Working hard...

...in Cabo San Lucas :)

Here I am in Tampa...

I'm sitting the US Airways lounge at the Tampa airport, the sun is beaming inside and it's HOT AS HELL in here, but I’ve got a great view of the runway.. My original flight was supposed to take me back to Toronto through Washington, DC arriving home at 10:30pm. Due to US Customs racially profiling me and registering me for the NSEERS program, I have to do what is called a "Special Registration Departure". The process for this departure involves me going to a specified customs office so that I can register leaving the country. This has to be done on the last leg of my trip.

It's essentially a way for the government to keep track of my wherabouts. The 80 times I’ve entered the USA, 70 times I've been registered for this program. Sometimes in the most ridiculous manner I've been registered and then reported departing by the same agent at the same time. Why bother registering me?? As one agent told me once, it’s a bullshit program. I couldn’t agree more.

Anyway, this isn't my beef, the problem I’ve got is that at DCA (the nation's capital) there isn't a US Customs departure registration station. I’d have to take a cab to Dulles and back, with only 2 hours between flights I’d miss my flight and have to take the next flight out in the morning.

Due to this issue, I've had to change my flight to go to an airport that has this departure station and of course, this change is billed to my account and not US Customs. I initially thought of ignoring them but that would land me in jail on my next trip. So to be a good citizen I’m going to follow the American law. After explaining my plight to the agent, she took sympathy on me and made the changes for me at no cost. I was lucky that weather issues in the Northeastern USA allowed her to use that excuse to make the change. I am deeply indebted to her.

I now get home at 11:42pm. It's not a big deal, I've bought a club pass and will hang out and smoke a cigar in the charlotte lounge.

Several months ago I ripped on US Airways, but the past few weeks of traveling I've noticed a sensible increase in the way US staff are treating their customers. I'm still not working on top tier status, simply because of the no perks, but as far as airlines go, I’m happy I’m with US…at the moment.

Shock Coffee gives me a KICK!

I received a pack of Shock Coffee the other day, it’s a hyper-caffeinated attitude packed package of coffee. I’m not much of a coffee drinker but my sister is, so I invited her over for a cup. My sister is who is a coffee “freak” to say the least. She drinks coffee frequently, even before bed at times. We sipped coffee and discussed the economics of the coffee bean industry, and how much you would save by drinking coffee merely for a caffeine kick. We theorized that if this Shock Coffee actually worked, you could cut down on your coffee expenditures. Yes, as you guessed it, we had a nerd moment.

Here’s the reality. With one cup I was able to spend the entire day with my eyes wide open, sleep for 4 hours and wake up refreshed with little need for more coffee the next morning. My sister who enjoyed two cups admitted it was “extremely potent” and she didn’t even have a craving for coffee the next morning. Seems like our theory was true, she saved $1.50 on coffee that day.

Shock coffee also makes some ready to drink coffee beverages and candy. Creamy and flavourful Latte’s in a can are quite tastey, however they didn’t seem as potent as a can of Red Bull or my favourite on the fly drink “ROCKSTAR”. The candy was tasty, they’re like M&M’s with coffee beans inside.

Also, incase you were wondering if Shock Coffee comes in decaf, the website states “Exactly what part of hyper-caffeinated didn't you understand?” I guess that’s a no!

A case of 40 Frac Packs (2.5oz) costs $52 ($1.30 per pack or 26 cents a cup).

www.shockcoffee.com

Things to do in Nassau when you're Bond!

How do I explain the past 3 days in the Bahamas? It’s quite hard but I’ll try to do the best I can.

I was on a James Bond discovery tour set up by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. Essentially taking me to all the filming locations of the upcoming “Casino Royale” movie and several locations that were involved in some of the previous Bond films.

I visited Café Martinique, the famed restaurant featured in Thunderball which offers a special Casino Royale Martini. Outside is Paradise Island, inside is the French Riviera. I felt as though I was whisked back to 1965 when Thunderball was filmed there. The waiters were in their white suits and black ties, there was a lounge singer and piano man, even a lounge with a terrace. It all felt surreal. A meal here is an experience never to be forgotten.

Afterwards there was some gambling at the Atlantis Casino (yes that’s me in the big chair). A little bit of Black Jack, and some Let it Ride ended out the night. I taught my “Bond Girl” Olga Petrycki a little thing about gambling, she ended up learning a bit too well. I lost, she won. Typical!

The next day was spent on a speed boat, blasting through the Caribbean waters trying to outrun a huge thunderstorm in order to photograph a former Miss Bahamas for the RICH GUY GAL segment. We made it, but on the way back it caught up with us and we felt the raindrops pelting us like hail. It was a real adventure! In between wardrobe changes I fed some sharks from shore. It’s amazing to see such a large creature in such shallow water.

That evening we went to Graycliff manor for dinner. Again I felt as though I was thrown back into the old ages, and rightly so. This manor was built many centuries ago by a pirate. The wine cellar, which hosts the oldest bottle of wine on the planet was at one time a cell for those captured by the pirates. Graycliff also manufactures their own brand of cigar, I was lucky enough to roll a cigar and smoke it on the spot. I equate that to having your cake and eating it too.

I could go on for pages here, but I’ll let you wait till the story is published!

Overall, it was a crazy and wonderful trip, which felt like more of a vacation than a press tour.