Hudson Bay Milk Chocolate

Again, photo taken December 2009, at the same time as the giant Lindt bar. Also thanks A for this. It's not a famous brand, but every bit as good as one. Good quality chocolate. Dangerous if not shared. Anyone trying to eat this whole thing alone is suicide.

Furnace motor

3PM, mom heard strange banging noises that came from the heat vents. It stopped shortly, but then, the whole house started to smell like something's burning. I called up the company we last had our furnace serviced, thinking it was something they warned us against last time. (Something to do with the fan's shaft.) Until they showed up around 5:30, we didn't know what to do and thus did nothing. The burning smell only got worse. Opening the doors didn't help. (I had one window in my room opened too.)

Turn out the motor was burnt. With it, the safety switch. Both needed to be changed and cost us $745. We barely had enough cash in the house. What we should have done, was to turn off the fuse for the furnace. It should have turn itself off, but the safety switch must have been blown during the initial burst.

So, parts were changed, and the guys left. However, the burning smell stayed. Do think it's gonna disappear too soon because it's winter after all. All windows and doors are closed. It's gonna be -4 tonight! Well, I did have the front door and my window partially opened until I go to bed, but still, smelling very bad. I suspect something's still burning? My nose and throat have been feeling extremely irritated, and my head's been feeling like it's swollen. Got an on-and-off headache too.

Mom gave me 2 rattan bracelets she confiscated from dad. He put them with his tools in his "treasure" pile downstairs. They were from his grandfather. Which means, 4 generations old. Hand made, look home made too. Could they be antique folk art? The workmanship looks fine. Definitely not a mass produced object.

Started organizing the new bookcase. Must things get messy before getting tidy? Must there be chaos before order? Now it's an ugly mess. But at least it's already better then before I set the bookcase up.

New West

It's rare that I was able to join A and S for a late lunch... or afternoon snack rather. S brought his new camera. We tried to find a cemetery with upright tombstones to take pictures. (To test his camera.) The closest one had none. The second choice only had a few. (My memory failed me.) It was pretty cold. Then we headed to New West to join J and M for dinner. Thanks for the invite, and everyone's support. I hope I can get that job too.

Richmond

I think I only got 1 hour of sleep. Between 10 and 1, I got... must have gotten 4 calls. Dose off a little, and woken by the calls. Worse than a work day.

Haven't seen J and M since summer. Met their friends C and H. We had some pretty intense otaku talks, haha... We set up lunch late at 2 because M had to go to a class, and couldn't join us until even later. An hour into our "lunch", M called saying she was nearby and would arrive soon. Than after another half-hour, she called again. This time... she had an accident! She rear-ended a Chinese family's car right outside the mall at slow speed. Took a while to settle things down because of language barrier, and M's car is from the States. Luckily J had experience in accidents and the necessary steps taken. I didn't realize it until just now, that the scratches on the other car's bumper were on the under side. I have a hard time picturing the crash causing such damages. I hope they were not trying to take advantage of M.

We ended up leaving the restaurant although M did not eat any dim sum. The next stop was C's paradise game arcade. They had a table reserved at a downtown restaurant for dinner, and invited me and A too. Too bad the house was full and we couldn't get a larger table. So I decided not to join them for dinner and eat with A and S instead.

We parted into 2 groups, with C and H stayed for a little bit more games and then go back to the hotel before walking to the restaurant. I took J and M to Aberdeen. I haven't been there for a while and geeze... the shops were shuffled again! There was a Chinese new year sidewalk fair and lots to see. We ran out of time so I took them back to their car. I should go back another day as I saw something I want to buy.

The radio was full of news of accidents. I was forced to take a longer route. (Which I found out it may not have been necessary because those reports were not accurate.) By the time I reached A, it was 7:20. I originally said between 6:30 and 7:00. Sorry I was late... A canceled with S. He's so singled minded. If he couldn't eat at a certain place near S, he'd rather not go. If he had told S to meet at his place, I could have picked them up both at the same time, and ate nearby. Does he think I have unlimited energy? Does he think I don't get tired driving? Going from Richmond to Vancouver than New West is a super long drive!

So I ended up eating pizza with A alone. He might meet S for lunch tomorrow. I might join them. Nothing's set solid, though. Then I chatted with M a bit online, and we might meet tomorrow too. All depends on whether J is free or not. We'll see. One thing I know for sure, is I won't be getting enough sleep again. I have a headache right now. No kidding...

The e-bay used and incomplete Pinkys arrived. Thanks A! Those are perfect for customizing.

Bookcase

Thanks A for pushing me ahead, but... now I realize there's a reason why I subconsciously procrastinated.

It's 3 in the morning. My back and neck are all wrong. I think I'm sick yet I don't feel it as pain. My eyes are watering. Tears won't stop. It's just like that time when my dad fell, couldn't get up, and I had to lift him up with mom. Took us 45 minutes. Afterward, I was lying in bed in tears feeling so unwell and unable to sleep.

This sucks. I've fallen into complete negative mode. I know I should thank A, but now I just feel like he's the one who made me sick. And I hate myself for thinking like that. There's just no hope, is there? Why am I still alive?

