Fiasco of a move has been settled with AMJ Campbell Van Lines

After two months of trying to get someone to deal with our issues with our move, it finally happened.

Last week a representative from AMJ Campbell Oakville office came to the house to offer to settle the entire thing.

This was after many, many, phone calls, a registered letter to the president of the company, filing of complaints with Better Business Bureau (they are not members), VISA payment dispute, Canadian Association of Movers, Ontario Government consumers affairs department, and the Toronto Star.

When the money is back in my hands, I’ll tell you all about it.

New Dining Room Light Fixture

We are an Aluminum wired condo so special connecters needed to be purchased. We debated how high to hang it over the table and eventually settled on lower with the ability to hook it up higher.

 

My Book Group’s reading list for 2009-10

This year I will be reading and discussing these books.

Have you read any? Any comments?

 

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

First Day of School

 

Emma -- Grade 11

 

Andrew – Grade 8

Traditional “Last Supper” before school starts

For years we have been going out for a great dinner in a restaurant the night before school starts. This year, as in many before, we went to The Keg Steakhouse.

We had a gift certificate this year, so it was a real blowout. Everyone was allowed to order whatever they wanted. Money was no object.

Andrew: 10oz steak

Emma: rack of ribs

Carolyne: 10oz steak

Albert: 10oz steak

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Mini Vacation – Day 5 (last)

Headed home today. Drove from Corning NY to Lewiston NY via Arcade.

Best lunch today on way home at Delightfull’s (496 W. Main Street Arcade NY 14009)

Good ice cream too!

There was a lineup at the border, but we passed through with no problems. Home by 3:30, tired but glad to be back.

Mini Vacation – Day 4

This was to be a three day vacation, but with all we wanted to do in Corning, it would have been too rushed to go home when we originally planned. So we stayed one more night.

In the morning we went to the Rockwell Gallery of Western Art.

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We spent the afternoon back at the Corning Museum of Glass.

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On the way back to the hotel we took a long detour and went to Watkins Glen. I had overheard a woman saying there were great waterfalls there. I thought it was just a race track.

 

And it still is a race track.

Dinner at Bob Evans. Too salty. A bit odd. When they said my stew came with a biscuit, it never occurred to me that the biscuit would go on the plate first, the mashed potatoes on top of that and the stew ladled on top of it all. Soggy. Albert had Turkey Dinner. Andrew had French Toast and Emma had Spaghetti.

The hotel had a DVD player in each room and we watched movies (obtained from the front desk free of charge) before sleeping. They also had popcorn, cookies, etc. This hotel included free breakfast.

Mini Vacation – Day 3

From Niagara Falls NY, we headed south east to Corning NY. We stopped at “Pit Road Pizza” for lunch. Lots of food. Car racing theme. Good prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued on to the Corning Museum of Glass. Emma signed up to make her own blown glass Christmas ornament. We watched a few demonstrations, wandered around a little then went to the glass blowing studio for the ornament. 

We checked into the Hampton Inn, ate dinner at Applebee’s and fell asleep.

Mini Vacation – Day 2

Day 2 started out by visiting the water park again.

Then we packed up and headed of to the U S of A. We checked into a hotel in Niagara Falls NY near the outlet mall. While Albert slept, the rest of us went shopping. We got a few new things for school, I got a new wallet, and that was that. Nothing too exciting. Prices were OK, but not great.

Then we took the kids to Ponderosa for dinner. Corn on the cob was cold, dried out and not good looking. Potato was ok. Steak was edible.  Same as always :)

Mini Vacation – Day 1

Today we went to Niagara Falls ON. We stayed at the Skyline Inn so we could get a package deal for the Fallsview Water Park. The room was ok --  clean, old.

We paid extra to have a window that opened to outside instead of inside to a atrium area. The room was a little larger as well. Good thing because it was none too large as it was.

We went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Probably the most expensive lunch I have ever eaten.

We did the tourist things for a while including riding the “Pile Driver” – well, Emma and Carolyne did. Albert and Andrew watched from the ground. Albert and Andrew went into a “Haunted House” thing.

 

We met Sponge Bob.

 

Then we went to the water park. It was loud, wet, loud, and fun.

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After all that we did the Maid of the Mist.

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Exhausted, we ordered dinner in and fell asleep to the snores of all.