No pictures. Our large desktop computer had to be taken for service. I am using our laptop, and it isn't as simple to post a notice, let alone include pictures.
However, I am expecting it to be returned this week (fingers crossed.) I received a call from the Toronto Acer service center earlier this week letting me know the problem was dust and it was ready to ship back. However, the tech also said there was damage to the outside, including a hole in the back, and wanted to know if I wanted them to replace the case! Yikes!!! It was NOT damaged at all when I took it back to Best Buy. So YES! I want it fixed. A call to our Best Buy confirmed they would cover the cost (and probably file a claim with UPS). Another call to the service center to confirm that Best Buy okayed repairs. So, now all I can do is wait.
Once we get my Acer back home and hooked up to life support, I'll write about our adventure to Houston and back, our visitors, the weather, and share this year's decorations. We found some great recipes to share as well (and hope those who have received theirs enjoy them).
Happy 4th Sunday of Advent!!
Today is also the 2nd O Antiphon: O Lord and Ruler (O Adonai) ... the snow has returned to London, and our Houston girl is happy :-)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Up On the Housetop!
As I sit here typing today I am anticipating a dark/early departure for the US with Mary tomorrow morning. Original plans were for Tom to be with us, but work obligations put a halt to those. As a consequence I'll be in Houston with Mary, Peter, Meg and Kate for Thanksgiving, and Tom will be watching Thanksgiving Day football after work on Thursday!
One very bright spot will be stopping at lunch time in Indianapolis to visit with Liz. She has successfully landed a good position in her field (environmental). It will be good for the three of us to have even a snatch of time to visit. Then Mary and I will push on to Little Rock, Arkansas for a night's rest before driving the rest of the way to Houston. I don't think I'll even be tempted to push on, especially since I'm the sole driver.
Our weather has turned cold, but nice blue skies this morning. Snow has been promised later today, and we are just hoping it doesn't mean heavy fall, just another dusting.
Last week we flew Meghan up to visit. It was good to have her here. On Sunday Meg and Peter flew back to Houston. That gave him time to be with his sisters. Then he'll help drive home after Thanksgiving. Our little Basil will be coming back as well. The kids were all joking about how "cruel" I am, bringing our senior citizen back from his "Florida" to endure a London winter. I don't feel too bad for the little guy, we'll have a nice fire to warm up with, and on sunny days he'll have the sunbeams to follow across the family room floor.
Anyone reading, we hope you have a good Thanksgiving, especially family who have so graciously extended invitations. We are ever hopeful that in the future years we'll be able to take you all up on the offers.
Why the title? Tom cleaned the chimney on Saturday ... Meghan went up to the roof, sparing me the agony. Peter and I helped from below.
One very bright spot will be stopping at lunch time in Indianapolis to visit with Liz. She has successfully landed a good position in her field (environmental). It will be good for the three of us to have even a snatch of time to visit. Then Mary and I will push on to Little Rock, Arkansas for a night's rest before driving the rest of the way to Houston. I don't think I'll even be tempted to push on, especially since I'm the sole driver.
Our weather has turned cold, but nice blue skies this morning. Snow has been promised later today, and we are just hoping it doesn't mean heavy fall, just another dusting.
Anyone reading, we hope you have a good Thanksgiving, especially family who have so graciously extended invitations. We are ever hopeful that in the future years we'll be able to take you all up on the offers.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
More Repair to This Old House
It isn't that old, but the house is a bit worn out. This summer after an especially hard rain we had water in the basement. At first it was just a little puddle, however soon with each subsequent storm it lengthened, and finally went in a small stream about 15 feet into the basement.
We knew when we purchased the home that it had several flaws, some glaring (why we painted a year ago) and some hidden. Now is the time for hidden flaws to start revealing themselves. Last month it was the washing machine that revealed a corroded hot water fitting. That necessitated the repairs pictured in the previous entry.
Just prior to that good news we had decided to contact two companies about sealing the seepage through the basement wall. Both came in at about the same price (no surprise), so I selected one and scheduled the work. It took the utility companies quite a while to come out and paint their lines (as seen by the colored paint in the pictures.)
Finally, after a 4 week wait we received word the crew would arrive on Tuesday. Here is a pictoral of what they did, and how it all looked in the end. In the process we also discovered that the weeping tile is practically full of sediment. Since we do not have any other problems in the basement right now, the excavations to actually get the pipe cleaned out will have to wait.
This is one job we did not desire to attempt on our own (especially Peter). End cost will be about $1100. The 13% HST kills us here. The firm did offer to clean out the tile, but that would have run a minimum of another $500, and torn up a lot more places along the foundation. Snow is predicted for Saturday .. so now is simply not the time for such an endeavor.
We knew when we purchased the home that it had several flaws, some glaring (why we painted a year ago) and some hidden. Now is the time for hidden flaws to start revealing themselves. Last month it was the washing machine that revealed a corroded hot water fitting. That necessitated the repairs pictured in the previous entry.
