Bits of Our Tuesday

 

This was the first morning that Jay and I slept until 07:00 since getting back. As one ages, it definitely takes longer to recover from jetlag. In Sri Lanka, we were on the other side of the clock. We returned slowly and our flights were from Japan which is 16 hours ahead. Still, it has taken use nearly two weeks to hit our stride. 

Jay started going back to the gym yesterday. He goes to the Bonsor Recreational Centre in Burnaby during senior hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So, Tuesday and Thursdays are usually when we drive uptown for errands and such. Today, I switched on the heated steering wheel and front seats when going uptown. My car doesn't get out in the winters, so I thought to use them today because it felt about as cold as winter. Many of the cherry trees agree with me.  We drove uptown but didn't spot many blossoms.  The roof of the Royal City Center is the photo above.

The image below isn't a selfie.  Amazon bought more packages yesterday.  One box had four light bulbs inside.  I have been using Google Home for eight years.  Dozens of the lights were already wifi-enabled. I've been asking Google to switch on and off apartment lights since 2018.  

The ones that arrived are marked as being Matter compatible.  I am keen on learning more about how Matter can improve home automation.  My new Google TV Streamer has a border router for that type of network as well as a connection to the Internet.  Matter is a protocol that automatically links devices in a local ad hoc network within the any space.  I never got around to automate these four lights in the bathroom.  Now they're helping make a Matter network and more importantly they can be switched to any color or shade of white that I choose.

 

A New Week Arrives

 

We've been back in town long enough to be fairly well set up and organized. However, we've not been here long enough to have transitioned to this time zone. We both got out of bed at 5:05 in the morning for no other reason than we were awake.  The sun still hadn't risen by 6:53 though.  This is the view mostly south but a bit east.  The water in the foreground is the Fraser River.  The buildings on the hill are in Surrey, BC and none existed when we moved into this apartment.  The picture was snapped from balcony when I stepped on the cold tiles.  Without the later sunshine, it was just 1°C.

Jay and I didn't accomplish a lot.  We did drive up to the uptown Walmart for a few more groceries.  I snapped a photo of Jay in the electronics section in front of clearance TVs in boxes.  The 75" LG cost CAD $800 ($US 580).  I've been planning a new TV purchase but we cannot fit more than a 55" screen in the living room.  I also want to pick up an OLED and have had it picked out for purchase for a while.  When the price drops due to the arrival of the new 2026 models, I'll strike.  I like doing research on big ticket items.  My choice will cost substantially more than the huge screens in a box we saw today.

I don't do all my shopping at Walmart.  We've been home only five days and have received three packages with smiles already.  Two items will arrive tomorrow as well.  I love having packages delivered the next day and right at the door of our 10-floor apartment.  I found that my battery powered tire pressure gauge in the car glovebox died.  I don't have to worry with this mechanical one which was about the same prices as a pack of new, coin batteries.  Oh, and one can never ever have too many adapters, wires, and cables.  The other items in the package included a pack of six USB to USB-C adapters.  My Prime membership is so much more important than the Costco one we seldom used.

 

Our Second Shingrix Shots

This morning while Jay was at the gym, I drove over to the Home Depot in North Surrey.  I wanted to see what they had in stock for 12" LED flush mount ceiling lights.  Their website had quite the selection!  However, I didn't see many in the lighting display area.  I returned home and bought a pair on Amazon that'll be delivered tomorrow.

I had to cross on the original Pattullo Bridge.  When steering in video-game style, I noticed the new bridge right 'next door' had a shrinking unfinished gap.  It won't be long before the two surfaces are joined.

Jay and I had made appointments this afternoon to get our second Shingrix injections.  We had our first ones back in April, so enough time had passed for our final shot.

The Walmart pharmacy was pretty busy but we didn't have to wait long.  The attending doctor very chatty and polite.

I cannot remember if we had side effects after the first jabs.  Just in case, we have left tomorrow's schedule pretty clear.

Another Sunny Sunday

There are five easily-accessible Walmart Canada locations near us. We have two in our small city. The one over in Queensborough is a larger format store and occasionally we stop there as they have more space for a larger selection.  Actually, we visited our usual uptown one today too as Jay had a few prescriptions to fill. 

