The Price of Gas in Mississauga

The price of gas has recently been dropping and I have been happy to see it go for about 90 cents a litre, well down from $1.05 a litre 2 weeks ago.

Yesterday a price war hit the area. I was surpirsed to see it at 75.9 cents a litre, prices only found in Mississauga and Brampton. I quickly filled up, took a quick trip to Niagara Falls to drop the girls off and filled up again when I returned.

Today it is back up to 88 cents a litre.

Still cheaper than Alberta... go figure.

Out of my coma

I'm back. Awakened from my coma and beginning to move about.

And perhaps it is time to update the saga.

Altogether too much has happened. so how do I sum up?

- Camping / backpacking in Bruce Peninsula National Park with Andrew.
- Cottage in the Haliburton. Everyone went waterskiing.
- Visit from my sister.
- Family holiday to Ottawa. Stayed at historic Lord Elgin Hotel.
- Kids went to Volleyball Camp. Andrew for 3 weeks.
- Saundra ran the kids daycamp at the church. I stayed away.
- Visit from my brother and his family all the from Campbell River BC.
- Saundra's parents moved to Niagara Falls.
- Took lots of trips to Niagara Falls.
- Experienced brutally hot weather. The van read 43C while driving in Ottawa. Was hotter in Mississauga.
- Still haven't found a house... looking in Streetsville only... kind of hard to find.
- Went to Big Daddy's Crab Shack to finally hang out with my old friend Paul, who works in Mississauga, but we never connect (some things never change after 15 years).
- Took day trip to Long Point to go to the beach. Dropped in at my grandparents old cottage, much renovated. Not much else has changed there, including the old store with the candy room. Exactly the same as I remember it when I was a kid. Hope it doesn't change. Swimming was superb!
- Finally got my free, brand new, Napoleon BBQ going- I was given a never-used Stainless Steel grill head for natural gas. Got it set up on a cart and with a conversion kit. Finally.. we have a BBQ again.

Adios

Welcome to Terror-Central

It is now June and I have not posted here for many weeks, so long that I don't think people come here any more, not that they ever did or anything.

Life has continued much as it has been these past weeks. Spring has sprung, rather early, trees in bloom for several weeks, allergies flaring up. We have suffered through our first heat-wave and smog alert. Wasn't too bad but I have never seen the van's thermometer read 41C before!

We've been to the beach, Niagara Falls, Niagara-On-The-Lake for Mother's Day. Cherith ran in the short race of the Mississauga Marathon as part of a relay. She has also been to a Volleyball program and the cross-country team at her school. We sent Andrew back to Edmonton to see his friends and attend YC. He came home with a Chris Pronger jersey and a desire to move back to Edmotnton.


Food is cheaper here and I always seem to be picking up "great deals", jamming our freezer with meat for the BBQ. Gas is also cheaper than in Edmonton for some strange reason.


House prices, on the other hand are through the ceiling. So last week we think that we are just about ready to buy, look up a house and see the most beautiful 1900 sq ft semi, done up like a showhome with a deck and pool to go with it.

I have never seen a kitchen like it. The pictures couldn't do justice: black granite, hickory cabinets, and island with 8 barstools, more counterspace than we know what to do with. We saw the place last Friday and fell in love with it. And it was affordable, unlike most homes in the area.

Saturday the terrorists were arrested, and 6 were from Mississauga. But not just any part of Mississauga, but our part of Mississauga. The affluent, quiet, serene part of Mississauga. Mississauga has one of the lowest crime rates in Canada and we feel far safer here than we ever did in Edmonton. No drive-by shootings, no home invasions, no police helicopters waking us up at 1:00 in the morning. In fact, Edmonton and most of the Prairie cities have higher murder rates than Toronto, and Mississauga is near the bottom. I feel so safe, that if I accidentally leave home with the door unlocked I don't worry too much.

So on Sunday we decided to see the beautiful house again. Monday morning I saw that the mosque where these guys all prayed was on the NY Times website. I have seen this place somewhere before..... 3 doors away and around the corner from the showhome. Literally a stone's throw away.


So Mississauga is Terror-Central! Not a nice thought. Some of these guys went to my son's high school and one of them started a radical "religious awareness club" a few years ago. Christian clubs are not allowed at that school. Some of the kids there are actually supporting the terrorists charging the police (who never once uttered the words Islam or Muslim) with racism. In the words of Monty Python, "Explain the logic underlying that conclusion".

About half of my work is in Brampton, and on Tuesday, I had lunch with my team at Louisiana's, about 3 blocks from the Peel county courthouse where Tactical units, snipers, helicopters were present along with reporters from every news outlet around the world.

I didn't notice anything, but the oysters and crabcakes were pretty good.

However I like it here. I really do! And I am still a rabid Oilers fan, as are many sudden coverts out here in the Big Smoke. Pray for Dwayne!