Sen Cha Green Tea Mints

From April 2010, thanks SA! Light and fragrant with green tea, it's mild and very refreshing. $5 a can is a bit expensive, though. But I suppose it's good stuff. The can doesn't look full here because I've eaten some already.

Stuff

Last batch of Etsy stuff arrived. One of the connectors has a small defect. The metal didn't completely fill the mold on one of the leaves. I wonder how common this is, and what rating should I give? Most of all, why do I have to worry about such things?

The series 11 Pinkys are a bit smaller than the older ones. I wish they would standardize the size more. I know the "joints" are, but still, I had to seriously shave off a lot from the head of 024 to have it fit 010's hair.

Dream

More like a nightmare... it was so real, and was in my bed room.

It started with those "body asleep, mind awake" kind of stage. I tried to break through by moving the extremities of my body, like toes and fingers. Then I found my hands squeezing and twisting something like a mini tea towel. I focused really hard, trying to free myself from this frozen state. I could open my eyes a little and saw my room. Then I succeeded. My arms could move. I brought the tea towel out of the blanket. The room was dark, but I could still tell that it was a paper towel. I was still kind of in-between consciousness, and tried to wake myself up. I managed to get out of bed, and tried to turn on the desk lamp, but it didn't light up. I tried to turn on the ceiling light next. It didn't light up either. Then I opened the door and tried to go outside my room. It was super heavy like against a wind storm. I could only open a few inches. No mater how hard I looked, I could only get a view as if my chin was glued to my chest, and my eyes couldn't rotate more 45 degrees up. Something was clearly wrong. There was no furniture. The floor and walls were like concrete. The light was dim but just enough to see. However, everything was gray, and lit like those electron microscope photos. I was still peeking from behind the door. I looked to the right where the front door is but it felt like there was no door. I have not been able to see clearly. It was bright in that direction but super noisy. Somehow I felt I should go that way and exit the house. The noise became more and more unpleasant.

I woke up. Took me a few moments to settle back into reality. Although things were clearly wrong, it felt so real. Too real.

Free courier

As an exception to the rule, I went to work today despite I was sent off by 1 to do a rush delivery. Lion's Gate was bad thanks to constructions. Downtown was bad too. I managed to hit the art gallery area which is also a slow construction (renovation) zone. Then 2 more street paving (?) near Granville Island. Sigh... took a whole hour to get there. Of course not paid for my time. Well, as far as she's concerned, it was "on my way" to my chiropractor. No, I didn't even try to claim it because I know she wouldn't give me any compensation, and it would then make me look very bad.

However, I did end up turning down the homework, and told my boss I'm not comfortable taking her keys home so I could go to work at 10 tomorrow while she'd be gone for a haircut. That whole thing of my making a mistake on my timesheet was brought up again. Yes, I cannot say no because I cannot trust myself not to make any mistake. But I did put in hours to complete stuff that she refused to pay me, for she accused me of doing stuff that she didn't ask for. But she did say I could "go ahead". She either forgot, or she was in another dimension when she said it. At the end, she got the stuff. I got no pay. Oh yes, I'm still mad. I'm waiting to see what Karma will do.

Yeah yeah yeah, I should work elsewhere. Don't think anyone would want a piece of damaged goods like me, though.

Got home, and mom came to tell me how aunt Y freaked her out this morning. They went out to shop at some neighbourhood stores and came back just before noon. Aunt Y was quiet sitting on the coach for too long until mom went to check on her. She said she couldn't breath and felt like a huge rock was pressing down on her chest. She was trying to take her own pulse but couldn't feeling any. Mom didn't want to call 911 because dad would be locked out when he comes back from daycare. (Which could be a really bad decision... sigh...) She took aunt Y's blood pressure and it was very low. Then aunt Y's church friend stopped by to take her home as originally planned. He knows some Chinese medicine and told her to drink some sugar water. It worked. However, if she goes back home, there's no one to look after her. So she stays. The original plan is for her to come back tomorrow anyway. Going home for just one night makes no sense.

The last Etsy order arrived, so did my new Pinkys. Still missing one because it was sold out when I ordered.

Almost

Dad almost eloped again today.

I didn't get up until lunch time so all these were told by mom. She took aunt Y to her blood test and cardiogram in the morning. She came back and found dad all dressed up completed with hat and shoes, standing at the front door. She asked him if he was standing there all the time when she was gone, and he said yes. (Can I trust him?) If it wasn't raining heavily, dad would have gone outside for sure.

Then he went #2 on the commode chair instead of in the real toilet. The crap stuck to the bucket. (T_T) And it stunk up the whole house. Mom lit a candle trying to clear the stink. It took a few hours and almost the whole candle. By the time I got up, it was not too bad. However, the stink mysteriously came back mid-afternoon, and I had to keep the doors open. It could be from the soaked basement when the kitchen water pipes broke too.

Mom also said, the other day when she came back from grocery shopping, dad had placed the commode chair behind the front door, jamming it shut. Took her great effort to enter the house.

Nursing home

Mom didn't want dad to go visit the nursing home, so I stayed home to keep an eye on him. The place seemed fine and mom liked it. However, I don't think we have the privilege of picking. Anyway, I contacted our case manager and she will be paying us a visit.

