at least has become one of the most supremely shameful things to actually take seriously. Its lyrics are cookie cutter and its ideas always center around relationships being ripped apart by distance, betrayal, and our own emotional problems. Nevertheless, Steve and I have just learned to embrace our High School emo days. Who can forget bans like Jimmy Eat World, the Get Up Kids, Ozma, The Juliana Theory, The Promise Ring, Thursday, and, of course, Dashboard Confessional? Steve and I had a great friend named Bryant, with whom we would always label the world around us as "emo". You gave a girl a sandwich: that "was so emo". Didn't have enough money for a dollar movie ticket: that "was so emo". Getting turned down a dance by a New Era photographer: that "was so emo". Eating cereal in all my clothing: that "was so emo". Because emo to me is all about nerd-type-love-awkwardness. Please enjoy Steve and mine's cover of Dashboard's "This Sharp New Hint of Tears"...