<< January 29, 2007 >>
an inauspicious start

i should have known something was up when i saw a blue line train already in the station at scollay under. even more worrying was that it didn't close its doors and pull away before i could get on. apparently there were some switching problems, so i left to find a taxi after waiting a couple of minutes. fortunately it wasn't closed. that would have been only too awesome.

the store didn't have any liberty-sized toothpaste or solution containers, and since i was bringing my parka (it's expected to get up to 6 in edmonton on saturday) on board, i figured i'd just check my bag this time. most of it did arrive in toronto, but part of the handle was gone. i went to complain about it, and got some piece of paper, and headed to leave the customs area.

unfortunately my customs form had a pink line on it? so i had to go to immigration.

the not-too-unpleasant customs worker and i put our noses to our collective grindstones, and pounded out a rough draft of my biography. he was in for constant surprises. first, that i don't have printed proof of my return next week (it is 2007, these things are emailed. i did offer, if given access to a printer, to provide documents which say anything he wanted. he frowned at me something fierce). next, i don't have the address of my friend memorized, even when i've never been to his new place. and was i sure i wasn't here to do any work? sadly, the words to express how little i was planning on working this week simply failed to come out of my agape mouth.

i'm not too surprised, though. there aren't that many people that fly to alberta in february to see some band (did i mention it will get down to -10 saturday night?). maybe i should wear my jsb shirt when i fly? and i guess it's a stretch for me to expect the customs agent to be able to get his head around the fact that someone might actually have friends. and maybe these friends just happen to live in canada.

or maybe it was the fact that i haven't shaved in two weeks and my passport expires in three months. and it happens to be almost completely full with canadian customs stamps. also i probably shouldn't have made those darcy tucker jokes.

oh, and did you know that pearson's terminal two is closing? what they don't tell you when you book your flight is that all of the atm and money changing services in terminal 2 are already closed. and taxis no longer wait to pick people up. i had to take the shuttle over to terminal 1 for that.

at least the law of averages says the rest of my trip should be pretty smooth, right? i mean, it could have been worse. i think the 6:30 am flight still hadn't left before my 11:00 am.

also: !!!