Hello Again, I'm Not Dead

I wasn't lying on my last blog posting when I said I might be away for a bit. A month and a half since my last posting but you haven't missed a whole lot. Okay, that's not entirely true but certainly nothing earth shattering.

As planned, I spent Christmas in Florida with my brother and his family. I dragged my parents along with me as well to make it a real family Christmas. The first one in many years where we've all been together.

The "Unconditional Surrender" statue in downtown Sarasota, Florida.

I won't bore you with all of the details. Suffice it to say everyone got lots of presents from Santa and we ate way too much good food. It was a great three weeks in the Sunshine State.

Well, it wasn't entirely without incidence. My poor mother after just recovering from a broken ankle last Autumn, missed a step coming down the stairs and fell again two days before Christmas. Despite her intense pain she didn't let us take her to the hospital until Boxing Day where she was diagnosed with a bad sprain and pulled ligaments but no break. Of course anyone who's had an injury like this knows, sometimes you're better off just to break it. So as it turns out, mom spent most of the vacation on the couch resting although I did drag her out a few times shopping where she could ride the electric scooters around Walmart and Target and near the end of the trip she could walk a little better.

Of course mom's injury meant she wasn't able to go to Tampa to see the Montreal Canadiens play the Lightning. So in her place went my sister-in-laws sister along with my dad, brother and sis-in-law of course. We had a terrific time and Montreal won which was a bonus

Red-shouldered Hawk in Myakka River State Park.

During the trip I got a bit of sun which was nice but the one thing I did a lot  of was shop. I spent over $1200 on mostly new clothes. Having lost all my weight my old wardrobe was no good to me. All of my old clothes were several sizes too large. I had a good time shopping.

Weight loss and body changes continue to happen.

So how did my weight loss go while on vacation? Well, as expected I gained some weight because to be completely honest, I ate like a pig. I fully expected to come home and find I'd gained 30 pounds. But when I stepped on the scale after getting back I had only gained about 14 pounds. And I'm happy to say that within a week I had dropped every pound and was back to my pre-vacation weight. I think the main reason I didn't gain more likely had to do with the fact that most mornings I would go for a good long walk and do a couple laps of a local lake. Probably about 3 miles each time.

I did get a couple opportunities to practice my photography hobby as well. I took my camera on my walk one day and got some shots of some of the local water birds like Blue Herons, Ibis, Egrets and others. Another day dad and I loaded mom into the truck our way to Myakka River State Park near Sarasota. Here I got some nice photos of lots of Alligators and was lucky enough to spot a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks.

Ibis in Flight.

It was a good trip but I was not pleased at all to return home. While away there was a brutal ice storm. The tree damage was minimal but there had to be anywhere from two to six inches of ice in the driveway. I was three days chipping it clear and shovelling the heavy ice onto the yard. And if that isn't bad enough, I just got it cleared in time as we've had several snow storms since then and have more snow on the ground than I can recall in recent memory.

Oh, and to make matters worse, the temperatures have been bitterly cold. One night at work I was sitting in my car when all of a sudden my back window exploded. The heat inside and the minus 30 temps outside didn't agree with the tempered glass. That was a fun night.

So as you can see, it has been a somewhat interesting period since my last posting but life is funny that way. Never a dull moment.

Sun, Fun, Family and Whales

Will someone please explain to me how it’s possible for time to go by so much faster while you’re on vacation, yet when you’re sitting at work, it seems to take forever for eight hours to tick away?

Oh well, at least I was able to enjoy some time off and help recharge my internal batteries for the last month or so of winter. Not to mention I’d only taken a week’s holidays in the last 12 months so I was feeling quite lethargic to say the least and needed to change things up for a bit.

As it turned out the vacation went very well and I was able to relax. Everyone asks me, “What did you do on vacation” and when I tell them I went to Florida and spent a lot of time doing nothing they can’t figure out why I wasn’t going non-stop all the time.

I was quite content to sit outside in a lawn chair with a magazine, a beverage, my iPod and the warm Florida sunshine shinning down on me. I didn’t need to be on the road every day going all over the State.

That’s not to say I didn’t do a little travelling around or have some fun days away from my lawn chair.

First off I was able to spend some quality time with not only my brother and his wife but I had a chance to see my nephew for the very first time. It’s hard to believe anyone could be cuter than me but this kid might just take away my title.

I hadn’t seen my brother and sister-in-law in over a year and it was nice to spend some time with them. Even at this age I miss not having my brother around sometimes. It would be nice to just call him up and say I’m coming over to have a beer and watch some TV with you but that’s just not possible.

But we did get to spend some time together. We drove up to Tampa one night, ate too much Italian food at Buca di Beppo restaurant. Then it was off to the NHL game at the St. Pete Times Forum with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately the Habs played horrible and lost but the seats were great and the game was entertaining. I always enjoy going to a hockey game in my shorts.

The one thing I always do when I go to Florida is buy clothing. As a big guy, the selection of clothing around home is less than spectacular and I always make it a point to stop by Casual Male in Sarasota where I can drop $200 in no time at all.

