Tatiana's Wanderings

Uncle John's BRIEFS, FUNNIEST EVER, STRANGE SCIENCE, and STRANGE HISTORY!

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 05:23:09 GMT

After COFFEE TIME, I left at 12:35 on a 407 for my dentist appointment with Sean on FRASER instead of Oakridge - sigh. I had to leave myself plenty of time for getting lost (seeing Krista at Gilbert and Westminster - "Ontario is a magical place because I've never been there"?!), and had to take a 99 at Broadway / Cambie, and then an 8 Fraser bus around the corner at Fraser till I got to 19th, right across from Glad Tidings church. I would have been there earlier than half an hour early if SOME PEOPLE hadn't hesitated for 45 microseconds at the Brighouse station elevator - BE EFFICIENT AND NOT SLOW WHEN OTHERS ARE PLAINLY WAITING FOR YOU AT THE DOOR! The new location has more space and okay enough wifi, plus actual hooks for your coats and things! I had to have an X-ray, but it's not my fault that my mouth is SMALL! Learned that Sean is getting married in July, too! I have to wait till July to try The Pie Hole across the street because I got fluoride as part of my treatment today. Also got a receipt where the insurance paid 100%, but for some reason, I'm keeping it for now.

Went to the Broadway London Drugs to buy an on-sale Creature Chumper with 1500 Zorbees for Hiero's birthday, on-sale Stemnex 4D Transforming Robots for Ayler's birthday, on-sale Nescafé Taster's Choice instant coffee in a 250g canister, and on-sale Andes candy cane Peppermint Crunch before going to Pho Extreme Xe Lua to have a large #17 and figure out the wi-fi from the nearby A&W. Some guy ahead of me was in a fucking hurry at the exit of London Drugs, saying "excuse me" - nope, we are both directly headed to the doors, so you will have to wait. I should have dawdled even more because he was an impatient ass! It's not like I dropped anything, after all. I also had to deal with THE most recalcitrant self-checkout machine! It wouldn't give me the correct start-up screen (thinking I had items to re-scan), wouldn't give me enough time to find a barcode, wouldn't let me scan something without a barcode (the coffee), and wouldn't let me pay without calling an attendant! UGH! SO TIME-CONSUMING!

Finally got home at 5:20, and saw Hester and Ni, so told them about the mouse / steel wool problem, which luckily I had a photo of on my phone! I did notice an odd metallic clanking sound coming from my bag, which turned out to be two of Beckett's red / white molecule balls from yesterday's throwing activities. No wonder I noticed him standing at my bag looking into it, but he does have plenty of balls, so he should be fine till next week. He did seem interested in the safety fluorescent slap bracelet, too. I'm also going to wash the socks that Harmony loaned me.

Large #17 at Pho Extreme Xe Lua! Steak, flank, tendon, tripe, and fatty flank!

Creature Chumper with 1500 Zorbees!

Stemnex 4D Transforming Robots!

Nescafé Taster's Choice instant coffee!

From Julie: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader BRIEFS and FUNNIEST EVER!

From Julie: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader blurb for BRIEFS and FUNNIEST EVER!

From Julie: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader STRANGE HISTORY! I actually have this one! STRANGE SCIENCE, too!

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Stoner Elf Name! / ChristmasFlamHam! / Suitcases! / Chrystal Xmas / Dirty jokes!

Sat, 07 Dec 2019 07:21:12 GMT

DIRTY JOKES!

How is pubic hair like parsley? You push it to the side before you start eating.

( Dirty jokes from Red's Twitch stream! )

After DOUBLE COFFEE TIME, I went out at 6:55 on a 401 to meet Chrystal at the Broadway London Drugs. Good thing I left early since the next Waterfront train was out of service at what HAD BEEN a surprisingly empty Brighouse Station! There was some guy clapping like a seal on the bus and at the station - thank goodness he wasn't in my train car! I got to London Drugs at 7:30, and was happy that there was no lineup at the post office so I could mail Corey and Julie's cards. However, I got a postal worker who was grumpy as fuck: I have NEVER been told that I shouldn't write anything in the corner of the envelope, otherwise the stamp would obscure the destination address! Fuck you, random guy!

Chrystal and I went to Pho Extreme Xe Lua: #17 and #1 it was! SPECIAL! We talked about her nephews Ethan (4) and Ethan (1 and a bit), Ayler, Hiero, Beckett discovering new words and the door, Beckett being "smart" by banging his head on the hardwood floor to delay Harmony's leaving for a school meeting, Beckett being really smart by putting all his molecule balls on the far windowsill so he can play with those and look at the reflected lights across the street at the same time (I left him to do that for a minute - he's fine and preoccupied), my broken suitcase, my replacement suitcase, my upcoming trip, and her just doing family things at home this holiday season. Angus and Melia and Phil and Grace have their own families now, and it would be pretty huge to have a family gathering! I got home at 9:05 on a 407, which is pretty good for leaving at 8:30. (Chrystal bused home again!)