Boss is is in super crunch time and wants me to work tomorrow even if it it's only half a day. Normally it's not worth it for me to go all the way to North Van for less than a day, but I suppose this time going to my chiropractor after work isn't that bad. And she's gonna give me homework again while she's away for the whole month of February. Instead of claiming time, it will be a fixed price per job. I don't really feel too good about it but oh well I don't care and why not. I haven't told her the real reason why my previous numbers didn't add up but I think I should tomorrow. (That was because I only claimed time when handing in stuff, which could be from a month or two ago.)

The second last Etsy order arrived. And N's present. Thanks N! (^_^)

Lindt Hezelnuts & Almonds

Wow... picture taken December 2009! A really old one! But it's also on-going. Thanks A as usual. It's yummy! You can't go wrong with Lindt. (Maybe except for expired ones.) The chunks are just the right texture and the chocolate is great. No need to say more. I wonder why they don't make smaller size. This is quite big. By the time you finish one, you'll need a break from chocolate.

Homework

Finally, back to work. Although boss claims she's recovered, her nose still sounds congested. Apparently, she got sick enough to be couch-ridden. Nevertheless, she needs work done, and I need to pay bills. Since I have appointments for the next 2 days, and she's leaving town again on the weekend, she suggested me to start doing homework again.

Well, well, well... I guess I lost my chance to tell her the truth. The numbers didn't add up because I claim time only when submitting finished work, which may be from a month or two ago. Sigh... I think I'm deeeeeeep into "I don't care" mode. Not good, not good. (T_T) But I should tell her, before her trip.

Got home, and surprised to find brother's gang over. He moved the eat-out (or take-out) day from Wednesday to Monday because dad's out-of-control eating is worse on Wednesdays when he goes to daycare. Niece N glued to my computer as usual.

Worked a little on T's Pinky heads. I need a super fine carving knife before I can move further. Neck feeling wrong after just one day of work. (T_T) Tomorrow have to get up a hour earlier than normal work day for the nursing home visit. Sis-in-law said it's not up to us to choose a nursing home. The lineup is so long, it's whatever we'd be assigned. Mom doesn't seem to or want to believe. She still thinks she gets to choose. Well... we'll see. Either way, contacting the case manager falls onto my shoulder.

Bottomless

Dad had gone into bottomless mode. He just wouldn't stop eating. Mom had hidden most food, but he still managed to pull stuff out of the freezer and ate frozen-hard sliced bread without heating it up. Does he not know how to use the microwave? Or was he so hungry, he couldn't wait? Dad also know when to hunt: when mom is busy. She was making pickles and couldn't leave the stove. Dad was raiding the freezer again. Mom was furious. As a pacifier, I gave him some granola with cranberry... a second time. I've already given him the same thing when mom was napping so he wouldn't empty the freezer. At least he didn't throw all of it into his mouth at once.

Only managed to process and upload a bunch of pictures for K, and wrote 1.5 mail. Finally heard from boss. And last minute as usual, she wants me to work tomorrow. She can only work up to Wednesday this week because she's going on a trip again. I can only take Monday because Tuesday is for looking at a nursing home, and Wednesday for chiropractor. If only boss didn't get sick last week... (T_T)

I need more non-rem dreams. Seriously.

Dream

I was in a room with a bunch of other people. That whole place had cold matte dark-brown wood interior and a lighter and warmer tone exterior... and felt like a resort... S (HR at MFE) was presenting a promo video... or pilot film to us. It was MFE production... and the project was an upcoming CG remake of Snow White... focusing more on the 7 dwarfs. It was supposed to be a secret.

The scene switched a little. The place looked like another room in the same building. P and J were there too, so were a bunch of other younger student-looking people. I was trying to mingle... or start a conversation. Then one guy pointed out another guy to be a reboot fan, and we started talking about the show. They didn't know which year it started (which didn't make sense). I didn't have an answer either but I was confident that I knew. Didn't think I told them I worked on it, but they seemed to have figured it out. No one believed I was "that old".

The gathering finished, and people were leaving. S said to me that I'm welcomed to have a piece of cake (it seemed like a celebration of some sort) but it will cost me $1 since I don't work there (which means free for employees). Was it dinner time? People took food from a table (with a lady serving) and sat down elsewhere to eat. The containers they ate from were like... weird shape... like that Hello Kitty type Korean fat bunny character. The colour was translucent dark pink. (Funny... just like that piece of soap I was looking for in my dream yesterday.) Somehow I was outside walking along the side of the building. The feeling was not unlike Granville Island. Yes, it felt like some kind of resort, but it also felt so dark and heavy and suffocating.

The scene completely changed. I was in my room in my old flat. My right nostril was dry and almost bled. So I put some ointment and then stuffed a small emptied-out pill vial into it. To further protect from dryness, I put a few drops of water into the vial. (Against gravity?) Then I don't know how or why, 3 fat juicy green caterpillar appeared in the vial. I pulled one out with bare hands and it tore and died... at A's kitchen sink.

