Al and Peggy's Corner: October 2009

You don't have to finish first to be a winner.  Recently Brampton's 53 year old Hans Porten finished third overall and top master in the Kinetico 10-Mile Running Race, organized by C3 Canadian Cross-Training Club.  He loves to win, but the real winner was the 1,008 kids that participated in the events.  The events attracted only 500 kids last year which with the help and support of the many other sporting groups doubled in just one year.

A big thank you goes out to Kinetico and Riverdale Fitness Mill that supplied T-shirts, medals and post-race food to the participants. 

An elite group of professional athletes showed up to sign autographs for the kids, the lines were huge.

All proceeds of the day went to the food bank and the Ontario Lung Association.  Check out C3's website at http://www.c3online.ca.

for further information.  They have their 2009 C3 Awards Night & Silent Auction coming up on November 21st.

Thanks C3 for helping our kids get fit.

Hello Active Rainers,

Earlier today we were crying to you about the cost of gas that doesn't seem to cost the same in the US.  Although the gas in the US varied about 25-30¢ from the Canadian border down to South Carolina.

We think we have found the solution.  However, there is a learning curve and we thought we should share it with you, just in case your Government decides to follow suit and change the sale of gas by the litre rather than by the gallon.

Good Morning Active Rain,

Well, they are at it again.  Over the past month or so we have been getting our gas in the range of 85¢ for a litre of regular gas.  Yesterday they were back just over $1.00 for a litre.

We know, what's a litre?  A litre is a way to get more money out of your pocket.  We used to buy our gas by the gallon.  Now there is about 4 litres in a gallon which would calculate to $4.00 per gallon.

Doesn't $1 sound better than $4, hence the change to litres.  They think we are stupid and would never notice... Governments!!!

To put it into perspective for you.  When we are about empty, it costs about $65-70 to fill up the tank, during our drive to Myrtle Beach when we stopped to fill up, it usually cost $35-40 to fill up.

Did You See This... Did You Know

Take the time to watch this video, even if you seen it before.  Also, remember it was done sometime in 2008 and all the facts that it is stating are probably obsolete.  Most of the numbers are probably bigger.

It is hard to believe if in fact it is true. 

What did you think?  Can it be true?

Hello Active Rain Friends,

Came across this little video on YouTube and new many of you would appreciate this. 

The song is called "The Baseball Song" and is sung by Kenny Rogers. 

Now you have to listen to it very carefully because several people missed the whole point.

Good Morning Our Active Rain Friends,

Just the other day, Wordless Wednesday to be exact, we introduced you to a fine feathered friend that turns out to be one of the Greenest birds we know. 

When we secured it's picture that was used last Wednesday, it also wanted to pose for a shot to be distributed on Friday Foto Day but insisted that the photo be in place at such a time to be available for viewing at the stroke of Friday Foto Day. 

It always believed the theory that the early bird did in fact get the worm.

Keep your eyes on your fries or lose them...

IT WAS A SIMPLE CASE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE or actually a lack thereof.

Last week we posted about our technology challenged week, so we went out in search of help.

Our search led us right into Best Buy and over to the Geek Squad.   A techie guy comes out, boots the machine, scans the info all the while chewing on his nails and eyeballing the store activity.   He gives us his diagnosis in two words without looking up “not working”.    Ahh, no fooling, we think, that’s why we are here!  He then states for around three hundred dollars he can give it a fix that may last for a bit or we can add a couple hundred bucks to that and just buy a new one, which he gets up and leads us to. 

Okay, he may be right, but our confidence level in him was way, way down due to his presentation of the facts.

Next stop, Staples.  We were welcomed by a friendly member of the ETF easytech force.   No problem leave the machine with me for a cost of fifty bucks, I’ll open her up, while she’s on the table I’ll  give you a call and we’ll fix her up for you, Should be simple give me 24 hours he says.

