When a community stops being a community

There are so many times when people say that they want to be part of a community, but they aren’t willing to even pay a few dollars a month to be part of that community. I understand that every community is going to be different. I believe to a couple of communities online and the biggest value I get from these communities is feeling like I belong and are part of a group of people that share a common bond.

What bothers me is when a community goes from members only chat to subscriber chat and anyone can post questions/comments, and they can sometimes be frustrating. I know that we all try and help answer the questions and something the moderator needs to understand is that we will answer questions in a general way to let the person know that we know the answer will be coming up shortly.  What goes get frustrating is when we see a comment from a moderator saying, “Don’t answer questions in the chat”. Why can’t a member answer a question in a general way because that will help keep the community as a community. When you say that you are the only one that should be answering questions it shows that the community is breaking down and that is a major concern. If I am paying to be part of the community, I should have the right to answer questions unless there is a general rule posted that states “As a member you are not allowed to answer questions in the chat.” If this happens, I know I would leave that community because that is part of the joy that being part of the community gives me.

If a moderator is going to post such comments as, “Don’t answer questions in the community” they need to keep those comments available and not delete them later on because that doesn’t help either because members see what is going on and they are going to think about where their dollar is going. Saying something and then deleting what you have said doesn’t build a community, it starts to destroy a community.

As a community we cannot compare one stream with another stream because all of them are different, and they provide a different level of quality and service and value to the community they are serving. I know that I have put my money into a community that I enjoy being part of because of how things are monitored and controlled. The community might not have an open chat but that is part of what I enjoy.

An online community is built between the trust between the members of the community and the moderator. If the moderator starts to destroy the trust that is going to mean that the community is likely to fail moving forward.  It doesn’t matter who we all are but we need to ensure that we are their for either other and a community is such a key part of any who is involved in the chat.

Social Media

 How many times have you heard someone say I am taking a break from social media, and the break lasts them maybe a day if that. Social media, be it Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or any other social media apps are a continual stream of posts.

I know for me I have set myself limits of the amount of time I will be on the social media apps because otherwise it can take over your entire life. There are people that have to constantly be checking their social media accounts because they might miss a post by a friend. My attitude is if I miss the post I wasn’t meant to see it. I know that I have missed quite a few posts from family and friends, but I have had to accept that. I have always told both family and friends that if there is something that I need to know they can either message me or send me an email and that way I will see it.

Another thing that can happen with social media is through the various messaging methods people will think that you are always available to chat no matter what time of day or night it is. This can be a challenge especially if there are time zones involved because your good time to chat might not work for them and vice versa. The best way to use the messaging methods is to write that message but know that it could take a while before you get a reply and don’t get upset if it takes a while.

Social media is a great way to stay in touch with people, but you must understand that not everyone is going to use each social media platform the same way that you do. I know that when it comes to Facebook, I know that there are quite a few people that aren’t on much at all and then there are people who live it in and post multiple times a day. I think this applies to all the various social media platforms because some people want to be seen doing things while others just want to manage their life their own way.

The one thing that you have to understand about any social media platform is it doesn’t work for everyone and if you like one platform more than another.  That is fine, but I might not use that platform at all, so I won’t see your posts and you must accept that.

 

 

What makes me happy

I have been thinking about what makes me happy and I can honestly say it depends on the day. For me a lot of the things are very simple, and I guess I could say obvious but now to try and write some of them down.

Spending time with family – being able to spend time with my husband and my sister and her family makes me happy. It is nice when my husband and I can just do-little simple things like going for a drive in the country just to escape the routine of everyday. Even sitting after dinner and just chatting about nothing in general is also what makes me happy.

Sitting on a patio – when the weather is nice, I enjoy being able to sit on a patio and either people watch or watch airplanes if the patio is near an airport. Being able to just enjoy the warm weather while sitting outside is so nice and something we try and do. I love watching airplanes so being able to watch them land or take off is a nice thing for me to do. The patio doesn’t have to be near an airport for me to be happy because there have been times we have just decided to go out and have a coffee and sit on a patio and that has been nice.

Crafting – my crafting makes me happy because I can lose myself in doing something that I enjoy doing. I can do this alone or sitting with others, but my crafting is a means for me to escape and recharge my personal battery. I do enjoy seeing things finished but I enjoy just working on the various projects and when they are close to being done, I am trying to figure out what the next project will be. My happiest place is the actual working on the projects and seeing a finish is secondary to the progress.

Writing – yes this might sound a little different but yes, my writing makes me happy when I can see that I have achieved something, be it a blog, a story or just some fun notes. My writing is what brings me joy a lot of the time.

There are so many little things that make me happy and I know that it depends on each person what makes them happy. For some people it is being among a group of friends and spending time with them and other’s it is just spending time at home and relaxing. It doesn’t matter what you do to make you happy if you realize that some of the simple things may be part of what makes you happy as well.

Parcel delivery in an apartment building

Getting parcels delivered in an apartment building can be a challenge especially from businesses that do not use the local postal system. In our building we get our mail delivered to our unit and parcels are given to us if we are home as the postal worker knocks on the door. If we aren’t home, we have a postal box in our lobby and a key is left and we can go downstairs to collect the parcel. 

When it comes to some other businesses that delivery is done so differently. Normally the parcel is simply dropped off at your door and it doesn’t matter if you are home or not. Now when it comes to apartment buildings at least in Toronto, there is an issue having parcels just dropped off at your door. See, it is against fire regulations to have anything outside an apartment unit.

So here are some suggestions that I have regarding delivery of those types of parcels:

• There needs to be a location within the building where these parcels can be dropped.
• If you are ordering from these businesses make sure that you are going to be home the day that the parcel is scheduled to be delivered so you can collect, it when it’s dropped off.
• Track the item if possible as that is one way to know that there is something sitting outside your door. This is a good idea even if you live in a house.
• If you cannot be home when the delivery is going to arrive have it send to another location, example the local postal station or to someone else who will be home.
• Tracking may not be real-time, and your parcel may have arrived before it shows it has been delivered (if possible, listen for something being dropped off).

I understand that not everyone can be home all the time but what is important is to try and know when a parcel is going to arrive and make the necessary arrangements do that a parcel is not left outside your door for too long.

Something that these businesses also need to do is at least knock on the door so that if someone is home, they can quickly collect the item. The simple knock will help quite a bit otherwise unless you keep checking the door you won’t know the parcel has arrived. Another thing that type of business need to improve on is the picture they take when they drop the parcel off. Make sure that the unit number of street number shows in the picture because too often you have no idea where that parcel has been delivered.

So, if you are getting parcels delivered try your best to be around to collect your parcel from outside your door to ensure that it’s not sitting there for too long, so that someone else doesn’t walk off with it.

