Tatiana's Wanderings

I found a dead mouse after trying to take another snow photo by my window last night, so spent time frantically texting people like Barry / Deb / Paulo. No answer from Barry, Deb said I should call my manager (so I said that Hester is notoriously difficult about it being "my job" even though they provide glue traps), and Paulo was still at work. He did come by at 9:30 to help with the removal, using tissues before doing anything with rubber gloves, and I got him to just take it outside in the plastic bag in the cold weather. I thanked him when he left - we talked briefly about the server and the -6 / -12 weather, too.


Knorr Tomato Alfredo Sidekicks!




Tonkotsu! Shirakiku Goku-Uma ramen noodles with corn, peas, and black pepper!




Vedan tea noodles with corn, peas, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts!




From Sportsnet: Khris Middleton plays for the Milwaukee Bucks?! BAD SPELLING OF CHRIS!

DIRTY JOKES!

How is pubic hair like parsley? You push it to the side before you start eating.

( Dirty jokes from Red's Twitch stream! )


After DOUBLE COFFEE TIME, I went out at 6:55 on a 401 to meet Chrystal at the Broadway London Drugs. Good thing I left early since the next Waterfront train was out of service at what HAD BEEN a surprisingly empty Brighouse Station! There was some guy clapping like a seal on the bus and at the station - thank goodness he wasn't in my train car! I got to London Drugs at 7:30, and was happy that there was no lineup at the post office so I could mail Corey and Julie's cards. However, I got a postal worker who was grumpy as fuck: I have NEVER been told that I shouldn't write anything in the corner of the envelope, otherwise the stamp would obscure the destination address! Fuck you, random guy!

Chrystal and I went to Pho Extreme Xe Lua: #17 and #1 it was! SPECIAL! We talked about her nephews Ethan (4) and Ethan (1 and a bit), Ayler, Hiero, Beckett discovering new words and the door, Beckett being "smart" by banging his head on the hardwood floor to delay Harmony's leaving for a school meeting, Beckett being really smart by putting all his molecule balls on the far windowsill so he can play with those and look at the reflected lights across the street at the same time (I left him to do that for a minute - he's fine and preoccupied), my broken suitcase, my replacement suitcase, my upcoming trip, and her just doing family things at home this holiday season. Angus and Melia and Phil and Grace have their own families now, and it would be pretty huge to have a family gathering! I got home at 9:05 on a 407, which is pretty good for leaving at 8:30. (Chrystal bused home again!)


Pho Xe Lua # 17 with Chrystal as a pre-Xmas 2019 dinner: Steak, flank, tendon, tripe, and fatty flank!




Right after Halloween, I was ChristmasFlamHam in Shiwa's Discord server!




From Tommy Chong: What's Your Stoner Elf Name? Mine is Smokey Jingletokes! Mike would be Buddy Evergreens! My ex-friend Jimmy would be Danky Sparklepipe!




Borked Heys suitcase which came with a busted zipper and an almost-impossible push handle...




Successfully packed replacement carry-on American Tourister suitcase with enough room for ALL my stuff, a working zipper, and a much simpler non-push handle! Way easier to maneuver on transit, too! My parents should have just lent me this one in the first place, then I wouldn't have had to store the first one in a weird way so I wouldn't have had to push the handle down every time I wanted to access it. *rolleyes*

After I had DOUBLE COFFEE TIME, the handyman came by at 11:30 to install the brand-new toilet float valve - YES! I don't care if it takes 90 seconds to fully refill the toilet (tank) now, because at least it works! Better than Hester lecturing me about "flush the toilet tenderly and not with a boom boom boom"... whatever THAT means!

Barry picked me up at 12 and we went banking and to Price Smart. I got All-Dressed / Salt and Vinegar / BBQ / Ranch Crispers, on-sale Silk almond milk / chocolate milk, JOY dumplings x5, Dare Foods Limited chocolate cookie chips, on-sale Cottonelle toilet paper x2, Campbell's mushroom soup x5, NEW Miss Vickie's Signatures chips (Hickory Smoked Salt), on-sale Stouffer's microwaveable meals x2 (Chicken Alfredo / Homestyle Pot Roast), and on-sale Western Family frozen vegetables.