Well 48 hours later no word, so we call.  Sorry service department is not open on weekends.  WHAT?  No one told us, no one called us; excuse us we use the machine for business and need it!  Nothing we can do for you, sorry, was the reply.    Why weren’t we told, why didn’t anyone call was the question.  Don’t know came the response coated with a don’t care attitude.

What do we do now?  Options, wait til Monday or come pick it up was the response with a yawn.

We chose the ‘we’ll pick it up option’ which was met with a fill out the form (whatever) response.  At this point we can not contain ourselves any longer and say this is all very disappointing and unbelievable.  With the millions spent trying to get customers, no one wants to help.  Then came the final slap in the form of a response, "there is nothing I can do to help, you are agitated and we will not get anywhere"! 

THEN we read the paperwork as we drive away, with out $50 refund.  The computer was looked at, had been anaylized and would cost two hundred buck or so to fix.  Only thing is, nobody followed up when they were suppose to, so it could have been fixed before the weekend.

It is all in the presentation isn’t it?  How many times have clients asked us a question, for information or to do something and we have ‘blown’ them off in our response or attitude?

Giving ourselves a check up from the neck up.

Happy Good Wordless Wednesday Morning,

Not sure about you, but is time flying by?  Today being the 21st means that we have seen a month of Fall pass by.  While we are on the subject of time, you have a little over 60 days until Santa comes.

Okay, back to Wordless Wednesday, we will try to keep it as wordless as we can.

Think of a couple of birds that you like, you know an Eagle, a Blue Jay, a Mockingbird.  Now think of a few that don't make your list.

We took a shot of this little guy the other day and thought, most people think this bird is just a pest, what bird did you just think of?

Don't peek until you made your guesses...






Did you guess yet?

How about the common Seagull... did it make your pest list?  Think about it for a second, the Seagull is always at work cleaning up.  Drop a french fry and they are there, drop a piece of your hot dog, actually drop just about anything and they are there to get it.  They are doing their own GREEN thing to make our world a cleaner place to live.

So the next time you see one of these guys, give it a salute...

LOOK OUT... Windows 7 Is Coming October 22, 2009 to a store near you...

Windows 7 are you ready?  It is supposed to hit the stores on October 22, 2009.  They tell us that if you have bought a computer in the last little while with Vista installed, you will be entitled to a free upgrade. 

There's that word free again, you may have read one of our recent posts where some free software did our computer in.  It is the exact reason we are out in the computer stores looking.

They say it is going to clean up all those little buggy things you were presented with in Vista.  Not a lot of new features but should be fully compatible with your current computer and programs that are working on Vista now.

Word of Caution: before you buy a new computer with Windows 7 or upgrade to it... check with your MLS provider and be sure it works.  Reversing the upgrade is much harder. As always an ounce of prevention is required.

 THE POWER OF FLOWERS

An old Chinese proverb reminds us that if we have only two pennies, spend one on a loaf of bread and the other on a lily. You know those old Chinese proverbs, they are indeed, very, very, very old, two pennies? Never mind the cost, the message still applies.

 Food keeps us alive it is true, but flowers have the capacity to keep beauty, hope and love going strong. Why then do we only buy them on special occasions, weddings and funerals?

Flowers can brighten an otherwise dull day, (both weather wise & mentally), they instantly bring a smile on the face of the recipient, a warm feeling to the donor and can quickly add a simple touch of elegance to any room in your home.

The symbolism varies depending on flower colour. Now we always thought that only applied to roses, but we stand corrected. Red talks of passion & romance, white conveys charm, peace & innocence, yellow is friendly, pink is graceful, sweet & happy, purple assures dignity & success (as in the orchid), green whispers of health & youth, while the rarer blue flowers speaks of loyalty. Maybe that is why blue roses are becoming popular on Valentine’s Day for people in longer relationships.

The beauty and meaning of flowers therefore, isn’t just an indulgence, it can also be spiritual.

So there you have it, no reason required to pick up a beautiful bouquet today. Will you brighten some room or someone’s day today?

Stopping to smell the flowers,