Classic Japanese Cartoons

These are classic...

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Part 5:

School for Jacob BB

I think I am crazy... I had already started looking at high school for Jacob. To be honest, I picked my current townhouse 5 years ago because it is in a good school zone. Grace and I picked the new house because it is in the boundary of the school we believe it is the best in this school zone. Now I am looking at high school... IB VS AP, assuming Jacob can make it to the program.

Looks like IB is not very popular in Ottawa, the one and only English public school offering it is in the east side which is too far from us. On the other hand, AP is much more accessible. There are actually two high school nearby offering it, but they aren't in our school zone. Oh well, it is something to consider in the future... :p

I would prefer IB since it is more internationally accepted; hence, International Baccalaureate. But AP will be fine since I don't see Jacob doing university outside of North America. Wow!!! Am I thinking university now... I think this is enough for now. :1

TD Insurance

I got a call from TD Insurance yesterday for my auto renewal. The sales on the other side was doing a great job explaining things to me. Since my car is getting old, I was expecting my rate will stay put or come down a little bit. I was surprise that TD actually gave me a $300 discount. Impressive... I will probably buy full coverage for one more year and than switch to liability only next year to save another $200...

Moreover, Shame to Belair who ask me to call back later because they can't give me a quote beyond the 45 days. TD call me back about my home insurance. The sales was also great in explaining things to me... She said she can't give me a firm quote beyond the 45 days, but she can estimate for now. She will call me back next week to finialize the deal (it will be within the 45 days next week).

I am very happy with TD Insurance for now. They are doing such a good job in selling... Guess I will have to wait until I actually put in a claim before I can delcare them great...

is 叮噹 not 多啦A夢 for me

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUeIBD_2UdM

Rate going up and up

I renewed my mortgage at 5.09, then the rate moved to 5.24. So my blended rate for my new house is now around 5.2... A friend told me last week the rate is 5.49, then he came to me and said it is now at 5.69. Woo................

Moment

I always had an idea of carrying a camera with me so I can take picture whenever and whatever, but I had never done it. This morning I saw a baby bunny at the bus stop and it is very cute. Now I regarded the whole camera thing.

假如你真的對攝影有很大興趣，就應該常常把相機帶在身邊，並且把握每一個機會，把身邊的美好事物拍攝下來。否則很多美妙的生活細節，只會視而不見，無聲無息地擦身而過。

葉青霖

To Join or Not to Join

Facebook invitations had been hitting my inbox heavily these days... Should I join it?

Result: Joined Facebook on May 23rd, 2007

I'm gonna miss it...

No Impact Man

I had been reading this guy's blog for awhile (No Impact Man). I heard about his experiment from the newspaper. I found it very interesting.

Finalized

The deal for our new house has been finalized, so it is now official. Many of you had asked us where our new house is. It is hard to give you a description even to those of you who lives in our area. I think the best I can tell you now is that it is near W.O. Mitchell Elementary School. (I am not gonna publish my address on the internet)


*These pictures came from the feature sheet...

Grace and I agreed that this is the best house we found during the search. The hosue is only 7 years old and it is on a huge pie shape lot. Hmm... maybe huge is not a very good word... the lot is actually massive. The house is larger than what we needed, but the location is just perfect. I think we will be in this house for a long time. We are very excited...

Here is what was said on the feature sheet:
Incredible must-see lot, cul-de-sac location! One of the largest lots in the area, a wonderful backyard oasis with loads of room for all kinds of sports activities with the kids. One owner Claridge "Houston" offering 3100 sq. ft. of immaculate, open living space. Oversize 20 x 24 garage, ceramic tiles in all wet areas including huge entrance, hardwood floor in living and dining rooms, incredible kitchen with some of the best appliances money can buy, oversize pantry, island, bay window with garden doors to yard. The main floor family room is adjacent to the kitchen and features a huge window and gas fireplace, along with 9' ceilings as per the main floor. Main floor laundry/mud room with door to garage. The impressive curved staircase leads to the second floor, home to a large landing, oak bannister, and 4 bedrooms. The master retreat is superb with a bay window sitting area, walk-in closet and 5 piece ensuite incl. jet tub and 2 corner windows, 2 sinks. Bedroom 2 also has it's own ensuite and there is a 3rd bathroom shared by bedrooms 3 and 4. This home will please all who view, and offers a rare combination of quality, space and an estate-size lot just a short walk to W.O. Mitchell Elementary School.

Our new dig

We found our house! Still need a home inspection and financing stuff. Otherwise, this is our new house.

Sold!

Milner Downs is offically sold now. I'm gonna miss it, but I know something better is ahead. I am also very excited that Grace and I will finally pick a house together. Moreover, I am getting 99% of the listing price, so no complaint in that department.

The search continue

Just released all the condition on the house we made an offer since I still haven't sold my townhouse, yet. I know my house will be sold soon, but I am not in for a gamble. Interestingly enough, I am not too upsad about it.

