Dear Toronto Mayor Candidates:

I am writing you today because I feel you are not addressing my concerns as a resident of this city.

1. Eliminate parking offices. The workers there only offer you 2 options: pay or appeal your ticket. You can easily do that online. If they aren't willing to employ common sense when someone comes in with a ticket and a receipt (someone in front of me) or someone with a ticket for a car that does not belong to them (me), then they shouldn't be paid to sit there. A machine can do their job. (Side note: to become a world class city, they should also recognize when out of towners, including international ones, get tickets - I have seen them tell visitors to our city that they will send them a summons for court.)

2. Privatize waste management. We spent so much money putting in new programs (green bin, new sized garbage bins) but then the workers go around throwing the bins around and not actually separating garbage from green bin waste. How does that promote not producing excess waste or saving our city money? They are beyond hope.

3. Your first day in office (if you really are concerned about public transit) should be to go into the TTC tunnels at 12:31am and ask the workers why they have not finished the project to update the tracks and signals that was supposed to be finished more than 2 years ago? I believe this problem has to do with the fact that none of the current mayoral candidates have taken the TTC in the past 2 years.

4. City workers need to be more accountable. This includes everyone from desk clerks to police officers to random workers driving around the city. I believe you could solve a lot of this by doing 2 things. First, eliminate police officers at construction sites. Instead, anyone who is on welfare should have to go to a construction site and help direct traffic to earn that welfare check (the frequency can be decided based on number of welfare applicants and number of construction sites). This will cut down on police overtime costs (where many just stand there and text on their phones anyways...the one time I did see a guy directing traffic, he was signaling pedestrians instead of cars and was mad that he confused me by holding out his hand to stop and then sighing when I did stop) and make people do something for the money they get from our city. You can't tell me that someone can't sit or stand and direct traffic for a couple of hours for their monthly check. This will also give the police more time to actually enforce the law - like ticketing people who are speeding or talking on their cell phones - even when they're not actually doing a ticketing blitz. I have been a pedestrian who almost got hit by a driver on her cell phone. In front of the courthouse and two policemen in a police car (why they didn't do anything is beyond me). I have also been a driver behind a city worker who has been on his cell phone without a hands free device for 2 km. Thanks to David Miller for labeling city cars with a "greening our fleet" motto.

5. Saving money really should be your number one concern. Our city is almost expensive to live in even if you make a decent amount of money. Since I have moved to Toronto 8 years ago, the TTC individual fare has increased by a dollar and the TTC metropass fare has increased by more than $10. However, the service has decreased in efficiency. I used to be able to get around Toronto in an hour or less. Now it's only under and hour if there are no delays, which are becoming an everyday occurrence. Since I have entered the workforce, gotten married, and bought a home, taxes and fees have increased by more than 5% every year. That's more than my wages have increased each year.

Best nails ever!

So I'm officially a Shellac addict. I started getting Shellac manicures about a year ago and have not gone back since. For those of you who don't know, Shellac manicures are colored gels, which means they protect your nails and don't come off with regular nail polish remover (they have to be soaked in acetone). If you get them done right (and believe me, I've seen people get them done wrong), they should last at least 2 weeks. Mine last 3 - 4 weeks (though I'll admit the 4th week is a bit of a stretch sometimes). So last time I went to the manicurist, they offered me the OPI colored gels instead of the Shellac ones (same idea, different brand). This is OPI's second attempt and I have to say I'm impressed! It's lasted with similar durability to Shellac, and the best part is that it comes in more colors! This may be a new move for me.

The truth about public healthcare

I told myself that I would not want to make this blog a political debate, but really, this has been my biggest irk lately.


Two and a half years ago, I broke a glass jar while washing it, which cut my thumb really deeply, including my tendon (this part controls the bending of a joint). After going to the ER, I was sent home and told to come back the next day for surgery. In the following four months, I went through physiotherapy, which has rendered my thumb only semi-usable. Try it now: you can bend your thumb so that it touches your palm. How much can you bend it? I can bend my right thumb so that the tip of my thumb fingernail touches my palm at a right angle, and my 2 thumb joints bend so that it looks like a U. On my left hand (the one whose thumb was cut), the top part of the flat part of my thumb can touch my palm, and when my thumb joints are bent, it forms a right trapezoid. So, you may say, no big deal - most people don't get what I'm talking about when I show them. Let me tell you about no big deal. Try lifting a heavy pan off the stove with one hand when your thumb doesn't have the strength to bend and stay down. I don't know if there was a mistake made with my surgery, or if the physio was mismanaged, or if they just cut off my physio before I had a chance to completely heal, but either way, I was at the mercy of public healthcare and the decisions made for me.