Aside from shopping, relaxing and making a couple of visits to the beach, the only other real excursion was to Sea World in Orland. I’d never been there before and I enjoyed it. The admission price was a little steep but I figure it’s something I likely won’t ever do again so why not spend the cash.

I enjoyed the water shows. In particular the Killer Whale (Shamu) and the Dolphin shows were very impressive. I enjoyed getting up close to some of the sharks, stingrays, dolphins and turtles that I normally wouldn’t get a chance to see. It was quite interesting and different from going to Disney or Universal Studios.

Of course the photographer in me had to get out to take some photos so we went down to Myakka River State Park one day. This is my favourite spot to find alligators in the wild. As it turned out it was a good day for them as we saw eight gators in one location and two more in another. They are scary looking creatures. I managed to get pretty close to some of them...probably closer than I should have been. But I managed to get a few good photos.


In the end the vacation was a success. I spent time with family, tanned my gelatinous body and was able to unwind and relax for three weeks. I just hope my next vacation gets here a bit sooner next time.

Habs Game Fun

On January 27, 2009 while on vacation in Florida, my brother, sister-in-law, Uncle and I drove up I-75 to Tampa for the night to enjoy some NHL action at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The Montreal Canadiens (my favourite team) were in town to battle the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sadly, my team lost but it was still a fun time with great seats and an enjoyable night.

Here's a video I shot during the pre-game warm-up from our seats. Aside from the hockey players and crowd, the video also shows my brother Scott, sis-in-law Erin and Uncle Mel getting ready to cheer on the Habs. To be honest, Mel is a Maple Leafs fan but we let him cheer for a good team for a change.

Hurricane Fay Hunting Florida

It hasn't been an overly active hurricane season so far but as we've seen in the past that can change in a hurry.

I never used to worry too much about them since I live way up here in Canada and only on rare occasions do we see any effect from them. It does happen though as we tend to get mostly rain events from them.

It can get nasty as well, such as Hurricane Hazel in 1954 which re-intensified unexpectedly and rapidly, pounding the Toronto region with winds that reached 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) and 285 millimetres (11.23 inches) of rain in 48 hours. Bridges and streets were washed out, homes and trailers were washed into Lake Ontario. Thousands were left homeless, and 81 people were killed—more than 30 on one street alone.

I have family living in Florida with my brother and his wife and her family calling the Sunshine State home and that keeps me a bit more vigilant.

They've been pretty lucky so far as they've never had a direct hit to my knowledge but Fay could be different. The projected path currently has it hitting right near where they live South of Tampa and that probably has me more concerned than them. My brother doesn't usually get too excited about these things.

Hopefully the path will change prior to landfall on Tuesday night.

So I'll be keeping an eye on the news and weather channels as much as I can and on my cell phone at work. I might even have to give them a call just to make sure everything is OK.

Knowing Scott he'll be upset that I woke him up while his street is flooding and the neighbourhood trees are being snapped off.

UPDATE (7:22AM Aug. 19): Good news...the storm came ashore well below my family and wasn't a hurricane when it made landfall so it looks like they'll be spared once again. Hopefully their luck will continue until the season comes to an end and for many years to come.

Florida Trip Journal 2007-2008

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.

Florida Vacation Memories

The mere fact that I've found time to add an update to my blog is proof that my vacation is over and I'm back to the usual routine of day to day life in Canada.

I recently arrived home after spending two weeks in Florida visiting my brother and sister-in-law and seeing the sights. I thought I'd share a few of the highlights of the trip with you and hopefully you'll enjoy them.

My uncle Mel and I left around 4:00 a.m. on Friday March 16th with much anticipation and a little trepidation as well with the knowledge the trip could be rough. Sure enough we starting running into the bad weather at the New York / Pennsylvania state line and it got worse from there. The snow was awful and the driving conditions were horrendous, however we kept going as best we could. We had to stop a couple times to remove the snow and ice build-up from the front of the van as it was causing the engine to overheat. It wasn't until we were off Interstate 81 and part way across Interstate 66 (just West of Washington in Virginia) that the snow turned into rain. You might think that's a good thing except we went from a blizzard to a monsoon with strong winds and torrential rain blinding us until we reached North Carolina. We had been on the road for over 15.5 hours and I'd had enough for the day so we stopped for the night in Kenly, NC. My hands were sore from gripping the steering wheel so tightly all day. Saturday morning we were on the road shortly after 3:00 a.m. and the drive into Florida was much better and we arrived at 3:00 p.m. at Scott and Erin's doorstep.

I'll spare you every little detail of the trip as I don't want to bore you to death but I'll give you a few of the more memorable moments. First off, Scott and Erin were fantastic hosts and their home is beautiful. My only criticism would be that I didn't see any pictures of me hanging on the walls or in any picture frames around the house. I didn't venture into their bedroom so I'm sure they must have them all located in there. Scott even let me cut his grass that first week which I enjoyed very much. It gave me an excuse to get outside and work on my tan. The meals were excellent and Mel and I were certainly spoiled.

