Monday, August 07, 2006

 

Home Again, Home Again


Jiggety jig. And such.

Well, that was quite the weekend.

In the interest of being a shitmagnet on behalf of Jen, we started the weekend by a) not being able to find my daughter's birth certificate and b) getting a flat tire.

I had known that I had a slow leak in the rear passenger side tire but I was hoping that we would be able to at least get over the border where I could happily avail myself of the labour of undocumented workers or perhaps even child labour in other lands, and pay far, far less for a tire than I would up here. Alas, that was not to be and we toddled off to Ukranian Tire to get a new tire put on the rim.

Me (at 3pm): Can I get a new tire put on this rim?
UT Guy (also at 3pm): It's worn but not done; we can just patch it for you.
Me: OK, that's fine, how long will it take?
Him: An hour and a half.

So I toddle off, thinking OK, we'll be on the road by 4:30 or so. Later than we had wanted, but hell, 3pm was later than we had wanted but the several-hours-long search for the birth certificate (I found a photocopy and have other documentation for her so we were ok) had made us late. Plus the sudden realization that we should take clothes.

Me (at 5pm): So, um, any idea when this tire is going to be done?
Cute But Stupid Chick: Um ... maybe another 20 minutes?

Seems they hadn't started it yet.

Me (at 5:30pm): So is it done yet?
CBSC: Um ... no. There's sidewall damage, so they can't repair it. We can replace it for (insert large number of dollars here). Do you want us to do so?
Me (being slightly peeved at now being 3 hours into what should have been a 20-minute job): Why yes, I would like you to do exactly what I requested three hours ago.
CBSC: Um ...

So we sit about for a while, feeding the child sugar, because feeding a six-year-old sugar is exactly what you should do before a long car journey.

CBSC (at 6:00): OK, it's done.

She tries to hand me the tire.

Me: Can I get that put on the car, maybe?
CBSC: Um ...
Me: Will it cost more?

(by this point she could see that even if it did cost more, they were going to do it for free)

Me: How long will it take?
CBSC: Um, another 20 minutes?
Me: No, I don't think so.
CBSG: Um ... then um ... can you pull the car into Bay #1?
Me: Yes, I think we could just about manage that.

So, after four hours "on the road" we had gone about 30 or 40 km on our 300-km trip and had already spent $100. This did not bode well for the remainder of the excursion. Fortunately, for once, the portents were wrong.

The one part of the trip that I thought might cause us problems, the border crossing, was the easiest part of the whole thing. We just answered a few questions put to us by a very polite but really-scary-looking young man (you know the kind, the sort who looks like he's been punched in the face once too often ... and liked it) and we were on our way. Finally, 8 hours after starting out on what should have been a 3-4 hour trip, we arrived at our destination. And promptly got lost.

After a few calls and a little scrambling (and would someone remind me again why I don't have a cellphone?) we got to my Mother-in-Law's house and settled in for the night.

The next day, the entire trip took an upward turn when I got to spend the afternoon with some of really fun people (and Patti, who was also really fun but who doesn't have a blog any more) and eat and eat and laugh and eat and laugh and eat some more.

Very gracious hostesses, a beautiful house and garden and excellent food and company. There was rather a lot of hilarity. Who's surprised at that part?

I spent a good portion of the afternoon nibbling on Elaine's boobies. Here she is, sitting smiling next to Bling who is taking a picture of me taking a picture of them! Aren't we artistic?




And just so you perverts don't get all excited the "boobies" in question were some delicious pastries that Elaine made that morning. (imagine! getting up in the morning to BAKE! the woman is either a saint or certifiable. or both.) She calls the cheese ones "cheesyboobies" and the sweet ones are "sugartits". I'm pretty sure the latter were named before Mr. Gibson's recent debacle.

All I know is that they were just about the best thing ever.

Well, the best right next to the best hamburger ever, cooked by TMK, shown here growing a dog out of the middle of her face.




Frankie was wonderful and friendly and sweet and well-behaved the entire day. I adored her, and Ryan even put her beautiful collar on her. TMK didn't approve so much of the collar and kept referring to it as "your garment" in tones of great disgust. She's not so pink and frilly I don't think.

I have a picture of Melinda and also of Patti but they're completely in shadow, you can't see what they look like. My camera sucks a lot (and people made fun of it just because you have to hold the batteries in when you take a picture and the zoom feature doesn't work any more!). Way back in the dark ages when I got this thing it cost about what I make in a week. Gross. No, I mean my gross earnings, not that the cost was gross. Although it sort of was.

I've been looking in the endless flyers and shit that keep getting delivered to my door and it seems I can get one that also has video recording capabilities for next to nothing so I may have to indulge myself later in the month.

But I digress.

Anyhow, we had a fantastic time (although of course I got lost on the way there) and the two hours I had planned on stretched into well over four before I had the slightest urge to leave. Truthfully, if it were up to me, I'd still be sitting there.

Being late, I sped through Seattle, not stopping for yarn, and yesterday turned into a lengthy, sweaty, expensive, boring-as-fuck "shop for clothes for daddy" day so I didn't get to buy the Cascade 220 I need for Eris. A couple of folks have kindly pointed out that it's stocked by Webs, but truly? Dudes? I just can't shop there. Their website is just so messy I find myself overwhelmed any time I go there and have to leave immediately. Drop-down this and pop-up that and 900 different things on every page. Can't do it.

Plus I don't have a credit card.

So yeah, I'm just gonna have to go on another shopping trip soon. Wonder if I can convince Ben that not only do I have to go, but I have to go to Seattle and I have to go alone. And it'll take two or three days for me to make the purchase.

Ya think?

Comments:
If you'd like me to ship some Cascade 220 your direction.. just give me a yell.
 
elann.com. They take PayPal and their Peruvian Collection is fab. Also much, much cheaper than Cascade 220.
 
keep stalling....you're just giving me more time to attempt plucking my large head out of my larger arse and cast on for my project.

hey, I'm making my sweater out of HANDSPUN. doesn't that sound good to you, huh?
 
Isn't Elann somewhere near you? http://secure.elann.com/info.asp They say they're in Delta BC.

But if you're insistent in getting Cascade 220 there's this http://www.marilynsyarn.com/ in Bellingham.

Too bad you don't have Les Schwab tire stores. Much much better service.

Duffy
 
Welcome home. Your trip (post-crap) sounds wonderful.

Definitely plan that Seattle trip. Sounds good to me! (I vote yes)
 
I can't remember the name of the store, but the yarn shop in White Rock has a fairly large selection of Cascade or at least they did last summer. Althought a trip to Seattle might be more fun!
Cindy
 
Come back! Come back!
 
Yup sounds like Crappy..ummmm, Ukrainian tire. I know someone who got told if she didn't spend $1000 on her 15 year old car the wheels were going to fall off. Literally! (the car was worth about $500) Luckily she decided to get a 2nd opinion and the opinion was...yup, the wheel bearings WILL wear out more quickly without the repairs, but , who cares? the car is 15 years old!!!!! Just sayin.....
 
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