 

Being a Canadian Team in a mainly US dominate competition

Here we are sitting at 3 games to 2 games lead during a baseball competition that means that the winner will be names the World Series Champion. There have been times when I have been sitting here and thinking why are we considered the Canadian Team versus why we are just not another one of the teams competing for the World Series. It is so hard to be sitting and thinking that we are the only non-American team and why are we always referred to as the “Canadian Team”.

For someone that has been born and raised in Canada it can be extremely frustrating when we heard that baseball was founded in the US and no other team should be allowed to win the world series (I was told this by someone that I know). If the “World Series” was only allowed to be won by an American Team, it should be names the “United Stated Series” because that is entirely different than the “World Series”. We also must remember how many players are not American that are participating in the World Series because we have players both in Canada, United States and a lot of the other international countries so we have to respect that.

I have even heard people say that because baseball originated in the United States (it’s an American game), but I must correct the person because baseball evolved from the older bat-and-ball games already being played in England in the 18^th century. Baseball wasn’t founded in the United States it was imported into the United States, and we have to accept that.

This year we are seeing that the first NLB game was played in Japan, and the final game is going to be played in Canada. Sure, it might be the Los Angles Dodgers that was the team involved both of these games, but we have to respect that the first and final games were played outside of the United States, so the World Series is really a World Series this year.

I am not writing this after game 6 or 7 because I want to be totally neutral because right now we don’t know who is going to win the World Series, but I want to ensure that we are getting credit for being part of the final series of the season and yes we are a Canadian Team, and the only Canadian Team. We are going see what happens in the next couple of days and I am going to be happy to say that the Toronto Blue Jays, win or lose, have really shown we are as good as any American team.

I must say that I am extremely proud to say that I am cheering for the Canadian Team (the Toronto Blue Jays) and I would really welcome the World Series Title and Trophy back here in Canada after 32 years.

 

 

 

Sharing thoughts/idea

How often have we decided to share an idea or a thought with a colleague only to find out that they have run with the idea and now what you thought was your idea suddenly appears to be their idea. This can happen far too often, and we all need to understand that just making simple comments to a colleague can change who owns the idea.

So often in a work environment people are bouncing around the various thoughts and ideas as they are trying to figure out if it is a good idea or not, but little do they know that the sharing of an idea could result in an idea being “stolen” as used as someone else’s idea. There are a lot of times when someone has an idea, and they aren’t certain if it is a good idea or not, but they will start to talk to over to with colleagues and a colleague may shoot it down saying they don’t think it will work. Well, the idea is such a good idea that the colleague decided to take that idea and decided to suggest it to management. All a sudden your idea has become an idea from a colleague and management likes it, who really gets the great for the idea, well it is gong to be the person that when to management with it not the person that originally came up with the idea.

So often there are times where an idea might not seem that great of idea, but it is just the seed that starts others to do some thinking and your small idea because a bigger idea and you don’t get any credit for it because your colleague has taken it as their idea and moved it forward. When we have even a basic idea, we all need to ensure that we keep the thoughts to yourself until we can at least find a way to let a bunch of colleagues know the idea not just one person.

Sharing a thought or idea might seem like such a simple thing to do but we need to ensure that we aren’t giving away too much detail because that idea might suddenly become an idea of someone else. Yes, it is nice to be able to share thoughts and ideas with others, but you have to be careful the amount to detail your share because your idea might become their idea.

A collaborate team is so much better as now one know where the original idea comes and everyone is given create for the work. No one can say they were the main contributor to an idea.

 

Eating out with food allergies - one issue I have

Something that really bothers me when eating out is when I am charged 100% of the upgrade your side option when it isn’t my choice.

I understand that there is a cost for upgrading a side option but when I have already told you that I have a severe food allergy to an ingredient that can be in that item why can’t the cost of the upgrade be reduced by a bit. What I am talking about is when I go into a restaurant and they serve calamari which is considered shellfish, and I am severely allergic to shellfish (both types).

Shellfish allergy - There are two groups of shellfish: crustaceans (such as shrimp, prawns, crab and lobster) and mollusks/bivalves (such as clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, octopus, squid, abalone, snail). Allergy to crustaceans is more common than allergy to mollusks, with shrimp being the most common shellfish allergen for both children and adults.

One side that is available most often is French fries and they are quite often cooked in the same fryer as both the calamari and shrimp. This can cause a cross-contamination issue so it is something that I must be extremely careful of. It has been interesting talking to some servers, and I ask if the calamari is fried in the same oil as the French fries or chicken fingers. Some servers are aware and can answer that yesterday and others will go back to the kitchen to confirm. 

So, my challenge when the French fries are cooked in the same oil as the calamari is always the cross-contamination risk, so therefore I cannot have French fries and must select an upgrade as my side. The restaurants that I like are the ones that have a couple of options for a standard side (soup, French fries, salad) and then you pay an addition cost for other sides. If someone says they are allergic to something and it can be in the basic side option, it would be nice to have the cost of the upgraded side reduced a bit to let the customer know that restaurant understands the challenge.

I posted my comment "but..."

How often have been seen a post and after the first couple of words there has been the word “but”. When you start to make a post and then you add the word, “but” you might be telling a lot of people that what you originally said isn’t fact however what you are now saying might be facts. 

What you are communicating is for everyone is to ignore what you originally said as you have information that might make the original comment, null and void. When you are posting comments make sure you have the facts because when you add the word, “but” you have just told everyone to ignore what you just said because what you are saying now is more of the facts.

If you are trying to prove something as a fact do not post a comment and add the word “but” because what you have told everyone is to ignore what you said before the word “but”. That is going to make it rather difficult for anyone to believe what you are saying as you have just put part of your comment into questionable facts.

I understand that I should believe you, but I think you are not stating the facts.

This simple statement basically says that you are not stating the factors and all the words before the “but” are not worth anything. Being able to understand that when someone says the word, “but” they are basically telling you to ignore anything that they have said before the word “but”.

It is amazing how may people will have an entire conversation with you and then part way through it will add the word “but” and then you have to question whatever they said before that as fast. I love you “but” I don’t trust you. So why have you said “I love you” when you are saying I can’t trust you.

Adding the word but to any sentence can make a big difference to what you are you saying. Make sure that you are saying are the facts and do not use the word “but” because you are putting off of your comment into question.

“The bus went down the street where I thought it might go but it didn’t go where I thought I was going to go.” So therefore, what are you trying to say? You are probably trying to stay “the bus that I was on didn’t go on the route I thought it was supposed to go on.”

So when you are posting comment in groups, please make sure that you have facts and don’t add the word “but” to your comment otherwise people aren’t going to understand or trust anything you have said.

Customer service does matter

Recently we were in a hotel for a mini vacation and the breakfast experience left a lot to be desired. The hotel offers a buffet style breakfast each day of your stay. Of course, breakfast hours are different between weekday and weekend so you have to be aware of that. 

