Happy Holloween!

This Koodo ad is scary enough for Halloween...
What was the designer thinking?

Mom's toe infection hasn't completely healed so I took her to see the doctor again. She managed to "arrange" for me to have an H1N1 shot too, since aunt Y will be staying with us for 2.5 weeks while her son and daughter-in-law vacation in Japan. That makes 3 seniors in the household. Turns out it's not H1N1 but regular flu shot. So... I didn't take it. Didn't think I can jump the line anyway.

Thought there's something wrong with my right eye. But the doctor found my left eye looking cloudy instead. I'll be seeing an ophthalmologist. Sigh... I guest I have been taking my eye sight for granted. I'm way too young to have cataract, but it is possible from stirring at the computer too much.

Thanks for the monitor speaker! It kicks ass!

Sink grinder

(Picture has nothing to do with subject.)
Cousin D took a look at our sink grinder after getting a hair cut from mom. Turns out there's a reset button underneath the grinder. All we need to do is to press it, and the grinder is working again. Yikes... we almost got rid of it! I'm so glad it's working again!

5 of 5 / kitchen sink

Finally! The last one arrived. But I'm working on something else...

Our right kitchen sink leaks. The sink grinder on the left isn't working and is clogging. Mom decided we should eat out as my brother's gang came for dinner tonight. We don't really use the sink grinder so maybe it's time to get rid of it.

The drain in our garage is also clogging. The guy couldn't get it fixed last week. Don't understand completely what's going on, but we might have to dig up the ground around the house.

Sigh... people age. Houses do too. This house is about 55? Lots need fixing. Lots.

Isleri

(Thanks Andrew for this one!)
Hmm... by looking at the picture, I thought this is one of those chocolate coated jelly center marshmallow. Wrong!! Chocolate coated alright. But there's no marshmallow, but cookies with hazel nut cream filling. Quite good!

There's some kind of unidentifiable fragrance. So I ate the layers individually, like how an Oreo is dissected. Strangely, the fragrance disappeared! The layers became very bland, and the filling tasted like pure icing sugar. Strange, very strange. An example of "the whole is greater then the sum of the parts".

Flu shot

(Photo has nothing to do with subject. It was taken on the 20th. Now the leaves are all gone.)
Hanging upside down continues. No energy at all. Can't move. (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

Got a call from my family doctor's office yesterday, telling me to go take the H1N1 shot today. Appointment was set at 2 pm. Hey how come I get one first? I'm not in any of the high risk group. As expected, the receptionist called again this morning to correct it. Yup, I need to wait.

Still haven't heard from my boss. She should be back in town for almost 2 weeks. This is highly unusual, as her next show is the 3rd week of November. It should be crunch time right now.

4 of 5 / $1 lesson

Forth of the 5 batches arrived. Only one more now. Hmm... I forgot what's in it already... It's from Hong Kong. The seller says it takes 2-3 weeks for shipping. I don't believe it. Usually it's only 7-10 days. Don't tell me they're sending by surface mail...

So, this is the missing bag of beads which costs $1 ($1.12 after tax). Had to make a special trip to Richmond, but I got it back without any problem. The owner's son who was staffing the counter at the time noticed, and put it aside.

I know you'd say, just forget that $1 and save the time and gas. Yes I thought about that too. But I do need the beads. And, it seems like there's another reason. It was as if... I was sent there to receive a lesson.

The store owner was very talkative. We chatted for... 2.5 hours. She seems to have the worst luck in the world. She's like... cursed, no kidding. Let's say, it's such a waste if she doesn't write an autobiography. And it's so twisted, I think it has all the elements for a successful movie or TV series.

After hearing her story, a big chunk of the darkness clouding my heart dissipated. Her problems put me to shame. Things may not go my way, but I'm still very very very lucky.

Carpet cleaning

Weather's been bad. Grey and rainy. Took me a whole hour to peel my back off the mattress. Had planned to take A to get his frame refund at Michael's Richmond. Needed to wash my hair first, though.

It was about 2:10 when I was ready to leave the house. Then mom got a call from our neighbour. The carpet cleaning guy was coming to work on their house. It would be our turn next. All of a sudden, furniture and all the junk had to be moved away from the living room. Thought I'd help a bit on that before I left. Dad wasn't moving although he's the one who has the most muscle power among mom, me, and aunt Y. Well, he does have an excuse from his aneurysm. Mom has a sore foot from infection. Aunt Y is in her 80's and has lung cancer. I would go to hell if I don't help out. Moving furniture alone shouldn't be a big problem, especially with 2 people working together on heavier stuff.

