Tatiana's Wanderings

It's 4:20 on 4/20! HAR HAR HAR!


Ganja, Azerbaijan? QUIRKY COINCIDENCE BECAUSE IT'S 4/20 TODAY!




From Janet on LJ, aka Ghost_Light: On 4/20/2020 at 4:20, there will be four 20s.




Ultra-strong THC-infused toilet paper to calm your ass down against the coronavirus! So strong and absorbent, you'll shit - thanks, Meijer!

Ayler called me at 9:40 AM to read me their schedule for the day: free play, mealtimes, piano, spelling, reading, and bedtime at 8 or so! He also says that his new rule should be that he can stay up 15 minutes later every year on his birthday. I said that sounds like a good rule, and wondered how long it would be until he just stayed up all night. Hiero said that he made a birthday card for his mom - yes, Harmony's birthday is today! Ayler also made a birthday card for her, but said that they were giving her a good birthday gift: sleeping in until 10 AM! He also gave me a play-by-play: She wasn't up when he called me, but was when he was going to end the call at 10:10. Beckett was still eating a breakfast of oatmeal and honey, so I didn't really talk to him.

I asked Ayler how he could tell that Beckett missed me: apparently, he goes around saying "Goo-Mah" - cute! Ayler also thinks that Steph lives in a different country because her timezone is different - HAHAHA! We discussed Jeremy's cat Hudson, how burping works, how Ayler really likes talking (so he can talk on the phone to Jeremy for 90 minutes!), my banana yogurt being "gross" (HE'S not eating it!), Hiero thinking I was sleeping when they called me yesterday (I told them that sometimes some people like having their phone off when they're doing other things), my saying happy birthday to Harmony when she WAS awake, my eating all of the chocolate I got for Harmony's birthday this year since there will be no family gathering this year, and our keeping up my coming over when coronavirus is done. He said bye at 10:10 after confirming that it was 10:05 on my end, and also said that I work from 9 AM to 10 AM. Jon's also teaching him questionable things about me, if HIS laughter is any indication!


The Butt brothers Ralph and Roger have a tombstone, AND they died on the same date a year apart?! QUIRKY COINCIDENCE!

Hester's husband Ni interrupted me at 1:20 today to investigate my lamp fixture / light bulb cover note. "No safety concern" and "that's the one that came with the building?" and "I have to think"! AIYA! I also had to be an adult (again) since Auntie Vonnie texted me a couple days ago to say the building insurance had expired, so I let Dad know instead. After a bunch of texts, I finally had to go to TXL in person (at least I know where it is?) today and sign a form, telling Sheryl to just bill my dad's credit card instead since they have the number for that. I left at 2:10 on a 414.

Went to Kwong Chow for some Chinese mushroom / bok choy noodle soup afterwards since I'd only had a strawberry chiffon doughnut at Tim Horton's beforehand, figuring I had just enough time between 3 buses to do so. Then some literal children and their knapsacks blocked my view of the intersection so I couldn't see which bus was coming - I only JUST managed to get the Marine Drive station bus! FINALLY made plans with Frances via text for next Monday, the 17th, at the Oakridge White Spot. "I can pick exactly 6!" she said... dude, you're actively making plans with another person?!

At the station, I went to T&T and got Samyang noodles x3 (regular fire noodles / 2X Spicy noodles / black bean noodles), then went to London Drugs on a 401 since I'd just missed the 407. I got a NEW white Evercare delicates laundry bag WITH A ZIPPER (I opened another package in the store to see if it had a zipper) from Aisle 4, then almost lost it because some lady stepped on it in the lineup for the cash register. The Asian lady in front of me thought the cashier was also Asian (so did I), so spoke Cantonese to her as she bought 15 bottles of on-sale Sunkist Vitamin C and three Arm and Hammer toothpaste tubes.

Turns out the cashier is actually Indonesian and doesn't even know any Cantonese, although she attempted Mandarin. The lady gave me a thumbs-up after I told her that the clerk didn't know any Chinese! The lady BEHIND ME wanted to go ahead of me, but NO - I was AHEAD of her! Then she thought I was stealing from the store because I had a huge reusable bag - I told her off! I finally got home at 6:15 on a 407! ENOUGH OF BEING AN ADULT! I also used Paulo as a reminder service, and complained about things to Mike.


This poop emoji is useful if you're in love with the shit.




Strawberry Chiffon doughnut at Tim Horton's!




