Happy 2026! Thoughts and dry eye

Happy 2026! I hope that your year has started off well.

Where I am, we had a record snowstorm on Sunday. Toronto Pearson International Airport got 46 cm of snow. Those closest to Lake Ontario got 60 cm, including my old neighbourhood of the Beaches.

I live in the suburbs. I got a lot of snow. I don't think it was 60 cm. It was a lot.

Last year wasn't the best. I ended up with a stomach ulcer, which required some medication, yogurt, probiotics, and Gravol. The medication made me gag, which explains the Gravol. Since then, I do feel like I gag more when I see something that triggers that feeling.

Weird.

I keep on saying that I have a lot to say. I truly do. I have a lot to post about my mom's recovery from her broken arm and my difficult relationship with my dad.

I will start off with December and work my way backwards in 2025.

I get my eyes examined every two years in December. Earlier in the year, I noticed that my eyes were getting dry wearing contacts. My eyes felt gritty and I'd often take my contact lenses out.

For most of 2025, I wore my glasses instead. My eyeballs felt better. I'd be putting in eye drops whenever I needed them.

My eye doctor said that my eyes were in great shape and that my prescription hadn't changed. She did notice that the pores were clogged under my eyelids by natural oils. It explains my dry eye.

She recommended putting warm compresses over my eyelids to melt the oils. I did that by heating up a mask in the microwave. It felt great over my eyelids, but the heat would die down after ten minutes.

I bought a plug-in eye mask instead for more consistent heat. I use it every day over my eyelids for twenty minutes. It's me time. I like how relaxing the heat is.

I feel that this eye mask procedure has helped. I wore contacts lenses for the first time in months last week. I had them on for three hours. They were comfortable. I didn't feel any grit. 

I haven't tried wearing them to work. Baby steps. I'll probably wear them this Saturday when I run errands for a few hours and see how I feel.

I still use eye drops. I lubricate my eyeballs twice a day. It has been easy. I have eye drops in the washroom. I remember applying them after washing my face in the morning.

Just before bed, I apply eye drops before I fall asleep.

Time to use my eye mask. I'll try writing another post before January is over. I need to ease into writing more regularly again.

Sports and rankings

The Toronto Raptors lost last night. The team is out of the playoffs.

The Minnesota Wild won in overtime. It's down to the wire to determine whether it gets home ice or not for the first round of the playoffs.

It's a bit of a pain for me. I am at a holding pattern to book anything. I want to fly down and see a couple of games, but I can't until I know whether the team is in second place in their division (home ice advantage) or third (they play at least games 3 and 4 at home).

It's best that the team gets home ice. They do better. However, it would be cheaper for me to fly down to the Twin Cities if they don't get home ice advantage. It means that I can fly during the weekday, which is cheaper. If they start playing next Monday, flights aren't cheap!

Such a weird problem to have. I like booking ahead, but I can't in this instance.

Weekend and Immersive Van Gogh

The weekend is here. 

Later on today, I'm revisiting the Immersive Van Gogh experience. In early July, I did the drive-in version. I ended up getting free tickets to do the in-person experience once the place reopened. It has!

The downside was that the place never disclosed how to get these free tickets until I sent an e-mail. I had to wait a few days for a response. I finally got a code to use on their site to get my tickets. However, the code was invalid.

So, I had to send another e-mail with a screenshot showing that something was wrong with the code. Sure enough, it was some weird issue on their end. I used this code again after their fix and it worked. yay!

I'm looking forward to this outing in downtown Toronto.

Beyond Monet

Yesterday, I dropped by Beyond Monet before its official opening, which is today. I had a wonderful time.

Here are a few highlights:

I'm so glad that I got to go.

Tacos, enchiladas, and a Nutella milkshake

Happy weekend!

On Saturday, I was out and about. I had a perk to pick up near downtown Toronto. I got a free fried fish taco, with chips and salsa. I had the taco in my car, as we are in lockdown 3.0 and dining in isn't allowed. It was so good.

I was last there over a year ago. I hung out with friends for a few hours before this pandemic. We were in a food hall, so we ordered a lot of food.

It was nice heading back. I also got a Nutella milkshake from another eatery there. I got chicken enchiladas from the same eatery that provided the free perks.

I do need visit Toronto more often. It's my hometown with cool neighbourhoods that I need to explore more.

Battery percentage and a surprise parcel

On Sunday, I upgraded my MacBook Air to Big Sur, which is the latest and greatest MacOS. The upgrade went well and I like it so far.

