Tatiana's Wanderings

I noticed that Terrence unfriended me - okay, then! Went out at 3 on a 407 to London Drugs: I got on-sale Morris Gold chocolate coins, on-sale Lindt milk chocolate, on-sale Lindt assorted dark chocolate (60% and 70%), on-sale Lindt strawberries and cream chocolate truffles, on-sale NEW limited-edition Lindt Milk and White chocolate truffles for Valentine's Day, on-sale Febreze odor killer x2 (Tide / original), on-sale NEW Febreze air fresheners x3 (Bora Bora Waters / original with Gain / Linen and Sky), on-sale NEW Burt's Bees lip balm x2 (vanilla bean / wild cherry), NEW Rochef chocolate-covered dried cranberries / blueberries, one litre of Heinz ketchup, on-sale Plackers Micro Mint flossers in a 150 value pack, and on-sale NEW Nutter Butter fudge peanut butter cookie sandwiches. Was home by 4, which was fine by me! The Febreze things were to replace the ones I bought on October 9, 2018 when Jimmy disappeared AGAIN, probably to block people and talk to others. "Just sitting and taking care of Grandma and thinking in the rain," my ass!


From Holidays That Might Get Overlooked: Feb. 15! Don't even think about getting in between me and my half-price chocolate.




From Holidays That Might Get Overlooked: February 15 is Cheap Candy Day!




From Holidays That Might Get Overlooked: I can't wait for February 15! Otherwise known as 50% off Chocolate Day!




From Someecards and Twitter: Find someone who loves murder documentaries as much as you do. There's really nothing better than cuddling with your babe while watching stories about people having their head cut off with a steak knife.




Morris Gold Chocolate coins for Valentine's Day - European milk chocolate!




( Chocolate, Febreze, lip balm, and flossers! )

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...

After I had COFFEE TIME, Barry picked me up at 11:50 and we went banking and to Price Smart. I got ginger and green onion tripe for World Tripe Day tomorrow, Mamee Chicken / Vegetarian noodles, GOOD TASTE dumplings x4 (JOY dumplings being the same price now and not $1 cheaper?!), NEW Nissin Ra'Oh noodles (Citrus / Pork / Soya / Miso), bananas, NEW Earth's Own chocolate oat milk, Earth's Own regular oat milk, NEW on-sale Chapman's Strawberry Shortcake ice cream, Catelli Smart rotini / Catelli Smart penne, Scaries, Hunt's Snack Pack chocolate fudge / tapioca puddings, on-sale Awkward / Irritable / Indecisive Snickers bars, NEW on-sale Nature Valley granola cups (Peanut Butter Chocolate / Almond Butter), on-sale Prego Fresh Mushroom pasta sauce, NEW Liberté raspberry Skyr yogurt, NEW Tokyo Mini Instant Noodles in Mild Curry flavor, a Stouffer's Sauté Sensations Chicken Alfredo microwaveable meal, and a NEW Swanson Skillet Garlic Shrimp microwaveable meal. After that, I checked my mail: I got my bus pass replacement application! I paid my Shaw and hydro bills plus the $10 replacement fee online at home.


Every time someone uses "body count" to describe their number of sex partners, I think: "HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU KILL?!?" because THAT is what "body count" really means! Millennials and Gen Z zoomers, I swear...


This pie chart is from Julie: What you do during small talk... nod and smile, or plot your escape!




Habaneros as FREE spicy pumpkins! Try one! Trick or Treat for Halloween 2019!




( BRANDY BEANS! )

I finally called Chimo's Housing Connect this morning at 9:15. Nancy is on sick leave, but I got an appointment with their housing manager Sue next Tuesday at 11:30 AM. After DOUBLE COFFEE TIME AND SHOWER TIME, I went out at 3:10 on a 401 to help with the kids again. Jon messaged me at 1:45 to wonder if I'd received Harma's text message, but I had not. Yeah, I know she's sick. She wanted me to come earlier, so I just called her instead. Sure, I could come by at 4-ish depending on "delays" and transit time... and it ended up being 4:30 because I just missed another 401 when I was on my way out!

