Tatiana's Wanderings

The Canucks played the Sharks tonight at 7:30, and s.


From Scott C. in CANUCKS NATION: A baby wearing a MADE IN VACHINA bib. "Really, Dad?"




From Julie M. and I Love Skulls: Animal skull bonsai trees weave life and death together in darkly beautiful art.




From Julie M. and Amazon: A Carlie cute cat glass cup tea mug with a fish. A tea infuser, tea strainer, and tea filter!

It's been an interesting year in the Vancouver area. I've been doing this Holiday_Wishes thing for 15 years! Email me at flamsterina @ gmail.com for my address, please. I enjoy seeing what the community can do! This year, my baby nephew has grown up and developed a lot, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he and his brothers do in the new year. I'm flying to see their cousins later this month, too. Should be exciting times!


1. Christmas cards and postcards: Yay for mail from around the world which isn't bills or junk!

2. Instant tea and coffee from around the world. I like new flavors!

3. Stickers for me and my five nephews!

4. Bookmarks since I read a lot.

5. Dragons! I'm a dragon in the Chinese zodiac.

6. Books or online links about the quirkiness of our world!

7. Chocolate or candy from all over the world!

8. Gift cards to places like London Drugs, Save-On, and Safeway!

9. Random surprises!

10. New LJ friends would be nice. I blog about my day, and have random memes and make fun of bad names. (forewarned is forearmed, I always say!)

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...

The cleaners came again today at 5:40 via bus from New Westminster after rescheduling phone calls and texts to and from me and Harmony and them. They had a huge suitcase full of cleaners and stuff! After the couple cleaned the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen (and under the sink - outside and not inside?!), and living room... they found a dead mouse on a glue trap when I asked them to clean behind the couch! YIKES! They added that to their garbage bag, and took that out when I asked them to do so as they left at 6:55. I definitely gave them a cash tip this time in case I felt badly about it later on.


Half.com, Oregon?!




From 60 Minutes Australia: Tiahleigh Palmer?! Tia and Leigh are both okay, but TIAHLEIGH? Maybe it's the Australian accent, but it seems to be pronounced "Tialy."

After COFFEE TIME, the EcoClean cleaner came at 11:30 AM today, saying that it was a busy day and people didn't show up. Oh no! At least I remembered to tell her about the area under the sink! Total vacuuming, sink cleaning, and some minor tidying and dusting and wall cleaning by 1:20 - woo! Good thing I didn't let Chinese Eric take the parking pass on the 2nd!


From Julie M. and Dietz and Watson: Hot dog leggings for $40?!




From Julie: Jada?! It's pronounced as Jay-Duh!




From Julie: Ci'Ona?! Reminds me of Hon's sister Cien and Cimona's in Steveston!




From Julie: Ontario is a human guy name?!




From Julie: Nana pronounced as Naw Naw?!

Before Paulo dropped by to share the Gizella mango cheesecake, I took a shower and threw some stuff away in the old Nester's Market reusable bag. He showed up at 4; of course I didn't mind if he rested on the couch while talking about Darryl, Nate, Steve's new car, Jeff inviting him out for wings special at 12 Kings tonight (and Jeremy shit-talking him for that), V4F not being an exclusive club, reasonable "no disruptions" rules for meetups, his coming back to servers eventually (he can take all the time he needs), HURTS not being a great first word to use in public for the baby (what will people think?!), what people said about him, and seeing people in Oregon like his cousin. It was good to see him again - he left at 5, which is pretty reasonable. HE TOOK THE MANGO CHEESECAKE WITH HIM?! I immediately took the Dr. Oetker strawberry cheesecake out to thaw in the meantime - BACKUP CHEESECAKE!

I went out at 6:50 on a 401 to Price Smart so I could return the extra pasta and laundry detergent. The customer service girl Hannah was pretty slow because she lost her override privileges. Then I got NEW Dr. Oetker Canada Salted Caramel / Chocolate cheesecakes (NOT at Safeway?! NICE!), NEW on-sale Miss Vickie's Signatures chips (Citrus and Black Peppercorn / Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Shallots), NIVEA Pearly Shines lip balm, (on-sale) Western Family potato and cheddar cheese perogies / melatonin / bean and bacon soup / key lime Greek yogurt / blueberry-pomegranate yogurt / large flocklined rubber gloves / no salt added pieces and stems mushrooms / sliced mushrooms, and UNOPENABLE Winter Creek oysters before returning home at 7:40 on a 407. Slightly later, I had the now-thawed strawberry cheesecake - IT WAS GOOD!


Last time I bought raw oysters: Mac's raw oysters x2 for $15 (March 6, 2018)


Nivea Pearly Shine lip balm!




( Chips, oysters, and yogurt )


Syncere Friends was in the news?! QUIRKY COINCIDENCE since it's International Friendship Day today on July 30!




Stryker Trahan?!




Mark Appel?!