WOW!!! I can't believe two weeks has passed since I've posted last. PHEW! I have to try and keep up with my life! There have been some really nice things going on. One of which is last Friday, Kerby had all of her bridesmaids, with the exception of one that is studying in Germany, come to Cambridge to go bridesmaid dress shopping. We hosted them all for supper that night too. We tried to make a hectic nice very and elegant for them. They did pick out a dress too at the end of the night! Tick one more thing off the things to do list.
Jocelyn and I attended a baby shower for someone who used to be our neighbour for a few years. It was in St.Catherines so we thought that we'd head over across the border to purchase our family turkey as well as a couple of turkeys for the youth group's church christmas dinner. Turkeys were a great price at .48 a pound! That's about a quarter of the price usually sold here. We thought the church dinner would require two, our family would require one and then Jocelyn would need one for the Kitzman's christmas dinner. Wow! It took us a long time to buy enough groceries, $25 worth, with all the discounts that were offered at the grocery store in order to purchase the turkeys at the sale price. So, my first order of groceries was just over $114 and with the discount card, all those groceries including a twenty five pound turkey came to about $39!! Can you believe it? We had to go through the check out three more times in order to get the other turkeys with additional groceries. Two hours had passed by and we headed back to the border.
The customs officer stuck her head out and asked us the usual questions... "How long was your stay? Do you have any tobacco or alcohol to declare? What was the purpose of your visit?" It was at that point we said that we were just there to get some groceries and turkeys. She asked us "How many turkeys did you purchase?" That was where it all went down hill! I proudly piped up and said, "Four!" as proud as could be. WRONG! Her eyes got huge and her tone of voice became loud and authoritative and said, "You can't bring four across the border. Didn't you know that you can only bring one turkey each?" I am thinking in my head, "If I knew that, I wouldn't have bought two." but knew enough not to say that out loud. Then she said, "You can buy turkeys in Canada you know." At which point I'm thinking to myself, "All these groceries we can buy in Canada." but, again, I knew better than to say anything. Then, she leans out the window, sticks her thumb up and raises her arm above her head, and says, "Taxes on the second turkey are through the roof!" Big gesture there. "Still I'm thinking to myself, "Lady, do you want the stinking turkeys?" I resisted the comment.
With that she gives us back our passports as we sat there waiting for her to give us a slip to go and pay those taxes that would be "through the roof". She looks at us like we are stupid or something, and says, "Have you brought back turkeys before?" At which point, I'm thinking if I had I'd be too scared to say so! We respond that we hadn't brought any back before, and then she tells us not to do that again. "Thank you.", we replied and drove away without having to pay any additional border crossing fees. WOW!!! I hope the youth enjoy those turkeys!
Well, this weekend there was Black Friday shopping. Jocelyn and I have gone for quite a few years now, and this year made our annual Thursday to Friday journey. Get this! When we got to the border Friday, I claim my purchases, Jocelyn claims her purchases and then the customs officer asks us if we have any tobacco or alcohol to declare. We say no. Then she says, "Any turkeys?" What the heck??? I've crossed the border a gazillion times over the years, and not ONCE did they ever ask me if I have any turkeys to declare! I think Jocelyn and I have been flagged as "Turkey Snatchers!" Funny thing is, we did stop to see if the turkeys were on sale and were going to buy two more for families that need one in our community. Good thing the sale wasn't on though for our sake.
I wonder what would have happened!!! :)
Keep your eyes on the Turkey's!
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