nearly two hours in the border lineup
Aug. 3, 2012
10:30 am
We left for the temple after my video on this laptop was done uploading. I kept having the feeling that Abe will be home over the weekend while we are gone, so I wanted things to be in as much order as possible so he could get to the sink around the stack of new cupboards.
I drove for awhile while Willem read Harry Potter aloud to us. There was quite a traffic jam at the border. I guess there was some glitch in the border crossing office which had to close down for awhile. Anyway, we were backed up almost right from the 401. I think it took us about 1.5 hours to wait in line. We inched ahead very slowly. The exit to the ivy lea parkway gave an entrance onto where we were, but way up ahead. Very interesting to see how they got in first, while we continued to wait. We read Harry Potter, passing the time quite nicely! We weren't bored at all.
We finally arrived at the toll for the Thousand Islands Bridge, the onto onto Hill Island. After that, it was smooth sailing to somewhere near the Canadian Border office. I had to go to the washroom, but wasn't about to go in the bushes, as there were rock cliffs lining the road, so I went for a walk up to the US border control. On the way, I paused to look down at the river. It was quite lovely there. There were tall weeds in the clear water, though. I wonder what river it is. It's in the midst of the islands, splitting it and creating the border. Perhaps it's just the St. Lawrence, and these are two of the 1000 islands.
When I got to the building, I was greeted sternly and chastised for coming up to the building. I let him know I had to use the washroom and asked what he thought I should have done. I asked him what he thought I should have done, since I was facing an hour wait or so, use the bushes? He was compliant enough when I suggested he escort me. So he conceded and took me to the washroom. He had to abandon his post at the truck spot to wait for me. When I went in, there was a man who told me he was cleaning. I said I didn't care, I had to go. So he went out and waited with the border control officer while I used the facilities.
My walk away from the border control building was escorted, then I was on my own back to the car. It was nice, but quite hot. I shouldn't have gotten back in the car, but should have just waited somewhere outside in the breeze. It was very hot and sunny. In the car with no air conditioning it was stifling, even leaving the doors open. I read Harry Potter to Willem.
I was so glad when we finally were driving on the other side of the border control, finally getting some air. The road it wide and in full sun through that area, so it wasn't much relief from the heat. I think it was 30C, which isn't so hot if you are in the shade with a breeze, but alongside lots of idling vehicles, hundreds of them actually, all with their windows closed and their air conditioners on, it was awful. Did I mention the humidity? It was hazy. Quite humid, but not sticky.
It took 2.5 hours extra to get to the temple! Traffic was quite heavy on I-81 and even heavier on the NYState Thruway.
10:30 am
We left for the temple after my video on this laptop was done uploading. I kept having the feeling that Abe will be home over the weekend while we are gone, so I wanted things to be in as much order as possible so he could get to the sink around the stack of new cupboards.
I drove for awhile while Willem read Harry Potter aloud to us. There was quite a traffic jam at the border. I guess there was some glitch in the border crossing office which had to close down for awhile. Anyway, we were backed up almost right from the 401. I think it took us about 1.5 hours to wait in line. We inched ahead very slowly. The exit to the ivy lea parkway gave an entrance onto where we were, but way up ahead. Very interesting to see how they got in first, while we continued to wait. We read Harry Potter, passing the time quite nicely! We weren't bored at all.
We finally arrived at the toll for the Thousand Islands Bridge, the onto onto Hill Island. After that, it was smooth sailing to somewhere near the Canadian Border office. I had to go to the washroom, but wasn't about to go in the bushes, as there were rock cliffs lining the road, so I went for a walk up to the US border control. On the way, I paused to look down at the river. It was quite lovely there. There were tall weeds in the clear water, though. I wonder what river it is. It's in the midst of the islands, splitting it and creating the border. Perhaps it's just the St. Lawrence, and these are two of the 1000 islands.
When I got to the building, I was greeted sternly and chastised for coming up to the building. I let him know I had to use the washroom and asked what he thought I should have done. I asked him what he thought I should have done, since I was facing an hour wait or so, use the bushes? He was compliant enough when I suggested he escort me. So he conceded and took me to the washroom. He had to abandon his post at the truck spot to wait for me. When I went in, there was a man who told me he was cleaning. I said I didn't care, I had to go. So he went out and waited with the border control officer while I used the facilities.
My walk away from the border control building was escorted, then I was on my own back to the car. It was nice, but quite hot. I shouldn't have gotten back in the car, but should have just waited somewhere outside in the breeze. It was very hot and sunny. In the car with no air conditioning it was stifling, even leaving the doors open. I read Harry Potter to Willem.
I was so glad when we finally were driving on the other side of the border control, finally getting some air. The road it wide and in full sun through that area, so it wasn't much relief from the heat. I think it was 30C, which isn't so hot if you are in the shade with a breeze, but alongside lots of idling vehicles, hundreds of them actually, all with their windows closed and their air conditioners on, it was awful. Did I mention the humidity? It was hazy. Quite humid, but not sticky.
It took 2.5 hours extra to get to the temple! Traffic was quite heavy on I-81 and even heavier on the NYState Thruway.