Just before Jeremy's soccer game, I noticed that the lights in the house were doing 'unusual' things like dimming, flickering and all sorts of good things. Oh oh.
Tried some other switches and the same thing. Hmmmm.
Went downstairs and no breakers were tripped. Aye carumba.
I decided that I had to stay home and do something (rant, rave, worry, cry, laugh and anything else that made me look like an idiot). I told Jeremy to get out of his soccer uniform. He wasn't too impressed but rolled along.
The boys were getting anxious, so Bev took them outside. I called Tina to let her know what was going on. She was busy with her works Annual General Meeting. She called Pam & Chris to see if Chris (an electrician by training) could figure out the problem.
Tina came home and shortly after, Chris and Pam showed up. Chris checked the panel and discovered that one of the two phases into our house was dead. That explains why the lights were flickering. I thanked Chris and Pam for stopping by and immediately called the after hours line at Enwin Utilities.
About 30 or so minutes later, Enwin appeared. He took off the meter and told me the good news - the problem was with their line. His plan was to connect a temporary cable between the meter on my house and the meter on the house next door. A few minutes later another Enwin employee stopped by with the cable. It wasn't a complicated procedure and would take all of five minutes to complete.
Well, five minutes took three hours. Seems the neighbour next door wasn't buying any of it. Her husband was not home and there was a language barrier. The Enwin employee identified himself and even had the lady call dispatch. No go. Time to get the on-call supervisor out here.
About 30 or so minutes later, Val comes by and speaks with the neighbour. The answer remained a resounding "NO" and this time she called the police. Fun.
The Enwin employees and supervisor thought of alternatives. About two hours, I told the supervisor, I could wait until the morning for a new cable to be installed - I had partial power to the house (including the fridge) and it wasn't hot or humid (it got cold and windy). The supervisor thanked me for my patience and left.
As the other two Enwin guys were about to leave, the police showed up. They chatted and the police relayed the neighbours concerns to us. In the name of neighbourhood peace, I said I had no problem with waiting till the next day for a fix. So the police talked to the neighbour again and this time she capitulated.
Enwin guys looked at me and I said "I'm not going to turn down full power". So they got the equipment about 10 minutes later were done and we had full power.
My thanks for the Val and the afternoon emergency guys for their patience.
Now I just have to wait for the yard to be dug up. Exciting times.
Posted by Adam
P.S. A huge "THANK YOU" to Tina. You are awesome.
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Monday, 1 June 2009
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
The Strike Through the Eyes of a 10-Year Old
On the way back from soccer practise, Corbin asked when will he be attending karate classes again.
"Not until the strike is over" I responded.
"Oh, Sensei is on strike' Corbin said.
"No, the Community Centres are closed during the strike" I replied.
Well that made Corbin mad. "I'm gonna call the president" Corbin stated.
"The president of what" I asked.
"The President of America" Corbin retorted.
"That is different country" I said.
"Well, then I'm going to call 911" Corbin shot back.
"You mean 311" I asked. "Ya, 311" Corbin confirmed.
"Well they are on strike too. Some people are working there, but not as many as usual" I explained.
"What the? Then I'll go 311. I used the equipment on the school trip. I sat in a chair and used the headset." Corbin fired back.
That sums up Corbin's view of the strike.
Posted by Adam
"Not until the strike is over" I responded.
"Oh, Sensei is on strike' Corbin said.
"No, the Community Centres are closed during the strike" I replied.
Well that made Corbin mad. "I'm gonna call the president" Corbin stated.
"The president of what" I asked.
"The President of America" Corbin retorted.
"That is different country" I said.
"Well, then I'm going to call 911" Corbin shot back.
"You mean 311" I asked. "Ya, 311" Corbin confirmed.
"Well they are on strike too. Some people are working there, but not as many as usual" I explained.
"What the? Then I'll go 311. I used the equipment on the school trip. I sat in a chair and used the headset." Corbin fired back.