Then I "went back" to bed. It was dad's room in our old flat with the air conditioner where the hold family used to sleep. I was supposed to sleep on the floor, with a girl on each side. I think one of them was cousin F. The other had long hair and... could be her girl friend V. (Hmm...) One more caterpillar fell out and lost. The girls got up and help look for it. Then the other one fell out, and we noticed it's amazing camouflage ability. We lay out a few pieces of coloured fabric but the bug was pretty scared and didn't want to walk. It even bit V.

I decided to record this and grabbed my camera. The girls helped laying down a course of various colour and pattern fabric and paper. Some even had manga illustrations. The course was strangely in 3 rows, with the first 2 in u-shape on the bunk bed, and the furthest one on dad's bed completely separated. (The room's layout was door, bunk bed, space, dad's bed, wall.) I started with a preview of the course. First, a shot of the memory card I was using. (Which doesn't make sense because the card need to be in the camera!) Was it dad or uncle Y? A man came in and kept talking loud. I think he was whining about our video shoot. I couldn't narrate with his voice louder than mine. I asked him to shut up but of course he kept going. Sigh... I went through the course 4 times. None successful. We didn't even get to the point of having the caterpillar to walk.

I get the feeling that there were more, but can't remember.

Fat Burger

Thanks A for the veneer and stuff. That was my first time going to both Dick's Lumber and Fat Burger. What a name for a burger joint! But their burgers are good. No comparison to McDonald's or Burger King or Wendy's.

Found some $4.99 Ferrero Rocher at LD. Got 2 more for the upcoming Chinese new year. (Still have 2 from boxing day.) I can't believe they still have some Christmas stuff on sale. Couldn't help getting a box of $0.99 sugar cookies. Those were originally $7. Yikes! And then gift wrap... also at $0.99 each. Better than dollar store because these have better quality. A said he doesn't celebrate Valentine's day. Gaaaaaaan. And he asked what to give me for Chinese new year.... (Well, thanks for asking anyway.) But I can't believe he doesn't know why he's where he is today.

Koi Nobori

From 2010 May. My boss got this from her Japanese customers, but she doesn't like it. So I got to eat it. Japanese are so good at packaging. The koi's "head" is a peanut dipped in batter, and is slightly sweet. The "body" is a rice cracker, and it's slightly salty ( like soy source). Very traditional Japanese snack. Quite yummy and feels much healthier than chips. Thanks!

Dream

I was with my brother's gang (less my nieces) in a huge household watching some kind of video. It showed the lives of some criminals. Had they been born in a rural farming area, their lives would have been "normal". (Getting a driver's license at 16, helping out on the farm, graduating from high school etc.) Then the video finished.

I was "organizing" some pieces of cardboard and styrofoam on a bookcase. The lady who showed us the video was some kind of teacher or private tutor. We sat down in a living room and had a talk. She sat to my left and somehow held and stroke my left arm. I shot 5 feet up in the air and landed right back in my chair. Everyone was shocked and looked at me with the widest eyes. I was shocked too, but more like, oops, my secret was busted. Somehow in the dream, my hypersensitiveness send me up the air a lot. I apologized for being like that. The chair was one of those metal fold-up chairs and was hard. My butt hurt.

Then the teacher started talking about designing a hotel high-rise and we should all draw. The style was decided to be "goth Victorian". Was it "form from form"? Brother was holding a picture of a 3-drawer metal filing cabinet. She started drawing from it, starting from the surrounding buildings and then top of the hotel, and incorporating elements of the filing cabinet. I was searching through some thick books for pictures.

Then came bed time. The lady of the house and her husband showed up to greet us good night. They just came back from a trip. She apologized for any "strange noise" they might make at night. We then went back to our rooms.

The household was set up like a hotel. Down the hallway, there were 3 rooms for us, but we didn't use them all. Somehow we had slept there the night before ready. Brother wasn't there and I went in the middle room with sis-in-law. And somehow I was sleeping in the same bed with her the previous night.

I needed soap... which in the dream, was presented to me earlier but I either didn't take or misplaced it. It was a small hotel size soap in the shape of a cute Hello Kitty type character bunny. It was translucent raspberry. (The "character" part could be from a Miku ice tray, the bunny could be from the ring I broke.) So, I went back outside to look for soap.

I went downstairs to the other bathrooms and laundry room. The walls were old-style wood panels. As I entered the stairs, one of the Lady's sons noticed and followed me, probably to keep an eye on me. I must have looked suspicious to him. When I was half way down, there were more guests coming in. 4 or 5? They went down the hallway pass the laundry room.

Right there in front of the laundry room, there were a line of 3 bathroom sinks, even with toothbrushes in cups. It looked promising so I approached and start looking for soap. Then, my phone rang. I woke up. It was A.

Rarely do I remember so much of a dream. But it might have been a REM dream because I felt grumpy all day long.