Pho Xe Lua # 17 with Chrystal as a pre-Xmas 2019 dinner: Steak, flank, tendon, tripe, and fatty flank!

Right after Halloween, I was ChristmasFlamHam in Shiwa's Discord server!

From Tommy Chong: What's Your Stoner Elf Name? Mine is Smokey Jingletokes! Mike would be Buddy Evergreens! My ex-friend Jimmy would be Danky Sparklepipe!

Borked Heys suitcase which came with a busted zipper and an almost-impossible push handle...

Successfully packed replacement carry-on American Tourister suitcase with enough room for ALL my stuff, a working zipper, and a much simpler non-push handle! Way easier to maneuver on transit, too! My parents should have just lent me this one in the first place, then I wouldn't have had to store the first one in a weird way so I wouldn't have had to push the handle down every time I wanted to access it. *rolleyes*

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Balls! Understanding! Piano! Magic tricks! / Getting older at Christmas!

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 09:54:13 GMT

After COFFEE TIME, I went out at 3:15 (first refilling my yearly prescription at the pharmacy next door) on a 401 (JUST IN TIME) to help with the kids. I had to leave room for a suitcase and also remember to get to the house after 4:35 because of a water shutoff till 4. Lovely! I killed time at the Save-On nearby, and when Harmony said they were fine at 4:35, I said I'd be there soon, but made a necessary pit stop at Kwong Chow first. That meant I washed my hands twice within ten minutes, but whatever. The replacement black carry-on suitcase looked okay, and I later found out that ALL the zippers were fine and that it was way easier to handle and maneuver! When I got there just after 5, Beckett wanted to see me and say hi in his own way - so cute! Harmony said that Jon was doing his West Vancouver holiday gig, which is totally worth it, but means a little extra work on everyone else's part. Ayler wanted to know why, haha. My nephews are smart and curious kids!

Hiero wanted to show me his "enchanted airplane," Ayler wanted to show me some piano techniques and quiz me on piano (and quizzing me on math at dinner), and Beckett just wanted to show me all his balls and have this cute confused look when the balls wouldn't go through the holes in that wooden toy. He did go over to the far windowsill (almost obscured by the curtain) and play with the toy molecule rod and balls there while looking at the lights across the street. (and did it with the near window, too - spouting gibberish as usual) I found another emotion egg later and gave it to him. He wanted to go after the pom-pom on my Santa hat (Harmony thought that was funny), explore my bling shirt, and gently touched the keloid scar on my neck later out of curiosity. (I told him that this wasn't a "ball-ball") He climbed on top of Ayler, who didn't like that, and then climbed on top of Hiero, who was a bit more acquiescent. When he threw the balls around and pointed at them, I asked him if he wanted me to go get them. After a pause, he said "yeah," so I said okay. Hiero wasn't sure if he knows what that means, but he did say "wow" tonight for the first time!

Beckett also has discovered the apartment door, and sometimes crawls to it for whatever reason. I picked him up and got him out of there, of course. He wanted to sit on my lap and "read" the 100 Words baby book, which I of course let him do because he's much lighter than his brothers and my legs don't complain! I did have a toe cramp much later, but it was okay within a few minutes of agony. We had beef tendon and beef brisket with broad white noodles and vegetables for dinner - even with cereal, Beckett didn't eat much. Harmony crammed some Rice Krispies into his mouth later a few times when he was preoccupied with me and the toys, otherwise he'll be way too hungry tomorrow morning! She bought some stuff on the Black Friday sales, and I told the kids about the KFC 50% Bowls and Buckets deal yesterday when Harmony was gone temporarily. Hiero asked if I wanted to buy it - not after I heard the website was pretty broken! Ayler asked me what a website was, so I asked him if he remembers Kids Physio. His face brightened at that: YES! I told him that a lot of stores and businesses and people had websites on the Internet these days. He seemed to accept this explanation. I didn't mind if Harmony gave Beckett some shortbread at all.

I left at 7:30 and was thankfully able to catch the 3 Marine Drive bus earlier instead of later, and got home at 8:40 on a 407 in time to catch the last five minutes of the second period. The Canucks played Ottawa tonight at 7, and won 5-2 on the Alex Burrows Ring of Honor evening! Fantenberg and MacEwen got their first goals! I also managed to pack everything into that suitcase without anything breaking or being overstuffed... SUCCESS!