We went down for breakfast about an hour after breakfast started and found it busy but we have seen this same breakfast area busier than today and had a good experience. This time was so different as our first encounter was there was no coffee available and that quite a while for it to be refilled. We then headed to where to where the food was an that was even worse. Of course, there was a couple of ruby teams staying at the hotel so they were all down trying to get some food. Well by the time we could get to possibly have some food it looked like a tornado had gone through as there wasn't much left of anything at all. We were able to grab an egg patty each and I got a few hash browns and my husband got a few baked beans but that was it. There were not pork patties at all so that was a very frustrated situation.

We had a very small breakfast and finally after about 15 minutes they started to refill the eggs, hash browns and pork patties. This was after we figured we would make do with the small amount that we had and grab something later on in the day to make up for the lack of breakfast. We were not the only ones upset with the lack of food available as an option for breakfast. The breads and bagels had been wiped out along with any available fruit so the choices were extremely limited.

We did go and speak with a manager only to be told that what can we expect when everyone comes down at once. Her comment was “They are doing their best because everything needs to be microwaved". The staff should be monitoring the food levels to ensure that things don't run out when it is busy. We hadn't been anyone even checking the levels of the various food items so if that was their best I wouldn't want to see a bad day.

Customer service is very important especially in both hospitality and retail as customers are where the business can either win or lose. I hope that the next couple of days were going to be a better experience otherwise I know that I will be doing a review about my experience.

Edit: we spoke to the manager again the next day after the breakfast experience was much better and she let us know that the General Manager and herself (Operations Manager) went into the kitchen the previous day after we spoke to them and got things moving a bit better. She also recommended that they get an additional microwave. So, this shows that if there is an issue, it's important to make someone aware of it because if you don't say anything they won't know there is an issue.

Bucket List Items

I think all of us have things on our bucket list that we would like to either do or events we would like to see. One of my bucket list items was to see an Il Divo concert because that is a group that I have loved listening to, and it is something that I have been able to relax to and it makes me happy.

Well, we found out that Il Divo was going to be preforming at the Falls View Casino Resort in October 2025 and of course I needed to find out the pick of tickets and the cost of hotels. It didn’t take us very long to figure out that we could find a hotel in Niagara Falls as well as get some tickets for the concert so here is another item that I will be quickly checking off my bucket list.

It is so nice when you can see someone perform at the Falls View Casino Resort because it only seats 5,000 people so that isn’t a lot of people, and you do feel that you are close to the performers which is also a nice experience. One advantage of going to Niagara Falls to watch a performance is you also might be able to get a couple of days away from home to just spend some time together and relax and not think of all other things that you should be working on.

I had another group on my list and that was the Tenors and I have been able to check that off my list twice because once we did it in Toronto at Roy Thompson Hall and then the second time was in 2024 when we saw them at Falls View Casino Resort so that was wonderful.

Making sure that you can continue to check some of the smaller things off your bucket list is important. You might not be checking off the major things but at least getting some of the smaller things off the list is important and I have been able to continue to do just that. 

A dream

So many of us have a dream that we would like to happen and for me that dream is to have a craft space and workspace that works totally for me. I keep calling this space my studio because it is a spot that I would like to be able to work and a space where I can do my crafting.

When someone asked me what the ideal spot is I cannot put it into words right now because I don’t know the size of the space, but I do know that I would love a place that my computer is separate from my sewing machine and serge. I even would like to have those two machines sitting where I can sew on both without having to move either of them. Being able to have spots where the difference devices are where I can use each of them without having to move another one would be wonderful.

Sometimes I look around and figure that I might be able to do that all where we live currently but then I realize that there are so many limitations that wouldn’t work here. I am always looking at an ideal space and it doesn’t have to be a large space but being able to work and craft within the same room would be amazing. Sure, I know that currently I work on at desk and I also craft at my desk, but it would be nice to have those two spots different so that I can do things that make me happy. What I would like to be able to do is not have to constantly move things around so that I can do the other thing that needs my attention.

I think we all have an ideal space that we would love to have where we can do all the different things that we enjoy. Even with the spots that I have been trying to figure out I haven’t figure out a spot where I can do some drawing and that is another spot that I would like to have. Being able to have the various spots to do you work/crafting is important and maybe you don’t have it right now but knowing that you can always dream about that space is important.

For me, that space doesn’t have to be large, but it also needs to be a spot where I can escape and do the things that I love and know it is the spot that makes me happy.

Car noises and lack of respect

When you live in a high destiny living area it can be a challenge to deal with all the various car sounds that we deal with. Some of the noises we deal with are just cars trying to speed around the corner that is near our unit so it can get noisy.

Something else that we have been dealing with is cars that seem to be doing almost back firing which means it can be extremely loud. Some of the sounds can also been interpreted as gun shots which we have always heard around here. I know that these cars are just mistuned cars, but it can get a little much when you hear that constantly from around 3 pm until at least 10 pm. I have checked into this issue and of course bylaw enforcement says you need to have the license plate for each of the cars. When you live 10 floors up and you cannot identify which of three cars is making the noise it is rather difficult to get a license plate.

Something else that is happening is that cars don’t seem to understand that when there is a school bus with flashing lights you are not allowed to pass it in either direction. So often we hear horns either because the bus isn’t moving quickly enough or someone is trying to pass the school bus and disobeying the laws.

The other challenge that we have been watching is cars trying to pass another car within the curve that is right by apartment building. There isn’t an extra line for cars to pass and especially even it is in a curse in the road. We have been amazing that there haven’t been any head-on accidents with cars trying to pass another car in the curve. The other thing is this curve is also the entrance to another apartment building so cars cut the curve tight so that they can get into the apartment driveway.

Living in a high destiny area can be a challenge and when you are on the road you must be so careful because of the other cars that are speeding around. It can be such a challenge to even drive out of the apartment building driveway because you never know when a car is going to appear out of no where and do something stupid.

Understanding and respecting the rules of the road can be a challenge and making sure that your car is also tuned correctly is important. If your car is making lots of noises when you accelerate maybe it’s time you get it checked because you might enjoy the sound it is making but think of everyone else that has to deal with that sound and what effect that sound has on them.

Motorcycles thinking they can drive where they want

 Ontario Highway Traffic Act

Lane splitting falls within a legal gray area. Although Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990 c. H.8 (“HTA”) does not make specific or express reference to “lane splitting,” the common elements of lane splitting may fall outside of the type of driver behaviour permitted under Ontario’s Rules of the Road. For example, the HTA requires vehicles to stay within a single lane and sets out express circumstances under which a motorist can legally exit that lane to pass another vehicle traveling in the same direction. 

In particular, Ontario’s laws emphasize that:

• Motorcycles must follow the same traffic rules as cars.
• Changing lanes without signaling, and moving between vehicles in a non-designated lane, violates road safety regulations.

Motorcyclists caught lane splitting in Ontario may face fines, penalties, or demerit points on their license. Police may also interpret lane splitting as dangerous driving, which can result in more severe penalties under Ontario’s aggressive driving laws.

