Blogaround Toronto
Part of the KBCafe blog network.
Copyright 2005 Randy Charles Morin
Blogaround Toronto
Blogging about the greatest city in the Universe.
Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:23:10 GMT
Castlemore Golf Course
I golfed at Castlemore in Brampton this morning. This use to be one of the best golf courses in Brampton. They've resigned down from 27 holes to 18 and likely lost most of their best holes. The land was redeveloped as housing.

The course is still nice, but it's evidently falling into disrepair. Some sandpits are growing weeds between the harpan dirt. The sprinklers were running even while we golfed thru. The ground crew renched a green just before we played it. The back nine has a lot of 300 yard par-4 holes.

On the positive, it was 40 dollars with cart and he greens are very challenging/fast.

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:31:14 GMT
Canadian Tire Sucks
Canadian Tire customer service is awful and getting worse. Today, I wanted to buy their zero-G folding chair. I went to the location at Airport an Queen in Brampton an they only had the floor model. The clerk was uninterested in helping me. I had to beg her to look up her inventory on the old AS400 style terminal. The terminal was frozen. Common CT, upgrade your software.

I then went to the Trinity Commons CT and they didn't have any on display. I aske a clerk and they didn't know what I was talking about. I told them it was on the website, so it had to be at the store. She looked it up and with a lot of help from me, she found it. There was 20+ of them in storage and none on display or on shelves. Ten minutes later, she brought two out for me to pick from.

Ask yourself how many customers would have driven to two Canadian Tires and pushed their clerks to get this. One. Just me. It's for my wife. Our 15th anniversary is this week.

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:19:33 GMT
Hoops, Sports Bar and Grill

Today, I visited one of the most ridiculous sports bar EVAR! The bar is located near the intersection of Derry and Hwy 10. I entered the bar just after 1PM today and it was completely empty. The bar itself is gorgeous with big flatscreen TVs located on every wall. I asked the bartender for a Rickards Red and she needed help pouring the beer from the manager. When I paid, the bartender asked if I needed exact change, because they didn't have pennies. I asked the manager and bartender if they had WiFi. I could see a signal, but it was password protected. They thought they did, but they didn't know anything about it.

Then a group entered. The bartender and manager didn't know how to make a Caesar or pretty much any other mixed drink, nor did they know where to find the ingredients. One of the customers took the initiative and started making the drinks himself. He had to search thru the 10+ fridges for Clamato juice as the bartender and manager watched him do their job.

152

Three month ago, this use to be a St Louis Bar and Grill. It was a fantastic looking bar back then as well, but I remember the service was just as ridiculous. I also remember that nobody was their when I visited either. I'm amazed they are still in business. I have to assume they have a great staff at the dinner hour.

153

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:13:12 GMT
Boston Pizza WiFi Sucks
Boston Pizza (I'm there right now) has likely the most unpredictable WiFi of any restaurant we go to. It works about 50% of the time. And I'm not just talking one franchise. I've been to several that don't work. I usually ask the waitress or bartender and they often confirm that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Overall, we love the restaurant, but I just wish they had more reliable WiFi.

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:02:15 GMT
Walkers Brew
Found out today that my favorite pub has WiFi. It's just around the corner from my house at the intersection of Queen and Dixie, south west corner. WOOT! Great food prices.

http://www.walkersbrew.com/

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:32:47 GMT
Montreal Deli and Fox and Fiddle, Richmond Hill
Today, I had lunch at the Montreal Deli near Hwy 7 and the 404 with some old friends. Awesome sandwich for an awesome price. I could get the free WiFi from the Fox and Fiddle next door. I stoppedat the Fox and Fiddle afterwards for a beer. Beer was a little pricy but affordable.
Wed, 13 May 2009 16:13:05 GMT
Jack Astors on Queen in Brampton
I'm at the Jack Astors on Queen near the 410 in Brampton. Beer is watered down and expensive. They have password protected WiFi and they provide a one day password free of charge. Wings were OK. If the beer wasn't watered down, then I'd consider returning. I jogged here (about a mile from my house). I'm still looking for a bar within jogging distance that serves both WiFi and good beer. I live in Bramalea Woods.
Thu, 07 May 2009 03:28:09 GMT
Dynamic Trophies and Awards
I bought coaching plaques from Dynamic Trophies and Awards. They were awesome. Major recommend.

