The lack of washer does suck. But, we did find a laundromat around the corner the serves snacks! How exciting to find a place where you can wash your stuff and get ice cream. The bar next door to this fantastic laundry place was also a great source of entertainment. It was like watching a live version of the Trailer Park Boys.
Monthly Archive for August, 2006
In our 3 month old condo we have brand spankin’ new Samsung laundry appliances! (P801DWN & DV4006JW1) Sadly last weekend when we attempted to start a load of laundry, the washer wouldn’t cooperate. At all. I called Samsung and their automated voice mail system connected me to TransGlobe service who were, of course, closed on the weekend. What kind of home appliance service center is closed on the weekend? When do most people use their home appliances? Wouldn’t it make sense to be open evenings and weekends?
Anywho… to make a long story short, they sent out a repair technician on Monday; he was unable to fix it. Said, “the relay is shot. We need to order a new one. Someone will call within 48 hours to let you know when we can come and replace it.”
Well 48 hours came and went without a call so I called them. After 10 minutes on hold, I reached Amber who said that she would look into it and call me back as soon as she called her service desk.
Two days later and still no call back. Finally on Friday we received an automated message saying that the part is ordered and it anticipated to arrive on September 5!!! Two weeks to get a part for a brand new appliance. Come on!! Just swap out my washer for a new one and repair the defective one on your own time. Keep the customer happy.
Apparently that isn’t in Samsung or TransGlobe’s handbook.
Tonight we are heading to The Drake Hotel to celebrate Anna’s end of classes and Danno’s new job. I’ve never been to The Drake, but apparently I should really enjoy it. I’ve been to The Drake, before it was The Drake when it was known as The Stardust Lounge, but I don’t think that the two can compare.
I’ve also never met Anna… which makes tonight doubly interesting. For me, at least. Josh is also planning on coming out, but he’ll probably pass as there is a Blue Bomber’s game on TV.
This is going to be a real test for Leah and I; to see if we can stay up past 11pm. Last night we were out at 9:30! And I mean out cold… I think I fell asleep before my head compressed the pillow.
Last night we were channel surfing and caught the tale end of Lisa Loeb’s “reality” show on TLC. It was at this point that I said to Leah, “She looks super familiar; way more than I remember.”
After anout 10 minutes of watching the show, it hit me! She looks like Leah. I shared this revelation with Leah and she said that it was just because of the glasses… I disagree, and after a little fun with PhotoShop, I present Exhibit A:
Tonight we saw Little Miss Sunshine. The first 40 minutes were entertaining, but somewhat slow… and I couldn’t really figure out where the movie was going. But then the horn was honked, and the movie really took off. A few unexpected twists, an odd and really funny ending, and a great cast made for an enjoyable evening at the theatre!
We also saw previews for three movies that definitely looked like ones we’ll be seeing in the theatre! Man Of The Year, starring Robin Williams – the tale of a talk show comedian like Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart who decides to run for President and wins…
Dreamland is a “woozily romantic” trailer-park romantic tale… starring the guy who plays the Mac computer in the “I’m a Mac. I’m a PC.” commercials.The third flick we saw a preview for was Babel starring a scruffy Bradley Pitt and the chick from Titanic Lord Of The Rings (google says that she played Galadriel but I don’t remember her. Leah says she was one of the elves. I don’t remember elves in LOTR. Leah is much more of a geek than I will ever be.) It looked interesting in the preview, but I imagine that my interest will wane as it gets closer to the release date.
PS: The Pirates of the Caribbean combo comes with more than enough pop and popcorn for two people.
Yesterday we went to the Elora Conservation Area to go tubing in the gorge. The impetus for this adventure was the celebration of Greg’s 30th Birthday. (Greg is one of Leah’s friends from grade nine math!)
A few years back, possibly as many as five, was the last time this bunch went tubing, and for one of them it was not a fun event. (Leah got dunked at the first batch of rapids and was extricated from the gorge by the park rangers…)
This time ’round there was a much different result; Leah and I both successfully navigated the river – twice! She stayed upright the entire time, while I got dunked and tossed in the first set of rapids. My focus was so intent on making sure that she made it through that I forgot to take care of myself.
Our plan was to meet up with Greg and friends but without the use of cell phones – they don’t like getting wet – it was a bit challenging. We eventually found them, or they found us, and we had lunch together. They had already completed two passes down the river and were ready to pack it in. Leah and I decided to take one more run.
The second time through seemed much shorter than the first – but judging by the rash on my arms and the burn on my shoulders – it wasn’t.
After we finished our second run, we packed up and headed into town to grab a bite to eat. Elora is a beautiful small town with an incredible waterfall/rapids combo right at it’s heart. Overlooking the falls is the Elora Mill Inn which I think we’ll be visiting on an upcoming weekend for a little R&R.
After many years of searching, Leah finally found her Tinkerbell Mug! I’m starting to get a little concerned that our condo is going to become Never Never Land as we’ve got one Tinkerbell Hallmark ornament, another is on its way, and now this mug.
PS: If you’ve got a mug like this, let me know as we’re interested in getting another one… just in case!
Today Leah and I headed to Niagara-On-The-Lake to visit a few wineries. We started at Reif Estates and took in a quick winery tour and some sampling. The samples were so good that we picked up two bottles (2004 Gamay Noir & 2004 Vidal Icewine). We could’ve spent a lot more time (and money) at Reif, but the hunger bug was taking over so we made our way into town for lunch.
This was my first time in Niagara-On-The-Lake and it was much nicer (and touristy) than I had imagined. After lucking into a parking spot – they seem to be a real rare commodity in town – we settled on the Old Town Restaurant for lunch. Compared to the street outside, the restaurant was busy but not packed.
After lunch we wandered the main strip, grabbed a cone at Cow’s, stopped in at a Christmas store and watched the throngs of people enjoying the beautiful day.
As we headed for home, we stopped in at Konzelmann’s and picked up a really good tasting 2005 Riesling. The winery is under construction so there wasn’t much to see; but the staff were friendly, and the wine was good.
Our final stop for the afternoon was Stonechurch Vineyards. The atmosphere was great, and the setting was very relaxed. I almost wish that we had started our day there as they had a barbeque fired up and were serving burgers. We tasted six wines and left with two: a 2005 Sunburst (Pinot Grigio~Shiraz) and a 2003 Riesling. Although it tasted great, the description for the Sunburst is what really sold it for us. “Pair with a light salad or an afternoon on a patio.”
I think that our first, but not our last, trip to Niagara was a success. Our next wine adventure is going to be to Prince Edward County; anyone want to come along?