An Essay by Matt
My Valentines Day
— an essay by Matt
— in bullet form
Woke up with a headache from staying up too late, but got up anyway so I could hang out with my wife before she went to work.
Walked my wife to her car.
Ate leftover homemade rice-flour battered fish & chips for breakfast and watched part of an episode of Big Love. Creepy fundamentalist mormons....
Rode the SkyTrain to Main Street. Read a little of Murakami's Norwegian Wood on the train.
Bought some candles for the romantic dinner at home at a shop in Chinatown. Also bought a VCD of Hangzhou for $6, to reminisce about the summer I spent there. The shop owner grew up in Hangzhou, and was touched that I'd bought a video about his hometown.
Looked at all the cool dried mushrooms and lizards on sticks.
Talked to a woman who's a flight instructor. Wondered if airplane flight lessons might be fun.
Ordered a 16oz decaf latte at Waves Coffee on Main. Prayed they wouldn't burn it for once. They burned it. But it still wasn't too bad.
Watched an ancient Chinese man covering his face with his hand in attempt to avoid breathing the cigarette smoke being emitted by three middle aged Chinese men.
Walked to the game shop and met some friends for a Power Grid tournament. Won second place, which earned me a $20 gift certificate to the store. Score.
Ordered a boatload of good Chinese carryout at Hon's Wonton House (bokchoy and julienne pork and chicken with XO sauce, garlic broccoli, barbecued pork, pickled cabbage, and chicken soup — good stuff). I wanted to get a second kind of barbecue, but they were out of squid, and the duck only came by the half duck unit, rather than by the pound/Kg. 0, 0.5, or 1 ducks does not a useful quantum make, for a dinner for two.
Walked back to the train station. Looked in vain for anyplace on Main selling flowers. Was stopped by a homeless-esque guy before I put money into a ticket machine. He wanted to warn me that that machine was eating coins and I should use the other one. Thanked him.
Saw the red ribbon from somebody's valentines gift trampled on the ground.
Rode the SkyTrain home. Had the truly disturbing experience of seeing a woman getting on the train as soon as the door opened who I totally swear had moments before just been riding on the same car as I was in. I seriously looked behind me to see if she was still in the same seat I'd seen her in, and the seat was empty. I have no idea how it's physically possible for her to have exited the train at one station, and then already been waiting for the exact same train at a later station. And since she was waiting on the platform as the train pulled to a stop, she couldn't have walked out one door and into another like people occasionally do. Weird.
Phoned wife to tell her not to arrive home quite yet.
Bought flowers at the organic grocery in my neighbourhood. Walked home.
Arranged flowers, Chinese food, $1 Chinatown candles, wife's favourite wine, and white chocolate fondue on coffee table. Left voicemail for wife that she could stop circling the block now.
Ate fantastic dinner and dessert, and watched movie about Queen Elizabeth. Earned lots of husband points. Went to bed happy.
— an essay by Matt
— in bullet form