Welcome to my blog.
This is my creative outlet that could include my thoughts on anything from current affairs, my weight loss quest and things that just make me need to voice an opinion.
The following, for those who are interested, is a brief but lengthy log of my family's holiday vacation from the time we hit the road on the morning of December 14th to our return on January 9th. This will give you just a bit of an idea of what we did to celebrate the holiday season on the sunny and warm Florida Gulf Coast.
Day 1 - Friday December 14th My mom, dad and I loaded my car and were on the road at 3:00 a.m. With one storm ending and another on the way we did our best to travel between them. For the first time in all my trips South I actually saw the sun in Pennsylvania. Light snow in New York and part way into Pennsylvania but then it turned much nicer. Lots of ice in the trees down to Harrisburg as well. We stopped driving around 5:30 p.m. and rested for the night in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I was ready to see a bed.
Day 2 - Saturday December 15th Up and on the road by 4am for another long day on the road. A little rain and heavy traffic at times but overall it wasn't a bad commute. I'm sorry ladies but I have come to the conclusion that the worst drivers on the roads are women. If it isn't the case, you certainly have plenty of fellow females who are adding some weight to the rumour. We arrived at Scott and Erin's at 5:20pm. Out for a quick supper at Outback Steakhouse...mmmm prime rib, and then home for an early night.
Day 3 - Sunday December 16th I slept in late and it was a quiet day. Shopped at the WalMart, played cards and relaxed. Also kept an eye on the computer to try and get news on the big snow storm hitting back home. I'm glad to be in Florida but wondering what's happening at the house.
Days 4-10 - Monday Dec. 17th to Sunday Dec. 23rd Mostly shopping during these days and relaxation in the evenings as we continued to prepare for Christmas. I've come to the conclusion that it's much easier to spend money rather than earn it...but I think we all knew that already. WalMart is like a second home to me now and the massive malls are almost as familiar. Went to have the car detailed and it looks like new all washed and waxed and the inside cleaned.
Day 11 - Monday Dec. 24th Scott and I were up early and on the road to join the masses for the final pre-Christmas shopping day. We traveled up the road, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and into Tampa where we found the International Plaza Mall which is a gigantic two level mall. It's an impressive place but most of the stores were well out of my price range. The Apple store was nice to visit though. Erin had to work today so it was just the four of us for our annual Christmas Eve supper at Outback Steakhouse. We used to eat at Ponderosa but sadly they no longer exist anymore to keep that tradition going. It was a quiet evening at home as we prepared for a busy Christmas Day.
Day 12 - Tuesday Dec. 25th Up early for breakfast and then it was present opening time. It was a very good haul for all of us with lots of new toys including a new laptop for me, diamonds for mom, iPod and telescope for dad and two iPhones for Scott and Erin. We were spoiled as usual. It was then off to Erin's parents house for supper, more gift opening and a lot of laughs. Both sets of Erin's grandparents, mom and dad and sister Ashley were there. By the way it was in the 80's and sunny today...not what I'm used to for Christmas but I'm not complaining.
Day 13 - Wednesday Dec. 26th Scott and I went golfing today at Stoneybrook Golf Club just down the street from the house. The good news was I played better than the last time I played that course but the bad news was I still didn't play great. Scott had a good round though. It was nice to get out on Boxing Day to play 18 holes on a warm day and I got to work on my tan a little bit. I was quite sore in the evening since I hadn't played in almost 3 months.
Day 14 - Thursday Dec. 27th Most of the day was spent around the house relaxing. Late in the afternoon all five of us jumped in Scott's truck and headed for Tampa to watch the Montreal Canadiens play the Lightning at the Forum. It was a packed house with lots of Habs fans in attendance and of course we had our Montreal jerseys and hats to fit in and cheer our team on. Our seats were awesome and the Habs won 5-2. It was a fun night and worth the price of admission.
Day 15 - Friday Dec. 28th More shopping on a very hot day. I actually got some tan this day as I spent time waiting for my parents to shop. It was a quiet day overall which is always nice.