Random stuff from Mom and Dad: Cozy Christmas socks and a green PEANUTS water bottle!

Dinner tonight: beef tendon, veggies, and noodles!

From Julie: Christmas is so much harder when you get older. It's like, "What do you want this year?" I don't know... maybe a sense of purpose, some financial security, could use more sleep, a bottle of wine, and maybe some new bras. I had to use MS Paint to edit in an Oxford comma LIKE IT SHOULD BE!

The Famous Grouse whiskey shortbread!

Cozy Christmas socks for me, Steph, and Lisa! Pig coin purse for Steph! FUZZY SOCKS!

Western Family condensed cream of mushroom soup!

Green PEANUTS water bottle for me!

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Danish Minhas?! THAT'S A FOOD ITEM! / Chanda Turner?! BAD SPELLING OF SHANDA!

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 08:04:01 GMT

Mom picked me up at 5 so we could go to Tsim Chai for dinner before the VOS (Vancouver Oratorio Society) choir concert that Dad was doing at Fraserview. BEEF TENDON NOODLES! She had discovered the pocket dial from my phone to Pothead Mike and complained that it had cost her one extra dollar, then wanted to use MY phone to call Steph. She ended up using her own phone, HA HA! I had to explain the concept of a pocket dial to her... and of course vent to Steph while Mom was in my bathroom, ha ha ha. Mom even complained that I didn't have Jon and Steph in my phone or WhatsApp contacts - I don't use WhatsApp at all, but I could for video calls at some point, I guess.

Later, Mom said that "my brother's wife's sister" (just say "Auntie Kwai") is going to be living with them for a couple of months since she lost her low-cost housing in the move from BC to Ontario, and she can't get used to life over there. She also told me redundant stuff about Maria Tam who just died from lung cancer, some missionary friend Winnie who will be staying with them (from July 12) for a week or so after they get back from Toronto on July 4, and how Harmony supposedly wants me to help with the kids when they're away from June 18 for the Oratorio Society concerts with some Hong Kong chorus. Well, I'll wait till Harmony actually says something to me about it first before I commit.

The conductor of the Oratorio Society is named Kemuel, and the associate conductor is named Neville?! One of the youth singers is named Jermyn Wong?! The overall concert was all right, I suppose. Lots of Psalms, lots of music - I saw Auntie Catherine around the washroom when I went. When I looked at the program, I saw Libby's name, so I had to tell Vania about it on Facebook. Mom suspiciously wondered why I was online, and asked if my mobile data was off - yes, of course. I did not help her get online during a lull or the intermission, ha ha ha. I got home at 10:15 or so, which is fine.

Random stuff from Mom and Dad: A white JESSICA winter jacket, Lipton chicken noodle soup which expires in March 2020, a thin orange fish-themed 2012 tote bag, a Zanyah Eco Spa Treatment "Your Reinvigoration" body cream pouch, a Zanyah Eco Spa "Your Tenderness" body cream pouch, a random Home Depot plastic bag, a random white bra, a thin black DKNY shirt, a thin dark blue-green summer scarf, a thin blue Baleno fall coat, and a random pair of greying white and blue thin socks.

A random pair of white and grey thin socks, a pink clothes hanger, a Chong Lee Market plastic bag, a Wing-on Incorporated paper bag, Nosh and Co. shortbread cookies which expire in December, a thin purple Ardene shawl with holes in it despite the price tag still being attached, a random pair of thin purple socks, a small pair of thin black panties, a thin frilly Van Heusen pale blue shirt with roses on it, one black fuzzy mitten, and one dark blue fuzzy mitten.

Nosh and Co. premium artisanal shortbread cookies!

Nosh and Co. Munch Madness cheddar and sour cream chips!

Nosh and Co. Munch Madness lightly salted chips!

From CRIME WATCH DAILY: Danish Minhas?! A Danish is a PASTRY!

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Glow-in-the-dark bowling! No thanks on my behalf, MOM! Speed limit being 69!

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 04:33:31 GMT

After COFFEE TIME, Eric picked me up for church in the morning. We talked about DARK SOULS, my eye surgery and insurance, how it was somewhat his fault for the sewer updates and construction zone around my place because his company was involved, drivers and turn signals, Elysse thinking my dad was dead because I now have his old phone, and sleeping in last week. We sat together in church service, I returned Deb's Ziploc tub to her / returned Mom's jars to her, and said hi to Frances M. / Sophie / Auntie Cathy / Ayler / Hiero / Andrew L.