Then, mom wanted to vacuum! How can I leave at that point? So, I did it. Vacuumed. Every bit of it. Knowing it's gonna cost me dearly in a few hours if not tomorrow. I've only done it less than 5 times since the accident 13 years ago. (And with good reasons.) Ended up seeing A at around 3:30. He even gave up on going anywhere. Me? All dressed and sitting in the car, sweating from vacuuming. I suppose I could give up too. Then I can give up on myself again. And decorate my arms. (Did it later anyway.) Now that I look back, it just might be a better choice as I've been cranky and grumpy beyond salvage. We ended up going after all. At least got something done.

Got some more beading supplies from that bead store in Continental Center. So A wasn't serious when he said he'd buy me beads. I shouldn't have believed him. As a result I will seriously have to lock myself up for a month so I won't spend any more money. He kept hurrying me to finish. That gave me a very unenjoyable time. (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

And when I got home, one bag of metal beads was missing. It was probably left at the bead store. Sigh... That's it. That's the last straw today. (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) Why does my day have to suck so much????

And of course, the effects from vacuuming has grown. To be precise, it's no longer "ache" but "wrong". Very very very very very wrong. My left shoulder is sore on the touch. I can't turn my head to the left. Any other direction feels like my neck's been chopped off and sewn back again. 3/4 of my back has gone numb. My chest feels like I'm wearing a corset. My breathing is constricted. All the joints in my whole body feels like they're off by 15%. And I, I feel like I'm being hung upside-down.

Everybody thinks I'm normal. Hence everybody expects me to behave normally, do normal things. No one understand what I have to go through. No one. This "ache", makes me grumpy. I don't want to be grumpy, but I have no control. It's my own body and mind yet I have no control. I don't like it, and I hate myself for it.

There I was, lying on the sofa in this stink-like-chemical living room, stretching, hoping to nudge bones and muscles and tendons back together in place. I couldn't stop tearing.

Why? Did it hurt so much yet I couldn't feel?

No, it's more like helplessness and hopelessness. I'm painfully aware that right now mom is the one who's taking care of most things. I'm next in line when she's down, like today. But I'm not adequate. Something as simple as vacuuming pushes me 30 feet into the ground. There is just no hope, no future for a non-able body.

To seal the damage in, A actually saw the bag of beads left on the counter at the bead store. Why didn't he alert me? He could have saved me the trouble of going back. Sigh... I know. He got so bored he couldn't wait to leave. Maybe he did it on purpose to "punish" me for boring him. Hey, when I go to your stores that I'm not interested in, have I ever show impatience? I'm glad you "enjoy spending time with me", but... don't you want me to be able to say the same? I'm so very very very disappointed.

15% off

9 am to 1 pm at Michael's with coupon, on entire purchase including sale items.

Needed to take mom to see the doctor regarding her infected toe. Made it less than 10 minutes before the deadline at Michael's. It was 1:07 when I paid. Turn out they were very loose on the deadline. I went back for a second round and finished at around 1:30.

Also got some unexpected finds on Main Street. I've been searching for 8 months for small Cabochon settings for some of my tiny cameos. Plus some mini wood beads. Today's spending... about $50. Ouch... (T_T)

3 of 5

Before I went to the chiropractor, the third batch arrived from California U.SA. by air mail. The seller even included a little freebie (12 assorted size printed wooden beads). Shipping is $3.25 while actual postage is only $1.75. Well I guess there's handling fee too.

About freebies... yes it seems like a nice practice. However, I may not like or be able to use whatever mystery item they'd send. Plus, do you seriously think it's free? The cost comes out of, you-know-who. I'd rather not have freebies and get a lower price.

Mon

Thanks for the monitor! It's awasome!

Ya know, ya really didn't have to.

Now the dual screen is too hard to control with my tablet. I'll need to upgrade its size. (T_T) Definitely can't do before I get a better job.

Vitamin

The vitamin for dad's eyes is on sale at Walmart. Got the last bottle. Turns out brother managed to get some from Superstore. They have the price match policy so there was no need to go all the way to Walmart. Stupid me.

2 of 5

Second of the 5 batches arrived, from Istanbul Turkey, in registered mail. The date was stamped Oct 14. So it only takes 1 week. The shipping cost was $4 for my purchase. ($3 for the first item, and $0.5 for each subsequent item.)

Come on Canada Post, they can send international registered mail with signature for only $4! Can't you do better? (When I last checked, it took $9 for the same service to send to Asia.)

Have been trying to add bead caps to some teardrop shaped glass beads, but the wire is too thick and hard. Not working too well. Need thinner one. And I haven't seen any bronze colour wire for sale alone. These were actually eye pins used as wire. A big waste.

