The Gbots blog

Hotel Review: Il Lugano, Fort Lauderdale

2013-08-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone wanting to stay at this Hotel should read this. I will identify good and bad points about the Hotel, and about Fort Lauderdale in General.

   I just got back home from this Hotel this past week, and overall I'd have to say it was a pretty good vacation, though I don't think I'd return to this hotel in the near future in my current situation. That being said, this hotel would make an excellent choice for some seeking   convenience and value.
   The hotel is very nice, with a nice lobby, and friendly staff. We had a studio suite on the 9th floor of the intercoastal waterway. The room was very nice, with a very comfortable king size bed, a very large beautiful balcony, a full kitchen (no oven) with 2 burners, a full fridge, and a washer and dryer. This is very convenient if you don't want to eat out for every meal. Our room had a separate living area with a sofa bed, and the king bed near the balcony, although the rooms are not really separate. Size is definitely adequate for a small family (we were 3, our 3 year old slept on the sofa bed no complaints!!) Staff did a pretty good job of keeping our room clean and were usually pretty quick if we needed something. The hotel is new, so all furniture, etc is in good shape.
    On the down side, this hotel is not the best place to go if you have small children and want to go to the beach every day. The hotel provides a shuttle to the beach, and they gave us a lift except for once, when the valet guy told us he couldn't give us a lift because someone called in sick and he was alone. Its not too much fun walking in the Florida heat with umbrellas, towels, and a cranky 3 year old. However, like I said, this was the exception. I would say the walk is just slight of 15 minutes in those circumstances. The hotel provides towels, and umbrellas... but the umbrellas are mostly in fair condition at best, and were always turning inside out every time we went to the beach. I would also say it was fairly windy and the waters a lot choppier than when I was in Fort Lauderdale last year in August once again.    You are dropped at the beach at the Oakland Park intersection, about a minute walk to the beach. This entrance is used by the general public, so some of Fort Lauderdale's less fortunate people use this this place as a place to nap, hang out, and to bathe in the showers used to wash away sand just of the beach. I don't want to sound insensitive, I'm just being honest... you will have homeless people at this section of beach, and the occasional shady characters, although I can't say we felt unsafe. It wasn't a great feeling having to wait for a very indiscreet homeless woman to wash herself with a bunch of kids around waiting to rinse the sand off themselves.   If you want a lift back from the beach, you have to call the hotel and they will pick you up when they can. Curiously, I only saw one couple go the beach once with the beach buggy the whole time we were there. I had the impression it would have been like a shuttle going back and forth all day, but it didn't appear to be like that. We waited about 20 mins the first time to get a lift back, so we walked back the other times. Luckily for my son, he usually got a piggy ride back!!
Overall, I think this hotel has great value and convenience and we were generally happy with our stay. I don't think its ideal for a family with small children under 5, but there are many positives that make it worth staying here.   The full size fridge with freezer, a stove with 2 burners, and also a washer and dryer. To many people this means nothing, but its really nice to be able to have at least a good breakfast at your room before starting your day. Like I said previously, the balconies are awesome and provide a really good view of the intercoastal waterways. These rooms are more expensive for a reason... the ocean view advertised probably wont provide much of a view. The hotel is a couple of blocks back and the view is surely hindered by other large hotels and buildings.
I hope this helps!!

Will cabbage help me eat salad??

2013-08-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to eat better lately, but as most of you know, it's not easy. When I was in my teens and twenties, gaining weight was never an issue. Whatever I ate, it didn't matter. Maybe because I was in school and was a lot more active; playing hockey, gym, etc, or maybe my metabolism was just faster. The "real world" hadn't arrived yet. Stress at work, and waking up early and coming home late were not a part of my life while I was a student.
That all changed when I started working. Long hours, and eating out became the norm; and after a few years, the weight started coming on slowly... at first. To give a background, I was never much of a salad eater. Salad at my house was iceberg lettuce with olive oil and vinegar, or tomatoes with cucumbers; two things I didn't like at an early age. Not to take anything away from my Mom's cooking... Greek cuisine ie "the Mediterranean diet", is very healthy, but can be very challenging to a picky eater such as I was. I struggled with salad and seafood, setting a very bad framework for the future. This would be something I still struggle with to this date, although to a lesser extent.

