The reply from uFile

Here's the answer, so now we have it.

Hello,

Thank you for contacting UFile support. The pricing for UFile for
Windows at Future Shop or Best Buy is determined by their overall retail
strategy. The suggested retail price for UFile for Windows is $29.99.
This is the price at which we sell UFile for Windows at The UFile Shop.

You can buy the standard version for $19.99; the Plus version is
$29.99 at Future Shop or Best Buy.

If you wish to take advantage of the promotional retail price you may do
so by visiting your nearest Future Shop or Best Buy store.
Unfortunately, we cannot match or refund this promotional price. To
take advantage of this offer you must visit one of these stores.

Additional returns will be sold in units of 2 at $10 or 4 at $20. These
additions are only sold at The UFile Shop. Please remember there is a
limit of 20 returns which can be added to the counter. Please keep this
limit in mind when purchasing additional returns. To purchase UFile
online or to add returns, visit the UFile Shop. If you are preparing
more than 20 returns and want to print or efile these returns, please
contact our sales team at sales@drtax.ca for more information on UFile
Pro.

http://www.ufile.ca/windows/Store/

The CRA has determined that a limit of 20 returns, whether printed or
filed using NetFile, is appropriate and sufficient for a NETFILE
software product. This will allow even a large family to share one
software product to prepare and file their tax returns. The CRA has
asked that all Software developers respect this limit in order to be
certified for NetFile. To read more about this change please visit:

http://www.netfile.gc.ca/software-e.html

Please remember that when you purchase the product in stores, you are
required to update the program to NetFile or to carry forward a QuickTax
or Taxwiz 2006 file.

If you have any further questions, please contact me by replying to this
e-mail. Thank you for your interest in UFile for Windows.

Regards,
Susan on behalf of the UFile Team

UFile.ca
File Online On Time.

Discount Links to Quick Tax Web

We've used this service for the last couple of years and may do so again.  We have not decided between this and UFile.  Please use comments to share your thoughts

 

http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...p;b=tdcanadatrust
http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...mp;b=tdwaterhouse
http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...atId=4&b=cibc
http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...catId=4&b=bmo
http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...Id=4&b=scotia
http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...=4&b=manulife
http://www.quicktax.intuit.ca/tax-software/personal-produ...atId=4&b=dell

 

This would be an eco friendly way to do your taxes (as long as you don't hit print!!).  No box, no shipping, nothing to consume or discard.  Oddly, the box of UFile tax software is $19.99, yet the downloadable version is $29.99.  I have emailed the company on that and will let you know if I hear back.  I would have expected it to be less expensive as they don't have to produce the packaging and pay the retailers...

 

Day Three, Animal Kingdom

We got off to a late start on Day 3 and arrived at Animal Kingdom around noon. Animal Kingdom is a super fun park full of animals and, of course, a train. Only one train mind you, but a train none the less. Big C was appeased.
We rode the train, and it actually doesn't seem to really go anywhere or help you to view anything. Big C didn't care though, it was a steam train and that was good enough for him.

The Parks perennial Icon, the Tree of Life is truly a work of art in the best Disney tradition. At 145ft, this 14 story artificial tree has the images of more than 300 animals hand carved into it's trunk. The base of the Tree of Life is home to the 3D film "It's Tough to be a Bug". You can see the tree behind us in these next two photos.
We went on a really cool safari ride where we saw animals that we've never EVER seen before. We saw giraffes, rhinos, monkeys, ostrich eggs, crocodiles, and many, many more. Dave took an endless amount of pictures as you can see.

We took a stroll through the Pangani Exploration Trail and saw birds, fish, a troop of gorillas, and hippos. This was a 6 or 7 out of 10 for the kids. Big C really liked the huge fish that you can see in the water behind us. He pointed at him for quite a while with great excitement.


We went around to the back area and met Mickey and Minnie mouse in the flesh. This time, luckily, we got photos on our own camera as well as on the photo pass card. Monkey was very pleased to get to see his friends again!

