phik

This has become a modern-day classic; a staple in our expanding lexicon.

Jacob really put his foot in it. Like that time that I was flying with Joe to Ottawa, and I was reading the paper on the plane on the way, some really engrossing, in-depth story about the problems in Quebec. So when I got to immigration I spaced and told them that we were on our way to Quebec, which didn’t precisely jive with what Joe said at the same time. It was OK, we explained; we weren’t trying to lie, just doing our best as under-age drunks. Considering that I think I was still under 18, I’m amazed they even let me cross the border without some notarized communique from my parents. Good times.

Anyways, I don’t think it helped that I recognized one of the customs officers who came out to meet us on the tarmac. I don’t know that he recognized me, of course, I just assume that these guys have photographic memories, and he didn’t like how often I was invading his country. Also, he didn’t like the shape my passport is in, given that it has de-laminated to the point that you can basically remove and re-insert the photograph.

After about an hour and a half on the tarmac — I am not making this up — including separate interviews and background checks, they decided to let us into their country, explained that they had convinced themselves satisfactorily that we were in fact US citizens, and advised us to get new passports without removable photographs. I have had more close calls with Canadian immigration than most people would believe. To their credit, if I’d been in any of these situations in a US airport, I’d have been sent back to my country of origin with much less patience than is demonstrated by the Canadian authorities.

Deb, Rob, and Blizzard decided to stay at home like boring married people, so they missed what is probably the best rendition of Warm & Fuzzy Feeling that has ever reached mortal ears. As you’ll discover when you listen to the recordings, they decided to “re-work” (butcher) some of their songs. The new Daisy is starting to grow on me, actually, but the new Bumps in the Road is to be eschewed.

(Is that an acceptable use of eschewed?)