CN is Believin'

Sorry for the long delay in posting, as I have had nothing much to post here. Oh we did take some holidays, go to Montreal, had my sister come for a visit (who I had not seen since August 2003), celebrate my daughter's 11th birthday etc etc.

But I have had nothing to post except I did have some pictures of our visit to the CN Tower. It was both exhilirating and disappointing. Exhilirating because it is so amazing and because of the freaky glass floor.

Now the glass floor is supposed to hold 14 hippos, but from my perspective, all the hippos up there were not taking any chances, and just letting their kids take the chances.

But is was disappointing. Disappointing because it was too windy to go to the Space Deck or outside. And because they use up half the Observation Deck for a stupid restaurant. There is a restaurant upstairs for crying out loud!

Steady As She Goes Mr. Sulu

Aye, aye, captian Kirk.

Hmmm,

Sorry Jim, I have always wondered how can you steady a spacecraft when there are no external forces acting upon it? At sea, in a sailing ship, I can understand it but why space, when it is just a vacuum. In space no one can hear you scream and shooting at aliens will not result in a loud explosion. Blow up a planet and you will hear nothing except Obi-Wan doing the dry heaves in the seat next to you.

But life has external forces acting upon it. From incontinent poodles that imagine themselves to be rat poison gourmands to a dishwasher installers whose electircal work would be better suited to setting up the the July 1st firworks display, to a creep who masquerades as God's prophet, we have had our fair share. But it is mostly over now, we are fine.

The dog is peeing outside; the appliances all work properly; we can actually get our mail; the mice are dead and gone; last time I heard the creep was in jail, and I am happy.

I am not sure why I am happy, but this is a very strange feeling indeed. Ever since we moved here I have had this creeping feeling of contented excitement and muted giddiness. I like life and all that is going on around me. I love living in Mississauga and I catch myself laughing as I drive down the road.

Not that I don't miss living in Edmonton, but for some reason trying to imagine myself still living there makes me feel all itchy as if I had installed pink insulation wearing nothing but my underwear. Not sure why, though.

Come to think of it, I don't miss Edmonton at all*... especially the TLC. Which may have something to do with why I am so happy now, how does that Kelly Clarkson song go? Since you've been gone...?

WOW!



* disclaimer: rest assured that I do miss all of our many friends in Edmonton. It was just time to go...

I ♥ Ralphbucks

Although we now live in Ontario, we still received the coveted Alberta Prosperity Rebate or the Ralphbucks Check. That was $2000 for a family of 5 and it was a very welcome going-away gift from the province of Alberta. Thanks for 14 years!

Alas, it has mostly been spent, on a van and a stinky poodle's foray into private healthcare (BTW I wonder what they charged to treat the gerbil?)

On the plus side, we also brought with us a Conservative government to share with the rest of the country.

"Telethon Count" or "I Am So Glad This Is A Rental"

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are currently at 7 and counting....

1. Dryer venting clogged.
2. Mice-infested.
3. Low-flow toilets that clog easily (that explains the plumbers' helpers everywhere)
4. No keys for the mailbox - 3 weeks later.
5. Dishwasher mysteriously stops working.
6. Clothes covered in lint after washing.
7. Advertised "Partially Finished Basement" is actually unfinished with old carpet thrown on the floor.

Do we have another defect?

Out Damn Spot!

(with apologies to Lady MacBeth).

Or should I say, Out Damn Spirit. Yes, our house is haunted, by a Spirit. And no I am not going to get all spiritual and say we are haunted by the Holy Spirit, which I wouldn't exactly consider haunting anyway. What is haunting is the Spirit which haunts our home, none other than our stinky poodle. Stinky because she has not had a bath since 2 nights before my December 15th post on the blog. And right now I don't feel like doing anything about it.

You see, she has taken to peeing and pooping on the rug at any possible occasion. Put her outside, even in nice weather, which is what I would call +9C and sunny in January, and she won't do anything significant until she comes inside. Then off she goes for a little carpet time. Thank God for Bissel machines and Nature's Miracle, but I have already used up a bottle since moving here and it does get a little tedious. It really took off after that dose of charcoal from the expensive visit to the vet. I still have charcoal stains on the back steps.

While I am on the subject, to all you vets out there who want to charge $80 for a dose of activated charcoal, tell your patients to go to the local hardware store, buy a lifetime's supply of it for $5.00 (BBQ charcoal), crush up 1/2 cup of it, mix it with hamburger and voila, instant poison antidote. Saves you time and them money.

I am not sure what to do with her - Perhaps she has a shy bladder and so won't go on the small strip of grass we have out there.

I just discovered that Dr. Phil knows how to fix this problem. Apparently Dr Phil knows everything there is to know about dogs and has suggested we go for therapy. I told him we had activated charcoal and that's good enough for us thank you very much, and that perhaps he should take some too. I hold Oprah personally responsible for unleashing him upon the world.

In the meantime, every day is cleanup day! Out damn spot!