October 2007
You are currently browsing the articles from Review and Things written in the month of October 2007.
My husband and I like this restaurant, and we are die hards if we like a place. We have been to this restaurant about 5 times in the last year, and have always, on every occasion been extremely impressed with the quality of the food. Its often very crowded, and the waitlist to get a table can be long, often times forcing us to sit in the lounge area. Most times, our wait staff although extremely busy have been friendly curteous and have in turn made up for the general disorganization and mess that goes with a busy eatery.
Last night (on my birthday) we decided to eat at this restaurant, partly because the food has always been great, but also because Tony Roma’s is kind enough to send you a free entree’ on your birthday present. The place was not so busy, which is nice, both of us were tired and just wanted to eat something with some time to ourselves. The food as usual was amazing, however the waiter really ruined our night. I think “Ivan” was having a bad day, he was rude to everyone, he didnt give us any options to ask for more drinks or more food, or list the specials or anything, he was functional with no chit chat and no friendliness or service. Very dissappointing for us. We will probably go back to this palce to eat, however I will make sure we are not served by “Ivan” again.
Written by Smriti on October 25th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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This series of books by Frank Warren is the latest compilation of hundreds of never-before-seen secrets arranged in loose chronological order revealing the fascinating ways our secrets change over the course of our lives and the surprising ways they remain exactly the same.
For the past three years Frank Warren has invited people of all backgrounds and nationalities to send him creatively decorated postcards bearing secrets they have never before revealed. He has shared these PostSecrets on his award-winning blog, www.PostSecret.com, in an internationally traveling art exhibit, and in three electrifying books: the bestselling PostSecret, My Secret, and The Secret Lives of Men and Women.
Now, in his most extraordinary book yet, Warren again delves into our collective confessions, presenting a never-before-seen selection of provocative and moving PostSecrets. A Lifetime of Secrets lays bare our private fears, hopes, regrets, and desires, from people as young as eight and as old as eighty. From painful admissions of infidelity to breathtaking revelations and endearing sentiments, Warren’s latest collection will shock and move readers of every age, revealing secrets that have haunted their creators for a lifetime.
I urge you to check out the book and website. I think Frank has really found one way to make the world a better place.
Written by Smriti on October 25th, 2007 with no comments.
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I was at one of those outdoor stores and saw this nice looking Camelbak Bottle. The nice thing i though was the bite and sip top that you can flip away and doesn’t drip. The other nice thing about this bottle is that there is a straw attached to it so now you don’t have to flip the bottle if you want to drink. Just bite the top and start drinking.
There is one flaw in this bottle. It is not major but still a bit strange if you ask me. Ok you wonder what is it 
ok the Straw is to short and that means that about a 1/2 inch of your drink will stay in the bottle. I really wonder why they didn’t make the straw just a little bit longer.
The size of this bottle is nice BUT it will not fit in all cup holders in your car. It fits in the top part of our cars but if you want to make sure it fits maybe you should go with the smaller version of this bottle.
Camelbak made a great product for a good price and they even have spare parts in case you need them. The bottle is dishwasher save (didn’t try) and is leak proof.
A real nice bottle to add to your collection.
update:
As you may have heard by now most of those nice looking plastic water bottles are not very safe for you to use.
This Camel bottles we talked about is one of those. It is made from plastic nr 7 and that seems to be not that healthy.
You can read more about the plastics in this article at The Mess We Made!
Written by George on October 25th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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I like to know how Hot / Cold it is outside and that made my buy this Inside/Outside Thermometer last year.
The La Crosse 9117 comes with a receiver unit (see picture) and a little transmitter that one can put outside. The installation is simple just place the transmitter outside, away from rain and direct sunlight. And place the indoor unit whereever you would like to check the temperature. Then just set the time (12 or 24 hours) and degrees F or C .
Then the units will start communicating and soon you can see how cold it is inside and outside. It also has a minimum and maximum setting so that you can see how cold it got last night.
Of course there is a little downside to these gadgets and in this case of course it is the batteries. In the year that i have this unit i changed the outside batteries once (just last week) and for the inside unit I changed the batteries twice. It is not to bad i think but still it would be great if the batteries would last a bit longer.