Ikea sucks (2)

Went to pick up Wednesday's parcel. It's the rings from China. The rabbit one was a bit too big so I was trying to bend it a little... and ... broke it. (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

Then before Ikea, stopped at Michael's of course. The Office Depot next door is having a close-out sale. Went to check it out, but the most discount is 30% off. Should check back every week. Wanted to get some white pearls at Michael's, but none has good enough quality. Yes they're natural fresh water pearls and have irregular shapes and sizes. But most of them are rough, very croaked, and simply ugly. Nevertheless picked up a white strand and a purple-tinted strand with much better quality. After chatting with the cashier, I might have been too late and the good pearls were sold out. Today is the last day of the extra 25% off coupon after all. At 65% off... I guess I can only blame myself for being late.

Then off to Ikea to solve the bookcase mystery. And... I lost. The display sample has raw top ends. I even asked a staff about it, and he say it's a low cost bookcase. OK... I'm stuck with this crappy bookcase because I only have 27" space.

Still haven't heard from boss. Finished J's glass ring pendent.

Dad's been "organizing" things again. He pulled out stuff from the stationary draws and lined them up on the counter. As usual, he horded the washroom for hours crapping, and afterward hunt for food like it's the end of the world. Mom is freaking out way too often. Sigh...

I've been wanting to turn this Alzheimer's dad experience into manga. But I always end up wasting too much time online searching for thing that would give me a laugh and cheer me up. I wonder if this idea would materialize before dad is sent away.

Ikea sucks

Got up to find a snow-covered ground. Naaah... going to the post office alone is a waste of gas. I'll wait a day or two.

Finally! Cleaned up and tried to set up that long overdue book case. With no help, it was not exactly easy especially when space is tight. Luckily it wasn't too heavy. Just when I finished the basic frame, I noticed some paint on one end. That was the top of the bookcase. Did I flip the board? No. Can't get it wrong because there's an indent on the bottom. Not only was there paint, the ends were left raw without veneer. Totally unacceptable. So, I suspect they flip the veneering. One look at the bottom, and it was confirmed. It was even strangely veneered with a different colour.

Sigh... now I'll have to disassemble it alone and pack it up for a refund. Not gonna be easy. Hope A still have to receipt. (T_T)

Etsy rating system

3 more packages arrived, but one of them must be by registered mail and I got a pickup notice timed at 10:30. I slept in and mom must have gone out already. Need to go pick it up tomorrow at the post office.

Didn't notice an Etsy seller had left me neutral ratings. I don't want to waste time and energy on this, but he/she seems to believe I've got "free ones" and still not happy about 1 chipped cabochon. But that was 1 out of 6. Nope, I didn't receive any "free ones". I think I should at least make this clear. The order was exactly the quantity stated in the listing. At the same time, I bought 6 complete sets of chains with clasps, and 2 of them have sticky clasps that won't close properly. I also bought cabochon settings in the same order. Out of 3 items, 2 had problems. I could not say I was happy, and unable to leave positive rating for sure.

As I was busy for the craft fair, and immediately entered Christmas preparation mode afterward, I didn't leave feedback right away. All that time I've thinking whether I should leave a negative rating, or a neutral one.

It boils down to the meaning of the rating system. It's supposed to monitor quality, isn't it? I trusted it to be fair, and tried to be objective.

• The cabochon bag did not contain any loose fragments, so it was already chipped when bagged instead of damaged during shipping.
• 2 out of 3 items I ordered have problems.
• It wasn't that cheap.
• Perfection get positive rating for sure. If it's average, shouldn't it be one step down?

Based on these 4 reasons, I still didn't leave a negative rating. I think leaving a neutral one was already too kind. So, out of the 3, 1 got positive and 2 neutral.

However, today when I found out the seller had left me 3 neutral ratings, and what was said about me, I couldn't believe it. It seems that the rating system was used as a tool to revenge. "Shipped in Oct, received feeback in Dec saying 1 stone chipped. which one? The free ones? Poor communicator, I cannot fix problems I do not know about." He/she wants to "please" but now unhappy because I didn't give him/her a chance. And because I left a late feedback, I'm a bad costumer to him/her.

Anyway, Y's b-day gift is finished. So is J's thank-you gift. These were supposed to be mailed out early December. I suck. (T_T)

Eat-out day with brother's gang. We went to BJ's. That was my second time. The food wasn't that good, but it could be just what I ordered. (Shared a HK style set dinner with mom.)

Got home, felt asleep at the desk, and continue recording today's arrival. Now, I think I should deal with that Etsy seller. Don't like this kind of correspondence because I write slow. Too slow. Especially when it's something formal.

Again, did not research on nursing homes, did not clean up for the bookcase.

Blanket

(Picture was taken 2009 Nov and unrelated to subject.)
Dad's been rolling his blanket into a ball in his bed for over an hour. Mom was so freaked out, she came fetch me. She thought he's gone insane. Dad doesn't listen to me anyway, and now he doesn't listen to mom. Somehow he acts like he knows what he's doing, and only he himself knows what he's trying to achieve or when he can stop. He keeps telling us to shut up and leave him alone. Yet he can't answer what he's trying to do or why.

I felt like I need to record this, so I took a 3-and-a-half minute video. And of course there was nothing else I could do to make dad stop. And I need to get back to what I've been doing. Can't watch him forever. Mom's too tired and felt asleep soon. Not sure when dad stoped. But he did eventually stop and went to pee in the washroom, and wet his pants. Every time he goes pee, he wets his pants. No exception. Even when he's wearing diapers, he still manages to wet his pants. Sigh...

