Tatiana's Wanderings

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!

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?!

Not-so-dear random and selfish Dreamwidth user: My journal tags are for ME and MY CONVENIENCE, not for whoever else happens to stumble across my journal. I don't care about a random user searching for stuff about movies. YOU are the rude one for suggesting that my tags should be for anyone and everyone. Also, that entry had 169 tags, not 100. If you're going to complain, do it right.




No, it does NOT mess with the functionality of the site!




From Monkey Punch and Melissa: World's greatest farter mug for Father's Day!




Brace yourselves: Single moms are coming to claim Father's Day.




From Global News on April 30, 2019: Metro Vancouver has a pair of mascots called Pee and Poo! Watch what you flush!

I had to get up at 8 AM and have COFFEE TIME in preparation for my eye exam at 10 AM, but the directions given to me by FYI Doctors were pretty vague. As long as I was up that early, I called Andrew to get a status update, the summary of which was that he could get my machine back to me by either late tonight or early tomorrow, depending on how Microsoft treated him on the phone. At least the machine accepted my Windows 7 key!

Then I found Dr. Kirker's office IN the Vancity bank building: the directions given by FYI Doctors were very vague. After another eye exam, I was referred to Dr. Weiss for cataract surgery - YIKES! Since I needed a treat, I paid $20.65 cash for 1000 Mead index cards and Big Turk mini Turkish Delights in a bag at London Drugs. While I was there, I mailed off birthday cards and more stickers for Fraser to Lisa and Henry. After I get home from Brighouse Library, I will definitely have enough time to call Chrystal to make dinner plans for next week or so. My eyes are finally getting back to normal now, too! I gotta get out of here before school kids start playing ROBLOX like they did yesterday: real-life Luna! NO!


Big Turk Turkish Delights bites!

(I've fleshed out the "My Past" memory section, and added a new one for rants / nonsense / reposts... I could have added more entries with the volume of rants here, but don't have time as I have to get up at 7:30... ugh...)

Yes, I know I'm different from most everyone else on the street. I do realize that I don't walk like everyone else, and the first impression of me that you get is likely to be your last. (and therefore you can't look past my disability to see the person underneath, unlike my friends and acquaintances) There is nothing I can do about it, either.

BUT.. why on earth would you assume that if I have problems with walking, that I am also deaf? Believe me, I can hear you when you quite clearly mutter "cripple" (or something similar) underneath your breath. Granted, I don't know you from Adam and hopefully won't see you again.. however, can't you keep your misguided notions inside your pea-sized brain?

For your information (even though you obviously don't need it, having made up your mind instantly and unchangeably), I am NOT crippled just because I have a noticeable limp when I walk. Doesn't mean I like it, but it's all I've ever known and will know. (since I was BORN with it, you flipping blasted idiots) Normally, I don't really think about it at all, but it's amazing the power words have, isn't it? With your one word of ignorance / hate / cruelty (I can't tell, and perhaps I'm lucky that way), you have managed to put thoughts of rage and helplessness in my head. (quite a feat for someone who's normally on an even keel and fairly self-sufficient)

Oh, and also for your information: I do need a seat on the bus, preferably in the courtesy seats. Not that I can't stand on the bus; I have done so, and will probably have to do so again. Notice I'm not saying I'm entitled to a seat on the bus, but if I'm already sitting in a seat, there's little chance I'll give it up because of my balance issues. (unless there's someone who obviously needs it more than me.. crowded buses negate that chance, though)

But for goodness sakes, DO NOT lift me up bodily out of my seat so I can perforce give up my seat to someone! Just because it happens to be the last courtesy seat available, and I look like a younger healthy person with no apparent disability doesn't necessarily mean that I'll give it up for an old lady. Sure, I might have if you'd asked me politely (or if I'd noticed first, which I didn't), but when you go straight to the "personal space invasion method".. that's just NOT cool with me. And absolutely no call to fling an expletive ("Bitch!") at me when I do get off the bus, either!

Damn jabronies.

No, I am not totally rude when old people get on the bus: I will give up my seat for them, or at least make an offer. But in the situation described above, I didn't notice. Not noticing doesn't mean I pretended to be asleep / engrossed in my book so I wouldn't have to give the seat up! Some people, indeed...

Oh, and recognizing a sketch in the paper of a person who's wanted for sexual assaults of some sort on women (because he harassed YOU on the bus!) isn't much preferable to this!