Conclusion:
The La Crosse Technology Wireless Thermometer WS9117U is a great way to keep track of the temperature. I like to see how cold it is outside before I go running so that i know what to wear and for that purpose alone i have to say it is a great unit to have. I would say if you are in the market for a device like this then have a look at it. It gives good value for your money.
update:
Today here in Calgary the temperature dropped a lot and I noticed that the La Crosse WS9117U doesn’t show a temperature when it’s get below -30c after that it will show “- -” when the temperature rises again it will come back to the normal outside temperature.
Written by George on October 22nd, 2007 with 2 comments.
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I really loved this book.
In general I like Nick Hornby’s style of writing and dark yet subtle humor, so its not a big surprise that this book was a huge hit with me.
In Nick Hornby’s How to Be Good, Katie Carr is certainly trying to be good. That’s why she became a GP. That’s why she cares about Third World debt and homelessness, and struggles to raise her children with a conscience. It’s also why she puts up with her husband David, the self-styled Angriest Man in Holloway.
But one fateful day, she finds herself in a Leeds parking lot, having just slept with another man. What Katie doesn’t yet realize is that her fall from grace is just the first step on a spiritual journey more torturous than the interstate at rush hour. Because, prompted by his wife’s actions, David is about to stop being angry. He’s about to become good–not politically correct, organic-food-eating good, but good in the fashion of the Gospels. And that’s no easier in modern-day Holloway than it was in ancient Israel.
Hornby means us to take his title literally: How can we be good, and what does that mean? However, quite apart from demanding that his readers scrub their souls with the nearest available Brillo pad, he also mesmerizes us with that cocktail of wit and compassion that has become his trademark. The result is a multifaceted jewel of a book: a hilarious romp, a painstaking dissection of middle-class mores, and a powerfully sympathetic portrait of a marriage in its death throes. It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry as we watch David forcing his kids to give away their computers, drawing up schemes for the mass redistribution of wealth, and inviting his wife’s most desolate patients round for a Sunday roast. But that’s because How to Be Good manages to be both brutally truthful and full of hope. It won’t outsell the Bible, but it’s a lot funnier. –Matthew Baylis
Written by Smriti on October 19th, 2007 with no comments.
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I volunteered to help out with this race in Calgary this year. I had heard good things about it from runners in the past and wanted to contribute to it, instead of participate. I must say I was astonished at the lack of organization and general disconcern I experienced at this event. We were asked to show up at 7am, which we did, and were efficiently directed to our posts during the race. I was appointed at the finish, and was supposed to collect the race time chips from the participants when they finished. Being a bit early i walked over to the table I was supposed to be at, when I set off the time alarm. It was pure coincidence that I was carrying an old one-time use time chip in my handbag. Well, the person responsible for time chip set up, lost it. He was completely unhinged by this, even though I apologized and explained that I was unaware of the chip in my handbag. He used crude language to explain to me (and another female colleague) how he had told off another woman at a different race who had also set off the time chip with her car keys a few times. Ok this was just the beginning, there was not finish sign or ribbon, they ran out of water all through the path and at the end point. They had no idea how many racers were signed up, and how many had finished, and in the end, nothing but 5 Zoo bucks, a t-shirt, and a thankyou e-mail was offered to the volunteers or participants. I guess I am spoiled from having recenlty participated in the Terry Fox race in Calgary, which was well organized, well stocked with food and drinks and generally gave the feeling of care and concern. It was free to boot.
SO in conclusion: I am not sure I want to participate in, or volunteer for this race next year, I might suggest you look for a free race that supports a good cause like the Terry Fox.
Written by Smriti on October 19th, 2007 with no comments.
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We have had mixed feelings about this restaurant for a while. When we moved to the NW quarter of Calgary about a year ago, we really liked this restaurant. It used to be owned by an older Asian couple whom were always interested in the customers and the food was really good for a place like this. It then got bought by new owners, and we noticed a few changes, the wait staff was friendly as always, the interior got a complete facelift to look cleaner and more neat, howeve the food got from bad to worse. I wonder if they changed the cook, or are just focussing on different priorities. This was an easy and quiet restaurant that my husband and I liked to dine at once in a while. I am not so sure we will revisit.
