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 I showered, I went out at 1:25 on a 407 with my Asian old lady shopping cart to do some banking and go grocery shopping. The sidewalk is closed by Brighouse Station because of the loop construction, and Shoppers and Price Smart both have lineups to get inside in the name of social distancing and limiting the number of people! I got Krinos Athena salt x3 for $3 at London Drugs, where they've shut down all cash registers (I think) and two of the infernal self-checkout machines. Then I had to navigate the sidewalk closure and answer a couple of basic travel-related questions at Royal Bank before I was allowed inside to use the far ATM. Even if I knew anyone who had been outside of Canada lately, it's not like I'm seeing them!

Then I went to Price Smart, where there was also a lineup to get inside. Bought NEW No Joke / Solar Flare / Blueberry Plague / Momento de Muerte hot sauces x4 from Pepper North Artisan Foods, GOOD TASTE dumplings x5 (pork and celery / pork and chive / beef and vegetable / cabbage and chicken / cabbage and pork), on-sale Western Family regular soy sauce (carefully opening it in the store first), Maggi Kari Letup noodles, NEW Ottogi Jin Ramen Odong Tong Myon noodles in Spicy Seafood Udon flavor, Doll shrimp wonton ramen noodles, NEW Miss Vickie's Signatures Black Truffle and Parmesan chips, original Western Family chili, and Allen's Malt Vinegar x2. Plastic bags are temporarily free, while you can't bring your reusable bag inside because they're trying to stop the spread of coronavirus. After that, I left because my shopping cart was getting too heavy. I paid my Shaw bill online after getting home at 4 on a 407 and wiping things down, then went out to Price Smart again at 6:30 on a 401 whose bus driver AGAIN didn't see my cart because of the sunlight.

The lineup wasn't too bad and it moved faster at 6:40, which is fine by me. I bought NEW AG Blue Label concentrated household bleach (3.6 litres!), Puritan Irish Stew for St. Patrick's Day 2021, on-sale NEW Goldfish Grahams x2 (Chocolate Brownie / Vanilla Cupcake), on-sale NEW Western Family HOT salsa x2 (which the jar opener DID work on!), NEW Oikos Hint of Banana lactose-free yogurt, Western Family prune nectar / prune juice, on-sale Charmin triple toilet paper, and NEW zinc Jamieson Vitamins x2. Of course I took advantage of the hand sanitizer at a checkout when I left the store, nodding at the masked security guard at the exit. Finally got home at 7:45 thanks to a slightly late 407, and now Paulo wants to get some of that hot sauce!


From Julie: KINDERGARTEN COP 1990 - Boys have a penis and girls have a vagina. KINDERGARTEN COP 2018 - I've got no fucking clue.




( Hot sauce galore, Smokey Mountain Spaghetti and Meatballs, AND MORE! )

Vanessa wanted to get together yesterday for lunch at Mama's Dumplings, but I fobbed her off until Tuesday (when she'll have Cassidy) with an excuse once she wanted me to bus to Coppersmith Place: the Canucks-Sabres game at 1 AND my broken suitcase! She actually messaged me at 12:30 today to say that she's trying not to eat out much, and she has to have dinner with her mom and brothers (who won't be in town for Christmas) on Tuesday, so I got the hint there that she can't make it for this Tuesday. At least this makes my Tuesday much less hectic! PHEW!

Eric M. is still working on the 19th, so can't take me to the airport. He did help me via text message: Apparently, I should leave on the 9:07 407 that morning since domestic flights only need you to be an hour early, but I should perhaps be even earlier. I told him that I might as well build in time to get lost... No, not his suggestion of 8:45 PM the night before - that is even earlier than the anal people who show up to things an hour early and then blame a "late" you for being normal and on time because they’ve been waiting for an hour! Not sure what I'll do for breakfast on the day besides Starbucks coffee bottles - I'll definitely have to remember to shut down my computer and everything else! Actually, I just texted Deb and she says she happens to be off on the 19th, so can give me a ride in the morning - YAY!


Air Canada luggage allowance for suitcases, knapsacks, and bags! 21.5 x 9 x 15.5 inches for a Standard Article, and 13 x 6 x 17 inches for a Personal Article!




Help! We're trapped inside a fish bowl or Christmas snow globe, and we can't get out...




From Julie: Dwynne Farneson?! We both want to pronounce it like DWIN.




From Not Always Right: Grammartif macht frei.

