We had an involuntary furlough day from work today. It was supposed to be doing things that we LIKE.

We were at the doctor’s for most of the day. My arms, yes plural, were stabbed four times before they were able to squeeze two vials out. One side has turn black and blue as we speak. The other side is just holey. Since they were short-handed, we have to return tomorrow to get our EKG done.

Had batten ramen for lunch at 2:45. By the time we got home, it was time to meet my sisters for dinner in the city.

We took the bus before 5. Finally reached Chinatown before 6. We went straight to buying groceries first. First stop – we bought fuji apples the size of two baseballs melded together.  Then we stopped at the tofu shop. I tried to get the auntie’s attention to sell me a pound of bean sprouts.

“Auntie, mm koi, yat pong ngaa choy.”

I must have said that five times and yet, nothing. The “auntie” helped everyone around me except me. Must be my invisible cloak that I have on today.

Then cheh stepped in.  Nothing.  Hubs had to ask too. Nothing. Finally, I gave it one more try, before I got my pound of sprouts for $1. By that time, we added a tumbler of tau fu fa too.

Just as we walked towards Nyonya, a Malaysian restaurant, we saw a bakery that was selling mooncake and mooncake biscuits, which we call, chuu chai – little pigs. I got one big chuu chai (for hubs and I) and two smaller ones (one for each sister), in the shape of a fish and buddha. I tried to pay, but once again, it seems like I am invisible. I tried all the “excuse mes” in Chinese.  Nothing.

Then, rather haughtily, I said, “Excuse me,” in English. That got their attention.

Cheh will be off to Vancouver tomorrow morning so we had our family dinner for Mooncake Festival (aka Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节) tonight instead.

We ordered oyster omelet, kangkung sambal belacan, stingray in lotus leaf topped with sambal belacan (again) and tofu casserole. YUM!

After dinner, we went hunting for more chuu chais because my younger sister wanted to buy some herself. We stopped at the same bakery. While the three of us fussed over what we were getting, hubs waited outside the store. When he finally came in, my younger sister got herself a bun and chuu chai, cheh got about 6 buns, and I got a mango bubble tea. Hubs found a $20 bill.

A few days earlier, while walking Jessie in the morning, I found a dollar.  I thought it was my lucky day.  Hubs wins.

To celebrate our “good fortune” for the week, we purchased $2 worth of lottery, drawing for $105 million tonight.  A little luck or an invisible cloak goes a long way.

As of this morning, the lottery pot has gone up to $122 million.