There are so many times when we are driving when the traffic is heavy and we watch a motorcycle think that they can drive between two lanes of traffic just because they are a smaller vehicle. Well, it is very simple to say that what they are doing is against the law (if caught or involved in an accident) and they are both making it a risk for themselves but for other vehicles as well because what if I wanted to change lanes and a motorcycle suddenly appeared out of no where.

We were in a traffic jam the other day and we watched numerous motorcycles drive between two lanes of traffic as if they had their own separate lane where they are allowed to drive. A motorcyclist is not just putting themselves at risk, but they are putting other drivers at risk because someone that is driving a car, or truck doesn’t expect a motorcycle to suddenly be in an area that they have considered clear in a second or two before. When vehicles are driving at a reduced speed no one is expecting some vehicle to appear out of nowhere at a speed that exceeds the speed of what all the vehicles around are going.

It was so amazing to watch the motorcycles just got between the two lanes of traffic as if all the traffic was going at the speed limit. What the motorcyclists don’t think about is they are approaching some vehicles especially those that are trying to change lines withing a blind spot because there aren’t in view and then all a sudden, they are in view. The view of a lot of other drivers is those motorcycles are driving aggressively and that isn’t something that should be allowed on the roads.

I have done some research that ways that yes, lane splitting helps reduce congestion, but it is only reducing congestion for individuals that are on motorcycles not for other vehicles. So, you might be reducing the commute time for a single person or maybe two while vehicles that can carry up four or more passengers are sitting in traffic so how it that reducing congestion.

A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat

If a motorcycle was to do lane splitting the only way I can see it working is if they are driving on the shoulder of the left more lane which isn’t normally used for any vehicle even in an emergency. So maybe, lane splitting is something that could be used in the future, but every driver needs to be aware of it happening and there still needs to be rules and regulations (laws) of where and when it can be used. Driving on the left shoulder might be allowed but driving between lanes of traffic at full speed shouldn’t be allowed.

 

Giveaways at events

 Something that I have realized that some events will limit the number of items given away and sometimes it is limited to the first 100 people that get the nice item. The only thing that can happen is that one or two people will get to the front of the line and then a bunch of their friends will push themselves up to them even if they are arriving just before the doors opens. We have seen this happen repeatedly and the event needs to manage people pushing ahead in line. Why should I get in line 30minutes only to have someone that arrives 5 minutes before the doors open receive a knapsack and I don't because their friend was at the front of the line, and they pushed their way to stand with them.

The other thing is that when a knapsack is given out as an event giveaway it can make it difficult for people to move around at the event if space is limited. What happens is that people will wear the knapsack on their back after filling it with the various freebies (swag) and then have another bag that they will continue to fill out. What so many people don't think about is when they are moving around the event, they are taking up a lot of room.

Some people will back up from a booth and not think that given they are wearing a knapsack on their back they are backing into other people. It is amazing how many times we can banged by a knapsack and then you say something they just look at you and don't apologize so even say sorry. Some people will also say that you shouldn't have been in their way when you are standing perfectly still when you walk into you.

I am not saying that events shouldn't give out knapsacks, what I am saying is that the people receiving the knapsack need to realize that if they are wearing them on their back, they are taking up a lot of extra space. If you are lucky enough to receive one of these giveaways, please carry them in your hand so that you don't take up the extra space.   

If you have friends at the front of the line and you arrive long after them and there is a long line up, you need to just get in line like everyone does and get in when it's your turn. Why should you be able to push ahead compared to others that may also know someone that is ahead of them in the line?

Replacing my keyboard

I am someone that uses my keyboard quite a bit and that means that there are going to be times when I need to replace it. I have been using an external keyboard and not the keyboard on my laptop because as my business partner/husband says it’s cheaper to replace the external keyboard then replacing the laptop keyboard.

See one of the problems that happens with my keyboards is that I wear off the letters and most of the time there are the letters on the left side of the keyboard, so it is always fun when we are trying to type something, and you need to look at the keyboard. I am so glad that I am a touch typist otherwise I would have to replace my keyboard more often than I do.  I think I had this last keyboard for at least a couple of years, but we figured it was time to get a new one.

One of the requirements for my keyboard is it needs to be a quiet keyboard and not one of those that clicks with every key that you press. I know that a lot of people like those keyboards but for me they are way too loud, so I needed something that was nice to work with. I did find the Logitech Silent Wireless Combo and that has been the keyboard that I have been using, and I love it.

My new keyboard is once again the Logitech Silent Wireless Combo and there are a couple of differences that I have noticed right away. 1) I can see all the letters on the keyboard which is a nice change and 2) the touch feels so different but that is because the keyboard has just come out of the box.

The new keyboard is a nice change, and I think next time my keyboard starts to show its age I will think about replacing it before I can’t see over 10 of the letters that are on the keyboard. My old keyboard never stopped me from getting my writing done that I have wanted to di it just looked like it had been around for a very long time and had been abused quite a bit. I don’t play games on the computer, so I don’t wear the keys down that way it is just I have fingernails, and I think that doesn’t help the letters stay on the keys.

It is now time for me to get back to getting some more writing done as there are a lot of things that I want to write about.

 

 

Service Ontario and Staples

Recently we were going to Staples to do some shopping as there were some items that we needed and something that we saw that was funny were the number of people that were sitting waiting to be served by Service Ontario. The funny part of this was Service Ontario provides chairs for people to sit but the people waiting were not sitting in those chairs they were sitting in chairs that Staples have for sale. 

I understand that people want to be comfortable while they are waiting to be served, but what happens is people that want to look at the chairs and possibly purchase one cannot try the chairs out or even look at them before they are all being used. Maybe what staples needs to do is figure out a different location in the store for the display of chairs so that customers can look at them without having an issue.

It is nice to have the ability to sit comfortably while waiting to be served by Service Ontario, but the chairs that are within the Service Ontario area are the chairs that should be used first before the other chairs. One idea that might help people sit in the correct chairs is to have the display for the number being served to be facing those chairs not facing the chairs that are for sale.

It is nice having a Service Ontario that is easy to get to with lots of parking because it means also means that Service Ontario is open longer because of where it’s located. We have used this location once, but we were lucky as there wasn’t a line up, so we didn’t have to sit and wait to be served. The only day that Service Ontario isn’t open now is on a Sunday so it means that people that work can at least go after work instead of having to try and do it during a workday.

Service Ontario isn’t available at every Staples, but I know they have been trying to get them around Ontario to make it easier for people to get their Health Cards and other ID’s renewed without having to get a long distance or even stand in a long line. At least while in Staples you can pick up some of the stuff that you need as well.

So, if you do go to Service Ontario within a Staples, please think of the Staples customers and sit in the chairs that are provided by Service Ontario not the chairs that are for sale.