I got a lunch and ride offer from Deb if I was fine with going to Canadian Tire beforehand (sure, why not?), and had to chat briefly with Uncle Reuben as he saw me. He asked about Dad and - speak of the devil (which I DID say out loud in church, hahaha) - Dad did pass by in purple choir robes a minute later! Ivan did joke that I should make it three weeks in a row for church attendance next week, but I think I'm good to go for now. Dylan, Deb, Declan, Elysse, and I bumped into Mom in the church elevator, where she thanked them for "looking after" me. *rolleyes* Like I can't do that myself?! Sheesh!

After looking at ALL the games / windshield wiper fluid / shovels / lawn mowers at Canadian Tire (and saying hi to Joe T. who was also there), it was time for a Pho lunch at Basil Garden (where I attempted to pay for my own meal - we talked about Farrah Fawcett / SMALL SACRIFICES and Diane Downs / SALVATION / Extreme's MORE THAN WORDS / whining / iPad time / tendon / brisket / steak / tripe / Pho noodles / rice) and Hiero's glow-in-the-dark bowling party at Grandview Lanes! While I was at the bowling alley, I successfully signed up for Shaw Open wi-fi because I'd written down my stuff at home when I could more easily access it via desktop. I also met a kid named Louie's mom (Hiero's classmate), saw kids named SPARKLE and KALAN in another group, and tried to stay out of the way, but it was pretty cramped.

Ayler asked me whether my body was cold because of the Dairy Queen ice cream cake (not yet), and added that the cake was the yummiest cake that he's ever had - NICE! Said hi to baby Beckett when he was awake, admired the glow-in-the-dark effect, watched Elysse when she looked at the frosted window, and told Hiero that I could read to him the next time I came over because my eye surgery was done for now. He seemed to like that idea, as well as the hot dogs and Lays chips and veggie platter. I got a sane ride home with Deb and Dylan, thank goodness. We talked about tonight's lunar eclipse, Jawbreaker candy, and I SPY before they dropped me off at 4:50. The Canucks played Detroit at 1 today, and won 3-2.

Random stuff from Mom and Dad: Liberté Canada strawberry Greek yogurt x4 which expires on January 22 (so I'll eat it all tomorrow night after it's chilled in the fridge), Excel Hotel Tokyu coffee powder x1, random Chinese green tea x8, Daiwa Royal Hotels green tea x1, Nikko Hotels International Roasted Japanese Tea x2, Nikko Hotels International green tea x2, random Chinese tea x4, Kantafe Creamy Powder x1, Kantafe sugar packet x2, Kantafe Instant Coffee x1, random Chinese roasted tea x1, Ronnefeldt 隆納菲 Lemon Sky flavored fruit infusion tea, Sencha green tea x1, and random Chinese coffee powder x1.

Speed limit 69! Just kidding... 35! What a road sign, hehehe!

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Pho Lan with Frances C. as a birthday treat! / KNAVE, not NAIVE!

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 04:08:16 GMT

I left at 6:10 on a 401 (just managing to get the bus) to meet Frances C. at Pho Lan at 6:30 for a belated birthday treat; I got off at Brighouse and took a 406 so I wouldn't have to walk for a couple of long blocks. However, the scooter guy definitely posed a problem for me, so I had to get off at the other end of Richmond Centre and walk in the rain to the restaurant. We talked about her baptism, Sophie, the Vancouver library's Inspiration Pass, her brothers and their autism, Ellen's daughter, my nephews (she's seen Ayler and Hiero around church), my meal (#8 - rare steak, flank, tendon, and tripe), and her being distantly related to Billy and Stella because Eunice and Eddie are married.

She and I also discussed Eunice being her cousin (but she doesn't talk to her / Pauline / Winnie much), Ellen, her offering me a ride home (of course I took the ride!), Sophia and her daughters, her mom's dementia, Frances Marr, her seeing David Marr around church, my area of Richmond being really convenient, and her nursing career. Thanks to her giving me a ride home, I was home at 7:45 instead of even later!

From FINAL FANTASY BLACKMOON PROPHECY and Lancer on Youtube: KNAVE is not NAIVE! BAD SPELLING from Dio to Hans and the party! "Silence, NAIVE! I do not have time for your petty small talk! Farewell!"

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Birthday Gifts / Presents in 2018!

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 18:43:46 GMT

Birthday Gifts / Presents in 2018!

THIS ENTRY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE NON-ALIGNED TAGS.

