Tatiana's Wanderings

It's Earth Day 2020 today! I also temporarily got QUADRUPLE DIGITS IN MY BANK ACCOUNT again! Hopefully, my spending habits are a little better than they were the LAST time this happened! Also, I won't need to give $900 of my own money for a family trip like the ICBC insurance settlement. Of course, that only lasted for the time it took me to go banking, never mind grocery shopping! I think I'll just continue my usual money habits this time.

After dealing with a stupid Reddit Vancouver troll, I went banking and shopping at 11:25 AM on a 407 with my Asian old lady shopping cart, noting that the 414 shuttle bus would be discontinued next week as per a sign at the bus stop. Briefly peeked into London Drugs, and at least I didn't have to walk all the way around the block from Moore's clothing store to get to Royal Bank this time, unlike LAST payday! I got NEW Iogo cherry yogurt, NEW on-sale Oikos strawberry-raspberry / Zesty lemon-lime Greek yogurts x2, NEW Lysol Click Gel toilet bowl cleaner x3 (SPRING WATERFALL!) which was really easy for me to unwrap and apply, on-sale Earth's Own original almond milk, a NEW on-sale Tao Kae Noi BIG SPICY SEAWEED ROLL box with nine of them, chocolate orange Jaffa Cakes, and Shin Ramyun Black CUP noodles x2.

Also purchased NEW Western Family regular grated Parmesan cheese (green), NEW Western Family light grated Parmesan cheese (yellow), NEW Pulmuone Katsuo Soba Ramen noodles, NEW Ottogi Super-Spicy Yeul Ramen noodles, NEW Ottogi sesame ramen noodles with an egg block, Western Family mixed frozen vegetables AFTER TWO MONTHS, and a LUCKY 24-pack of Purex toilet paper. When I got home at 2:15 on a 407 with a nice friendly understanding bus driver, I paid my Shaw and hydro bills online. after text exchanges with both Erics about life, I went out again at 7:05 and luckily got another 12-pack of Purex double rolls along with some Old Dutch Restaurante salsa con queso (cheese salsa) and a big bag of Western Family mixed frozen vegetables for more peace of mind.

I also got Green Works toilet bowl cleaner x2 since I can just turn the cap and not have to squeeze it in impossible or difficult positions like I have to do with Lysol or Scrubbing Bubbles. London Drugs also has this, and I forgot about this till now. Got home at 8:10 on a 407 and tested out the Starfrit jar opener on the salsa jar. I hit the jar on the counter first to hopefully break the seal, tried opening it a few times, then I made a mistake by tilting the jar.... I think after that spill, I'll postpone a shower and laundry till at least tomorrow!


Hungry Man Boneless Fried Chicken microwaveable meal... YAY!




[( Smoking Backyard Barbecue! )

After COFFEE TIME, I went out at 2:40 on a 401 which JUST waited for me to help with the kids. Six minutes according to the new Translink website is not enough time to be comfortable - ten is way better! I got to the house at 4, managing to have a text conversation with Term about Jimbo leaving our Superfriends server and all the VioletNym (Faith) / Michelle drama and jealousy in V4F. While I was killing time at Tim Horton's with a cheese tea biscuit because I'd JUST missed the 3 bus, I quickly messaged Jimbo to ask why he would leave Superfriends. I got the answer when I got on wifi at Marine Drive at the station on the way home, as I thought.

Apparently, he thinks it's too toxic and we bitch all the time. (Darryl thought it was his fault when I told the server later!) So if we're not supposed to bitch on V4F about that server because we'll get modded, and we can't bitch on Sober Server because it's ALL about positivity, then where else can we complain?! Geez! Most places which are ALL POSITIVE ALL THE TIME are not realistic! I did leave Sober Server when I got home since it's dead anyway - even Violet Hour / Kevin had left! Lots of splintering of the big group for sure - even the secret V4F chat is deleted because Tony threw a bitchfit since Violet Hour's friends joined to troll him about things!

When I got to the house at 4, Harmony let me in, where I saw Uncle Joe. Beckett came up and answered his question about who I was: Yes, I am Auntie! He wanted to show me his light blue "God is love" rolling pin while I was washing my hands! I washed my hands some more after he sneezed on me, for sure. Then he said "DIDIBUG" - I clearly had no idea what a DEE DEE BUG is, so he walked over and showed me. Turns out it's his word for LADYBUG, which is on the orange alphabet board AND a soft ball for throwing! Makes sense for a baby pronunciation, I guess!

Talked about the news and a possible coronavirus quarantine / emergency kits (the kids had questions!), reading BATMAN / THE ADVENTURES OF DOG MAN to Ayler and Hiero (which Harmony thanked me for later), my gigantic bowl of congee and shredded pork (yok song) plus some choy, Beckett licking the Play-Doh lids ("that's gross, Beckett - YUCK!" Then he repeated, "Gross!") / the toy train ("Go!") while wanting to spin ("PIN!") the intersections from the wooden train set. Also discussed OPEN for the Play-Doh lids and boxes, BEI-TEI (snot / runny nose), COME UP for his wanting to sit on the little white chair like a big boy (Hiero questioned that - but I'm RIGHT HERE in case something happens!), going on a trip for Spring Break, going to Portland in the summertime, and Penny coming later than scheduled because of traffic.