District Eatery - St Jacob's Market

 This is a brand-new location in the north building of the St Jacob’s Farmer’s Market (Peddler’s Village) called District Eatery, and this was the first time that we were able to see this location and find out what foods they had to offer. This location was not here when we walked through the Market in May of 2025 and here it is September 2025.

 From the first view it looked extremely new, and the menu looked like it was something that we would enjoy so of course after walking around the market for a while we decided it was time to try out this spot for a lunch. The area was very clean and there were lots of seats available and maybe that had to do with our first time into this area was on a Thursday and it is still a location that isn’t known by a lot of people. We figured out our lunch and placed our order then waiting for it to be prepared. Here is our lunch order and our feedback on them.

•  Western Omelet Sandwich
• Ham, onion, green peppers, and (2) large eggs severed on toasted sourdough bread
• There is an option to add cheese and according to my husband he should have added it to the sandwich.
• We ordered the basic western omelet which my husband was very happy but admitted that he wished he had of added cheese to this sandwich.
• Classic Smashed Burger
• Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, pickles, District sauce, (this is two smash burgers). There is an option to get one smash burger but the one on the menu does show the double burger.
• I ordered the sandwich minus the district sauce, and pickles but added bacon.

This is a location that is within the St Jacob’s Market but is open between 8 am – 3 pm for Tuesday through Saturday. The entrance is both available from the market itself but also as an external entrance so that means that when the market is closed you can still enjoy having either a breakfast or lunch here.

Here is our feedback with regards to what we ordered and out thoughts and feelings about things

• Western Omelet Sandwich
• The sandwich was really good, and it would have been nice to have added cheese to the sandwich so that is something to think about in the future.
• Classic Smashed Burger
• I was surprised at the size of the burger knowing that there were beef burgers and when I looked at the amount of bacon that was added to the burger, I was very impressed. I was surprised the amount of bacon that was added given the amount of bacon I would get at another location. I think I had either 5 or 6 slices of bacon added to this burger for only $4 it was a very good value. I didn’t have the pickle or District sauce, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

What I can say about this location is it is a hidden area that people that go to the market aren’t currently aware of so if you want to enjoy a nice quite spot for a lunch or even a breakfast, as they offer that as well, this might be the location for you. 

If you are looking for a good place to have either breakfast or lunch go to the north end of Peddler’s Village and you will find a very nice place to enjoy either a lunch or breakfast depending on what time you are looking to grab a meal. Once you order our meal, you are going to have wait to hear your number called and it’s time to pick up your meal and time to enjoy it.

Loops Earplugs - moving forward

I have found that I have been able to figure out how to wear the various ear plugs and I am so much happier with them. Now here is some of the feedback that I have on the various ear plugs because I am finding what works for me and what hasn’t worked for me.

1. Quiet 2 – here are the ear plugs that I have been using at night, and I have to admit that it has helped with the overall sleep because I am not hearing all the different sounds around me. I don’t hear the air conditioning going on and off and I also don’t hear my husband snoring as much so that is nice.
2. Experience 2 – this I the ear plugs that I have been using when things just seem to get overwhelming and I am not certain how to manage things. It is nice when I can just tune out of the various sounds that I hear. I have also found that I can use on of these ear plugs when I am using one of my noise cancelling ear plugs and it makes much a difference. Just being able to see that I have been able to see progress on things makes me happy. Even using one of the ear plugs with another device helps a lot.
3. Engage 2 – I haven’t been in the environments that I can use these ear plugs so I am not certain how they work but I know that at the beginning of October I am going to be trying these out.

Having ear plugs that can help me find a happy place sometimes is extremely important. I know that there are still going to be times when I can’t figure out how to manage things but at least I am feeling better. I hope that I can say that all three of the various ear plugs have found a place that works the best for me. I might not have the ideal situations for each of these ear plugs but at least seeing that I have been able to figure out what works for me and where they work for me is great.

I have been able to at least figure out what works for me on a daily basis and I am finding that Quiet 2 is the ear plugs that I use at night and it helps me get the sleep that I need and Experience 2 is the ear plugs that I use during the day to make sure that I can escape some of the sounds that are happening around me.

Having ear plugs that work for the various environments that we deal with every day can make a big difference. Just knowing that we have been able to turn off some of the sounds around us is wonderful and now to see how things go when we are in a party environment at the beginning of October. Will Engage 2 help me manage those sounds, I guess we are going to see how I goes.

Back to school

Here it is the first couple of weeks of kids going back to school in the Toronto area. When kids go back to school it means a new routine for both them and their parents. The sleeping in until whenever doesn’t happen during the week anymore and there are schedules for going to bed as well which I think kids are going to be fighting for a while.

Something else that happens at this time of year is that the roads get busier because of course more people are back to their own routine. One of the things that makes me laugh about where we live is the number of parents that drive their children to the public school and drop them off. From where we live the distance to the front of the school is 350 meters so not very far at all. If I was to walk from where we live to the playground for the school is about 400 meters or around 5 minutes to walk. The advantage of walking is it is good exercise and in a lot of ways it is closer because if you drive the children to school, they have to go down into the parking garage to get to the car and then after getting out of the car they still have to go into the playground before they go into the school so they are probably walking the same distance and you are using gas, etc.

Back to school also means that overall, more cars are on the road because it isn’t just the elementary to high school students that are back to school it is also all the universities and colleges that have returned to campuses so a lot more people are commuting. Besides all the students that are getting to the schools there are all the staff that need to get back as well.

So, for the first couple of weeks of when everyone is going back to school it means that the traffic paths are going to change from what they were during the summer. Everyone now must learn to deal with these new traffic patterns even if you don’t have anyone returning to school. Even a simple trip to the grocery store can be impacted because of either students getting out of school and wanting to get home quickly or the school buses that are now on the roads as well.

 

Ikea - Swedish Restaurant special

Today (August 27th) we went to Ikea to have their special which was 50% off specific meals from 11 am to close between Monday and Friday. Well, we got into the parking lot without too much of an issue but then we saw lots of people. We decided to continue into the building to see how busy it was, and we walked upstairs to getting closer to the Swedish Restaurant and then suddenly we saw a long line up. It wasn’t just the line inside the restaurant it was a loop around three times as long outside the restaurant before it even got into the restaurant.

Once you get into the restaurant there is a loop three times around the area before you can get to where you can order the meatball dinner so that is going to take quite a while to get to that location. After getting your food you are going to have to get into another line to pay for your food and then there is the next major issue and that is finding a place to sit to have your food.

When we arrived it was just over 2 pm so a lot of people that got there for lunch should have been gone or at least wrapping up, but it sure didn’t look like it given what I could see of the dining area as well as the lineup for the food. We quickly decided that instead of standing in a line that could have been around 45 minutes to an hour before we got our food, we decided it was time to head downstairs and grab something else that we enjoy. We headed down to the like area where you can order hot hogs, pops and ice cream, and we order two hot dogs and a pop and that was our lunch. It was fine and it was a lot faster getting it than it would have been waiting in the long line to try and get some food upstairs.

