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 left at 4:45 to take the bus to Richmond Centre, in hopes of getting an mega on-sale suitcase from the Bay. Went to Shoppers Drug Mart first in order to get a NEW Starbucks Cold Brew bottle for the morning of the 19th, plus on-sale Christmas cards with WHITE envelopes as the red ones are far too hard to see what I'm writing! I know red is a Christmas color, but STILL! After going upstairs at the Bay and finding the luggage section, I chose a purplish suitcase (maybe I can return it later for the black one?) which was $86 instead of $300! Got home at 6:30 on a 407, which is fine. JUST missed the 401 at 6, too!


$21,000 whiskey at the liquor store?!




$21,000 confirmed! Karuizawa 1969, Nikka Yoichi, and Ichiro's Malt Chichibu!




( Lights and noodles! )

After COFFEE TIME, I went out at 3:10 on a 407 to help with the kids, bringing along the rest of the Almond Butter Nature Valley granola cups. I had just enough time to stop in at Tim Horton's briefly to buy a Boston Creme doughnut and take a photo for posting purposes, thanks to the lineup inside! Then I quickly left to catch the 3, which is when I finally texted Harmony. When I got to the building, some guy answered when I buzzed to be let in. Luckily, some lady with a stroller was entering the building, so I quickly explained to her what my deal was. Then I took the stairs since the elevator is pretty small, and knocked on the suite's door while explaining to Harmony what was going on. Beckett was awake and standing with the piano bench for support, and was outside the bathroom door when I finished in there. Yes, he was excited to see Auntie! :D

Ayler was playing the piano (telling me about his piano books and music) and putting up with Beckett banging away at the keys he could reach, while Hiero wanted me to read various MR. MEN books to him and see all his paper planes and swords. Beckett wanted to play catch, but then also throw some things around. At least it wasn't as bad as a couple of months ago! He wanted to turn on the printer and play with it, whereupon Ayler showed me where the power button was - SO HELPFUL! Beckett had found his purple and yellow baby pop-up toy, and wanted me to pop the yellow shell right-side up on it: At least he laughed at that after a while, and tried popping it with his finger! Silly Beckett - you're not strong enough for that to work! He turned it upside-down and had fun sticking his finger into the hole. Then he was upset when I was trying to collect the pop-up toy and a couple other toys: he stretched his arms out towards me! So I put the shell on the table temporarily while I picked him up. YAY!

We had squash, purple noodles, soup, kale, salad, and other things for dinner while discussing Kids Night / my NOT being psychic about their Halloween costumes / math quizzes during dinner / the impending bus strike / Rice Krispies not being real food for a meal / hot chocolate sort of being like dessert / what packaging was / less waste. Beckett pointed at the ceiling lights - oh, he'll love Christmastime if he likes babbling at those! Harmony said that Jon was coming home at about 6 so she could go to a school meeting. My nephews were singing "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat. If you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear" at dinner. Oh boy. Then they were asking me what a ding-dong was because an adult asked them if another kid was one for spilling his milk. Yikes.

Later, Beckett ACTUALLY WALKED TEN LITTLE STEPS ALL BY HIMSELF! His motivation was the big bag of toys! I actually saw this, and was surprised as was Harmony. He usually just toddles one or two steps and then falls into her arms. Hiero said, "Text Daddy!" Oh, she did! Later, I told him not to force him to walk - he'll do it at his own speed, and new things can be confusing. WOW, HE CAN ALSO STAND WITHOUT SUPPORT!

Then Beckett was crying and upset and hit his head on the wooden floor when Harmony had to leave (what a delay tactic...), so of course he got comforting (hopefully) cuddles and hugs from me and Harmony! I read to him and tried making him laugh with the orange alphabet and animal sounds board, which at least was a distraction. He liked the shapes and blocks that the older boys used to play with, and showed me how he could put a couple of blocks together and then throw them around. Of course I used his bib to wipe his nose - I'm sure it's had worse on it, so whatever! It's handy! After I left at 7:15 (hearing Beckett babbling to himself in his crib), I wasted time at Save-On because all the exotic pasta was too heavy and somehow didn't photograph well in the brightly-lit store. UGH!

