This, I just don't believe. 


It started with a phone call on Tuesday... 

TUESDAY (3 January):

Shirley, Ed's wife and co-owner of Ed's Speedy Lube, calls to tell me that our van is fixed. She tells me it's going to cost $91. I decide to call Flo at U.S. customs to find out where the export permit goes when (or if) it's issued. She tells me that it's already been issued and that if there's any problem, to tell the customs official at the border that it's "on the December 28th worksheet". Simple enough.

I decide to call Wilson Currie Service, the mechanic with my mother-in-law's car. The car is fixed and ready to be picked up. Now the only missing piece is the original document from Carol at Long Beach Acceptance, the lien holder.

WEDNESDAY (4 January):

The original document from Long Beach Acceptance arrives. We decide to leave the next day.

THURSDAY (5 January):

We leave for Calgary early, pick-up my mother-in-law's car (which is running well) and return the rental car. After a quick lunch, we head out and make it as far as Lethbridge. We head down to the bar in the evening to watch the Canadian junior hockey team beat the Russians 5-0 and win the gold medal in the final. During the game, we drink two pitchers of Molson Canadian and eat appetisers. A great evening.

FRIDAY (6 January) - the amazing part:

We hit the border about 12:15pm. There's traffic. About half an hour later, we get to the gate and are told to come inside. The same song and dance as every other time about Wendy's expired green card... but the immigration officer was PLEASANT! I wonder if this is some sort of new "shock and awe" campaign. We hurry out before they have a chance to be nasty and ruin an otherwise perfect customs/immigration experience.

When we get to Shelby, Ed and Shirley are typically hilarious and very glad to see us. Ed tells us that he wouldn't have married Shirley if he'd known he was going to live so long. She says that if she'd known he was going to live so long, she probably would've killed him years ago. They talk about their kids, 21 grandkids, and 4 great grandkids. We give Shirley the "thank you" tea pot, and she's genuinely touched. It turns out that she collects tea pots. (Good call, Wendy!) She's also hosting a table at a breast cancer tea party/fund raiser and is going to use the gift for the event. I resist telling her about my sister, but it all just feels so right and perfect. It's difficult to leave, but after about a half an hour, we do. It feels good to be back in the minivan, a sentiment I never expected.

We hit U.S. customs for the second time around about 3pm. I present the paperwork, and the officer is PLEASANT! Shock and awe is working - my head is spinning and I'm wondering what they're up to. I take a seat and a few minutes later, the officer comes back with the export pemit... and WISHES ME A NICE DAY! Shock and awe turns to dazed and confused. I take the export permit and leave quickly before they can change their minds.

Canadian customs is also friendly, but I've become accustomed to that. We get nailed with a $209 processing fee for the import on the van. Ouch. The officer talks us through the rest of the process (which will be another few weeks bringing the van up to code - i.e. the metric switch over and a few other things) ending with plates and an Albertan title deed or something. We leave and head for Calgary. We spend the night at a Westin and go out for celebration sushi and sake. Another good night.

SATURDAY (7 January):

After checking out, we have lunch with a friend of ours', Laura, and her husband, Terry. It's an absolutely delightful couple of hours - Terry's great (we hadn't met him before) and Laura hasn't changed a bit in the five years since we last saw her - as gorgeous as ever, energetic, and entertaining. I hope we see a lot more of them both now that we live here. The food was really good, too.

We leave for Spruce Grove and arrive in time for dinner. I call my parents to let them know that we're back safely and talk to my dad. He tells me that a certified letter had been delivered for us earlier in the day. I ask him to open it and read it to me. Apparently, an outstanding bill from our accident in June (was it June? It seems so long ago) was never settled and an auction house now has a lien on our van to collect $4,000 on behalf of the towing company. The auction is being held on the 20th. It's a long time before the rage subsides and I settle down. I detest incompetence, and our insurance company seems to be swimming in it.

So, which part don't I believe? Well, I don't believe that the end of our move went so smoothly with so many different loose ends tied up all in one go, and that absolutely nothing went wrong. I also don't believe that the car accident is still haunting us. I can't imagine what this could potentially do to our credit. Anyone know a good lawyer? E-mail me at: arp@bakuco.com  

Posted: Sat - January 7, 2006 at 12:30 AM          

©