Just prior to that good news we had decided to contact two companies about sealing the seepage through the basement wall. Both came in at about the same price (no surprise), so I selected one and scheduled the work. It took the utility companies quite a while to come out and paint their lines (as seen by the colored paint in the pictures.)
Finally, after a 4 week wait we received word the crew would arrive on Tuesday. Here is a pictoral of what they did, and how it all looked in the end. In the process we also discovered that the weeping tile is practically full of sediment. Since we do not have any other problems in the basement right now, the excavations to actually get the pipe cleaned out will have to wait.
This is one job we did not desire to attempt on our own (especially Peter). End cost will be about $1100. The 13% HST kills us here. The firm did offer to clean out the tile, but that would have run a minimum of another $500, and torn up a lot more places along the foundation. Snow is predicted for Saturday .. so now is simply not the time for such an endeavor.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Out With the Old ...
Every now and then the spin cycle didn't spin, but I could try again, and it would. Except, not the last day.
I looked at the cost of new machines, and went "eek!" We are trying to keep two households running, and money isn't exactly growing on trees right now. So when Tom returned from his business trip I had to let him know the bad news.
Well, fortunately for us, Tom is always scheming. I don't know how his mind works, exactly, but I'm sure glad it works differently than mine. When we first moved to Canada getting a credit card proved to be frustrating, even though our US credit ratings were about as high as they can be. No good here. One trip to Sears to purchase some necessity, a nice clerk asked us if we wanted to apply for a Sears card and get 10% off. For some reason Tom said no, but then said, what the heck. So he filled out the application, and it was approved.
Since then it has become my card for household items. And along with that card came Sears points. That was Tom's scheme.
We found out that Sears does not stock appliances in London. They have to be ordered, with about a 10 day delivery. Visions of laundromats flitted in and out of my mind. Too many years of having to do that made it not an attractive alternative. But the salesman did say that we might want to check out the Sears Outlet store. After verifying that we could still use our points, we drove there. Found a scratch and dent, and after only having to shell out $150 of our own money, had a new washer.
So home we went, and ... it wasn't so simple. Here are some pictures of how this all ended up costing Tom the entire weekend, plus two more nights of repairs. The hot water faucet was corroded, and not coming off!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Dam Tour
Or, as Londoners prefer to say it, the tour of the dam. Probably the same reason Canadians say ash-falt for asphalt. While we regularly get exposed to other, far worse language, it is considered ill mannered to say ass or hell in public. Go figure!
Yesterday Mary and Peter joined other area home schooling teens for a tour of the Fanshawe Reservoir Dam. Though they left reluctantly yesterday morning, they came home in better spirits. They both said the tour was well worth their time, and their guide was terrific.
They learned why it was important to London and folks further downstream. The 1937 flood submerged houses near downtown London up over their roof tops. It was constructed in 1950, the first of eight proposed dams. Three others were built, but remaining 5 have been abandoned. Instead, authorities work to keep folks from settling on the remaining flood plains.
The dam protected London and communities downstream as late as 2000, 2008 and 2009. We witnessed the 2009 high water levels in the Thames River flowing through London. It was pretty impressive. What would have been more impressive, imho, is if we had realized what was keeping higher water levels from devastating the area.
This dam also hosts a hydroelectric plant capable of providing for 300 households. Normal water storage for the reservoir is 12 billion litres (3.17 million gallons), full it can contain 48 billion litres (12.7 million gallons). It might not be large by most standards. However, having witnessed the destruction of flash floods in the desert, and river flooding along the Mississippi and other river systems, it is good to know we are protected here.
The tour took them from the surface to the lowest tunnel, 100 ' below the surface. Evidence of water seepage, and calcium build up (the kids mentioned a definite sulfur "rotten egg" odor. 
Yesterday Mary and Peter joined other area home schooling teens for a tour of the Fanshawe Reservoir Dam. Though they left reluctantly yesterday morning, they came home in better spirits. They both said the tour was well worth their time, and their guide was terrific.They learned why it was important to London and folks further downstream. The 1937 flood submerged houses near downtown London up over their roof tops. It was constructed in 1950, the first of eight proposed dams. Three others were built, but remaining 5 have been abandoned. Instead, authorities work to keep folks from settling on the remaining flood plains.
The dam protected London and communities downstream as late as 2000, 2008 and 2009. We witnessed the 2009 high water levels in the Thames River flowing through London. It was pretty impressive. What would have been more impressive, imho, is if we had realized what was keeping higher water levels from devastating the area.
This dam also hosts a hydroelectric plant capable of providing for 300 households. Normal water storage for the reservoir is 12 billion litres (3.17 million gallons), full it can contain 48 billion litres (12.7 million gallons). It might not be large by most standards. However, having witnessed the destruction of flash floods in the desert, and river flooding along the Mississippi and other river systems, it is good to know we are protected here.
The tour took them from the surface to the lowest tunnel, 100 ' below the surface. Evidence of water seepage, and calcium build up (the kids mentioned a definite sulfur "rotten egg" odor. 
Back on the surface, to see bright blue skies and geese migrating to warmer climes south!
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