Customs

So today was a drive in the treacherous NW ice on I-5 up to the border to find out some information about crossing into Canada with some equipment to do work in Point Roberts. After visiting the border today and yesterday, my cursory assessment is that the Canadian side of the border should be adequately prepared for the incoming Olympics traffic where thousands upon thousands will flock into Vancouver in two months. Unfortunately, the US side had (although what appeared to be fully staffed) lengthy lines and long waits for what seemed like a typical Saturday.

I hope people that stay stateside for the Olympics don't expect to be whisked through customs unless there are some surprises by the US border officials. I've waited for hours to cross into the US on an average Saturday, so it wouldn't surprise me of the waits exceed three or four hours to return into the U.S. A much wiser choice would be to stay in BC, although many murmurs can be heard here about how tourists will fall in love with Bellingham and its everpresent low cloud cover, drizzle and darkness beginning to fall at three p.m., and decide to move here en masse, only to stay for a few winters and sell their house at a sizable loss (once the next wave of recasts and resets hit) to move back to warmer, sunnier climes.

I'm not really a fan of the Olympics, so it is really a non-event for me. It stinks of more corporate subsidies burdened by taxpayers, and not really a whole lot of benefit to the community. But I am sure that a handful of well-heeled Vancouver businesspersons stand to profit handsomely from these games.

Time to take a nap. A fun, fun party last night followed by too little sleep.