The image above was the parking lot in Queensborough.  We figured perhaps that branch might have a bigger assortment of bedding.  The old comforter was a bit bleached by summer sun shining in through the windows. We set about thinking when we might have bought the previous one. We decided it was before the old Army & Navy Department store closed. The former retailer had a 101 year history in our city but closed for good in 2020.

   

I have found that using this journal as external memory is useful. When I mention buying something, it can easily be located in future years. I added the picture above simply so we'll be able to remember when we replaced the brown comforter for this one.

Wrapping Things Up

We have the whole, entire week to pack our luggage. Still, today being a Sunday seemed like the beginning of the end. We easily cleaned up after last night's dinner, even while the guests were still here. Today, we did continue to slowly tick off errands and obligations we have to complete before we leave for the winter. 

There were a lot of little things; for example, I ordered some USB memory sticks from Amazon. Jay finished cleaning out the onions from the balcony plant pots. He also turned off the newspapers until our return. (Yes, we still have a printed paper delivered to the apartment!)  

It simply feels as though we are churning through the steps necessary before we depart.  The Internet stop and start have already been set.  I pre-paid many of the reoccurring bills.  Some like the electricity dwindle a lot when everything in the apartment is shut off.  It seems our fridge only has to run 7 or 8/12s of a year.  We did organize some packing but didn't actually pick items or put them in a suitcase.

.

We even got our Christmas gift cards from Walmart for our apartment building's staff members. I was thinking how either one or both of us end up in that store at least four times a week. It's most always convenient, although probably a little less so on the weekends because of the crowds.  Yet, occasionally, I do enjoy feeling like part of a mob.

We're pros at wrapping things up for the season.  We've been doing this for more than decade.

In the Grocery Store

Eggs from plants?  Wouldn't they be like something called seeds? 

Ah yes, I see, a plant-based egg substitute!

I marvel at the number and variety of items available to consumers today.  Stores do cater to niche markets.  We may complain about the rising cost of groceries, but we're lucky to be able to buy nearly anything from anywhere at any time of year.

Good Morning, Sunshine!

I took a photo of these slightly bedraggled sunflowers in an unlikely place.  Actually, in the past, I have taken pictures of roses here too.

We park on the roof of the Royal City Mall.  You can see my EV in the background of this image.  There are elevators which descend into the main mall as well as several that just bring customers into the Walmart.

The roof is a rather bland, unattractive area.  Old shopping carts and HVAC machinery are up there.  Oh, there is a kids' play area for the day care crowd but that's at the opposite end from these flowers.  A single car-sized concrete planter is near an entrance.  Things there do well even with little care.  Although today's flowers don't look all that healthy in the picture, I had to reach up in an arm's length to snap this photo.

Jackfruit Prices in Canada!

In the uptown Walmart today, I was surprised to see fresh jackfruit for sale. It is frequently for sale at local Asian markets but I'm sure the nearest tree is thousands and thousands of kilometers away from New Westminster, British Columbia.

   

Then, I was surprised at the price. LOL. These few segments are but a tiny percentage of a jackfruit as a single fruit can weight more than 60 lbs. The fruit grow up against the trunk of the enormous tree so it can support the heavy fruit.

Next, I giggled at the package's label as it was obviously designed by someone who had no experience with an actual fruit. These last two example photos were taken in Sri Lanka but the trees are common in SE Asia, parts of India, Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil too.

       

They are an absolute mess to cut as the inside is so sticky one needs to clean ones knives and hands with coconut oil in order to get off stubborn sap.  A yellow eatable parts cover each seed.  The seeds may be save and cooked. I have many years of experience with jackfruit and examples have graced the entries in the blog over the years. (If you are reading the standard web browser version today, you can click the jackfruit tag below).

Wet and Cool

It's been a very rainy Saturday. Everyone here is saying that's good news because this part of BC is technically under drought conditions. I had sort of thought we might head to downtown Vancouver on the SkyTrain today just to see some of the initial cruise ships coming to town for the 2024 Alaskan Cruise Season. Yet, it didn't seem like a very great day to venture outdoors much.

