True to their word, LG had a local appliance repair company come today to replace the cracked control panel on our dishwasher.
I am totally satisfied with their product and their service.
LG Comes Through
Writers Club
Several days ago, my across the street neighbour, Jenny, sent me an e-mail with contact information for the Barrie Writers Club. A thoughtful thing to do and I followed up with a few e-mails to the club seeking out some details about what they do. I was invited to attend one of their get togethers.
So last night MY Jane and I attended one of their meetings. There were about 10 people in attendance and all were very pleasant.
The main purpose is to take turns reading excerpts from projects they are working on after which the others offer critiques of that work.
Last night there were four readings followed up with reviews. The criticism was offered in a genuine and gentle manner both positive and negative and, from what I could see, received the same way.
I picked up a few tips that I will try to use in my own writing.
I think I will try a few more meetings to see how it goes.
In the meantime, I am continuing to write my mystery who-dunnit every morning.
Visit With Chris and Tonya
Yesterday, MY Jane and I visited with Chris and Tonya at their place and stayed for supper. Chris made a delicious mushroom risotto dish along with an arugula and pear salad.
We enjoyed our dinner immensely and, afterward, had some great conversation reminiscing about Steve and Sara’s recent wedding.
Chris and I checked out their coffee table which they are looking to re-finish. We ended up bringing it back to our place to sand it down to see what the unfinished wood looks like.
The forecasted bad weather held off long enough for us to get back home without incident. An excellent visit,
Colts Hockey
Last night MY Jane and I took in a Colts game at the Molson Park arena.
Before the game, we had dinner at the Horsepower Grill after which we walked directly into the arena.
She had bought tickets weeks and weeks ago for my birthday and they were the best seats ever. Row 2 seats 1 and 2. Right at ice level.
The game was fast and the Colts won handily 6-1.
It was a great night out! Thank you, Jane.
Exciting Yahtzee Games
This morning, MY Jane and I were playing our daily Yahtzee tournament where we play a two out of three championship. Jane has been champion for the last three days and, yesterday, had a sweep which means she won all three games.
Three sweeps in a row makes you a Grand Champion. So far, I am the only Grand Champion ever.
Well today she won Game 1, but we tied the next two games. The third game was a tie at 274 each, but Jane had one turn left, needing threes. On her last roll, she got a single three, so the final score was 277 to 274 for her. She was today’s champion going for a sweep.
But I managed to stop her from stealing the Grand Championship away from me.
But she is Champ (Regular Champ as opposed to Grand Champ) today.
Great fun! We love our Yahtzee.
Looking for a Good Butcher
For the past while, MY Jane and I have been looking for a butcher shop that carries high quality meat, especially beef. We have noticed that the beef we get from Zehra is not very tasty nor does it have a good texture.
We tried Goodness Me and, while the taste of their product was good, it was on the “pasty” side.
We heard that DJ Meats had a good reputation so we went there. It’s a little shop that sells good meat but it’s frozen.
Today, we checked out Cordinos that used to be nearby but moved a few kilometres away. They have very good stuff. Sometime soon we will check out the Happy Mango Butchery which is closer. We need a go-to butcher.
Halloween Decorations
Last year a nearby house had some beautiful Christmas lights on the huge trees on the property.
A few days ago Jane and I drove over there with the hopes that I could speak to the homeowner to find out where he got the huge lighted Christmas globes he had in the tree.
Turns out he was getting ready for Halloween.
He told me that he even has a fog machine for the exact day Halloween falls on.
Money is no object for this guy. He spent a few thousand dollars for the Christmas decorations and who knows how much for Halloween.
Nice though!
LG Products
We bought an LG dishwasher last July and have been very happy with its performance. However, recently, we noticed a hairline crack in the control panel.
While the performance of the machine was not impacted, we still felt that the crack should be fixed. I called LG and was surprised at the efficient handling of our issue. We were told that they would have a local service repair person handle it. A couple of days later someone from Barrie Northern Electronics showed up. He said the part would be back ordered.
