1 post tagged “memories”
Oh, what a beautiful morning...
Due to past experiences, I have a dread when it comes to crossing the
border from Canada into the US as well as crossing from the US into
Canada. There is no way to predict whether you are going to be pulled
over and have your car dismantled and your girlie things gone through
or simply be grunted at with a wave of the hand as you hold out your
passport.
I have painfully detailed the last time we crossed over and I had to pee in a bag while we waited several hours to get into Washington. I have not mentioned the time we were driving into Vancouver and caught a border guard who just didn't find it plausible that a "retired" library worker and an adolescent residential treatment facility counselor "on leave" could afford a BMW and have an extended vacation in Vancouver. Her words exactly were, "and how do people like you afford a car like this?" Coming from the south, I found this to be extremely rude and I laughed it off without an answer. The husband, hopped up on pain killers (we went to the states to get some medical care for his Achilles tendon injury) just stared at her blankly and said, "Excuse me?"
Yeah, we got pulled over.
The
car wasn't searched but we had to go in and explain why we were there
and how long we were staying. We also had to give personal financial
information that the husband was not pleased to hand over until I
finally just said to him, "Will you tell her what she wants to know so
she doesn't think we are running guns and drugs?"
The border guard said, "Honestly...you are not helping yourself."
She was obviously perturbed. So much that she didn't even want to allow us back into the country.
I
told her that all of our belongings were in our hotel room in Vancouver
- we really needed to get back in to get those things. Especially the
cat.
"YOU BROUGHT YOUR CAT ON VACATION?"
"Well, yeah. She only weighs 7lbs-"
"This does not sound like you two are on vacation, this sounds like you are moving here!"
(at that point we were just tourists)
"People
vacation with their dogs all the time. Besides, we had nowhere to leave
her. All of my friends are either allergic, have dogs or do not like
cats." I countered. "It's not like she is a puma or a leopard. She is a
tiny little girl and she has all her papers. Which just happen to be
with her at our hotel." Now I was getting perturbed.
When our
finances were out in the open she begrudgingly put a stamp in our
passports that said we could enjoy Canada for 30 more days, then we
would have to leave...or else.
Oh, what a beautiful day...
Yesterday
we went down to Washington to check on our storage unit and to pick up
as many boxes as we could of things we will need right away when we
move into our new place in Kitsilano at the beginning of June.
The
day was bright and blue and beautiful. The drive to the border was
quick and uneventful. The crossing into the US was so easy it was too
easy. The wait time was about 20 minutes. Our border guard looked at
his watch as we pulled up.
"Where you from?"
The husband: "Vancouver."
"Where you going?"
The husband: "Blaine and Bellingham."
"Have a great day."
The husband: "Yeah, you too!"
We
got to the storage unit and grabbed our things without any fanfare. I
made a list to show at the border along with our "goods to follow list".
We
drove to Bellis Fair Mall so I could check out Kohl's Department store. I
actually found TWO pairs of jeans that I liked enough to buy. Finding
clothes for me is such a hassle, I'm as round as I am short, so this
was a huge joy inducing score.
We went to the husband’s favorite
store - Fred Meyer. The husband got his plain Doritos and some frozen
pizzas (he has a special backpack that keeps things frozen for up to 12
hours or some such). I bought a coffee bean grinder.
By this
time I was getting suspicious. Too many good things were happening too
easily for me. The finding of two pairs of pants alone made the day
worthy of a journal note. But did I also mention they were a smaller size than I am accustomed to purchasing???
Something BAAAAAD was going to happen at the Canadian border. I just knew it.
We head out to the border and I start to feel queasy.
We
were behind a slow moving big rig and we couldn't see the line in front
of it. It pulled over and revealed a totally empty border crossing.
No cars. Desolation. The place looked closed.
We pulled up to the first booth. The woman looked sour. My stomach rumbled.
"Where you headin' "
"Vancouver." Says the husband.
"Where you been?"
"Our storage unit and Fred Meyer."
The husband explains we are buying a place in Vancouver and we wanted to get a few things before the movers brought the big stuff.
"When do you plan on getting the rest of your stuff?"
"Early to mid June." Says the husband.
"I hope." I add.
We
passed her our official papers and the list. We were expecting that we
would have to go in the office with our official papers and list and
make things more official.
She scanned the items on the list. "Two
boxes of sheets and curtains. Two boxes of kitchenware...Green
suitcase...Yeah, Ok. Have a nice day."
THAT WAS IT? HAVE A NICE DAY?
I got a beautiful feeling...
When
we got back to our place and unloaded the car I immediately started
going through the boxes. I haven't seen this stuff for almost three
years! The first one I opened was full of kitchen items. I grabbed a
newspaper wrapped lump and slowly unraveled it. In my hands was one of
my favorite coffee mugs: a XXXX XXXXXX Xxx Xxxx mug!
A mug I had bought
in the mid 80's when I worked at a gift shop called The Quapaw Gallery
in what is now the stage area of Juanita's Cantina Ballroom. A mug with
a one liner that summed up my life in Little Rock, Arkansas. Looking at
this mug now made me throw back my head and laugh loudly like I was
drunk and watching Hannah and Her Sisters.
Every thing's going my way...