Kettle chips: salted

After the Dijon and cheddar, this is very plain and blend. Nothing special. Just chips. Even a bit tough and over cooked. Well, after all, this is the default with no bells or whistles. Can't expect too much.

Kettle chips: cheddar

There was only one bag left, so I logically thought this must be the best flavour.

Wrong.
Turns out it's not as good as honey Dijon.
Honey Dijon leans towards the sweet side, while cheddar leans towards the salty. (Duh!) It doesn't have as much depth. I can hardly taste the cheese.

Picture of the day: impossible back alley.

Kettle chips: honey Dijon

On sale at London Drug. $5 for 3. I was hoping to find Lay's, but this will do. Couldn't resist trying the unusual flavours. This honey Dijon is pretty good! So good, it's addictive! I ate the whole bag in 2 days. The only thing I don't like about this chip is its thickness. It's too thick, making it too hard and less crunchy. Oh, and it's a little over cooked too.

1 of 5

First of the 5 batched arrived. That was fast! Only 4 days after the purchase! But it's from Ontario. It should take about 3 days for national mail. So... It's just normal.

The plastic pearls are 3mm instead of 2mm as described in the listing. I wonder if it's a typo, or a shipping mistake.

Napolitanke

(Yup, this is a stocked up review. Handy for down time.)
Thanks Andrew again! This European hazel nut wafer is excellent. Until now, all of this kind of wafer I've ever tried, has been a bit waxy. This doesn't not. Sweetness is just right, and feels very light. (Whether or not it's light in calories is another matter.) However, it doesn't have the addictiveness of "junk food", so I can say with confidence that this is not unhealthy. Well, relatively.

Last day

Actually not even till lunch. Her 1 pm flight back to San Fransisco was delayed by an hour. United Airline didn't offer any meals so I'm glad she bought some pastry with her.

Got home and kept napping on and off. Go figure.

Appointments

The vampire finally showed up. (T_T) No energy at all. Tylenol extra strength seemed a bit too strong? My stomach still felt sick and I was dragging my feet and couldn't talk loud. The chiropractor appointment helped. Amazingly he gave me back some energy. Got some pea chips and cookies for my cousin.

Then it was her turn to have an appointment. It was facial treatment. Interesting. But I'm no more than 40% convinced that it works.

Was going to eat out because my cousin leaves tomorrow. The vampire strike. The painkiller took too long to work and I had to lie down for a few hours. No eating out.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Mission: continue and finish last night's online purchase interrupted by site maintenance. (Completed.) *1
Mission: curry beef lunch at Mui's Garden. (Failed.) *2 Mission: get white T-shirt with embossed tourist motif at Gastown. (Completed.)
Mission: get Thin Addictive cookies at Costco. (Failed) *3 Mission: get gray sweater at Suzy Shier Brenwood mall. (Completed.) *4
Bonus: 20% off everything in store.
Mission: shopping / window shopping at Metrotown. (Completed.)
Mission: afternoon tea at Hong Kong style cafe at Metrotown. (Completed.) *5
Plan B: get mushroom chips at T&T's. (Completed.)
Mission: go home by 6 pm, pick up mom, dad, and aunt Y. Meet uncle Y and aunt L at Ginger & Garlic Richmond for dinner. (Completed.)
Bonus: take a walk at Superstore. (Completed.)

Dizzy most of the day. Stomach feels like a rock. Must be the vampire... but not. Perhaps tomorrow. Please let me have 2 more days. Please please please...

*1: Must register to buy. It took a while. They don't show you the total with shipping until after you click the "commit" button. So I went over budget. (T_T) I bought from 5 different vendors and none of them has combine shipping. Discount yes, but each item still adds on it's own shipping cost. I have to pay each vendor separately, so the payment info had to be entered 5 times. What a hassle! (T_T)

*2: Because I was struggling with the online purchase, I missed the window of eating out. Well I guess eating at home actually saved some time as I couldn't leave the desk.

*3: Not enough time, and Costco is probably closed today.
*4: Yay~!
*5: Felt worst between this and around 5:50 pm.

Tomorrow's mission:
Get up at 8.
Call chiropractor to chance appointment time.
Maybe go there to standby.
Go home and lunch with cousin and maybe uncle Y.
Costco?

