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Currently living the dream of moving to Toronto for 12 months for a Firefighter Exchange!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Fishing Trip in Florida

Hey Peoples,

So Erin is feeling a bit unloved lately.  A week before Easter I was a last minute call up for a Hockey Tournament in Ottawa.  So off I went, leaving my 2 babies at home, and played in a B grade Firefighter Hockey Tournament.  I was way out of my league, especially in attack, but without the extra number it would have been too hard for them to keep going for a whole game.  I wasn't totally useless, and I got better as the comp went on.  We were unbeaten going into the final but we lost the final :(   Hockey has dried up now though, there is no more Toronto Fire shift hockey, I may play once a week in a summer competition until I leave though. 

On Easter Sunday, Pat and Melissa invited us over to their place for a brekky and then we went over to Centre Island for an Easter Hunt thingy that the City put on over there.  We didn't know about the Island trip until we got to Pat and Melissa's house, so there are no photos.  Jack had fun, there were train rides and egg hunts and a bunch of other things I can't think of at the moment.

That night I got a phone call from a guy.  Turns out I had won a spot on a fishing vessel for a competition that I entered on the internet.  It's a TV show about fishing.  There is 2 fishos who bought a $15000 cruiser boat and fitted it out with fishing gear and then enter into fishing competitions and go up against million dollar boats and professional fishing crews and they document their journey, each competition they enter into, they pick 2 unknowns which they call wildcards(thats me) and try to make a go of it.

That's awesome!!  The only problem for me now is motion sickness!! Because I get motion sickness just sitting in my pool!!! (Not really, but pretty close).  Erin says to me go for it.....but deep down she wants to smother me in my sleep.  I don't know if it was me going away again by myself or whether it was the warm 28-30 degree weather I was going to enjoy.  Actually I lie, I am pretty sure it was the weather thing.

Alright then I'm in!! I just really hope I don't get sick!! although that will give them something to film.  The other wildcard was a girl.  We caught 5 Dolphin fish and 4 Tuna all up.  Had a net caught in a prop and an engine play up in 2 seperate days and both 50 miles out at sea.  Luckily it was a twin engine boat but still would have been a long trip home if we didn't rectify the problems.

 10m Boat that they picked up for 15 grand originally and then spent about that again to fit out.
It has a double bed and kitchen in the front of it!

 That's the other Wildcard in red.
Camera man
 The first days catch - Dolphin fish
 South Miami
 There were 5 plus boats that had 4 engines accross the back
We had 2 inboard engines and we went through $1100 worth of fuel over the 2 days!!
Certainly not a poor mans game!
Competition day catch, none were big enough to weigh in.  Winners took away $21000 in prize money.  I lost my left shoe in the water 50 miles out.  My favourite pair they were.

So did I get sick?? NO but I was on motion sickness tablets for 3 days straight, non stop, and now I have a hang over of sorts coming off the high. hahahaha

The weather in Florida was exactly like home, Everyone except me was Canadian and thought it was Mad hot, but I was eating it up.  If Erin reads this, it might just be the last breath I breathe, for she is SOOOOOOOO over the cold!!!

Canada has 2 official languages - French and English.  Well USA should have 2 official languages too - Spanish and English.  I thought maybe it was just Miami, but even in Chicago there were heaps of Spanish speaking persons.

Not long now and we will be back on home soil!!
Until then
Cheers

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