Something that I did notice the last time we went during this special was there were tables of ladies just sitting and socializing without any food plates in front of them. The other thing I noticed were the number of people that were sitting doing work on computers while others were trying to find a table. If you are trying to find a place to do work, I wouldn’t pick a place is having a special for meals because yes, they provide free internet, but you are now taking up a table for 4, when there is one of you doing work.

Yes, the Ikea meals are reasonable and when they are 50% off it is even better but be prepared to have to stand in line for a while to get your meal and then have a challenge finding a seat. I do love the Swedish Meatball meal that Ikea has so maybe what we are going to do is once this special is over we will head back to Ikea and enjoy a meal when it isn’t quite as busy, and we don’t have to stand in line so long.

Loop Earplugs - first impression

Recently I decided to invest in some earplugs as I am someone that hears way too many sounds and I needed a way to tune out some of the sounds that have been getting way too overwhelming. I did quite a bit of research to try and figure out what was going to work for me and after lots of consideration I made a decision to purchase some earplugs to maybe see if they would help block out some of the sounds that were getting to me.

Disclaimer: I do have some noise cancelling earbuds which work great but the only disadvantage with them is I need to ensure that they are charged when I need them which is something that isn’t says available. The ear buds work great when I want to listen to someone on my computer or tablet but there are times when I just want to hide from the world and don’t need to be fully charged, attached to my computer or my tablet.

When I decided to purchase where some earplugs that don’t need to be charged at all and hopefully, they are going to be doing what I want them to do. After a lot of looking around and trying to figure out what I wanted and what was going to work for me I decided to purchase some Loop Earplugs.

Here is what I purchased, and I will explain why each of these were something that I wanted:

1. Quiet 2 – made for deeper focus, calmer travel and sleep. Powerful noise reduction 24 dB of noise reduction for getting in your quiet bubble at home, work and beyond
2. Experience 2 – enjoy safter, crisper sound with our new improved Experience 2 earplugs. Stylish hearing protection for live music and events. Less noise, crisper sound. Filters noise by 17dB so music stays clear, but at a safer volume
3. Engage 2 – our new and improve Loop Engage 2 earplugs offer discreet relief from everyday noise for more clear and focused conversations. Fewer distractions, more connection. Filters background noise by 16dB for more present socializing. Keeps speech clear. Minimizes the “block ear” sensation common speaking with earplugs.

This is why I purchased three separate devices instead of purchasing one earplug that they said would do all these things by just moving a lever to move between each of these selections. Part of my choice of selecting to purchase three different earplugs was there was nothing that could break if I have three different earplugs to provide the three different features.

1. Quiet 2 – I am someone that would like to be able to find a quiet place so that I can focus on my writing and hopefully be able to make some good progress on things without too many distractions.
2. Experience 2 – there are times that we go to events and the noise from the speakers that just become too overwhelming, and I cannot have a conversation with those around me because the sound is just too much.
3. Engage 2 – be able to focus on conversations without hearing too much of the background noise or other conversations would be great.

I have only had these earplugs for a little while and right now they are doing just what I want them to do which is great. I am going to have to try them in different environments to see how they work but right now I am thinking that they are going to help me not feel as overwhelmed as I have been feeling and I can now find my quiet place and they are comfortable which is also an important factor.

I will report back after I have tried these earplugs for a while because right now they feel like they are going to work for me, but I need to try them out in various locations to see what I think. Keep an eye out for an update post after I have spent some time wearing these earplugs.

Chuck's Roadhouse

If you are someone that lives in Ontario and enjoys ribs, streak or good hamburger can I recommend Chuck's Roadhouse.  The one problem that I am going to say it there aren't a lot of locations but if you are close to one give them a try.

We have found quite a few locations are wonderful and have only found one that we didn’t like. Our first experience at a Chuck’s was on a visit to Niagara Falls, Ontario and this location was within a short walk from our hotel as we were staying at the Courtyard Inn by Marriott on Victoria. The Chuck’s Roadhouse is an easy walk from this hotel, so it made it a great place for dinner.  Chuck’s was originally recommended to me but some friends online so we figured it was worth a try. 

When we first went to Chuck’s what surprised us was the price of a top sirloin steak because it was very reasonable and especially in Niagara Falls. The Top Sirloin is 7 oz, and it comes with fries and corn, and it was $15. You can upgrade your side to a Caesar salad, sweet potato fries or a loaded baked potato for around $2. We have been going to Chuck’s for a while now and the prices are still around the same which is nice.

Something to know that they do have specials during the week and knowing about them does help when you are trying to figure out a place to go and have dinner or even a late-night drink and some appetizers. There is a special of ½ price appetizers after 9 pm most days if not every day so that is great when you are out and just want something extra. Now, the special that we really enjoy is the Wednesday special and we sometimes plan to be near a Chuck’s just for this special, and it is Wednesday Rib Day, All Day. A full rack of back ribs is $15 and a half rack of ribs are $10. What we have done is order a full rack of ribs each and cut them in half and then take a half rack of ribs home for dinner another night.

The restaurant isn’t fancy, but the food is really good, and the prices are reasonable. Being able to go out for dinner and have some good food without spending lots of money is always nice. Chuck’s has become a restaurant that we will look for when we are travelling in Ontario because we know that we will regularly get a good meal.

Hudson Bay - closing and impact to the Path

For those us in Toronto we know that the underground “Path” was someone that we have dealth with for years and it was our method of going from Union Station to Yonge/Dundas Square without having to go outside at any point.

Recently we had a closer of “The Bay” which was part of the “path” so how was it going to impact the route that we all knew and understood. The good news is that the path still remained the same because they were able to close off areas and there were specific paths that everyone could take to get to the various “path” routes that went through “The Bay”.

I am not certain what is going to happen moving forward but at least we were able to walk through the underground bath from the Sheraton Centre to the Eaton Centre without an issue and that made us happy. Of course, the area that we went through was pretty empty but at least we were able to get thorough the area that had been “The Bay”. The only thing that I am going to say is you better be prepared for stairs because you either have to walk up the escalator stairs or the stairs to the right of the escalator and that is rather difficult but at least you can continue to move your way through what was “the Bay” and you can connect to the ret of the path.

It was interesting walking through the area that was once “The Bay” because there were a lot of areas that we couldn’t walk through but then when we got to a specific area there were security guards that were monitoring the open area on the basement area. What this showed was a lot of areas where still open to the public because of the “The Path” access but then there were areas that were not available because they were not specifically “Path” specific.

So, if you are going to be waling from Union Station to the Eaton Center or vice versa please know that you are going to be walking through an area that was a department store a couple of months ago but is now a vacant area and you just have to accept the path that has bene outlines. It isn’t handicap accessible so that is something that you need to know when you do this path. There is a path that you can do outside but again it isn’t totally covered so you might have to deal with the Toronto weather.