Day 16 - Saturday Dec. 29th Mom, Dad, Scott, Erin, Ashley and I hit the road for Tampa to spend the day shopping, or browsing as I would describe my involvement. It was a full day at the International Plaza and the place was very busy with lots of sales. Of course even the sale prices were more than I was willing to spend at this ritzy place. Supper was spent at The Cheesecake Factory which was very nice and very filling. The Tons of Fun Burger was truly more than a mouthful. It was a good day.
Day 17 - Sunday Dec. 30th Another quiet day mostly spent around the house. Watched some football in the afternoon and then a couple of movies in the evening.
Day 18 - Monday Dec. 31st It was an overcast day with scattered showers so our plans changed and we didn't do much. Did a little shopping with Mom, Dad and Scott. We had a very good lunch in Sarasota at Cheeburger Cheeburger. It was very filling and tasty. In the evening Erin's sister Ashley joined us for food, games, cards and champagne as we rang in the New Year 2008 together.
Day 19 - Tuesday January 1st Other than a quick outing to Walmart with Scott it was a day spent at the house watching college football, playing games and eating lots of food on this first day of the new year. Erin's sister Ashley and her parents Lynette and David also spent the afternoon with us. It was a small but nice gathering.
Day 20 - Wednesday January 2nd Slept in a bit but got up and booked a campsite online at Presqu'ile for mom and dad for this summer. It seems so far away right now. Out and about with ma and pa on a much cooler day as we visited the Outlet Mall at Ellenton and checked out a few other places. Home for supper and a relaxing evening.
Day 21 - Thursday January 3rd Woke up to a very cold morning for Florida as the temperatures were just above freezing. Thankfully it wasn't expected to last more than a day or two. Scott, Mom, Dad and I headed for Myakka River State Park to check out the wildlife and be one with nature. The gators were scarce today thanks to the cold weather but plenty of varieties of birds. We also made our way down to Lido Beach by St. Armand's Circle. After supper at Red Lobster it was home to watch TV and play a few games on the Xbox 360 before calling it a night.
Day 22 - Friday January 4th Woke up feeling a little ill today so I decided to spend a quiet day resting around the house and watching some movies. It is expected to be a busy day tomorrow for mom and dad's 45th wedding anniversary party here.
Day 23 - Saturday January 5th This was a busy day as mom and dad celebrated their 45th anniversary today. I took mom and dad out for a little light shopping while Scott and Erin got things ready at the house. Upon our return we were joined by the Hinman's, Ashley and Grandma Lusk. We had a delicious turkey dinner, presents were given and emails from friends back home were read. Mom and Dad also received a letter personally signed by the Prime Minister and another from the Premier of Ontario congratulating them. After supper we played some games and then relaxed. It was a good day. Of course dad and I also kept an eye on the World Junior Hockey Gold Medal game which Canada won. They beat Sweden in overtime for their fourth gold in a row.
Day 24 - Sunday January 6th Another day of relaxation mostly. Mom, Dad and I went up I-75 to the Ellenton Outlet Mall for a quick visit and then to lunch before returning home. Spent the afternoon playing games on the Xbox 360 with Scott and then a quiet evening as we get prepared for the trip home.
Day 25 - Monday January 7th Up fairly early and started to get ready to leave as we're expecting to hit the road very early tomorrow. We had a lot of stuff to pack and we managed to get a lot of it in the trunk of my car. Safe to say the load won't shift any as it is packed tight. Scott and Erin worked today so the folks and I did some last minute running around before coming home, having supper and calling it an early night.
Day 26 - Tuesday January 8th Up at 3:00am, finished packing the car, said our goodbyes to Scott and Erin and on the road by 3:45am. Dad and I shared the driving duties as usual and the trip went well overall. Traffic was OK for the most part until we got up around Richmond, Virginia in time for rush hour at 5:00pm. The only problem occurred on I-275 when a dump truck went flying past us and kicked up a rock which hit the windshield and cracked it on the drives side. I was quite angry as you might imagine. The crack spread about 8-10 inches before it stopped. We decided to get off the road and grabbed a motel in Fredericksburg, Virginia as we figured 15 hours driving was enough for day one. The temperature was very warm and mostly dry the whole way which was nice.