A few days later, another call from LG in Madison Wisconsin. The rep said that because it was going to take awhile to get the part, so they said they would replace the whole unit with a brand new one.
I didn’t want to have to go through the installation process again so I told them I could wait a little more.
Today they called again and said they would be here this Friday with the replacement part.
I like LG.
Readying for Winter
Today I will be putting away patio chairs and covering up summer stuff in preparation for Winter. Already temperatures in the morning make it uninviting to go out there, even for Minnie. Right now, though, it’s raining like crazy so I’ll have to wait until it stops.
I have made an appointment to have the Winter tires put on. The earliest I could get was November 6. Usually I try to get this done by November 1 because that’s around the time we get our first lasting snowfall.
We’ll see what happens this year.
The Perfect Crime
This will be my last post about my latest book until it’s finished. As I mentioned before, it will be a mystery who dunnit type novel. I hope to have it completed by the Spring of 2019. Over the last couple of days, I have been colluding with MY Jane ( yes, there is collusion in our house) and I am now satisfied that we have come up with the perfect crime.
I am now in the process of completing character development and doing a plot outline.
The only ones that will ever know what the perfect crime is, will be the readers of this book.
Stay tuned.
Jazz
Jane and I are heading out to a local restaurant called Sticky Fingers to take in some live jazz. A guy by the name of Adam Saunders is playing. There is not often an opportunity for that type of music here in Barrie so this will be somewhat of a bonus.
The last time we enjoyed live jazz was at the Toronto Jazz festival on Queen Street a few years ago when we went together with Steven.
We enjoy play dinner jazz in the evening when we’re at home.
This should be good.
Spontaneous Trip
This morning, over coffee, MY Jane and I decided we should get out of the house for awhile. It’s sunny and bright and a great day for a ride. We elected to go up to Awenda Park just outside Penetanguishene.
So we got dressed, filled our travel mugs with coffee and, right after our daily Yahtzee tournament, left for that location. We stopped part way through Awenda and went for a little walk.
Afterward, we stopped in Penetanguishene at the Dock Lunch for a bite.
We returned home later in the afternoon.
Another great day.
More Book Stuff
I spent a good part of the day working on my new book project. Right now, my focus is on developing an outline which will help guide my writing of the actual story.
With regard to my first book, If the Walls Could Talk, I received a request from CorrectionsOne, a US based media company asking me to provide them with an excerpt which they will include in their November 6 social media site. I agreed if they would link the article to the Amazon.com listing of my book.
When I looked at their circulation numbers, they have about 70,000 registered members and claim to have 300,000 unique visitors per month. We’ll see what develops.
Book Writing
This book writing stuff is keeping me busy. What with trying to promote If the Walls Could Talk for sale on Amazon.
If you haven’t already shared my link with your Facebook and Twitter friends, please feel free to do so. It will make a great stocking stuffer.
And with starting to write a second novel, there’s no time for laying around. Just today, CorrectionsOne.com, a USA based company, has requested permission to print an excerpt out of that book on their site(s). I have agreed as long as they link the story to the Amazon site. I’m hoping Amazon can keep up.
This next book is going to be a fictional who dunnit mystery novel. I have already figured out the mechanics of how someone would attempt commit the “perfect” murder and now I need to decide who, what, where, why and how.
I already have in mind the characters that will be included and the locations that will be involved. As yet, I don’t have a title. That will come at the completion of the project.
I hope to complete this one by next Spring.
Crokinole
I made this crokinole board several months ago and last night, MY Jane challenged me (The Champ) to a best two out of three championship match.
Needless to say, I retained my championship status winning two out of three games. The scores were close though.
But not close enough……heh heh heh!
More Gardeing
MY Jane and I were going to work on the garden a little more, but Mother Nature decided to rain on that idea.