Beckett was very curious and said "Penny!" a bunch of times, even walking to the door to say hi. He even got into the cards they were using later, but I figured that was okay as I used my normal voice to get him out of there - there isn't much space in that apartment! He said "MINE!" - so I corrected him. Much better than Ayler yelling at him! He noticed Penny's earrings, so called them BOH-BOH and wanted to touch them. I read a word book to him, found the apples in the Bible storybook, and generally kept him occupied most of the time. We ate dinner together since I wouldn't eat at 4:15! Left at 7:35 and got home at 9:05 on a 407, telling Harmony that I'd text Jon tomorrow when my pedicure was done even if he'll be at the park if the weather is actually nice.


Random stuff from Mom and Dad: a bag of No Name ketchup chips which expires on May 1 of 2020, and Paldo Gomtang instant noodles which expired on October 20, 2019... I threw the noodles out when I discovered the expiry date! EW!


Schwing tombstone?! PARTY ON, WAYNE!




No Name ketchup chips!

I had to spend MORE time out and MORE MONEY today at Richmond Centre because of ANOTHER temporary water shutoff. *rolleyes* Good thing I had plenty of cash! I bought a White Spot breakfast quesadilla with chorizo sausage, a White Spot blueberry milkshake that slightly tasted like cough syrup (what are they doing with those machines overnight?!), NEW on-sale OGX Beauty tea tree / mint shampoo and conditioner, on-sale Dove pomegranate shampoo and conditioner from $8.99 to $2.99, NEW Life iron pill supplements, NEW Jamieson Vitamins garlic softgels, and NEW Irish Spring charcoal body wash. Shoppers and London Drugs both worked! Got home at 5:40 on a 407 (was NOT going to call Hester because of the one-word and hangup I received LAST YEAR), and the water was back on, so I could take a shower for tomorrow!


Speeda E. Bump tombstone?!




( Alcohol and milkshakes at 9 AM, Christmas at Shiny Tea, quirkiness )

After COFFEE TIME, I went out at 2:40 on a 401 to a sick Jeremy's for Jon's birthday dinner since Eric could give me a ride home after UBC hockey and helping in the kitchen. I bought on-sale Knorr Sidekicks in Chicken and Broccoli rice and pasta / Homestyle Cheddar / Chicken Fried Rice, some high-visibility fluorescent yellow-green stickers and slap bracelet straps from Dollar Land (FINALLY!), some 100 mL Vaseline lotion in the yellow tube for Ontario from Shoppers Drug Mart, and a small bag of NEW on-sale Takis Outlaw snacks from Buy-Low for the Gwei-Lo at Kingsgate Mall since I got there at 3:20. I managed to get to Jeremy's at 4:35 after cutting through Dude Chilling Park, and Ayler wasn't even there yet to lock me out like he did last year! Eric sent me a text while I was there to ask if I was here yet... crazy! I did give him his Windel Advent calendar and Delecto dark chocolate assortment, and gave Jeremy his Windel Advent calendar too.

The kids got there a while later; Harmony said she was glad I was there already because then I could help her watch Beckett and take him from Jesse later on when he needed a break. Yeah, I let him look at the big screen for a minute - that's not going to get him addicted! Jeremy said there were some unsafe things for babies behind the chairs - yes, I could see wires! Beckett toddled around and wanted to turn off the computer, which Ayler thought was a touchscreen again. I let Beckett touch my fuzzy purple Alia winter coat, go up on the couch (but NOT touch the Japanese painting), hold my hands as he walked around, spout gibberish about the glass table (he can see the carpet!) and point at the lights and new things, and give me all the beer coasters a few times over.

Yes, he could throw those around if he wanted to, but NOT the candles or anything else! NOT SUITABLE PROJECTILES! He was also eventually curious about Jeremy's beard, like Ayler and Hiero had been. Ayler was smart and knew that I would have Advent calendars for them. He has a bonus dragon book since HE is a DRAGON too! The Santa stuffed dog was in my bag later when I got home, but I can give it to Beckett before my trip. Hiero wanted to be Batman or Superman in front of everyone.

I was civil and polite to Raymond when he was in the way and admiring Jeremy's bookshelf while I wanted to get my UTHER book from my bag to show Trish later, and also when I handed him some dishes that needed to be washed. Caught up with Caleb (I saw his uncle William recently!), Becky, Alice, Jeremy, Randal, Jesse, Trish, Lanie, and Christon for sure. (Ayler's math prowess / the Japanese soldier who refused to surrender until his commanding officer said so / my upcoming trip / writing / Jacob's Well / SERVANTS / the Spain honeymoon / buying a new place and moving / a rice cooker / the microwave / Jeremy seeing Steph in the newspaper as a random RCMP officer and confirming with Jon)

I met Jon's friend Mallory, noticed that his friend Jay had a "scent" about him, and "met" his friends Chris and Mallory. Since we all had to leave an hour or so earlier because Jeremy was feeling under the weather (bad timing as he got sick from his co-workers yesterday!), Eric and I actually left at 9 or so! We talked about gluten-free ice cream sandwiches being good for his mom and brother, his staying home at Christmas, FIRE EMBLEM, and a raccoon being outside near the dumpster when we got to my place at 9:30. (it was a milk jug...)


Trappiste Rochefort beer!




Santa's Sac beer, haha!




( Food and safety and more! )

The Canucks played Dallas tonight at 7, and lost 4-2.


No Name, Colorado?!




From Janina: It's supposed to say "Dream." The shadow says "Die" and looks like Tinkerbell hung herself.




Dick Dietz played for the Braves?!