Loading Zones - IKEA

 We have been seeing something that neither of us like and that is people parking in loading zones and not following the rules that are there for everyone. Recently we have seen this happen repeatedly when we go to IKEA. It is amazing how many cars are parked in the loading zone and there is no one around the vehicle. It isn’t like someone has pulled up and they are waiting for someone else to finish checking out.

This last trip to IKEA I took a couple of pictures and they are an hour apart and the same vehicle is still sitting in the same location and there was no one in or near the vehicle. Yes, it was a company vehicle but still why should they be allowed to park in a loading zone taking up a space that someone could be using to quickly pick up their purchase. If this happened occasionally it would be one thing but most of the time where are multiple cars parked in the loading zone and with no driver close by.

There is one loading area that I understand that people will leave their vehicles and that is the Click and Collection loading area. This spot I where you can get Ikea to collect your items from throughout the store and you just go to that specific location to pick up the items.

I have asked Ikea about this but have never got any reply and the employees that are standing outside dealing with the carts don’t say anything either so that is also disappointing. These employees are probably not allowed to question why a person is parking in the loading area. It must be frustrating for these employees when there are no spots where someone can pull into to load their purchases and the customer gets upset with them.

 If you are one of those individuals that parks your vehicle in the loading zone and then goes and wanders around Ikea and maybe has a meal as well. Please remember that the loading zone is for customers to quickly load their purchases into their vehicles and not to be used as a close parking spot.

Update: we ended up going back into IKEA to pick up something that we forgot to get and the truck was still there after 1.5 hours.

Working with charities

I am someone that has been helping with charities for most of my adult life and it is something that I enjoy doing. I have supported charities through volunteering my time for events and such. Besides donating my time, I have also been able to support the charities through my crafting, and I have always enjoyed doing that. Through the crafting that I have done for charities I have learned quite a bit and it something that I would like to pass on to others. 

Here are a few things that I have learned:

1. Needs – figure out what is needed by the organization and the items are going to be donated to. If the items can be different sizes make sure you know what the sizes are that are needed, as well as any restrictions, such as type of yarn or colour. If you are collecting handmade blankets, make sure that you know the size that the organization wants and needs and not just a general idea.
2. Volunteers – when you have volunteers that are willing to assist in getting items made, make sure that you communicate to them the sizes, etc. that are required. This is important so that you don’t get items that you cannot distribute.
3. Communication – communication between volunteers and the organization is vital because that ensures everyone knows what is going on. If needs change spending out emails, etc. quickly is a good way to let everyone know about these changes.
4. Accepting items – figure out the method that you will accept the donations, so that everyone knows how it is going to be handled. If you are sending out communications that say “Drop Off’ make sure that you are going to be accepting people dropping off things. If you are not allowing people to drop-off items, make sure that is clearly communicated. Recently I received an email from a charity that I was working with that said, “Schedule a drop-off time” and it turned out that you were to box everything up, weigh it, measure the box and send that information and they would then get a courier to pick up the box. Not everyone has a schedule that allows for waiting around for a courier to pick up the box. This should have been one of the options not the only option.
5. General – making sure that everyone feels part of the team is very important because that is how you will continue to get others willing to help. It is amazing how a crafting community can come together to assist a charity if they will like they are part of it.

These are just a few of things that I have learned while dealing with charities and especially helping make items for different organization. It doesn’t matter what the charity is collecting be it funds or items understanding the importance of volunteers is key.

I understand working with charities can be difficult especially during these economic challenges. Some of what I have learned is also from obtaining my Fundraising Certificate and being able to assist charities is something that I would love to do more of.

 

How events/conferences are changing

We recently went to an event and noticed that the size of the booths has started to decrease in size. I think a lot of that is due to the price of a booth has been increasing and the business that you get from an event may not be increasing compared to the price increase.

The other thing that is changing is the items that are being given away at events. You are no longer seeing t-shirts or items like that being handed out freely because of the cost of them as well. I think that other thing that is deterring companies from having a nice give away is that there are quite often a few individuals that show up and their entire purpose is to see what items they can get for free. So many of these individuals don't care about the company or product at all, they just want is the item that is being given away. 

It can be difficult for any company to have a booth at any conference because there are so many additional costs that they must also think about. It isn't just the cost of the booth; it is being able to have the individuals available to man the booth for the entire time of the conference.  Do you need to put staff up at a hotel and provide them meals to be at the conference or are they local and the only thing you need to do is provide them with the ability to man the booth?

All conferences have been changing and some events there were free in the past have now started to charge you to attend because so many people were only there for what they could get for free. It didn't matter if it was a meal or a drink or just a lot of items available from events.  I am not complaining about the events that have had to start charging to attending because there are a lot of costs that attendees don't realize that the organizer is incurring.

A weekend escape to Belleville, Ontario

A lot of us enjoy spending some time on a mini vacation and it doesn’t have to be that far from home to make it enjoyable. The trip I am going to write about is going from Toronto to Belleville for a weekend escape. The distance is 175km so it should take you around 2 hours to get there if you take the highway but there are lots of things to do and see if you decide to take a slower route. 

Here it is an idea of a possible route so that you can see some of the other things during your journey.

The first stop for us along the way is to stop in Cobourg to visit a yarn store that I like. Yarn It! Where you can find some nice hand-dyed yarns and accessories to go with them. When we make this stop there is usually some yarn added to the stash because I cannot resist getting yarn from here as they do have yarn that they dye themselves.

The second stop is going to be The Big Apple which is just off the 401 in Colborne. If you are driving east, you will see the Big Apple as you are approaching Percy St so that is where you are heading. This is a nice stop where you can pick up some pies that are so nice to have. There is also a general store as well as 401 Cider Brewery where you can pick up Hard Cider as well as some wines. If you have children, there is also a petting zoo and train rides if you are there in the summer.

This picture was taken from the highway so it is that close to the exit.

From The Big Apple you can decide if you want to get back onto the 401 or take the slower route which takes you through the towns of Colborne, Brighton, and Trenton. If you take highway 2 through Trenton you will pass the Canadian Forces Base Trenton, and you may see some of our military planes sitting on the tarmac. In Trenton there is also the National Air Force Museum of Canada where you can see the past, present and future of Canadian aviators.

After leaving Trenton we normally will continue the drive along Highway 2 until we are just outside of Belleville where we head towards the 401 and our hotel which normally has been the TownePlaceSuites by Marriott as it is a convenient location for making day trips into Prince Edward County. There is a lot of things to see and do while in Prince Edward County from walking along the main street of Picton, to going to Wineries as well as spending some time at the beach.