Instead, she will work on her photo project and I will work on some minor repair jobs, one of which is to re-secure a front step to the porch.
Then I will have a Timmy’s at Minet’s Point, one of my favourite spots to do that.
Fall Gardening
Today, MY Jane and I are going to begin readying the yard for Winter. The colours of our maple trees are peaking and many of the annuals are starting to die off.
We have the waterfall pump to put away and some annuals to pull out and discard.
It’s about 10C here so it’s a good time to do all this.
Sara and Steven Married
Yesterday, at about 5PM, I had the privilege of declaring Sara and Steven to be married.
The ceremony went off very smoothly and, after a family photo shoot, we enjoyed a wonderful reception dinner to celebrate.
The groom looked handsome and the bride looked beautiful.
The speeches were meaningful and sometimes emotional. It was an absolutely wonderful day.
Congratulations Sara and Steven. I love you both.
The Big Day
It’s here! Yes Sara and Steven’s wedding day has finally arrived. We are reviewing speeches and feeling pretty happy!
It’s going to be a busy fun filled day. Lots to do but lots of people to help.
Pretty exciting!
To Toronto
MY Jane and I have been packing things up for the last few days and this morning, right after breakfast, we headed to Toronto to check in at One King West, the venue for Sara and Steven’s wedding tomorrow.
We made good time travelling from Barrie thanks to Waze which guided us around stop and go traffic, taking us on a route that I would never have done normally.
The staff at One King West made our arrival and unloading of all the wedding ceremony stuff a piece of cake.
At one this afternoon we will have the wedding rehearsal in the Austin Room at the hotel and later we will have the rehearsal dinner in the hotel.
Then tomorrow is the big day.
Glorious Day
Yesterday was an unexpectedly beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and it was very warm. Minnie was re-energized and went exploring along the fence.
And the blue jays flew in for a welcome treat at the bird feeder.
The day was capped off with a great dinner out with MY Jane and Chris.
Life is good!
Getting Ready
Although the leaves have begun to fall, there are still flowers in bloom. It seems Mother Nature is a bit confused.
Chris is having to work at the Barrie location for a couple of days, so he will stay with us tonight. Nice to have him again after this past weekend.
We have begun to get ready for the big Wedding Day which will be happening this coming Friday. Yes, Steven and Sara are getting married and I’m the officiant! I am really excited!
Everyone is pretty excited!
Ceremony wording has been checked and timed, speeches have been written and rehearsed and special music has been chosen. Officiant documentation has been reviewed and is set to go.
House is Quiet
Well, the house is quiet and feels empty. Chris and Tonya went back home yesterday and, this morning, Steven and Sara returned home too.
It was a wonderful weekend with everyone.
Yesterday afternoon and this morning we spent time reviewing a Steven and Sara’s wedding plans which will be happening just a few short days from now – on Friday.
Everything is set and I am looking forward to being the officiant on this wonderful day.
Of course, Minnie was quick to sneak into the downstairs guest room before we could change the bedding.
Thanksgiving/Birthday Celebration
It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. With everyone here bustling about, getting caught up on the latest goings on and just enjoying each other’s company, the atmosphere was just plain happiness all around. All of us have a lot for which to be thankful. Most of all, we can be thankful we have each other in our lives. It gives living life a purpose.
And to top it all off, we had a splendid Thanksgiving dinner complete with all the trimmings followed by a delicious pumpkin pie.
.
I even managed to stay up until 1:30 AM watching the UFC fight.
Of course, the highlight of the day for me was the video montage put together by Sara and Steven. To see and hear all the birthday messages of love and support from so many friends, relatives and family brought me to tears and made me appreciate not just this Thanksgiving/Birthday celebration, but just being alive.
It is a day I will never forget; a day I will cherish. Thank you all once again.
It is a day I will never forget; a day I will cherish. Thank you all once again.
