Tatiana's Wanderings

After DOUBLE COFFEE TIME, I went out at 4:10 on a 407 for Dad's belated 70th birthday dinner at Kwong Chow. I got a text from Jon saying that dinner was at 5:30 and they were at Granville Island (I'd already said I would be at Save-On), so I bought more (on-sale or NEW) Stagg Chili (Dynamite Hot / Southwest Chicken style) and Western Family things since Mom and Dad would be giving me a ride home anyway. Whole mushrooms, mushroom pieces and stems, hot chili con carne, original chili con carne, liquid honey, lemon juice, grated Italian Parmesan cheese, and beef / vegetable / chicken instant noodles! I still managed to get to the restaurant on time: Mom was already there and wanted me to call Jon to see if they'd left home yet. Luckily, I already knew their true whereabouts, and also knew that texting was easier than having to find a place to take a call. I always delete her voicemails, anyway. Too inconvenient...

They got to the restaurant soon enough (but not soon enough for Mom), and we ordered a while after that. Discussed the restaurant's plastic bowls NOT being for the congee (Mom...), my "stealing" an extra plate from the dish pile for Jon (which caused one of the kids to say that stealing is wrong - hahaha), music school being over, plans for tomorrow / this week, Ayler eating the fish head again, Beckett slapping the table and being blocked from the TV screen, Auntie Kwai and dementia (and Dad not wanting to take on another person), Dollarama, Summer Reading Club ("I read to you - but you read the words I don't know!"), Hiero trying some jellyfish, Holly's move impacting her taxes because she's an American citizen ($12,000?!), the growing tomato plants on the balcony, and waterslide adventures today with mint chocolate chip ice cream. We walked to Jon's place, where I learned that Beckett now knows how to climb up onto the couch. Guess I should be extra-vigilant tomorrow!

On the way home, Mom wanted me to intercede with Martin and Rich about Vacation Bible School and getting someone else to administer Ayler's medicine instead of Harmony having to travel a lot to VCEFC or wherever they'll be. Nope, I am not doing that. I'm sure Wai-Mui and the other leaders have more important things to take care of... at least I got home at 7:30 instead of maybe an hour later! Spicy tofu triangles, spicy jellyfish, green beans with beef, red bean soup, tea, kombucha tea, chicken, beef yee mein, veggie congee, fish congee - what a dinner! The usual stuff, but still good! Maybe not after I tried eating 600 grams of tortellini earlier, though...


Random stuff from Mom and Dad: A yellow sweet Korean melon, a random pair of yellow socks with "fun" designs, two Chinese posters of oxen / birds / dragons with stickers and five bookmarks, "washed Mom grapes" in a paper bag (purple grapes), a pack of four 32-page Hilroy exercise books from Staples, six Hilroy 80-page one-subject red and purple notebooks also from Staples, Korean Kwangchun Healthful roasted seaweed x10, and six cans of strawberry Milkis carbonated drinks. (Snoopy and umbrellas!)

900g of No Name elbow macaroni, 900g of No Name fettuccini, a bag of random Japanese roasted green tea, random Chinese green tea powder x4, Twinings Earl Grey tea x7, a random Chinese green tea bag, Yama Moto Yama green tea bags x8, Bigelow Orange and Spice herbal tea bags x3, a Mighty Leaf Marrakesh mint green tea bag, Bigelow Darjeeling black tea x3, and a Twinings 100% pure oolong tea bag.


System Restore Disk: Do Not Erase! What's wrong with this photo?!




( Chili, dragon and oxen posters, notebooks, generic pasta, Milkis carbonated drinks, Grow-A-Husband! )

The EcoClean cleaners came today at 10 AM, as advertised, and I had to give them the parking pass and pick it up later when they left at 11:35. They spoke in Spanish most of the time (but did know English) and cleaned a whole lot of things and vacuumed, including my microwave AND sink! The three ladies even dusted my book and CD displays! Of course I gave them a $10 cash tip - NOT $5 as Mom was saying, since that seemed slightly low... even $10 seemed low for three people, but I'll know for next time if there is one! Yes, Hester's husband Ni saw them on the way in as he was trying to fix the recalcitrant front door lock, but I didn't care about that.


From Julie: They say POOPING is a call of nature. Does that mean FARTING is a missed call?

In FINAL FANTASY VI, Sabin sees Shadow and his dog Interceptor outside of Gau's father's cabin. "The Reaper is always just a step behind me," Shadow says. Yup, he has a 1/16 chance of running away after a random battle, saying that he's served his purpose!




My ex-friend Kaitlin saw this truck once: FlamCo!




From the Wall Street Journal: Beijing Subway Stops, Literally Translated!

Cholera Camp, Returning Dragon Temple Big Street, Standing Water Bridge, Smooth Justice, Salary Uncle, Back Sand Valley, Grandchild River, Horse Spring Camp, Gazing at the Capital West

Chinese Peony Medicine Residence, Big Village Road, Safe Chastity Gate, Peony Garden, Knowledge Spring Road, Circle Bright Garden, Sea Sediment Yellow Village, Fire Implement Camp

Safe Magnificent Bridge, Three Yuan Bridge, Bright Horse Bridge, Harmony Palace, Stability Gate, Puddle of Accumulated Water, Big Clock Temple, Sea Sediment Five Road Residence

Apple Garden, Eight Treasures Mountain, Kind Life Temple, West Fishing Platform, White Mound, Abundant City Gate, Car Man Village, Safe Neighborhood, South Gong and Drum Alley, West Unit

Heavenly Peace Gate West, Lamp City Junction, East Forty Strip, Face the Sun Gate, Unity Lake, Gold Platform Road, Call Home Building, Sunset on Golden Stage, Long Rectangular Bag Slope, Grass House

Dirt Bridge, Pear Garden, High Stele Shop, National Trade Double Well, Safe Forever Village, Magnetic Implement Intersection, Cattail Yellow Elm, Heaven Altar East Gate, Front Gate

Wells of Palace, Peaceful Gate, Military Announcement Gate, South Gentlemen Road, Princess Grave, Six Mile Bridge, Big Well, Big Tile Pit

Science Pleasant Road, Abundant Platform Station, Pomegranate Village, Song Home Village, Minute Temple, Mutual Help South Road

Ten Thousand Origins Street, Little Red Gate, Clear Source Road, Justice Peace Village, Big Luxuriant Growth Platform, Bamboo Fence House

( Beijing Subway Stops, Literally Translated )

Last night, I finally finished the tiny sample size bottle of Crown Royal 90% rye whiskey that I got on April 18! You bet I'm keeping this bottle, too! Tonight, I found 24/7 Youtube streams of AMERICAN DAD and FAMILY GUY, so of course I watched some of that!


There's a Willow Grove (Pennsylvania) landscaper named James Brown?! Bonus points: He refers to himself as James Brown, the Godfather of Soil.




There's a provost at the University of Pennsylvania named Vincent Price?! He's becoming the President of Duke University in July, too!




There's a Philadelphia-area venture capitalist named Winston Churchill?!