Now one of the reasons we enjoy staying at the TownePlace Suites is there is free breakfast each day of your visit and all the rooms have a kitchen area which is wonderful as you do get a full-size fridge. The fridge comes in handy for keeping the things you pick up in the county cold until you head home. There are a lot of restaurants within a short drive from the hotel so lots of choices of where to have dinner. For us one thing we enjoy is being able to work next door to the Casino and have dinner there. The only disadvantage of this restaurant is its adult only as it is inside the casino and it closes at 8 pm except Friday and Saturday through the summer it closes at 10 pm. (separate blog written about the hotel and casino)

While in Belleville there is still lots of shops to visit and restaurants and one splurge is to go to Reid’sDairy and have some ice cream. One word of warning when you go there is that the amount of ice cream you get if large. If you get 2 scoops, be prepared to have lots of ice cream but it is so good.

I hope that I have helped you plan a trip out to Belleville, and you enjoy a mini vacation away from the city. I know that we always enjoy our trips and each time we go we try and do something a little different and explore a different area of the county.

Please read the original post

There are so many times that there are comments on a post that don’t have anything to do with the original post. What is important is if you are replying to a post on social media is that you need to read the original post and then comment on that.

Recently there was a post that asked people to clean the dead leaves from the curb in front of your house. This person was simply asking everyone to make sure that the water could drain alone the curb to the city drains to make sure that there was no flooding on any of the streets.

What happens was a lot of people decided to complain that they were asking people to rake their lawns which this person never asked for. It is amazing how many times people make assumptions and don’t read what the original post was about. Of course, I tried to manage it the best I could by repeatedly saying it wasn’t requesting people to rake their lawns just clean the curb of leaves. 

It is amazing how many people only see a few words that are written and don’t read the entire post and then they complain that the original poster is wrong. What we need to do is look at and read the original post to make sure that we understand what they are saying before we post a comment. 

If there is a post that you don’t totally understand, maybe try and ask a question or two before you complain that the post isn’t correct. In this case someone was simply asking for leaves to be removed from the curb to ensure that water could drain to the city catch basins.

Canada Day

 Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the National Day of Canada. It celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which happened on July 1, 1867. It is a statutory holiday, and everything is closed (outside of Quebec). You can sometimes hear it referred to as Canada’s birthday

There are usually a lot of fairs on Canada Day which can include parades, fireworks and some rides and food. Also, on this day it is quite common for new Canadian citizens to be sworn in during a ceremony. This ceremony can take place in different locations and sometimes can even happen before the start of the Blue Jays Baseball game if the Blue Jays are playing at home. 

A lot of cities and communities plan their local Canada Day celebration, and they can be a lot of fun to attend.  Here are just a few locations where you can find an event

• East York, Toronto, Ontario

• Ottawa, Ontario

• Vancouver, British Columbia and region

• Calgary, Alberta

Each event is going to be a little different than the next one and it all depends on if it is a big city organizing it or a local community. No matter where you are in Canada (except Quebec) you will find some sort of festival celebrating the Confederation of Canada. If you happen to be driving around on Canada Day, why not stop in at a celebration to see what is going on. They can be a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate with others.

Ice cream trucks

When do ice cream trucks think it’s ok to pull into an apartment driveway to sell ice cream but block access to and from the underground driveway. 

So, recently we had an ice truck decide that the driveway in our apartment building was a great location to sit and sell ice cream to various members of the community. Well, there was a major issue about where this truck was parked. It wasn’t in a parking spot but in part of the driveway which is used for both cars turning from dropping off people at the front door and cars coming up or into our underground parking garage.

The ice cream truck was in this same location for over 1.5 hours, and it didn’t seem to register to them that they were causing a major issue for people coming and going from our property. It seemed like selling the ice cream was far more important to them.

We did place phone call to our security to let them know of the issue, but after them telling us someone was dispatched, we didn’t hear anything or see anything so that wasn’t a great experience. After we made that call, we decided to call 311 which is the city area that we can report issues, but after an extremely long hold and then being placed on hold again when the person looked up how to manage this, we were told that because it was on private property there was nothing that the city could do.

So, the results of hearing an ice cream truck for over 1.5 hours was not results at all, so now we are going to be heading down to talk to our superintendent to see if they can report the issue and maybe get some results. We do have the vehicle method license so hopefully that will help keep this vehicle from setting on private property and seeing ice cream.

Sitting and trying to enjoy a nice summer evening on our balcony can be an issue and knowing how to handle each issue is very important.

Shorelines Casino Belleville

If you are someone that enjoys spending a little bit of time in a casino to try your luck on some slot machines here is a location that I would recommend.  This location has 500 slot machines and 18 table games but besides that it has a restaurant which I would recommend. There was a buffet prior to Covid but it doesn’t exist anymore, but the restaurant is located that you need to try out. The restaurant is open to anyone 19 years of age or over as it is within the casino.

The casino is not open 24 hours a day so that is something that you are going to have to understand before you go. The Belleville hours are something you are going to have to check because most times over the weekend it is open 24 hours but during the week there are limited hours. 

Now the restaurant that is within the casino is a spot that you need to check out because the meals can be outstanding depending on when you go. We went just after the New Year, and we were lucky, and I was able to enjoy a hot turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce because the casino has a special dinner for all the staff that had worked over the holidays. I was so happy to be able to get this special because I love turkey dinners, so this was exact special.

We have found that the meals are a reasonable sized portion so don’t be afraid to ask for part of your meal to go. The last meal I had was a stir fry and there was enough leftover that I was able to have it for another meal. This meal was so good and I wasn’t able to find the rice easily until I did some digging so it was worth having the leftovers.

This casino is located right beside the TownePlace Suites Belleville so that means that you can have breakfast in the hotel and walk over to the Casino to have a very nice dinner. Of course, the restaurant isn’t fancy, and you might have to wait for a table but honestly the meal is so worth it. When we are in the Belleville area we will stay here because it means that we know that we will have a good dinner and might have some leftovers depending on our meal. Normally, I will also spend a little bit of money ($20) on the slot machines and see if I can come away with more than I put into the machines.

For more information about what to do on your way to Belleville and while there check out this blog (A Weekend Escape to Belleville posting July 15th, 2025)

Saying goodbye to someone that was important to a community

There are so many times that we see someone that has passed, and it has been felt within a community or multiple communities. This past week Canada said good-bye to a former MP and someone that wasn’t just a MP but was the first Canadian Astronaut in space. 

Marc Garneau within the East York Community was someone that was recognized by having a school named after him and it was because of who he was that the school decided to rename itself from Overlea Secondary School to Marc Garneau Collegiate. I was happy to see that renaming because it was the East York Community recognizing someone that did something special for Canada.

Marc Garneau was the first Canadian Armed Forcer officer, astronaut and politician that went into space on October 5, 1984, and flew on three Space Shuttle missions. After doing this he became a member of parliament and served from 2001 until he retired from parliament in 2003.

The school in East York was renamed in 1987 from Overlea Secondary School to Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute and he regularly visited the school and the students. I know that the community around Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute is going to miss who the school was named after because he someone that a lot of the students were able to look up to.

Marc Garneau passed away on June 4, 2025 and he will be missed within the community and all of Canada.