Accessories

2 more packages arrived. Didn't think the birds and branches can arrive this soon. Cool. I can finally starte working on the accessories again. Of course ran into more shortages and need to get some more supply online... which takes God-knows-how-long to arrive. (T_T)

Got some cheap (not so cheap after shipping) bracelets. Thought I could take them apart and use them as components. But all the cabochons are too small for the settings, and almost all of them are set crooked. One bracelet is missing the loop for the clasp. Quality... is low. Less shipping makes it not worthy for any refund. If I can't pry the stones out, I'm not sure what to do. The listing photo cleverly hides the crookedness. I feel I've been deceived.

Recording today's (and last time's) supply took too long.

Mrs. M came and needed mom's help on hemming a pair of pants. She brought some lamb "blocks" (molded? into blocks and then sliced). Not sure if it was unfresh or just too fatty, it was super gamy. You can smell it from 5 feet away. After dinner, I caught dad eating a piece. I asked him what he was eating, and he said it was green bean cake. What?!?!?!?! He has absolutely no sense of taste left?!?!?!?!?

Nagatanien Miso Soup

Picture taken last September. Thanks SA for this one! It's so awesome, I really love it! Although it's those "instant" food, it totally doesn't feel like it. It's simply delicious. I haven't bought any myself yet, but it shouldn't be expensive.

Chiropractor

Second batch of inline order arrived. Since it's only 3 items, I'd wait for the next batch to record and file. (Procrastinating?)

Chiropractor today. Thank God... I was so numb, I was a zombie. Finally persuaded A to have an appointment. Hope it helps.

Still haven't hear from boss. Wonder if she's OK.

Bread and gas

A's new bread maker is working great. If I must pick bones out of an egg, the bread can be more fluffier. (Which seems to be difficult for small domestic machines like that.)

Went to fill up at around 11:30 at my usual gas station. To my surprised, that female beggar was back! Was it because of the cold that she took 3 weeks off? This was the 5th time I encountered her since 2 months ago. And again, she's got a different story. I've already chosen the first row closest to the 7-11. Didn't think she had the guts to come harass me, but she did. That, I'm afraid, was my last straw. (Geeze... too many "last straws" today...)

She was holding a not very fresh-looking McDonald's bag, and showed me 4 quarters in her hand. She said she was short a dollar for a burger or something, and wanted me to give her a toonie. (I think she was trying to trade me the 4 quarters with a toonie.) What a lie... I'm sorry, out of all things I don't like, I hate lairs the most. So I just told her straight that it was my 5th time seeing her there, and every time she had a different story. She then immediately changed from a sweet and nice face to very upset and even a little angry, then walked away mumbling something. I've had enough of her already, and finally went inside the 7-11 to ask if the staff had noticed this woman.

When I finished my story and went back outside to continue with my fill-up, one of the staff came with me to take a look. And guess what. Right there, that woman was harassing the car behind mine! Good! She was caught red-handed. And the staff told her if he catches her next time, he will call police. She of course disappeared right away. I thanked the guy, and told him more info on when I saw her and where she's been hiding (at the bus stop).

Was it the right thing to do? Will I have peace next time when I fill-up? Will this woman turn to crime from begging? Did I drive her deeper into the dark side? I just get this unsettling feeling in my stomach. But I need to defend myself too.

Boss is starting a cold. I have the choice of skipping work tomorrow. Aunt Y doesn't want me to risk it. OK she has lung cancer and her worry is valid. After all, I haven't taken (and decide no to take) a flu shot this year. I don't want to get sick either. But I have Christmas bills to pay. I need to work.

Last straw

(Picture was taken 2009 Nov and unrelated to subject.)
Just now, mom was beating up dad again. He did a series of screw-ups since morning. At breakfast time, he showed up completely naked. Aunt Y was at the table too. What happened was, after wetting 7 pairs of pants over the night, he totally wet the bed, including the blanket and his clothes. It had happened before that he took his pants off under the blanket when he wet his pants. But this time it was complete. He doesn't care if he's naked anymore. He has turn into a true animal.

Then mom washed the sheets and blanket and his clothes and everything. Told him to go pee downstairs before coming up. That was when I got up and saw him peeing standing up. So I reported it to mom. She went to take a look, and found him dumping peanut shells and his diaper into the toilet! I was already upstairs so I only heard noises. She was beating him up. He yelled "it hurt!" Because not only did he wet his pants again right there in front of the toilet, he was tearing them apart...! Sigh... After the commotion, mom came up and told me what happened this morning. After a while, dad came upstairs (lower) half naked.

Poor mom... she snapped. She told dad he should die, and asked him if he'd like to be buried or cremated. He of course didn't answer. I understand the stress on both side, but what am I to do? Nothing! I don't know what to do, or rather, what's the right thing to do.

Finally, this is the first time she said for sure that she wants him sent away to a nursing home. So I'll be looking into it and make some calls. It was around 12:30 PM, and mom still hasn't washed her face thanks to dad.

