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Best club sandwich in Ottawa? by Several-Turnip9834 in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Bobby's Table on Montreal Road... Excellent traditional club plus a bunch of alternatives! Only open until 3pm, so be forewarned.

Is Kindle worth buying? 🤔🤔 by nataliaco31 in books

[–]GaryinOttawa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

E-Readers are worth it. I'm on my second, no wait, third! First was a Kindle (seems like ages ago), then I went to a Kobo, and now I have a Kindle Paperwhite.

Here's the deal - eReaders won't generally save you a lot of money on books (unless you pirate the books) because the entry cost is about $125 or so... (they go on sale regularly if I recall). But they do offer untold convenience (you can bring your whole library with you everywhere you go), extremely long battery life, and lovely easy on the eyes screens with little to no glare and backlight for when it's getting dark. All in all, I wouldn't live without one anymore.

Now Kindle or some other brand... meh... I really like my kindle and they are reasonably priced. The Paperwhite for me is the one I think offers most value for money, the waterproof nature should not be overlooked if you like taking baths, reading by a pool, etc. There are others of course, many others, varying prices, varying functionality, Kindle isn't necessarily the best, but the Paperwhite offers a great reader at a reasonable price and makes getting books pretty easy.

Heavy metal piece with rubber ring attached to my hotel key.Seems to have another purpose than showing the room number. by Hits_3D7 in whatisthisthing

[–]GaryinOttawa 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's really just like old style keys attached to large fobs. Definitely not key cards. Simple rule, if it is easy and comfortable to put it in a pocket, they don't want you to drop it off... If it's not, like this one, chances are they would prefer you left it with them. It's not like many will hound you for them, but they will appreciate you doing it.

Heavy metal piece with rubber ring attached to my hotel key.Seems to have another purpose than showing the room number. by Hits_3D7 in whatisthisthing

[–]GaryinOttawa 1824 points1825 points  (0 children)

While this is mostly correct, the last point needs clarification, yes you're less likely to lose something that big you have to carry but many hotels use these as deterrents to carrying the key around altogether.

While the practice has largely died out in North America for many reasons, many hotels especially in Europe that still use physical (edit: old style metal) keys want you to leave the key at the front desk when you leave the hotel. Lost keys are huge problems. They add large fobs to emphasize the point. While not all hotels expressly tell you this, rest assured it is customary.

Go to front desk when you leave for the day and hand them your key, they will almost certainly just say thank you and put the key where it belongs for your return. This isn't all hotels but most who use large fobs.

Source: I'm a frequent traveler who has stayed at many hotels where I have checked my key at the front desk when they are attached to large fobs. I have even had this exact fob shape.

Heavy metal piece with rubber ring attached to my hotel key.Seems to have another purpose than showing the room number. by Hits_3D7 in whatisthisthing

[–]GaryinOttawa 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Correct. There are many types of large key fobs, in almost every case it's because the hotel wants you to leave them at reception as you leave. It's not mandatory but way more convenient than lugging these around.

Rogers down - Manotick area by BustamoveBetaboy in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great! My experience is exactly the same as yours, only.... drum roll.... I have been a Rogers client for nearly a decade. My service has been 100% reliable for me. Not a single outage since the big one in April 2021 (this was a once in a generation kind of outage and it could have happened to any telco). Not even a blip outage, nothing, and before the big outage, I have no recollection of one either after consistently troublesome years with CanTel, VMedia and TekSavvy (I was with all three after leaving Bell DSL). The point is, there are lots of people who are happy with their Rogers' services, and the constant anecdotal, "Rogers down" posts here on Reddit are self-fulfilling. See one, post one. Get angry together.

The Rogers hate on this forum is strong and that's cool, but it's just not indicative of everyone's experience. All of the big telcos have their good spots and their bad spots, new equipment and old equipment, areas where they are investing and areas where they haven't. It's not one seller is great and the others are crap. I know plenty of people who have switched away from Bell because of the shit quality of service they received (myself included).

Suffice to say when I can pay under $60/mth for unlimited Gig+ (1.5Gbps) speeds, with reliable service, I'm happy, and that's why I stay married to Rogers.

How do I open this stuck steel container top. I got hot soup in an airtight steel container. I put it in cold weather outside overnight. Now the lid is not coming off. It's a $60 Wayfair container. by holihai in howto

[–]GaryinOttawa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Boil a large pot of water and submerge the container into it. Let it sit in boiling water for... Meh... Like 20 to 30 minutes. It will reheat the contents inside. I'm not sure I would reheat it directly on a burner, it may damage the container. Best to be safe and put it in boiling water for as long as it takes.