That sums up Corbin's view of the strike.
Posted by Adam
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Disney Revisited
It's been just over a week since the Disney World trip. What an amazing vacation.
It was the first time that we have flown together as a family. Our previous vacations were all road trips. It was nice not having to worry about finding a gas station or place to eat or driving for 6 or so hours. Airport security was not as bad as I originally anticipated - I still think it is a farce, nothing more than security theatre - but that was only because the lines were not too long.
The best resource if this will be your first trip to Disney or if you have no been a long time is to buy a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It is an amazing source of information providing all sorts of details including positive and negative feedback from visitors on every thing Disney World.
Though we did not use them in the end, the touring plans will save valuable time on busier days. The information in the book we found most useful was the description of all the sit down restaurants, the rides and the shows.
Also coming in handy via the website TouringPlans.com (purchasing the book gives you free access to all of the website for a year) was a crowd level guide and which parks you should visit and which parks you should avoid. Helps you plan which park to attend on which day to improve your experience.
Initially we began planning our trip using the vacation planner at the Walt Disney World website, but the number of options and so forth made it difficult to plan it. I finally went to our local CAA (AAA) office and went over the trip. I booked it.
Advantages of booking through CAA? You get all documentation and items in one package. Also, the travel agent will check to see if there are any better deals on your hotel portion. We got a package that was about $100 cheaper than originally planned PLUS a $200 gift card to use at the park. We booked our restaurants through CAA - a time and money saver since there is no toll-free number for Disney Dining (though it is my understanding that the restaurant reservation system should be online in the near future, if not already)
Disney Magical Express - the bus that takes you between the Disney World and Orlando International Airport - comes highly recommended. Don't let the long line at DME check in scare you. It moves along at a good pace. That said, this would be a good time for the rest of your party to visit the washroom, grab a snack or drink, or to change into more appropriate clothes. It was nice not to have to worry about lugging your luggage and storing it at hotel if you arrive before 4:00 PM.
The parking situation at Disney is not well documented nor well explained. When you check in at a Disney resort, you are given a parking pass. This is your ticket to free parking throughout Walt Disney World. What they don't explain is how to use it when visiting the hotels - you usually need your Park Pass and sometimes a picture ID. At some resorts you can swipe your card for automated access.
We used our AAA/CAA Diamond Parking pass whenever possible. No problem using the pass at Magic Kingdom. Diamond parking was not available at Epcot during our stay and we never drove to Hollywood Studios (choosing the boats instead). We did encounter a problem at Animal Kingdom in that the Cast Member did not believe our passes were real. I told her that was a problem between Disney and AAA/CAA.
The Disney Dining Plan seemed to work out, especially at lunch. We had absolutely no problems using the plan - most Cast Members were helpful in maximizing the value of the plan. Because it wasn't hot during our stay, we found that we didn't drink or snack as much during our visits to the park. So we used the snack credits to get a bunch of fruit and baked goods to use as our breakfast. We did bring bagels, instant oatmeal and a few other pre-packaged foods with us to cut down on breakfast costs.
The Boardwalk Villas are fully equipped. Dishwasher. Stove. Microwave. Washer. Dryer. Utensils, cookware and dishes. You could cook a meal if you wanted to. Best part? Housekeeping would wash everything for you. We always had two single load boxes of detergent. Having the washer and dryer was a god send. We were able to pack half the clothes, freeing up room for souvenirs on the trip back home.
We didn't see every single attraction or spent the entire day at every park. The longest day was at Magic Kingdom - where we did the majority of attractions. The shortest day was at Animal Kingdom - where we visited a single area. We didn't get a chance to checkout World Showcase at Epcot. But that was a good thing. It gives us the opportunity to check out 'new' attractions the next time we visit. And there will be a next time.