The first Sunday we all went shopping at the Ellenton Outlet Mall and it worked out great as I was able to buy almost everything I had hoped to purchase on the trip. The first week Scott and Erin had to work a fair bit and that worked out well. Mel and I did a little shopping, running around and lounging around as well which was perfect for me. I enjoyed doing very little and it was probably a good thing because the weekend would make up for it.

We left for Orlando on Friday morning and went to Disney World, the MGM Park to be exact. I'd never been to this park before and it was a lot of fun. The only controversy of the day happened shortly after we arrived and Erin had purchased her $13 bottle of sunscreen. We decided to go on the Aerosmith Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. I should preface this by telling you that I'm not a big fan of roller coasters but I can handle a mild one like Space Mountain without any loops or corkscrews. Scott assured me that the ride was very tame and there were no surprises. Well, shortly before we entered the building an announcement came over the speaker to remind everyone of the intense ride and that it included a corkscrew and loops. Needless to say my heart rate increased dramatically and I let Scott know I wasn't pleased with his sneaky ways. I'd like to tell you I remember the ride vividly however my eyes were shut most of the way around it. We took off like a shot going 0-60 in a matter of 2 seconds and pulled five G's on the very first loop. I don't remember much after that as I was just trying to not have a heart attack. I survived but just barely. The rest of the rides and shows were much more to my liking.

After we left the park we checked in to the Hilton Hotel across from Downtown Disney, refreshed ourselves and went for supper and checked out the stores and shops in Disney Market.

On day two we went to Epcot. I'd been there before but it had changed a fair bit. The first ride we went on was Mission Space. Now I'm very interested in shuttles and space exploration so this was right up my alley but when I heard that a couple people had died on the ride, the heart kicked into high gear again. Looking back now, having survived, it was an awesome ride. The centrifuge spins to let you experience the G's during take off and also a simulated weightlessness. It was very cool and intense. After that it was off to ride on Test Track which was very entertaining as you hit high speeds on high banked corners. It was pretty cool. The rest of the day we enjoyed other rides and the many different countries represented. My feet were killing me by the time our two days were done there but it was worth it.

On the following Monday, Scott, Mel and I got up early and went golfing at Stoney Brook at Heritage Harbor which is located right at the end of Scott's street. It was a nice course set amongst the many houses with lots of water, sand and wildlife. Sadly, my golf game was lacking and I had a tough time enjoying myself. I think I lost about a dozen balls and my vocabulary got a serious workout. Despite my terrible game we still had fun but damn was it a hot day.

Other activities during our final week included a visit to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. This place was amazing. I'm not a huge fan of art work but I couldn't help but be impressed by the hundred's of pieces in Ringling's collection. The actual home that the Ringling's built was amazing and the guided tour was very interesting. I would recommend you check it out if you're ever in that area.

Scott, Mel and I also got up early one day and went to the Myakka River State Park which was very cool. Here we walked though the forest and climbed the tower in the canopy tour which gave a great scenic overview of the entire park. We also photographed many alligators and different birds. Being somewhat of a nature buff, I really enjoyed this. Sadly we didn't run into any rattlesnakes or panthers.

We left for home around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning which meant we missed out on the community Easter egg hunt but at least the drive home had much better weather. We did run into rain in Pennsylvania but I've come to the conclusion that the sun must never shine in that state.

All in all it was a super trip and we had a lot of fun but all good things must come to an end. I was hoping we'd come back to find the weather much warmer in Ontario but that wasn't the case as the forecast called for flurries and below normal temperatures the week of our return.

NOTE: If you'd like to view more photos from my trip, please click on the 2007 Bundy Photos link on the right. Also, below is a video someone shot of the entire Test Track Ride.

I AM The Best Man

So here's the situation...my brother Scott is getting married in November to a lovely gal named Erin and the wedding is being held in Florida where they both reside.

Scott gave me the great honour of being his Best Man at the wedding and I couldn't be more thrilled. As a big man I can't think of anything more enjoyable than dressing up in a tuxedo under the blistering Florida sun. I just hope its machine washable.

I'm kidding of course. I look good all the time but I'm even better looking when I'm dressed up. Plus, it has always been my understanding that weddings are a great place to meet single women. It's the perfect atmosphere. Here they are watching someone they know, in love, having their big day. It'll be like single women at a male strip show and I'm the last dancer for them to grab on to.

Of course this plan goes right out the window if there are no single women. I know the invitations have already gone out. I wonder if it's too late for me to send out a few. I'll send a couple to those girls at the local bar who sell beer in their bikinis. I'll walk up and down the beaches of Siesta Key and Longboat Key handing them out to young hotties in thongs. Or I could head over to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando and pass out invites for a ride on the new "Bundy Mountain Love Experience".

No, I'm sure I'll just be too darn busy making sure things go as smoothly as possible. I'll be looking after my brother, the minister, the toasts, dancing with my aunts who don't have dates and at the end of the night I'll have to hook up with one of the ladies on the kitchen staff. I just hope she shaves.