Big C passed out mid day in his stroller and we carted him around.We noticed that people were starting to gather at the sides of the main walkway/road. It turns out there was a parade coming in 15 minutes. The parade featured all of the chracters that he recognized including Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Pluto et al. Monkey was blown away, and big C slept right through, the Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade. I got a great video of the noise and commotion that big C slept right through.

When presented with a child friendly map with lots of pictures on it, the boys each got to pick where they wanted to go for the day. Big C picked out the train and the dinisaurs. When the parade was finished we made our way towards dino land. Big C woke up about half way there and was very pleased that his request for dinosaurs was being answered. We hit the Triceratops Spin ride. This is the exact same ride as Dumbo and Alladin's flying carpet, but this time it has dinosaurs on it. Much fun. The line was non-existant so Daddy and Monkey went 6 or 7 times in a row. Big C went once and then wanted to stand and watch the Primeval Whirl ride which he called a train. Monkey isn't tall enough to ride it, but he was fine with that. Big C and I sat on the pavement and watched the "trains" while Monkey and Daddy rode the dinosaur.
We wrapped up the day with supper at the Rainforest Cafe (oh my goodness, so yummy!!) and went back to the hotel and put two sleepy little guys to bed.

Monkey Quote of the day

Since the cat is out of the bag about the new addition we told Monkey about it. He was pleased that big E will be a big brother and he was looking forward to seeing the toddler. Knowing Mrs Bussey as I do, I am quite sure she is not interested in giving birth to a toddler. I explained about the fact that the baby will be very little and will need lots of help. Monkey decided what he could get for the baby to help it in it's development.

Colouring markers. Yep, he is quite convinced that no baby's layette is complete without a set. He looked at my quite matter of fact and told me that the baby can't learn to colour without colouring markers.

He does have a point.

I am so glad to be back in Canada

I am not even sure that I know where to begin. So, I'll start at the beginning and give an overview of the travel woes that we had getting home. As you can see in http://wbfamily.blogspot.com/2008/03/trip-that-never-was.html we had trouble flying to Orlando. Well, we also had trouble getting home. The moral of the story here is that it would be in your best interest not to travel at the same time, or to or through the same destinations as the WB family!

Coming home we were scheduled to fly on Saturday, March 15 at 3 pm out of Orlando to get to Atlanta at 4. Wait until 8:40 and arrive home shortly after 11. Dave flipped on CNN in our Orlando hotel room and we noted the tornadoes in Atlanta . We gave a quick call to Delta who reassured us that all was fine and our flight wouldn't be an issue. We caught our cab to the airport and got on the plane with no issues. We got close to Atlanta and we couldn't get cleared to land because of the "weather". That is what it is called in the airline industry, weather. They say things like, yep, we have weather in Atlanta, and that means that there is extreme weather. Little jargon for you there.

In Atlanta, they were getting hit with tornadoes and weather so bad that it was a constant risk of more. After circling for about 40 minutes they made the decision to divert the plane to Columbia, South Carolina. In the end we actually went to Augusta, Georgia. There was lightening there and "weather" so it took a while to get fuel and to get cleared to take off and land back in Atlanta. We were relying on that huge layover to cover us. Plus we were sure that since our flight was delayed that others would be too and our connector would be in the same boat. We landed in Atlanta 40 minutes after our flight to Ottawa departed. We knew that it was the last one for the night so we knew we were hooped.


A call to Delta gave us a ticket to fly home three days later, on Tuesday March 18 (today). We would get no help with our hotel, food or transportation in Atlanta and ours bags would carry on to Ottawa first thing in the morning on the first flight. The one that we couldn't get on. The reality of all of that was just too much for me. I begged the people in the baggage department for our bags. I begged. We are the only people on all of the diverted flights that got our bags. The only people that I know of anyhow. I have never been so happy to see three bags of dirty laundry in my life!!!

Mr Bussey found us a hotel room near the airport and we braved a terrifying scene at the hotel shuttle stand to get there. It was a mad house and was near violence at many points. We got to our hotel safely and battened down the hatches. This was 12:30 am or so.

