The Bills game yesterday was crazy.  It started out well.  I decided to drive seeing as I have a 4×4 Jeep – much better odds of making it there in one piece.

We get to the border and it is backed up like crazy…  It looked like it would take us an hour to cross.  So, I zip around a LOT of stopped traffic into the second line from the end.  In the first line there are a couple of buses, when one of them pulls through I figured I will try getting behind the second one – could be a costly mistake…  Within a minute the bus pulls away – YEAH – we are next.

The custom guy asks to to shut the engine off – is this ever a good sign?  Anyway, he proceeds to ask us rather annoying questions, where do we know each other from, where are we going, who’s vehicle it is – he guesses that it is mine (boy, you think, my plate is KEVSJEEP – you are holding a passport belonging to KEVin D’Arcy – I am driving a JEEP – WOW, you must have graduated TOP of your Customs Class).  Anyway, back to my story…  A few more questions and off we go.  My GPS takes us on an interesting course, I am blindly following it – after what doesn’t seem like a very long time, we are there.

We see a sign posted Parking $15.  Not bad, a few minute walk to the stadium – great.  We pull in.  She says, “$25 please”.  WHAT?  I thought it was $15.  No, that is beside this lot.  OK, I’ll go there then.  The guy behind me is RIGHT ON MY ASS.  She asks me to back up.  Ummmm, hello?  There is a guy, RIGHT ON MY ASS.  So, I pull forward a bit BUT, I am not allowed to cross the YELLOW line – I presume that my Jeep will blow up.  I ask her where I am supposed to go?  She replies, “you should have turned around when I told you to”.  OK, first off, you told me to back up, secondly, there is NO WHERE TO TURN AROUND…  So, turn the 4-wheel drive off, do a 3 point turn and get the heck outa the $25 lot.  I drive, literally 10 metres (30 feet for my American readers) and go to the $15 lot.  Find a great spot, back in, all is well.

We bundle up for the 10 minute walk to the game.  At this point it is likely 10:30 or so in the morning, kick off being 1PM.  The gates haven’t opened yet, no biggie, we’ll hang around the stadium – someone has to be selling food.  We find a vendor – $7 for a sausage…  WOW, that’s pricy.  We spent our US cash on parking, only have Canadian left, I am sure that they will take the Canadian, maybe 10% or so…  Oh no, THIRTY PERCENT – can you believe that, YES, 30%.  WOW.  Two sausages cost us $20 CDN – NO CHANGE.

OK.  I’ve been ripped off before, likely many times.  A prime example and perhaps the last time I got ripped off was when we went to a strip club with RK for this bachelor party.  I grabbed $100 outa the bank machine at the club, 10% surcharge – WOW, $100 cost me $110.  OK, 30% exchange when the actual rate is, let’s say, 7% is robbery.  I am sure it borders on illegal.  Anyway, the sausages were good, not that good mind you.

We finish up and the gates open.  There were a crapload of limos in the parking lot all (or most) having tailgate parties.  There was a stretch version of my Jeep – VERY COOL.  Did I take a picture?  No, of course not, didn’t think of that until much later, after it had gone.  Oh well.

Anyway, the exchange rate in the statdium was WAY better, 15% – acceptable for sure.

I purchased a container of “Dipin Dots” – little frozen balls of ice cream.  I’ve only ever seen them in the US, they are great.  Remember, it is about -12C outside.  So, I am eating my ice cream, outside, -12C and a security guard asks, “is that ice cream you’re eating?” – Yeah, it’s good and it won’t melt today…  Well, I think that he thinks that I am nuts, perhaps I am, I like ’em…  If you haven’t tried them, give ’em a try.  I’d think they might even be good when it is warm or hot outside, remember though, they’ll melt pretty quick…

We get to our seats, great seats (see Entry 51 for a picture) – they are covered in snow and ice.  Oh well…  We try to clear the seats using our gloves.  The gloves get wet and messy – why didn’t I think of using my boot?

We hang around, walk around the stadium to keep warm and eventually take our seats – the game is about to begin.

Starts out pretty well for the Bills, they score on their second drive.  The snow starts, gets harder, the Bills are playing quite well, you wouldn’t know that they had been knocked outa the playoffs a month or more ago.  At the half, we go into the concourse to get a hot chocolate or something – the lineup is HUGE.  They are out of hot chocolate (and coffee) so we wait – we get back to the game with only 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd…  Well, we only missed a field goal anyway.

We leave after the Bills last possesion – they are up 30-7 which is the way it ends.  We get back to the Jeep and listen to the final minute of play.  Good game all around, good time too…

We head back to Canada – HUGE line at the border.  I luck out for the second time and get a quick line.  The Canadian border guy is actually very friendly but he seems to be in a hurry.  He asks if we were at the game and when we say yes, he waves us on – no ID, no other questions.  Thanks…  We didn’t bring anything over but I was surprised how easy it was.

Stopped for a bite to eat and to totally thaw out and I was home by 6pm.  Was able to watch the last period of the Canada vs. Swiss Junior Hockey game – Canada won 6-1 to advance to Tuesday’s Gold Medal Game against, as it turns out the US for a rematch of New Years Eve classic game.  Should be a good one.

That brings me to today.  Wow, what a long post…

Work was pretty good.  I was quite happy to get back to the office.  I think I was getting a little bored at home for so long.  The day zipped by and 4PM was here before I knew it.

Heading out for coffee in a bit and then dinner – likely an early night for me.