01.25.07
Posted in Diary Entries at 9:18 am by Nicole
Almost every day, and at least every other day, I have an “Idea of the Day” – here is today’s:
When Mom and Dad are ready to sell the flower shop, I would buy it and rename it: ********** (protected for copycats) THe real name is so good! – Ask if you want to hear it. I would arrange to do wedding and funeral flowers, planning, coordination and all things to do with both.
I have always wanted to do event planning and that would be the perfect opportunity. I am having such a blast doing my own wedding, that I would help others make their dreams come true. Both are such a big business and everyone has one of each so if you do one well, they will come back for the other 
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01.24.07
Posted in Diary Entries at 2:05 pm by skay
Hi everyone, we will from time to time ask for your opinions, and as such we will link you to the following page so that you can vote for us and let us know what you think:
http://www.thekayfamily.com/polls.php
Give it a try, the latest question is “Would you prefer a DJ or a Live Band for the wedding”
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01.23.07
Posted in Diary Entries at 11:24 am by Nicole
Alot has happened on the wedding front since my last post wayyy back then. I really should spend more time updating so I don’t have to remember that much 
We have secured the ceremony site at Victoria Hall, where the reception is! Everything in Cobourg is in close proximity to each other so it will be handy for guests!
I’m happy to hear we have almost everyone (who is staying over) already booked at the Woodlawn Inn. Simon and I are still deciding where we should stay…I would like to be with everyone, but my other option is a Spa, and that would be just as fun. However, depending on our honeymoon, we may have to head to the airport the night of the wedding!
Anyways, we went to visit a live band on Sunday which we may have for the reception. Now the decision of choosing between a DJ and band needs to be made. Why is it so difficult?!
What do you think? Email me. Please.
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01.15.07
Posted in Diary Entries at 8:55 am by skay
Well finally the snow is here, at least the pinging of the freezing rain off the roof of the Jeep tells me that winter in at least one of her guises has finally shown. I took us an hour and 15 to get here this morning, even though we left at 6:45. The trip in once again reinforced the notion that I really need to get a new truck. It is not that the Jeep is bad, however the vehicle is very flimsy, cold and noisy and really is not meant for people who value their lives. Of course I love it, and I always will but it is like a teenage relationship with a girl or boy with whom you have grown apart, it is just time for us to go our separate ways with our fond memories of the past.
Nicole and I went to the Wedding Show with her parents this past weekend at Skydome, which they have renamed the Rogers Centre. My first mistake was thinking that the ACC had been renamed Rogers Centre and dropping Nicole off at the wrong building and proceeding to park in the wrong lot. Ironically, once we got the right place I unwittingly parked 2 spaces away from her dad and didn’t even notice until we left to get the cars. The show was pretty good, although the number of vendors was less than I had anticipated. We left with about 40lbs of books, and no, I am not kidding, including magazines about everything from dresses to white chocolate fountains to butterfies you can live release on your wedding day. I do have to say that the strawberrry white chocolate fountain was the standout of the day. I dipped marshmallows into the curtain of what looked a lot like Pepto Bismol but the taste was out of this world! So now I have a zillion flyers to look through, to nod approvingly at and have absolutely no say into the outcome. I think I will continue to cruise the used ads for that truck.
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Posted in Diary Entries at 7:24 am by Nicole
The wedding planning was in full swing this weekend. It was my first wedding show, how exciting! My parents, Simon & I attended the Wedding Expo at the Rogers centre (not at the ACC where Simon dropped me off) We were all in charge of checking out different Vendors:
Nicole – Decorators with sparkly things, DJ
Dad – Info on live bands (really wants one because they are fun and interactive) On the pricy side unfortunately. Dad was sad.
Simon – Cake testing / hunt for carrot cake & honeymoon
Unfortunately our list of “To Do’s” is bigger than our “Already done’s”
I am in the process of scheduling appointments to meet the photographer, DJ, Decorator, Invitation lady & dessert people. It is all so exciting! What am I going to do when it is all over?!
Unfortunately Simon and I have to coach gymnastics 5 x this week so it makes it hard to do much of anything! It isn’t easy working out, making food, wedding planning, napping, watching tv etc. I need more hours in the day!
I should be working….
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01.05.07
Posted in Hotel Reviews at 12:22 pm by skay
UGH! More to come…
The trip to Geneva on the train was really relaxing, roomy and honestly the obvious choice when I think about it. However, what awaited us at the other end was in direct contrast. Let me just say that in addition to the Casino reviews, we are going to try to do restaurant and hotel reviews also which will mean doing a review of the pizza place from last night which was awesome. It was located in the basement of Motel33 by the airport. This will also mean doing a review of the worst hotel in the civilized world, the Ibis at Sydney airport. Naturally following this will be a review of the second worst hotel in the civilized world, the Ibis at Geneva Airport. I will include pictures because frankly at this point words fail me (not that this has ever stopped me).