At 6:50, I took a 407 to get to the liquor store so I could pick out a Halloween-themed beer. I got Weeping Reaper blood orange strong ale from the Dead Frog Brewery, which later turned out to be TOO TALL FOR MY FRIDGE! Then I hit up Price Smart for some Western Family store brand LIMITED EDITION pumpkin pie ice cream before going to London Drugs for a humorous Hanukkah card for Lena since they had one, Frosty the Snowman Advent calendars x9 since those were also at the store (me / Eric H. / Chrystal / Jon / Harmony / Ayler / Hiero / Steph / Lisa), and on-sale Cottonelle toilet paper since today was the last day of the sale. I got home at 8:15 on a 407, which isn't bad at all.

The card: "This Year's Least Popular Hanukkah Toys! Mr. Potato Latke Head, Meshugeneh Patty, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Rabbis, My Little Bubbie!"


Cemen dip?!




Western Family limited-edition pumpkin pie ice cream: Made with real pumpkin puree, praline pecans, and a hint of spice. A new seasonal favorite!




Weeping Reaper blood orange strong ale from Dead Frog Brewery!

THIS ENTRY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE NON-ALIGNED TAGS.


After I had COFFEE TIME / BLACK TEA TIME, Barry picked me up at 1 and we went banking and to Price Smart. I bought store brand potato and cheese perogies, on-sale Excel White gum x3, perogies, bananas, NEW on-sale Samjin pretzels x5 (Tomato Ketchup / Spicy Beef / Stir-Fried Seafood / Cheddar Cheese / Wasabi), NEW Oreo Birthday Cake ice cream, NEW Breyer's Mrs. Fields Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, blood orange Western Family store brand Greek yogurt, NEW on-sale frozen Northern King Tom Yum seafood soup, Campbell's light cream of mushroom soup, an on-sale Dawn dish detergent (New Zealand Springs), Money's sliced mushrooms x2, NEW Old Dutch Mozzarella chips, and NEW Old Dutch Jalapeno Cheddar chips. Also purchased Halls cough drops in a pack of 36 (cherry / cool mint / honey lemon / regular), Arm and Hammer Pro Sensitive toothpaste x2, Arm and Hammer Extra Advance Whitening toothpaste, an on-sale Colgate toothbrush, on-sale apple / pineapple / mango / orange juices, on-sale Fisherman's Wharf Taiwan-style dumplings (Pork and Cabbage / Chicken and Mushroom), NEW Hint of Jalapeno Tostitos chips, a big tub of Heluva Good! French Onion chip dip, preserved vegetables x2, on-sale Sautao XO Sauce and Black Pepper noodles, on-sale Sautao XO Sauce noodles, Nissin XO Sauce and Seafood noodles, Nissin miso and pork noodles, on-sale DOLL spicy pork noodles, Vedan Bah Kut tea noodles, Vedan Spicy Mushroom noodles, and NEW on-sale Birthday Cake Froot Loops to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday / sesquicentennial.

When I got home, I paid my Shaw and hydro bills online. Then I discovered that Chrissy, Marissa, and Subena had all unfriended me. What the heck?!


From Janina: Necrophilia... sit back and crack open a cold one!




NEW frozen Northern King Tom Yum seafood soup: squid, shrimp, octopus, lime, galangal, lemon leaf, chili, lemongrass, MSG, garlic, and baby corn!




Money's sliced mushrooms: sliced, whole, pieces and stems x2!




( Toothpaste, pretzels, and weird chip and cereal flavors! )

I showered and did laundry today. The repairman came by at 1:40 to install a new stove fan switch, and confirmed that the stove pans were too icky to be cleaned normally. I guess I will have to replace them! I saw Hester by the elevator and after being invited into the outdoor storage room (which is indeed full of junk, including London Drugs shopping carts), she gave me one which is too small, then eventually took back a newer bigger one because my stove pan wasn't broken. The newer one was shinier on the inside AND outside, but she said it was rusty and kind of bent. She thanked me for understanding, and gave me a tip when I asked: that she'd bought them at the Richmond Public Market at a haircut shop (?!) on the second floor. Okay then, I guess I'm going there at some point since I don't exactly trust Easy-Off with that stove pan! (but I might buy it just in case) Not going today, though - that was way too much cheery social interaction for me as an introvert!


From Krista: Quetzalcoatl ancient Mayan dragon god!




From Janina: Hannibal Lecter says, "A census-taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."




In FINAL FANTASY VI: THE ETERNAL CRYSTALS, Sabin / Shadow / Cyan / the Ghost fight Gilgamesh (for the second time) on the Phantom Train. Gilgamesh says, "You spoony monk!" after attacking them with his Excalipoor sword and a Gale Cut.