Dear Diary - the Smitten Kitten Blog » Blog Archive

< ?php the_time('F j, Y'); ? >

Paperclips

5th May, 10.

The studio seems to have been hit with a paper hurricane! No matter. The new edition of Paperclips is out and our RIP Michael card was featured.

Yippee! Thanks so much you guys. What a nice surprise!

With the National Stationery Show just a week and a half away, we’ve been busy busy BUSY finishing off some last minute to-dos on our list. There’s new products to package, signage to print and paperwork to fill out for the border crossing. Jeez, that’s the part I never look forward to, the border crossing. Let’s not think about that shall we?

*cover my ears… La la la la la*

I hate crossing the border more than most things. For some reason I always feel like I’m in trouble even though I haven’t done anything. The guards have a way of looking at you that makes you want to confess to that extra carton of milk you took from the cafeteria when you were eight years old. I’m sorry! I’ll pay for the milk, please just let me cross!

I’ve been turned away from the border before. I was seventeen and my friend was lippy when asked why we were going into the US. “Oh I don’t know man, we just FEEL like it!” (I suspect my fire engine red hair and her overly pierced face didn’t help matters any either).

They pulled us into the office for questioning. Not so scary except there were guards in there decked out in full riot gear toting rifles. Yes just drinking coffee with their feet up and hanging out with their firearm…

Can I got back to Canada now?

Then there was the other time we drove to Las Vegas for a friend’s wedding. Our beat up old VW van stalled about a half mile from the border, we’d start it up again, go like another 50 feet and it would stall. By the time we got to the border we had stalled and started a half a dozen times. Needless to say we got pulled into the office for questioning.

Oh and another time I was traveling with a photographer who, unbeknown to me, had packed a few toy guns in his suitcase for a photo-shoot.

Say it with me now “We-got-pulled-into-the-office-for-questioning”.

These “delightful misunderstandings” have mentally scarred me for life. Now add that to my terrible habit of rambling on and making jokes when I’m uncomfortable. What do you get? Someone who doesn’t do well with crossing.

Anyone who’s experienced will tell ya, only answer when you’ve been asked a question, and keep your answers short! So I’m certainly not doing myself any favors. Does the guard need to know what you do for a living? Yes. Does he need to know why you’re going into the US? Yes. Do you need to tell him what you had for breakfast? NO!

To any potential border guards who might be reading this post (while drinking coffee with your feet up and hanging out with your firearm perhaps), let me just say this:

Please sir, I’m a respectable brunette now and I don’t talk to that lippy friend of mine anymore. I had our car serviced prior to the trip and nobody is packing any toy guns. I’m just going into the US for a week to sell some cards and stationery I designed. I’m a good apple and promise you that I’ll behave cordially for my duration in your country.

Please PLEASE make an example out of somebody else.