Written by Smriti on October 19th, 2007 with no comments.
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We took a friend to dinner at Moxie’s in Market mall this past week. We have been to Moxie’s in Thunder Bay, Ontario, at the Intercity mall, and its always been a good experience.
Since it was a wait to get it, we decided to sit in the lounge which was quite empty. We sat at a really nice booth, very roomy and comfortable, probably could have fit 5 of us easily. The bathrooms were nice, modern and exceptionally clean. The food was good, although a little too salty for my taste, and the portions were quite big. I had to take most of my dinner home. The service staff were friendly and courteous, and gave us enough time and space to chat and have a good social time. Our drinks were refilled promptly.
All in all it was a good experience, we will surely visit this restaurant again.
Written by Smriti on October 19th, 2007 with no comments.
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I was looking for a couple of Trail Runners and decided to give Gord’s Running Store a try. I heard good stories about them so i thought why not.
Last Monday Morning I went to Gord’s and i was the only customer at that point and there was at least 4 people staff (or looked like staff). So after a while looking at the shoes on display a guy came to me to asked if he could help me. I told him that i was looking for some trail running shoes and that i now run on Asics shoes (that i was wearing) with that info he told me that he had two shoes that would be right for me 1 Asics and 1 other (that he didn’t show me). I told him that i would like to try the Asics shoe and that i had size 7.5 / 8. He went to the back and came back with a box with one shoe in it and gave it to me and walked away.
The Shoe looked nice and i guess that the other shoe of the pair was the one on display. I tried the shoe that he gave me and it was to big (believe it was size 8.5) so i put my normal shoe back on and waited and waited and waited and then after like 5 to 10 minutes i decided to leave. I never saw a sales person again?????
After visiting like 11 stores the last couple of days (my size is difficult to get) i have to say Gord’s Running Store definitely gave me the impression that i am JUST a customer and that they don’t care about those. Even at places as SportCheck and Sportmart where you don’t really expect service i got way better service then at Gord’s.
My advice would be that if you are in to running check out the TechShop or Runningroom but please stay away from Gord’s. After this experience you will definitely not see me going there to look for my gear.
Written by George on October 18th, 2007 with no comments.
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London Stansted Airport maybe a big airport for the Low Cost airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet but that doesn’t make it and easy to reach place from London.
In this review I will talk about the Shuttle bus we took from London Stansted to Victoria station (downtown London).
Finding the shuttle bus is easy but be smart and book your ticket online because that way you don’t have to wait in line twice (first for a ticket and then at the bus).
Just follow the signs that point to the buses and you will get there in a short walk. In our case we where early we booked the bus for 6 pm but we got there a bus earlier but that was not a problem they just let us take the earlier one. Luggage you but in the baggage hold under the buss and you can try to hold on to your hand luggage but you have very little space on the bus for it.
The bus i just a normal touring car and that means that they don’t offer much space for luggage or even you legs. The Terravision bus we took was almost full.
We took the bus on a Saturday so the highways where not that busy so our ride went fairly quick. They say that the trip will take around 75 minutes but that of course is depending on the traffic. And from my experience the drivers change routes some times so i guess they are aware where it’s busy and where not. If you are lucky the ride will pase some of the typical London tourist attractions.
Arriving at the Victoria Coach Station (just next to the Victoria Train / Underground Station) was less fun. Everybody on the buss seem to be in a rush and that means that they like to push you out. The the luggage, everybody just is diving for there belongings maybe some one from Terravision could try to lead this process a bit better.
My Conclusion:
Taking the Terravision bus is a good and easy way to travel to this part of London. In the past i also used the Stansted Express train but that brings you all the way to the other side of London and most times far from where you want to be.
The bus is cheaper then the train and that also means that it gets more crowded so be prepared for that.
My advice take the bus if you want to get to this side of London. And book your Terravision Coach ticket online so that you don’t have to wait in the ticket line and it is even a little bit cheaper.
Written by George on October 16th, 2007 with 2 comments.
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