Day 27 - Wednesday January 9th It was another early morning as we were up and on the road by 5:00am. It was a long day with the some rain to start and then sunshine and high winds the rest of the way. We saw several transport trailers and one fifth wheel camper that had been blown over by the winds. We lost a little time in Wilkes-Bare, Pennsylvania as we took an off ramp to get gas that didn't have an on ramp but thanks to my GPS we were able to go cross country a bit and back on to I-81. We also had a delay at the Ivy Lee bridges at the Thousand Islands. Due to the very strong winds the transports were not being allowed over and they were only letting vehicles over in one direction at a time. We finally make it to the house and got the car unpacked and relaxed.
Despite the cooler weather it was nice to be home again but I do miss the heat and weather of Florida already. It was a great trip and I only hope the warm weather returns to Canada sooner rather than later. I should also thank my employer for allowing me the time off. Luckily it was a slow time at work so I wasn't missed too badly.
And a reminder you can check out more photos from the trip by clicking Bundy's Photos in the right column.
I'm not sure if I'll have an opportunity over the next several weeks to update the blog as I normally would. As you can imagine the holiday season is a busy time of year and this year in particular is going to be hectic for me and the rest my family.
I'd just like to wish all of my family, friends and blog readers all the best for a Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and all the best in 2008!
The presents are nice, decorating the tree is fun and all of the lights on the houses help to put me in the mood for the holiday season but when it comes right down to it, there's nothing I enjoy more than parking my butt in my comfy chair and watching my favourite holiday movies to get me into the mood.
Everyone has their favourite movie with a Christmas theme that they have to watch prior to the big day. For me there are several movies that make the holidays that much more enjoyable if I get a chance to view them in December. I won't count the annual television specials like Rudolph or Frosty. They're fun but I'm sticking with movies only for now.
Here now is a list of my Top 10 Christmas Movies.
10. Home Alone (1990) I doubt anyone thought this would be a classic movie when it was released but almost 20 years later that's exactly what it is. Young Kevin is left behind by his family when they go on vacation and he has to run the house and defend it against thieves who are attempting to rob his family. This is a cute story with some very funny and heartfelt moments. Plus the fact it also stars John Candy it helps to put it in my Top 10. Quote:"Kevin McCallister - Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen.
9. Trading Places (1983) Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is a successful Philadelphia commodity broker while Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) is a hustling beggar. Winthorpe's employers, the elderly Duke brothers, make a bet that by switching the lifestyle of the two, Billy Ray will make good and their man will take to a life of crime. Suddenly Louis finds himself uncomprehendingly with no job, no home and only a new acquaintance, glamorous hooker Ophelia, prepared to help him. OK, maybe it's not your typical Christmas movie but it is set around the holiday's and Aykroyd does get stinking drunk in a Santa suit. A hilarious movie. Quote: "Billy Ray - When I was growing up, if we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.
8. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Christmas just wouldn't be the same if we didn't get to see all of those postal employees dumping the letters to Santa in front of the judge in this holiday flick. A man claims to be Kris Kringle and nobody believes him so it's up to a lawyer, a little girl and the courts to decide. Edmund Gwenn plays the part of Kringle perfectly and has to defend himself or face being labeled as insane. This is a black and white gem and another not to be missed during the season. Quote:Kris Kringle - No, but don't you see, dear? Some children wish for things they couldn't possibly use like real locomotives or B-29s.
7. White Christmas (1954) Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters (Betty and Judy) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, is the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General. It's an entertaining musical with plenty of music and dancing but of course the highlight is at the end when they finally sing the title song. Quote:Bob Wallace -Oh, Phil, when are you going to learn that girls like that are a dime a dozen? Phil Davis - Please, don't quote me the price when I haven't got the time.
6. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) I think this movie will make almost everyone's Christmas movie list...even though it's not really about Christmas. It's the story about a man going through some hard times, and makes the wish that he had never been born. Feeling that the world would be better off without him, he wants to remove the pain of everyone around him, by removing himself. For a short time, and angel grants him his wish, and the chance to see what life would be like if he really had never been born. Sometimes one life can have a big impact on others without even realizing it. Jimmy Stewart turns in one of his best performance ever. Quote:George Bailey - Well, you look about the kind of angel I'd get. Sort of a fallen angel, aren't you? What happened to your wings?