This is a list of birthday gifts and cards that I received in 2018:

* lunch from Vanessa at Pho 37 in Ironwood on Sept. 4 (spring rolls, shrimp salad rolls, and Bo Bun Hue: cubed pork blood, pork hock, Vietnamese ham, and beef in spicy soup with vermicelli noodles!)

* birthday card from Pathways

* lunch from Auntie Catherine at Pepper Lunch (4.5 ounces of Angus Beef steak, carrots, green beans, bean sprouts, miso soup, and mango mochi for dessert)

* dinner from Mom, Dad, Jon, and Harmony at Nando's in Kerrisdale!

* Mom and Dad's presents: Random stuff from Mom and Dad: A Colgate toothbrush, 95 mL of Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste which expires in April 2020, a Joe Fresh wristwatch already set to the correct time, a broken Cadbury Fruit and Nut dark chocolate bar (not that it matters), nine Halloween puffy skull stickers, a religious Gratitude Journal with a tree on the cover, and a Michaels ruled journal with an L on it.

A Michaels spiral notebook with speech bubbles on it plus a bonus pen, a set of eight Paper Mate Ink Joy Candy Pop! ballpoint pens (orange / red / black / purple / green / light blue / pink / dark blue - which now seem to write curves better than when I banned them from my apartment in March 2013), and a birthday card ("YOU ARE... the [green] apple of my eye") with $20 in a red lucky envelope... all in a Vitamin World plastic bag protected by a Sunmore Ginseng paper bag with handles!

* dinner from Eric H. / Eric M. / Jeremy at Felico's (traditional roast lamb dinner!)

* birthday card from Jeremy

* birthday card from Rachel F.

* birthday card from Steph, Lisa, Fraser, Henry, and Havarti

* dinner from Chrystal at the Cactus Club (Baja fish tacos (beer battered Ocean Wise™ cod, shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli, fire roasted tomato salsa, pickled radish / onions / jalapenos, and sea salted fries), some of Chrystal's fries, and a yummy Tuna Poke bowl (sesame ginger Ocean Wise™ ahi tuna, jasmine rice, mango, cucumber, avocado, edamame, radish, crispy tempura)

* dinner from Frances Chan at Pho Lan in Richmond! (#8 - rare steak, flank, tendon, and tripe)

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Birthday Wishes in 2018!

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 17:20:38 GMT

Birthday Wishes in 2018!

THIS ENTRY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE NON-ALIGNED TAGS.

( Pho and sizzling steak! )

Email: Kevin L., Frances C., Christon S., Thrillist, Match {5}

Evite / (Facebook) Event RSVP: Vanessa H. x2, Frances C., Eric M., Elizabeth M., Benny N., Lisa D., Nathan T. x2, Jeremy J., Eric H. {11}

LJ: loglady / rhapsodeeinblue / executivehpfan / marywebgirl / futile_devices / war_machine_rox / hjalmartazar / thekellieee / callista88 / magicpebble / my_dear_watson7 / theemii / lilyoda / therearewords / joliebelle / urfave / archersangel (ONTD), Julie M. x2 (moonshar), Matt A. (matt1993), Janet S. (ghost_light) {21}

Facebook Wall Posts: Cathy B., Rosenda M., Kitty B., Mikki M., Sheryll T., Dave H., Michelle S. x2, Carol F. x2, Milli P., Nita F., Ryan B., Cathy W. x2, Jim S., Judy K., Andrea W., Diane S., Josh D., Chrissy S. x2, Heather M., Andrew M., Jason T., Itamar R., Jesse C. x2, Eve M., Eric M., Wade T., Dilys C., Vivian S., Helen S., Nathan W., Amanda K., Sara H., Lesley C., Alan P. x2, Steph N., Auntie Susan L., Kelly L., Jason H. x2, Holly L. x2, Ryan M., Julie M., Gino T., Barb D. x2, Tyler T., Shannon S., Shane T., Kelli E. x2, Ellen C., Chun Wai C. {71}

Facebook Chat / Messages: Vanessa H. x2, Julie M., Diane S., Lena M., Victor R., Jimmy C. x3 {9}

Facebook Discussion Boards / Groups: Aubrey Lynn, Julie M., Doug G., Pamela F., Frank M., Wilf C. x2, Stacey C., Peter V. Adrianne C. {10}

