Clay and Erika invade Vancouver - pt. 2

So I can't believe I left out one of the most critical aspects of our first day in Canada - we OF COURSE did our research to ensure that the Ga/Ga Tech game would be on tv and that we would have absolutely 150% certainty that we could watch and enjoy the good ole' fashion hate up north. So Canada finally did us good by showing the Seattle station that was playing the game. PHEW! That was when we decided we'd stay through Saturday - otherwise I can guarandamntee you we would have fled back to our home country to do so.

So that's the good news - the bad news is that NO bars open up until 11am (not even for us!) and the game started at 9am (which, by the way, is a major setback to living this far west - but then again I guess that's what screwdrivers and bloody mary's are for). No worries - we're flexible and adaptable. So we wake up bright and early, watch the first half of the game on our 11 inch tv in our hotel room and then run out of the hotel at half time and back up to the local sports bar. You thought we were in an urgent American crisis before - but trust me this time was 50 times more serious! This time I was Elizabeth Shue as I burst into the restaurant - "We're American! And Georgian!! Turn it to KIRO ASAP!!!". Phew! All set. So speaking of Bloody Mary's, that's what we order - the bartender says "Well I don't know how my bloody mary is, but my bloody caesar is fantastic." "What's in a bloody caesar", we naively ask. "It's basically the same thing but kalmata juice is used instead of tomato juice. I think to myself I'm not really a big olive fan, but I'll give it a shot - I mean she did say it had celery salt on the rim so that sounds yummy. She gives us a sample of the juice - Clay approves - I guess it's ok too. Watery and a little slimy, but ok - if it's her specialty... Just hurry up and get it and be quiet so I can watch the game!!

She serves us our drinks, I take a sip, and they are pretty good I guess - this salt is super yummy. Go Jackets!! Then Clay asks "So what is in Klamata Juice?" - and here is the horror folks - "tomato and clam juice". Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaattt??? CLAMATA juice??? I thought it was kalamata like the olive!!!!!!!!!! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Clay was so good though - without even skipping a beat he swipes my drink away, tells the bartender he'll drink both of those and that I'll take something else ;) So as I wipe my tongue with my napkin over and over trying to get that nasty slimy sea creature out of my mouth I held back my gag reflex and tried to focus on the game. Eww. Even typing this story out makes me want to go take a shower!!! Gross!


But I digress - back to the game - which was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOHOOOOOOO - FINALLY WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That game was fantastic!!! MAN I was thrilled. Clay - not so much - but he went and pouted outside while I celebrated at the bar. AWESOME!!!!

Ok I guess I'll quit rubbing it in all y'all dogs faces...for now. Back to Canada....

So after the (amazing) game, we decide to drive up to North Vancouver where there is supposed to be amazing views of the city. So across the really cool Lions Gate Bridge we drive and up the mountain we head in search of said views.

Only one problem - it was so rainy/foggy that we could hardly see 20 feet in front of us, let alone down the mountain or across the river!! So yet again Canada wins this round - but of course we don't quit there. We haven't let Canada defeat us yet, so we drive further west to Horseshoe Bay which is where the ferries come and go from Seattle. Cute little town where we enjoy lunch and more football before we head back to the states. (ps-I'm sure you guys have figured this out by now, but anytime you see a blur of khaki and red in one of my pics, you can rest assured that it's Clay in his standard Seattle uniform ;)

Perhaps the funniest part of this trip was seeing a "self-serve" line in the bar and grill - there are literally gas station-type coolers behind the bar where we saw people going to purchase beer to go after they ate/drank at the pub!!! Ummmm - hello - anyone else think that is a terrible idea???

Ok so we think we've seen all of Canada that we can and been drenched for as long as we can stand, so back to the border we head.

At this point it's about 5pm on Saturday night so surely the border isn't too bad. UHHH yeah right!!! Canada gets us one more time before they boot us out of the country.... Over 3 hours, 2 car battery jumps (luckily not ours), much complaining and confusion, drama dealing with the other drivers around us stuck in such an awful predicament, and a mere 3 questions at the border and finally we're back inside US territory. Talk about frustrating!! Here is the 3rd and final time I wanted to yell "But we're American! Let us back in!!!"

So all complaints aside - we're back home and even more appreciative to be American ;) Or as Donna would say "Home again, home again - jiggity jig" :)