The only thing that bothered me was that the battery percentage was gone. You have to select the option in System Preferences. I understand keeping things simple, but having this percentag hidden by default is odd to me.

Switching gears a bit, I got a small parcel from a local vendor in Toronto. I have been a fan of this vendor's products that I had asked the owner about a small little plushie that I've seen on his social media feed. I asked whether it was for sale. It wasn't, but he was happy to send me one for free for being so supportive. It was such a kind gesture.

Well, guess what? I didn't get one. I got two small plushies. So generous. These small gifts made my day.

A different kind of Monday

I am taking Monday off from work in lieu of working the hours late last week. I have a relaxed, yet somewhat adventurous plan.

I do need to vacuum my car. Here's hoping that I can do it safely. I suspect that it won't be all that busy.

Last week, I was hoping to venture into the city. I never made it. Instead, that's my goal for today. I'm now picking up two food orders. I also hope to take in the new Toronto sign that was recently installed.

After that, I may visit either a cafe that is offering a free beverage or visit my old neighbourhood where I grew up to reminisce.

Downtown today or Saturday?

I'm debating whether to drive down to downtown Toronto to check out a takeout deal and the new Toronto sign after work today. I have a feeling that it won't be that busy and that I can take advantage of taking photos of this sign. 

On the other hand, I could do this trip on the weekend. Both the food deal and the sign will be there. The downside is that there will be more people.

At least I have options! I tend to go out on Wednesdays to get groceries. I'd be going to a different grocery store, which is cool.

Kyle Lowry delivers quite the post-game slap

The Toronto Raptors are in round one of the playoffs. The team is doing well so far.

After game 2, Kyle Lowry was so pumped that, while heading to the change room, he gave quite the butt slap to a lucky staff member.

Ah, how I'd love to be on that receiving end!

Hockey games late at night

I am watching a late night hockey game. Here's hoping that the Minnesota Wild win it. If the team loses this game, its playoff run is over.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are still alive. Yay!

Last night, the Winnipeg Jets ended its playoff hopes. Sad.

I am so happy that the weekend is here. It makes staying up late to watch hockey games more enjoyable. I can also sleep in!

It's Friday at long last and a fix to creating new Blogger tags

 It's Friday. I have one more workday to go. I am relieved.

We've got a bit of a break from the heatwave. It's nice to give the air conditioning some rest.

I have a few errands to run on Saturday. I'll be heading down to Toronto for a bit. I hope to hit my old neighbourhood when I have a chance.

Hey, I can finally create new Blogger tags with the new interface while writing a new post. Hooray for logical usability! I disliked publishing my post and then adding a new tag from the Posts section. Creating each new tag from there was a pain.

Reopening Toronto and Peel region, and planning what to do

On Wednesday, Toronto and Peel regions go into phase 2 of reopening businesses. The former is my hometown. The latter is where I work.

I am excited that restaurant patios are opening up. I'd like to visit one and see how it goes. I hope to try it out next week. 

When I'm on vacation next week, I want to get my hair cut. It's time. I haven't had my hair cut in six months, which is normal for me. I cut my bangs almost monthly.

As far as my panic attacks go, I figure that my not being involved in leading a software release caused it. It's weird. I am thankful that I wasn't in charge of it, as it has not gone smoothly.

My panic attack symptoms are mild now. I have a feeling that once I am on vacation, they will be gone.

Four more workdays to go. Yay!

Blogger's user interface continues to change - part 2, cocktails, and tea

Okay, I have logged on and the editor looks completely minimalistic. It's weird. It'll take getting used to.

When I say weird, I mean that my left margin is right up against the left side of the browser window. Talk about using the entire browser window!

Later on today, I'm heading into Toronto to pick up some cocktail supplies for a virtual meeting. It's weird that I'm cutting out of working from home for a bit. The place is open between 2 and 4 pm. Sure, it's a limited period to be open. I'm glad that I have some flexibility in my schedule. I typically have lunch at 2 pm. I have already worked and additional 1.5 hours to make up for this time.

Decluttering continues. I spent some time organizing my tea. I had a couple of empty boxes. I'm not sure why I kept them. 

I also have the most amazing pancake tea. It smells like breakfast, especially the maple syrup. I can't wait to have it again.

Sick day, Raptors parade, crying, and loan

I decided to take a sick day on Monday. I am still getting rid of a cold and a mild cough. I also needed time for myself. Call it a healing day.

I went out to a movie and saw John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. I have seen every John Wick movie. This one was okay. It wasn't my favourite. If you like tons of sword-slaying and gun-shooting action, this movie is for you.