Posted by Adam
It was the first time that we have flown together as a family. Our previous vacations were all road trips. It was nice not having to worry about finding a gas station or place to eat or driving for 6 or so hours. Airport security was not as bad as I originally anticipated - I still think it is a farce, nothing more than security theatre - but that was only because the lines were not too long.
The best resource if this will be your first trip to Disney or if you have no been a long time is to buy a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It is an amazing source of information providing all sorts of details including positive and negative feedback from visitors on every thing Disney World.
Though we did not use them in the end, the touring plans will save valuable time on busier days. The information in the book we found most useful was the description of all the sit down restaurants, the rides and the shows.
Also coming in handy via the website TouringPlans.com (purchasing the book gives you free access to all of the website for a year) was a crowd level guide and which parks you should visit and which parks you should avoid. Helps you plan which park to attend on which day to improve your experience.
Initially we began planning our trip using the vacation planner at the Walt Disney World website, but the number of options and so forth made it difficult to plan it. I finally went to our local CAA (AAA) office and went over the trip. I booked it.
Advantages of booking through CAA? You get all documentation and items in one package. Also, the travel agent will check to see if there are any better deals on your hotel portion. We got a package that was about $100 cheaper than originally planned PLUS a $200 gift card to use at the park. We booked our restaurants through CAA - a time and money saver since there is no toll-free number for Disney Dining (though it is my understanding that the restaurant reservation system should be online in the near future, if not already)
Disney Magical Express - the bus that takes you between the Disney World and Orlando International Airport - comes highly recommended. Don't let the long line at DME check in scare you. It moves along at a good pace. That said, this would be a good time for the rest of your party to visit the washroom, grab a snack or drink, or to change into more appropriate clothes. It was nice not to have to worry about lugging your luggage and storing it at hotel if you arrive before 4:00 PM.
The parking situation at Disney is not well documented nor well explained. When you check in at a Disney resort, you are given a parking pass. This is your ticket to free parking throughout Walt Disney World. What they don't explain is how to use it when visiting the hotels - you usually need your Park Pass and sometimes a picture ID. At some resorts you can swipe your card for automated access.
We used our AAA/CAA Diamond Parking pass whenever possible. No problem using the pass at Magic Kingdom. Diamond parking was not available at Epcot during our stay and we never drove to Hollywood Studios (choosing the boats instead). We did encounter a problem at Animal Kingdom in that the Cast Member did not believe our passes were real. I told her that was a problem between Disney and AAA/CAA.
The Disney Dining Plan seemed to work out, especially at lunch. We had absolutely no problems using the plan - most Cast Members were helpful in maximizing the value of the plan. Because it wasn't hot during our stay, we found that we didn't drink or snack as much during our visits to the park. So we used the snack credits to get a bunch of fruit and baked goods to use as our breakfast. We did bring bagels, instant oatmeal and a few other pre-packaged foods with us to cut down on breakfast costs.
The Boardwalk Villas are fully equipped. Dishwasher. Stove. Microwave. Washer. Dryer. Utensils, cookware and dishes. You could cook a meal if you wanted to. Best part? Housekeeping would wash everything for you. We always had two single load boxes of detergent. Having the washer and dryer was a god send. We were able to pack half the clothes, freeing up room for souvenirs on the trip back home.
We didn't see every single attraction or spent the entire day at every park. The longest day was at Magic Kingdom - where we did the majority of attractions. The shortest day was at Animal Kingdom - where we visited a single area. We didn't get a chance to checkout World Showcase at Epcot. But that was a good thing. It gives us the opportunity to check out 'new' attractions the next time we visit. And there will be a next time.
Posted by Adam
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Battlestar Galactica - "Faith"
Is there any doubt that Felix Gaeta is the final Cylon?
Remember what the 'old' hybrid said in Battlestar Galactica: Razor?
And the fifth, though still in the shadow yet clawing for the light, hungry for redemption, that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.