Sleep

(Picture was taken on the 9th and unrelated to subject.)
No energy. I needed to recharge. Slept for... how many hours? 12? But I must be getting old. Sleeping like this used to give me back my energy, but not any more.

Did a little bit of cleanup for receiving the bookcase. Still lots more to do.

Ache

Weather fluctuation is huge. 2 days ago was below zero. And now 10 degrees? No wonder I'm aching like hell. (T_T) It has to be the moisture too. First snow, now rain.

Don't know how it happened, but I ended up getting less than 4 hours of sleep again. On my day off, almost every afternoon and then after dinner, I always fall asleep at my desk. Bad...

Boss decided to do a big cleanup today so I didn't get much done at work. Most of the time I just stood-by and pass things to her back and forth. Still managed to cut my finger with a piece of freshly cut foam core. (T_T)

Got some more diapers for dad. He's going through them fast.

Second round

The snow has almost all melted away. I'm glad it didn't stick.

The first item of my recent online purchase has arrived. This time it took them 2 weeks. (As to one week like before.) Probably thanks to the new year holiday.

Only managed to pack up W's chocolate. To save gas, I decided to mail it tomorrow instead of today. T's Pinkys are still WIP. Don't think I can make it before postage goes up on Monday.

Snow (2)

Boss didn't think I'd make it, but I did. The major roads are relatively clear, but residential areas are still quite bad. OK for drivers, hell for pedestrians.

Dan-D-Pack Chestnuts

Review first written last February. Wow... but this one is again, on-going.
Thanks A, yup, this ranks very high on my junk food chart. It may even be healthy! Can't find anything negative about it to say. Maybe except for fattening? It seems high in calories. But feels better than chocolate! I think I've been bias against mainland Chinese product. Seems like I'm wrong in this case.

Snow (1)

Was supposed to meet with my tax guy but he was still sick. So I canceled work for nothing... maybe not. My neck is all screwed up. So screwed up, I have spasms shooting up my head and a constant headache. My ribs hurt too. It has to be the combination of yesterday's work and today's weather. 10-20 cm of snow is in the forecast. I'm in a state where I'm extremely grumpy, lack of energy, and can't think straight.

Set alarm at 10, ended up getting out of bed at 2, in pain. (T_T) Managed to get everything done in the bathroom, and then took A to deal with some refund issues. Boss wanted storage boxes from Diaso, so it worked out fine for me too.

Snow started falling around... 8? I quickly drop A off and went home, just made it before snow started to accumulate. The major roads were fine, but residential side streets definitely turn white. Yup, 10-20 cm, and they were not kidding. It's supposed to turn into rain at sunrise and all wash off, though. The recent forecasts have been late, so I fear the rain may not come in time for the rush hour. I'm scheduled to work, but if condition is bad, I'll have to postponed.

2011-01-11... We've got so many "1"s today. Nothing beats November 11th, though.

Work

Just another work day. Didn't do much. Mounted a whole bunch of stuff for spray-painting, then made handles for hat boxes, and painted the edge of the bottoms gold. Boss decided to "do something fun", and switched to refiling beads and related stuff. Not sure if it's my lack of sleep or the nature of the work, my neck is really sore.

Again, kept dosing off at my desk after dinner. Didn't get to clean up my room for the new book case.

Diaper

Mom told me about it before, but today I've see it with my own eyes the very first time. Right now, 2 in the morning, dad's been sitting on the toilet for an hour. I heard him tearing something up with force. Could it be toilet paper? But it shouldn't take that much force. Then I went to take a look. He was tearing up his own diaper! The one he's wearing! OMG... (T_T)

Not that I want to see it, but he doesn't shut the door since a looooong time ago. I took a picture as record, and to see if this would stop him. He did stop for a bit after I asked him to. But resumed after a few moments. He kept doing it even after he got up. Sigh... (T_T)

I have to work tomorrow, and have been waiting for him to free up the bathroom for 2 hours. As usual, I will risk driving with lack of sleep. (T_T)

New book case

Bad idea to read the books I bought last night. Couldn't sleep. This happens too ofter after watching a movie too. Sigh...

As expected, estimated sleep time was between 2 to 3 hours. Bad... bad... Nevertheless, managed to woke up at 10, which was a whole hour before the alarm. Bad... bad... My back had been feeling bad since late last night. Finally got out of bed at around 11. Ended up meeting A at 12:30. Which is early comparing to my usual time.

Finally dropped off the donation clothes. Yay!! They've been sitting in my trunk for over a month! Then I suggested lunch at Ikea, which we seldom go. First, parking wasn't easy. Then the line up at the cafeteria was horrible! There was just not enough seating and we had to eat outside in the cold. Those metal patio chairs were freezing!

He ended up buying a shelf, and pushed me to buy that bookcase I've been considering. Thanks... I wouldn't be able to move forward otherwise.

Then to Netlink to exchange A's stuff. If only he held off and didn't buy those last night. Memory Express afterward. And grocery shopping. Before dropping him off back home, I kidnapped him to look at our new HDTV setup. (Plus helped with unloading the bookcase! Thanks!) Yup... things needed to be fixed. He gave me a cable too. Thanks again!