Facebook Status / Photo Comments and Reactions: Jim S. x4, Cathy W. x5, Julie M. x7, Shannon S., Steph N. x10, Boston Pizza Ackroyd, Pete C. x2, Kitty B. x6, Ryan B., Daniel T., Vanessa H. x2, Benny N., Julie M. x3, Vicky S., Elizabeth M., Diane S., Eve M., Mikki M., Chantelle S., Alice P. x2, Christine B., Kelly L. x3, Sheryll T. x2, Witwur R. x2, Debbie S. x3, Sabrina K., Kate M. x3, Matt H., Michelle S., Leona K., Zonia L., Itamar R., Andrew L., Chun Wai JOHN C., Andrew M., Jessica G., Harmony H., Lisa D. {77}

Not Always Right: Aléthia, sarcasticcupcakes, Ellen Smith, RosieDeacon, Deadpool, Jesen, BadWolf, Me, Alan Liber, pandapatsy, Number, Totalism, cficsprings, Name, Sionyx, HeatherJasper, James Freeman, GabbySigns, Candice Kay Hood {19}

Discord: creature_of_tea (Lex), SAdenosylMethionine / jeep / whiskey_sparkle / bats_are_cute / reallifeavatar / rhinoballerina [TrollX Support and Love], Ceriam [Ceri-Realm], Nas x2 / Nate x3 / BoucherFan12 x2 / Pingu x2 / Kendall / JoeyTwoTimes / Aaron94 / Eric / KrizChin / Jetstone / nontoaster / Yuriegh [r/hockey], Evading x2 / Amanda / Kramer / MarkRamsey™ [Kramerica], Ultimoice / superhomebody [Moonside], Pothead Mike x2 [Scary Mysteries Family], Highspirits / Tsukiya 月夜 / Frotwirth / DanGodOfThunder / Volklin / Kuja_ / luckytoken / Rom-Stein / Pa-Sama [Highspirits], Aimsworth / Lord Goose / Erik Charette [DaveTheUsher], DanGodOfThunder [DiscordServerOfThunder], Aggressive LGBT Person / Baloney Pony Boy / SpuriousAbsolution / TheCriticalHit / Nyanmajo~ [Dragon Quest], Cuya / The Dick Wizzard / Prax [Easytown], TinyTalkingNinja / Lurus / Classy [ClassyCast], CLASSIC_DISCORD [Panda Express], Shiv, OnlyHopeRemains, PureKaos, brownboy102 / Ascent007 / WeNeedDaHughes / kwando [Vancouver r/Canucks] {68}

Twitch Streams: Ultimoice [Ultimoice], Cuya [Cuya], RedWeird_ / demonbladewolf / Enkeria / LeoUnderscoreChaos / ErikJan0 [RedWeird_], toucansham [ToucanSham], Kramer / scrubplaystwitch [Kramerica], DankeyKrang [DankeyKrang] {11}

Youtube: Chris Cilley, Alysin Chainz, Jenna Neely, Damarys Dingui x3, Ms. Oyeogbe, stand4something, Misty Allan, Pepper McCadden, Rik S, Aquarius 83, Drea Lynne, Empress Shiania, Little Rookie, Lancer, JustChill4Life, BCSBuster, Hector Chavez, Drey Dupe, Jackie M., bitty bitty, Zero_BS_Tolerance {22}

Our Place: Net Widow, Debbie S., Marie S. {3}

Reddit: designingwomen, jesuisunchien, msstark, surfbort_t, JesusListensToSlayer, theskyisstarless, hannameher, Lifesabitchh, AppropriateFilth, DisloyalMouse, Bunniebones, ARestlessRose, SocialIQof0, kailan14, TypicalHumanoid, dadawn, headinthegrave, WiseVeps, lfslshlps, fleurjackie, sweatycat, JabberWockyJurist, TragicalKingdom, glorioid, carolinemathildes, oFraggleMyFraggle {26}

Other Message Boards and Such: Baby's Named A Bad Bad Thing, Unaboard {2}

Other Rewards Stuff: Boston Pizza free dessert (Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake), London Drugs Extras $5 gift voucher {2}

In Person: Vanessa H., Cassidy F., Rachel F., Auntie Catherine I., Mom, Dad, Jon N., Harmony H., Ayler N., Hiero N., Beckett N., Eric H., Eric M., Chrystal C., Jeremy J., Frances C. {16}