London Farm

Shopping at Richmond Center with my cousin. Managed to find a sweater that I like but they ran out of my size. (T_T)

Lunch at 3 pm at London Farm. Brunch and half DQ peanut buster parfait before that. Chinese cuisine for dinner again. (T_T) (T_T)

Waited until after the bead show to get some stuff online. Try to take advantage of the good exchange rate. $1 is $0.94. Of course the site has to go down for maintenance. Missed it by 2 minutes. Can't complete the purchase. Hope the stuff won't sold out. (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

The vampire is near by. I can feel it... (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

Bead Show

Kidnapped my cousin to the Fraser Valley Bead Show in Langley. The drive there took about 40 minutes but 2 hours back. We got lost and missed the highway. Ended up in Surrey. A section of Kingsway was sealed off thanks to construction. Single lane traffic. It was frustrating as we needed to get back home, pick up my parents and aunt, then go to uncle Y's home for dinner. Yup we were late of course.

As to the show, failed to get what I've been looking for, but got some unsuspected finds. Spent around $100. Things weren't cheap. (T_T) I'd like to buy more but out of budget.

Another big fail today was that I forgot to inform mom that I'd be taking my cousin to Hong Kong style cafe for lunch. She started cooking without asking and we were stuck. There are still many places my cousin would like to eat at. There goes one slot.

Too much driving today. Exhausted.
Again, forgot to take Pinky picture at dinner. (T_T)

Bad luck day?

Eating-out marathon continues. Lunch with grandaunt Y at International Village. Fusion Chinese cuisine. Parking trouble. The lady didn't stamp my card properly and I was to be charged $10 for 2-hour parking. Of course I had to go back to the restaurant to get things fixed. The manager ended up having to escort me out the parkade. Then thanks to a piece of misinformation, I circled the block and went back to the same parkade for shopping at T&T. Need I say more? $5 again for an hour. To avoid that, we bought a cup of coffee at McDonald's. At least $5 could be turn into $1.50. I really shouldn't complain....

... but I just hate myself so much when the monster comes out again. Why can't I have higher EQ? Why can't I deal with stress better? Why can't I keep my mood swing under control?

Dinner at Angel's cafe in our neighbourhood. Portions are so huge, we took home almost a whole dish of fried rice. Mom was right about the 5 of us only need 2 dishes, but it would look very bad if we do so.

Richmond

Chinese congee / noodle for lunch with aunt L. Spent the afternoon in Chinese malls in Richmond. Dinner at Ajisai. It's always chirashi when I go there. It's the best.

Also got book 43 of Glass Mask. Was gonna get 42 too but can't remember if I've bought it or not.

Granville Island

Dim Sum for lunch with uncle Y. (Oops, forgot to take a Pinky picture!) Took my cousin to Granville Island for a few hours. Shanghai cuisine for dinner with my brother's gang. It's the first day of the eating out marathon and I over ate already. I need the knock. It's been missing for 2 days.

Visitor

My San Jose cousin arrived today. Thanks for helping me get the stuff. Starting tomorrow it will be an inevitable dine-out marathon. So today we ate at home.

There was a traffic jam when we left the airport, caused by a crane running backwards. Weird.

Sushi

Blendy

Coffee syrup from Yukasuke. Thanks! (It was about a year ago. This is another socked up post that got put aside for too long. Sorry!!) I was going on a 2-month trip last winter. To beat the expiry date, I gave them to my sister-in-law before my trip. She drinks coffee everyday so I think she enjoyed it a lot. So... sorry I didn't drink any of it. But at least I took a picture.

Moon Festival

Dad ate 2 mini moon cakes before breakfast. He ate them without asking if anyone else want any. He just hogged them all to himself. Sigh... Then aunt L and aunt Y came and we ate out with my brother's gang for lunch because he has church gathering at night. Somehow aunt L keeps refusing to get a ride from me or my brother. Instead she got the daughter of aunt C to drive her. Since she's got stuff to drop off to us and it's kind of heavy, I insisted of driving her, but she wouldn't budge. Of course this is an excellent way to show people on aunt C's side that I'm such a lazy and unkind bitch.
The sky was very clear and I tried to take a picture of the full moon, but it didn't really work. I probably got the settings wrong. Oh well.

Thanks Andrew for helping me wash my car. I really appreciate it. It's been over a year since I last washed it.

Chiropractor

My chiropractor said my leg length is way off. He's right, my body is feeling the weather but somehow I'm not feeling it as much. It's gotten so numb, my brain just turn the switch off.

Came across an accident on Main near Broadway. I couldn't get a good look. According to the framing store guy, it was two Volkswagen convertibles. What's the chance of that?

Moon cake

Bought some "ice crust" moon cake for the annual festival. $1 each from a local bakery. I like those new fashion ones better. The deluxe Taiwanese box set is from one of my aunts.