Green salad with red and green cabbage!!
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Compared to many years ago, I eat a lot more variety of foods... especially vegetables. I now eat tomatoes and cucumbers, but still can not tolerate raw onions, zucchini, green peppers as well as some greens like dandelion "horta for all the Greeks!" and swisschard. Although I enjoy an occasional Caesar salad, getting the right mix for a salad to have as a meal was never even a thought until I had the "Mix Salad" at one of the "Baton Rouge" restaurants near home. Its very simple, some greens, (arugula, baby spinach, romaine), green and red cabbage, some croutons and the dressing of my choice honey-mustard. All of a sudden I was hooked, and I have to pin it on the texture that the cabbage provides. Both red and green cabbage don't have an overwhelming taste, and they provide a great "crunch" to the salad. I'm now starting to get hooked, I actually bought cabbage for the first time as far as I can remember so I can replicate the same salad as home. The first one I had was great!! I used more cabbage than the restaurant did, and it turned out delicious!! Hopefully I can continue to do this, and set a good example for my growing son! I'm so surprised something overlooked and abundant as cabbage will probably change my whole eating habits, but I have to be consistent. I will write again in a few weeks, and check if I have lost any weight by then. My goal is to lose about 40 pounds in the next 6 months... challenging but not impossible!! Will keep everyone posted!

Eagles Tame Toothless Panthers

2009-09-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to be a great game on the first Sunday afternoon of the NFL season between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Carolina Panthers. Instead, The Eagles made the Panthers look more like kittens, as they went on to an easy 38-10 victory.
After taking a 7-0 lead on a DeAngelo Williams 11 yard touchdown run in the first quarter, the Eagles reeled off 31 consecutive points, 28 of them in the 2nd quarter. After the always reliable David Akers made it 7-3, the walls all came down for the Panthers. Linebacker Trent Cole started the fireworks by blitzing up the middle untouched and hammering Delhomme to force a fumble. Victor Abiamiri scooped up the loose ball and dove in for a TD from the 2 yard line. Minutes later, Desean Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, and the rout was on. Donavan Mcnabb added two short touchdown passes in the quarter to make it 31-7, before the ageless John Kasay's Field Goal made it 31-10 at half time.
The Eagles scoring was set up by a ferocious defence which totally dominated the football game. They were relentless in their pursuit of Delhomme, as they sacked him 3 times and forced him to throw 4 interceptions. The Eagles finished with 5 sacks and 5 interceptions with relentless blitzing the Panthers had no answer for. They battered and demoralized the bewildered Delhomme who started his second consecutive terrible games going back to last season's playoffs. Despite having offensive weapons in Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams, the Panthers offence was never able to get on track after their initial 70 yard drive which yielded their only TD, as the Eagles defence forced them in to mistake after mistake. Delhomme struggled terribly and was mercifully pulled in the second half. He finished with an anemic 73 yards passing and 4 interceptions on 7 of 17 passing, as well as a fumble which was returned for an Eagle TD. What was supposed to be a clash of two of the better teams in the NFL turned out to be a one sided beating. Mcnabb needed only 79 yards passing with 2 TD's and 27 yards on the ground with a TD to get the Victory. Mcnabb later injured a rib and left the game, with the suspended Michael Vick watching intently from the press box.
Both teams must address their QB issue next week. Donovan Mcnabb is nursing a cracked rib and his status is unknown for next week. With a dominating performance by the Eagles defence in the opening game, Eagle fans have good reason to be optimistic this season. As for the Panthers, Jake Delhomme is nursing a severely bruised ego, as his confidence must be at an all time low. Delhomme needs to rebound and get the dangerous Steve Smith and the sure handed but aging Muhsin Muhammed in to the game. The speedy DeAngelo Williams must also play a larger role. On the defence, they need more from their All-pro defensive end Julius Peppers. Peppers was good on Sunday, registering a sack and 4 tackles, but the Panthers need him to be dominant as he is capable of in order to give the Panthers a much needed spark.
Until next week... GB

