The Great Canadian Experience
O Canada.
What a weekend! Beginning last Friday after work, Daasy and I started our great trek Nort'. We were going up to watch, support, and cheer for the Rink Rats in a hockey tournament. As is consistent with "typical Bethlehem women," we popped in a CD of a John Piper sermon as we booked it up to Dryden, Ontario. With little to no point of interest the entire distance of Minnesota, we found our way to the border, which is nestled right in a paper mill. It felt funny to be driving through something that felt like a back alley to make our way to a different country.
Approaching customs, a stench assailed our senses. We looked at each other, shocked. What is that?! Just as we looked forward, a large mural came into view, trumpeting The Great Canadian Experience. I don't know, but they might want to rethink the placement of that sign on the wall of a paper mill.
Upon giving the curt man at customs our drivers licenses and answering his pointed questions, we were asked to pull around the corner where our licenses would be returned. We did so, and Daasy quickly turned to me, thinking we were going to be asked to pass a Canadian Knowledge Test to get in, and asked who the president of Canada was. After informing her that Canada doesn't have a president, two guards walk towards us, armed with rifles. I mean flashlights. (Sorry, it's not that interesting of a story.) They asked us to step out as they poked through our belongings and asked us further questions. I found it hilarious as I watched the guy on my side of the car pick up my CD case and all it contains are CDs upon CDs of sermons. I wonder how often they see that.
After they wished us a good trip in Canada, we were sent on our way. After a couple hours of driving on a winding road...in pitch black darkness...while it began to snow, we finally arrived at the Best Western in Dryden. At 3:30 in the morning. We crashed, hoping to get a little sleep before the Rink Rats' second game of the weekend at 10.
We awoke at 9, and headed down for a sit-down breakfast. Unfortunately, because they wouldn't bus any of their tables, it took us 15 minutes to be seated, then another 20 minutes for the waitress to join us and hand us menus. We looked nervously at our watches and ordered our breakfasts "to go." After another 20 minutes went by and still no sign of our food, I began to wonder.
"What's taking so long?"
"Hibby, you did order French toast."
"What? Did they have to go to France for it?"
"We're in Canada..."
"So, they went to Quebec for it?"
(Sorry, Armchair. I just had to include this conversation in the post.)
Once our breakfast was brought to us, we quickly took it back to our room and ate while simultaneously putting our shoes on and brushing our teeth. We made it over to the arena just in time to not see the first game of the day. But after hearing about the disappointing lose the night before, it was great to hear they had won 8-0.
The day went by too quickly. Watching fabulous hockey games; explaining the game a bit to Daasy; heckling with fans of opposing teams; cheering with Lex, the 6-year-old son of one of the Rink Rats; hanging out with the Rats between games; exploring Dryden; buying Coffee Crisp...the list could go on. Of course the spike in adrenaline certainly followed the Rink Rats bringing home the victory of the tournament.
Our weekend (day) in Canada seemed to end too quickly. After heading to bed later than we probably should have, we woke up the next morning at 5:30. Jon, our B-Bapper friend on the team, joined us for the return expedition. Driving through the beautiful terrain of Southern Ontario, we sang hymns together that came to mind watching the stunning sunrise. After a couple hours on the road, we made a quick stop, and Daasy and I were officially introduced to Tim Horton's. Back on the road, there was a lot of sleeping and a lot of Cross Movement. We got into Minneapolis about seven hours after leaving Dryden.
The weekend, in summation, really was a Great Canadian Experience.
What a weekend! Beginning last Friday after work, Daasy and I started our great trek Nort'. We were going up to watch, support, and cheer for the Rink Rats in a hockey tournament. As is consistent with "typical Bethlehem women," we popped in a CD of a John Piper sermon as we booked it up to Dryden, Ontario. With little to no point of interest the entire distance of Minnesota, we found our way to the border, which is nestled right in a paper mill. It felt funny to be driving through something that felt like a back alley to make our way to a different country.
Approaching customs, a stench assailed our senses. We looked at each other, shocked. What is that?! Just as we looked forward, a large mural came into view, trumpeting The Great Canadian Experience. I don't know, but they might want to rethink the placement of that sign on the wall of a paper mill.
Upon giving the curt man at customs our drivers licenses and answering his pointed questions, we were asked to pull around the corner where our licenses would be returned. We did so, and Daasy quickly turned to me, thinking we were going to be asked to pass a Canadian Knowledge Test to get in, and asked who the president of Canada was. After informing her that Canada doesn't have a president, two guards walk towards us, armed with rifles. I mean flashlights. (Sorry, it's not that interesting of a story.) They asked us to step out as they poked through our belongings and asked us further questions. I found it hilarious as I watched the guy on my side of the car pick up my CD case and all it contains are CDs upon CDs of sermons. I wonder how often they see that.