It had the same plastic molded shower cubicle, with a toilet made for some form of contorted marsupial and a sink mirror combo that was lit in such a way that you could see zits that wouldn’t be here for another week yet. The room itself was less than 10 feet wide and the bed, sorry “bed” was a sheet of plywood upon which rested a 4″ matress, no boxspring, and 2 pillows that at first glance could easily be mistaken for teabags. The TV was a generous 13″ and come with a digital remote by which I mean you had to use your own digits to change the channels. For one person, it may have been borderline acceptable for lets say $40, but for 2 people at an alarming $142 it was Texas sized rip off. However, there was a highlight as I mentioned which was the Pizzeria we went to for dinner. I had a pizza with ham and mushrooms and Nicole had a cheese and onion pizza, both of which were massive and outstanding in quality. For about 15CHF each it was well worth the money. I also have to note that if you are going to travel like we do, staying at the airport the night before an early flight is the only way to do things.
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01.03.07
Posted in Diary Entries at 8:55 am by skay
27th – jan 2nd no report
I think it was Jan 2 that we went to Lavey to the baths, a remarkable feat given it was actually snowing for the first time since we got here. The new baths are basically the same kind of idea, just that they have an enormous whirlpool outside where the water jets force the current around a narrow ’swimway’ where once you are in you are whisked around by the current. This was a tom of fun and in fact you could stay in there all day being whisked about by the water. At the centre was a large bubble jacuzzi but the highlight was trying to get in and out of it through the undertow generated by the jets. This brought us to lunchtime and after a brief lunch at Placette, our final time there, we left mum and dad and headed off to Montreux for more shopping and to pop into the Casino to add to our list of reviewed Casinos. well, I say that, but probably the section of reviewed casinos is not done yet and I haven’t yet bothered to wirte anything additional even though our list has now grown to include not only Montreux Casino but also the casino in the Movenpick hotel by the airport in Geneva. Add this to the list of Rama, Niagara, CNE, the Australian Casino by the side of Australia Fair, I think we went to one in mexico but I can’t really recall, and there must be others… anyway, I digress.
Our final day here consisted mostly of packing, trying to see most of 24 and scouring the house for any items strewn about. We had decided among us that it would be best if we went to the airport on the train, given that it is the simplest and most cost effective and if we did it this way we could potentially take th train directly to the house next time we come. So we drove to the train station with our bags straining at the seams, odd really since I was convinced that we would be lighter going home than coming. We said our goodbyes to mum and dad on the platform and hopped on the train to Geneva. The view really was spectacular, especially given that this was the first day it had been clear enough to see the lenght of the lake. The trip was really relaxing, roomy and honestly the obvious choice when I think about it. However, what awaited us at the other end was in direct contrast. Let me just say that in addition to the Casino reviews, we are going to try to do restaurant and hotel reviews also which will mean doing a review of the pizza place from last night which was awesome, in the basement of Motel33 by the airport but which will also mean doing a review of the worst hotel in the civilized world, the Ibis at Sydney airport. Nturally following this will be a review of the second worst hotel in the civilized world, the Ibis at Geneva Airport. I will include pictures because frankly at this point words fail me (not that this has ever stopped me).
It had the same plastic molded shower cubicle, with a toilet made for some form of contorted marsupial and a sink mirror combo that was lit in such a way that you could see zits that wouldn’t be here for another week yet. The room itself was less than 10 feet wide and the bed, sorry “bed” was a sheet of plywood upon which rested a 4″ matress, no boxspring, and 2 pillows that at first glance could easily be mistaken for teabags. The TV was a generous 13″ and come with a digital remote by which I mean you had to use your own digits to change the channels. For one person, it may have been borderline acceptable for lets say $40, but for 2 people at an alarming $142 it was Texas sized rip off. However, there was a highlight as I mentioned which was the Pizzeria we went to for dinner. I had a pizza with ham and mushrooms and Nicole had a cheese and onion pizza, both of which were massive and outstanding in quality. For about 15CHF each it was well worth the money. I also have to note that if you are going to travel like we do, staying at the airport the night before an early flight is the only way to do things.
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Posted in Casino Reviews at 7:30 am by skay
Well, in brief, very disappointing. I suppose we should have known being that it was in a hotel basement however the Movenpick name is reputable and I had visions of something akin to the size of the Montreaux location. Upon entering I was thrown back to the days of the Ontario Charity Casinos, held in dingy hotel conference rooms and filled with crusty blue hairs smoking and coughing their fumes into the thick grey air. There were no tables, just a room filled with about 50 or 60 slot machines. There were only 7 or so 5c machines the rest were mostly 25c and up including all the video poker which were 50c or 1CHF. Rating? Don’t bother unless you really have to and if that is the case, get help instead!
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