Roethlisberger leads Steelers to OT victory over Titans

2009-09-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

It was a classic battle between long standing divisional rivals. The Tennesse Titans, formerly the Houston Oilers, faced off against the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Dating back to the late 70's, there has never been any love lost between these 2 teams. The Earl Campbell led Oilers had numerous classic battles against the vaunted "Steel Curtain" of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including a 1980 Conference Final which the eventual Super Bowl winning Steelers won 27-14.
The 2009 inaugural NFL match up began as a defensive struggle. Both sides made big plays, none more spectacular than the one made by Steelers bruising safety Troy Polamalu. With the Titans pinned near their own end zone, Titans running back Chris Johnson received a hand off to the left of Titans QB Kerry Collins. As the speedy Johnson attempted to turn and gain some yardage, Polamalu appeared out of nowhere like a heat-seeking missile, taking the legs out from Johnson. It was spectacular and violent, and the Steelers crowd loved it. Polamalu would later make a one-handed interception before leaving the game with a knee injury.
Kerry Collins was efficient in the first half, moving his team down the field for 2 field goal opportunities. The Titans failed to capitalize, as Rod Bironas missed one FG wide, and had another blocked. Both teams traded touchdowns in the final 90 seconds in the first half, including Ben Roethlisberger hitting Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes for a 34 yard TD. Kerry Collins connected with Justin Gage with 48 seconds remaining in the first half on what would be the last TD of the game.
The second half was as brutal as the first. Both teams failed to establish any running game, and it became obvious it was to be a duel between Collins and Roethlisberger. Although the Titans sacked Big Ben four times, including a crunching hit by Javon Kearse which left Roethlisberger visibly shaken, the big man stood his ground and eventually took over the game. The offensive line settled down and he had lots of time to throw, however the Titans inexplicably stopped blitzing by the fourth quarter. By the end of the game, he had accumulated 363 yards on 33 of 43 passing. His passes were sharp and crisp, giving receivers Hines Ward and Holmes over 100 yards receiving. As the game went in to OT and the Steelers won the coin toss, the outcome was inevitable. Roethlisberger quickly drove his team down the field and set up Kicker Jeff Reed for a wining 33 yard field goal, giving the Steelers a 13-10 victory.
It was a hard fought and possibly costly victory for the Steelers. Safety Troy Polamalu will reportedly miss the next 3-6 weeks with his knee injury, although he will be re-evaluated shortly. Polamalu led his team in tackles despite playing only in the first half. For the Oilers, the 2 missed field goals were costly. They must re-group and continue to play solid football. They do not have any real weapon at Wide Receiver, although Roookie Kenny Britt looked impressive in his first NFL game. The Steelers must address their running game which yielded only 36 yards, but with Roethlisberger constantly improving, and with their bone crunching defense in place, they will most certainly be a threat to repeat as Super Bowl Champs again.

Trivia Website

2009-09-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

To anyone interested in all kinds of trivia, I have come across a website that could be very interesting to a lot of people. As I was listening to the Team 990 radio a few days ago while driving home, somebody mentioned the "Sporcle" website. (www.sporcle.com). After listening to P.J Stock take some calls concerning the future captaincy of the Montreal Canadiens, I decided to check out the site myself. I have to say it's a very cool site. The sports trivia is really interesting, and since your given a time limit to answer, it makes it all the more challenging. One of the questions is to name all the 500 Goal scorers in NHL history. Being a big hockey fan, I thought it would be a cinch! As time ran out, I realized I still had some empty places, including a 640 goal scorer!! I quickly realized I had forgotten Dave Andreychuk!! For anybody interested, it's really cool and keeps you sharp, many different subjects. Still waiting for the Hockey season to begin!!

Kane should face consequences of his actions

2009-08-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Patrick Kane is not a normal 20 year old. In the world of Hockey, Kane is an emerging superstar, the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft, and the 2008 Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year. He had a solid second season, and his hockey future looks bright. He is highly skilled, very crafty with the puck and an excellent passer. He is the face of the re-born Chicago Blackhawks, and among the best of the new superstars in the NHL. He is also a millionaire, and barring injury, his next contract will be in the multi-million range. He is the pride of Buffalo, his place of birth, the pride of Chicago, and the new face of U.S hockey. He is even supposed to be on the cover of a video game for EA sports. Kane has a lot going for him, which is why this situation is puzzling.
Kane, along with his cousin James Kane,21, pleaded guilty today to disorderly conduct in an incident involving a taxi driver in his hometown of Buffalo, NY. We will probably never know the full details, it would probably be way too humiliating for Kane. What we do know is that a 62 yr old cabbie was roughed up over a dispute over 20 cents!!! Apparently the fare was $13.80, and when the driver gave them back $1 instead of the $1.20, all hell broke loose!!! Apparently the driver had locked them in the car, but why didn't they just give him $15???? keep the change!!!!??? The taxi driver is old enough to be his grandfather... would he have wanted this to happen to any of his parents?? This is a no-win situation for Kane. The cabbie only wants an apology, and there is no jail time; just probation for 1 year. However, how can the NHL allow this guy to be on the face of their video game now?? That would be humiliating to the league. There is many young superstars who can be the face of the game.... Sidney Crosby, Chicago teammate Jonathan Toews, Rick Nash, Mike Richards, Ryan Getzlaf...etc... Kane has disgraced his sport, his city, his team, his family, etc. However, he is young, and hopefully he can put this behind him, and be an outstanding citizen and a role model for young kids. I certainly wouldn't want my nephew wearing a "Kane" shirt, and I hope he gets a good case of the "boo birds" wherever he plays. In time, I hope he will be ok, he really is a marvelous hockey talent and is great to watch. For now, I hope EA removes him off the video game cover, and hopefully other players and athletes will learn from this incident.