Cards / Presents: lunch from Vanessa H. at Pho 37 in Ironwood (Bo Bun Hue: pork hock / Vietnamese ham / beef / cubed pork blood in spicy vermicelli soup plus spring rolls and shrimp salad rolls), lunch from Auntie Catherine I. at Pepper Lunch (4.5 ounces of Angus steak / miso soup / mango mochi), a birthday card from Pathways, dinner from the family at Nando's Chicken on West 41st, cleaning service from Jon / Harmony / Steph, Felico's dinner from Jeremy / Eric H. / Eric M. (traditional roast lamb), a birthday card from Jeremy, a birthday card from Rachel F., a birthday card from Steph / Lisa / Fraser / Henry / Havarti, dinner from Chrystal at the Cactus Club (Baja fish tacos (beer battered Ocean Wise™ cod, shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli, fire roasted tomato salsa, pickled radish / onions / jalapenos, and sea salted fries), some of Chrystal's fries, and a yummy Tuna Poke bowl (sesame ginger Ocean Wise™ ahi tuna, jasmine rice, mango, cucumber, avocado, edamame, radish, crispy tempura), dinner from Frances C. at Pho Lan in Richmond (#8 - rare steak, flank, tendon, and tripe) {11}

* Mom and Dad's presents: Random stuff from Mom and Dad: A Colgate toothbrush, 95 mL of Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste which expires in April 2020, a Joe Fresh wristwatch already set to the correct time, a broken Cadbury Fruit and Nut dark chocolate bar (not that it matters), nine Halloween puffy skull stickers, a religious Gratitude Journal with a tree on the cover, and a Michaels ruled journal with an L on it.

A Michaels spiral notebook with speech bubbles on it plus a bonus pen, a set of eight Paper Mate Ink Joy Candy Pop! ballpoint pens (orange / red / black / purple / green / light blue / pink / dark blue - which now seem to write curves better than when I banned them from my apartment in March 2013), and a birthday card ("YOU ARE... the [green] apple of my eye") with $20 in a red lucky envelope... all in a Vitamin World plastic bag protected by a Sunmore Ginseng paper bag with handles! {28}

Phone Calls / Skype: Chrystal C., Steph N., Kevin L. {3}

20.7% of my Facebook friends ... 87 of 421! (0 fewer wishes, 7 more people) [87 of 414]

GRAND TOTAL: 410

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Korean BBQ chips! / Beef stew for Thanksgiving?! / Ron Swanson! Swan Ronson!

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 06:27:54 GMT

I left at 1:55 on a 407 to make it to Jon and Harmony's and the store prior to playing with Ayler and Hiero before Thanksgiving Dinner. Since I left so early, I went to Shoppers Drug Mart to see if they had sriracha sauce. They did, as well as on-sale Scaeros / Coffin Crisp / Ghostly Kit-Kats / Scaries, plus NEW Korean BBQ Kettle chips! After that, I walked over to IndigoSpirit to see if they had the newest Bathroom Reader: Uncle John's OLD FAITHFUL 30th Anniversary Bathroom Reader (Bathroom Readers' Institute). They didn't since they were only limited distribution in BC, but I did manage to have someone help me at a kiosk so I could just have the book shipped to me at home this week. It saves me another trip out to the mall even if it is nearby! That took a while, but I still managed to be at Jon's place by maybe about 3:15 or so! Ayler asked me what I'd do if they moved downtown - well, I would probably take the train and the bus out to wherever they would be living!

The boys fought with each other as usual (and Hiero fell off the couch's armrest!), but I might have distracted them with the promise of reading to them. Ayler asked if he could sit on my lap, which was fine until my legs started falling asleep. There was a kiddy book with Legos to describe Bible stories, Chinese characters books, a Taan Moon book, a body book, and other things. Randal came over for a piano lesson and stayed for dinner afterwards. Dinner was beef stew with tendons, carrots, and typical Pho garnishes like bean sprouts (and Vietnamese subs!), plus an apricot / grain salad with feta and ricotta cheeses... so non-traditional, but still good! Probably a good thing that I have a turkey backup here at home! Jeremy came over later, which livened the evening up and made it more silly. We talked about Jeremy's cold, baby Henry's banquet (Jon can't attend because of Stanley's wedding on November 19 - but he doesn't even know what he's doing for it?!), Fred becoming a cop in Toronto (and seeing "shades of grey" in morality), the Whip, 12 Kings, Jen being way more conservative / less liberal than she was when we met her, documentaries, Tom Petty, Youtube jams, C+C Music Factory, LL Cool J, Ace of Base, pissing off Auntie Wylene with Salt-N-Pepa and Green Day back in 1994, Bob Dylan / Keith Richards, Silverchair, Bush, and seeing how much the kids knew about fall. We told them that Canadian Thanksgiving was in October and the United States had theirs in November, wanted to know if the leaves would turn blue, and generally had fun with them.

