the weakest link

tonight was the dreaded elder's quorum activity. dreaded because i was asked to participate in the game which was the weakest link. i did not want to do it. i hate being in those kind of situations--centre of attention type--especially when it involves competition--extra especially when it is a competition that involves church knowledge. i just can't help it if i know that stuff and i don't feel it is something to show off--which is something i always feel wary of in this ward for some reason. maybe it was because of attending institute classes on the book of mormon and dad was the teacher and i always knew all the answers and i don't like being a know-it-all. i agreed to do it because...i guess the idea of saying no didn't really seem like an option (but that just goes into my people pleasing problems and is a whole different entry in and of itself). but like i said earlier i really really did not want to be in it. the other contestants were tracy, michelle meade, tom the new guy from parksville, darrel walburger, deb brooks, susan, dad, paul meade, the bishop and myself. (delanie was also supposed to be in it but she was a no show--apparently she didn't really want to do it....ok...who did want to do it?) i asked everyone to vote me off, except for maybe tom the new guy. paul did and then he felt bad. "really it is ok. i really don't mind" i insisted, but he wouldn't do it. the bishop flatly refused and said he wanted to be the first to go. he was worried about being embarrassed. everytime it was my turn to answer the questions i got nervous. i did not want to look dumb--they weren't all church questions. so long story short (ok so it is not so short, but i'm not giving you the play by play am i?) i made it to the final 2. there was no strategy to my playing other than trying to get voted off. i voted for darrel twice hoping that he would seek revenge. instead he was voted the weakest link. and then i voted for dad--just because. i didn't think he was the weakest link and no one had voted for him, so i did. and he was voted off. i felt bad. he looked a little sad. anyways, i made it to the final 2. this was a disaster. how could everyone let me down like this? now i had to go head to head with deb brooks for 5 questions in front of everyone. and then we were tied and had to continue on. aaahhh! it was tortuous. in the end i lost which is actually good. (because of the whole know-it-all-clarke thing) and i got a pretty cool prize. i got a camel back. apparently it is a pretty good one. so hopefully i will like running with it. tomorrow we will have mary and madelaine for the whole day. madelaine i am used to. it is beginning to be a regular weekend thing. mary i am just not sure about. when dough asked me my first question was is she toilet trained? which really shouldn't be part of the issue, but the learning stage is just bad and i have to say i don't like taking kids on during that time....or the diaper stage if we are going to be perfectly honest. changing other kids poo is just gross. but i've come to really like having madelaine over. after i threatened that if nat was unhappy mad would go home, things changed and when i make them clean their room she is really good at it. things get done much quicker. well, it is another late night. i better go lie in my bed and think now.