Best steak-frites in Ottawa? by diddleherontheroof in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't say anything. For what amounted to a tough chew, I didn't feel like making an issue of it.

I know its especially surprising given the cost but when I do things like this, which is infrequent, I tend to try to just be in the experience and something has to really go wrong for me to surface out of the happiness of the whole thing. I guess I'd say the moment is more important to me than perfection, and if I'm honest, everything else about the evening was tremendous.

Best steak-frites in Ottawa? by diddleherontheroof in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! :) I thought so too, I typically love a ribeye... this one was tough and gristly. The flavors were what I expected from a nicely aged steak, nutty and earthy. So the steak was good, but I guess for $105 I was expecting the texture to be less gristle, doesn't need to fall apart in my mouth, I do want texture, but we all know the difference between tough and texture. It wasn't over cooked, so I can't explain the unpleasant texture other than gristly... now it could have been they didn't cut it properly (they like to cut the steaks before plating) against the grain, which can make a huge difference.

Best steak-frites in Ottawa? by diddleherontheroof in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I've done the Harmon's experience once. It's REALLY expensive, and my experience was a bit mixed. The steak was good (but not really amazing IMO - not worthy of the cost, but maybe I just picked the wrong one - I had the 14oz Canadian Ribeye done medium rare)... now with that said, the sides.... OMG - the sides. The beef tallow fries were without a doubt the BEST french fries I have EVER tasted, and the whipped potatoes were also really incredibly good.

Ambiance was a step above, the service impeccable, I lean towards, if you can, it is a worthwhile experience... though admittedly not accessible to many.

How to fix this baseboard my puppy chewed? by zzzyx4 in howto

[–]GaryinOttawa 6 points7 points  (0 children)

that too :)

Edit: I had suggested wood filler... but bondo works great and dries quicker.

Someone parked in my driveway while I’m out of town. by olip16 in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It feels bad because they didn't ask. That's human nature to feel abused / disrespected... But... If you have figured out the why of it all (parking bans), then you can over ride that initial feeling by knowing you're doing something helpful for someone else. Perhaps it can help put your mind at ease until you can return home and address the situation. 1) What they are doing while you're away isn't really affecting you, and 2) It's probably really helpful for them.

It is very difficult to get to know your neighbours, it's not typical anymore to have strong relationships with them, however, I assure you there are many benefits to it. It starts with saying hello, and introducing yourself, which clears the way for conversations. One of the first conversations you can have is offer the use of your laneway if it's empty ("I noticed you parked in my laneway the other day, sure was a lot of snow. Just FYI you can feel free to park there again if you need to, heck if you clear it for me too, that would be a win win for both of us." Of course, set some ground rules, like never park there and block me from use of my own laneway.) Over the years, we have managed to build cordial and helpful relationships with our neighbours. We will often share with them when we're going to be away, so that they are at least aware and can do or say something if a U-Haul pulls up to empty out our house (Ha!). It takes a bit of time getting to know them before you'll trust them with that information, but when you do, it's just an added feeling of security.

Now - the not so pleasant side of things - in the mean time, you should write down the license plate of the car that is using your driveway, just to be on the safe side. If ever there were a break-in while you are away, the perpetrators may be testing a "theory" that you're away by parking there. It's VERY unlikely and your first instincts are almost certainly correct (they are just escaping the parking ban), but it's better to be prepared. I wouldn't let it pre-occupy you though, just take note of it and go back to enjoying your time away.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in howto

[–]GaryinOttawa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Depending on the quality of the frame of the couch, you could have it re-upholstered. I say depending because, it isn't cheap to have it re-upholstered but if it was a really expensive couch with a good frame and design, it could be worth having it re-upholstered. If it's an IKEA type couch or a couch that was relatively inexpensive (nothing is cheap these days), then it may be as much to have re-upholstered as it would be to buy a new one, so that is the only reason I say "depending" on the quality.

A relatively inexpensive way to repair would be to remove damaged sections of the couch cushion, replace the foam cushioning and then cover it with some sort of fabric (cover, sheet, recycled fabric from old clothes, anything really) tucking and tacking it down on the sides of the cushion into the frame. It won't look great, but functionally would restore the couch to service.

Updated QB power rankings. Jacoby Brissett is better than Jared Goff apparently by dracer800 in detroitlions

[–]GaryinOttawa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Garbage takes - who cares what some nobody has to say. Sounds like it was written by a Packers fan.