Chinese mushroom and vegetable noodle soup at Kwong Chow!




They have pork BLOOD congee here at Kwong Chow...




Evercare delicates laundry bag with a zipper for things that shouldn't go in the dryer, found in Aisle 4 of my nearest London Drugs! Much better for my slipper socks!

I went shopping at London Drugs at 3:25, just managing to get the 401. Got NEW on-sale Trophy Big Red butter toffee peanuts / Cajun Trail Mix peanuts, light blue GOODY toothbrush covers x2, Speed Stick deodorant x2 (Glacier / Sport... one for my trip, which Steph booked so I leave at noon, which means 10 AM airport time), Arm and Hammer sensitive toothpaste, fingernail clippers for my trip, store brand Windex glass cleaner, small sriracha sauce x2, and two on-sale GUM toothbrushes. Got home at 4:10 since the 407 was delayed by traffic from turning onto Westminster Highway sooner, and the very temporary new bus stop is right outside my apartment! The Canucks played Colorado tonight at 7, and lost 5-4 in overtime despite coming back to force the extra frame.


London Drugs Windex glass cleaner!




( PEANUTS! )


Nothing, Arizona?!




From Janina: I picked up a hitch-hiker. He seemed like a nice guy. After a few miles, he asked me if I wasn't afraid that he might be a serial killer. I told him that the odds of two serial killers being in the same car were extremely unlikely.




Bruce Careless works at a lab?!

Harmony texted me to say that she'd booked the cleaners again at 3 on Thursday - yes, that works for me! After COFFEE TIME, I left at 3:15 on a 407 to help with the kids. I couldn't pay my bus fare by cash, so that worked for me transfer-wise. I swear I put in enough change in my pockets before I left, but the Compass Card / Ticket machine insisted that I put in 30 more cents! On the way back, it insisted I needed 20 more cents... digging out my wallet AGAIN and making sure I put in enough to satisfy the fucking thing (and getting a warning that my transaction was about to expire - FUCK YOU!) PLUS the slow as FUCK elevator made me miss the next train to Brighouse! I finally got to Marine Drive Station at the normal time, then decided to go do some shopping since I was out anyway: Samyang Buldak Topokki Fire Noodles from T and T, plus NEW limited-edition Doritos Sonic Sour Cream chips and on-sale Uncle Ben's Jasmine Rice x4 for my chili from Shoppers!

Then I managed to get the 3 Downtown bus at 4, with only five minutes left on my transfer. I have no idea how it took that long! Got to the house at 4:35, where Beckett was awake and crawled to the bathroom when I'd opened the door, wanted to play with the orange alphabet and letter board, throw the colorful maraca around (and cry when I took it away temporarily), play with the purple shell, and read with me (much to Hiero's consternation!) on my lap. Ayler was talking about growth percentiles and a chart from the hospital, and said that at Christmas, we should check to see if he was up to my chin yet even though he's close enough to 4 foot 1 to say he's that height. Haha, sounds like a plan!

We talked about the world's largest baby, voices, boundaries, rules, minestrone, lentils, whole grapes (which Beckett CAN'T EAT!), protein, beans, iron, expensive sourdough bread, Beckett throwing food around (but he eats more for Jon!), Halloween costume ideas, a heavy bag of stuff from Mom, the Buzzer / the West Coast Express, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, bus timetables, the cleaners, school friends, and the Pig / Elephant library books. I didn't mind if Beckett wanted to read, but I carried him away from certain things: the mat is safe, but not the kitchen! Maybe I'll get Ayler a kiddy version of the Guinness Book of World Records or something.

Harmony let me leave at 7:10, and I only managed to get the 3 Main because a random girl told the bus driver to hold on at the bus stop, so I thanked her and the bus driver in turn. My trip to the station also happened to be free since I was only carrying cash! When I got to Marine Drive Station, I took advantage of the statue and saw what Mom and Dad had randomly given me. UGH, CAST IRON?! I offloaded the skillet and pan right there; I didn't care what others thought! After taking advantage of the wi-fi for a bit, I was finally able to take a Brighouse train, no thanks to the aforementioned stupid machine and slow elevator! I was only just able to get the 407 at Brighouse because of a lineup, despite the slow people using the elevator and fare gates... I finally got home at 8:35. The Canucks played the Red Wings today at 4:30, and won 5-2!