Ayler wanted to tie knots with his Vietnamese noodles, while Hiero wanted to bite the very hard pomelo rind to see if he could eat it that way. That's not how those things work! I saw a kindergarten worksheet with a colorful turkey on it - Ayler had managed to write his own name on it in a reasonably legible fashion! Jeremy brought up the possibility of becoming pregnant when you're already pregnant, so I said that of course there was a name for that: SUPERFETATION! Then he said that it sounded like I got that from a Bathroom Reader: he's SO RIGHT! Of course I had to tell them that I ordered the newest one to ship to my place! At about 7, I left after watching Hiero play train tracks by himself, bidding Jeremy a good night and thanking Jon and Harmony for the dinner. Jon actually thanked me for hanging out early with the kids, surprisingly. Harmony said that it was still pretty stressful since they haven't found a new location to move to yet, and they only have three weeks left in this place!

Ayler and Hiero also surprised me by wanting hugs before I left, so of course I obliged. I would NOT do "falling hugs" as Ayler wanted, though. Why? BECAUSE THEY WOULD HURT! On my way home, I decided to stop by the Oakridge Safeway to see if they had a "fabled" chicken-bacon-ranch sandwich as Milan Penner (Jen now has the same last name as she does!) had told me about YEARS ago in CANUCKS NATION or whatever the group chat was called then. I'd forgotten about that till Jimmy said something about it in Facebook messenger recently since she wants to meet him at some point. The Safeway did have made-to-order sandwiches at the deli, which was good enough for me. The sandwich even had guacamole, and I was also able to pay for a second bottle of sriracha sauce right there at the deli counter instead of having to go to the cash register just for that. I got home at 8:20 on a 407, and talked to the Canucks fan chat and Discord for a bit. Now, bedtime!

Korean BBQ Kettle chips!

From Julie: Ron Swanson! Swan Ronson!

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Gold, silver, and bronze Sharpies! / Gibberish T-shirt / Dim sum lunch HI!

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 02:43:28 GMT

After COFFEE TIME, I had to go out to celebrate Dad's birthday - UGH! At least I got the Samyang 2X spicy Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen (chicken with a bomb!) noodles for Jon from Big Crazy, haha! To kill some time after leaving way early at 10:05 on a 407, I went to Shoppers and bought the cheapest baby boy card that they had ($3 is much better than $7!), plus some cream of mushroom soup since I was at the store anyway. I used the brand new self-checkout machines, and the scanning area seems to be much easier than others which I've used! Then I killed time at Book Warehouse and Trendybucks, where I had a conversation with a woman who noticed my large London Drugs reusable bag. I didn't mind that at all, actually! Jon and Harmony picked me up at the Royal Bank parking lot at 11:25-ish as advertised in Jon's 7:45 AM Facebook message. We had a dim sum lunch at Haiyi Seafood Restaurant on Main and 31st: shrimp dumplings, purple sweet potato dumplings, beef tendons, noodles, rice, egg tarts, shrimp rolls, and more! Ayler asked me if I liked "poke," which is apparently his word for blood draws. Then he said the word "vagina" because Harmony was reading a kids' book about girls' bodies to him - well, kindergarten is going to be interesting, haha.

Mom said that Steph and Lisa aren't going to be here in October because Ryan's wedding has been called off. WHAT?! Good thing that I hadn't mailed the card for baby Henry yet, so I could obscure that reference to October with a black Sharpie later on! Then we talked about getting the kids to eat something, Hiero coming over to me so he could say hi, a video of Havarti swimming, future plans, Ayler loving the lazy Susan, and other things. When Mom and Dad dropped me off at King Edward Station, I decided to go to London Drugs so I could get some more gold / silver / bronze Sharpies [Dec. 30, 2016] for my wallet (so people can feel SPECIAL!) before mailing the baby card at their post office. I got home at 2:10 on a 407, and put some tape in my wallet as well, just in case. Then I put my other gold / silver / bronze Sharpies in my new Modella cosmetics bag near the computer, along with some index cards and pens even though I have plenty in the other two nearby Sterilite boxes. Later, I read that disability payment is actually going up by $100 a month in September, so that's awesome news!

Random stuff from Mom and Dad: three Mega Rolls of Royale toilet paper, a spiral school notebook from Portland, a fridge magnet from our farewell breakfast for Steph and company, Uncle Ben's Country Inn chicken and wild rice, Chinese toothbrush / toothpaste / two hairbrushes from Hotel Wing International, a Joytel Group Hotels toothbrush, a Sweet Cat Miss Gang blue-green shirt / a grey "New York" shirt with gibberish on it from Asia. In what world does "New York floeer srtr KNTIM klyet falo vsing poarts mrlrty daing mrlrty" make sense?!

Uncle Ben's Country Inn chicken and wild rice!

President's Choice mushroom soup with white and portobello mushrooms!

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