Monday was also the Toronto Raptors parade. I decided not to partake, as I would be miserable all congested with a bunch of people for hours. I watched the entire parade and other coverage on TV. I cried. It was tears of joy and pride. I also felt good that I could let out a good cry. I haven't been able to since my guy broke up with me.

One final milestone on Monday was that I paid off my loan that I have had for years. My loan account no longer exists when I log in to my bank app. I am proud of myself for paying it off. I have more flexibility to allocate what I used to pay towards my loan to paying off other debt. I also want to save again and bulk up my emergency fund.

Raptors win! Raptors are the NBA 2019 champions!

Oh, my gosh! The Raptors did it! They won and are the champions in the NBA for 2019!

Yay! We the north.

Raptors advance to the finals!

The Toronto Raptors did it! The team is heading to the NBA finals for the first time!

It was an intense, stressful game. The Raptors came from behind and won the game 100 - 94 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Game six in the 6ix. Finals, here we come! We the North!

New year with a new venture

I recently posted a photo of the Toronto skyline that I took this past summer on my other social site. Several friends pointed out how great the photo was, which I appreciated.

One friend, in particular, suggested that I sell the photo to the city. One thing led to another. I have started my own Etsy site. The idea is to earn a bit of money for photos that I have taken.

Anyone who knows me will understand that I am not the entrepreneurial type. If I were, I would be rich and would have quit my regular job by now. Rather, I like sharing my photos for folks to view. If they want to buy them, that's fine. Otherwise, this gig is more to figure out how much interest there is out there to buy pretty photos.

I don't know how lucrative this venture will be. Frankly, it's more of a hobby for me. Still, it's exciting to do something different and set this photo site up. It's a new learning experience. We'll see where this path takes me.

Avocado sock and a spanking certification for being like Cheap Bastard

I was talking to my guy about the Toronto Christmas Market. I went there a couple of weekends ago with friends.

"Did you find anything interesting?" he asked me.
"There were some unusual items. I found a single sock for your avocado," I said.
"What do you do with this sock?" he asked curiously.
"It keeps your avocado safe while ripening it," I replied.
"Wow," he said.
"I can't make this stuff up. It's all yours for a whopping $20. I sounded like you. I was outraged. I can get a pair of socks at the dollar store for much less," I admitted.
"Yes, you could get it for a dollar. You're becoming me. You are CB-certified," he replied.
"Thanks. That's a high compliment to be certified by you," I replied.
"I'll certify you when I spank that butt of yours and leave a red mark or so," he replied.
"You haven't spanked me for a while. It's long overdue," I noted.
"It is. When I see you again, I want to spank you for being my bad girl," he said.
"You'll need to rectify it soon," I replied.
"You mean erectify," he said, being punny.
"You mean you can erectify the situation. It's all you! I love it. It's clever and funny," I commented.
"That's a first. I didn't have to force you to admit that it was both clever and funny," he pointed out.

I like his certification style.

Toronto Christmas Market and texting smileys

On Saturday, I visited the Toronto Christmas Market for the first time with a couple of friends. We had a great time hanging out.

It's pretty expensive buying stuff there. Still, if you go for the experience, you're good.

My guy called me in the afternoon. I had missed his call. It was so noisy at this market that I didn't even hear my phone ring or vibrate. He left me a smiley text, which always means that he's good. I sent him a smiley back that blew him a kiss.

Here's hoping that we chat soon.

Where are you from?

A few weeks ago, I had dinner with a number of academics. Most folks at my table had doctorate degrees. I was one of two who did not.

My guy has always said that I can hold my own ground no matter whom I'm with. All because you have earned a doctorate degree does not necessarily mean that that you the brightest person on the planet.

I was sitting next to a woman who possessed a doctorate degree at the table. I knew most of the people, except for this woman and my friend's husband. Many of them flew into Toronto from the States for a conference.

The American woman tried to strike up a conversation with me.

"So, where are you from?" she asked me.
"Toronto. I'm born and raised here," I said.

And so, the conversation stopped there.

My guess is that, to her, I do not seem like a typical Canadian. However, as Canada is incredibly multicultural, it's not odd that I can say that I was born and raised in Toronto.

If she had asked about my heritage, I would have said that I'm Chinese. The question was never posed that way.

Perhaps she was expecting me to say that I am Chinese-Canadian. I could have. That's more common to hear stateside. I'm Canadian. I happen to also be Chinese.

Her question has stuck with me ever since. I liked my answer. I still do.