Thank You
This afternoon I was treated to a video collage put together for my birthday. So many people – friends, school mates and colleagues from past and present as well as family members took the time to send me video messages and written congratulations on my 70th birthday. I am humbled by the kind words everyone had for me.
This is a birthday I will never ever forget! And this video collage was the best birthday present a man could ever hope for. The messages of love and best wishes were clearly heartfelt and I realize just how lucky I am to be alive and have so many people care about me.
I got to see videos of people I have not seen for ages and to recall some really funny stories from my youth. And I also saw some family pictures that I had never before seen.
The whole thing has left me completely overwhelmed.
I don’t really know how to properly say thank you to all of you; but thank you, thank you, thank you.
You have made this birthday my best ever!
Big Fight
Last night Chris and Tonya arrived for our early Thanksgiving/My birthday celebration. It is early this year because Sara and Steven are getting married next Friday and we are all getting pretty excited about that.
Today, Steven and Sara will be arriving in time for the celebration.
And tonight we will all be watching the fight of the century on UFC – between Connor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomnidov. Kahabib is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and McGregor is making a return to the Octagon after a two year absence.
He has three losses on his record while Khabib is undefeated.
I used to like McGregor, but of late he has become too cocky for my liking. I will be cheering on Khabib tonight.
Autumn Leaves
Coming back from a chat with Allan, my across the street neighbour, I was impressed with the glorious colour of our big maple tree.
And not only was Autumn visible outside, it is visible inside our home too thanks to Jane’s decorating magic.
Nice!
Upcoming Weekend
Today a technician arrived to look at our dishwasher regarding the cracked control panel. The required part is on back order and will take about a week and a half go get here.
Fortunately this issue is simply a cosmetic one and the dishwasher is working quite well.
Earlier I went to have a final fitting done for my suit and everything was fine there too.
We are pretty much ready for the arrival of Chris & Tonya and Steve & Sara for this weekend.
Going to be a blast.
Seasons
It wasn’t that long ago that when I first got up in the morning the sun was already peeking over the horizon. Now, it’s still dark, Minnie is reluctant to go outside and the trees are beginning to change colour.
It’s another one of the nice things about living in Canada. Everyone has a favourite season and every year Mother Nature makes sure to deliver.
For the past five years MY Jane and I were busy at this time of year planting bulbs. But this year we have minimal garden work to do. By that I mean minimal digging. There still is pruning to be done and leaves to rake but that’s about it.
And it won’t be long before Winter is upon us.
We Are Ready
Today I went toToronto to meet up with Tina Gabriel, Governing Official of AEIC, the interfaith organization that conducts weddings in the Province of Ontario. I am a licenced officiant with them.
I wanted to review the requirements for properly completing the documents that will make a marriage legal.
I received a hard cover Marriage Register in which the details of all wedding ceremonies must be recorded.
We went through the completion of forms and signing requirements.
Only 10 days to go. We’re ready!
Service for LG Dishwasher
A couple of days ago Jane noticed a hairline crack near the power button on the control panel of the LG dishwasher that we bought at Lowes in June of this year.
I ended up calling LG with the idea that the warranty would cover this and it would be a simple matter of having the Control Panel replaced.
Have you ever called a Service Department? They seem to forget their title, Namely Service. Instead, you are forced to listen to recordings, press numbers and, when you finally get a live person, they don’t listen, they interrupt, they mumble and, like today’s call, they try to delay so you’ll just go away.
This rep told me that my request would be forwarded to the TSG for review so they could replicate the hairline crack. I would hear from someone in three to five days. I was astounded at this statement.
There was no way I was going to accept this and, after questioning him at length asking things like how are they going to replicate usage etc., the rep could not satisfactorily answer my questions.
He kept putting me on hold hoping I would go away. Today I decided I wasn’t going away and finally insisted on speaking with a manager. Once again I was put on hold, but when he came back this time, he said the manager approved the repair and the Control panel would be replaced.
So annoying!
Life Unfolding 