http://www.canpages.ca/page/ON/brampton/dynamic-trophies-and-awards/2714144.html

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:15:33 GMT
SportZone Mississauga
Mississauga SportZone is an awesome facility. They even have a bar with big scrren TVs. They also have WiFi. The password changes monthly. This month it's 911127771 and easter.
Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:46:37 GMT
Richtree Square One
Today, I'm Richtree Square One Mississauga. Wifi sucks. Expensive. I'm leaving.

Update: Forgot to mention the password is their phone number. 9052721010

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:57:26 GMT
T and A's, Brampton
T&A's on Queen Street in Brampton is a guy's sports bar. They have WiFi, Beer and TVs with sports on. It doesn't hurt that the waitresses wear short skirts. It's a little expensive, but not enough to scare me away. On Monday they had all you can eat Mussels, which I use to enjoy weekly. They have Rickards Red on tap, that's all I need.
Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:12:37 GMT
TeeJays in Brampton
Today I'm at TJs in North Brampton. I ordered their wings, but they had a great burger and beer special. WiFi? Yes! The passphrase is their phone number (9054951126). I'm adding these guys to my lunch rotation. Lots of TVs on sport channels. It use to be called Chicagos. I went here several years ago when my kids had Tae Kwon Do down the street.
Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:11:17 GMT
Wild Wing Brampton North
Yes we have WiFi, but I don't know the code to unlock it. Arggg! That's what I got today when I visited the Wild Wing restaurant in North Brampton. Looks like a great place otherwise, but no WiFI makes it unlikely I'll return. Beer was expensive (6 dollar pint). I didn't try their Wings, but if they are anything like the othe Wild Wing in Brampton, then they are awesome. Lots of TVs and playing various sport channels.
Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:10:29 GMT
East Side Marios Trinity Commons
On Valentines Day, our family went to East Side Marios at Trinity Commons in Brampton. They had WiFi, although they didn't know the passcode. I was able guess it was 2468101214 as one waiter knew it started with 246. Good luck to anybody else trying to use their WiFI. They might as well not even have it. I had a Caesar salad as I wasn't feeling well. My wife had a Firecracker Bowtie that was awesome. I'll have that next time. The beer was excessively expensive (7 dollar pint). Service was good and the kids really enjoyed themselves.
Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:10:08 GMT
Public Schools are Failing Us
The first five years of sending my kids to school, we sent them to Montessori school to give them a head start. But we planned to put our kids back into the public system when they started grade four.

That happened two years ago and my eldest did her grade four in Catholic school, which in Canada is part of the publicly funded school systems. I noticed at first that the kids spent very few hours in school. There was no extra-culicular school activities. None. Then after a few months, I noticed my 9 year old was learning the same material as my 7 year old who was in private school. I wasn't worried, as my daughter had lots of friends at school and that was most important to me. Then in the second half of the year, my eldest informed us that she preferred private as public was too easy for her and she missed the extra activities only available in the private school system.

This year we returned her to private school. Now she's really struggling. She is doing review of grade four work, but for her it's all new, since the public system was two years behind. I have to teach her fundamental math concepts that she skipped because of that one year in the public system.

Are you sending your kid to public school? If you are then they are two years behind by grade four. I wonder how far they are behind in grade twelve? The public system is a failure. They have failed your kids. They have failed you. We are looking at a two tier system, one for the rich and one for the poor. The rich kids will be smarter and it'll be difficult for people to exceed the class of their parents.

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:17:37 GMT
5 Rivers Pub, Brampton

Saturday night, I stopped by 5 Rivers Pub on the way home. It's located at Bovaird and Airport in Brampton in the heart of the middle eastern district (Bramladesh). The conventional thinking would be that such a pub wouldn't work in the middle of a far eastern district and it is the only pub, I know of, in that area. The pub was full. Completely full. They were standing outside in the Canadian cold. I didn't bother checking it out. I'll check it out off-hours.

http://www.5riverspubandgrill.com/

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:35:59 GMT
USD In, CDN Out

I'm paid in U.S. Funds. A week ago today, I was getting $1.01 on the exchange. Now I'm getting $1.24. I'm very happy, since I'm making 23% more than just one month ago. On the other hand, prices are gonna rise, especially on big ticket items like cars, recreational vehicles and TVs. Might be the time to buy.