OK, I'm getting over it - no one else cares about my useless thumb. Now fast forward 1 and a half years later. I now have a visible bump on the side of that thumb, which is about as hard as cartilage. It also hurts. The solution: have it ultra sounded and x-rayed, and when there is no useful data from those tests, put me on the waiting list to see a plastic surgeon. Great, except that it can take at least 6 months to a year to get an appointment (read: make an appointment time, not actually see the plastic surgeon). So I'm at the 6 month mark with no word from the plastic surgeon, and the pain is actually getting worse. Now when I pick up a heavy pan from the stove, I worry that I'll drop it if I don't use 2 hands because one small nudge means the weight of the pan hits the sore spot on my thumb. Putting lotion on my hand hurts - this is actually pathetic. Maybe you think I'm over-reacting or being dramatic. Doing simple day to day tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, actually make the pain worse.

I am not a whiner. I can withstand fairly high amounts of pain - I avoid painkillers whenever possible...didn't even take my heavy duty pain killers when I had my wisdom teeth removed.

So for those of you advocating for public healthcare, I ask you this: what are you going to do when your problem isn't deemed serious enough and you are stuck with no treatment or solution?

Maybe my problem seems small and petty compared to the thousands of people with cancer. My friend, early 20's, was having chest pains. She had some tests that were inconclusive and she wasn't even put on a waiting list. Just told that they couldn't find anything wrong and unless her symptoms changed, they couldn't do anything about it - THAT is reactive healthcare folks. I hope you're okay with that. 

My grandmother fell down a set of stairs. She didn't want to go to the hospital, but we finally convinced her (we didn't call an ambulance because you get charged if you call an ambulance - by the distance - it's just as easy to call a cab). After waiting for hours, she got "seen" by a doctor. He did not examine her, check her pupils, ask her any questions, or check her head for bumps. He told me and my aunt to watch for certain symptoms that may indicate she has a concussion and come back if she showed any. There was no contact between the doctor and patient who had fallen down the stairs. Are you okay with that?

Public healthcare is widely reactive instead of proactive, and to be honest, it's not free. I live in Canada, and while helathcare is "part" of my taxes, I still pay a healthcare premium, which is dependent on my income. This is in addition to the 1/3 of my income I pay in taxes, even though I make under $50,000. I still pay for dental, eyecare, and all prescription meds. Even my husband who is technically legally blind without his glasses has to pay for his own eyecare. Is that worth it to you?

And while I'm ranting, I pay all these taxes, yet somehow, I don't get any deductions for donating used goods to charity, and my mortgage is still taxed. When I go shopping online, if I ship from the US, I get charged extra shipping, have to pay somewhere between 50%-100% of the price in duty, plus sales tax of 13%. However, I just don't have the option to buy certain items from a Canadian retailer. This is WITH a "free-trade" agreement. This is WITH me being a dual citizen of both countries - I file a tax return with both governments. Yet I have to pay both governments.

Rant ended.

and the award goes to...

New Water Plumbing

is presented the award

for being the Suckiest Company of the Year 

(and perhaps the decade...does the decade go from 2000-2010 or 2000-2009 and then start again at 2010?)

Yes, it is only July and I can already tell you that they are, by far, the worst company I will have dealt with by the end of 2010. Why? Because they are liars. Deceitful, dishonest people.

It all began a couple of weeks ago when my kitchen sink clogged the week before I was going out of town. Time was limited between work and getting ready to leave. I called in New Water Plumbing, whose vans I often see parked outside my condominium. Normally, I would do some research, ask our building manager for the low-down, but again time was limited. A quick check of their website said they specialize in condominium and apartment plumbing. I called for a quote and was told they charge $115 for the first hour, $35 per half hour after that, plus materials.