Since Ayler and Hiero wanted to do puzzles in their cramped room, I let them while I hung out and read a book on the couch with Beckett's screams as accompaniment. Eventually, he fell asleep and the boys came out to do Summer Reading. Hiero wanted to sit on my lap while Ayler and I alternated pages. "Can you read upside down, Hiero?" "I can't even read right-side up." Good point! They did tell me about busing to VBS Later, Beckett did come out and wanted to toss everything around as per usual. They gave away the hard blue ball and hard red ball (his favorites!) plus some other stuff because he'd made a dent in the floor, hurt Ayler by indiscriminately tossing things, and had the potential to break a window... YIKES!

Like yesterday, Harmony thanked me for playing so nicely with the baby. We had penne, rutabaga, ratatouille, and honeydew for dinner. Ayler and Hiero did origami tricks with the Summer Reading logs, and Ayler told me about staccato and STORMS OF SATURN, while wanting to know what I felt about his practice runs of OUR DETECTIVE AGENCY. They kept getting better, which was what he wanted! Beckett wanted to play the piano too, so I supported him while he tried playing the high keys, but of course he isn't tall enough yet, so I sat on the piano bench with him in my lap instead.

Later, I made him laugh by playing with the Little Tikes popping toy (yellow and purple) - I pressed on the purple part and it pooped out within a few seconds. He "helped" me by putting his finger on it, haha. As long as it amused him for a bit! He looked up at me and wanted me to repeat that over and over, which is fine. Once Ayler and Hiero finally got to bed at 8:05, I could leave the house - I got home at 9:30 thanks to having to wait a while for the 407. I wish they'd gone to bed ten minutes earlier! Since I figured it wouldn't take forever and I might not miss a train, I held the elevator for a lady with crutches at Marine Drive. Her toes had splayed out - yikes! LUCKILY, I didn't miss the Brighouse train!


Bit fucking extreme: Shoplifters will be prostituted! No exceptions!

From Julie: A woman named Dean?! I've heard of Billie Dean or something, but not Dean by itself...




( More black people and BORED PANDA! )

After DOUBLE COFFEE TIME, I left at 11:30 for my 1 PM appointment at the Burrard eye clinic. Damn construction and detours! I got there at 12:40 no thanks to a crowded 6 Davie bus with one stroller / two walkers / old people, but STILL had to wait an hour to be seen for five minutes because it was very busy! Since they moved locations three weeks ago according to Elizabeth the receptionist (from 503 to 510), I took a couple of updated business cards while I was waiting. Of course I had to use their bathrooms when my appointment was done!

Then on the 6 Downtown going the other way (also crammed with strollers and walkers), I noted that the Great American Cheesesteak place on Davie (which I'd told Jimmy about on one of the last times I bused to the clinic) seemed to be closed. I sarcastically thanked a black lady with glasses for blocking the bus aisle, making it almost impossible for people to squeeze past her. She mentioned that she had a walker; yes, but MOST people still manage to be courteous and not block the fucking aisle with their clutter, detritus, and impediments!

On the way home, I remembered that I wanted to stop by Big Crazy sometime, so I got off at Lansdowne instead of Brighouse. I bought non-expired Knorr hot and sour soup mixes x8, Paldo spicy cheese Ramyun noodle packs x2, and a proper bowl for my future DUMPLING SAUCE concoctions. (they were selling mixes that expired on March 26 and will expire on May 11...) After just managing to catch the 410, I also bought Doritos Dinamita tortilla snacks in Nacho Picoso and Chili Limon flavors at Shoppers when I stopped by Richmond Centre to use THEIR wi-fi. Finally got home at 4 on a 401 to ROIMU for the first time this year, after stopping by the hospital across the street to use THEIR bathroom since I didn't trust the walking time because of the aforementioned 24/7 construction zone and detours.


From Candy: Ever talk to someone so stupid that they make you squint?!




From Amanda in Kramer's Discord server: Vegemite beef jerky?! QUIRKY COINCIDENCE since it's International Hug An Australian Day today!