Day-timer

Woke up to find dad "organizing" things again. This time it was slippers. He took some from the front door rack and lined them up outside his bed room. (T_T)

Met up with A around 4 at Oakridge and went to Richmond. He bought a new DSiXL at Costco. Then Office Depot for my day-timer, and of course Michael's afterward. Then Iwase to pick up a magazine and got the very last copy of Glass Mask 46. I suppose that was my lucky moment of the day. Dinner at Felicos. A forgot his bag so we went back. Last stop, Aberdeen. He got some more computer stuff and I got more pill boxes at Daiso. It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Hope it won't.

Over a week into the new year, I finally bought a new day-timer. Only a few black ones are left. By principle, I don't really care about colour, but the truth is, I've never had a black one. Oh well. No I don't mind, really. I guess the other colours are more feminine.

Water pipe broke

(These photos were taken after the cleanup was finished.) The water pipes under the kitchen sink broke. Both hot and cold pipes were spraying. Luckily mom was reading newspaper in the kitchen and caught it right away. However, panicking, it still took us 10 minutes to turn off the water supply. I just got up and was about to take a shower before going to my chiropractor's appointment. First, dad was hording the washroom. Second, there was no longer any water. OK there was still what was left in the tank. But mom was afraid that draining the tank may hurt it, so I pretty much washed my face and had a wipe-down with one single basin of cold water. With the vampire around, it was not good. (T_T) After mopping the floor dry, I noticed the amount of water didn't add up. Why? It all went downstairs and soaked the storage room. (T_T) Smelled very moldy and unrefreshed. (T_T)

Of course I was late for my appointment... for almost half-an-hour. Grabbed a bun as brunch and ate it in the car, then brushed my teeth at the clinic. I've never had such a bad routine fail. Nevertheless, I managed to be somewhat clean, and did not go hungry.

The handyman came before I left the house. He then went to pick up parts for repair. By the time I went home, he was done, of course. He replaced the plastic pipes with metal ones. Hopefully it would last. And mom forgot to get him to look at the leaking bathtub faucet.

Got some more stuff from Michael's. Surprisingly, the Broadway branch wasn't as cleaned out as the others. On the other hand, the good stuff were gone at LD and nothing at all at SDM.

Snapea Crisps

Photo taken last October, but these chips are on-going. Thanks A for introducing it to me. This has become one of my favorite snack! I can eat tons. Very dangerous. However, it does feel healthier than any other chips I've ever had. It's not too salty, doesn't cut the inside of my mouth, and I don't get sore throat from it. You gotta try it to see for yourself.

Geriatric / vampire

Dad's geriatric appointment... at 9. I don't even get up that early for a work day. Actually only had less than 3 hours of sleep because I was writing e-mail again. Increasingly, I get the feeling that I can't afford my Japanese friends time-wise, but they are my friends and I don't want to loos them.

We finished at 9:50 and took mom to grocery shopping. It was raining freezing rain. The streets were covered in slush. Extremely slippery. Not a good driving condition at all. (Neither for walking.)

Got home, tried to set up a chiropractor's appointment for A. Thought I had it, confirmed with A, phoned back to confirmed with the clinic, had the other receptionist, and she refused the spot the original receptionist held for me. Sigh... crap. All that for nothing. Why is it so difficult to go between 2 parties?

Not sure why, but mom set lunch up really early. It wasn't even noon. Then I tried to continue with some important e-mail, but kept falling asleep at the desk. Couldn't help it, might as well take a proper nap lying down. Set the alarm for 3. Had the radio turn on at lower volume in the background as it helps me get up. Opened my eyes again, and it was 6! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! To make it worse... the vampire is here! AAAAAAAA!!!!! I was gonna wash my hair when I get up! Now... now... I can't!!!! But I no longer care. F$%k it, I washed my hair. (Not recommended when the vampire is here.) Had dinner, yet still kept falling asleep at the desk! What's going on? What's wrong with me? Just when I thought I should go to bed anyway, the vampire sickness hit. Sigh... ended up not sleeping. Have to cancel work for tomorrow. Sigh... (T_T)

I know it's the vampire talking here. I'm negative beyond recovery. Can't help it... Why? (T_T)

Cabochons

First day of work this year. Boss gave me some chocolate as a late Christmas gift. Probably felt obligated because I gave her some bead frames back in December. She seemed to be in good mood and sold me some hard-to-find 4x6mm cabochons that I've been looking for. Thanks!

Finally got to go to Michael's and dealt with a return and an exchange. Brother brought over take-out sushi instead of eating-out. He also brought the new HDTV and set it up for us. I don't think we subscript to HD channels, so the images aren't good. Interesting enough, it's a 32-inch, which is bigger then our old 29-inch, but it looks much smaller. Might be the difference in aspect ratio.

Not sure when or how we'll be dealing with the old TV. It's too heavy for us to lift. (Even though someone help us load it into the car, we won't be able to unload it.) Plus... there are 2 bigger hand-me-down old TVs downstairs. One from aunt L when she upgraded, the other from cousin D when she moved. We can keep one of them as a backup, but this means we still have to get rid of 2.