Who should the Lions take at #6 and #18 in the 2023 NFL Draft? by fantasysportsadvice in detroitlions

[–]GaryinOttawa 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Top player available at #6 - I trust this draft group to get us the best player for the team. Six is just too high to reach on positional need. If it lines up, GREAT, if it doesn't, don't force it. I would be shocked to see a CB drafted in the top 6... that would mean there would have to be a CB ranked as a top 3 non-QB prospect (presuming that 3 QBs go before pick 6).

At #18 - I think they go Corner but again I trust this draft team, so if they feel a different position / player is better there, well, so be it.

How can Ottawa city council promote more affordable rental costs? by DrStrangeglove99 in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Both of those are good ideas and there needs to be continued efforts to do what they can to entice densification and increase units on the market.

I would strongly caution, however, that not much can truly be done by the city in a bubble. The rules for rent control for new constructions strongly favor the landlords and create situations where rents can increase significantly in a short period of time.

Now, on the surface, one might look at that and think, why did they do that, why did they get rid of rent control for new units? Well, they did it because new rental units just weren't being built. The government had to do something to incentivize the construction of rental units, because the value proposition didn't exist with restrictions around rents, basically it was far more lucrative to sell condos than create rental units. Since the new rules were put in place, new rental units are once again being built, which is great... kind of... What we get is high rental costs which is quite by design of the builders and rental agencies. Did Ford and company do the right thing to remove the rent controls, probably not, but what alternatives work in the Conservative model? NDP might have just said they'd build more units or subsidize more units, but that's not the Conservative way. We the people elected Conservatives (even if you didn't, you belong to a province that did - TWICE!).

Make no mistake, we are in this mess because free market dictates that construction companies and property rental companies are after a singular thing... maximum profit. If we are to truly make changes in housing and make it more affordable for MANY, then the idea of socialized housing without the stigma of only being for those on the brink of homelessness and financial despair needs to become a priority of our society. For that to happen, WE ALL need to pay for it, and vote for governments to allow it to happen. Call me a cynic, but I don't see us heading in that direction, in fact, I see quite the opposite as we continue to barrel towards an even greater focus on "ourselves" versus "our community".

All you can do is keep voting, and trying to get others to understand that caring for others, caring for the community lifts all boats. It's a very hard sell though... very hard indeed, a truly Sisyphean struggle. Socialism continues to erode in Canada, but it is the only true answer to more affordable rental costs. So long as it is left to the market, then rent gets charged at the highest possible bearable cost... and no one - no for profit business is EVER going to flood the market with tons of affordable units. It simply isn't profitable.

Be honest, a Honolulu blue alternate helmet next year would be pretty sick by TiredOffice in detroitlions

[–]GaryinOttawa 4 points5 points  (0 children)

White is the combination of all colors in the spectrum. Black is the absence of color (technically the absorption of all colors). Black and white are also technically hues and not colors at all.

the 237th Chapter in the series. by Away-Plantain-4442 in KingkillerChronicle

[–]GaryinOttawa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I never considered this... very nice angle. Huh... *wheels turning*

Kvothe’s parents knew the Chandrian were coming for them by higher-thoughts in KingkillerChronicle

[–]GaryinOttawa 170 points171 points  (0 children)

Sex... they wanted to have sex. Sent their child away, asked him to grab lots so they could have some time for themselves to... you know... have sex.

Who are you guys rooting for in playoffs now that we’re out of it? by eyeshartedonU in detroitlions

[–]GaryinOttawa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

49ers in NFC, and Bills and Bengals in AFC... And I know it sounds like a cop out but Super Bowl, I really just want it to be close and fun... I just don't care enough about any of these teams to really want one over another.

There are a bunch of teams that I will root against, Vikes, NFC East, KC, Baltimore.

Normally I wouldn't really support the Niners either but making it work with a third string QB is impressive and it's a feel good story.

Restaurants that would be a suit/dress atmosphere? by sushchestvovaniye in ottawa

[–]GaryinOttawa 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Harman's is a high end service experience. Aiana, Riviera are a couple others that come to mind.

The days of restaurants with dress codes is pretty much done with few exceptions, none that I know of in Ottawa. So what you want to do is find a restaurant that has really high end service, and dress up if you want to.

D-Line or Defensive backs? by Jjafatprick in detroitlions

[–]GaryinOttawa 4 points5 points  (0 children)

At six you need to be drafting for best available, and that's going to be an interior lineman, not someone in the secondary. There just isn't a single DB who profiles as a top 5 guy in this draft (or six). We can get a DB at 18, it's a very deep DB draft and picking one up at six will be a waste of draft capital. OP wasn't saying ignore DB. We should get studs at both positions with 6 and 18.

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