Random stuff from Mom and Dad: A small iron skillet, a tiny cast iron pan, 900g of No Name spaghettini, and 425mL of Bullseye bold original barbecue sauce. No wonder it was so heavy and I could barely walk at my normal speed!


Uncle Ben's Jasmine Rice!




900g of No Name spaghettini - YAY!




Bullseye bold original barbecue sauce!




From Cuya's Discord server: Pepperidge Farm pumpkin spice cheesecake cookies in a limited edition for Halloween 2019?!




From Julie: Skull with Dragon by Ashland! BLACK DRAGON!




From Dragons: Halloween orange dragon with bats, a tree, and jack o'lanterns!

It's International Bacon Day today!


After COFFEE TIME, Eric picked me up at 12:05 for the wedding. Chinese Eric had texted him "hey" and nothing else, so Eric asked me to see what was up with that. Apparently, he'd asked him whether he'd picked me up yet. The wedding was very religious and traditional on Religion Road at Fujian Evangelical Free Church. I was glad to see Jeremy and Nate at least! Yes, things were relatively quick, but COME ON!

Later, I learned that Jon insisted that we all have lunch at Four Winds Pub in Delta - REALLY? (me, him, both Erics, Nathan, Jeremy, and Wesley) Why didn't you let someone know BEFORE I LEFT THE FUCKING HOUSE?! THAT'S the problem with spontaneity! I did NOT eat anything (the burritos were huge though!), and was very fucking annoyed with everyone - so just read and did not say much of anything. At least I got to talk to Nathan alone for a few minutes about his present feelings on weddings after all that had happened. He had had to do Citrus's wedding afterwards, but said that now it was okay, and thanked me for asking.

After that, SOMEONE also wanted to go for good coffee at Rocanini's in Steveston - can't you think of what I want for once?! We talked about everyone staring at their phone - I was trying to bang out a relatively quick message to Mike with the reliable wi-fi while we were there. THEN we decamped to white Eric's, where Veronica had kindly set up a table and chairs for us in the backyard before going to Van Dusen Gardens with Ron. At least I had water and ginger ale throughout the afternoon.

When we finally got to the restaurant, the parkade proved to be pretty confusing! I was at a table with everyone I knew, but we were stuck at the very back behind two pillars! We saw Deb, Dylan, Martin J. (who apparently also has an autistic kid), Martin T., Randal, Kevin, Isabel, Sheena, Lincoln, Karen, Vivian, and Geoffrey. We discussed the seating, "MORE TONGUE!" (we're known for shenanigans), Quiznos, Singapore, durian mochi NOT being durian MOCHA, hair follicle transplants done by ROBOTS, Samaritan's Purse, that lady who died because a metal straw pierced her brain, and the waiter taking the food platter away after he showed it to us BEFORE scooping it on our plates individually at the back. Some people had too much red / white wine, apparently including Alice's mom, which is how the MORE TONGUE thing came about.

After everything was done, I STILL had to wait around for the cleanup crew (who'd been given thank-you cards beforehand so they couldn't just "forget" about it), and then the loiterers! UGH! We did amuse ourselves at the photo booth, but STILL! Talked to Deb a bit about the summer, to Eric about PowerPoint (that's a VERY VALID excuse to leave...), and to Jon about Tom Lee Music / Hiero not getting any bullet train toys / my being there on Tuesday / speech therapy. Just as Eric and I were about to FINALLY drive away at 10:30, Chinese Eric delayed us by asking where Nathan was. HOW SHOULD WE KNOW?! I said GOODNIGHT rather firmly, and FINALLY got home at 10:40. Yes, I live THAT close to Kirin!


THE WEDDING BANQUET MENU:

* Kirin special platter with roasted suckling pig, sauteed prawns, and scallops with pureed truffle

* deep-fried crab claw wrapped with minced prawn

* bird nest soup with fish maw and Chinese ham

* live lobster in consomme with light ginger and green onion

* sliced wild catch California Mexico brand abalone braised with fish maw, Chinese mushroom, and peatips

* crispy skin free range chicken

* steamed live fish

* special fried rice with dried shrimp wrapped in lotus leaf

* E-Fu noodles stewed with two kinds of mushrooms in abalone sauce

* two kinds of Dim Sum dessert

* Kirin special sweetened soup


What do you mean, Four Winds Pub has no tacos?!




( Most of the food... )


Five years from now (our wedding day), I'll be stabbing you with this same knife. Enjoy the cake, honey!