5. Die Hard (1988) New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies to Los Angeles on Christmas eve to spend the holidays with his family. He arrives at the Nakatomi building for his wife's office party. International terrorists take over the building and hold every one as hostage to steel $600 million of bonds from the vaults of the building. Now its up to McClane to face the terrorists and save his wife and the other hostages. OK...it's not your typical heart-warming holiday tale but it's set at Christmas time, the soundtrack has Christmas music and in the end the good guys win. Quote:John McClane: I got invited to the Christmas party by mistake. Who knew?
4. A Christmas Story (1983) Set in the 1940's, this film relates the tale of Ralphie Parker who wants an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and 'this thing' which tells time" and will go to any lengths to get it. Ralphie is on a mission and does everything within his power to make sure Santa delivers on Christmas morning. Ultimately, Ralphie's "Old Man" gives in. This is a funny movie that has almost gained cult status as one of the most loved movies of the season. Last Christmas one television station played the movie non-stop for 24 hours beginning on Christmas Eve. Quote:Ralphie - Ooooh Fuuudge! [narrating] Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!
3. Elf (2003) The newest movie on my list is destined to be a holiday classic as well. Buddy (Will Ferrell) was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole. Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan). Hobbs, on Santa's naughty list for being a heartless jerk, had no idea that Buddy was even born. Buddy, meanwhile, experiences the delights of New York City (and human culture) as only an elf can. If you've never seen this movie, do yourself a favour and watch it this Christmas. You'll be happy you did. Quote: Buddy - We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) There's nothing like the holiday's with the Griswald's. Chevy Chase returns as Clark Griswald the family patriarch who wants nothing more then to spend a good 'ol family Christmas at home...and to get those damn lights on the house to work...and to get that nice bonus from his boss. This is easily my favourite of the Vacation movies and is a humourous holiday classic. Quote: "Clark - Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f**king Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."
1. A Christmas Carol (1951) This black and white classic produced in the UK is beyond a doubt my most favourite Christmas movie of all time. The worst thing they ever did was colourize a version of it as the original B&W is the only way it should be shown. It stars Alastair Simm as Ebeneezer Scrooge and the story is well known but the acting and atmosphere of this movie is head and shoulders above any other attempt at telling this story in film. It always seems to be on every Christmas Eve and it's a tradition to watch it before I go to bed. No doubt about this being my #1 Christmas Flick. Quote: "Ebenezer - Bob, I haven't taken leave of my senses. I've come to them."
Here's a clip from the movie when Scrooge meets Jacob Marley.
So there you have it. If you have a favourite that I didn't mention or perhaps I've forgotten one then please feel free to leave a comment and let me know about it.
As the year quickly draws to an end I thought it would only be appropriate to post the YouTube clip that was voted Clip of the Year in 2006.
I have to admit that I really like this clip. The idea behind it is simple yet powerful.
This three and a half minute clip has been viewed over 21-million times on YouTube and is quite moving.
Here's the story behind the video...
Sometimes, a hug is all that we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.
In this age of social dis-connectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.
As this symbol of human hope spread across the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.
As you may have heard, one of my boyhood heroes passed away this past weekend. Evel Knievel died on Friday in Florida at the age of 69 after a lengthy illness. He suffered from diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung condition. He also had a liver transplant in 1999 after he almost died from hepatitis C, a disease that he likely got through a blood transfusion.
Growing up in the 70's there was nobody more exciting than the legendary Evel Knievel. What boy didn't pretend to be him at one time or another as we set up ramps on the street and rode our bikes off them while jumping our buddies lying on their backs. How we didn't kill anyone I'll never know. Evel was a hero to many young boys with his throw caution to the wind attitude.
I also recall playing for hours with my Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle that you'd attach to this mechanism which you then cranked up and upon releasing; the motorcycle with an Evel action figure along for the ride would race across the floor. I never owned an Evel Knievel lunchbox but I know some guys who did and boy was I jealous.
Knievel made a name for himself by cheating death over and over again. He used his motorcycle to jump cars, double-decker buses, the fountain at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and of course his failed attempt at crossing the Snake River Canyon in is jet powered "Skycycle" made his a household name.