Also bought an on-sale Gizella Pastry assorted cheesecake (mango / New York / strawberry / blueberry), Western Family dill pickle chips, Western Family ripple chips, mini Chantilly Choux cream puffs (POPPIES!), NEW Activia strawberry / vanilla / peach yogurts, and NEW on-sale Ben and Jerry's Salted Caramel Almond ice cream. After that, I paid my Shaw and hydro bills online when I got home at 1:15. EARLY! I also managed to go to the dumpster and throw out the light Sunbeam toaster oven which I haven't used for the year I've had it, AND was taking up counter space in the kitchen. Suck on THAT, Hester! :P

Then I went to London Drugs at 7:05 on a 401 to get NEW on-sale Hazelnut M and Ms, on-sale Almond M and Ms, a green tea Kit Kat, NEW Cadbury Curly Wurly chocolate, on-sale Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream, and 400 Mead index cards before returning home on the same 401 at 7:25. The bus driver said that I'd been fast - yes, I like bus efficiency AND ice cream not melting when it's humid outside! When I got in, my phone "ding=donged" at me - turned out to be Corey on LINE. I can live with that, haha!


Biomedic 70% rubbing alcohol from the pharmacy next door! Ethyl alcohol - CAUTION! FLAMMABLE! Antiseptic skin cleanser: A soothing massage solution to relieve bruises and sore muscles.




No Name canola oil from Shoppers!




No Name chicken instant noodles!




( Cadbury, ice cream, cream puffs, and more deliciousness! )

I discovered REDRUM this morning, but still took a shower to help me feel better. After COFFEE TIME, I discovered a TOILET PLUMBING PROBLEM: IT WOULDN'T FLUSH PROPERLY! I left a note with Hester to cover my ass AND called her about it, but then I had to leave since I had no time to play phone tag! I went out at 2:55 on a 407 to help with the kids. Even after being at Marine Drive to see a 3 Downtown pull up to the stop, I wasn't even at Jon's any earlier than I was last week! Thanks, strollers and walkers which got on AND off before I left the bus at 16th! /sarcasm Yes, of course they're obviously entitled to use the bus (as are wheelchairs) - I was just glad I left a few minutes earlier than I did last week.

Beckett was sleeping when I got there; Ayler and Hiero were playing that Emoji Memory card game that I bought, so I got an answer to the question I asked Jon about what they do when the baby is supposed to be sleeping. Otherwise, I'd have asked the kids myself. Hiero tried making up his own rules: "No touching cards that other people have touched!" (which is totally nonsense for a MEMORY CARD game) and how you can shoot people who are already dead. I said those weren't fair! (they won the game and I lost - whatever) Ayler was sick because of some heatstroke at the Langley berry farm yesterday. We had a dinner of various things: macaroni and cheese, ribs, pizza, cold noodles, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and more. Discussed power-washing balconies, Hiero spilling almond milk on the floor and my black Secret socks (I had fun telling them that I can make up my own rules too, like I can pause dinner to put on their dad's holey socks and wash my hands), some salad Mom gave them which expires today (I didn't want it to take home - so Harma tossed it), and how we shouldn't shoot people at the dinner table.

Beckett ate a bit of stuff, but was pretty much done fairly soon into his "meal." I had fun hanging out with him afterwards, though, even if he threw balls all over the place. He has new colorful soft ones, which are probably better for the downstairs neighbors complaining about everything. He seemed to like the new penguin, at least. I let him climb on me because it's cute, but watched to make sure he didn't fall off the couch or anything. The balcony is effectively closed off to him because of a rather interesting arrangement of chairs and other things. PHEW! I think he had fun chewing on his Christmas board books, too.

I left at 8 after doing some STAR WARS STORMTROOPERS summer reading with the kids, after Hiero had to go to a separate room because he was hugging a whimpering Beckett, and after I had grabbed Beckett before he got to the kids' jigsaw puzzle / after he invaded the washroom while Hiero was in the shower. I sent Mike a quick message ("thanks for the great fish head idea, Uncle Mike - says Nephew") using the Save-On wi-fi at the bus stop - thank goodness I didn't just miss the 3 Marine Drive bus! The bus driver didn't create a delay this time, but instead it was an old guy who was slow in even using his wheelchair to get on AND off the bus! Yup, he is totally entitled to use the buses (and it could be me one day), but be reasonably fast about it - come on now, other people have connections to make!

At the station, I quickly went to T&T to look for (and get) some quirky Lays chips for Rachel - Numb and Spicy Hot Pot, Wasabi, and Kimchi! I should get the Deep-Ridged ones next time: Spicy Chicken and Pork! Thank goodness I managed to get the Brighouse train home within two minutes of getting to the train area, and I FINALLY got home at 9! Thanks to the delays, I was able to text both Paulo and both Erics in detail. The toilet STILL wasn't fixed, so I had to consult V4F and then use buckets for filling up the tank. Sigh... I guess I'll have to call Hester tomorrow morning. No melatonin tonight...


From Youtube: Betty Gray and Reeda Roundy?! BAD SPELLING OF RITA! Come on, people!