When the sun rose the next day I walked up the street and found a different hotel for the remaining two nights. I went to the airport to see what could be done. There was nothing further that the woman that I spoke to could find, though she tried for 40 minutes to get us to Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Rochester or Syracuse. She finally found a flight to Albany. We were willing to do that and drive home until we found out that The Canadian Import Law prohibits Canadian Citizens from taking a U.S. owned rental vehicle from the U.S. into Canada. The rental vehicle will be seized by Canadian Customs at the border, whether the Canadian renter plans to return the vehicle to a U.S. or Canadian location. The U.S. owned rental vehicle cannot be imported into Canada, even to temporarily cross the border. However, a Canadian may rent a Canadian owned vehicle in the U.S. and return it to Canada or cross the border without the vehicle being seized. Any U.S. Citizen renting a vehicle in the U.S. may drive across the U.S./Canadian border with no restrictions. The driver may be asked by Customs to show a rental agreement and a form of identification, such as a driver's license. Hooped again. So we stayed in Atlanta.

I went back to the airport later in the day and found someone else. She was able to get us home a day earlier, yesterday, Monday March 17 (happy birthday Tara!!!!) going through Boston. WE TOOK IT without even thinking about it.

So yesterday dawned and we went to the airport and came home. I can't tell you how great it was to get home, find my mother there with supper and wine and have her put my children to bed.

Please use the comments section to make suggestions in ways that we can use our holiday money to relax at home 'cause next year we ARE NOT FLYING ANYWHERE!!! I vote for a hot tub!!!

Oh the places you'll go...

American cities I had been in before this disastrous trip to and from Disney World:
Fairfax, VA
Syracuse, NY
Watertown, NY (love those outlets!)
Cleveland, OH
Washington DC (I know, not a city)

Places we went on this trip
Atlanta
Orlando
Chicago
Augusta, GA
Boston
Rochester

Places we almost went:
Albany
Where s Newark arport? We almost went there too

The new thing that ou learned today: did you know that it is illegal for a Canadian Citizen to rent a US owned car and take it over the border into Canada?  Even if the return destination is the US?  Apparently customs will seize it at the border. You learn something new...

sent using my Blackberry handheld wireless device

Having so much fun!

We're having a blast!  This place has a wiiide variety of trains including a mono rail, a steam train, a train ride and tomorrow land has a train that tours the whole area from the air. The boys can't believe their good fortune!  All of that is just in Magic Kingdom!!

We saw Mickey Mouse today and Monkey told me that he wants to stay here forever!  He was completely entranced by the whole thing. There's so much to say that I couldn't possibly update on all of it.

Dave and Monkey are on their way back to the park while big C and hang out so he can nap. He's down for the count my tired little bear.

Tonight we're having supper with some of the Disney characters at 4:30 so the boys should love that!!

Last night, after all of the stress of getting here and getting our bags Dave and I met up with one of my coworkers and have a *few* drinks around our pool. We both slept well and felt better today : )

sent using my Blackberry handheld wireless device

The basic needs

Our luggage has arrived!! We are so excited!  We won't have to go to Disney World in our winter boots!

sent using my Blackberry handheld wireless device

We're flying!!!

Since I am mobile blogging this week, you'll have to check back next week for pictures. These posts will be all text.

We're in the air and heading for Chicago. Monkey is plugged into the DVD player generously donated by thebusseyfamily.ca. I love this thing. It is gold!!

Big C _might_ have been awake when we cleared the back fence of the airport, but he didn't make it much longer than that. Poor guy was just so tuckered out from all of the running around at the airport. The loud hum of the plane is like a great big noise machine and he was done for.

This flight was delayed, but still taking off and that is all that matters to us.

sent using my Blackberry handheld wireless device

This is what we did while we couldn't go to Orlando

Well, we've done our best so far and we figured that we would get the boys beat out in the snow to get some of the pent up energy out of them. This is what resulted:

It is a good thing that we didn't get re-scheduled for today. As you can see, http://www.ottawa-airport.ca/FlightInformation/departures-e.php as of 2:34, a whole pile of today's departures are cancelled as they try to clean up the backlog and mess and find all of the planes. Hopefully we'll be on for tomorrow.

For those of you unfamiliar with our backyard-the fence you can see is 6 feet high and the swing set is about 5.5 feet high. We have A LOT of snow!!