Then the 3 had a few delays, what with the "timing point" for two minutes at 41st and Main, then the bus alarm going off TWICE! (four stops before Marine Drive Station, THEN right before the station at 70th!) Once I finally got to Brighouse, I killed time at Shoppers Drug Mart since the mall was at least warm: NEW President's Choice frozen small sweet green peas / frozen peaches and cream corn, plus NEW on-sale Uncle Ben's Canada wholegrain brown rice! Got home at 9:05 on a 407, and it was definitely time to switch to warm wintry wear like a toque and Grandma's purple lined Alia coat and stash a scarf and mittens in my bag, especially if more walking is on the agenda with this upcoming transit strike...

At home, I had some (After Eight) hot chocolate, which I also need to restock in general. Random stuff from Mom and Dad inside an Indigo, Chapters, and Coles plastic bag: a can of Chef Boyardee Beefaroni, Colgate Cavity Protection toothpaste, and a random pair of thin white socks. I left the socks and plastic bag at the bus stop since I didn't need them. The garbage bags were STILL outside at 10 PM!


From Julie M. and Wish: Spooky grinning skull medieval toilet paper holder for Halloween 2019!




One of my neighbors evidently decided to give up on their garbage bags just outside the front door this afternoon, halfway to the dumpster...




Boston Creme doughnut time at Tim Horton's!




( Shoppers potential purchases! )

Discovered that the front door lock is stuck and recalcitrant again before Eric M. gave me a ride at 6:50 to Los Cuervos Taqueria around Kingsway and Fraser, so I wondered how long it would take me to get in later on. I had Jeremy's 101 THINGS TO DO WITH BEER cookbook and birthday card, one bag of Indomie Goreng Chitato chips for Nathan's dad since Chi-Tat To is very similar, Chinese Eric's birthday card / Indomie Goreng Chitato chips x4 / iChoc Almond Orange, Classic, Super Nut, and White Chocolate Vanilla bars, and white Eric's Western Family Swiss 72% dark chocolate bar / NEW Heidi Chocolate Intense / Ginger / Himalayan Salt chocolate bars and birthday card. Nathan did not show up, but I offloaded everything to everyone else.

Saw Acer and said hi to Quan and Gino, of course. Then I spontaneously invited Randal to my own birthday dinner. Chinese Eric was confusing as usual and said he just got my "birthday message" - uh, which one? Facebook birthday wish, a text message about a birthday, or something else? I think it's best that we were just friends! He didn't really explain it well at all. I got a bison skirt steak taco after seeing multiple people mention steak before I left, and then a ceviche tostada when that wasn't quite enough food. First time trying ceviche, so that was quirky for sure! Jon asked if I could switch days this week - I told him that he should ask Harmony first before making executive decisions like that, and he said that it did come from her. Okay then, I can switch from Tuesday to Monday this week. I made sure my blog drafts were tagged correctly and everything as soon as I got home so I didn't forget.

Jeremy and I talked about dragons and interesting topics like Greyhound not being there anymore for his Kelowna trips, and he said he could use that beer cookbook. After paying for the food, we all left at about the same time. I stopped at the door because I knew there was a step going down, and Chinese Eric wondered about that. Well, you don't want me to find out where the step is by faceplanting... he agreed, but thought I'd had eye surgery for a reason. Yes, but that doesn't mean my declining night vision has improved!

While Jon and Randal were trying to figure out whether they should go to 12 Kings, it started raining. I told them to arrive at a decision even if I'd be going home with white Eric either way since he has to get up at 7 AM tomorrow. (for some reason, Eric found it necessary to hang around while they made said decision...) We walked to Eric's car and said the necessary farewells. Once I got home at 10, I was actually able to get in fairly quickly... phew! Then I discovered that Mom apparently thinks I still know Spanish because she wanted me to translate a long document for her. Nope, I've forgotten virtually all my Spanish 9! I just told her "nope, don't know Spanish." I just wanted to relax when I got home! Jon suggested Google Translate instead.


Sweatshirt or hoodie: Sorry I'm late. I didn't want to come.




Ceviche tostada!




Bison skirt steak taco!