3G Arrived

3G had finally arrived in Canada... Rogers is rolling out their Rogers Vision (3G) in the Golden Horseshoe area. It will be available nation-wide at the end of this year. Not a bad deal too since it is only $5 extra with 3 year unlimited video calling (3 years contract of couse). The phone is a Samsung A706 at $99, but with other phones coming.

Never knew my house is this great

Located in the growing family-oriented community of Emerald Meadows, this absolutely delightful end unit has a lot to offer to both young families and busy executives. Schools, parks, bicycle and walking paths, and recreation facilities are all near by, with shopping and amenities only a short drive away.

Distinctive multi-toned brick is complemented by neutral siding and awesome windows. Maturing evergreen trees add to the nicely-maintained landscaping. A long driveway leads to the single care garage for owner and guest parking. Privacy fencing encloses the expansive rear yard creating a relaxing and secure environment for family play-time.

Sidelight windows and a transom header surround the front door with inset mullioned window permitting an abundance of light into the sunken, ceramic-tiled foyer entrance. Inside entry to the garage and a two-piece powder room with a view to the street, and a big mirror over the oak vanity, are conveniently situated just off of the foyer. A huge walk-in closet will hold many coats when entertaining. Two steps up to the pre-finished hardwood strip floor in the hallway leading to the dining room, living room and kitchen. Curving upwards on the left-hand side of the hallway is the carpeted, oak-railed stairway to the upper level.

Tucked off to the right, a delicate chandelier illuminates the separate dining area. A full dinning room suite would fit well into this generous space, with easy access to the kitchen for dinner parties. A fabulous corner fireplace with marble hearth and surround. glass doors with brass-toned trim, and display niche/mantel are the focal point of the room with directional lighting overhead. Daylight glistens on the hardwood floors from the two-storey window at the end of the room, with views through the oak railing overlooking the stairs to the lower level.

Any chef would be thrilled with the abundance of oak cabinets and long countertops, with ceramic backsplash, in this upscale kitchen. A tall pantry and microwave shelf permit even more storage and organization. Recessed pot lights illuminate the workspace during evening hours, with additional lighting over the double stainless steel sink. Hardwood flows through the kitchen and into the eating area, with a beautiful view of the patio and back yard through the patio door.

Upgraded carpeting cushions the way down the bright stairway to the lower level family room. Recessed lights sparkle in the neutral décor of this family fun zone. A wide colonial-style door opens to the laundry and utility area. Rough-in for a three piece bathroom is already in place. The remainder of the lower level is utilized for storage.

Four bedrooms rest at the top of the upper stairway on the second level. Three generous secondary bedrooms, all feature wall-to-wall carpeting, overhead lighting and big windows, with great storage available in double closets. One of the bedrooms is currently being used as a home office. Double door entry to the master bedroom suite adds to the luxurious feel of the king-sized room. A huge walk-in closet makes storage a snap, while the full ceramic-tiled ensuite bath, with a window over the tub/shower, generous vanity and mirror with fashionable lighting helps with early morning rushes. Centrally-located, the main family bath with ceramic-surround in the tub/shower, a long vanity with extended mirror and light ceramic-surround in the tub/shower, a long vanity with extended mirror and lighting is easily accessible by everyone. A hallway lien closet is close by.

MacDonald is closing?

Wow! The MacDonald at Holland Cross is closing? This is the one across from my office... guess from now on I'm stuck with murphy food from the cafe.....

Back to work

8 weeks had passed and today is my first day back...

Grace's recovery

It had been a tough experience for Grace in the past few days. Jacob wouldn't come even with the doctor's help. I know how hard it must be for Grace thru all those hours and then the surgery. I just wished that I could done better in supporting her.

Grace, thank you so much for your scarifies and have a speedy recovery... I love you so much...

Jacob @ Home

Grace and Jacob came home already. Jacob enjoys sleeping so much that we had to wake him up for the mid-night snack; otherwise, he would probably had slept thru the night.

Last Day

I am very excited. Grace and I are going to the hospital tomorrow for Jacob's induction. Jacob's stay in Grace is finally over, hope everything will be fine tomorrow.

Seriously Bored

After the second day of my 2 months off, I think I am seriously bored now. I was so bored that I had actually converted most of my CDs to mp3 now. I think I only have a few left. I wonder how boring it will be when I retired... Btw, I am starting to convert the tapes now...

One Liter of Tears

I am watching 一公升眼淚 (One Liter of Tears) right now. It is based on the true story of Kitou Aya. Seriously, this story is the sadness I had seen so far. Every episode is sadder than the previous one. My goodness... definitely more than one liter of tears... For some reason, I feel that only Japanese drama can delivery the story. I don't think it can work in Chinese drama.

Snowman

I just got this snowman from Superstore. What a deal! ... $14.97! This snowman is actually very big, as you can see in the picture. It fills up my dinning room. Now the problem is, where do we put it? We don't have much room on the front lawn. Anyway, we will worry about it next Christmas. For now, it is in our basement.