   

Instead, we only drove to Queensborough and stopped at the Walmart there. We generally pick up things at the one in uptown New Westminster because it is less than two kilometers up the hill from our apartment. We do find the one we visited today has a bit better and larger selection of groceries.

Bins and Bottles

This morning, we drove over to Queensborough to stock up at the Bulk Barn. It is so easy to spend a bundle on bulk grains, dried beans, and nuts!  We'd printed out the current discount coupons from their website and saved $13 over the standard sale prices.  

We also went into the Walmart next door.  It seems so much larger than our uptown one.  Jay and I figure they have more of an assortment of goods as they have more space.  Probably, it's worth it to occasionally drive across the Queensborough Bridge as opposed to simply going up Sixth Street.

At home for lunch, I realized I'd have to swap out my first canister of carbon dioxide.  The SodaStream wasn't producing much fizz!  I got the device at the end of March, so I've been carbonating for closer to seven weeks than six.  Who knew I'd be drinking about 10 liters of sparkling water per week!  I had already bought a full canister of  CO₂  so, I swapped out the empty one.  When one returns an empty there's a substantial discount on the next purchase.

Holes and Fares

Jay has finally replaced a pair of jeans he wore out. Over the years, he always said it looked like a beggar to wear jeans with holes in the knees, even when it was cool.  Now that it is still a bit fashionable, he is ensuring he avoids the trend.

We drove uptown in the rain this morning.  That's where the photo was taken.  It's continued to rain cats and dogs.  We are still shy of a month back in the Lower Mainland, and I'm already fed up with this climate.  We came back for spring and summer.  So where the hell are they?

Speaking of going away for winter, we're presently deciding on a 2023/24 itinerary.  At the moment, buying tickets is proving a bit difficult as many airlines are not selling a whole year ahead.  It seems that some will be trying out new itineraries.  And these companies do not want to commit themselves to an entire 365 days, I guess.

We're considering returning to Sri Lanka as a base.  Hopefully, we will be able to take Jay's sisters on a number of trips during our five-month stay; perhaps to Dubai, Singapore, and Thailand.

We recently discovered that Air Canada will be flying new, 15-hour, Vancouver-to-Dubai, nonstop flights a number of times per week starting in the fall.  We may have to head eastward because the decline of Cathay Pacific and mainland Chinese airlines is pushing up fares on contenders flying through countries west of our location.

As it does for most things, time will tell.

Visiting the Uptown Walmart a Lot!

I'd been so busy creating images using AI over the past few months, I found I was failing to add everyday photos to my account on Flickr. 

I don't mind looking back at past, mundane blog posts when they have photographs.  Now that I never leave the house without my phone, I always have the means to snap the daily things I do and see.  Seeing things days, months, or even years after they happened is fun.  The world seems to change amazingly quickly.

This morning. we went uptown to the mall.  I find that we pop into Walmart frequently.  In fact, although we still primarily shop at the Canadian Superstore in Coquitlam on Saturdays, we buy increasing quantities of food here now.

 

On Top of the Mall

There were several moments today when the weather felt as though spring might actually be getting a foothold.  

We had to pick up a few things at the uptown Walmart.  I always park on the third-floor roof of the mall because it's hardly ever busy. Driving up a circular ramp is fun.  In addition, we pass a cordoned-off area where a daycare center has set up an outside activity area. Frequently, we see little tots running around doing kid stuff.  They look like they're enjoying themselves.  I expect these little ones will have to don less winterwear as we get towards June. 

 

When we returned to the car, I noticed how recent rainy weather has helped to keep it pretty clean.  I should probably wax Kimchi even though our EV never has to run around on wet or slushy roads during British Columbia winters.

Rainfall Warning in Effect

 

The weathercasts showed the system was tracking this way. It is a typical autumn storm and is forecast to dump more rain than any local weather event since January!  It was a good day to wash the car for free. So we dawdlingly drove around New Westminster neighbourhoods on our way to Walmart. 

Back in the apartment, the dining table light has been on all day.  Sigh.  We've still no verified plans for escape this winter.  A complete, 5-month, rainy, Vancouver winter would drive me mad, well perhaps just crazier.

When at the mall, a short trip into a dollar store today provided me with a new home for Bradley, my sourdough starter.  His old peanut butter jar lid got a bit rusty.  I think he's pleased with his new surroundings.