GB

Habs Predictions 2009-10

2009-08-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Like most people in this hockey crazed city, I eagerly await the start of the new NHL regular season. Even though I'm not a true Habs fan (I've been a Rangers fan my whole life from almost the mid 70's!!), I am definitely a follower of Hockey in this city, and can probably say that I cheer for the Habs on most occasions.
As we all witnessed the annihilation of the Habs to the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, there were ominous signs of the winds of change to come. Mike Komisarek's decision to take on Milan Lucic again resulted in another flash KO. Although this beating was nowhere near the one Lucic administered in mid season( effectively ruining Komisarek's season not only due to the shoulder injury) it capped a disappointing end to the Habs year, and ultimately ended Komisarek's tenure here. His decision not to re-sign here was probably a mutual decision with management, even though Bob Gainey did supposedly make an effort to sign him. However, Toronto ultimately overpaid for him; and hopefully Montreal's acquisitions of Hal Gil, Jaro Spacek, and Paul Mara will pick up the slack. Spacek and Mara both have more hockey sense and offensive upside than Komisarek, although they lack his mobility and aggressiveness, which Komisarek rarely displayed after the beating from Lucic. With these 3 newcomers, Andre Markov, Josh Gorges, and Roman Hamrlik must absolutely step up and have very good seasons in order for the Habs to succeed this year. I feel that although the Habs defence corps will start off the season somewhat shaky, they will settle down and be a steady yet unspectacular group; (look for another big season from Markov!)
As for the goaltending, we can only hope Carey Price gets it together and performs at the level he is capable of. Price has the potential to be an elite goalie, and he has shown flashes of brilliance, but consistency is the key word for him this year. I predict a more mature Price having a solid year this year.
On offence, Gainey obviously made wholesale changes!!! I like some of the additions, but how quickly can these guys learn to play together as a unit. Gone is captain Koivu and the spectacular and equally enigmatic Alex Kovalev, and in is the speedy and 2 time Cup winner Scotty Gomez, and emerging sniper Mike Camalleri. Although Kovalev's flair and penchant for electrifying the Bell Centre crowd will be missed, I predict Camalleri will quickly gain a fan base in this city for his hard nosed play and passion, and for his goal scoring ability.. I predict 35 goals this year for Camalleri and good chemistry on a line with Gomez. I think Brian Gionta will help also, but I feel that the acquisition of Travis Moen, even if it was a low key transaction, will be one that Habs fans will appreciate very quickly. Look for Moen to replace Tom Kostopoulos (good luck in Carolina) in his role, but he will not be the punching bag that TK had become, Moen is tough! Also, guys like Max Lapierre and Latendresse have to keep developing, and guys like Max Paciorety and Matt D'Agostini have to take advantage of what playing time they will get and make room for themselves. Finally... the Kostitsyn brothers.... well, since Gainey didn't trade them, they have to perform quickly. They are both very talented, but must really concentrate on the game of hockey.

My final prediction is a fight for a playoff berth...7th or 8th... but anything can happen!!
until later.... GB