Update on the trip that may or may not be

This morning we woke up in our beds and are very grateful to be doing so. As we flip on the news there are hundreds of people stranded in airports across north America sleeping on the benches and floors. Our homing beacons served us well yesterday in Rochester when we switched our home base from upper New York state to Ottawa.

That could have been us. Easily. Luckily we got home, and while we might not be in Orlando, we are not sleeping on the floor at O'Hare either. Now we are scheduled to fly out of Ottawa on Monday and return to Ottawa as well. We are losing at least one day off of our vacation.

We considered cancelling last night. Apparently we can get almost all of our money back. There is still some fight left in us though and we prayed on it and we know that it isn't over yet.

The trip that never was

Many of our faithful readers know that the WB family was planning to head to Disney World for March break 2008. Well, we are not there. Nor do I think that we will be any time soon.

Hearing that it was cheaper, we booked our flight departing from Rochester. Got a great price at $185 per person, return. All was looking great until the weather forecast went in the pooper. So as you can see below, we booked a hotel and drove down to Rochester ahead of the storm. Dave was even smart enough to re-book our 5:45 pm flight to a 6:30 am flight (no charge because of the weather). We arrived safe and sound and it was all looking good. When we woke up the snow had stopped and we knew that we were on our way.

Long story short, we arrived to find our flight cancelled. We were given options to redirect ourselves out of most any hub in New York state. In the end, we requested to fly out of Ottawa instead. Though it was a 5 hour drive back to where we came from, we would have eventually had to get the car there anyhow, might as well base ourselves out of home base. They were happy to do it (and we even scored first class tickets) and so we drove home.
For every mile that we drove there was a car in the ditch. Mostly looking as though they gently coasted in. At one point a car spun a couple of times right in front of us. Luckily we were safely back and got stopped in time. Once we got back to Canada the cars were still in the ditch, but rather than gently coasting in, every second one was on it's roof. I guess in Canada we just try harder!

We arrived at the Ottawa airport without ever going home. Guess what, flight cancelled. At least we are in Ottawa now. We are now booked to fly out on Monday, we'll see what happens.

We checked, just to see, and our original 5:45 flight out of Rochester got cancelled as well. Thank God we were already home by then.

It may become the trip that never was, we'll see.

Priceline.com

Here's the thing, technically they (Priceline.com) didn't do anything wrong, I'm still annoyed.

On the advice of Mrs Bussey (who has been very sucessful using this technique) when we decided to head down to Rochester ahead of the storm we went to Priceline.com to name our own price with our hotel booking. I researched the airport area hotels first and both of the two stars that were listed on their site are quite reasonable and offered the stay and fly options where you can park your car at the hotel for the duration of your travel and they bring you to and from the airport.

We name our price, $60 if you are curious, and, on the advice of Mrs Bussey, do not check the box to pay the $5 cancellation insurance. Apparently when you check that box, the price stays pretty high and low offers are not accepted. I read over the fine print where there are two things of note 1-the hotel you get may not be one of the ones listed on the site and 2-they process your credit card for the full amount instantly, no refunds, no way forget it. Whatever, blah, blah.

So the results come back. Our offer was accepted, but not one of the two great advertised hotels. Nope, we got the Rochester Extended stay hotel. Every room has one bed and a kitchen, housekeeping is once per week, the staff are ambivalent and there is no pool.

I call the hotel and ask about stay and fly options. I'm told no, but it is an $18 cab ride to the airport. Okay...can we leave our car behind? I ask. Oh sure, she replies, I don't even know whose car is here now. Awesome!! (Sarcastic awesome if you weren't following along).

Currently Big C is curled up in the chair and monkey is asleep in the bed. Dave and I are standing around looking at each other doing rock paper scissors for the ottoman In all honesty, we think it is pretty funny, and just another part of the adventure. I called down to ask for a wake up call-they don't do them. Wish us luck with our 6:30 flight tomorrow morning.

In the category of "chap my a$$" I saw a print out on the counter that someone else had gone through priceline.com and was paying $39 per night. Note to self for next time!!