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:39:12 GMT
Where's my Rickard's Red?

Many restaurants around Brampton that I frequent have stopped serving Rickard's Red latetly. Quite often, it's because the waitresses can't poor the beer because it froths up too much. What's up? Did Rickard's Red become more frothy or are waitresses losing the ability to poor beer in Brampton.

http://www.molson.com/brands/molsoncanada/molsonbrands.php#4

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:39:34 GMT
Canadian Soccer League

Today, we went to the Brampton Lions, of the Canadian Soccer League, soccer game. Unfortunately, when we arrived, there was nobody else at the game. I thought maybe I had the wrong date-time or location. I walked about Victoria Park for 10 minutes before somebody told me the game had been cancelled. There was no note on the door. They cancelled the game two hours before it was suppose to start and didn't bother even posting a sign. This league doesn't appear to be fan friendly. Not a very smart way of ruining a professional league.

http://www.canadiansoccerleague.ca/
http://www.bramptonlionsfc.ca/

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:18:51 GMT
Pontiac Montana SV6

Pics of the new van.

Get the code from MySpaceLayoutStore.

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:51:00 GMT
Hotest Wings in Brampton

Last week, I went to Casey's Grill Bar on Great Lakes Dr in Brampton. I had been snacking all day, so I decided against ordering a meal. On the other hand, I knew we'd be there awhile, so I got a double order of Casey's Wings. I usually get suicide, but they only have hot. Turns out, their hot wings were the spicyest wings I've ever had. I only had about 12 of (20) them before I forfeited. It's the first time in 10 about years that I couldn't eat something because it was too spicy. I ate the remaining 8 in the last hour. I don't know if they are always that spicy, but I'm prepared to say those were the hotest wings I've ever had.

http://www.caseysgrillbar.com/

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:05:16 GMT
Pontiac Montana SV6

Yesterday, my wife bought a Pontiac Montana SV6 from Frost for less than $20K (all inclusive). No options. On the lot. Red. She'll pick it up on Monday. Our old Venture mini-van was getting costly.

http://gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/pontiac/sv6/overview

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:46:03 GMT
Rogers Telemarketing

Of late, Rogers telemarketers have been calling us twice a week to ask if we want their VOIP homephone. And I'm not counting the times someone else in my household answers the phone. This is getting quite annoying. When I tell them I'm not interested, they don't give up. They swear their $30 per month base-price is gonna save me hundreds of dollars. Huh? When I tell them how much my monthly bill is, then they start selling me on another feature. Eventually, I simply hang up on them. Of late, I hang up within 30 seconds.

I currently get digital cable from Rogers and Internet service. I can get these from somebody else (Bell). I want to send Rogers a small email telling them that I might drop their other services if they don't stop this practice. So, I'm gonna forward this blog entry here. But I honestly doubt they'll change.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:50:32 GMT
iM a Thief

Today, the Brampton police left me a sticky note regarding Thef of Gas at a local gas station (the one I always buy my gas from). It turns out, the Shell gas station is accusing me of stealing gas. Originally, they told the police I stole the gas around noon January 28th. After I gave an alibi; I gassed up a couple days earlier so it couldn't be me, they changed their story and said I stole the gas that earlier day. After calling the police and telling them I had receipts, the police closed the incident. I returned to the gas station to confront their lies and they actually had the nerve to tell me that I did steal the gas and they intended on pursuing the case with the police. They refused to look at the receipt I was trying to show them. They refused to give me their supervisor's phone number. In the end, the police laughed at them, but now I'm pissed.

Update: I called Shell customer service and the manager of the gas station lied thru his teeth to them to try and save his job. As such, I've informed Shell that I will never buy gas from them again until they prove they fired the manager of this gas station. The cops apoligized several times about the situation. Shell has never apoligized in any manner.