Heart Rings

I heart the Olympics too. Sad they will be over soon.

VanOC

Canada enters the opening ceremonies at BC place…

There was some stunning imagery. They must have had hundreds of projectors going. At one point, they turned the entire floor into a prairie wheat field. I kept trying to figure out where they were projecting from. Could it have been from below? If it was from above, I don’t understand how we didn’t see the dancers’ shadows more. Perhaps Brent and Tash figured out the trick…

VanOC did a great job.

The only shortcoming was a malfunction in one of the arms of the Olympic cauldron that failed to deploy.

Quirkle

A new game called “quirkle” we learned about at Christmas…

Babushka Doll

John and Michelle’s Babushka has more layers than I’ve ever seen in one of these dolls.

Blue Sky

A picture of Tonya from a trip up to Sudbury in the Fall.

Toaster Oven

I don’t like our new toaster oven. All 3 knobs have to be set correctly to make toast.

If you look closely, you’ll notice the instructions: “Rotate knob past 10 then set to desired time”. WTF!? What if you want to set it for 5 minutes? You have to rotate it past 10 and then back to 5?! The designers of this toaster need to read Kim Vincente’s The Human Factor. It was a problem like this that led to the Chernobyl disaster.

So I have to rotate past 10…but wait. What does it say at the bottom en francais? “Tourner le bouton jusqu’a depasser la position 20 puis regler le temps desire”

Which is it? 10 or 20? Does toaster oven treat me different if I’m french?

Fire

There was a fire at my old building at 191 St. George early in the morning of Feb 4, 2010. The fire was in the first floor apartment but the scorch marks appear to have reached to the 6th floor. More photos here.

Tonya and the TTC

Looks like Adam Giambrone will be running for mayor…Not sure if it’s related…but the TTC seems to be stepping up to answer their critics.

They came out with a list of promised improvements that include:
• Improved customer assistance and more emergency transfers when there are major subway delays.
• More TTC ambassadors at stations to help direct riders.
• A comprehensive review of customer service training for new employees and recertification for older staff. All 12,000 TTC employees, from the front line to management, will be evaluated on customer service performance, said TTC chair Adam Giambrone.
• A review of uniforms and dress code for frontline TTC workers.
• More use of “secret shoppers” to test courtesy across the system.
• A 24/7 hotline for TTC information and complaints.
• 50 new vending machines to dispense Metropasses. There are currently 10.
• Video screens at collector booths and stations to update system status information.
• Text messages for next-vehicle arrival at 800 streetcar stops by July and for all bus stops by the end of 2011.
• LED screens at select shelters and subway stations that have streetcar stops with next vehicle arrival information.
• New microphones in collector booths so employees and customers don’t have to yell.
• Online trip planner to be unveiled next week.
• Possible expansion of program that trains summer students to direct riders at busy stations.

I’m looking forward to being able to text to find out when the next street car is coming.