DPoD March 6th - Tuckered little monkey

How cute is this kid?
I think he had a great morning because I offered him an early nap and this is what I got in return minutes later.(check out Mater, Dadd's bear and Grandma's special blanket all within reach)

DPoD March 5th - Monkeys

yeah.
Monkey's in impromptu hats.
I can see how parents can live longer with all the years of smiles.

I come home, I hug my children...

I set my things down. A small child grabs my hat and puts it on. I am reading a book to my older son when I hear the distinct sound of squeaking boots on a floor. I look up to see this:

Sadly, we were so distracted by the hilarity, that I never did get my purse put away. Big C went in, took a fairly new MAC lipstick out and painted himself with it. That was mommy's $15 mistake. Damn.

DPoD March 3rd - Stuck at Home in the Ice

The freezing rain here caused the boys to be home today, thus I am home from work - not venturing onto the Ottawa roads after writing off my first car back in 2002. So how will we spend the day? Indoors likely.
We started the day off by seeing mommy off into the ice and dangerous roads. She called when she got near work to let us know she was Ok. We all appreciate that mommy and we love you.
We had some getting dressed time (filled with lots of Big C's 'I do it self'). Breakfast included some daddy cereal and milk as well as yogurts. We had a lot of open play first thing in the morning. Thank you to anyone who's gotten the boys a construction vehicle. Oh my goodness they had a blast.
Now we've moved on to making muffins. I think that Muffins and Monday go hand in hand. A good way to start the week. A healthy snack to have around. A good mess to be made and then the kitchen can be thoroughly cleaned. Look at the boys' faces as we put in bananas, apples, broccoli and chocolate chips. Mmmmmm, broccoli. These little guys will get vegetables into their systems one way or another. Oh yes, and the replacement for 1/4 cup of oil - a jar of prunes. Mmmmmm.
(more to follow as the day progresses....that is if I get any spare time).

DPoD February 28th - How Ironic

Speaking of haircuts I'm reminded of one my favourite Simpson quotes:

Homer: 'Family, Homer Simpson is going to college'
Bart: 'Clown or barber?'
(throttling ensues)

It appears that our boy is headed for a double major in both hairstyle and clowning:
(note that he's combing his brother's hair with a play rake while pretending to play barber at home)

Mohawk haircut gets Ohio kindergartner suspended from school

Many of you would remember Monkey's "spikey hair".  He loved it and I only ever heard very positive comments about it from other parents.  The teacher never said a word.  I guess they are a little less understanding in Parma Ohio!!!

PARMA, Ohio - A kindergarten student with a freshly spiked Mohawk has been suspended from school.

Michelle Barile, the mother of six-year-old Bryan Ruda, said nothing in the Parma Community School handbook prohibits the haircut, characterized by closely shaved sides with a strip of prominent hair on top. The school said the hair was a distraction for other students.

An administrator at the suburban Cleveland charter school first warned Barile last fall that the haircut wasn't acceptable. The school later sent another warning to her reiterating the ban.

Mohawks violate the school's policy on being properly groomed, school Principal Linda Geyer said. Also, the school district's dress code allows school officials to forbid anything that interferes with the conduct of education.

Ruda's hair became a disruption last week when Ruda arrived freshly shorn, Geyer said. Administrators called Barile on Friday telling her to pick Ruda up from school.

"This was his third infraction," Geyer said Tuesday. "We felt that we were being extremely patient."

Rather than request a hearing to appeal the suspension, Barile said she'll enroll him at another school. Changing the hairstyle is not an option, she said.

"It's something that he really likes," Barile said. "When people hear Mohawk, they think it's long, it's spiked, it's crazy looking, and it's really not."

 

DPoD February 25th - MMMmuffins!

Since Monkey will be cooking at school tomorrow and the boys are in need of a little more greenery in their diet I thought it was the perfect time to make muffins with Monkey. Not just any muffins though.
Apple, pear, brocolli stem, chocoloate chip muffins.
mmmmmmm....they turned out super tasty.
There's 6 of the original 12 left. Get here quick if you'd like one.

Doughy....
muffins you say?
Quick, hide the evidence!