Adventures across the border
Oct. 16th, 2007 02:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fenchurchAbout a month or so ago, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thebitterguy had a clip from a TV show on his LJ that I found absolutely hysterical (the sort of humor that really hits me just right). The show wasn't even vaguely familiar, so I asked what it was and redeem147 replied that it was Corner Gas, a half hour Canadian comedy show and that it was "all kinds of awesome." So, I checked out the website, where they have the first scene from the first episode, and discovered that it's currently airing on WGN here in the US.... and was, in fact, on about 45 minutes later. So, I watched and in an even bigger coincidence, they happened to be showing the first episode that night. Well, I had the surgery coming up and decided this would be a great thing to have around... since I figured I a) would have quite a bit of TV-watching time on my hands and b) would probably appreciate a good comedy. So, I ordered the first two seasons on DVD from Amazon Canada, boggled a bit at the shipping costs, but decided I wanted the DVDs enough to swallow the cost. And yeah, I've become a big fan of the show. A wonderful, fairly family-friendly comedy that's pretty good about not being vulgar or overly mean. The creator of the show describes it pretty well as being "coffee shop humor."
Anyway, flash forward to last Saturday... we'd been thinking of making a run to Canada sometime soon, since the shipping cost for the Season 3 and 4 DVDs was nearly as much as the gas it would take us to get there, and after looking at the calendar, we realized it pretty much had to be then or it wasn't going to happen. So, I made a few quick phone calls to some of our local Canadian friends to see if there was anything we could bring them (may as well make the trip REALLY worthwhile) and wrote up a shopping list that mostly consisted of various types of chocolate and a MacIntosh's Mack Toffee (well, two, because I like them too), along with a whole slew of Corner Gas DVDs (an older woman from church liked the sound of the series so much, she asked us to pick up the first two seasons on DVD for her to give her husband for his birthday).
The border crossing at Alder Grove remains my favorite, only about two hours from here, as long as the traffic is good, and rarely much of a wait at the border. Mostly, you get Canadians coming south in the morning and north in the evening... meaning we're usually going against the flow. There was probably a fifteen minute wait this time, with most of the cars being Canadians coming back from the US. The border guard was a bit puzzled when we told him we were heading into Canada to buy DVDs, until we mentioned we were getting Corner Gas... he grinned and said he loved the show. Less than half an hour into Langley, where they have everything you could possibly want. We ended up buying most of the DVDs we were after at CostCo... where they were anywhere from $10-$15 less than we could get them mail order. Then over to Best Buy to pick up five copies of the first season (one for the friend from church and four more to give family members for Christmas), also for less than mail order.
We hit a KFC to try Cheesy Chicken Fries -- I recently managed to find someone on Youtube who has been posting episodes of Little Mosque on the Prairie in their entirety (also a very funny show, if occasionally heavy-handed on the stereotypes), including commercials, and I've been really curious about what the heck Cheesy Chicken Fries were. Not bad, but certainly nothing to make me run for the border just to get them. Then it was off to Safeway to do some grocery shopping... lots of chocolate, some All Dressed potato chips and a bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (completely free of high fructose corn syrup) for my mom. Finally, we swung into Tim Hortons and picked up a box of Timbits and headed back for the border.
I think there were two cars in front of us when we got there... almost no wait at all (it was getting close to 7:00, and there was a huge lineup going north... from Canadians basically doing the opposite of what we'd done). The border guard was friendly and chatty... and after he found out we'd gone to Canada to go shopping, got a puzzled expression on his face and rather helpfully said "You do know that the dollar isn't very good against the Canadian dollar right now, don't you?" Not sure why he thought this was worth mentioning... I mean, what were we going to do? Say "you're right!" and turn around back into Canada to take everything back? Hee! Anyway, we told him we'd gone after things you could only buy in Canada, which seemed to mollify him a bit. Right before we pulled away he asked what our license plate meant and I think we left him more confused than he'd started (earlier this year, I *finally* got the personalized plate I've wanted since I first got my driver's license... but it's an old-time Fannish term that most 'danes just don't understand).
It was a fun, quick trip across the border... something that still occasionally hits us when we're there, in a "wait a minute! We're in a foreign country!" kind of way, no matter how often we do these sorts of trips. Although it completely wore me out. It's a long time to spend in the car, and that was the most walking around I'd done in about a month!
