Tatiana's Wanderings

Ayler called me at 4:15 - yes, he still does the 7 PM cheer and plays O CANADA on the piano to go with his neighbor on the guitar! He had just gotten in from a scavenger hunt where they had to find noises, and I could hear Hiero and Beckett just roiling around as usual. Of course I said hi to them, but Ayler thought that I believed THEY were on the phone... "No, this is still Ayler - you can tell that's Beckett because of his different voice!" Jon was telling him in the background to ask me what Sidekicks I was going to eat tonight - I told him that he was an ugfart! (Ayler asked what that meant, so I told him that it didn't matter) Then Ayler asked what I was having for dinner because they were having nachos - I said I hadn't decided yet, but I had chicken croquettes AND added Western Family Parmesan cheese (non-red container) to my shopping list for tomorrow because of a stupid asshole vegan on Reddit, actually!

He said he could only talk to me for ten minutes today since he had half an hour total to talk to three people, but wanted to set up a talk time on the weekend since he'd have more time then. Sounds good - Saturday afternoon it is! Ayler said he had to go, which is fine by me.


From These Quotes Are Awesome and Positive Outlooks: I am aware that I am less than some people prefer me to be, but most people are unaware that I am so much more than what they see.




FINAL FANTASY Cactuar! JPG and GIF!

Before COFFEE TIME / BRUSSELS SPROUTS TIME / HOT CHOCOLATE TIME, I called Chrystal at work at 10:10 AM to remind her about tonight. I left at 6:50 on a 414 (which actually had the wheelchair ramp slope in use instead of the steps) to get to London Drugs on time at 7:30 or so. Unfortunately, someone caused a delay for me at Brighouse. Why would you try to start small talk with someone in an elevator who obviously isn't paying any attention to you for a 20-second ride?! No, I'm not going to respond to a guy cyclist's "hi, how are you, hope you're okay, ma'am" in an ENCLOSED SPACE, especially because YOU AND YOUR BIKE FUCKING MADE ME MISS THE FUCKING TRAIN AND WAIT AN ADDITIONAL 11 MINUTES! The elevator wasn't on the first floor either when I needed it to be! I saw the train pulling into the station when I had JUST gotten to the stairs outside!

Don't get me started on the three tall white dudes who evidently had something like "Well then! What the?" to say to me when I was running for the train at Broadway on the way home! THEY WERE OBSTACLES IN MY PATH so of course I had to BARREL into them, and I didn't even have time to turn and yell FUCK OFF! Or the guy IN the train who was blocking my path right when everyone got off and I wanted in. People, have some spatial awareness and consideration! Too bad they didn't think I had coronavirus! At least Mike found my text message rants entertaining!

I FINALLY got to London Drugs at 7:45, where Chrystal was waiting for me and wandering near the back of the store. We quickly decided on our default option of Pho Extreme Xe Lua, since Cactus Club would DEFINITELY be busy on a Friday night even if we'd bothered to reserve beforehand! (they made us wait for 45 minutes at my birthday dinner even WITH one!) We ordered a small #1 (special noodle soup for Chrystal), six signature butter chicken wings for $9.50 to share (although she only ate one - we split the bill anyway), and a large #30 Bo Bun Hue noodle soup for me. We talked about my trip (I showed her some photos), her nephews Benjamin and Ethan, Ayler / Hiero / Beckett / Fraser / Henry, my relief that Mom wasn't coming on that trip, the flight delays, toys, that gas leak on Chinese New Year, her sushi Chinese New Year dinner with family, Hiero's UBC birthday party and presents, Beckett learning new words, Hiero being sick, and work not being fun today. I got home at 9:35 on a 407, which I guess wasn't terrible for leaving the restaurant at 8:50...


From James: Might be the best selfie of the year, and it's only January! Cats and dogs!




I got a blue dragon as my home icon on Google Maps on my phone! I set my "home," tapped on the menu icon, skipped the commute, and tapped on the three dots which appeared so I could change the home pin!




Dinner with Chrystal: Bo Bun Hue soup!




Dinner with Chrystal: Signature butter chicken wings!

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!

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!




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