So they come in on the Thursday (we're leaving Friday morning), and I get a call from my husband asking if they had quoted me for a tool charge. Um, no, I told him. Just deal with it. When I got home, I asked what had gone down. So apparently, they wanted to charge us $36.50 for a "tool use" because a snake is a specialty tool for a plumber (this is news to me). My husband refused to sign the order, called in and talked to their service department. They refused to resolve it with him. By the time I got home, it was already 8pm and we still had to pack, so we sent their service department an e-mail:

From: N
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 8:56 PM
To: 'rick@newwaterplumbing.ca'
Cc: B
Subject: Service call at XXXX

Hello Rick,

We had a service call today to unclog a kitchen drain. Afterwards, we were provided a work order which noted a charge of $36.50 for Tools. This was explicitly excluded from the quote provided by your dispatch team. The team quoted us $115 for the first hour and $35 for each half hour after that, plus materials costs. Materials, in my mind, does not include tools needed for a trade. A material is something that is necessary to make a repair and that is retained. This charge is the equivalent of calling a carpenter and being asked to pay for his saw. Unless he is leaving his saw with me, I am not paying for his saw. The plumber did note that this was a tool cost, not a materials cost. If we had been properly informed that we would be charged for tools, which effectively increases your actual rate, we would not have called you in. This misrepresentation is not a satisfactory way to do business.

Furthermore, when we provided the credit card number before the call, we were told it was for the reservation, not to authorize payment. This is an unacceptable business practice if you charge this to our credit card, as we have not approved the amount and have not signed the work order.

We hope to resolve this issue with you amicably on Monday, or I will be discussing this issue with our condominium’s property manager and board of directors. Please call my wife at XXX-XXX-XXXX on Monday morning.

Thank you,

So, there was no call on Monday. I called in Monday at 4 and was told he was already gone for the day. I got a chance to call them on Wednesday morning at 8am. He was in a meeting, I was told, and would call me when he finished. No call by noon, so I called back. Oh yeah, he was talking to someone about that this morning, but now he's gone. I asked: there is no possible way to contact him at all? So they said they would call him and have him call me back within an hour and a half. Still no call. Then it was the July 1 holiday (Canada Day). Up until this point, we had not been charged. Then last night, I found that they had charged us for the full $159.08 (1 hour of work at $115 and $36.50 for tools). So Tuesday morning, we sent another e-mail:

From: N
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 8:01 AM
To: rick@newwaterplumbing.ca
Cc: B
Subject: RE: Service call at XXXX

Hello Rick,

My wife has made several attempts to contact you without any response. If you continue to ignore our inquiries, I will be reporting your poor business practices to the media.

When my wife called your customer service department last Tuesday to follow up on my e-mail (below), she talked to Jaime. He again told her that the charge was because the snake is a specialty tool. That is a ridiculous claim, as when we placed the service call for a clogged kitchen sink, even I, who has no plumbing knowledge, knew that you would require a snake to fix it. If this charge is standard, as it is starting to sound like from your staff, then we should have been informed when we asked about the cost. Furthermore, it is not a “material” as said before.

Your refusal to respond is unprofessional and unacceptable. I expect this matter to be dealt with today or I will be contacting VISA to dispute the charge.

Again, the number to reach my wife today is XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Thank you,

So less than an hour after this, I get a call. I think they don't actually know how to read. It says to contact his wife, but he still asked for Nick. Then we got into it:

Richard: I already spoke with your husband, which is why I didn't call you back.

Me: But the issue was not RESOLVED.

Richard: I was on holiday last week.

Me: That's a lie. I called last week and they said you were in the office in a meeting.

Richard: This is a standard part of our billing. I'm sorry our dispatch team did not tell you about it. We have to charge because the tool costs $800 plus maintenance and we have to recover that cost. Other companies build it into their rate, so they charge much more.

Me: Yes, but then at least the cost is upfront. I spoke to 2 different dispatch members - once to get the quote and the second time to book the service call, and both did not include that cost when I asked. It sounds like you're trying to deceive people. 

Richard: Well, we need to figure out a resolution. We could split the tool cost.

Me: No way. The only resolution I will accept is to not be charged the tool cost, since it was not ever presented to me until after the job was completed.

Richard: But when I spoke with your husband, he said that splitting the tool cost would be fine.

Me: No he didn't and no, it is not. I will only accept a refund of the entire tool cost.

Richard: Fine, I will refund the tool cost just this once.