thebitterguy had a clip from a TV show on his LJ that I found absolutely hysterical (the sort of humor that really hits me just right). The show wasn't even vaguely familiar, so I asked what it was and redeem147 replied that it was Corner Gas, a half hour Canadian comedy show and that it was "all kinds of awesome." So, I checked out the website, where they have the first scene from the first episode, and discovered that it's currently airing on WGN here in the US.... and was, in fact, on about 45 minutes later. So, I watched and in an even bigger coincidence, they happened to be showing the first episode that night. Well, I had the surgery coming up and decided this would be a great thing to have around... since I figured I a) would have quite a bit of TV-watching time on my hands and b) would probably appreciate a good comedy. So, I ordered the first two seasons on DVD from Amazon Canada, boggled a bit at the shipping costs, but decided I wanted the DVDs enough to swallow the cost. And yeah, I've become a big fan of the show. A wonderful, fairly family-friendly comedy that's pretty good about not being vulgar or overly mean. The creator of the show describes it pretty well as being "coffee shop humor."Anyway, flash forward to last Saturday... we'd been thinking of making a run to Canada sometime soon, since the shipping cost for the Season 3 and 4 DVDs was nearly as much as the gas it would take us to get there, and after looking at the calendar, we realized it pretty much had to be then or it wasn't going to happen. So, I made a few quick phone calls to some of our local Canadian friends to see if there was anything we could bring them (may as well make the trip REALLY worthwhile) and wrote up a shopping list that mostly consisted of various types of chocolate and a MacIntosh's Mack Toffee (well, two, because I like them too), along with a whole slew of Corner Gas DVDs (an older woman from church liked the sound of the series so much, she asked us to pick up the first two seasons on DVD for her to give her husband for his birthday).
The border crossing at Alder Grove remains my favorite, only about two hours from here, as long as the traffic is good, and rarely much of a wait at the border. Mostly, you get Canadians coming south in the morning and north in the evening... meaning we're usually going against the flow. There was probably a fifteen minute wait this time, with most of the cars being Canadians coming back from the US. The border guard was a bit puzzled when we told him we were heading into Canada to buy DVDs, until we mentioned we were getting Corner Gas... he grinned and said he loved the show. Less than half an hour into Langley, where they have everything you could possibly want. We ended up buying most of the DVDs we were after at CostCo... where they were anywhere from $10-$15 less than we could get them mail order. Then over to Best Buy to pick up five copies of the first season (one for the friend from church and four more to give family members for Christmas), also for less than mail order.
We hit a KFC to try Cheesy Chicken Fries -- I recently managed to find someone on Youtube who has been posting episodes of Little Mosque on the Prairie in their entirety (also a very funny show, if occasionally heavy-handed on the stereotypes), including commercials, and I've been really curious about what the heck Cheesy Chicken Fries were. Not bad, but certainly nothing to make me run for the border just to get them. Then it was off to Safeway to do some grocery shopping... lots of chocolate, some All Dressed potato chips and a bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (completely free of high fructose corn syrup) for my mom. Finally, we swung into Tim Hortons and picked up a box of Timbits and headed back for the border.
I think there were two cars in front of us when we got there... almost no wait at all (it was getting close to 7:00, and there was a huge lineup going north... from Canadians basically doing the opposite of what we'd done). The border guard was friendly and chatty... and after he found out we'd gone to Canada to go shopping, got a puzzled expression on his face and rather helpfully said "You do know that the dollar isn't very good against the Canadian dollar right now, don't you?" Not sure why he thought this was worth mentioning... I mean, what were we going to do? Say "you're right!" and turn around back into Canada to take everything back? Hee! Anyway, we told him we'd gone after things you could only buy in Canada, which seemed to mollify him a bit. Right before we pulled away he asked what our license plate meant and I think we left him more confused than he'd started (earlier this year, I *finally* got the personalized plate I've wanted since I first got my driver's license... but it's an old-time Fannish term that most 'danes just don't understand).
It was a fun, quick trip across the border... something that still occasionally hits us when we're there, in a "wait a minute! We're in a foreign country!" kind of way, no matter how often we do these sorts of trips. Although it completely wore me out. It's a long time to spend in the car, and that was the most walking around I'd done in about a month!
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 09:46 pm (UTC)Very funny that the code phrase to pass through Customs appears to be "Corner Gas."
Can you go back up to get me a copy of "Long Way Down?" Apparently they're only selling the book in Canada. I don't wanna know what the shipping fees are! LOL
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Date: 2007-10-16 09:59 pm (UTC)Shakatany
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Date: 2007-10-16 10:34 pm (UTC)I was actually a bit surprised that it wasn't already taken!
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Date: 2007-10-17 05:42 pm (UTC)Can you not get Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce in the U.S.?
My sister lived in Peoria for a few years and always loaded up on Smarties and Dairy Milk chocolate bars before she headed home. On the other hand, I used to ask people going south to get me cherry Tangy Taffy. It tastes like flavoured rubber, but it reminds me of my younger days. And it's a great way to pull your fillings out. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 05:44 pm (UTC)As for Lea & Perrins... the stuff in the US has high fructose corn syrup in it. The Canadian version doesn't. And seriously, why in the world do we need corn syrup in worcestershire sauce???
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Date: 2007-10-16 11:48 pm (UTC)Best Friend's hubby is a huge fan of Trailer Park Boys (http://www.showcase.ca/tpb/), another Canadian comedy series.
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Date: 2007-10-17 01:51 am (UTC)And Corner Gas is pretty much the funniest Canadian show ever. I don't just love it, I'm proud of it.
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Date: 2007-10-17 05:47 pm (UTC)And Corner Gas is pretty much the funniest Canadian show ever. I don't just love it, I'm proud of it.
And well you should be! It's so quintessentially Canadian. I love all the little in-jokes and cameos, even when I don't understand them and have to look them up online (I can usually tell when they've tossed in something only a Canadian would get, even if I have no idea what it means).
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Date: 2007-10-17 01:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 11:33 pm (UTC)