Tatiana's Wanderings

Ayler called me at 5:25 today, telling me that he's the scooter master, and Hiero is the bike master. He says that they're in an elementary school reading program with badges for quizzes / reading books. Since he has more words than Hiero, so he can do more phone calls for the duration of the pandemic - I agreed that his vocabulary is better. They're having jook / congee for dinner tonight, and I said I would be having dumplings at some point. Hiero got on the phone and seemed enthusiastic about dumplings, saying they'd had them once. I said they could ask their dad to cook some one night if they wanted more. They were outside, but did do their distancing! It doesn't matter to me if they call me at 7 PM once so I can hear their neighbor's O CANADA, haha.

We discussed face masks, goat meat, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and their nachos with ground beef / jalapeno peppers and optional salsa / guacamole / sour cream. (or vegetarian) Cheese makes it better, he says! For their burritos, Ayler loves salsa. I got to hear Beckett say "Auntie" and "Leslie" (which isn't a guarantee) - so cute! Beckett still knows what I look like because of his baby book. Hiero told me about their train track setup, and Ayler took over to tell me that he might not be able to keep track of the minutes and seconds of our phone call, and that I was lucky that there was no 30-minute time limit. He can call people before dinner, depending on when it is. "I have two people to call today - I had three, but already called one." Interesting kids, for sure! "Keep in touch and don't lose friends in Covid-19 / coronavirus," he says. I AGREE!


From the V4F Discord server and Twitter: In Chapter 1 of JRPGs, you find a lost kitty. In the final chapter, you kill God.




Hungry-Man XL Bowl: Chicken Croquettes!




Old Dutch baked pretzels mini-twists for National Pretzel Day today on April 25!




Miniso disposable face mask test against the coronavirus.

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!

Hell, Norway?!




From Reddit: Shan'ann Watts?! BAD SPELLING OF SHANNON and apostrophe abuse!




From FEMALE KILLERS and Youtube: Ellishia Allen?! BAD SPELLING OF ALICIA!

After COFFEE TIME, Eric M. picked me up at 7 so we could go to the Richmond Centre Cactus Club. Yay for both Erics, Randal, and Jeremy! I assume Chinese Eric was texting white Eric while we were trying to find parking at the mall, so I texted him saying just that, then he suddenly appeared when we had finally parked. We had to wait 45 minutes to be seated, so we just chilled in the mall coffee shop area while talking about Randal's sales guy taking them all out for lunch at that Cactus Club a couple of weeks ago, my giving Chinese Eric the last bag of Chitato Indomie Mi Goreng chips, Randal and Jeremy giving me birthday cards, the BC Lions (so boring), and Nathan not being able to make it. (HE isn't a flake!)

Once we were seated, I ordered a jambalaya rice bowl and iced tea. Randal had steak and frites with some beer, Chinese Eric had flatbread, white Eric had some blackened Creole chicken, and Jeremy had some butternut squash ravioli with prawns. Chinese Eric had a nosebleed halfway through dinner, but he wasn't sure what it was at first. I even took the napkin and moved it closer to the candle to see if it was sauce or something else. At least I wouldn't have to deal with that if it happened to Jimmy anymore! Chinese Eric tilted his head back and not forward, contrary to white Eric's Googling. (I had to go in as Cactus Guest)

We talked about our food, how bubble tea ISN'T some new fad, Jon, Harmony, Ayler, Hiero, Beckett, their not having a microwave (so they're the healthiest kids that Randal knows), Randal not taking piano lessons for the right reasons (and practicing was getting tedious), the automatic blinds ("why is it so dark suddenly?"), Justin Trudeau's blackface scandal, real-life Twitch streams, raiding Area 51, the Toronto Raptors memorabilia (white Eric had the right hoodie!), a future sports hangout, Jeremy not texting at all, Hiero's view on kindergarten, the fire outside, and just hanging out. They convinced me to order a dessert since it was my birthday dinner, so I did - white chocolate cheesecake! Then I found some Area 51 Naruto runners from a different angle on Reddit, and had to show Jeremy - he laughed! Randal commented that my phone's camera flash was really bright - well, the restaurant was really dark at that point! White Eric drove me home at 10:30, and it had really started raining then.


Cambridge Wesley Sand Flatware cutlery!




Jambalaya rice bowl at the Cactus Club: Shrimp, chicken, chorizo sausage, vegetables, bacon, spicy tomato sauce, black bean salsa, and crème fraîche!




White chocolate cheesecake at the Cactus Club: Chocolate cookie crust, raspberry compote, hand-whipped cream!




Jeremy's order of butternut squash ravioli at the Cactus Club for my birthday 2019 dinner! Chef Rob Feenie's signature butternut squash and mascarpone ravioli, truffle butter, sautéed jumbo prawns, pine nuts, and crispy sage.




White Eric's order of Blackened Creole Chicken at the Cactus Club for my birthday 2019 dinner! Creole butter, Cajun spices, buttered mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus.




Randal's order of Steak Frites at the Cactus Club for my birthday 2019 dinner! Eight-ounce certified Angus beef sirloin, kale salad, horseradish cream, and sea salted fries.




Chinese Eric's order of Rob's Flatbread at the Cactus Club for my birthday 2019 dinner! Caramelized onions, grape tomatoes, feta, goat cheese, basil pesto, arugula, and balsamic glaze.

I left at 11:20 on a 407 to go to London Drugs to get new scissors. I couldn't find Scotch scissors or Ekco kitchen scissors, so I got Kortari kitchen scissors instead while getting some NEW Tazo Chai Tea for National Chai Day today on September 21. Got home at 12:05 on a 407, and texted white Eric for a ride tonight. Things worked out even if Darryl now can't come since he'll be all tapped out by tonight with MAGIC: THE GATHERING and other things going on today. I understand even if he did acknowledge that he's being a flake! Definitely shower time now!


NEW Tazo Chai Tea! QUIRKY COINCIDENCE because it's National Chai Day on September 21 today!




Lays curry chips and Lays wasabi chips!




( Chips Ahoy, special 2006 Excel, Suave, Panago Pizza, and lots more past food purchases! )