After they wished us a good trip in Canada, we were sent on our way. After a couple hours of driving on a winding road...in pitch black darkness...while it began to snow, we finally arrived at the Best Western in Dryden. At 3:30 in the morning. We crashed, hoping to get a little sleep before the Rink Rats' second game of the weekend at 10.
We awoke at 9, and headed down for a sit-down breakfast. Unfortunately, because they wouldn't bus any of their tables, it took us 15 minutes to be seated, then another 20 minutes for the waitress to join us and hand us menus. We looked nervously at our watches and ordered our breakfasts "to go." After another 20 minutes went by and still no sign of our food, I began to wonder.
"What's taking so long?"
"Hibby, you did order French toast."
"What? Did they have to go to France for it?"
"We're in Canada..."
"So, they went to Quebec for it?"
(Sorry, Armchair. I just had to include this conversation in the post.)
Once our breakfast was brought to us, we quickly took it back to our room and ate while simultaneously putting our shoes on and brushing our teeth. We made it over to the arena just in time to not see the first game of the day. But after hearing about the disappointing lose the night before, it was great to hear they had won 8-0.
The day went by too quickly. Watching fabulous hockey games; explaining the game a bit to Daasy; heckling with fans of opposing teams; cheering with Lex, the 6-year-old son of one of the Rink Rats; hanging out with the Rats between games; exploring Dryden; buying Coffee Crisp...the list could go on. Of course the spike in adrenaline certainly followed the Rink Rats bringing home the victory of the tournament.
Our weekend (day) in Canada seemed to end too quickly. After heading to bed later than we probably should have, we woke up the next morning at 5:30. Jon, our B-Bapper friend on the team, joined us for the return expedition. Driving through the beautiful terrain of Southern Ontario, we sang hymns together that came to mind watching the stunning sunrise. After a couple hours on the road, we made a quick stop, and Daasy and I were officially introduced to Tim Horton's. Back on the road, there was a lot of sleeping and a lot of Cross Movement. We got into Minneapolis about seven hours after leaving Dryden.
The weekend, in summation, really was a Great Canadian Experience.
posted by Jennifer at 10:03 AM
11 Comments:
Welcome home. And kudos on that stellar performance! Oscar-worthy stuff! (However, I think a more apt title would have been Futile Attraction.)
Nice embellishment on your scary encounter with Canadian customs officers, by the way. Kind of a "reverse Spielberg"!
enjoyed the blog, my friend! man, after looking at the chapion team picture...i was definitely caught off guard by the 'toothless, bald red headed, side burns' dude....he absolutely looks like a 'hockey player'...especially withe missing tooth!
So is Tim Horton's as good as advertised? I kept seeing Tim Horton commercials on tv last time I was in Vancouver BC and it got me curious.
*head shaking*
I could bother, but why?
And yes, Tim Hortons is good Micheal, though I'm guessing it's an aqcuired taste.
Lee - thanks! Though, Armchair asked me if I was informed I was going to be in a movie before or after they had already filmed it. (So I wasn't so much acting as I was just being myself. After all, I am a Bethlehem woman!) :)
Rob - glad you liked it. And Dennis. Yeah, he's classic hockey right there. Had a run-in with the net post... They actually had a fundraiser game to offset medical bills (he lost most of his front teeth and broke his maxilla in several places). He's a killer. ;)
Michael - next time you're in BC, do it. You've gotta go. Life-changing experience, man. Acquired taste? Nah, it was fantastic..and that was on the first go of it.
Armchair - you could bother about what?! Huh? You going to challenge my hilarious Canada joke in public? :D
"With little to no point of interest the entire distance of Minnesota"?????
Which part of Minnesota did you drive through? I'm just curious, because northeastern MN is gorgeous. Maybe you were asleep. Maybe it was too dark. I'm just grasping at reasons here...
That said, the rest of the post was highly enjoyable.
Proud to be an American (at least compared to being Canadian),
HLP
Oh, but you forgot to mention how to escape the smell of the paper mill in Dryden - we we seeking to stick our heads in hockey gear......yep....it was THAT potent.
Heidi? At least compared to being a Canadian? HA! Your smokescreen comment doesn't fool anyone.
Your jealousy of Canadian coolness and joie d'vive is to no avail. If you're nice, I'll sponsor you for a Canadian Visa.
...
...You're welcome!
Uh, so nice to hear the pulp mills of home are still greeting weary travelers. There is nothing like the smell of processing paper that makes you feel "im home"....
Maybe that will be the theme incence at EBF Vernon? Hmmmm.
Timmy's and Coffee Crisp?!?! On the same trip? Oh, I'm jealous...I wanna go home! Thankfully we just got a care package from home with Coffee Crisps and "I like my coffee crisp".
Still waiting and waiting and waiting for that phone call... no pressure! Ha!
HA HA! Not so much sass now that the Cannuck reinforcements showed up! I thought that there would be words being eaten! HA!
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