California Vacation

2009-08-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

As I clicked the confirm button for my 2 airline tickets through The Travelocity website, a rush of excitement engulfed me... I was going to California!! I had finally gotten a decent flight with a reasonable price and I was going to be landing in San Diego. We (my gf and I) didn't have much time to prepare, but we went ahead quickly, eager to see the Pacific Coast.
We had the great fortune of having a place to stay; my cousin and her family moved down a few years ago and were very welcoming to us. We were in the midst of the worst Montreal summer in my lifetime, and we were very eager for a change of scenery. My cousin told us that the Southern California climate was very dry and sunny in summer; hot days and cool nights. We packed accordingly for our 8 day stay, hoping to soak up some much needed California rays and see some of the world renowned sites of the Golden State.
After landing at San Diego Airport, we quickly noticed the palm trees and felt the summer heat we had been missing back home in Montreal. We were in the first third of August, and there hadn't been more than 10 sunny days all summer.
As we drove to our destination approximately 1 hour inland from the coast, I observed the mountainous terrain and spoke with my cousin about the laid back Southern California lifestyle; a place where we didn't have to check the weather report or worry about mosquitoes!! A place where the Pacific Ocean was only an hour away, with countless places to go and things to do! We were really excited! Our first evening, we were treated to a grand BBQ with plenty of much needed cold beer and some much talked about California wine. After all, we were in wine country near the Temecula Valley. As we ate and drank, we planned for our week and soaked in the advice from my cousins. We were happy to be in California!!
The next day, we picked up our Subaru Forester from the Budget rental company and we were on our way!!! My cousins lent me their GPS, and we were off to our first destination; Oceanside Beach near San Diego!! We were very happy with our car and happy to have the GPS!! I was a bit concerned about driving in California, but I quickly realized that although the driving is fast, the roads are mostly excellent and the drivers courteous. As we approached the beach, we observed all the beach-front properties. From Expensive houses to beach front shacks... but they were right on the Ocean. We felt the Pacific breeze for the first time that day, a breeze that would comfort us for our entire stay, and a breeze I wish I could feel every day. The Ocean waters were surprisingly cool, but not cold. Countless children played and splashed about, while older kids and young adults poured in to the beach with their boogie boards and surf boards. I remarked that as we left the beach at about 5 pm, other people were just arriving. Old people, teenagers, single people....the beach was a way of life, just like I had been told.
We would visit Laguna Beach, Chrystal Cove State Park, and Santa Monica beach and their famous pier. Each had its own charm; the quaint shops at Laguna with the hillside houses looking over the beach. Long stretches of sand at Santa Monica, with countless people working out at the beach on paralell bars, rope climbing, etc. We also had a magnificent view of the ocean from the pier as we felt the cool Pacific Breeze. We would also drive through the Beachside communities of Redondo beach, Hermosa beach, and Manhattan Beach, after having a great breakfast at the Redondo Beach Cafe; a great place owned by Montreal natives. We were in awe of the magnificent beach front properties in these places. It didn't take much to realize we were in a very wealthy area!!
Between beach visits, we also visited Disneyland in Anaheim. If you go, make sure you go to the "California Soarin" ride at adventure island. Its a simulated ride that give's you a bird's eye view (Condor) of the spectacular and very diverse california terrain. You fly over the Golden Gate Bridge, Lake Tahoe, Malibu, The Los Angeles Traffic, the California dessert among others. Its definitely worth it!!
We also planned a trip to Los Angeles; more specifically Hollywood and Beverly Hills. As we walked along the famed Sunset Strip, we decided to take a tour (about $25 each) so we can see the main sights while relaxing in an open air vehicle. Our driver was great, she took us through Beverly Hills, Belair, Holmby Hills, and showed us various famous sites; "Elm street, etc" We drove on Mulholland Drive and took some pictures of the famous "Hollywood" sign. We also saw the house where Michael Jackson passed away. People were leaving flowers at a makeshift memorial set up outside the house with some old pictures of him.
When we finished the tour, we spent some time at the Kodak Theatre shopping and taking some pics, when we realized a crowd had gathered on Hollywood Blvd.
We decided to investigate and quickly learned that it was the Hollywood movie premiere of "Inglorious Bastards", and that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would be soon arriving. Sure enough, after about 30 minutes, we heard the unmistakeable roar of the crowd; they had arrived!! They were on the other side of the street, and I snapped some pics and luckily got Angelina in a few of them, but they were from far. Then, unexpectedly, they made a beeline for our side; the crowd was going crazy but we got a good look at both, and I snapped a good pic of Angelina from about 10 feet away!!! (See pics above!!!) When I told my cousins, they were laughing about the fact that we saw 2 celebrities on only our 3rd day there!!!
On our last day in Cal, we went with my cousins to Coronado island off of San Diego. I was given an introductory course in boogie boarding by my cousin and my 8 year old niece. We had a blast!! One can literally spend hours on the beach with the board, we had so many laughs as the waves got the best of me numerous times!!! Coronado island itself was beautiful.... i can only imagine how fortunate someone can be to reside there... with the conveniences of a big city next door, and the beach at your doorstep.
A California vacation is something I can definitely recommend. I had been to Cuba and Mexico, Myrtle Beach in S.C, the Maine Coast, and I've been to Florida several times; but there is something special about being in California. There is places I didn't get to see... Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Catalina Island,Las Vegas (in Nevada)!!; but hopefully there will be a next time!!
If you like to drive, enjoy sunny beach weather and your budget permits it, you should definitely visit California!!! We owe a great big thanks to our California cousins, who gave us a place to stay and made us feel at home. They also gave us great advice on where to shop and eat. We also had some great laughs with the whole family, and there will be many memories. I definitely recommend California as a vacation destination; for families, couples, etc.

Until next time.... GB