Tatiana's Wanderings

It's World Book Day today! The SFX Off-Topic group will NOT get a reminder this year for everybody to change their clocks for Daylight Saving Time. International members get too stroppy because "not everyone is in the United States [I could say the same to YOU since I'm in Canada!]" and "we changed our clocks last week!" Obviously then, that reminder is NOT for you! Scroll by and DON'T COMMENT! I had to "be civil" and not go all FIRE DRAGON on them... it was an exercise in patience, which is NOT a bad thing, but STILL!


Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania?!




From Youtube and The Murder of Susan Eyre: Marvyn Benoit?! BAD SPELLING OF MARVIN!

After COFFEE TIME and a phone call from Rishu which didn't involve me going out to the boonies of Richmond and a risk of being LATE, I went out at 3:05 on a 401 to help with the kids, and I had Beckett's stuffed Santa dog this time. I got to Marine Drive early and saw some Vermont Curry at the supermarket - what?! The 3 was a bit delayed - waiting in the freezing weather was still better than not having transit at all, I had to remember. I finally got to the house at 4:40 (no thanks to some "lady" wanting to get on with her milk crates and huge walker), and Hiero was "dancing" with Beckett, who didn't seem to like it much. When I'd washed my hands, Beckett was on the floor and Hiero showed me how he was going to make an envelope with scissors and paper. Ayler was just playing piano and making something else on the mat. When I gave him the stuffed Santa dog, he threw it on the floor and then associated its eyes with his own and mine. Yes, we ALL have eyes - you're getting so smart!

Beckett showed me the magnets and his collection of balls on the far windowsill (which actually went with the colorful magnetic rods) which he had put there. I guess it combines his two favorite things right now: balls / projectiles and looking out the window at any (reflected) lights he can see! Jon and Harmony should take him to see the indoor Christmas light displays at the Hyatt and other places again this year, for sure. Beckett went to the window and spouted gibberish at me about the lights across the street multiple times: I told him "good job" every time he "found" the lights again! He also liked trying to fit the balls into a wooden toy with circular holes, likes the emotion egg, threw blocks around, and has enough strength to make the baby pop-up toy work by himself about half the time. "Pop! Ball-ball!" he told me. Yes, even more evidence of being smart! He laughed at the toy, and was enjoying himself rocking out with Holly's light-up musical toy, so he gave me a big cheesy smile - so cute! I introduced him to saying "hahahaha" when he finds something funny, too!

We had more Waterzooi de Poulet with buttered bread and grapes and "hash browns" for dinner. Beckett started throwing food pretty early, but also had apparently been awake for six hours in a row, and had been awake for nine hours in a row yesterday - that's so long for him! We talked about CAPS LOCK and Shift keys on a keyboard (Ayler's learning typing at school), how old teenagers are, Beckett yawning, ZELDA, Chrystal and Vivian travelling together, the tall kids at school, the kindergarten class being sick, and my seeing Steph next month. Ayler would like me to say hi to her for him - sure, why not? Then he asked if he was taller than me yet - nope! Harmony wondered what was going on, being preoccupied with Hiero not eating. I told her Ayler just wants to be taller than me. We said that Steph would probably think they were tall because I basically see them all the time, unlike her.

Then he wanted to ask Uncle Joe if they could have crab next time he saw them since Auntie Wing Yee sent them a photo of some. "Is it really Friday? Maybe it's Tuesday. It's Friday, but it feels like a Tuesday!" Yes, because I had basically switched days this week with Uncle Joe and Auntie Wing Yee. I later had to suppress a laugh because he told me, "See you next Tuesday." (CUNT) I read one story to Hiero, who sat on my lap - he told me that "oh my God" was a swear word, so I said that it kind of was, but it IS mild. Then he asked me what "mild" meant - I wasn't sure how to explain that. I bet that was a fun bedtime discussion when I left at 7:30.

I waited for quite a while for the next 3 Marine Drive bus (which finally showed up at 8:10), but a guy passing by told me that I'd dropped my Compass Card "on the floor." GEEZ, I ALMOST LOST IT AGAIN! I thanked him politely without mentioning that the "floor" was ACTUALLY the GROUND (he looked white so he should know the difference...), and made sure to zip up my winter coat pocket. I was lucky and was one minute ahead of the Brighouse train, and managed to get out of the Brighouse station a few minutes before the 401 and 407 showed up, no thanks to other people wanting the elevator and then SLOW-ASS people on the way out of the station. (including someone looking at their phone / consulting something IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PATH... MOVE YOUR ASS TO THE SIDE!) I get in my apartment at 9:05, none too soon!


Knorr Chicken Fried Rice Sidekicks for lunch!




That's a suitcase handle, not a weapon or an axe!




I borked my suitcase... no handle! QUATCHI!




Maybe this "zipper" is from my mom?




From Julie: California is banning all words with the prefix "man" in them. So this is now called a bitch biscuit...

I showered and did laundry today. Thought I'd lost a dry sock, but found it in the hallway outside my apartment... phew!


From John's True Crime group: This Avon and Somerset police constable is named Rob Banks?!




From Reddit and r/UnresolvedMysteries: Tarasha Benjamin?! Didn't her mother say it out loud before the birth and realize that it sounds like TRASH-A?!




Blue Ball, Pennsylvania?!

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!

From Julie M. and Zulily Canada: "I Donut Give A Poop" Emoji Sheet Set - YAY!

Bucky Worboys?!




From Julie: RJ and Latrice?!




( Aries, Cinda, LV, Danuta, and Denetra?! )

COFFEE TIME! The Canucks played the Penguins at 4 today, and won 5-2! After the game and the latest SCARY MYSTERIES Youtube video upload, I went shopping at London Drugs at 7:05. I got assorted stickers for Fraser (PAW PATROL / BATMAN / FINDING DORY), a musical hockey Christmas card with THE HOCKEY SONG, on-sale assorted Christmas cards from American Greetings (worked out to less than $1 per card... one design has a white cat on the front, so that is definitely going to Jimmy as a Quentin Q reminder!), a birthday card with a cool cat on the front (perhaps as a surprise for Jimmy in March?), more on-sale Moritz Icy Squares for myself, NEW Wild Wild Ranch Paqui Chips for myself, Crème de Pirouline dark chocolate artisan rolled wafers for Chrystal, on-sale Truffettes de France candy cane cocoa truffles for myself, on-sale Ganong Delecto dark chocolate peppermint creams for Eric, and on-sale assorted Elmer Chocolate creams for Jon's family. When I got home at 8 on a 401 (just missed the 407), I got Paul and Shiv's addresses. One of them reminded me of Josef Mengele and Phil's Westfalia van!


Crème de Pirouline dark chocolate artisan rolled wafers!




Wild Wild Ranch Paqui Chips!




( Chocolate and wolves! )