Below is video taken of his failed attempt to jump the Caesar's Palace fountain. Actually, he cleared the fountain but botched the landing as he lost speed during the takeoff. As a result of the crash, Knievel received a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days.
Up and on the road by 4am for another long day on the road. A little rain and heavy traffic at times but overall it wasn't a bad commute. I'm sorry ladies but I have come to the conclusion that the worst drivers on the roads are women. If it isn't the case, you certainly have plenty of fellow females who are adding some weight to the rumour. We arrived at Scott and Erin's at 5:20pm. Out for a quick supper at Outback Steakhouse...mmmm prime rib, and then home for an early night. 
Scott and I were up early and on the road to join the masses for the final pre-Christmas shopping day. We traveled up the road, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and into Tampa where we found the International Plaza Mall which is a gigantic two level mall. It's an impressive place but most of the stores were well out of my price range. The Apple store was nice to visit though. Erin had to work today so it was just the four of us for our annual Christmas Eve supper at Outback Steakhouse. We used to eat at Ponderosa but sadly they no longer exist anymore to keep that tradition going. It was a quiet evening at home as we prepared for a busy Christmas Day. 
Up early for breakfast and then it was present opening time. It was a very good haul for all of us with lots of new toys including a new laptop for me, diamonds for mom, iPod and telescope for dad and two iPhones for Scott and Erin. We were spoiled as usual. It was then off to Erin's parents house for supper, more gift opening and a lot of laughs. Both sets of Erin's grandparents, mom and dad and sister Ashley were there. By the way it was in the 80's and sunny today...not what I'm used to for Christmas but I'm not complaining. 
Scott and I went golfing today at Stoneybrook Golf Club just down the street from the house. The good news was I played better than the last time I played that course but the bad news was I still didn't play great. Scott had a good round though. It was nice to get out on Boxing Day to play 18 holes on a warm day and I got to work on my tan a little bit. I was quite sore in the evening since I hadn't played in almost 3 months. 
Mom, Dad, Scott, Erin, Ashley and I hit the road for Tampa to spend the day shopping, or browsing as I would describe my involvement. It was a full day at the International Plaza and the place was very busy with lots of sales. Of course even the sale prices were more than I was willing to spend at this ritzy place. Supper was spent at The Cheesecake Factory which was very nice and very filling. The Tons of Fun Burger was truly more than a mouthful. It was a good day. 
Woke up to a very cold morning for Florida as the temperatures were just above freezing. Thankfully it wasn't expected to last more than a day or two. Scott, Mom, Dad and I headed for Myakka River State Park to check out the wildlife and be one with nature. The gators were scarce today thanks to the cold weather but plenty of varieties of birds. We also made our way down to Lido Beach by St. Armand's Circle. After supper at Red Lobster it was home to watch TV and play a few games on the Xbox 360 before calling it a night. 
This was a busy day as mom and dad celebrated their 45th anniversary today. I took mom and dad out for a little light shopping while Scott and Erin got things ready at the house. Upon our return we were joined by the Hinman's, Ashley and Grandma Lusk. We had a delicious turkey dinner, presents were given and emails from friends back home were read. Mom and Dad also received a letter personally signed by the Prime Minister and another from the Premier of Ontario congratulating them. After supper we played some games and then relaxed. It was a good day. Of course dad and I also kept an eye on the World Junior Hockey Gold Medal game which Canada won. They beat Sweden in overtime for their fourth gold in a row. 
Up at 3:00am, finished packing the car, said our goodbyes to Scott and Erin and on the road by 3:45am. Dad and I shared the driving duties as usual and the trip went well overall. Traffic was OK for the most part until we got up around Richmond, Virginia in time for rush hour at 5:00pm. The only problem occurred on I-275 when a dump truck went flying past us and kicked up a rock which hit the windshield and cracked it on the drives side. I was quite angry as you might imagine. The crack spread about 8-10 inches before it stopped. We decided to get off the road and grabbed a motel in Fredericksburg, Virginia as we figured 15 hours driving was enough for day one. The temperature was very warm and mostly dry the whole way which was nice. 