If there is any character that has been more in the shadow, it is Gaeta? Hungry for redemption? People still mistrust Gaeta for his role in the Cylon-back government on New Caprica. And terrible suffering? Well, getting shot in the leg by Anders and possible losing your leg, sounds like suffering to me.
Okay. It's just a theory, but I'm betting on Gaeta.
Posted by Adam
Remember what the 'old' hybrid said in Battlestar Galactica: Razor?
And the fifth, though still in the shadow yet clawing for the light, hungry for redemption, that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.
If there is any character that has been more in the shadow, it is Gaeta? Hungry for redemption? People still mistrust Gaeta for his role in the Cylon-back government on New Caprica. And terrible suffering? Well, getting shot in the leg by Anders and possible losing your leg, sounds like suffering to me.
Okay. It's just a theory, but I'm betting on Gaeta.
Posted by Adam
Sunday, 6 April 2008
The Sound Of Silence
Tina took the boys and her mom up to Goderich so that Bev could spend some time with Gerry before coming back to Goderich. That meant I had the house to myself. That meant I could sleep in without being woken up by a 4-year old wanting to be fed.
I slept in until 8:30 am. I know it doesn't sound like sleeping in, but trust me, that is at least 90 more minutes of sleep I get on your typical day.
I took my time getting to breakfast. I cut up some bacon and fried the pieces up. Next was 5 or 6 farm fresh eggs, scrambled. I put the bacon in and voila, scrambled eggs with bacon. It was heaven.
The rest of the weekend I did some chores. I cut all the dead perennials and cleaned up the leaves from the flowerbeds. I vacuumed the upstairs. I cleaned the bathroom. I watched TV. I browsed the internet.
Most importantly, the house was quiet and peaceful. Good times.
Posted by Adam
I slept in until 8:30 am. I know it doesn't sound like sleeping in, but trust me, that is at least 90 more minutes of sleep I get on your typical day.
I took my time getting to breakfast. I cut up some bacon and fried the pieces up. Next was 5 or 6 farm fresh eggs, scrambled. I put the bacon in and voila, scrambled eggs with bacon. It was heaven.
The rest of the weekend I did some chores. I cut all the dead perennials and cleaned up the leaves from the flowerbeds. I vacuumed the upstairs. I cleaned the bathroom. I watched TV. I browsed the internet.
Most importantly, the house was quiet and peaceful. Good times.
Posted by Adam
Monday, 18 February 2008
Family Day
I'm not sure how Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal party thought that a new statutory holiday in February was a good idea.
I love my kids, but I like Remembrance Day - kids at school, Tina and I not at work. You do the math.
We didn't have anything planned. And we didn't do much. Next year we may get away, but who knows.
Posted by Adam
I love my kids, but I like Remembrance Day - kids at school, Tina and I not at work. You do the math.
We didn't have anything planned. And we didn't do much. Next year we may get away, but who knows.
Posted by Adam
Sunday, 13 March 2005
March Break
It is obvious that March Break was invented by the travel industry. Who else would come up with the bright idea of taking a week off with your kids? Don't get us wrong, we love our son, but this concept of planning a weeks worth of activities is crazy. During a typical school week, most kids spend around 7 hours at school. That is 7 hours of structured activities (aka contained mayhem). Kids may hate it, but parents love it.
With March Break, the ball is in the parent's court. We have to plan activities, which in some cases involves a vacation to some sunny spot such as Disney World, but that involves packing, traveling, eating out, and all sorts of other stresses.
Sure, as parents, we have the ability to not make plans, to go with the flow, but that lasts about, oh, two or three hours. On paper March Break looks good, but in reality it can be a much different experience.
With March Break, the ball is in the parent's court. We have to plan activities, which in some cases involves a vacation to some sunny spot such as Disney World, but that involves packing, traveling, eating out, and all sorts of other stresses.
Sure, as parents, we have the ability to not make plans, to go with the flow, but that lasts about, oh, two or three hours. On paper March Break looks good, but in reality it can be a much different experience.
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