Who Loves Margarine?

A couple of weeks ago, I made some macaroni and cheese for lunch. That was the first and last time I have had macaroni since I have been here. Why you ask? Let me tell you. I took a bite of it and thought "Hmmm...this tastes a little funny" but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I took a couple of more bites, hoping the taste would go away, but it was most defintely still there. Unsure of whether it was just my own tastebuds, I got Jessica to taste it. She took a bite and then promptly spit it in the garbage. We decided it tasted like the smell of compost. Yuck.

We weren't quite sure what made the macaroni so disgusting but I threw it out and went on with life...that is until supper time. We were having potatoes and I LOVE potatoes. It might actually be an obsession. Anyway, I put some margarine on my potatoes and then started to eat them. I only took a couple of bites when I noticed that they tasted a little bit off...kind of like my macaroni! Thanks to my skillful deduction, I figured out that the common factor in both these food ruining moments was the Becel margarine we had all been so happy to get, opposed to the hydrogenated, saturated, trans fat, heart attack margarine we had been using. We all took a whiff of the margarine and it smelled simply disgusting.

Being the good Dutch people that most of us are, we called Becel which is actually Unilever Canada and told them our sad margaine story. Monica (a girl from my dorm) was the one who actually called, and having never tasted the margarine, she told them it tasted like pesticides. Exaggeration never hurts. The lady on the phone told us to dispose of it immeadiately and talked on and on about all the different reasons it could have gone bad. Then...the magic moment came when she said that to replace our margarine, we would get four free coupons for Becel!! That made our day. Today these coupons arrived in the mail along with a letter which read:

Thank you for contacting us regarding Becel Margarine. We are very sorry to learn you had this experience.

Our company is dedicated to marketing products of only the highest quality and safety. Providing superior products at competitive prices is our commitment to you. We are concerned when we hear of a problem involving one of our products and will share your comments with the appropriate staff.
Thank you for bringing this important matter to our attention. We regret and inconvenience this situation may have caused you. Please accept the enclosed with our sincere appreciation for using our products.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Hooper
Consumer Services Rep

Aren't they nice? The only problem is that the coupons expire on December 31 and we probably won't be able to use them all. Margarine anyone?

It's Brother, not Bother

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.
Clara Ortega



My whole life, people have pitied me for not having any sisters. They say how awful it must be to have all brothers and ask me if I have ever wanted a sister. The truth of the matter is, I can't ever remember really wanting one. Sometimes I wished that I could have someone to share clothes with, but that was about it and now that Kerri Lynn is a part of the family, she has taken care of that problem quite well. If people took the time to think about it, they would realize that youngest + only girl = spoiling!

Now that I live with 7 girls, I am realizing just how lucky I am to have all brothers. I could always count on taking as long as I wanted in the bathroom that I had to myself. I could always count on there being lots of the food in the house. Serioulsy, the girls here eat nothing and therefore when they make meals and do the shopping, it is in accordance with their hating habits. A handful of pasta? Half of a tiny chicken breast? Maybe I just eat a lot, but I honestly don't know how they aren't always hungry because I sure am. I have also realized just how much most girls don't understand boys. Yes, they are kind of messy and they do say slightly off colour things and often forget to inhibit their bodily functions...that is just how they are. Deal with it. Despite all this, I do get along wonderfully with my dorm. They are all wonderful girls, but they just aren't the same as brothers.

I am truly thankful for my brothers in so many ways. I am thankful that they took me outside of my Barbie world sometimes and let me play boy games. I am thankful that they helped me play sports. I am thankful for their sense of humour, even though I didn't always laugh. I am thankful that they encourage me. I am thankful that they teased me. It helped me to not take things so personally...although I think I may still require more help in this area. I am thankful for their protection and all their advice. I am thankful that when we fought, we were never angry the next day. Boys don't hold grudges.

Most of all I am thankful for the examples they have set for me. They have had to learn many things the hard way so that I don't have to. They have experiences which I can draw from and learn from. They work hard in everything they do and they inspire me to do the same. I am proud of all of them and I hope that they are proud of me too. So much of who I am is because of my brothers.

Have I ever wanted a sister? I think brothers are just fine, thank you.

Henry

I would like to introduce you to Henry. Henry is an acquaintance of mine. I have known him for exactly three weeks, not a day more and not a day less. He is an awkward little fellow, quite short and round. He is always smiling, but I don't think he is happy. I know he is hiding some dirty little secret.

Every Thursday, I spend four hours of my evening with Henry. He follows me around, but doesn't say a word. It might not be so bad, except he is constantly tripping or falling over. He doesn't move around large objects very well, so I have to pick him up time and time again. Don't feel sorry for me though. I chose to spend time with Henry. If I knew he was going to be like this, I might have reconsidered. Now I am stuck with him. At least I am getting paid to be his "friend."

Henry is at home now, most likely sitting in the dark. I think he likes it best that way, but I can't know for sure. Someone just told me that's where he belongs. I don't think I will ever get along with Henry. But I guess I just have to suck it up.

This is Henry.

At Least You Can See the Floor....Kind of...

I know you have all been anxiously waiting for these pictures, but I can assure you, they were well worth the anticipation. What you see may or may not shock you, depending on your understanding of the male mind...or just the mind of one Jordan Van Dyk. I would like to point out however that the room is quite nicely decorated and the closet is well-organized. There is hope!







Obviously Jordan is happy in his surroundings. Just look at him smile.