A Large Drop in Its Center

 

The rain was heavy last night.  Autumn has absolutely arrived in British Columbia.  The fog was heavy on the river but by mid-morning, the skies had cleared.

I had to pick up some prescription medicines at the uptown Walmart.  Jay wanted to pick up a few items too.   Rather than just driving directly to the Royal City Centre, we drove via Queen's Park.  We stopped for a little stroll.  The ground was still wet and the woods damp.  I enjoyed the smell of wet forest.

Not a lot of people were about but there was a child's birthday party and lots of tiny friends were near the picnic shelter.  We only walked for about twenty minutes.  When returning to the car, we toured through the rose garden.  Most of the seasonal display of flora has finished, yet a few procrastinator roses were preening with fresh drops of rain water.

 

More Than Roses are Red

I was thinking of how flexible we are being about our plans for the upcoming winter. Of course, this flexibility is born of the fact we have the necessary time and means to do so. 

Our plans are still open but we could end up in Mexico again or as far away as the other side of the earth in Sri Lanka. It all depends on the continually changing aspects of the COVID-situation and whether travel restrictions are imposed and / or reimposed.  I sort of like this feeling of being up-in-the-air.  It harkens back to our pre-Internet era travels.  We couldn't know many details before departure; we just went and had to wing it.

The following visual analogy in today's photo seems to match.  

During our three summer heatwaves, lots of plants went without water.  Many simply had to make do during the times of drought.  These potted flowers on the roof of the mall were no exception.  Last month, the leaves were brown and the flowers all dried up.  Now, after just a bit of rain and perhaps some water from a hose, they look amazing.  Being flexible is really good.

 

Wednesday in Three Photos

I'll pretty much let three photos explain our Wednesday morning. 

After 10:00 am, Jay suggested we go to the Bulk Barn, a business with stores across Canada. The inside of the Queensborough outlet has huge aisles of bulk food items. I love going there although I'm not allowed to buy things from the 'rows and rows' of candy. The first black and white photo shows flours from my location right to the end of the second aisle. Now that bread baking has become an interest, the sheer number of flours seemed amazing. The rows of beans or spices are equally inspiring. 

The bottom photo shows a new toaster we picked up in the next-door Walmart. Our former four-slot toaster was getting finicky. Even after cleaning, one side proved a little obstinate when the lever was depressed. At one point in the past, we owned a duel, long-slot device also holding four slices. I thought a new one of that type would take up less space on our countertop. 

Lastly, when we returned from Queensborough, we drove up 6th Avenue and stopped for a short walk in Queen's Park. Some of the flowers in the rose garden were budding. The picture to the side is named, Housing for Pollination Experts.

How Did Chicken Become Universal?

I didn't take any photos today. Jay did have an eye appointment. They check him yearly because he has glaucoma in his family. He had no signs of it. The eye place is next to the mall. So, we parked on the roof where we always do. We did pick up a few things at Walmart but didn't get a roast chicken today. 

I wonder how many chickens are slaughtered as food worldwide per day? There is hardly a place on earth where they're not eaten.

Let the Mountain Come to Dennis!

Lately, after we finish our evening viewing, I've taken to watching 4K videos on YouTube. There are tens of thousands of hours of nothing but nature. I tune in to uploaded scenery and the accompanying relaxing sounds. My next TV will have to be wall-sized.

   

Today, Purolator picked up our COVID-19 kits to whisk them to the labs. Amazon brought a small assortment of items including a kilogram of walnuts and another of cranberries. Instacart has just picked and packed a Walmart order including a freshly roasted chicken. 

However, UPS did NOT get my Pixel 5 phone to me. On Tuesday the driver maintained I wasn't available for delivery which is completely incorrect. We've been nowhere but in this apartment since April 5th! The particular driver on our route is either inept or very lazy. I called UPS customer support and they said they'd pick it up from our nearby 'depot' and try to deliver again. That was Tuesday and now it's Thursday.  It's bouncing around locally longer than it took to get out west from Ontario.

Tuesday's 'Photo of the Day'

It was a beautiful day in Playa del Carmen. It was also a fairly pretty day in the Walmart that's a few blocks from our apartment here.