Me: Fine. Because I would never call you back here again, you asshole. 

Just kidding, I didn't say the last because sentence. I just thought it in my head.

What a horrible way to do business. So that is why they win the award for being the suckiest company of the year. 

Peace out,

B

Note: My conversation with Rick is not verbatim, as I did not actually record it. It has also been shortened here as there was a lot of back and forth. My suggestion to anyone dealing with the same issue: be firm or go to the press. Some light needs to be shed on how badly they do business.

the BEST fast drying nail polish ever

Today I am here to go on and on about one of my favorite products: Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat (www.seche.com).

It is amazing. In 15 minutes flat, your nails will not only be dry, they will be durable. I can do my nails, and literally walk out the door to work or for a night out. I have chipped them against my keys, against my seatbelt, against my pockets. Only when I have not waited the 10 - 15 minutes have I had smudges or dents in my nail color.

Con: really hard to find in Canada. If you live in the US, it's available at Sally Beauty Supply and Ulta.

It also comes with a warning that has made me do a little research. It "contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm." I have seen the online blog debates, but research into the ingredient list has shown me that it is most likely toluene that causes this warning. Toluene can cause those side effects if you inhale its' fumes for long periods of time. (Note: I cannot scientifically attest to this, as I am relying on online sources, but I feel confident that as long as I don't sniff it for long periods of time, I'm good.) Of course, when I left a bottle in my car and it froze and broke the bottle, leaving my car smelly for a week or so, that probably wasn't so good.

However, for use on your nails, just make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area and I think you're good. I used to live in California, and they're a tad bit lawsuit-crazy, thus the warning.

I hope you all enjoy this wonderful product. I even take it to my manicurist and make her use it.

my first complete rant (no positive thoughts today...)

I am a teacher. A non-conventional teacher. My hours are not 9-5, and not even 9-3. I teach classes in the evenings from 4:30-8. I do not teach regular curriculum, but a specialized one (okay, one positive thought today: I love my job). I get to interact with roughly 100 kids a week, and while that may seem like a lot, they each are special to me and they always make my week special, either by teaching me something or by making me smile. Each class of 20-25 kids I have is different and brings something different to my week. This leads me to my rant: people who think I do nothing during the day.

1. Teachers have to plan. In fact, because I only get 1 1/2 hours a week with my class, I really have to plan to make sure I don't waste a precious minute. My curriculum may be set and standardized, but that also means I have to make sure my job gets done in that hour and a half. This requires some forethought.

2. Teachers have to grade. I ask you all: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE YOUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS. Many people make the assumption that just because grade 3 work is easy that it is not difficult to grade. Let me correct your thoughts. I currently teach grades 3-6. In grades 3 and 4, there is more volume, but the material is easier. However, there are also more projects because projects are fun for kids. These projects require much more time to grade. In grades 5 and 6, there are less assignments and each is longer. Don't think any teacher's grading is a walk in the park. It all requires a lot of thought and takes time.

3.Teachers keep connected with parents. In a world of instant access and e-mail, connecting is not something that can be ignored.

4. Teachers do things outside of the classroom. They help coach extra curricular activities, they contribute to the well being of the school, they assist the principal. They are also undergoing continuous professional development.

The hardest part about being a teacher is the lack of stability. My job requirements change every week, and while this is part of what makes it so great, it is also what makes it so hard. Many people do not get that. So I ask you all, have you recognized all the hard work of your kids' teacher?

In addition to all of that, I am a woman. And despite sociologists' studies about gender equality over the last decade, many household duties still fall upon the woman. I cook, I clean, and I help care for 3 elderly people over the age of 75 (my grandparents).

So to answer all of you who are so quick to jump and ask: what on earth do you do all day? I work. I work on improving our next generation. I work on keeping standards high in education - unless you want to hire someone who can't add 6+5 or who spells before as b4. I work on helping children feel successful, so that they can have self-confidence in their own abilities. I work on keeping parents updated on their kids' progress, so they can see into a part of their kids lives that they may not have time to monitor. I work on improving my own skills, so that I can give my best (isn't that they only way to expect my students' best?). I work on nurturing my own family, because families are the lifeblood of my occupation.

Most addictive website EVER

www.freerice.com

This site lets you play trivia games (vocab, geography, math) and for every correct answer, it donates 10 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program.